is anybody considering Not flying to get to your cruise?

[crusinbanjo]

With all the recent turmoil over the enhanced security at the airports, Mrs Banjo has asked me to look into taking the train, or driving to Tampa to get to the cruise we have booked in January.

 

Driving from Mass to Tampa Florida,for us, is at least a 2 1/2 day ride and the train is a 22 hour overnight trip. Not nearly as efficient as a 3 hour flight, but we would bypass airport "security".

 

Just interested, is any one else considering alternative travel to get to & from your next cruise?

[ikelmay]

Nope, not at all. It's an inconvenience and an irritation but this story seems to have developed serious legs and makes for very good filler on TV news stations.

[ccruisequeen]

We drive from The Desert to San Diego- about 90 mins & very easy. We have only cruised 4x that we need to fly.

[rafinmd]

I am definitely flying on my "next" cruise, but I have been doing my best to minimize the flying I do. I am booked on Prinsemdam North Cape, and am seriously considering July Rotterdam TA and returning on QM2. I still would need to fly from Holland to the UK and need to decide if time allows it, but I really dislike both the security and the cramped conditions.

 

Be aware that Amtrak has fairly limited carryon luggage restrictions. (2 bags per person, but that will not be an issue if you can board at a stop where the long distance train goes and then use the baggage car. If so, it's great service and a sleeping car is effectively an extension of your cruise. I have travelled Amtrak to Los Angeles for a cruise and would not hesitate to do so again.

 

Roy

[Lesinindy]

Everything depends on what happens over the next few weeks. If this is a really big hassle, if they repeatedly ignore my 4th amendment rights and I have no recourse, then I may swear off flying for awhile. I fail to understand why when I buy a ticket on an airline that I also give up my rights as an American citizen. I have years in the Army, service connected disability and I did not serve to be treated like a felon at the airport.

[tangerinebunny]

We just spent November flying everywhere (or so my American Express bill says) and never saw anyone having TSA problems. Which is not to say that they weren't occurring. But I doubt that they're all that common.

I did see one angry passenger in Huntsville - she had to take off her knee-high boots and was not happy. But lady, next time wear loafers like the rest of us.

[SwissMyst]

Driving to San Diego and doing the Mexican Riviera over again and Sea of Cortez cruise looks better all the time. Flying was already a total hassle after 9-11 anyway and one rarely saw many "seniors" running all the security gauntlets even then.

[Roz]

I'm still going to fly in January, but this whole thing royally ticks me off. I flew in September and October, and never once felt unsafe or thought to myself "gee, I'd feel a whole lot more secure if some TSA official was feeling up my cr**ch".

 

Roz

[bepsf]

Unfortunately, I have to travel for my job - and I don't have the vacation time to take weeks to travel by rail from California to Virginia and back for Xmas or California to Florida and back for my cruise in Feb.

Given the choice of irradiation or molestation, I'm unsure which to choose...

...I'm just thankful that my parents and my little Niece and Nephew don't have to fly these days.

[sail7seas]

I have really off the wall thought I've been rolling around in my head.

Does anyone think this is remotely feasibile:

 

 

Airports around U.S. had been pushed to bursting prior to 9-11 and the numbers of projected additional passengers kept growing. Air Traffic control is woefully outdated and tremendous investment needs to be made.

Airlines were struggling with financial woes and the price wars were ridiculous.

 

So....

 

If it were to come to pass that air travel would become so unpleasant that many would opt out, the numbers of passengers would at worst stabalize and at best reduce. Airline would fly fewer planes and air traffic control could continue to track and direct all those flights.

 

The more miserable they make air travel, the more people will opt out.

 

Any chance there is some truth to this?

[lrwl2006]

I haven't flown in many years. We have driven cross country 4 times. This April we are taking the Empire Express to the West Coast to do a Hawaiian cruise from Vancouver. The train ride takes 44 hours. I have done a lot of research and thanks to YouTube have seen videos of the experience. We are booked in a bedroom and are looking forward to the train trip. We are both retired so have the time.

[bepsf]

The more miserable they make air travel, the more people will opt out.

 

Any chance there is some truth to this?

 

Wouldn't surprise me in the least if that was at least part of the plan -

I've read articles where TSA agents have been quoted as telling harassed passengers "You have the choice not to fly"

[dot73]

I couldn't believe it when I read that a breast cancer survivor had to take out her prosthesis to show to the TSA agent. How much more can people be humiliated? If I still had mine, I would have taken it out and hit her with it. It might be worth a few months in jail.:D Of course, then I would have been placed on a no-fly list and couldn't travel to FLL to catch my cruises.:( I really feel sorry for the children. It must be really frightening for some of them. I know we all want to be safe, but there must be a better way of screening people. If the Israelis can do it, why can't other countries?

[room010]

This whole TSA thing is a huge media beat-up because they have nothing else to write about at the moment. A security pat-down search is NOT "molestation" and in any event IF the OPs wife is subjected to a search it will be carried out by a woman. What's the big deal? Those few minutes of inconvenience and possibly very minor embarrassment aren't enough to stop me cruising, especially if the alternative is a 3 day drive to/from the port. Whether these checks are actually necessary or effective is another debate.

[VermeulT]

Everything depends on what happens over the next few weeks. If this is a really big hassle, if they repeatedly ignore my 4th amendment rights and I have no recourse, then I may swear off flying for awhile. I fail to understand why when I buy a ticket on an airline that I also give up my rights as an American citizen. I have years in the Army, service connected disability and I did not serve to be treated like a felon at the airport.

 

WELL SAID!

 

Friday will be my 31st flight in the last 12 months (almost all for work). Only once did I have to go through the new scanners. I went through it and didn't think much more of it.... the new pat downs that are basically legal molestations - is a step too far for me.

 

DH is beyond unhappy with the system. He looked into Amtrak from CT to Fort Lauderdale... he thought about driving... he even looked at what it would cost to take a private jet ($15000 RT btw).... he said for this trip - he'll cooperate... but things better change before our next cruise or he will not fly.

[theduffys]

Spent the past w/e flying r/t pit to ewr (Newark) Extreamly long lines. I think a lot of people take the whole week of thanksgiving off. That said, I never saw a body scanner or a single pat down. People were mostly angry at the people who got to the checkpoint without a clue what to do next, thereby holding everyone else up. One guy grumbled to the man in front of him, "Gee guy, you have had a chance to watch 10 people do the same things--shoes off, baggie out of carryon, laptop out of case, jacket off--could you have possibly got ready?" I must admit I laughed out loud.

[hensghan]

We are fortunate enough to live in the Carolinas and be able to reasonably drive to virtually any East Coast port. That being said, we now make our trips into really enjoyable excursions. We get books-on-CD from our local library and listen to interesting mystery novels as we drive. We stop often to stretch our legs and to enjoy a nice lunch, and we try to stay at a motel near the embarkation port the night prior to the cruise. This eliminates any worry of traffic problems, car problems, etc., and we arrive at the ship rested and ready to begin a great vacation. Also, driving permits us to pack as we choose to rather than as the airlines might restrict us. The only time we have recently flown was in May 2009 to get to Vancouver for an Alaska cruise, and that flying experience was not particularly wonderful. Our understanding, unfortunately, is that things have deteriorated even further since then, and that flying is now even less pleasant.

[peaches from georgia]

I haven't flown in many years. We have driven cross country 4 times. This April we are taking the Empire Express to the West Coast to do a Hawaiian cruise from Vancouver. The train ride takes 44 hours. I have done a lot of research and thanks to YouTube have seen videos of the experience. We are booked in a bedroom and are looking forward to the train trip. We are both retired so have the time.

I assume you mean the Empire Builder from Chicago to Seattle? We have taken it and loved it. The only disappointment was that much of the ride through the Rockies was at night, but we had a blast. Love taking the train long distance. Relaxing, scenic, and you meet great people. We also have driven Atlanta-Seattle 4 times, different routes each time, and have seen the country. We do occasionally fly out to the Northwest, but much prefer driving or train.

[Koshlong]

We will be making Fort Lauderdale a "drive-to" port for our March cruise. Flying seems to be a whole lot less crazy if it doesn't include a stop/start in the US.

 

To be honest, though, we were planning to drive anyway even before the latest craziness.

[baggal]

I couldn't believe it when I read that a breast cancer survivor had to take out her prosthesis to show to the TSA agent. How much more can people be humiliated? If I still had mine, I would have taken it out and hit her with it. It might be worth a few months in jail.:D Of course, then I would have been placed on a no-fly list and couldn't travel to FLL to catch my cruises.:( I really feel sorry for the children. It must be really frightening for some of them. I know we all want to be safe, but there must be a better way of screening people. If the Israelis can do it, why can't other countries?

 

Passenger "profiling" has been used in Israel for decades. It seems to work.

[airlink diva]

With all the recent turmoil over the enhanced security at the airports, Mrs Banjo has asked me to look into taking the train, or driving to Tampa to get to the cruise we have booked in January.

 

Driving from Mass to Tampa Florida,for us, is at least a 2 1/2 day ride and the train is a 22 hour overnight trip. Not nearly as efficient as a 3 hour flight, but we would bypass airport "security".

 

Just interested, is any one else considering alternative travel to get to & from your next cruise?

 

I have no major issues with the enhance security measures and deal with it as the part of life since the 9/11 attacks.

I happen to enjoy driving and on two of my cruises drove to port. I grew up taking long road trips and long as I got some great music,a small cooler for drinks and small snacks, I can drive anywhere.

I've also taken Amtrack on a return from a cruise. I really enjoyed it because it was a time to unwind and relax (not to mention you could check up to three pieces of luggage from free and no 3oz liquor rule!!)

The only reason that I'm not driving is because my car is rather old and I don't think it would last round trip from Memphis to Fort Lauderdale.

[peaches from georgia]

We are fortunate enough to live in the Carolinas and be able to reasonably drive to virtually any East Coast port. That being said, we now make our trips into really enjoyable excursions. We get books-on-CD from our local library and listen to interesting mystery novels as we drive. We stop often to stretch our legs and to enjoy a nice lunch, and we try to stay at a motel near the embarkation port the night prior to the cruise. This eliminates any worry of traffic problems, car problems, etc., and we arrive at the ship rested and ready to begin a great vacation. Also, driving permits us to pack as we choose to rather than as the airlines might restrict us. The only time we have recently flown was in May 2009 to get to Vancouver for an Alaska cruise, and that flying experience was not particularly wonderful. Our understanding, unfortunately, is that things have deteriorated even further since then, and that flying is now even less pleasant.

We do the same from Atlanta and thoroughly enjoy going to ports by car, as you do, and for all the same reasons. In fact we are headed out to FtL in 2 weeks for a cruise and will visit cruise friends going and returning. We've driven to FtL, Boston, and New York several times for cruising.

[smc0320]

I see no reason for all the outrage....go through the scanner if your airport has one...big effing deal i someome sees your tele-tubby body....so what. would you rather do that or get blown up? what are you trying to hide? i don't mean this to the OP personally, just in general to most americans. we are so priovate and think we have this god given right to do whatever we want, we're fat & lazy and don;t want anyone "seeing" any more than they need to....your pictures are being posted in the internet within minutes of the scan with your name & address....as for the pat downs, it could either make your day -- or the TSA agents

[dfish]

I have to fly for my next cruise as it starts in Buenos Aires. I used to enjoy flying, but consider it a necessary evil. That feeling came before the enhanced pat downs, which I would find very invasive.

 

Deb

[esther e]

In October we flew from Orlando to FLL just to avoid the drive and I-95. We had no problem with scans, etc. but it was a long haul from home to airport to airport to hotel to ship; ship to airport to airport to home. We will drive again in February because it's just too much trouble flying. Like someone else said, I like the pace of driving and the amount of luggage we can drag along. As long as we take our time and stop every hour to stretch we'll be fine. A few years ago it was a pleasure to drive; however, age has crept up on us and it's not so easy any longer.