Return Home Flight Time Question

[iamporch]

So what would you do if your 2 options for return flight were 10:45 or 5:05? (taking southwest) I read that it is best to schedule after 12 even though some have done earlier times fine. Its just such a big difference in time! This is our first cruise so we will be new to the process of getting off so might be slower? However what in the world would we do at the airport for 6+ hours with 4 kids? Spending the night and leaving early isn't an option I want to get home Saturday. How do people normally get from port to the airport?

Thanks

 

[Dug720]

5:05. I would never chance something as early as 10:45. Yes, there are people who can tell you they have "always" made it. But talk to some of those same people who were on the Fantasy that was late docking because they had to wait at Castaway for a medical evacuation and didn't get cleared to even begin debarkation until after 9:30. Or those people who were on the Wonder out of Galveston who were fogged out of the port until I believe well after noon.

IMHO it's not worth chancing it.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

So what would you do if your 2 options for return flight were 10:45 or 5:05? (taking southwest) I read that it is best to schedule after 12 even though some have done earlier times fine. Its just such a big difference in time! This is our first cruise so we will be new to the process of getting off so might be slower? However what in the world would we do at the airport for 6+ hours with 4 kids? Spending the night and leaving early isn't an option I want to get home Saturday. How do people normally get from port to the airport?

Thanks

Agree with Dug - 5:05. You won't feel so rushed (a terrible way to end a cruise), and there's plenty to see/do at MCO, if you do have some time.

If you feel that you're not going to find enough to occupy your time, you could look into a day room at the Hyatt (use of pool, and a bed for a quick nap since you got up so early that morning).

We usually take DCL transfers. But, for you that might be too costly - $35.00 per person. You could look into a rental car, or some sort of private towncar service for a cheaper cost.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

I assume you're arriving at Port Canaveral? We rented a car one-way from port to the airport and visited the Kennedy Space Center for the better part of the day. We left our luggage in the car (it was totally fine) and drove back to MCO from KSC around mid afternoon and made was in plenty of time for our flight.

 

[kkayluvsdis]

We've been delayed at MCO for more than 6 hours. While not ideal we certainly found plenty to pass the time!

 

[KristiMc]

Do a one-way rental and go to Disney Springs for the day.

 

[xiphoid76]

I would hate to be on the 5 PM flight - so late to get home if you have to work the next day. I know there is some added stress in the morning flight, but you should be able to make it in plenty of time. Take your luggage off with you and walk off the ship when cleared - around 8 ish. You can take an Uber to the airport and be there by 9. Plenty of time to relax and even have breakfast at the airport before your flight. We have had numerous 11:20 flights and always felt there was plenty of time. For me, the stress of getting home so late, unpacking and then working the next morning would be worse. If you have off the next day, then I say relax and take the 5 PM flight.

 

[Shanti]

So what would you do if your 2 options for return flight were 10:45 or 5:05? (taking southwest) I read that it is best to schedule after 12 even though some have done earlier times fine. Its just such a big difference in time! This is our first cruise so we will be new to the process of getting off so might be slower? However what in the world would we do at the airport for 6+ hours with 4 kids? Spending the night and leaving early isn't an option I want to get home Saturday. How do people normally get from port to the airport?

Thanks

I'd check a different carrier for better times, as those are both pretty bad. 10:45 is too early for a first-time cruising family to attempt imo, and 5:05 will leave you bored at the airport for many long hours. Not a fun way to end your cruise vacation. Does Jet Blue fly to your hometown? Their rates are sometimes cheaper than SWA's.

 

[iamporch]

I'd check a different carrier for better times, as those are both pretty bad. 10:45 is too early for a first-time cruising family to attempt imo, and 5:05 will leave you bored at the airport for many long hours. Not a fun way to end your cruise vacation. Does Jet Blue fly to your hometown? Their rates are sometimes cheaper than SWA's.

My 5 year old had autism and our number 1 priority for flight is no layover. I'm already nervous about one flight there and back. I just checked JetBlue and they all have layovers (in addition to us already having to drive 3 hrs to the airport) we have an airport closer but no flights out are non stop (any airline) which is why we choose to drive to avoid the layover. There are other airlines that are non stop other than SW but they would cost quite a bit more.

 

[codylamb18]

My 5 year old had autism and our number 1 priority for flight is no layover. I'm already nervous about one flight there and back. I just checked JetBlue and they all have layovers (in addition to us already having to drive 3 hrs to the airport) we have an airport closer but no flights out are non stop (any airline) which is why we choose to drive to avoid the layover. There are other airlines that are non stop other than SW but they would cost quite a bit more.

Check on google flights this is the best tool to find cheapest flights and you can choose airport, layovers, arrival time, etc.

 

[NAB]

10:45 is cutting it close , I would only do that if you left the ship with your luggage at 7:30 after the ship is cleared. We did a 11:55 flight and we were very rushed plus with late breakfast to boot. Sometimes it is really backed up to get off the ship too, it is hit and miss.

We have done private car and DLC transfers. Just remember the DCL drops you off at ground level B so you have to go up and you have to make your way over to the Southwest counter which are across in A to drop off luggage and print your boarding passes.

 

[sportel]

We had a similar flight predicament for our upcoming cruise. I was not comfortable with the early flight time and have booked a day room at the Hyatt. This way we can still relax and not be bored all day. I think it costs about $100.

 

[kiford]

We've been stuck in security lineups for over an hour at MCO and in the customs line at Port Canaveral for 45 minutes. You'd have to have everything align perfectly to make a 10:45 am flight - ship gets in on time, no delays in customs, no traffic, no lineups at check in at airport, short security lines. Certainly people have done it, but it's not a guarantee.

 

[Dug720]

We've been stuck in security lineups for over an hour at MCO and in the customs line at Port Canaveral for 45 minutes. You'd have to have everything align perfectly to make a 10:45 am flight - ship gets in on time, no delays in customs, no traffic, no lineups at check in at airport, short security lines. Certainly people have done it, but it's not a guarantee.

I didn't even think about MCO and the horrible TSA lines there. Yeah...adding that in, there is no way I'd chance a 10:45 flight.

 

[bumbershoot]

My 5 year old had autism and our number 1 priority for flight is no layover.

How would he do with racing for the airport and rushing through the airport? With the stress of "will we make it?"

My non-autistic then-5 year old nearly had a breakdown at lax when I mistimed everything and we absolutely should have missed our flight (but were saved by the plane being delayed which we discovered at the gate). Flights for a year or so after that were not pleasant with him because of it.

Rent a car. Hang out in the canaveral/cocoa beach area until around 1 or 2. Hit the road, be leisurely, gas up, return the car, have a casual relaxed time at the airport. If you're really early hit the Disney store or universal or sea world or Kennedy space center stores which are all at the airport. Go buy some crocs or bamboo sheets (if you didn't do this in a port lol) or have some food before security. Go through security without racing to the "monorail". Grab a hot chocolate once you're almost at the gates and be ready for the 5:45 flight.

To me it would ruin my relaxing cruise if i had to race to the airport.

 

[Partyof4LA]

the Fantasy was very delayed 2-25 of this year coming into port due to fog. We were trying to get into port at 10:45 and could see the huge crowd of passengers just making their way off the ship. Traffic was extremely backed up and I would imagine it still took a while longer for those people to be picked up and back on the road. I heard from a crew member later that day when we were onboard that they couldn't start letting passengers off until around 10:30.
If you were on that sailing and you couldn't get off the ship until 10:30, there is absolutely no way you could make a 10:45 flight. Even in the best case scenario and you were the very first off the ship, didn't have to find your bags in customs (you can't do onboard airline check in with southwest), had TSA precheck and private transportation that happened to beat the crowd and get you picked up and on the road first, and there was no line to check your bags and get boarding passes at the airport, you would be unlikely to make any flight before noon that day.
You never know when things will happen that are out of your control and put you getting off the ship later than you expected. I would never want to have to stress about making my flight when I have my small children with me. I want time for bathroom breaks and lunch before we board. I don't want to carry my children as I run through the airport and I certainly don't expect them to run. We book flights home no earlier than 1pm when we cruise.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

Our wait at MCO for the line through security on time was well over an hour. In this instance we were dropped off 2 hours ahead of our flight by the Magical Express after a vacation at WDW. We then had to rush to monorail to get to the gate, to get food and use the restrooms. It was a miserable way to end a vacation. Day room at Hyatt or rent a car. That is what we usually do. Much happier ending.

 

[iamporch]

Thanks everyone. Would never have thought of a day room. That sounds perfect.

 

[NAB]

Thanks everyone. Would never have thought of a day room. That sounds perfect.

With the day room you can also use their pool or when we got one we all had naps...lol

 

[Madzac]

We did a day room last cruise and it was great. Technically you are only supposed to have 4 in a room. We are a family of 6 also but we figured since we weren't sleeping there it didn't really matter. We were to the room by 930am, swam, did lunch, relaxed and then headed down. I would totally do it again.