Tips for easiest and fastest disembarkment?

[doulasue]

We have a very early flight home out of Orlando at 11:15 am. I am looking for tips for fast and easy disembarkment. Cruised last year with RCCL, didn't use transfers, and had one heck of a time getting a cab to the airport. People were just walking all over each other to grab one of the very few cabs, it was miserable. I have two questions. First, is it relatively easy and quick to get to the airport if using DCL transfers? Also, we are flying US airways, I'm wondering if they allow you to check your luggage at the port?
I am relatively sure that we will make this flight, as long as it is "smooth sailing" after we get off the ship! Any tips would be used and appreciated. Thanks, Sue

[yx074464us]

My agent told me eat earlier on the deck and have reservation on the later dinner so I can eat early. and have reservation with Tiffany towncar service. I called Tiffany. They told me I would be in the airport at 9 am.

[albiats]

DCL tries to have everyone off of the ship starting around 8:30am so they can prepare for the new cruisers that will be boarding at 12:30 or 1:00.

If you have EARLY dinner at the 6pm Main dining, you will also have the early breakfast at 6:45am on the last morning. If you have the late dinner seating (8:30pm), you'll have breakfast at 8:00am.

As an alternative to eating breakfast at the full service restaurant, you could opt for a continental breakfast at the buffet on Deck 9, which would save time also.

I would think if you have all of the customs documentation filled out and you avoid questionable situations like bringing back fruit or exceeding limits, etc you'd have a fast trip to the parking lot.

When we cruised in January, we had the early seating for breakfast and when we finished our meal, we had to wait about 20 to 30 minutes until the ship cleared customs and allowed people to leave.

The disembarkation process has been refined at DCL and it runs very smoothly.

US Airways does allow you to check your bags at the Port.

I also agree that using a town car or limo service would be the fastest, since you won't be waiting for a full bus load of people, but I think you still have a good chance of making your flight, including time for security at the Airport.

[SC Minnie]

We were on the same cruise as albiats in January- we had late seating but chose to eat breakfast in Topsiders the day of debarkation. After breakfast we walked around a little then stood in line to exit the ship. Customs cleared the ship around 7:45 and we were in our car pulling out of the parking lot at 8:00.

[albiats]

Hi SC Minnie!

I think we were pulling out of the parking lot in our car between 8 and 8:15 also.

Isn't it terribly rude of them to want you to leave like that? That's the worst part of the whole process, walking out through the Atrium doors on deck 3.

And then in the parking lot outside of the terminal and you look back and see the ship resting there, pointing out to sea again. It's one of those life moments where you know what you want to do and you know what you have to do, and there's a great big conflict.

Well, it gives us a good spring board to start planning for the next cruise, right?

[SC Minnie]

It was the best vacation we have ever taken and it was extremely sad pulling out of the parking lot- especially when we had an 8 hour drive ahead of us.

We are REALLY looking forward to the 3 day in October and have started planning for the Western in 2004!

[albiats]

We are also on the same cruise in October and we're bringing our two DGDs (ok, and their parents), what a coincidence.

And we decided to book the same week in January for 2003 and we're 'assuming' that we'll be able to save up for it by then. :)

[inkkognito]

We took the risk of booking an early (11:19 a.m.) flight for our Sept. trip, as we got a grat rate on American Airlines. We figure that we will probably skip breakfast (I know the buffet is an option, but that is our trip where we are doing three cruises in a row, so I think we will NEED to skip a meal!). We are having Happy Limo pick us up, and they are always on time so I know we'll be at the airport in plenty of time unless the ship is delayed for some reason. American has more flights into Chicago that day, so if worse come to worse, we will end up flying standby later. I'm willing to take the risk due to the great airfare and the fact that in 19 cruises, we have only encountered a delay once. We won't be able to check our bags at the port for such an early flight. I'm a little worried about the lines at MCO since they were AWFUL last time, but we will be getting there a lot earlier for the Sept. trip. We have paper tickets now, but I am hoping to switch to e-tickets, as the check-in for those usually has a significantly shorter wait.
Barb
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