Missing the Boat?

[slightlysilly]

I originally made flight arrangements to bring us to Miami to get on the Wonder in February. Our TA called and said that since AA and USAir merged, our flights changed and they no longer have a Thursday night direct flight. So I had to switch it over to Friday morning, the day the cruise begins.

 

The flight gets in at 9am. It's February. We are coming from Philadelphia. We are going to endeavor to not check bags. It's a non-stop direct flight. The flights were arranged outside the cruise arrangements.

 

It occurs to me that, for a fee, I can have my flights switched to fly out of Baltimore, or Harrisburg and into FLL, the night before, but I'm wondering if I should really be worried. The literature says the boat leaves at 4pm, but doesn't say when all aboard is.

 

Thoughts? Thanks in advance!

[Maddysdaddy]

I'm risk averse, especially flying in the winter, and will pay for a night (or two or three) in a hotel, in order to ensure that we make it onto our cruise.

 

My thought is that even if bad weather doesn't hit where I'm flying out of, everything seems to be so interconnected, that snow or freezing rain halfway across the country can cause cancellations in hub cities, which means that even though it's bright and sunny where I am, my flight can potentially be delayed or cancelled.

 

If I was flying from a sun destination into Miami, I would worry less about a same day flight, but winter weather scares the heck out of me when it comes to flights.

 

To me, the cost of a hotel is significantly less than what it would cost to try to catch up with our ship at a port of call.

[Loonbeam]

I fly out of Philly all the time. I would change. The odds of weather in Philly alone impacting your trip are not insignificant. At worst, see if they have a one stop changing in CLT or something on the original day.

[gambit57]

The airlines are so consolidated now, I wouldn't risk it. I see it as insurance in order to save the more costly trip (the cruise).

 

Even way out here in California, we get affected by delays caused on the other side of the country.

 

As it is, if I'm flying during winter or the hurricane season, I try to take the first flight out and to take direct or hug the bottom of the US in order to minimize disruptions caused by weather.

 

For my cruise next week, I'm spending an extra night before and after, because my other cheaper options had me making a connection in Chicago or Denver. Yeah, not happening. I'll pay for a hotel night in order to be able to take a direct flight.

[slightlysilly]

I'm risk averse, especially flying in the winter, and will pay for a night (or two or three) in a hotel, in order to ensure that we make it onto our cruise.

 

My thought is that even if bad weather doesn't hit where I'm flying out of, everything seems to be so interconnected, that snow or freezing rain halfway across the country can cause cancellations in hub cities, which means that even though it's bright and sunny where I am, my flight can potentially be delayed or cancelled.

 

If I was flying from a sun destination into Miami, I would worry less about a same day flight, but winter weather scares the heck out of me when it comes to flights.

 

To me, the cost of a hotel is significantly less than what it would cost to try to catch up with our ship at a port of call.

 

Thanks for your input. It's not really a cost issue, but a time issue. We own our own business and will need to work the entire day on Thursday. It takes about an hour and a half to take the train from our home to PHL. We can take an 8:45pm flight to FLL which will get us to a FLL hotel around midnight, but now I'm wondering what difference that 10 hours will really make? I just realized that we are on a time crunch anyway.

 

I'm not really looking forward to being completely exhausted by the time I get on the ship though.

Edited December 5, 2015 by slightlysilly

[slightlysilly]

I fly out of Philly all the time. I would change. The odds of weather in Philly alone impacting your trip are not insignificant. At worst, see if they have a one stop changing in CLT or something on the original day.

 

We get rashes when we do connecting flights. I haven't had a connecting flight in years. We are just really odd that way.

 

Last year, we left the night before our cruise (out of PC) and we did sit on the tarmac for about two hours before we lifted off. We got to our hotel at about 1am and weren't able to sleep because of this weird rooooooo rooooo roooo noise in the room. There were problems with our transport, and we didn't get to the ship until about 1:30 and our room still wasn't done. I think I nodded off at the muster drill. I will probably do so again this time.

[slightlysilly]

The airlines are so consolidated now, I wouldn't risk it. I see it as insurance in order to save the more costly trip (the cruise).

 

Even way out here in California, we get affected by delays caused on the other side of the country.

 

As it is, if I'm flying during winter or the hurricane season, I try to take the first flight out and to take direct or hug the bottom of the US in order to minimize disruptions caused by weather.

 

For my cruise next week, I'm spending an extra night before and after, because my other cheaper options had me making a connection in Chicago or Denver. Yeah, not happening. I'll pay for a hotel night in order to be able to take a direct flight.

 

This is the first flight out that day, and it's a direct flight, so here's hoping. I did look into switching flights, and the change fee makes it completely stupid vs. the cost of trip cancellation insurance. I know a lot can go wrong, so I'll just cobble together a plan B so we still get a vacation. There's stuff to do in Miami right? :cool:

[msmayor]

This is the first flight out that day, and it's a direct flight, so here's hoping. I did look into switching flights, and the change fee makes it completely stupid vs. the cost of trip cancellation insurance. I know a lot can go wrong, so I'll just cobble together a plan B so we still get a vacation. There's stuff to do in Miami right? :cool:

 

Even first flights out can be nerve-wracking...

 

My husband and I always plan to fly in the day before year round, but especially in the winter. The extra day means that in the event of a weather issue, there's time to juggle flights OR worst-case scenario, we get in our car the night BEFORE the flight and start driving...we can be in Florida by the end of the day before the cruise.

 

That being said, we were in a situation this past March where we really had to fly out on the day of the cruise as neither of us could get the Friday off...ship departed 4pm on Saturday, our flight was at 6am out of BWI (we live in the PHL area but the flight schedules were better out of BWI)

 

The problem? It was 6 degrees that morning. Crystal clear skies. As we lined up to board the plane which had been there all night to be ready to fly out first thing...there was a problem. The jetway was frozen solid and refused to move. We did ultimately get out, but after a 90 minute delay. (they moved the plane to another gate once available...with a working jetway).

 

We landed in FLL close to 11. Plenty of time, really...but with 3/4 of the plane filled with Miami and FLL cruise passengers, we were all a little anxious.

 

Bottom line? Winter weather area? I'm planning to leave the day before departure.

[Tonka's Skipper]

We always fly in a day or even2 early. Granted a delay that could cause you to miss the vessel is rare, but it does happen. Especially when all it take is a nut case passenger causing a problem on a plane or in and airport and every thing is shut down and plane diverted. That happen a few months ago with the Wonder in San Diego when the airport had a security problem some guy and was shut down and planes diverted to other states and passengers missed the vessel.

 

Other things as well:

1. Traffic or mechanical problems to the airport.

2. Airport issues , plane traffic delayed.

3, Weather shutting down the airports

4. Weather in the air, diverting to other airports.

5. Traffic or mechanical problem to the port.

 

These things do not happen often, but are not worth taking the chance in my book. Yes Travel insurance will get your money back, but with my wife and I , the problem is getting the time for the cruise..

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

 

AKK

Edited December 5, 2015 by Tonka's Skipper

[slightlysilly]

Even first flights out can be nerve-wracking...

 

My husband and I always plan to fly in the day before year round, but especially in the winter. The extra day means that in the event of a weather issue, there's time to juggle flights OR worst-case scenario, we get in our car the night BEFORE the flight and start driving...we can be in Florida by the end of the day before the cruise.

 

That being said, we were in a situation this past March where we really had to fly out on the day of the cruise as neither of us could get the Friday off...ship departed 4pm on Saturday, our flight was at 6am out of BWI (we live in the PHL area but the flight schedules were better out of BWI)

 

The problem? It was 6 degrees that morning. Crystal clear skies. As we lined up to board the plane which had been there all night to be ready to fly out first thing...there was a problem. The jetway was frozen solid and refused to move. We did ultimately get out, but after a 90 minute delay. (they moved the plane to another gate once available...with a working jetway).

 

We landed in FLL close to 11. Plenty of time, really...but with 3/4 of the plane filled with Miami and FLL cruise passengers, we were all a little anxious.

 

Bottom line? Winter weather area? I'm planning to leave the day before departure.

 

Thanks for your input! It's funny. I was originally worried that we were going to be stuck skulking around the MIA airport for hours until we could get over to the port. But now, I am afraid to miss the boat. I purchased trip delay insurance and I checked flights to Grand Cayman (our first port of call), and we will have our passports with us, so I sort of have a Plan B.

 

Also funny is that I've done this before and actually did almost miss the boat. Fortunately, there were people on my flight (to Honolulu) who purchased airfare through the cruiseline and the boat waited for them (and by extension, my family). I forgot all about that until now.

[slightlysilly]

We always fly in a day or even2 early. Granted a delay that could cause you to miss the vessel is rare' date=' but it does happen. Especially when all it take is a nut case passenger causing a problem on a plane or in and airport and every thing is shut down and plane diverted. That happen a few months ago with the Wonder in San Diego when the airport had a security problem some guy and was shut down and planes diverted to other states and passengers missed the vessel.

 

Other things as well:

1. Traffic or mechanical problems to the airport.

2. Airport issues , plane traffic delayed.

3, Weather shutting down the airports

4. Weather in the air, diverting to other airports.

5. Traffic or mechanical problem to the port.

 

These things do not happen often, but are not worth taking the chance in my book. Yes Travel insurance will get your money back, but with my wife and I , the problem is getting the time for the cruise..

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

 

AKK[/quote']

 

Thanks for the advice! We would be in the Miami area until Wednesday regardless of whether we got on the ship or not, and the goal is always a warm place to soak up some vitamin E to make it through the rest of the winter.

 

I always endeavor to get that last flight out the night before (for all the reasons you list) but when our TA called and said we had to book another flight because they cancelled our original flight (going out at 8:00 the night before) I panicked and picked what I thought was the next best thing giving us time for delays and to make it to the ship. Not being too familiar with south Florida, I didn't know that FLL was an option until just a few days ago. BUT, the option to leave during the day is not there, therefore, we would have to get on the plane at night, fly, get to the hotel, then figure our transport to the boat. It's probably easier with the night's sleep, but only by a little bit.

 

So, after thinking it through, I think we will stick with what we have, bring our passports, phone numbers for Disney (to let them know if we missed the boat) and our insurance company, and get ready for an adventure where ever it might be.

 

Thanks!

[gambit57]

This is the first flight out that day, and it's a direct flight, so here's hoping. I did look into switching flights, and the change fee makes it completely stupid vs. the cost of trip cancellation insurance. I know a lot can go wrong, so I'll just cobble together a plan B so we still get a vacation. There's stuff to do in Miami right? :cool:

 

Hahaha, yes, Miami is hardly Sing Sing prison. You could have a whole vacation in Miami.

 

If it's the first, direct flight of the day, then yes, that does make things a lot better. Even the second one can start to get dicey.

 

What I will say is to get there even earlier than normal. On the larger airports, it tends to be better, but with the first flights of the day, a lot of the airlines tend to schedule them together. They don't coordinate. So what ends up happening is there are a TON of people super early in the morning, trying to all get through the security checkpoint. Even checking bags, as your airline might have several "first flights" to different destinations all leaving at the same time.

 

I had that happen in Sacramento, got yelled at by the Southwest gate agent for cutting it so close (even though we got there like 45 minutes early). The line was just that long. Forgot my kid's medication at the security checkpoint cuz they took it back somewhere to test and in the rush, I forgot to ask for it. The normally super friendly people at Sac weren't so friendly then.

[slightlysilly]

Hahaha, yes, Miami is hardly Sing Sing prison. You could have a whole vacation in Miami.

 

If it's the first, direct flight of the day, then yes, that does make things a lot better. Even the second one can start to get dicey.

 

What I will say is to get there even earlier than normal. On the larger airports, it tends to be better, but with the first flights of the day, a lot of the airlines tend to schedule them together. They don't coordinate. So what ends up happening is there are a TON of people super early in the morning, trying to all get through the security checkpoint. Even checking bags, as your airline might have several "first flights" to different destinations all leaving at the same time.

 

I had that happen in Sacramento, got yelled at by the Southwest gate agent for cutting it so close (even though we got there like 45 minutes early). The line was just that long. Forgot my kid's medication at the security checkpoint cuz they took it back somewhere to test and in the rush, I forgot to ask for it. The normally super friendly people at Sac weren't so friendly then.

 

Since the flight is so early, and we live an hour and change from the airport, we take the Amtrak to Philly and then the commuter train to the airport the night before. There is a Marriott attached to the airport and we will stay there. Of course, we have to do the two hour thing so that puts us at 4am BUT we are going to endeavor to do carry on only. (Which can be done if we apply ourselves and only take essentials. I'll be wearing the same dress and shoes to Palo and the optional formal night, people are just going to have to get over it. :eek:)

 

But now that I have the insurance in place (I read the fine print) and our passports and phone numbers handy, I feel much better about the situation.

 

Thanks for the advice!

[Ex techie]

Hoping your plans work out and you have a great cruise!

 

ex techie