What time to book return flight from Barcelona after Mediterranean cruise?

[criscoloo]

There seem to be only a few flights out of Barcelona at this stage of the game for my August Mediterranean cruise. The one after 12:30 pm involves a layover and over 12 hours travel time. I'd like to book the 11:20 a.m. direct flight instead, given that I will be traveling with 2 young children. Is that doable? I've only traveled out of Orlando before and always got to the airport by 10 a.m., even though Disney recommends booking a return flight for no earlier than 12:30 p.m. Is the experience very different out of Barcelona? Thanks!

 

[Anal Annie]

Hi - welcome to the DIS!! Which August Med are you on? (I'm on the Aug. 13th one). It seems that almost all of the flights leaving Barcelona for the US are early and from what I've read most people have had no problems making them in previous years - you just need to let DCL know that you need off first thing so you can get off in one of the first groups.

Personally we didn't feel comfortable with that idea (but the flights heading to DC were were even earlier - at 10:00 or 10:30) so we're staying over in Barcelona 2 more nights. I also found that leaving to come home on Monday was a lot cheaper too. I think you'd be OK with an 11:20 flight but maybe you could think about staying over another day or two?!

 

[criscoloo]

Thanks for the welcome! We're hoping to head back to NY on the 20th. I made the mistake of not booking our flights earlier, so now I'm looking at paying $200+ more per ticket and not being able to book convenient times I thought about staying over another day or two, but any money I would save (hardly any at this late stage of the game) wouldn't make a dent in what we'd have to pay for an extra 1-2 night hotel stay in Barcelona. Those European hotels sure are expensive this year!

 

[Anal Annie]

Thanks for the welcome! We're hoping to head back to NY on the 20th. I made the mistake of not booking our flights earlier, so now I'm looking at paying $200+ more per ticket and not being able to book convenient times I thought about staying over another day or two, but any money I would save (hardly any at this late stage of the game) wouldn't make a dent in what we'd have to pay for an extra 1-2 night hotel stay in Barcelona. Those European hotels sure are expensive this year!

So are you on the August 13th cruise too???????

 

[criscoloo]

Sure am! (Assuming I book our flights one of these days!!!)

 

[Anal Annie]

Sure am! (Assuming I book our flights one of these days!!!)

We have a meet thread going...I'll go copy the link for you!!!\


Here we are - come chat with others who are on the same cruise!!!
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2387326&page=76

 

[MissReeRee]

There seem to be only a few flights out of Barcelona at this stage of the game for my August Mediterranean cruise. The one after 12:30 pm involves a layover and over 12 hours travel time. I'd like to book the 11:20 a.m. direct flight instead, given that I will be traveling with 2 young children. Is that doable? I've only traveled out of Orlando before and always got to the airport by 10 a.m., even though Disney recommends booking a return flight for no earlier than 12:30 p.m. Is the experience very different out of Barcelona? Thanks!

Last year I had this same issue, the cheap flight went out at 11am and Disney told me that they didn't recommend it... So we booked a hotel night and flew out the next morning. Well on the morning of debarkation I see tons of people lining up to get off the ship at 6am to catch early flights! I know the issue is clearing customs and if the ship doesn't clear customs on time then you could miss your flight but from what I have read that is pretty rare. So this year I am booking the 11:30 flight (with trip insurance just in case!)

 

[CruisingSarah]

Hi, we have debarked about 3 or 4 cruise ships in Barcelona in the past couple of years including DCL last summer. You should be fine to make a flight at that time, pretty sure we have had early flights. BUT the one thing I cannot emphasise strongly enough is to ensure that you have pre-arranged transport to the airport if you have a tight schedule, please do not rely on just being able to pick up a cab at the pier as the cab lines there are the worst I have ever seen in my life anywhere.

It may be fine to get a cab if you are one of the first to walk off and carrying your own luggage but otherwise and anyway I really wouldn't risk it.

The wait time for the line can be over 2 hours long

 

[criscoloo]

Thanks for your thoughts on this. I'd love to stay an extra day or two, but the extra cost of the hotel and food, plus an extra transfer from the hotel to the airport, all adds up with a weak dollar. It sounds like the 11:20 would be doable, even if I may be a little stressed out by it.

I will definitely get trip insurance and arrange for a cab as suggested by the other post. Doesn't Disney have some sort of shuttle bus service to the airport, like in Port Canaveral?

 

[criscoloo]

Thanks for the Meet Thread. I'm so new to all of this, including this board.

 

[Anal Annie]

Thanks for your thoughts on this. I'd love to stay an extra day or two, but the extra cost of the hotel and food, plus an extra transfer from the hotel to the airport, all adds up with a weak dollar. It sounds like the 11:20 would be doable, even if I may be a little stressed out by it.

I will definitely get trip insurance and arrange for a cab as suggested by the other post. Doesn't Disney have some sort of shuttle bus service to the airport, like in Port Canaveral?

They do offer some sort of transfers I think but not sure how much they are...probably more than a private transfer because they will charge per person... I think they may have a deal with 1 or 2 airlines with a check in there at the port. Maybe Delta?! You should call & ask...I've read many times that the lines are horrid after the cruise so definitely pre-arrange a ride!!

The poor USD is KILLING us right now - that's one reason you're finding the hotel rooms to work out to be so high. I freaked out a couple of weeks ago over it and went ahead & finished pre-paying in full anything that I could. I had booked a non-refundable pre-paid rate for the Novotel for our 1 night pre-cruise back in January and sure was glad I did. Have you booked a hotel yet?

Use the link I posted above & come chat on our thread!! (As you can see from my post count I spend a lot of time here! )

 

[Marymom]

We are booked on the 11:20 flight to NY from our cruise. I am not too worried about making the flight. I did buy the Disney transfers to the airport. I didn't want to waste time finding transportation when I get off the ship. I read on the boards that Disney will insure the earlier flights are on the first busses. I would book the airfare.

Mary

 

[bibbidibobbidibecky]

I'm shooting for a noon flight...I am shopping this week for ours, so I think you still have plenty of time. I've read you should wait 6-8 weeks out, which is what I'm doing and as soon as the two-month mark hit prices dropped around $200 so I would advise waiting a little bit...IMHO!

 

[Ajojo]

Last year I got my flights through Disney and they booked alot of us on a US Air flight leaving out of Barcelona at 10:35. There was no problem at all. I had to meet up at 6:30 to disembark, grab my luggage, and get on the bus. It is just a short ride to the airport and we were hours early to the airport.

There was also a Delta flight that was leaving about the same time and many people from the cruise were on that as well. We had to make sure not to go in the Delta line.

 

[pixie08]

Ours was 11:30 to NY and we had lots of time, we were at the Barcelona airport with time to spre and w used the Disney shuttles. Once you leave the port they just have tons of buses ready for people to get on and go. they are not the huge ones like the ME ones so they do not take som long to fill up. Or there are tons of taxis, but the line was very, very long because there were many Spanish locals on the cruise and it seems they mostly were waiting for the taxis.

 

[criscoloo]

Good to know that you had plenty of time for the 11:30 a.m. flight to NY. I imagine that an 11:20 a.m. flight is doable, provided that everything goes okay. If something goes wrong (getting back to port late, stuck on long lines, etc.), Disney's recommended time of 12:30 pm wouldn't necessarily be sufficient either. I read somewhere that Disney charges $30pp one way for the Barcelona shuttle, though that info must be old because I'm pretty sure I paid $35 last year for the Orlando shuttle from the port.

As for booking air, I read too that it's best to wait 6-8 weeks before the cruise departure. On the other hand, I've also read that it's best to book as far in advance as possible. I've been checking airfares online regularly since February and, so far, prices have only gone up (never down) while the number of available flights in terms of schedule has decreased dramatically. Has anyone booked their Europe flights 6-8 weeks before an August cruise and found that the cost was okay and that there were available flights schedule-wise?

 

[jfs9900]

Has anyone taken a 10AM flight out of BCN? It sounds like it's possible (not recommended) if bags are carried off.

 

[emma2]

We booked the 11:20 am flight on 7/20 on Delta to NY. We are a family of 5. I plan to get a private van to wait for us at the port - but don't know what time to say. Can anyone give me suggestions? I understand that we can check in at the port with Delta. What time do they open? It seems this would save us time at the airport. If we get off the ship at 7 ( and take our own luggage) - then check in with Delta - is 8am a good time to order the taxi?

 

[pixie08]

We booked the 11:20 am flight on 7/20 on Delta to NY. We are a family of 5. I plan to get a private van to wait for us at the port - but don't know what time to say. Can anyone give me suggestions? I understand that we can check in at the port with Delta. What time do they open? It seems this would save us time at the airport. If we get off the ship at 7 ( and take our own luggage) - then check in with Delta - is 8am a good time to order the taxi?

It sounds ok to me, if you want to give yourself a cushion for traffic (not sure of your diembark day) you could do 7:30 to be safe.

 

[pixie08]

Has anyone taken a 10AM flight out of BCN? It sounds like it's possible (not recommended) if bags are carried off.

Well you know it's not recommend lol, but that said many people have doine it.