How Bad Have I Messed Up (Newbie)

[lonely_pastry]

Hi Guys,

 

Taking my first cruise with my (future) wife for our Honeymoon in September. To make a long story short we are arriving in London Gatwick the day the cruise leaves at 11ish. We are then getting a cab to drive the 1.5 hours to New Hampshire. Ship departs at 4.

 

Boarding is from 12-3pm however our deck is supposed to board on 1215. Pending everything works out and we get there before 3 are we still good? :confused:

 

Alternatively if something happens (flight delay, traffic, etc) I assume we can fly to the next port and board there?

[cruiseryyc]

You messed up! Any way you can fly in the day before? Any delay in your flight arriving and you're missing the ship's departure; yes you can probably meet it at the next port of call but not the way you want to start your honeymoon.

 

Remember for future cruising - always plan on arriving at your port of departure at least the day before the ship sails.

[Host Hattie]

It's cutting it a bit fine, where are you flying from ?

Where is your first port ?

[fishywood]

I take it that New Hampshire is another odd auto-correct of Southampton.

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic--and duck! You have brought up a topic that brings on universal bashing of the poster. Yes, you have put yourself at total mercy of the flight Gods (and your airline). But unlike what the naysayers want you to think, the majority of out-of-town cruises do fly in the morning of the cruise. I would bet the farm that someone else on your cruise will be on that flight as well.

 

Totally up to you if you want to just grin and bear it or go to the expense of rebooking the day before (if your personal schedules even permit it). Checking the historical on-time performance of your flight may reassure you that the odds are in your favor--assuming it is somewhere in the high 90%s.

Edited August 17, 2016 by fishywood

[CanadaDeb]

Welcome to cruise critic! Given the importance of this honeymoon cruise I would contact the airline ( or whoever you booked your flight through ) and explain the situation. Even if you have to pay a change penalty, IMHO it would be worth it...you want to start the honeymoon relaxed! Congratulations and don't worry, we all make mistakes!

[ducklite]

Pay the penalty and change to fly a day earlier.

[Ashland]

We flew in very early morning of our cruise into Heathrow and used cruise transfers to get us to Harwich...one of the rare situations when the cruise transfers worked out great....any possibility of an earlier flight and/or using cruise transfers for you?

[cml4958]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

Totally agree with what others have posted, change your flights to the day before, or it may not even be possible if you are getting married the day before. If not, do anything you can to change your flights. Considering that you're going to be jet lagged upon arrival or at some point thereafter, you'll end up missing the first day possibly.

 

What time is last onboard for embark? On NCL, you have to be on the ship 2 hours prior when embarking.

 

Good luck!

[lonely_pastry]

Thanks for all the responses.

 

Unfortunately we can't fly out a day earlier as we require an overnight flight and the day before that is our wedding.

 

I just found a flight that will allow us to land 1 hour earlier than our currently booked flight so I might switch to that one (every minute counts right)!

 

I was just making sure we could still board as long as we are there before 3PM or if we are SOL because we can't board at our deck time.

[headhunterke]

Pay the penalty and change to fly a day earlier.

 

That's pretty much the best advice one could possible give.

Traffic in London can (and is at times) a total mess.

And arriving at 11 doesn't mean you'll leave the airport at 1130. You'll need to get through immigration, pick up your bags,etc.

You really don't want to arrive at the pier just to hear you've missed the boarding time. Bite the bullet and pay the change fee.

Is it really necessary? Maybe, maybe not. But if it will be, the change fee will be a fraction of what you'll be paying to get to the next port of call (and all of that precious vacation time of course).

Edited August 18, 2016 by headhunterke

[Ashland]

Thanks for all the responses.

 

Unfortunately we can't fly out a day earlier as we require an overnight flight and the day before that is our wedding.

 

I just found a flight that will allow us to land 1 hour earlier than our currently booked flight so I might switch to that one (every minute counts right)!

 

I was just making sure we could still board as long as we are there before 3PM or if we are SOL because we can't board at our deck time.

 

Check out cruise transfers instead of a taxi....the cruiseline will tell you the latest arrival time for a flight to use them....We have been on many ships where the ship waited for cruiseline transfers to arrive.

[Dayenu]

 

I was just making sure we could still board as long as we are there before 3PM or if we are SOL because we can't board at our deck time.

 

Your ship departs at 4, this means, everyone must be on board by 3, one hour before the scheduled sailing time. Check-in takes time, so you must be there by 2.30.

 

Sailing is not like taking a train or a plane, you must be there earlier than scheduled.

[cml4958]

Your ship departs at 4, this means, everyone must be on board by 3, one hour before the scheduled sailing time. Check-in takes time, so you must be there by 2.30.

 

Sailing is not like taking a train or a plane, you must be there earlier than scheduled.

 

Since you can't edit, I'd add it's not like taking a train. It's more like taking a plane.

[GUT2407]

Cutting it too fine.

 

Probably able to fly to next port if necessary.

[Laughing Angel]

lonely_pastry--yeah, that is going to be a very close shave, but I sincerely hope that all of the stars are aligned, and that you will be able to make your cruise on time.

 

As was suggested previously, cruise transfers might be helpful in getting you from the airport to the ship. In the meantime, you might want to formulate a contingency plan for getting to the next port of call, just in case.

 

Good luck!

[basil's mom]

If there is any way to get your flight through the cruise line you should do that. You are then guaranteed to get on the ship, either at the embarkation port or the next port.

 

It is not just fly to the next port. If you miss the ship the captain has to get special permission for you to get on at the next port. If you read the fine print in your cruise contract there is no guaranty that you will be allowed to board the ship at the next stop.

[hapster85]

I just found a flight that will allow us to land 1 hour earlier than our currently booked flight so I might switch to that one (every minute counts right)!

 

It's too close for my comfort, but at this point, your options are limited. If you are able to get an earlier flight, I certainly would. That extra hour could certainly make a big difference in this situation. Good luck!

[John Bull]

Don't concern yourselves with your allocated 12.15 boarding time - staggered boarding is intended to dissuade folk from arriving too early, cos that puts pressure on check-in staff.

Your concern needs to be the latest registration time (if there's a line at the cruise terminal, that's not your problem - you need to join the line by latest registration time).

 

Airport formalities at Gatwick usually take 60 to 90 minutes, the main variable is the line for immigration. So if your aircraft lands on-time you can expect to be in the Arrivals Hall between noon and 12.30.

 

Check with your cruise line the latest time that its transfer coaches leave Gatwick. I think it's around noon, but if it's later that's your best bet - then any problems en-route are their problem, not yours.

I used to drive transfer coaches, and if a coach is going to arrive after latest check-in the courier phones through the names of the passengers on the coach - this seems to satisfy those responsible for the manifest. But I doubt that works for a passenger travelling by independent means.

 

If you take a taxi, be sure to pre-book a private transfer. For that distance a taxi from the rank would be incredibly expensive, and the drivers won't know the nuances of the different routes to Southampton.

We can suggest private transfer operators for that journey.

 

The drive to Southampton by car takes something under 2 hours, but that's particularly variable.

What day/date do you arrive? Sundays are a dream, Saturdays are OK if your driver knows his stuff, weekdays are the most difficult to predict.

Gatwick to Southampton doesn't involve driving in London, the nearest you get to the big bad city is the M25 orbital motorway. That motorway loop can get grid-locked because of a simple accident, but your driver can avoid the motorway loop entirely by cutting across-country. Cross-country routes are shorter but on average take 10 to 15 minutes longer. The big advantage of going cross-country is that you're not going to get snarled up in a big gridlock, and if there's a traffic problem on his chosen route your driver can switch to a number of alternates. At quiet times (evenings & weekends) we use the motorway loop, at potentially difficult times we cut across-country to avoid the risk of a snarl-up.

Your driver can choose his route depending on circumstances.

 

So in theory by car you'll arrive at the port around 2.30pm.

Half an hour is a pitifully narrow window.

You'll very probably be in time.

But "very probably" isn't what you need for embarking on a cruise.

 

Ships usually depart 4.30 or later, not 4pm. But a 3pm latest check-in does sound right.

 

What ship & what date?

It makes a difference.

 

And where's your first port-of-call?

 

JB :)

Edited August 18, 2016 by John Bull

[KarenR_UK]

a check-in cutoff time of 3:45 has been common for us for a 4:30 sailing - we sail P&O and Cunard, so cant say for other lines.

 

Our last cruise (P&O), we had a checkin time of 3:30 but ran very late :(.

There was a phone number on our documents which you are advised to ring if you are arriving after 3:45, (but I was too stress and panicked to find it - so if its available, make sure you have it to hand).

 

I think we arrived between 3:45 and 4 - they were packing up but there were still two checkin desks open (we did have to pass our luggage to a porter who took it the 'long way round' rather than put it through the hole on the wall onto the conveyors) and we were at the end of a queue of 3 - we were last to board!

 

The implication is that they will check you in upto sailaway time (minus any gangway up / cast off times) if they know you are coming. (If you arrive after muster, you will have to do a 'makeup' muster)

You could try checking with the cruise line what the absolute latest time is, or ask on the cruise critic board appropriate to your line for anyone with experience of it on the specific line.

 

It was not the most relaxing start to a holiday and we only travelled a few miles.

[lonely_pastry]

Don't concern yourselves with your allocated 12.15 boarding time - staggered boarding is intended to dissuade folk from arriving too early, cos that puts pressure on check-in staff.

Your concern needs to be the latest registration time (if there's a line at the cruise terminal, that's not your problem - you need to join the line by latest registration time).

 

On my cruise document it states "suite, pinnacle,.....can check in at their convenience between 11:00AM and 3:30PM", so i assume that they will allow us on board even though we aren't that status.

 

Airport formalities at Gatwick usually take 60 to 90 minutes, the main variable is the line for immigration. So if your aircraft lands on-time you can expect to be in the Arrivals Hall between noon and 12.30.

 

I expected it to take a bit to go through immigration and get our bags but wasn't banking on 90minutes (i've travelled a fair bit and haven never waited 90min) but I've never been to Gatwick, so i'll plan for the worst.

 

If you take a taxi, be sure to pre-book a private transfer. For that distance a taxi from the rank would be incredibly expensive, and the drivers won't know the nuances of the different routes to Southampton.

We can suggest private transfer operators for that journey.

 

Yes, we weren't planning on a traditional taxi but a private one that is waiting for you at the terminal. If you have any suggestions that would be great.

 

What day/date do you arrive?

 

Our current flight arrives at Gatwick Monday (Sep19) at 1050 but if we change to the earlier flight we could arrive at 0925.

 

What ship & what date?

It makes a difference.

 

We are sailing off on Monday Sept 19 on the Independence of the Seas.

 

And where's your first port-of-call?

 

The first port is Gibraltar! Expensive plane tickets to their from London from the limited research i've done but the positive is that we have 2 days to get there. :rolleyes:

Edited August 18, 2016 by lonely_pastry

[reallyitsmema]

Get on the earlier flights. Royal Caribbean website says you have to be checked in 60 minutes before your cruise, but I know on US departures it is 90 minutes. I realize this is not from a US port, but I would not risk getting there and finding locked doors. It is also not arrive by 3pm, it is checked in, big difference.

 

See what you can do to get on an earlier flight. Good luck and best wishes.:)

Edited August 18, 2016 by reallyitsmema

[alexspepa]

Get on the earlier flights. Royal Caribbean website says you have to be checked in 60 minutes before your cruise, but I know on US departures it is 90 minutes. I realize this is not from a US port, but I would not risk getting there and finding locked doors. It is also not arrive by 3pm, it is checked in, big difference.

 

See what you can do to get on an earlier flight. Good luck and best wishes.:)

as suggested above get the earlier flight - that 90 minutes will be huge.

[khalubear]

I skimmed the answers but didn't see this question.. Did you book your flight separately or through the cruise lines flight company? This makes a difference if you miss you cruise the first day.

We fly in at least one day early. Weather is not the only way a flight gets delayed.

Who did you book through? If your did this yourself that is one thing but if a travel agent did I would have a long hard talk with them.

 

So in the end never fly in the day of if you can manage it. Use an agent if you're not confident in your planning. Booking flights through the cruise line can save you headaches and money if flying in on the day of.

[khalubear]

read a little more. So it looks like your best bet is take the earlier flight. See if you can get cruise line transfers and you'll be good to go. For peace of mind in the future budget for a night or two hotel stays before your sail.... It's just and extended vacation and you'll be far more relaxed. And you'll be back on a ship. Enjoy!

[donaldsc]

Hi Guys,

 

Taking my first cruise with my (future) wife for our Honeymoon in September. To make a long story short we are arriving in London Gatwick the day the cruise leaves at 11ish. We are then getting a cab to drive the 1.5 hours to New Hampshire. Ship departs at 4.

 

Boarding is from 12-3pm however our deck is supposed to board on 1215. Pending everything works out and we get there before 3 are we still good? :confused:

 

Alternatively if something happens (flight delay, traffic, etc) I assume we can fly to the next port and board there?

 

On a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is 'no problems' and 10 is 'you are out of luck', you rank a 9.9. If you have any even a slight glitch anywhere in transportation process, you can assume that you will miss the ship.

 

BTW - the current Google Maps estimate for the drive from the airport is 1 hour 48 minutes so if you left right now, you have already lost 20 minutes of your non-existent cushion. Also, if you did not book your flight through the cruise line, you will be on the hook for all expenses (lodging, air fare, meals, etc.) involved in getting to the next port.

 

DON