Got really big scare today!!

[don]

Northwest Airline called today to tell me my flight had been rescheduled.

I will get to ship on time but may miss my flight back home.

I was scheduled to leave Ft. Lauderdale late afternoon Saturday Nov, 3rd. They rescheduled my flight and now I have to leave at 1:15 in the afternoon. I will probably have enough time. HAL said I should be off the ship by 10:00 a.m. Airport is less than 15 minutes away. All I hope is the security in Ft. Lauderdale doesn't take more than 2 hours.

If you have late afternoon flight the airline said the will probably be canceled.


Better call airline to check on flights.

Don

[Rick]

Did the cruise lines book your flights?

[don]

Rick,

No we booked our own flights. HAL wanted $369.00 per person we booked ourselves for $107.00 per person. Booking you own air is like rolling the dice. But in a slightly different way. In dice you seldom win. Booking air you normally win. IF MY MATH IS CORRECT WE SAVED $262.00 per person.

If we miss the ship we lose $599.00 per person. I have never yet missed a ship. I normally book first flight in the morning leaving and the last flight of the day returning. We will still get to the ship on time. Our going flight hasn't changed (yet) it is our return flight that gives us problems. The worst situtation (at present)is we will miss the return flight and have to stay in a hotel for the night and pay a penalty (sp) to rebook our air. Most we would lose would be our saving on the air. But, if we win we get almost a free cruise every other trip. Air savings of $262.00 + $262.00 = $524.00. Cruise is only $599.00. Do you understand?

Don

[pamda]

Hi, Don ...

May I borrow your pencil sharpener? I thought I was good at math !!!

The taxi situation at FLL is not the best. (Awful would cover it.) This is NOT the fault of the cruise lines.

I've not flown out of FLL since 911 but once with a close departure time, I hooked a ride with some other people while my husband waited with the luggage for a cab. By the time he got there, I was almost at the front of the line. Had he been a little later, I just would have let people go in front of me.

If you purchased transfers from the cruise line, DEFINITELY one of you should go ahead to get in line. The bus-loading is tedious and time-consuming.

Realistically, you should have sufficient time. I am not certain about Northwest, but other airlines at FLL open special podiums (podia?) checking in a single flight when that flight's departure time is drawing near.

You can go to the Guest Relations desk during your cruise with tickets in hand, explain your concerns, and you may be given a priorty tag to debark. HAL does an excellent job of getting people off the ship. It's just those darned cabs !!!

Make life easier by checking ALL your luggage, not messing with roll-aboards.

pamda -- CM First-Time Cruisers Editor

We started taking a cab in FLL after nearly missing the plane while the bus driver "waited to fill up" - he wouldn't move until he had enough paxs on the bus We actually got off the bus with another couple and grabbed a cab. The bus is a pain waiting for everyone to get on and off and then waiting for the bus driver to get the luggage off the bus.

I also have not been there since 9/11, but in the past never had any trouble getting a cab. Don't know what it is like now.

Taxi is the best way to go from dock to the airport. Don't wait in the cab rank. Flag a porter to help pick up your luggage. He'll take you directly to a cab without waiting in line.