Sailing Mariner, will I catch my flight home?

[Rick2594]

I'm sailing the Mariner in September and have booked an 11:45 am flight home from Orlando airport. I've already reserved a rental car from Budget for that day to go from Port Canaveral to Orlando. Will I have enough time to disembark, pick up the rental and make it to the airport? If necessary I could get a later flight but for a few reasons this flight works the best. Appreciate all feedback.

[HB Cruiser]

Rick

 

We just got off Mariner this past Sunday and had a noon flight. Made it with no problem, except for a minor problem with one of the shuttle companies. Will not disclose that company until they have a chance to correct their mistake. They were late in leaving the port, left at 9:40 and was suppose to be gone no later 8:45.

 

Don't think you will have a problem unless disembarkation is running slow or the ship is late in returning to the port. Budget is very good and prompt, don't think you will have a problem there. Just make sure you have an early tag color to get off. They will give you a questionaire about Wed/Thurs asking flight times. I would tell them 10:45 instead of 11:45 to enable you to get off that much earlier.

 

You also have the option of taking your luggage off the ship yourself and can get off even earlier.

 

Tim

[Nliedel]

That can be a bit of a squeaker. Hand carry your luggage off and hightail it. You have tons of time to get to the airport. That's not the problem. Orlando has the WORST security I've ever been through. Unbelievably slow and I spend many weeks back and forthing for business, not just vacations. Up early, get off the ship and don't stop to smell the roses.

[kittyg]

Mariner 05/28/06

 

We chose not to put our luggage out in the hall the night before. At 6:45am, we wheeled it out to deck 4 and got in line. At 7:05 they let us off. We had to wheel it around some areas, ride it down an escalator and zip thru customs. We even decided to wheel it to the parking garage instead of having DH drive the car around. We started our car at 7:29 am.

 

You could be inside OIA before 8:30 if you parked. Even adding an hour for rental pickup, return and shuttle time and I would think you would be fine.

 

IF there are fires on 528, that could be an issue, but it hasn't been shut down for several weeks now.

[Cuizer2]

Mariner 05/28/06

 

We chose not to put our luggage out in the hall the night before. At 6:45am, we wheeled it out to deck 4 and got in line. At 7:05 they let us off. We had to wheel it around some areas, ride it down an escalator and zip thru customs. We even decided to wheel it to the parking garage instead of having DH drive the car around. We started our car at 7:29 am.

 

You could be inside OIA before 8:30 if you parked. Even adding an hour for rental pickup, return and shuttle time and I would think you would be fine.

 

IF there are fires on 528, that could be an issue, but it hasn't been shut down for several weeks now.

 

Is OAI Orlando International Airport? The three letter code for the major airport in Orlando is MCO.

[cb at sea]

Interstate 4 to Orlando has been under major construction--took us HOURS to get through there last fall. Good luck to you!

[Cuizer2]

Interstate 4 to Orlando has been under major construction--took us HOURS to get through there last fall. Good luck to you!

 

The direct route from the cruise port to the airport is 528 (not 4). If in a rental car, when you get to the airport exit, drive away from the airport for about 1/2 mile. Then you can fill the gas tank and then drive to the airport and drop off your rental with a full tank of gas. Also, you will need at least $2.00 for tolls.

[Boatbuilder]

I'm sailing the Mariner in September and have booked an 11:45 am flight home from Orlando airport. I've already reserved a rental car from Budget for that day to go from Port Canaveral to Orlando. Will I have enough time to disembark, pick up the rental and make it to the airport? If necessary I could get a later flight but for a few reasons this flight works the best. Appreciate all feedback.

 

Best advice is to carry your luggage off as others suggested, Take 528 West to Semoran North Exit, Fill up gas at the ridiculously overpriced gas stations near the hotels, and then take Semoran South to the Airport. Agree with other posters that you can be at the rental car desk in 60 minutes with no trouble. Toll will be $1.25 one-way.

[Rick2594]

Thanks very much for all the feedback. Sounds like if I carry my luggage and don't "stop to smell the roses", I should be okay.

[trgodin]

We just finished out Cruise this past Sunday and there was plenty of time to get off the ship rent a car and head to a hotel near the airport and be at the pool by 11:30am so you should be ok. That was with a check out time of 10:30am you should request a check out time of 08:30 and that will give you lots of time. Have fun

 

 

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[42trvl]

Do you need to rent a car? is it much cheaper than a car service? Otherwise on our last Mariner cruise, we had dutifully planned for a flight after 1pm, arranged with Art's shuttle (private car) to go from port to MCO, did not carry our own bags off, spent over 30 minutes waiting in line to go through customs at the port and still got to the airport by 9:30, and that was all without rushing at all. I doubt early on a Sunday morning you will hit much traffic. Having a car prearranged, waiting for you is much faster than shuttling to a rental car place, driving yourself and then returning the car. In fact, some people we were with on that same cruise had a problem with the shuttle bus to their car rental and ended up waiting for about a half hour for a ride to get their car. Also, if there are any problems on the road, a good driver should know alternative routes to the airport. Personally, unless I'm going to save a lot of money, I much prefer the convenience of stepping off the ship into a car and getting to the airport in plenty of time for an earlier flight.

[kittyg]

Is OAI Orlando International Airport? The three letter code for the major airport in Orlando is MCO.

 

Yes, OIA is Orlando International Airport. While the code is MCO, it is commonly referred to as OIA when mentioning it in passing.

[kittyg]

Interstate 4 to Orlando has been under major construction--took us HOURS to get through there last fall. Good luck to you!

 

I4 would not be used to go from Pt. Can to the airport. If you are going to WDW, then yes, you would travel on I4.

 

There is a lot of construction between downtown and WDW, but it does not cause delays other than requiring more cautious driving to follow the lane changes.

 

Occasionally there are delays on I4 which might increase the drive time from downtown to WDW from 15 minutes to 45 minutes. Any delay of hours would only be from an accident blocking the interstate.

[idchance]

11:45 will be tight but it should be OK. I just got off the Mariner on June 4 and those in our group were able to catch flights as early as 11:37 am. Make sure that for disembarkation day, you get one of the luggage tag colors that allows you to leave the ship early - ie by 8 or 8:30. It should take about a half hour or 45 minutes to go through US immigration and pick up your luggage. We were able to catch Art's Shuttle from Port Canaveral at about 9:15 and were at the Orlando airport at 10 am.