I think a 10:15 am flight is pushing it a little bit. Even though FLL is only about 10 minutes from Port Everglades, you don't know how many ships will be in port, how long it's going to take to clear customs, traffic, etc.
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2007 - Majesty of the Seas
2009 - Enchantment of the Seas
2010 - Freedom of the Seas
I am planning our cruise out of Fort Lauderdale. We will be flying in and out of Fort Lauderdale - if we book a flight to leave at 10:15 a.m. the day we return to port - is that too early for us? I was thinking the last time we did self embarkation we were off the ship by 8:30 but I heard them announce that if you have an early flight you can request to get off the ship early? Any advice welcome.
I booked a flight for 10:30 because disembarking off the Oasis or Allure is much faster than any other ship. But, I'm thinking about changing those plans because I would have to be at the airport by 9am. This has been bothering me because there is a good chance I could miss my flight.
Van Beach
I stayed at the Hampton on Stirling in April. The Comfort Inn on the same property is actually newer and has a nicer pool area. It's right next to a large plaza with lots of stores and restaurants. There's a pharmacy, so if you want to make a list and buy toiletries there rather than the travel sizes, you could do that too. There's a McDonalds, a Taco Bell and Pizza delivery also. They both offer free breakfast buffets.They have a shuttle service to the ship and from the airport, although it's all so close there, a cab is only about 12 dollars pp.
As far as your flight out, it depends on the ship. Some of the larger ones take a long time to clear.The airport is small and gets VERY congested as the day progresses. Remeber, you don't just have to be at the airport, you have to be IN the airport. It also depends on the season. The busy season is over right now. It's unusual to see more than 2 ships in port.
Marsha - thank you so much for the information. Especially the hotel information! We have decided to fly out of Fort Lauderdale at 11:30 am instead of 10:15. Hopefully that will give us enough time. I am never in a real hurry to get back to Iowa after being on a cruise ship and being stuck in Florida is still better than being back in Iowa in December. Thanks again!
Van Beach, I'm glad you changed your flight. December is the heighth of the season and it is sooooooooo crowded there. We sailed out of Ft. Lauderdale one Christmas and there were 11 ships in port when we left, 8 when we returned. The traffic and clearing the ships was so slow. We had driven, so I wasn't in a hurry. But, it was a zoo. If the Allure and the Oasis are in the port at the same time, that's 11,000 passengers just for those two ships. We've stayed at various hotels in Ft. Lauderdale, but have usually driven. When we stayed at the Renaissance, we flew in and took a cab. It was $10 to the hotel from the airport. The Renaissance is right across the street from the port. It was wonderful waking up and seeing your ship glistening in the sunrise. When we returned, we spent the night back there. It was so sad seeing your ship sail without you on board. I don't want to do that again
Sonny, I would say to book a later flight, just so you're not worrying about missing your flight. I think Royal Caribbean recommends flights that leave no earlier than 11am when disembarking in Ft. Lauderdale and flying out of there as well. Buying peace of mind is worth it to me. Chances are you'll make a 10:30am flight, but why spend any time worrying about it?
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