Whats with all the Can I Make a ---Flight before the ship docks ---questions lately

[Nic6318]

Hi

 

The reason we keep getting the questions about how early one should book a flight (at least for new cruisers) is that the cruise line lists the arrival time as whatever...6a.m., 7a.m. etc. and I can understand when tempted with the potential savings how people could very well think, the airport is only half an hour away. I should easily make a ten o'clock flight. The fact that the cruise line will tell them if they research or ask that after noon is suggested is irrelevant.

 

They come here to ask us, we should know.

 

Well, in all those discussions I remember many posts where people will say, "I do the self assist and have arrived at the airport for 8 a.m." :) "I booked the 10 a.m. flight and could have made the 9 a.m. flight." Amazingly I have never seen anyone say I booked that 11 a.m. flight and didn't make, the next few flights were fully booked and I couldn't get a flight out till 8 p.m. I am sure it happens once in a while but people must be too shy to say so.

 

I do know that my last cruise leaving/returning to Baltimore the ship did not dock before 1 p.m. for embarkation and we were not able to debark on return until 1:30 p.m. Sure glad I wasn't booked on an early flight.

[new_cruiser]

At least some of the questions I've seen have been from someone where they had booked a later flight and then the airline changed the flight time earlier - which is a pain when it happens to you. And most haven't been for something as ridiculous as ship docks at 6 can we fly out at 8. More like: the airline changed our afternoon departure to 11:30, can we make it. It's a reasonable question and if one isn't familiar with the line, the port and traffic patterns in the city in question, local info can help. They may get useful information like: the website to check to see how many ships are in port that day; that the road from Seward to Anchorage often has delays due to construction or accidents so you should pad the Google maps time estimate.

 

I asked a similar question on the Alaska forum - itinerary says we dock at 7, am I likely to be able to make a 9 AM boat tour or should I book the shorter tour that leaves later. The answers were yes and we did book it.

[Flatbush Flyer]

At least some of the questions I've seen have been from someone where they had booked a later flight and then the airline changed the flight time earlier - which is a pain when it happens to you. And most haven't been for something as ridiculous as ship docks at 6 can we fly out at 8. More like: the airline changed our afternoon departure to 11:30, can we make it. It's a reasonable question and if one isn't familiar with the line, the port and traffic patterns in the city in question, local info can help. They may get useful information like: the website to check to see how many ships are in port that day; that the road from Seward to Anchorage often has delays due to construction or accidents so you should pad the Google maps time estimate.

 

I asked a similar question on the Alaska forum - itinerary says we dock at 7, am I likely to be able to make a 9 AM boat tour or should I book the shorter tour that leaves later. The answers were yes and we did book it.

 

 

In many cases, when airlines change a schedule and it is disadvantageous, they will rebook you at no added charge. This also may extend to assigning your tix to another airline if their's won't work. May take some courteous negotiation and knowledge about their consortium partners.

Minimal, learn to use ITA MATRIX web search engine to identify your best alternatives.

 

 

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[Clarea]

The reason of my point is that lately there seems to be an abundance of the same "can I". IF someone is new or not sure of an answer, just scan the "new posts" and the question would probably be within the first 3 pages, current info. Funny, It took me years and YEARS of being of member of CC to figure out how to make a new thread, meanwhile, new posters with one post have figured out how to make a new thread right away.

And sometimes when a poster does a seach, finds the subject they are looking for, and comments on a year old thread, they get criticized for digging up an old thread. Either way, they get critical comments.

[GUT2407]

And sometimes when a poster does a seach, finds the subject they are looking for, and comments on a year old thread, they get criticized for digging up an old thread. Either way, they get critical comments.

Yep,

 

start a new thread “why didn’t you search.”

 

Resurrect an old thread “Don’t you know this thread is x years old”

 

Often from the same posters.

[Gwendy]

I'm with you on this one, Barry.

Thee and me versus the rest :D

 

I've not noticed a recent plethora of questions on the subject, I rate it as a bit of a year-round staple, especially on the ports-of-call boards.

 

Can't have a forum on the subject, it suits the ports-of-call boards - not all cruises end in Miami. ;)

And advice varies depending on time of day, day-of-the-week, time of year, means of transportation and a host of other factors.

 

Can't put in a "stoopid questions" forum cos sometimes they're not.

Yes, I've seen truly optimistic times asked - they don't need advice, they need a miracle. :rolleyes:

But I've also been able to reassure folk that their plans are sensible.

 

One problem with asking others is that most of us tend to be ultra-conservative in our advice..

I just might take a risk myself - I'm OK with "my own silly fault".

But I won't suggest the same to others -. "I got screwed up by John Bull's advice" isn't OK

 

To fuzzy, Hank & others.

I take the same view.

Why rush?

If the only suitable flight is a bit early, I'll book that flight for next day. Mebbe even next week.

But some of those poor souls work for a living, and we need to make sure they keep their noses to the grindstone to pay for our pension payments. ;p

If they gotta be back at their desks Monday, then so be it.

As long as it's feasible. Which, getting back to fuzzie's point, ain't always the case. :D

 

BTW the best value airfares tend to be at daft o'clock, while even the songbirds are in the land of nod and long before a ship reaches its turnaround port.

So I suspect that other factors are the reasons for optimistically-early flight plans.

 

Just MHO as always

 

JB :)

 

 

 

Shame there’s not a like button. Work out when ship docks, how long to get off, including customs if international, travel to airport, time you need to be there, often three hours for international flight. Easy. Just do it and stop asking others for their advice.

 

 

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[Krazy Kruizers]

OP

I understand your rant.

Some people want to save money by booking those early flights.

I have even seen recently people flying in the day of the cruise -- arriving at 12:40 PM and the ship leaves at 4. They never consider weather, etc., for delays.

[lisiamc]

Shame there’s not a like button. Work out when ship docks, how long to get off, including customs if international, travel to airport, time you need to be there, often three hours for international flight. Easy. Just do it and stop asking others for their advice.

 

 

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Or even simpler: Take the cruise line’s recommendation. There’s a good reason why they don’t recommend booking a flight before a certain hour for each port. They may err a bit on the side of caution, but their advice is worth listening to. Experience has shown them that catching flights before that hour is riskier.

[navybankerteacher]

Shame there’s not a like button. Work out when ship docks, how long to get off, including customs if international, travel to airport, time you need to be there, often three hours for international flight. Easy. Just do it and stop asking others for their advice.

 

 

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"When the ship docks", while scheduled, is not a certainty. This formula makes sense - but should allow a bit of time for "slippage": weather-related delay in mooring, customs and immigration staffing delay, traffic delay in getting to the airport. These are uncertainties which makes precise timing based on best circumstances risky.

 

Whatever you figure, add an hour for the unexpected.

[Doug R.]

When the mass market cruise lines discovered that the WalMart marketing approach was the most successful in America, the race to the bottom began.

Marketing cheap cruises to Walmartians is the easiest and fastest way to make money in America.

 

Mass market lines are so good at marketing to the

Walmartians that many of these passengers can just barely afford to take the cruise. They are forced to cut every corner before and after the cruise in order to be able to pay for their "cruise of a lifetime".

They must find the cheapest hotels for pre and post cruise, ( if they can even afford a hotel stay) and must book the cheapest flights to get home.

Those cheapest flights, unfortunately, are late night and early morning.

 

In future, we will see more and more of these crazy questions from people who are trying to do more with less.

 

How oh so very elitist of you. Please feel free to look down your nose at my wife and me as we embark and disembark in Miami in March. I would be glad to help with keeping your sense of superiority intact. I might even wear my overalls without my shirt to meet your expectations.

[marchie1053]

How oh so very elitist of you. Please feel free to look down your nose at my wife and me as we embark and disembark in Miami in March. I would be glad to help with keeping your sense of superiority intact. I might even wear my overalls without my shirt to meet your expectations.

 

Don't do that, Doug - it might have unintended consequences ...

 

We took a Xmas/New Year cruise 2015/16 and I began a discussion (actually I was 'interrogated') with a very posh lady who really looked down her nose at me. The inevitable question arose 'Have you been on many cruises?' and I replied that this was our 2nd cruise. Follow up question from posh lady, 'Which cruise line?'. I gave the cruise line name. Follow up question from posh lady (and this is almost the killer ...), 'Was it on the Majesty, because my gardener takes cruises on that ship?'

 

I was about to crumple onto the floor in a fit of giggles at that, but my wife, who is made of sterner stuff, waited for the obligatory 2 seconds before responding with total aplomb, 'No - it was on the Island Escape - the level below the Majesty ...' :evilsmile:

 

 

That was me beyond all control - tears of laughter! That Xmas/New Year cruise is now only ever referred to by my wife and me as 'The one below the Gardener' - it has passed into family folklore! :*

[PROCRUISE]

Because people don't look to see if a question has been asked before?

 

Because the airfare was cheapest at 7:45 am, and money drives all decisions and over powers commonsense?

 

I hear ya!

 

CruiseBruce - thank you for a good morning laugh! You are, however, so right.

[UmaDaughterOfUrsula]

Personally find those questions amusing. What I don't like is when asking a question and seasoned cruisers give information that has ZERO relevance to the question. It's like they just post to get their post numbers up an don't READ the question just go by the title.

[sloopsailor]

The airlines have learned when cruise ships come in and make sure the flights at reasonable times are higher than those early morning ones. If you have a large group of people, it’s hard not to try and save and make one of those cheaper early flights.

 

 

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The airlines have ALWAYS priced busy times higher than slack times, even well before cruising became popular. It is capitalism at work with supply and demand as they driving force. It is not a conspiracy to cruise ship passengers off.