Flying in to Miami on the SAME day as cruise---bad idea??

[StarboardIndigo]

Hi all, I finally decided on the Carnival Glory! Quick question: We are flying on February 13 and our flight leaves DC and gets into Miami around 8:35 a.m. The cruise departs at 4 p.m. and we have purchased travel insurance (which I read in my policy only covers a 12 hour + delay).

 

Surely, getting in at 8:35 a.m. for a 4 p.m. departure is enough time for any possible delays, etc...right? It's a direct flight but I guess I'm worried. about the chances....any advice?

[LHP]

Hi all, I finally decided on the Carnival Glory! Quick question: our flight gets into Miami around 8:35 a.m. and the cruise departs at 4 p.m. Surely this is enough time for any possible delays, etc...right? It's a direct flight but I guess I'm worried it may not be.....any advice?

 

I would not do it...but LOTS of people do without an issue....

 

just make sure you purchase travel insurance that covers this....

[KenMo]

If all goes without a hitch you should be just fine.

 

Even with a direct flight things can go wrong though. What time of year and from where are you flying? Any chance of snow, thunderstorms, etc shutting down the airport or delaying flights?

 

Then there are the possibility of mechanical issues.

 

You asked for advice so here it is: Fly in a day early!! (If possible.)

[semichigan]

I would always recommend flying in the day before but it probably depends on where you are flying in from and what time of year.

 

I was going from Detroit to San Diego in February on a Friday for a Saturday cruise. Took the first flight out in the AM - with the time change we should have arrived around noon. Due to weather delays, didn't arrive in San Diego until 6:30pm - total of 14 hours travel time.

[soulsistah007]

The general rule of thumb is that you fly in a day prior as you can't predict what the weather will be like and if there will be any flight delays or mechanical errors.

 

However, some people cannot fly in the day before. You dont mention where you are flying from and what month it'll be. On my most recent cruise in November, I flew into Miami from Toronto the same day of. Flight arrived on time at 10:00am and we had more than enough time before the 2pm suggested time frame cut off.

[Warm Breezes]

I would never fly in same day. We had a direct flight from Michigan to Orlando in June that had to make an emergency landing due to mechanical issues...we had an unscheduled stop in Tennessee for 6 hours while they fixed our plane. I was very happy we were flying in the day before our cruise.

[Crusing Nut]

I will soon be flying from Philly to Ft Lauderdale during winter months. Hubby and I are watching weather constantly. I am even worried about our layover on Orlando!! But we are flying in the day before the cruise.

 

If possible, fly in the day before. Gives time for lost luggage and any delays to happen.

[Perfect Stranger]

In February you're really taking the risk of a snow storm. I wouldn't chance it.

[MrPete]

The last time we flew into Miami for a 5 O Clock sailing had us arriving at 5:10 :eek:

[norcal2]

Weather or mechanical problems have ruined many a vacation. As they say "Get a room!"

 

:D

 

It isn't always possible to do that so my hope is that whatever you decide still ends up as a wonderful vacation for you.

[tiggerman101]

If you can I would always go a day early. At the least make sure there are other flights going to MIA after yours (in case of mechanical issues). With that said, I live in Atlanta and have done this four times now (and once to Jacksonville). I have never had a problem with it, but I am certainly not saying a problem can't arise. I probably wouldn't do it if I wasn't flying from a major airport with a ton of flights daily.

 

I fly to Barcelona tomorrow for a cruise on Sunday. I have two sets of people on my roll call flying in on Sunday morning, from the midwest, with transfers :eek:. I would be a nervous wreck.

[skippyy]

Tempting the fates: weather and airline gods just to name a few. Refer to sad but amusing posts of calamaties that can and do happen to spoil

vacations that were "so looked forward to". Ending with..."I will now always arrive a day early":eek:

[Twickenham]

Hi all, I finally decided on the Carnival Glory! Quick question: We are flying on February 13 and our flight leaves DC and gets into Miami around 8:35 a.m. The cruise departs at 4 p.m. and we have purchased travel insurance (which I read in my policy only covers a 12 hour + delay).

 

Surely, getting in at 8:35 a.m. for a 4 p.m. departure is enough time for any possible delays, etc...right? It's a direct flight but I guess I'm worried. about the chances....any advice?

 

What are your options in case of delay/cancellation? What other flight(s) are there that could get you to Miami on time? And more importantly, is there space on those flights? These factors bear a direct relation to the amount of risk you are taking by flying in the day of your cruise.

 

Remember, insurance is there to financially compensate you after the fact, not get you there in time for your cruise. And quite frankly, 12 hours is a long time - you could easily be delayed long enough to miss your cruise, but not long enough for the insurance to kick in.

[L_K]

Last year my flight from Boston was cancelled (mechanical)... they put us on an another flight with a connection in Chicago, arrived in Miami at 23:45, we were suppose to be there at 10:00.

 

By chance, we always fly the day before.

[enveno1]

If at all possible, fly in the day before. Like others have said, you just never know what will happen. I have done both and I prefer to fly in the day before. You add an extra day of vacation, you can hit up the local supermarket and get your wine, sodas, and water to take onboard instead of bringing them on the plane. You can get an affordable clean room that has free airport shuttle service and free breakfast the next morning. I have found when we do it this way, we aren't so tired once on the ship like we are when flying in the same day (getting up in the wee early hours).

 

I have been pretty lucky not to have experienced any problems when flying in the same day, but my cousin got very ill while in air and the plane had to do an emergency landing. If you have to fly same day take the very first flight, so if anything were to happen you can catch another one that will get you there in time. We live in Chicago so the snow alone is enough to scare me and that's why unless I just can't, I will always fly in the day prior.

[tulsacubfan]

The general rule of thumb is that you fly in a day prior as you can't predict what the weather will be like and if there will be any flight delays or mechanical errors.

 

However, some people cannot fly in the day before. You dont mention where you are flying from and what month it'll be. On my most recent cruise in November, I flew into Miami from Toronto the same day of. Flight arrived on time at 10:00am and we had more than enough time before the 2pm suggested time frame cut off.

 

Actually, OP does say she is flying from D.C. on February 13th.

 

It is a risk. But there is also a risk that the 12th has bad weather and those flights are cancelled, but the 13th isn't.....but you can't get moved to the 13th. Flying in February in snow areas is always a risk no matter what. Just have to book what works best for you and pray!

[firefly333]

What if it snows and your flight is delayed. DC still gets snow in Feb.. If you lived in the south where it almost never snows, did a direct flight .. to be honest I was thinking of doing that myself... but Im not sure if I would do it from where it might snow.

[avenger71]

Hi all, I finally decided on the Carnival Glory! Quick question: We are flying on February 13 and our flight leaves DC and gets into Miami around 8:35 a.m. The cruise departs at 4 p.m. and we have purchased travel insurance (which I read in my policy only covers a 12 hour + delay).

 

Surely, getting in at 8:35 a.m. for a 4 p.m. departure is enough time for any possible delays, etc...right? It's a direct flight but I guess I'm worried. about the chances....any advice?

 

The one, only and last time we flew in the day of was in March (spring break) a few years ago. There were five of us flying out of Charlotte to Miami that morning and our flight was cancelled. The agents scrambled to get us ALL on another flight together. Luckily they found a flight going into FLL. We had to call our shuttle company and tell them to pick us up at FLL not MIA. We got into FLL, NO LUGGAGE! Of course the airline didn't know what those bar codes were supposed to be used for on our luggage and weren't sure where our luggage was, the GUESSED it was in MIA so our shuttle guy (Top Shuttle) drove like a bat outta .... to get us to the MIA airport, he parked in front and some of us RAN in and scrambled through all the lost luggage and found all our luggage. We made it on the ship as they were about the close it up! :eek: Never again will we fly the day of after that. Nothing like starting your vacation on a stressed note.

[Val23G]

I've always flown in the day of a cruise with no problems. But then again you never know. I'm a nervous wreck about the next one though. Cruising 3/3 out of fort lauderdale. flying in from ohio with layover in atlanta the day of the cruise. no insurance purchased. crazy probably. but just keeping hoping that it works out! never had any issues before but i is still winter time. So ya definitely nervous about this and will be looking at the 10 day weather forecast when that gets here and hoping it looks good. if not may be paying to change the flight!

[PCHENG]

Never cruised out of Miami, but I would probably fly in at least a day early just so I don't miss the ship due to any unforseen cancellations, weather delays, oversold flights, mechanical issues and what not.

[elcuchio24]

We always fly in the day before. Just spares so much stress/worry. That being said, your flight is a very early one. You will probably be fine. But there is always the chance. Last year we flew down the day before and were supposed to be there at 10:30, had mechanical issues at the connection and got there around 3pm. It was the day before so who cares. But if it had been the day of we probably would have missed the ship.

[ryanpatricksmom]

A direct flight especially the first flight of the day should leave you enough time for delays and opportunities to rebook if necessary. There's always the possibility that something catastrophic will happen (I've had days where it took me 15 hours to make it to Fort Myers from IAD), but that's not likely....and as others have mentioned, sometimes you just can't go a day early.

 

I try not to fly in February from Washington. That always seems to be when I've had weather delays that have spanned several days...and in that case the day before wouldn't necessarily help you anyway. Just come to the airport prepared with other available flights that you can suggest if the need arises. If you have to rely on the airline, you may not get the best alternative presented to you.

[Shipbound]

I have flown the same day of the cruise several times but it is a direct flight and the first flight out. Since I live in the North east I would never fly in on the same day in the middle of the winter I would fly in the day before a cruise. I would get insurance no matter what.

 

Gary

[Name Of The Game]

Maybe between April-October.....maybe. But not during the winter.

[zqvol]

Hi all, I finally decided on the Carnival Glory! Quick question: We are flying on February 13 and our flight leaves DC and gets into Miami around 8:35 a.m. The cruise departs at 4 p.m. and we have purchased travel insurance (which I read in my policy only covers a 12 hour + delay).

 

Surely, getting in at 8:35 a.m. for a 4 p.m. departure is enough time for any possible delays, etc...right? It's a direct flight but I guess I'm worried. about the chances....any advice?

 

Most people arrive on the day of the cruise. Sure there are risks but you have done all you can to minimize them. At this time there is no point in worrying.