Do we have enough time?

[Starry Eyes]

if you do not change that flight, you stand a significant risk of missing your ship. If you do not change the flight, at least sign up for early bird boarding (so you may get seats near the front of the plane and space in the overhead bin) and take only carry on bags. If you do not change the flight, you do not have time to wait for checked luggage.

 

if you travel regularly, consider the option of getting SWA credit for the SWA tickets (use within one year of booing date) and booking a different flight on an airline that can get you there sooner. Check flights after work the night before...if you cannot get off work, that is your safest option. if that cannot happen, check early morning flights, preferably nonstop, so you will arrive at MCO much earlier.

 

Another option...Which is your home airport? is there another SWA airport with an earlier, preferably nonstop flight within driving distance? if so, could you drive to the alternate airport after work, get a cheap sleep park and fly hotel and take the early flight from the alternate airport?

 

or maybe you should reconsider the date of your cruise. you are probably still outside final payment, so you may be able to cancel and rebook. or did you book the nonchangable early saver carnival rate:rolleyes:.

[Jimnbigd]

Change it. Also, do not book too early a return flight. We did not clear customs until noon this past Sunday disembarking the Mariner of the Seas from Galveston.

[fleckle]

FYI--SW will charge you the going fare for those seats. They don't do "free" standby unless the lowest available fare is what you paid for your existing ticket.

FYI - in fact sometimes they do and sometimes they don't.

 

It is to the advantage of the company not to let a flight go out with empty seats, so if they can put a passenger who is booked on a later flight on the earlier flight, they can then re-sell that same seat on the later flight.

 

However, some gate agents do not want to be bothered with processing such transfers when they are rushing to close out a flight.

So it is easiest just to give someone they don't know a brushoff answer and tell you they can't do it unless you pay more.

 

If you are a friend of theirs and there are empty seats on the plane, they will get you on. If you are a stranger to them, they are doing you a favor when they do it.

 

That is why I told the OP always to be very nice to the gate agents (although one should be very nice to airline employees anyway, regardless of whether or not they are doing you a favor). :D

[boogs]

Wow! For a first time cruiser, you sure are setting yourself up for failure. Even experienced cruisers wouldn't cut it so close (as you have already learned from the replies). This is nuts. What a way to totally screw up your first cruise experience and have it spoil a wonderful vacation method, possibly forever. Please, bite the bullet and get an earlier flight - preferably a flight the night before after you get off work if you can't get it off. Don't ruin what should be a nice experience by taking such a risky gamble. Even if you make it you will be a nervous wreck. Plus, one of the advantages of arriving early is enjoying the ship for several hours before it leaves. I always arrive at the port when boarding begins and spend extra hours enjoying the ship. After all, you have paid for that day - might as well enjoy the ship for as many hours as possible.

 

I also find it interesting that as a first timer you ask for advice, you get some very good advice, and yet you don't want to take it. :confused:

[Bonnie J.]

Can you fly out the night before after work? You could stay in Orlando then get to the port the next day relaxed. We drive from NC but always stay the night before in a hotel a few hours (3-4) from the port. Then we are not stressed out, pooped when we get to the ship and we know we'll make it!

[ducklite]

What is your home airport? Give us that and we'll try to figure a solution for you.

[ducklite]

FYI - in fact sometimes they do and sometimes they don't.

 

It is to the advantage of the company not to let a flight go out with empty seats, so if they can put a passenger who is booked on a later flight on the earlier flight, they can then re-sell that same seat on the later flight.

 

However, some gate agents do not want to be bothered with processing such transfers when they are rushing to close out a flight.

So it is easiest just to give someone they don't know a brushoff answer and tell you they can't do it unless you pay more.

 

If you are a friend of theirs and there are empty seats on the plane, they will get you on. If you are a stranger to them, they are doing you a favor when they do it.

 

That is why I told the OP always to be very nice to the gate agents (although one should be very nice to airline employees anyway, regardless of whether or not they are doing you a favor). :D

 

He's traveling with at least two others. The chances of getting three or more free standbys are beyond slim.

[Karysa]

Is there any way to find out if the cruise line itself has booked passengers on this flight? That would be somewhat reassuring to me.

[euro cruiser]

One way to look at the cost of changing the flight is the cost of catching up with the ship.

 

A one-way flight to Freeport if purchased today would be $169 from MCO, but you could go for as little as $93 if you got yourself to Fort Lauderdale (200 miles). A one day rental car in Florida is probably less than $228 ($76 x 3 passengers).

 

You'd also have the cost of a hotel room for the night, and meals.

 

What does that total vs. the cost of changing the airfare today?

 

Of course, if you wait until the day of and have to purchase the tickets they'll be a lot more, so an insurance option might be to go ahead and purchase the $93 one way tickets today, so you have them if you need them, if this cost is significantly less than changing your original flights.

 

After all, the game at this point is all about managing risks.

[okgirl]

If you absolutely can't change your flight then I suggest you travel with carry on luggage only and have a private car waiting for you on arrival.

 

Also, as soon as you can turn your phone back on call Carnival and tell them you just arrived. Sometimes they can delay turning in the manifest when they know a passenger is in transit.

[photogineer]

An update for everyone, we changed the flight, we are now arriving 9am of sail day, and we'll have a town car driving us from MCO to the port. The cost stings a little, but it is indeed better than the stress we'd get even if we made it I suppose.

 

Thanks for the help all,

Matt

[sail7seas]

You made a wise choice changing your flight.

You were cutting it way too close.

 

Hope you're all set now but with airlines these days........

in the future, plan to arrive the day before.

 

[photogineer]

You made a wise choice changing your flight.

You were cutting it way too close.

 

Hope you're all set now but with airlines these days........

in the future, plan to arrive the day before.

 

 

Unfortunately the group I tend to travel with is perpetually short of vacation time, so the next time will probably have to be a same day flight as well, but I will keep it in mind.

 

So, as long as my flight isn't delayed, we shouldn't have any trouble right? Since we're in a suite, am I to understand we can board as soon as we arrive? (Perhaps this isn't the thread to ask such a question, if not I'll make a new one)

 

Matt

[PennyAgain]

Yes, you will be able to board and go to your suite as soon as the actually boarding process starts.

 

Good luck with you travels!

 

I would still do carry on only (I do that most of the time anyway) to cut down on your stress levels.

[Krazy Kruizers]

An update for everyone, we changed the flight, we are now arriving 9am of sail day, and we'll have a town car driving us from MCO to the port. The cost stings a little, but it is indeed better than the stress we'd get even if we made it I suppose.

 

Thanks for the help all,

Matt

 

Glad you changed your flights.

A few times we have arrived at our airport and the flight had been cancelled thus causing a problem with our connecting flight. Thankfully we always fly into the embarkation ports 2 or 3 days early or we would not have made it to the ship. We don't have direct flights to anywhere anymore.

[trish1c]

An update for everyone, we changed the flight, we are now arriving 9am of sail day, and we'll have a town car driving us from MCO to the port. The cost stings a little, but it is indeed better than the stress we'd get even if we made it I suppose.

 

Glad you changed it. This should be so much better.