Clearing customs at Port Everglades

[hskaggs11]

I got a friend who's sailing on the Navigator Dec 6th-12th. The ship docks on the 12th at 5:30am. She has a 9:45am flight back home. Is there enough time to leave the boat, clear customs, and make it to the airport?? It's been soo long since I've sailed (2007!) that I can't remember the procedures!

 

[ldo]

probably, if everything is on time and she has only carry on luggage only and checks early self-debark. But lots can happen, we were delayed by 1.5 hrs last April b/c of some customs issue. Typically, the ship is cleared around 7:30ish. So, if she gets off and hops in a cab by 8:30 with only carry on, she should be OK. 9:45 is cutting it really close.

 

[hskaggs11]

Thanks. I'll advise her to see if it's possible to change her time

 

[holula]

9.45 is WAY too close for any port. I know the airport is right there at FLL but even if everything aligns perfectly then they still might not make it.

 

[bumbershoot]

Making sure...she's flying out of Fort Lauderdale? (sometimes people fly out of Miami)

We walked our bags off but the line was at least an hour long, because we didn't realize that people start lining up for it before the ship has docked. The line wound up and up the stairs. And that was on Vision.

I never want to finish a cruise racing for the airport anyway, so I never understand why people book such early flights...but even without those feelings, which she might very well make it, it would be less stressful if she could take a later flight.

 

[hskaggs11]

yes, she's flying out of Ft. Lauderdale. I will let her know she might want to look into changing her time. If she can't change her time, how can she go about walking her bags off, and when/where does the line start for disembarking??

 

[bumbershoot]

The line started at the area where people get off the ship. Since Vision is different than Navigator, I can't say exactly where (for us it was in the Centrum), and it went around the room then up the stairs, looping around that deck, and on up. We thought we were in line early but we started on the second level about 3/4 of the way back on that level. She needs to find out where disembarkation will be (what deck) and get up early for it. To do the walkoff, you don't put bags out the night before (so she and her party will need to be able to CARRY all bags, knowing that elevators might not be possible on that day (they weren't for us, we had to use the stairs when our line finally got to that point)) and you just ignore the disembarkation info given to you about tags and numbers and places to meet. I think she should be able to get info on the ship. I just have a bad memory when things happen early in the morning.

 

[hskaggs11]

Thanks, you've been super helpful!!