New to cruising, just a few questions

[lovinthesea89]

Hey all! Im currently planning my second cruise. I cruised on RCCLs Freedom last year (W. Caribbean) and had a blast. So now I'm planning on cruising on the Allure next May. I just had a few questions:

 

1) I am flying out of the SF bay area to Ft. Lauderdale. I would like to avoid staying in a hotel the night before sailing, so should I book through ChoiceAir? And, are there any price differences as compared to booking through Expedia or Travelocity? I was also looking into taking a red-eye, even though those are extremely hard to find. Ideas?

 

2) For the Captain's Dinner: I don't remember it being terribly formal on the Freedom. I felt extremely overdressed when we walked into the dining room. How is it on the Allure?

 

Thanks in advance!:)

[cb at sea]

I don't know which way is the cheapest...I'll search for flights on those websites, but I always book directly with the airline....always!! Whatever you do, take the 1st flight out in the morning, if the red-eye doesn't work....the 1st flight is usually not late!

 

The Captain's Party (I don't know what the "dinner" is!), is usually on formal night...so at all we've attended, most folks are dressed to the "nines"!

[lovinthesea89]

Thank you for your help! It was quite helpful!

[sailingawaysoon]

I would dress up the way you feel most comfortable. When we were on the Allure it seemed that people really dressed up on formal nights. We always take hubby's tux and my dresses because we like to make a special evening of it. The Allure is beautiful, but the Freedom is still our heartfelt favorite. Have a wonderful time!

[cello56]

The cost of a hotel the night before your cruise is marginal compared to the cost of missing your cruise - especially since you are flying in from the west coast. We are always at the pier ready to check in by 10:30am and are usually onboard eating lunch within an hour. What time will your morning of flight get you to the pier? Remember also that the day you board is day one of your seven days - why not get there in time to enjoy the ship for that first day you paid for?

[lovinthesea89]

sailingawaysoon- Thanks for the advice. I love dressing up!

 

cello56- Its looking like the red-eyes from here land in FLL anywhere from 8am to 12pm. I would love to land at around 8 or 9 and head straight to the port once we get all of our baggage together.

[eric1e]

If flying in same day I would advise looking into insurance. Choice Air is also good because i don't think they offer flights that they don't think will get you there in time. It is however more expensive.

 

When it boils down to it, just fly in the day before if at any way possible.

[39august]

Fly in the day before and also buy travel insurance. Believe me, there are a ton of reasons why your flight may be delyed or cancelled. It is well worth the cost of a hotel room for the peace of mind. There have been at least two times that had our airline problems been on the day of the cruise, instead of the day before, we would have missed the ship. BTW, it is very simple to get a better rate hotel by using either Hotwire or Princeline. In Ft Lauderdale you can pretty much trust any 3.5 to 4 star hotel on Hotwire to be acceptable. The Las Olas, Downtown, Cruise Port area is my favorite on Hotwire.

[d4nigirl]

I think I remember the airline we took with having some late flights, they had a color in their name (don't know if I can post their name). When we went to Seattle last summer to cruise to Alaska, there were either really early flights (like 6am PST), or really late flights (like 9pm PST). It might be the same with your area.

[Ashland]

We fly from LAX either non-stop or connect through ATL (DL airlines) and arrive morning of cruise usually between 6:30-9:30am..We have done this many many times usually in March and so far have been lucky..the only time we have been delayed is on the return out of FLL...to us that was no big deal...after all we were heading home...I always book my own air through the carrier's website and always have travel insurance..Sometimes you have no choice to travel a day or two prior to your cruise...Some don't seem to understand that personal situation...and lucky for them they don't have to and maybe never will..I wonder if these same people would forgo their cruise if they had to make that decision based on everything available at the time ?...Enjoy your cruise !!!

[bonsai3s]

sailingawaysoon- Thanks for the advice. I love dressing up!

 

cello56- Its looking like the red-eyes from here land in FLL anywhere from 8am to 12pm. I would love to land at around 8 or 9 and head straight to the port once we get all of our baggage together.

 

We've flown out of SFO to FLL on red-eye flights numerous times...perhaps we've been lucky, but we've made it there on time, every time. On a few occasions, very early in the morning. FLL to Porl Everglades is a quick 10 minute taxi ride...approximately $15-$20 depending on the honesty of the driver. (We fly red-eye because it is typically the cheapest fare.)

 

Caveat...There will be many here on CC that will be against doing this because things simply can go wrong...i.e. mechanical problems, the weather, missed connections,...etc...we agree. Again, we've been lucky flying out of SFO.

 

We were on the Maiden Voyage of the Allure and again last year...and formal nights are dressy...very nice. Happy Sailing! :)

[negc]

If flying in same day I would advise looking into insurance. Choice Air is also good because i don't think they offer flights that they don't think will get you there in time. It is however more expensive.

 

Choice Air isn't necessarily more expensive. Often it can be cheaper than booking the same flight directly with the airline. Our one way flight to London from Boston on British Airways is hundreds of dollars less than booking the exact same flight directly with British Air. It is important to check out all your options before you decide. Advice to "always" book in one particular fashion isn't "always" the best advice.:rolleyes:

[CAsunnyA1]

If you don't get a red eye flight you'll never make the boat. Usually flights from the west coast leave around 6:00 a.m. and that makes you arrive in FLL around 4:30...you'll miss the boat! We're going on the Oasis next month and are flying out the day before. Have a 6:10 flight out of Ontario and a short layover in Vegas & arrive in FLL at 4:30, staying at Embassy Suites...want piece of mind that I make the boat!! Good luck in your decision.

[skandls]

Fly in the day before and get a hotel room for one night. We live in CA and book early morning flights for the day before. We are up at 3 or 4 am to get to the airport. The timing makes it easy to reset the 'clock' minimizing jet lag. We have dinner near our hotel and by 9 or 10 pm we are ready to sleep. Then up the next morning to make the most of our time on the ship. This works well for us. We have done the redeye flights and the first day and 1/2 are kind of wasted due to jet lag.

[RCI Cruisers 004]

Personally, we wouldn't cruise without getting there at least a day early. We have done FOS 3 times and love going to Disney for a couple days b4 the cruise. A very relaxing way to start vacation.when we have cruised out of Ft. Lauderdale we have gotten our hotel and transfers thru RCI and it has always worked out great.

[lovinthesea89]

Thank you for all of the replies! I will definitely look at all my options. :) I'm so excited!

[jennmaybe]

There are some brave souls out there :D. Flying across the country AND gaining 3 hours of time, all on departure day. No way--not me. The stress is not worth it for us at all. We are more than happy to pay for a hotel the night before than go through all of this on embarkation day.

 

I would definitely get insurance and anything else you can get to make sure you will arrive on time.

 

Good luck!

[efields2]

Regardless of what flight you choose, ALWAYS book through the airline. If something goes wrong, you'll have to work through the 3rd party vendor otherwise (Expedia, Travelocity, etc).

 

Another vote for flying in the day before. It will give you more peace of mind, and plenty of time to relax/avoid jetlag. Priceline is a get option for getting a hotel at a really good discounted rate. The Departures Board on CC has some great tips to narrow down what hotel you're apt to get when you bid on it.

[eric1e]

Choice Air isn't necessarily more expensive. Often it can be cheaper than booking the same flight directly with the airline. Our one way flight to London from Boston on British Airways is hundreds of dollars less than booking the exact same flight directly with British Air. It is important to check out all your options before you decide. Advice to "always" book in one particular fashion isn't "always" the best advice.:rolleyes:

 

strange, every time i look up a flight on Choice Air and then go compare it if i book directly it is always cheaper when booking directly. However i've never done international just domestic.

[johneeo]

There are some brave souls out there :D. Flying across the country AND gaining 3 hours of time,

 

West to East you lose three hours.

 

If you leave California at 6:00 AM it is 9:00 AM in Florida. Arrival would be well after 2:00 PM.

[jennmaybe]

West to East you lose three hours.

 

If you leave California at 6:00 AM it is 9:00 AM in Florida. Arrival would be well after 2:00 PM.

 

Yes, I'm well aware of that, but thank you. :) That's what I meant....it just came out wrong.

[lovinthesea89]

Thank You for all of the advice. Last time I went, other people made the flight arrangements. I'm definitely going to explore my options. Got some time before I have to commit to a flight/hotel anyways :)

[TEXASMUNK]

This is not the cruise line's decision....it is Homeland security. You must be onboard 90 minutes before scheduled departure, so be sure to factor in time for arrival, baggage claim, getting a taxi and the ride to the pier.

 

just cover all the bases....Bon Voyage!