Flight lands at noon- too late?

[luv.cruising]

A potential flight arrives in Miami at noon the day of our cruise. Does anyone feel that it is cutting things to close or is that plenty of time to get the bags and get a cab to the pier. I'm just a little afraid, what if there is a flight delay out of NYC. :confused:

[negc]

A potential flight arrives in Miami at noon the day of our cruise. Does anyone feel that it is cutting things to close or is that plenty of time to get the bags and get a cab to the pier. I'm just a little afraid, what if there is a flight delay out of NYC. :confused:

If your flight lands on time you will have more than enough time to collect your bags and take a cab to the pier. However there is always at least a slim possibility of a weather related or mechanical delay which could cause you to miss your sailing. I realize that it is not always possible to fly in a day or two early but whenever possible we try to do so. However, even then, there are no guarantees that a weather-related delay a day or two before your sailing won't cause you to miss the ship, so purchasing travel insurance is always advisable. As the inimitable Yogi Berra says about insurance: "When you don't have it, that's when you really need it.";)

[Sue L]

You absolutely must by checked in 90 minutes before by homeland security rules. What time is your ship leaving? You should be ok but 1 little delay and you are out of luck. Any chance you can fly in the day before, that is always the best bet.

[yogimax]

Are you on a nonstop from NYC? That helps immensely. If your flight is on time or slightly delayed, you should be fine.

[CodyC815]

Be sure the airline knows your going on a cruise, I work for an airline, I'm not sure if this goes for all airlines but atleast with AirTran if the flight is delayed for any reason other than weather then we are completely responsible for the cost of the cruise. If we ever have a delayed flight we look through the reservations for that flight and get the cruise passengers on the next flight out

[PhoenixCruiser]

No one can honestly answer your questions as there are too many variables. Do you really want to be stressed out while starting your vacation?

 

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[Prphan2]

How badly do you want/need to go on this cruise? I know that "life" has made our upcoming cruise a much needed get away. Having said that, there is no way I'd book our flight for the day of the cruise. Is there anyway you can book the day or night before? Just for a cushion?

 

Good luck in whatever choice you make :)

[Citizen Jane]

Be sure the airline knows your going on a cruise, I work for an airline, I'm not sure if this goes for all airlines but atleast with AirTran if the flight is delayed for any reason other than weather then we are completely responsible for the cost of the cruise. If we ever have a delayed flight we look through the reservations for that flight and get the cruise passengers on the next flight out

 

Wow, that is GREAT to know. Thanks! We don't usually fly to cruises, but I'll keep that in mind.

[MMastell]

I "almost" always fly in the day before the cruise. However, hundreds of people who booked "cruise air" will be arriving about the same time as your flight so a noon flight is more than adequate. Cruise air flights arrive anywhere from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

 

If you are nervous then fly in the day before your cruise.

 

Take care,

Mike

[GXmanDC]

If you have to leave the day of the cruise, I would take the first non-stop flight out of NY. Odds are you will be fine, but leaving first thing is a little extra insurance.

[luv.cruising]

Yes, it is a non-stop out of New York and we unable to leave the day before. I think there might be an earlier flight to Ft Laurderale. Thanks everyone.

[silentbob007]

If it lands at noon and is a non-stop then you are doing OK for flying in day-of.

[waterbug123]

Be sure the airline knows your going on a cruise, I work for an airline, I'm not sure if this goes for all airlines but atleast with AirTran if the flight is delayed for any reason other than weather then we are completely responsible for the cost of the cruise. If we ever have a delayed flight we look through the reservations for that flight and get the cruise passengers on the next flight out

 

Is that only for passengers whose flights were booked by the cruiseline? If not, does AirTran also take responsibility for for other paid-for activities a passenger might miss due to a flight delay?

[Mark_K]

A potential flight arrives in Miami at noon the day of our cruise. Does anyone feel that it is cutting things to close or is that plenty of time to get the bags and get a cab to the pier. I'm just a little afraid, what if there is a flight delay out of NYC. :confused:

If all goes well, which out of NY is a crapshoot. Have you checked the ontime percentage for the flight(s) you're looking at? That might give you an idea of your odds.

[heffa72]

If your flight lands on time you will have more than enough time to collect your bags and take a cab to the pier. However there is always at least a slim possibility of a weather related or mechanical delay which could cause you to miss your sailing. I realize that it is not always possible to fly in a day or two early but whenever possible we try to do so. However, even then, there are no guarantees that a weather-related delay a day or two before your sailing won't cause you to miss the ship, so purchasing travel insurance is always advisable. As the inimitable Yogi Berra says about insurance: "When you don't have it, that's when you really need it.";)

I couldn't have said it better!

[heffa72]

Be sure the airline knows your going on a cruise, I work for an airline, I'm not sure if this goes for all airlines but atleast with AirTran if the flight is delayed for any reason other than weather then we are completely responsible for the cost of the cruise. If we ever have a delayed flight we look through the reservations for that flight and get the cruise passengers on the next flight out

 

I know you work for AirTran so I apologize if I sound like I'm skeptical, but how in the world can AirTran take responsiblity for things out of their control? I don't see how they can be responsible for cruise costs. I guess if you booked the air fair via RCL it would make more sense, but that would be the only scenario that could play out in my head that would make AirTran resposible.

[kc320]

Yes, it is a non-stop out of New York and we unable to leave the day before. I think there might be an earlier flight to Ft Laurderale. Thanks everyone.

 

 

I would not switch a non-stop to Miami to a non-stop to Ft. Lauderdale even if it is earlier...you then have the added time & expense of getting to the port of Miami...which by the time you get your luggage & get a shuttle will add at least another hour to your travel time...

 

I see you are flying in April so weather "shouldn't" be a problem...but another thing...keep close watch on your flight times...I have a flight for the end of April that I bought in Dec. and American has already changed by departure time by an hour...

[barbie5401]

I previously worked for special services for a major airline that has an on-going relationship with RCCL, we always tried our best to get the cruise passengers that had identified themselves as such to the port ontime.

 

One thing that wasn't mentioned by the OP is - When are you planning on cruising? Hurricane Season, Winter up North, there are so many variables to think about.

 

Think about flying in the night before and staying at a cheap hotel if $$ are the problem.

[marci22]

When I travel the day of, I always book the first non-stop flight out.

 

My worries when I travel the day of would be them changing the arrival/departure time.

 

I have had a flight booked since November and it has already changed at least 5 times. My return flight started out at 11am, then they cancelled the flight and moved me to 10am, then I asked to be changed to 1:15pm because 10am was too just early, then it went to 12noon, then it was 12:15pm, now it's at 12:25pm but I haven't checked yet today! This is Continental.

 

Also, once we had an evening international flight and because it was busy, they kept us sitting on the ground for 2 hours. No mechanical problems, it was just "busy". Luckily in that case we were travelling a day early.

 

It always helps if you can have a time cushion.

[phoenix_dream]

The odds are in your favor, but how much risk do you want to take? I would say (and this is just my opinion, no stats to back it up) your odds are 70-80% on your side; 20-30% against. Is that a risk you want to take? The good news is that there are many flights out of New York all day, but at the same time if there is a weather issue then you are SOL.

 

One poster pointed out airlines changing times on flights. I had this happen to me recently, on a cruise departure. What was already a tight connection to the airport was bumped up over an hour and we had to literally run (with 80+ year old family members!) to make our flight. We were the last ones to board. I will NEVER again add that kind of stress to my trip.

 

Keep in mind, if you miss your flight and have no insurance you need to pay your own way to the first cruise port or lose your entire cruise with no reimbursement. If you do have insurance you may get the insurer to pay to fly you to the next port, but if you are heading south rather than west you will likely miss at least a couple days of your cruise.

[yogimax]

I previously worked for special services for a major airline that has an on-going relationship with RCCL, we always tried our best to get the cruise passengers that had identified themselves as such to the port ontime.

 

 

This sounds reasonable. I'm sorry but have to be sceptical of the post that asserted that an airline would pay for the cruise if someone simply said they were going on a cruise and the flight was delayed.

[Aquahound]

Be sure the airline knows your going on a cruise, I work for an airline, I'm not sure if this goes for all airlines but atleast with AirTran if the flight is delayed for any reason other than weather then we are completely responsible for the cost of the cruise. If we ever have a delayed flight we look through the reservations for that flight and get the cruise passengers on the next flight out

 

Wait a minute. This sounds a little far-fetched to me. Are you actually saying that Air-Tran will pay for a cruise if the flight is delayed? Sorry to be skeptical, but I really have to question this one. Does this only refer to flights booked by the cruise line, or individually booked flights?

[Gonzo70]

A couple people have mentioned buying insurance for flying in day off in case you are delayed. This is actually a time where many travel insurance policies would not help. Most require a delay be of at least a certain number of hours before they provide any relief (I believe for many policies it is either 4 hour minumum delay or 6 hour minimum delay). So if one's flight is delayed 2-3 hours leading one to miss the ship, most travel insurance policies would be of no help.

[sandravb79]

I would not switch a non-stop to Miami to a non-stop to Ft. Lauderdale even if it is earlier...you then have the added time & expense of getting to the port of Miami...which by the time you get your luggage & get a shuttle will add at least another hour to your travel time...

 

I see you are flying in April so weather "shouldn't" be a problem...but another thing...keep close watch on your flight times...I have a flight for the end of April that I bought in Dec. and American has already changed by departure time by an hour...

 

A couple of years ago, after boarding the plane in Orlando, they kept us on the ground for 3 hours because of the weather. It was April, and I had to sprint to catch my next flight (Transatlantic) :eek:

[kc320]

A couple of years ago, after boarding the plane in Orlando, they kept us on the ground for 3 hours because of the weather. It was April, and I had to sprint to catch my next flight (Transatlantic) :eek:

 

 

Which is why the "shouldn't" was in quotes...I've also been delayed from Orlando due to thunderstorms..but it was in the summer..not April.. weather can & does happen at any time...