Dear Magic Eight Ball: Can I be off the ship by 7:30?

A few weeks ago we had an early flight home (11:05 a.m.). We did express walk off so we kept our luggage. We were in the lobby around 7:30. As we got there, they were just letting the first guests off - - and they started with the concierge guests (they were all on one side). Our DCL bus left before 8 and we were at the airport by 9. We had a short wait in line to drop off our bags, then we had time to eat breakfast and do some last minute shopping. We had plenty of time for our flight. It was only my husband and I so we could move quickly. I'd say you can make it.

Thank you, I really appreciate it.
 
I will reveal the flight time and whether we made it when I write my trip report. :P (Sorry, I know some people are dying to shake their finger at me, I get enough of that on the other cruise forum.)

But you asked if you could be off ship by 7:30, poster said 7:30 they were in lobby and just then allowing concierge off....

And as per my OP, I'm in concierge. :)
 

OK, so, typing this from our gate at MCO. Our original flight time (which everyone wanted to know) was 10:15a. Would have made it with no problem. Joke's on us, we switched to Delta because they had a nonstop, and now our Delta flight has been cancelled and rebooked for three hours from now. So you can have your schadenfreude. :)

Here's what happened:

--Concierge led us to the front of disembark line around 7:15-7:20 ish (?)
--Grabbed luggage from concierge area (to the left as you come out)
--Through customs in about five minutes
--Feet on the ground at 7:30
--Mears car showed up at 7:40
--At MCO by about 8:30, but I'm not 100% of the time because during the ride over I started getting notifications about our cancelled/rebooked flights, and needed to do new check in/boarding passes etc. on the phone.

Security in terminal B was a walk-on (really, they were moving so fast I almost couldn't get my stuff organized in time). We were at the furthest gate in our Delta wing by 9:13 (took a screenshot). However, keep in mind:

--I stopped before check-in at Delta for about 15 minutes while we re-organized luggage (needed laptop chargers in carryon due to long wait for new flight), chatted with a Delta rep for a while about the implications of the rebooking (would our seat upgrades transfer? (they would)) and how my Delta amex wasn't linked to my flier account. THEN check in, then super-fast security, then the monorail to the gate, and then a fifteen minute wait for Starbucks. And after all that I took the 9:13 screenshot.

So ... take from it what you will. Anything can happen, and early flights are still not 'recommended', but they are also not impossible.
 
Flight delayed again (we're now up to 1pm on what started out as an 11:20 flight). Really not impressed with my first Delta experience. We were very used to the Southwest cattle-call routine, but they were usually quite timely, so this is annoying, especially since it cost so much more to fly Delta. They also charged me baggage fees I wasn't supposed to be charged since I paid for the trip with a Delta Amex, so that's something else I'll have to deal with after I get home.

Should have stuck with my 10:15 southwest. Even though it wasn't a nonstop, we would have beat the Delta flight home at this point.

I know this is just one of the perils of travel, I'm just grumbling.
 
Flight delayed again (we're now up to 1pm on what started out as an 11:20 flight). Really not impressed with my first Delta experience. We were very used to the Southwest cattle-call routine, but they were usually quite timely, so this is annoying, especially since it cost so much more to fly Delta. They also charged me baggage fees I wasn't supposed to be charged since I paid for the trip with a Delta Amex, so that's something else I'll have to deal with after I get home.

Should have stuck with my 10:15 southwest. Even though it wasn't a nonstop, we would have beat the Delta flight home at this point.

I know this is just one of the perils of travel, I'm just grumbling.
Please let us know if you ever make it home. I hope you enjoyed your cruise. 10:15 am seems way too early for me, but as you pointed out it is possible. However, I would be worried about it during the entire cruise.

MUN
 

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