Flight time

[melvin1970]

Trying to get out fights booked. I can get a return flight for 11:20am on the disembark day. Is this doable if we leave the boat first thing?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Trying to get out fights booked. I can get a return flight for 11:20am on the disembark day. Is this doable if we leave the boat first thing?

DCL recommends flight after 11:30. But 11:20 is close. If you are doing your own transportation, and leaving the ship as soon as the big doors open (generally around 7:30), you should be fine. You won't be able to participate in the Onboard Airline Check in, however, with that flight time.

Trip from Port Canaveral to MCO is about an hour.

 

[minorthr]

Assuming your leaving out of port Canaveral and flying out of MCO it's probably doable if you have your own transportation and are handeling your own luggage but I wouldn't recommend cutting it that close.

 

[Laundress]

in a perfect situation it would probably be do-able with your own transportation. But... you can not be assured when you will be able to disembark.
ONe of my trips we were 2 hours late getting back to port. of course everything after that was delayed too. I might go ahead and book the flight if I was comfortable with my alternative flight options if the first flight is missed.

 

[scgustafson]

Trying to get out fights booked. I can get a return flight for 11:20am on the disembark day. Is this doable if we leave the boat first thing?

Which port and airport?

 

[Uncleromulus]

If this is Port Canaveral, you MIGHT be OK--assuming the ships docks on time and assuming there are no traffic delays en route to MCO. And assuming you can get your luggage checked in and get through TSA in reasonably good fashion.

 

[richkaryn]

We booked flight out of Vancouver for 11:55am for our disembarkation day. We were nervous, but it was so close to the recommended noon time that we thought ok. Then our flight got moved up to 11:45 and we got nervous again. We kept our bags and did express walk off. Were off the ship around 7:45-7:50am and immediately got a taxi (they had them waiting as you exited in vancouver). Were at the airport by 8:30. Took a little time to go through security there, but we still ended up at our gate by 10am. I wouldn't have wanted to be much later getting to the airport, because it seems that the security/customs lines got really long not long after we got through. It turns out there were also a ton of people from our cruise on our same flight.

 

[melvin1970]

Sorry we are flying out of MCO from Port Canaveral. We do have our own transportation but guess I better be willing to pay a little more and get a later flight.

 

[ribeza]

Trying to get out fights booked. I can get a return flight for 11:20am on the disembark day. Is this doable if we leave the boat first thing?

We did it with no problem - don't put your luggage out the night before disembarking, take it off yourself. The line to get off the ship starts early - my 80 yr old mom and I were on the first DME bus back to MCO and had plenty of time without rushing. Went to Cabanas and got bagels, fruit and juice which we ate in line along with just about everyone else. Our flight was at noon and we were able to catch a 10:30 flight!

 

[DD's Prince]

We've done it several years in a row with private transportation and 10:45 flight out of MCO. No problems yet!

 

[Empress Room]

We just got back on the Fantasy last Saturday. We had a 12:15 flight out of MCO. We left the ship after a relaxing breakfast at Cabanna's, claimed our luggage at the port, went through customs and took a DCL bus back to MCO. We were in the airport and fully checked in, including luggage, by 9:15 a.m. I would not hesitate to book that 11:20 flight. I've done it before without any issues whatsoever.

 

[phinz]

I've seen traffic on a Saturday leaving Port Canaveral at a standstill for about 10 miles because of an accident blocking both lanes. There is *no* other way around things without going way out of your way. I'd *never* book a tight flight unless I was willing to go on standby for every other flight after that.

 

[Skittlesmom]

While on vacation, I wouldn't want to be rushed or stressed about possibly missing a flight. Too much potential for Murphy's Law...lines departing the ship, baggage delays, customs, traffic delays, lines at the airport/TSA. Recommend getting a later flight.

 

[Shanti]

Trying to get out fights booked. I can get a return flight for 11:20am on the disembark day. Is this doable if we leave the boat first thing?

I would take the 11:20- a prompt flight out makes debarkation day less boring and depressing, imo. As long as you leave the ship asap, you should have no problem at all making that flight. Could some unusual, extreme delay possibly happen? Of course. But unlikely. The ships are usually on time when getting back to the home port, there usually isn't a massive wreck shutting down the entire highway for hours, etc. No one can make the decision for you as it's all about your own comfort level- personally I refuse to be held hostage to the "what ifs" in life.

 

[Baduist]

A few tips:

1. depending on your airline you might be able to check-in to the flight from the ship. Look for that info on the DCL website.

This saves you time because:
A. No check-in lines at the airport
B. Your luggage is picked up from your stateroom and you won't see it until you land at your destination, which means no carrying stuff around.

2. If you do that - do not buy alcohol.

If you buy alcohol at one of your stops, you will have to give it to the crew, and pick it up on the debarkation day, which means you will have to carry one suitcase (since you can't take it on the plane either). Not worth it imho.

3. In any case make sure you arrange your transportation beforehand - before you're even on the ship.

4. Leave nothing for the last day. Make sure you're all packed and ready the night before, so you can get breakfast, some coffee, and be relaxed enough so that even if something goes wrong you know you're gonna be fine.

5. ALL THAT BEING SAID, try to get a later flight.

Debarkation is depressing enough ;-) you don't want to be in a rush on your last day, and you don't want to be worried.

We had a flight at 11:55, which we were on time for (albeit, we had to give up a seconds Starbucks latte at the airport due to the line), but I remember seeing the lines on the ship to get out early in the morning, and I was certain that we were gonna miss the flight. In reality, the long long line moved really fast so it wasn't bad at all, but that sense of stress is not worth it.

Like I said before, nothing beats the feeling that you have enough time for things to go wrong.

Also,

MCO Airport is really really nice, and I would prefer killing an hour or even two with the family bringing up fun memories from the cruise, rather than be stressed and end the vacation on a negative note.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

A few tips:

1. depending on your airline you might be able to check-in to the flight from the ship. Look for that info on the DCL website.

This saves you time because:
A. No check-in lines at the airport
B. Your luggage is picked up from your stateroom and you won't see it until you land at your destination, which means no carrying stuff around.

...

This can't be done if you don't meet the flight time requirement. DCL requires flights after 11:30 to participate in the Onboard Airline Check in.

 

[melvin1970]

Found a 2pm flight so I booked it.