Arriving on the day of our Cruise

[misslissa]

We are possibly arriving at BCN at 11 am on the day of our RCI cruise. Any recommendations on the best way to spend a few hours? I would really like to just stop by Sagada Familia!

[cruiseluv]

At what time does your cruise leave?

[Keith1010]

If you have not made your airline reservations try to arrive a day or more earlier. There are too many risks flying in the day of your cruise that will cause flight delays and cancellations that could result in you missing the cruise. Plus you will likely be very jet lagged and that is not the way to start a cruise. So, try to fly in at least a day before the cruise.

 

As to the problems you may have that includes weather, mechanical issues, insufficient flight personnel, computer glitches impacing the airport, the airline, the FAA or overseas areas, shutdown of air space and the list goes on and on and on.

 

I have flown enough over the years and seen peoples vacation plans ruined.

 

Keith

[misslissa]

I am a former travel agent, well aware of the risks and will definitely have travel insurance. Not to worry!

 

My question is suggestions of a good way to spend a couple of hours in BCN?

[Keith1010]

I am a former travel agent, well aware of the risks and will definitely have travel insurance. Not to worry!

 

My question is suggestions of a good way to spend a couple of hours in BCN?

 

I was just trying to help. By the way insurance is great but if you miss the ship and it takes a couple of days to catch up with it, even if you get reimbursed for the difference you have still missed out on the ship. And, if you arrive to the ship jet lagged it doesn't help either!

 

If you are only arriving at 11:00 AM, then I would head over to the ship to check in. The reality is that you won't get over there until around 12:30 PM anyway.

 

Then after you check in the pier is located very close to Las Rambles where you can walk around or you could take a cab to see some other sites.

 

Keith

[chatnoir0418]

If I only had a few hours, I'd stop by Sagrada Familia -- in my entire tour of Europe, it was the most amazing place I visited. You could get a cab there, then spend any additional time on Las Ramblas.

[KirkNC]

I agree with Keith, never arrive on the day the cruise starts but you clearly are willing to take that risk. To your question, I am assumming you leave at 5:00, you never answered that question, so if you can either (1)get a cab at the airport to take you to Sagrada Familia, have the cab wait while you see the outside, I do not believe you will have time to try and get inside, the lines can be pretty long. This is based on getting to SF around 12:30 with a 4:30 check-in required. The other option (2) would be to check-in first and than get a cab to SF, not sure that would be very time efficient. I guess you don't have any time when you return to BCN at the end of your cruise (assuming you are coming back to BCN)?

 

Kirk

[Susan-M]

If your flight arrives on time, I would suggest going to the ship to check in and unload your luggage; from there catch a cab to Sagrada. Spend some time at Sagrada (inside if possible, and/or a walk around outside), and then take another cab back to the ship, asking him if he'll drive by Casa Mila and Casa Batllo on the way. If you have extra time, Parc Guell would be another place to have a look ... all of the above are wonderful Gaudi sites!

 

If you arrive at BCN at 11, you could be at the ship by 12:30 or 1, back off the ship by 1:30 or 2 and have approximately 4 hours to do some touring - then back at the ship by 6 for a 7 p.m. departure. (You might need to be back sooner if the lifeboat drill is earlier than 6).

 

If you are running late with your arrival at BCN, depending on how much time you have, you could catch a cab at the airport and do a quick stop at Sagrada, and also a drive by of Casa Mila and Casa Batllo on the way to the ship.

 

Hope your flight is on time so that you can fit in some sightseeing in Barcelona ... it's an amazing city. (We were 6 hours late on an Air Canada flight from Toronto to Barcelona...probably a rare occurrence, and luckily we were arriving 2 days pre-cruise, otherwise would have missed the ship had we been sailing that day.)

 

One additional thought ... we found it necessary to write down our destination for the taxi driver (e.g. name of pier and ship) as the drivers who we spoke to didn't understand English well enough to understand where we wanted to go when we asked verbally.

[cruiseluv]

I agree with Susan's comments above.

 

I would never leave my lugagge and other belongings in a cab while I'm touring inside the church (unless it was a recommended private car service I had contracted with in advance).

[misslissa]

Thanks for your feedback. I know that it is risky, having been on two cruises previously, I know that it is a little stressful leaving on the same day of arrival. I have done it both ways, and both ways it has been fine. However, working as a travel agent, I've seen the horror stories and know all about the ins and outs of insurance having sold it for a living...

 

I'm hoping that if all goes well I can maybe check in at about 12:30-1 and then leave and come back by 4 pm... I know it is a rush, and I am hugely disappointed with not spending more time in BCN... It was actually what I was most looking forward to. But, with my options, I am torn. DH suggests not to worry as we know we'll be back to Spain again to do a bigger tour on land...

 

However, these are my two flight options, and no, I haven't booked yet. And no, there are no "in between" options!

 

Option #1

Well known Canadian Carrier - 7 1/2 hour direct flight arriving at 10:45 am on the day of departure and leaving at 11:45 am on departure day.

 

Option #2

Well known International Carrier - 12 hour flight with 2 connections arriving the day before and leaving the day after. This is priced at $650 more for both of us, not counting hotel costs.

 

What would you do?

[MaryPoppinz]

Where's your first port call?

[Twickenham]

Option #1

Well known Canadian Carrier - 7 1/2 hour direct flight arriving at 10:45 am on the day of departure and leaving at 11:45 am on departure day.

 

Option #2

Well known International Carrier - 12 hour flight with 2 connections arriving the day before and leaving the day after. This is priced at $650 more for both of us, not counting hotel costs.

 

What would you do?

 

Option 2 - because option 1, quite frankly, wouldn't even be in the running, like at all. I mean, it's probably doable, I just would never volontarily do it.

[lurvecruise]

How about wait until both of you get a better schedule to do cruise!!! It supposed to be relaxing, enjoy especially barcelona. What if your flight delay or cxl and no one can predict the future and if it happens it will ruin your trip. It is not worth it. Soory its my opinion. By the way agree with keith:d

[Keith1010]

I would do option two. I don't mean to sound like a broken record but I just don't believe in flying in the day of a cruise and at least with option 2 you don't do that. To me even with the most perfect travel insurance it will not make up for the fact that if you miss the ship you may have two wait a couple of days before you can rejoin the ship somewhere else and you are on your own to figure that out if that happened. And, you begn the cruise jet lagged.

 

Personally I like the idea of the direct flight you have in option 1 so if there is away you could obtain the same flight as part of option 2 that would be great.

 

Keith

[Susan-M]

That's a difficult decision. Agree with Keith on the reasons he recommends for option 2, but the 12 hour/2 connection flight @ $650 more in total, makes option #1 somewhat more appealing even if it is the riskier option.

 

I think I would go with option 1 for several reasons:

- cost savings,

- convenience of a direct flight (much more enjoyable @ 7.5 hrs. vs. 12 hours, less chance of luggage going missing, and only being exposed to the risk of 1 flight being delayed instead of 3 both there and back)

- the trip is going to be a whirlwind whether you do 7 or 9 days ... I'm not sure it's worth the hassle of checking into and out of hotels for a 1 night stay on either end of your cruise ( preferable to do a 2 day pre-cruise stay rather than split it up.) This would depend on the arrival/departure times of your international flights, which you didn't mention.

- although you'll be tired when you start your cruise with flying in on the same day, the next day being a sea day will give you a chance to rest up for your first port.

- you'll be returning to Spain in the future when you'll have a chance to spend more time in Barcelona.

 

However, I would only do Option #1 if I knew for sure that I would be compensated for the financial loss of missing the cruise and/or catching up to the ship in Naples 2 days later (if they will let you board there), or if I was prepared to revise my plans once there to do a land trip for a week.

[cruiseluv]

Frankly, both options are pretty bad and only you know why you have to limit yourself to those.

 

I would never do an option #2 as I find 2 connections the day prior almost (if not more) as risky as flying in the same day( high possibilities of lost lugagge, flight delays that cause you to miss a coonection, etc.. ). Then you have the additional $650 cost factor and it would be a no starter for me.

 

So I guess I would have to vote for option #1

[misslissa]

Yes, I agree... They are both crappy options. And, they truly are the only options when looking at this itinerary.

 

Option #1 is a flight run by a charter and is sold by the charter/tour company in conjuction with this cruise actually... although I'm not booking my cruise through the charter and wouldn't be really their responsibility in terms of meeting the ship. It is pretty much the only direct flight that weekend from the airport closer to me.

 

Option #2, I do not like because it goes partially with Delta and to date I have never flown with Delta because of their horrible track record with delays and luggage. And, 2 stops! Ack! Not ideal.

 

I'm thinking at this point of maybe weighing out other options, like a land tour instead or just choosing another itinerary in the spring... Possibly not worth the hassle of either of these flight options.

[misslissa]

I just found another option with Delta (who again, I've always avoided :() and Air France that is only 1 stop and $200 more - I think it just reduced in price. It arrives a day before at 8 am (would have to leave 1 pm two days beforehand - so an extra vacation day which is no biggie) but then has to come back at 10:20 on embarkation... is that too early to come back?????????

[Keith1010]

I just found another option with Delta (who again, I've always avoided :() and Air France that is only 1 stop and $200 more - I think it just reduced in price. It arrives a day before at 8 am (would have to leave 1 pm two days beforehand - so an extra vacation day which is no biggie) but then has to come back at 10:20 on embarkation... is that too early to come back?????????

 

 

For the return what port are you disembarking in and what time does the itinerary show you arriving there.

 

Keith

[misslissa]

Good question! I just verified that info. The cruise is departing at 7 pm and arriving back at 6 am - according to itinerary. It is roundtrip out of Barcelona.

 

And, I triple verified that there are in fact NO direct flights at all that week other than my "Option 1"!

[Keith1010]

Good question! I just verified that info. The cruise is departing at 7 pm and arriving back at 6 am - according to itinerary. It is roundtrip out of Barcelona.

 

And, I triple verified that there are in fact NO direct flights at all that week other than my "Option 1"!

 

Here is what I would do. I would check with the cruise line to see what the earliest flight you can get is. Please keep in mind that the airport is about 30 minutes from the pier and that if it is an international flight that you will need to check in 2 hours prior to departure Again, check with the cruise line about what is the earliest time.

 

Keith