Need Opinions Please

[mtaylor04]

My neice has decided to get married the day before we are set to sail on the Carribean Princess (June 18th). The wedding is at night so we would have to fly out in the morning. We would not get to Fll until 2 pm on Saturday. If anything went wrong on the flight we might miss the ship.

 

My TA says we can move to June 4th BUT we must do guarantee roomsv (?) which means we get no guarantee that my 18 year old girls will have a room on the same floor as us. Right now they are right across the hall.

 

I feel a little uncomfortable with the thought that two 18 year old girls could be on a different floor. THey are very good girls but I like knowing they are close.

 

Should I chance the flight or change the cruise. Can you experienced cruisers help? THis is my second cruise but the girls first cruise.

:confused:

[BJS]

Should I chance the flight or change the cruise. Can you experienced cruisers help? THis is my second cruise but the girls first cruise.

:confused:

I would not chance the flight! There are too many things that can go wrong. If you do not feel comfortable with the girls being on a different floor I'm sure you could find a cruise where you are not restricted to guarantees.

[regnig]

Boy that's a tough one. I don't have an answer for you, but a few question come to mind.

 

Since you are sailing in June I doubt snow/sleet would cause a problem for the airlines as oft times happens in the winter. Where are you flying from and is your flight a direct one? Are there any back up flights that get you to Lauderdale before sailing time?

 

If these are responsibe 18 year olders they would be just fine on another deck but will you be? Would pagers or walkie talkies add a level of security?

 

This sounds like one of those speed bumps in life that sometimes slows us down but I'm confident you'll work this one out and have a marvelous cruise.

[jcruise67]

Mtaylor,

 

Not to sound crass, but its almost inevitable that the girls will meet other boys on board. You have to realize that they most likely won't be by your side the entire cruise. I understand your concerns, however, the ships do have alot of activities for teens that can occupy much of their own time.

 

As far as your flight is concerned; I wouldn't chance flying in the same day as your cruise. The other posters are correct. Too much can go wrong, and you can miss your ship. They will not wait unless there is a large number of pax still not checked in. I remember last April, our ship was delayed two hours in order to wait for many pax who were delayed. The cruise line reps that shuttle you from the airport to the cruise pier usually call ahead and advise the ship staff of the delay. You should really consider a pre cruise stay at a nearby port hotel. This will alleviate any foreseen problem the day of embarkation.

 

John

[Reneek]

No need to start your vacation by stressing over the what ifs. If you and your family can easily change your dates, then change and tell your niece you want to see a reception that just warms you up for that cruise. If it is not easily changed, consider booking flight, travel connections through Princess if you think there will be a time crunch (more $, but they will delay departure if necessary.) :cool:

As far as the girls being close, it has got to be a matter of trust, communication, and checking in frequently and when they are going in for the night whether they are across the hall or down 3 decks.

[DIGTHIS]

Hi,

95% Of All Cruisers Fly The Day Of The Cruise, If Not More. Very Few Of Us Have The Extra Day To Travel. My Guess Is 99.9% Of All People Get To Their Ship The Same Day. My Advice Would Be 1- Cruise Now 1-personally I Think Travel Insurance Is A Given And No One Should Fly And Cruise Without It 1- Should Anything Happen You Will Be Flown To The First Port Of Call To Continue Your Cruise And Then Can Be Reimpursed By The Insurance Company 1- Bring Your Bathing Suit In Your Carry On. June Is Not A Peak Week Nor A Week When You Have To Worry About Weather. Imagine What All The Teachers Go Through Traveling From The Northeast In February When It Is One Of The Bussiest Weeks Of The Year. Have A Greaqt Cruise Whatever Youdecide

 

Dave

[KansasScrapper]

I have flown out the day of and had NO problems. Our friends ONLY fly the day of, never had a problem. However, there are a couple things we do. 1st - buy the travel insurance. My aunt was delayed last year in June due to bad weather in Chicago. Because she had the insurance, they flew her (and my uncle) to the first port, put them up in a hotel and they waited on the beach till the ship docked. They did not mind the extra days. Since they were late they did catch up to their suitcases. There were several other cruise families also stuck, the cruise line DID NOT WAIT for any of them, period. They all still talk now and are going on another cruise in April. I guess beinging with others during a time like that brought them all closer. She said they all dinned on the beach the next day. They were there a couple days early, since the ship was at sea for two days. Also check with the airline. Most have it to where they will also get you to the first port. American Airlines were GREAT to them. Even though they did not have to be, all flights were grounded, meaning ALL airlines.

 

I personally fly AA and take flights that connect in Dallas. They seem to have less bad weather. I will NOT go through Chicago!!!!!!!

 

Our neighbors on our last cruise, did not catch up to their suitcase. She was crying so much and I felt so bad for them. Their flight was delayed in Atlanta and the airline (I wont say) tried getting them out, so a couple flights later they get to Miami. But to their surprise NO SUITCASES. They hadn't gotten them by our last port not sure if they ever caught up with them or not.

 

We always fly with my hubby carring his backpack and the garmet bag (my formals, his suit and a change of clothes for both of us). The reason for that is shorts and shirts are cheaper than formals. I take my backpack and a carry on. I have all our electronics and a change of the undies, toothbrushes, etc...

[CruiseFever]

My neice has decided to get married the day before we are set to sail on the Carribean Princess (June 18th). The wedding is at night so we would have to fly out in the morning. We would not get to Fll until 2 pm on Saturday. If anything went wrong on the flight we might miss the ship.

 

My TA says we can move to June 4th BUT we must do guarantee roomsv (?) which means we get no guarantee that my 18 year old girls will have a room on the same floor as us. Right now they are right across the hall.

 

I feel a little uncomfortable with the thought that two 18 year old girls could be on a different floor. THey are very good girls but I like knowing they are close.

 

Should I chance the flight or change the cruise. Can you experienced cruisers help? THis is my second cruise but the girls first cruise.

:confused:

 

My first thought is to have the neice come along and get married on the ship but that's probably not going to happen huh?

 

If it were me I'd move the cruise. Chances are the June 4 sailing, right on the cusp of summer, might be less expensive. As far as the specific cabins go you'll have to ask yourself how important location is.

 

Location, to me, is more of an issue than if they will be close together.

 

The cruise line will try to keep them together any way due to the ages of the girls, that's just what they do. They might be down the hall a ways and not right next to each other but as noted above and by you, they're big girls.

 

So if where your cabins are located on the ship (forward, aft, starboard or port) is not all that important I think you'll be fine there. If the girls were younger I would be appropriately more concerned. I think you're ok there.

 

I like the June 4th sailing too because that puts less time between today and when you cruise...always a winning element of the decision to me. Plus you'll be able to enjoy both the cruise and the wedding more with them NOT being right on top of one another.

 

If you do move up to the June 4th sailing I'd make sure your travel professional is right on top of the situation, calling the cruise line frequently to try to firm up the location of those cabins. A note can be attached to your booking asking for them to be together but I really don't think they pay much attention to that.

[clandt]

No bad weather in June??? I thought the same thing when planning my honeymoon 4 years ago. By complete luck my husband called the airlines (which we booked through the cruise line as my mom paid for it all) the day before to verify our flight. We had a layover in Houston and they had a Tropical Storm and our flight from Denver to Houston was cancelled. We didn't get the insurance (ALWAYS get it now) and bottom line we had to pay $1200 dollars each for red eye tickets to get to the port in time. So what did I learn?

Fly in the day before (get a hotel on hotwire -- I do this everytime and average 60 dollars a night for 3 star hotels)

Buy the insurance

Plan on something going wrong!

 

Good luck on whatever you decide!! I am sure my example is few and far between but it happens.....

 

Christy

[tom-n-jules]

95% Of All Cruisers Fly The Day Of The Cruise, If Not More. Very Few Of Us Have The Extra Day To Travel.

With all due respect, if this board is any indication at all of the larger cruise "community", than the numbers are probably not quite that high. The recent (granted) unscientific poll here a few months ago ended up about 85% fly before, 15% fly the day of.

 

June Is Not A Peak Week Nor A Week When You Have To Worry About Weather.

I don't think you can make that generalization either. Sure, it's not winter, but I've been stuck at airports in just about every part of the country in June due to bad weather some place. This is an issue more so if you have to make connecting flights, and it gets ever worse if you're traveling with a group that needs to stick together in case flights are cancelled and have to be rebooked. Remember - it can be a beautiful sunny day where you are, but a line of thunderstorms 500 miles away can leave you sitting! Been there... :mad:

 

The OP was quite reasonably voicing concerns about the timing for June, so best to plan everything so that you eliminate as many potential problems -- and reasons to worry -- as possible!

 

Have a great cruise!! :D

[DIGTHIS]

Hi Tom,

 

85% 95% Not Much Difference When You Consider This Is Such A Small Sampling Of The Cruising Public. We Must Keep In Perspective That As Wonderful As Cruise Critic Is, The What 100,000 People, Who Have Had The Good Fortune To Find It Are Maybe One Part Of One Weeks Cruising Public.

 

As A Gambler I Think Statistics Would Be On My Side That They Is A Higher Frequency Of Delayed Flights During The Winter Months Than In June. I Have No Statistics To Back This Up, It Is Just A Guess

Dave

[jmcruiser]

On our first Princess Cruise, we booked two rooms, one for us and one for the kids (21 & 18). Logically you would think they would try to put our cabins close. We were on the Dolphin Deck forward and they were on the Caribe deck aft. I didn't worry all that much as the 21 year old did lots of things with us, while our 18 yr. old met some kids his age and was off on his own. We always met up for dinner (and most meals) and they always went with us on shore excursions. Personally, I would rather have the rooms farther apart than fly in the day of a cruise, especially after you've been to a wedding the night before. Gook luck, enjoy the wedding and the cruise.

[tom-n-jules]

Hi Tom,

 

85% 95% Not Much Difference When You Consider This Is Such A Small Sampling Of The Cruising Public.

Dig - Your guesstimate of flying the day of was 95%; the survey indicated that 85% fly before, and 15% the day of; basically inverse.

 

Of course as I noted it is a completely non-scientific, non-random sample. (My background is market research...) But judging by people I've talked to on cruises, I think the majority do fly to their departure port in advance of their departure day.

 

As A Gambler I Think Statistics Would Be On My Side That They Is A Higher Frequency Of Delayed Flights During The Winter Months Than In June. I Have No Statistics To Back This Up, It Is Just A Guess

Dave

Absolutely right. But the OP voiced concerns about their travel scheduling, so my point was they should if at all possible fly to their departure port as early as is practical for their situation to lessen the impact of any travel delays and - more importantly - put their mind at ease.

 

I think gambling is a good analogy actually; you're hedging your bets by adding in a day of "padding" when flying in early.

[Pam in CA]

This is a tough one. Having experienced weather problems several times and having missed the first couple of days of one cruise and almost missing our New Year's cruise, I will ALWAYS fly down the day before, no matter what. Just because it's June doesn't mean that there aren't high winds or other reasons why an airport is closed. Also, it could be perfect weather where you are but not where the plane if coming from. It just don't want to add that stress to a wonderful vacation.

 

So, my opinion would be to change the dates of your cruise. The kids will be doing what they want to whether you're across the hall or five decks away. It's not what they're doing when you're awake, it's when you're asleep to that location won't matter.

[tom-n-jules]

As A Gambler I Think Statistics Would Be On My Side That They Is A Higher Frequency Of Delayed Flights During The Winter Months Than In June. I Have No Statistics To Back This Up, It Is Just A Guess

Dave

OK, being a "numbers guy" I couldn't resist looking these up... :rolleyes:

 

Cool website here! If you do a drill-down over the last few years you'll see that June comes out not looking so hot ( :D no pun intended). For 2000, 2002 and 2004 it's among the highest months for delays and it's up there in cancellations as well. For time period Jan-Nov this year it was the highest month for delays at 25%, and second highest month in 2000 and 2001!

[Seabee]

Niece's wedding huh? :rolleyes: I'd skip the wedding and go cruising! :eek: Course the wifester would probably veto this plan! ;)

[KansasScrapper]

Living in the midwest, June is a weathermans nightmare along with April and May.

[Northender]

You don't say where you are flying out from? Wedding at night - what time.

What I am thinking is it logical to have everything packed, go to the service and the pre-reception stuff and get the latest flight out of town.

 

Now this may not work because of where the wedding is and where you are flying from. Just a thot------ I would think that you had your cruise booked before the wedding came up or else you would have booked a different cruise....:)

 

Another thing I am curious about is when did you find out about the wedding?

If you were not told about it until the invitation arrived, then I say Cruise, baby, cruise :)

[argosy]

Besides the obvious risks in flying the day OF, if you're taking a flight for a considerable distance, you'll be pretty exhausted the entire first day of the cruise.

 

I did it once (flew the day OF the cruise) and will never do it again. It worked out, we didn't miss the ship...but I was so tired I couldn't get excited about any of the first day. Why waste a day of vacation like that?

[KansasScrapper]

I so agree with you. We flew the day of on our first cruise and everything was fine even had 2 hours extra. However, we were sooo tired we went to bed by 10. So on our last one we flew out the day before, and man what a difference. I to will never fly out the day of. I want to enjoy the "first day" on the ship.