Earliest Flight After Cruise?

[Bowen9475]

If you were getting off a ship between 7-8 am, what is the earliest flight time you would choose at MCO?

 

[kaytieeldr]

2 PM. Noon at the absolute earliest. I'd rather be waiting at the airport than wondering if I were going to make my flight.

But that's just me. YMMV

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

DCL 'officially' recommends not booking flights before 12:30pm but they do allow Onboard check in for any flight 11:30 am or later. Our flight was at 11:40 and still had plenty of time to eat before boarding.
If your airline participates with onboard check in and you're using DCL transportation back to MCO, Onboard Check in is available & free. Your boarding passes and luggage tags are delivered to your stateroom the day before you leave. You then place your tagged luggage outside your door by 10 pm and don't see it until you arrive at your home airport the next day so no need to wait in line at MCO to check bags. Simply hop off the bus with carryon bags and head straight to gate.
To use OBCI, you have to be off the ship by 8 am at very latest. Bus departs by 8:10 and you'll be at MCO by 9.

 

[Jestocost]

DCL 'officially' recommends not booking flights before 12:30pm but they do allow Onboard check in for any flight 11:30 am or later. Our flight was at 11:40 and still had plenty of time to eat before boarding.
If your airline participates with onboard check in and you're using DCL transportation back to MCO, Onboard Check in is available & free. Your boarding passes and luggage tags are delivered to your stateroom the day before you leave. You then place your tagged luggage outside your door by 10 pm and don't see it until you arrive at your home airport the next day so no need to wait in line at MCO to check bags. Simply hop off the bus with carryon bags and head straight to gate.
To use OBCI, you have to be off the ship by 8 am at very latest. Bus departs by 8:10 and you'll be at MCO by 9.

All of that is fine assuming there are no delays with getting the ship cleared. Unfortunately, however, that does happen and it could result in missing your flight if you book one too early. I'd personally rather be safe than sorry. YMMV.

 

[bonjoe07]

We had a flight at 11:00am we went to the buffet breakfast the morning of disembarkment instead of your scheduled time and place and left DCL around 8am we had plenty of time to checkin and wait for our flight!
We need to go on a cruise again!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

All of that is fine assuming there are no delays with getting the ship cleared. Unfortunately, however, that does happen and it could result in missing your flight if you book one too early. I'd personally rather be safe than sorry. YMMV.

Yes, but that's what trip insurance is for. "Travel Delay"
4 hrs to get to MCO is typically plenty of time.

 

[a1tinkfans]

If you were getting off a ship between 7-8 am, what is the earliest flight time you would choose at MCO?

1pm earliest.....ya never know and because they saw 7-8 it is by color/section, them pulling luggage, then getting off etc....it all can take longer than you think.
Have a great time! (and I assumed you were port canav and mco)

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

1pm earliest.....ya never know and because they saw 7-8 it is by color/section, them pulling luggage, then getting off etc....it all can take longer than you think.
Have a great time! (and I assumed you were port canav and mco)

If you can participate in Onboard Check In, you don't do any of that. Once you put your bags out the night before, you don't see them until you arrive at your home airport. You simply hop off the DCL bus with carryon and boarding passes in hand, and head straight to the gate. No need to wait in line to check bags or drag it all through customs.
It really is so convenient. We love SW but will always return home post cruise on a participating airline just for this perk.

 

[shoes99]

We just booked our flights for our next cruise, and we booked 12:45PM MCO to EWR. We purchased DCL transfers, and we love the luggage service. We are two seniors and we will take the DCL transfers to the port also from our pre-cruise Disney hotel.