Flying in day of

[jsfromsc]

DON'T DO IT!! I have flown in the day of for a European cruise, which is really leaving the day before and flying all night. I was worried about delays the whole time, but it turned out okay. On the other hand, even when we planned to fly in the day before for a cruise departing from Ft. Lauderdale, the airlines canceled our flight at 10 pm the night before. We would have been screwed if it had been the day of the cruise. We ended up driving all day from SC to Ft. Lauderdale. We would not have been able to make it had the cruise been that day. And had we lived much further north, we might not have been able to make it even with a one day buffer. I do not trust the airlines and I would hate to miss a vacation I planned for and saved for because the airlines screwed up. We do purchase travel insurance but just getting our money back would not make up for missing a wonderful cruise. DON'T DO IT!!

[Ehpride]

As an airline pilot, YES, it's insane to fly on the day of the cruise. If people only knew ALL the things that can go wrong, even on a nonstop flight departing on a beautiful, clear morning, they would NEVER even consider it. When I read things like "you should be Ok, it's summer, or there are other backup nonstops, or it's a short flight, or it's the first flight in the morning" etc, etc, I know it's a matter of time before these people are crying at the airport, realizing that they are not going on a cruise after all.

 

I remember last summer. I was operating a flight to Minneapolis and the agent came down to the airplane saying that they were waiting on 4 passengers and that they would give them another 5 minutes. I went up to the boarding area and we saw this man, out of breath, saying that the rest of his group was stuck at security and to make it worse, one was handicapped. The agent said that he was sorry, but that he was going to close the flight and that they would need to take the next flight. The passenger reacted frantically, saying that they couldn't wait because they were connecting in Minneapolis to go to Anchorage to catch an Alaska cruise that same day! :eek:

 

Knowing that there was only one flight from Minneapolis to Anchorage that day, and that if these passengers didn't get on they would miss their cruise, I told the agent to delay the flight as long as necessary. He huffed and said that he could only hold the flight a maximum of 10 minutes. I once again told him to delay as long as necessary, and that I would take the hit for the delay and discuss it later with the Chief Pilot.

 

Long story short, we got all the passengers onboard. But as we walked down the jetway, I told them that the only way that I would let them on the flight was if they raised their right hand and promised to NEVER fly on the day of the cruise! :D

 

Hope they learned their lesson with that close call, but had the pilots been someone else that couldn't care less if someone made it to their cruise, these passengers would've been screwed.

 

 

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Wow! Those folks got really lucky to get a nice pilot and fellow cruise addict.

 

I honestly think I'd come in the day before even if I could drive. All it takes is one accident to back up traffic enough to miss your cruise. It's not just like going to Disney World or an all inclusive where your room will be waiting for you when you get there. I want to be as close to the port as possible when I wake up embarkation morning.

 

 

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[evandbob]

I have flown in the day of for over 20 cruises - never a problem. Doesn't matter summer or winter. LaGuardia to Miami mostly, non stop, one piece of carry on luggage. With priority boarding due to redeeming over 2 Million Miles, pre TSA check, and platinum status boarding the ship I can leave NY @7AM and enjoying lunch on Lido deck by noon.

 

Just the savings on 20

hotel nights allowed me a few more cruises.

 

Cruising out of Rome, I did fly in a few days before however.

Edited September 11, 2014 by evandbob

[DMH15]

I am about 50/50. Insurance on most of my cruises.

 

Am on Magic Nov 9 with my sis. We plan to fly Southwest from Dallas to Houston on the 8 am flight.

 

Fingers crossed.

[navybankerteacher]

We did it once and had no problem and are doing it again in October....not my idea. DH did the booking and it's a non-stop from Raleigh into Tampa arriving a 10:40am. Hope I don't have to say "I told you so"!

 

Raleigh to Tampa in October - on an early morning flight (meaning that the plane was probably at Raleigh overnight) is one thing - still a bit of a risk ---- but Indianapolis in the winter is something else - hopefully it is a non-stop, but I still wouldn't do it -- so much better to have a relaxing evening and a good night's sleep before starting a cruise.

[Cruisin' Chick]

We decided early on that we would never do this, even if leaving from a nice weather type of place (Los Angeles) and flying in to a nice weather type of place. This was after we had booked cruise air/hotel stay through the cruise line for my first cruise out of Miami. We were given red eyed flights to arrive the morning of our cruise. I immediately called the TA and said no way, change this flight for the day before. We arrived in Miami around 8pm and had a nice relaxing night. The next morning, we were going for breakfast and out of the elevator were some bleary-eyed people coming up to use a day room. Yep, they just got in after a late night flight. What a way to stay a vacation, but not in my book.

 

And yes, I didn't have a lot of vacation time at work, but I waited til I had at least six days (including the first travel day).

[Flatbush Flyer]

- never a problem.

 

 

...until it's a problem.

 

 

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[sail7seas]

Really bad idea to fly in day of especially during the winter. I wouldn't do it in summer. There are so many reasons flights are delayed and cancelled these days.

[AZmike480]

We do it, but we fly from the hottest place on earth(phoenix). So we rarely have weather related issues. Our last flight arrived in Miami at 0555 am so that's plenty of time to get to the port by 4 pm. We also stick with non stop flights to help eliminate some potential stress.

 

Since your weather isn't reliable I would fly in the day before. It would suck to miss a cruise because of poor planning!!!

 

AZmike480

[Putterdude]

While I can appreciate that with work and family schedules not every one can do this....but Putterdude's first rule of getting to the port....if I have to fly or drive more than 4 hours then we go the day before the cruise.

[Twickenham]

Flying out of Indy into ft. Lauderdale. We haven't booked yet as the rates are crazy outrageous. Just curious if I'm a crazy woman for even considering flying out the day of our cruise.

 

You can fly IND-MIA on AA non-stop the day before your cruise for $284. I consider that a perfectly reasonable price.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I know that my nerves could not handle flying in the day of the cruise.

We do not have direct flights to anywhere. Last February we missed our cruise. We were scheduled to fly to Tampa 3 days before the cruise. But a major snow storm hit the east coast and Atlanta and Charlotte were closed for the better part of 4 days. Glad we had insurance.

[Tapi]

We do it, but we fly from the hottest place on earth(phoenix). So we rarely have weather related issues

 

 

 

AZmike480

 

 

You do know that if it's hot enough, airplanes can't take off, right? It's one of the little known limitations that the general public doesn't know about. I've been grounded in Phoenix because of extreme heat.

 

As mentioned before, if people understood ALL the things that can possibly cancel or delay a flight, they would NEVER fly on the day of the cruise.

 

 

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[ducklite]

It costs a lot less to spend a few bucks on dinner and a hotel room than it does to catch up with a ship that has left without you. 'Nuff said.

[ducklite]

We do it, but we fly from the hottest place on earth(phoenix). So we rarely have weather related issues. Our last flight arrived in Miami at 0555 am so that's plenty of time to get to the port by 4 pm. We also stick with non stop flights to help eliminate some potential stress.

 

Since your weather isn't reliable I would fly in the day before. It would suck to miss a cruise because of poor planning!!!

 

AZmike480

 

You assume that all the planes are parked there just waiting on you and that the weather in the rest of the country is just like yours.

 

Really?

[dancinman66]

While I can appreciate that with work and family schedules not every one can do this....but Putterdude's first rule of getting to the port....if I have to fly or drive more than 4 hours then we go the day before the cruise.

 

 

Learnt that one almost the hard way on a trip out of Italy after a 400 euro taxi fare to make up for list time

At least made the ship though

 

 

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[ducklite]

learnt that one almost the hard way on a trip out of italy after a 400 euro taxi fare to make up for list time

at least made the ship though

 

 

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ouch!

[sail7seas]

You do know that if it's hot enough, airplanes can't take off, right? It's one of the little known limitations that the general public doesn't know about. I've been grounded in Phoenix because of extreme heat.

 

As mentioned before, if people understood ALL the things that can possibly cancel or delay a flight, they would NEVER fly on the day of the cruise.

 

 

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Exactly. It isn't only weather that causes cancelled flights and it isn't only weather in the city from which you are flying. The equipment has to come in from somewhere and it could be a blizzard in that 'somewhere'. What about the dust storms we've seen in Phoenix area this summer? Can planes take off and land in that?

 

[geoherb]

We have flown the day of the cruise, most recently in March for our cruise on the Ruby Princess out of Fort Lauderdale. I followed the recommendations that others have given here--booking an early direct flight. In our case, we could drive to Florida from North Carolina if we found out the night before that our flight was canceled. And I do check the night before. We wouldn't have time to drive if we did not find out until that morning.

 

I would never book a flight with connections that arrived the same day. There are just too many variables to worry about. I think about the time our luggage did not make the second flight. The airline delivered it to our hotel during the night. If we had gotten on a cruise ship the same day we flew down that time, it would have taken it several days to catch up with us.

Edited September 12, 2014 by geoherb

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Nonstop or with connections that is the hole store ..

[BenjiRodney]

Don't do the same day anymore. Always a day early. Next year for Alaska we are doing two early, day into Seattle then going to Vancouver the next day and staying, allowing plenty of flexibility with that one.

 

 

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[Johnamac123]

I tried this on my first cruise, post 9/11, with nearly disasterous results (lost luggage). It was delivered to our room from the airport right after muster, until then we were in panic mode. Flying the day before eliminates most possible issues of travel/luggage. Try to get the first push (eliminates late arriving equipment) and remain relaxed and flexible. Enjoy your trip!

[Mary Ellen]

We haven't flown in the 'day of' since the 1980s. We learned back then it was too risky for us.

 

Last October one of our travel mates flew in the 'day of'. She was making her connection to our European port thru Chicago. Who would have thought tornados would be a problem in Chicago during October? She didn't make it in time. It wasn't until a few days later, our first port (in Africa) that she was able to board. Her air was through the cruise line. We all believed that the cruise line would take care of her. All they did was pay for her air to the first port. Everything else was on her dime. Hotels (in both cities), transfers, meals were all her responsibility.

 

Even though in this case the embarkation city was in Europe she wouldn't have made it to Florida for a same day sailing either.

 

If you have to met the ship in a later port, do you have a passport and are you willing to pay for all of the expenses involved while catching up with the ship?

[ducklite]

We have flown the day of the cruise, most recently in March for our cruise on the Ruby Princess out of Fort Lauderdale. I followed the recommendations that others have given here--booking an early direct flight. In our case, we could drive to Florida from North Carolina if we found out the night before that our flight was canceled. And I do check the night before. We wouldn't have time to drive if we did not find out until that morning.

 

I would never book a flight with connections that arrived the same day. There are just too many variables to worry about. I think about the time our luggage did not make the second flight. The airline delivered it to our hotel during the night. If we had gotten on a cruise ship the same day we flew down that time, it would have taken it several days to catch up with us.

 

 

The last two flights I was in that were cancelled were cancelled about an hour after they were supposed to take off.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

In the winter we fly out 2 days before the cruise, Pittsburgh to Florida, and enjoy our time in Florida sunshine. Even at other times of the year we fly out at least 1 day before the cruise.

 

Mary Lou