What time for flight home?

[mommary]

I am getting ready to book my flights for our cruise and I want to know if a 1:45pm flight to get home would be a safe time.
I will be using a car service to get us to the airport. If I book a later flight we could be hanging around the airport forever.
Thanks.

 

[repeatcruiser]

1:45 should be more than enough time to spare. We've done 3 cruises and have been off the ship by 8 AM each time (exit times are based on your assigned time for dinner - we were in the early group each time).

Our rental car bus driver told us there are some instances when ship arrivals are delayed due to security issues at the port, but I would think your flight should be fine under most situations. I think DCL says not to book before noon, so 1:45 should work even based on DCL's conservative recommendations.

 

[Suzanne]

I am getting ready to book my flights for our cruise and I want to know if a 1:45pm flight to get home would be a safe time.
I will be using a car service to get us to the airport. If I book a later flight we could be hanging around the airport forever.
Thanks.

That should be a very safe time. Although strange things have happened to delay it, (ie: someone calls in a bomb threat) Disney's rule is you have to be off the ship by 9am and you're only about an hour from the airport.

 

[mommary]

Thanks, will go ahead and book my flights.

 

[tvguy]

That should be a very safe time. Although strange things have happened to delay it, (ie: someone calls in a bomb threat) Disney's rule is you have to be off the ship by 9am and you're only about an hour from the airport.

They may WANT you off the ship by 9 am, but they rarely get everyone off before 10 am. Normal disembarkation starts between 7:45 and 8......it's just physically impossible to get 2700 people off the ship (and more importantly, thru Customs and Immigration) in an hour.

As for the flight, Disney says nothing before 12:30 pm, so you have picked a perfect time. We BARELY made a 12:35pm flight, not because of Disney , but because of LONG lines at Orlando airport to get thru the metal detectors.

 

[PhotoLisa]

The night before you get off the ship, your dining room host will give you your assigned time for breakfast if you are eating in the dining room. Topsiders is open as well if you don't want to eat a dining room breakfast. There is no roomservice that morning.

If you don't want to eat before getting off the ship, you can leave as soon as the ship is cleared.

On our 2/25/06 cruise, passengers were leaving before 7:30 AM.

Our flight was at 12:55 and we had PLENTY of time to walk around the airport.

Just a tip for going through airport security in Orlando . . . . don't get in those HUGE lines to get into the gate area as soon as you get to the airport. Hang around in the lobby areas -- get something to eat, a cup of coffee, do some last minute shopping at the Disney Earport or Brookstone or whatever. The line to go through security will be EXTREMELY smaller (walk straight through almost) closer to 11-11:30 AM.

 

[JC Butterfly]

I'm having a hard time with this one too. My flight options are to leave MCO at 11:30 a.m. (which I'm afraid could be pushinig it) or leaving at 5:40 p.m.

I know at the end of a trip I am really just ready to get home but I also don't want to be stressed and worried about missing my flight.

Opinions?

 

[lovinaz]

We just got back on Saturday and had a 4:30pm flight (actually it turned into a 5:20pm flight ). It was no fun sitting around the airport for that long (we got there at 10am and couldn't check our 6 bags in until 12:30pm). Luckily we bought a Pirates of the Caribbean Life game onboard, so we played that to help time go by faster.

You won't have any problems with a 1:45pm flight, and that is taking your time getting off the ship and back to the airport.

 

[PhotoLisa]

If you must take a late afternoon flight, check out a day room at the Hyatt. We had a day room two years ago and it truly saved us! We took naps and then showered before heading home. It was well worth the money spent!

 

[jennypenny]

Our flight options are 10:30am or 7:40pm. Yuck. We're not sure what we're doing. And hubby has to be at work the next day so we have to fly back that day.

Jenny

 

[repeatcruiser]

10:30 could be OK if you are the first off (we were off before 8 AM last month), but would be tight if there were any hick ups.

 

[anty30]

AA just emailed us that our 2:50pm flight home was moved up to 11:50 am. I am worried. Do you guys think that is enough time to get off the boat, get to Budget and get our car, and then drive to the airport?

 

[mom2boys5and9]

I noticed this thread which reminded me to check on my flights for our August cruise. Sure enough Delta changed my "perfect" flight home from 12:30 to 11:45. I'm afraid this might be cutting it close. I called Delta they gave me the option to change to the 4 or 7 o'clock flights and still be able to use my miles. They also said the 11:30 flight could change again! Think I'll just wait and see. Thinking about maybe changing to the 7 o'clock flight and going to Kennedy Space for the day. Anyone have a similar expereince with Delta lately?
Maggie

 

[msr709]

I noticed this thread which reminded me to check on my flights for our August cruise. Sure enough Delta changed my "perfect" flight home from 12:30 to 11:45. I'm afraid this might be cutting it close. I called Delta they gave me the option to change to the 4 or 7 o'clock flights and still be able to use my miles. They also said the 11:30 flight could change again! Think I'll just wait and see. Thinking about maybe changing to the 7 o'clock flight and going to Kennedy Space for the day. Anyone have a similar expereince with Delta lately?
Maggie

They changed my flight twice already! But luckily for me it was only minutes, the only thing that I was concerned about was the assigned seats. I have a connecting flight from ABE to ATL and its one of those small planes and I can't sit in a window seat because it gets me claustophobic! I need that aisle seat. But I called and got the assignment but they also told me that there might be more changes so I'm just checking regularly and hoping for the best. Its one of the reasons I'm flying in the day before so if there are any changes it really won't matter since its still the day before the cruise. I'm also booked at the Hyatt day before, so I'm hopefully covered all ends. Just keep checking Delta website regularly, I'm checking every 3 or 4 weeks. My flight isn't until October, so I'm sure there WILL be more changes. Good luck and have a wonderful cruise.