Arriving close to debarkation ?????

[Longfellow Deeds]

Hi,

 

I have a question regarding late arrivals. Our flight is scheduled to land in Ft. Lauderdale at 2pm this Saturday, and the Voyager is scheduled to depart at 5pm. Are we playing with fire here? Or should we be fine on the time schedule? I believe we can be out of the airport by 245, and barring any traffic jams, etc., we should make it in plenty of time - but I'm starting to stress for some reason.

 

In the past, we've always taken a very early flight. But this time..... Any thoughts on my worries?

[DFritz]

You wouldn't catch me doing that late of a flight. All aboard will be about 4:00 with Muster drill scheduled for 4:30 for sailaway at 5:00. IF your flight arrives ontime with no delays, IF you get out of the airport quickly, IF your transportation has no snags, You MIGHT get to the port in time. I would suggest trying for an earlier flight. The extra fee to pay for an earlier flight would ensure peace of mind. I wouldn't make myself sick over it but I would hope you have good cruise insurance just in case.

[Krazy Kruizers]

You are cutting it way too close. What if the plane is late leaving from Baltimore? Does it originate in Baltimore or does it come in from another city?

 

Get an earlier flight.

[Bequia]

Hi,

 

I have a question regarding late arrivals. Our flight is scheduled to land in Ft. Lauderdale at 2pm this Saturday, and the Voyager is scheduled to depart at 5pm. Are we playing with fire here? Or should we be fine on the time schedule? I believe we can be out of the airport by 245, and barring any traffic jams, etc., we should make it in plenty of time - but I'm starting to stress for some reason.

 

Port Everglades is less then 10 minutes from Ft Lauderdale airport. If you arrive at the scheduled time you'll be on the ship by 3:30pm. ;)

[Keith1010]

If it's not too late to get an earlier flight, I would do it.

 

Keith

[jakieemma]

A snowstorm anywhere in the country could be a big problem. As other posters suggested, get an earlier flight, fly stand-by, whatever. If you like stress, you are in for a great time.

[Longfellow Deeds]

I wish I never asked the question (HAHAHA), now I'm worried sick and my wife is ready to climb a tower - on top of calling me "dummy". We've cruised many times and just grew tired of the 6am filgths out of Baltimore and sitting forever waiting to board the ship. I figured everything would be fine with the flight at 1130am.

 

It is going to be sunny and 52 degrees in Baltimore on Saturday and sunny in Ft. Lauderdale. Perhaps I can have Jeff Gordon drive the cab from the Ft. Lauderdale airport to the Port of Miami. I am seriously stressed - but it's my fault. If the plane arrives on time (205pm) I hope we make it.

 

Thanks for the info.

[jakieemma]

I wish I never asked the question (HAHAHA), now I'm worried sick and my wife is ready to climb a tower - on top of calling me "dummy". We've cruised many times and just grew tired of the 6am filgths out of Baltimore and sitting forever waiting to board the ship. I figured everything would be fine with the flight at 1130am.

 

It is going to be sunny and 52 degrees in Baltimore on Saturday and sunny in Ft. Lauderdale. Perhaps I can have Jeff Gordon drive the cab from the Ft. Lauderdale airport to the Port of Miami. I am seriously stressed - but it's my fault. If the plane arrives on time (205pm) I hope we make it.

 

Thanks for the info.

 

You can fly stand by for nothing, it is just an option.

See what flights leave a little earlier, check the night before to see how stand by looks. You will be able to fly for no extra cost if there is room....just another option.

 

Good luck !!!

[Arwenmark]

If you are flying into Ft. Lauderdale and sailing from Miami then you are going to have to have every single factor go in your favor. It is quite a haul from one to the other especially if there is any traffic. Any weather delays, [in some other part of the country] can affect you. Where is the Plane you will be boarding coming FROM? It may be delayed leaving where ever before it ever gets to you. you need to be on the ship at least 30 min prior to departure as well. Why did you leave it this long? I hope you have missed sailing insurance.

[Keith1010]

All of the advice you are receiving is consistent. You should see if it's not too late to change the time of your flight to one that is earlier than what you have.

 

Keith

[Cotton]

Y'know, even though the weather is suppose to be good the day of your flight, there are many other things to consider, such as the plane not leaving on time due to mechanical or other problems, overbooking, getting into Ft.L. late, unforeseen traffic once you're on the ground.....I think the list is endless of what could delay your getting to the terminal by 4pm for a 5pm sailaway.

 

I think you're really, really taking a huge chance! Change your air to an earlier booking. Why put yourselves through all this worry? I would be SO stressed about a flight that close to embarkation. (FYI, debarkation is when you leave the ship.)

 

Good luck.:)

[BobBeaSea]

If everything goes as scheduled, you will make it. I am assuming you booked the flights, not the cruise line? I am NOT being mean but prepare yourself for a possible "white knuckle" day starting first thing in the morning. I am betting you WILL make it, however above suggestions are good ideas. You will love Voyager, have a great cruise! :)

[jakieemma]

We've cruised many times and just grew tired of the 6am filgths out of Baltimore and sitting forever waiting to board the ship. I figured everything would be fine with the flight at 1130am.

 

Thanks for the info.

 

 

I would look at it this way.

 

Think of how much money you risk losing, not to mention the stress. That stress will start NOW and get worse as the day gets closer.

 

Would you trade the loss of money and big time stress for 2-3 hours of sitting watching people ?

 

I bet you would, in a heart beat.

 

Pay for the flight swap, or fly stand by. You should enjoy debarkation day, not stress over it !

 

Good luck

[cruisegirl1]

Yikes that is too close. I can’t recall the last time my plane landed on time.

 

 

I would carry my lucky charm.

Marci

[trish1c]

It is going to be sunny and 52 degrees in Baltimore on Saturday and sunny in Ft. Lauderdale.

 

We'll all keep our fingers crossed for you -- good weather & no mechanical problems.

 

That said, flying stand-by is perhaps yor best bet at this point.

[Bequia]

Didn't realize you were cruising out of Miami when I said 5 minutes to the port. With that being said it's certainly going to be interesting. On a Sunday morning you can make it to Port of Miami in 35-40 minutes. Sunday afternoon, add another 15-20 minutes. Weekday, add an hour.

 

If you still plan on coming in on your scheduled flight, let us know how you make out.

Anyone willing to take bets? :p

[2Cruise4Ever]

Being a native-Balto-Washingtonian myself, I have learned the nuances of flying to Miami. Here are your choices (since I don't know what airline you're taking, I'll list them all):

 

Non-stop - American leaving at 6:03 a.m. arriving at 8:34 (yikes, kinda early)

One stop-

Continental through Newark (huh?) 7:00 a.m. arrives 12:25 (In MIA)

USAIR through Charlotte 7:20 a.m. arrives 11:52 a.m.

Delta through Atlanta 8:30 to 1:47 (still cuttin' it a little close)

 

That's pretty much it. If it were me, I'd take the 6:03 American because there's just no feeling like being amongst the first on board. But, to avoid some of the early-bird sleepies, I'd go with USAIR through Charlotte and get one more hour of sleep.

 

Good luck!

[wrp96]

Take an earlier flight. I'm sorry, I wouldn't worry about getting on the ship too early, it's like getting an extra day on the ship. By taking too late a flight, you are risking missing, if not the entire cruise, the first couple of days at least. I wouldn't take a flight that didn't land at least 4 hours before the ship departs, and you are making it worse by flying into Ft. Lauderdale which is an extra 30 minutes away (at least) from the port than MIA.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I hate to be picky (and maybe I'm wrong) but the word that most of us use to refer to getting on the ship is "embarkation". "Debarkation" or "disembarkation" refers to when leaving the ship. "Sailaway" refers to the time the ship is leaving the port.

 

That said (again, sorry, but the terminology may confuse some as many people ask about flight times after their cruise):

 

many people try to fly in the morning of their cruise and then there's mechanical or weather problems and even, if you manage to make it to the port in the nick of time, you may be starting the cruise in a stressed out state.

 

And maybe if you get there really early, you'll be able to get aboard the ship early. We were told to be at the port in San Pedro 1pm or later for our recent cruise. We ordered a shuttle -- we're within driving distance -- for 11am, got there at 12:15 and were able to board right away.

[Longfellow Deeds]

First, I'd like to thank everyone for the advice - it has proven quite valuable in determining my next move. Unfortunately, there really are no alternatives. There are no flights (with vacancies) departing any earlier. Thus, I'm hoping AirTran is on time.

 

I do think I have some things playing in my favor. Through research, I've found that weekend flights typically do not run behind due to traffic. The weather is going to be clear in Baltimore, Ft. Lauderdale and the plane's original departing point, Atlanta. It is scheduled to arrive into Baltimore at 10:57am, with an 11:37am departure, for Ft. Lauderdale (2:03pm arrival).

 

I also spoke with a Royal Caribbean "TRAVEL" Rep, and he mentioned a good point. RC accepts transfers for flights scheduled as late as 2pm arrivals. Thus, there's a chance that someone on my flight is going on the same cruise. According to the rep, they will wait for passengers with transfers. Translation - if somebody/anybody on my flight has a transfer for the Voyager, I'm good to go. The rep said that they accept 2pm flight arrival transfers all the time - that makes me feel better. In fact, he suggested that I leave things alone and given the forecast - it should be fine.

 

I guess I'm gonna roll the dice. I really have no alternative - but, this "stress" is of my own making, and I should have known better. Thanks again, everybody. And, I hope someone learns from my mistake - without going through the same stress.

[QTPieRye]

I am just curious as to why you booked the flight so close to the ship departure time in the first place? With all of the cruises you've taken, I would think you'd be quite experienced with embarkation, timing, etc. Did something change on the itinerary???

 

Flying from CA, I opt to fly one day in advance and not have the headaches!!! Yes, I will pay more money for a hotel; however, like somebody else said, get on the ship and enjoy it for as long as you can :)

[wrp96]

I also spoke with a Royal Caribbean "TRAVEL" Rep, and he mentioned a good point. RC accepts transfers for flights scheduled as late as 2pm arrivals. Thus, there's a chance that someone on my flight is going on the same cruise. According to the rep, they will wait for passengers with transfers. Translation - if somebody/anybody on my flight has a transfer for the Voyager, I'm good to go. The rep said that they accept 2pm flight arrival transfers all the time - that makes me feel better. In fact, he suggested that I leave things alone and given the forecast - it should be fine.

 

 

I don't mean to be a downer, but just because they have RCI transfers doesn't mean they will hold the ship for them. It just means they will if they can because they know what flight you are coming in on, but not necessarily. They don't even definitely hold the ship if RCI booked the air themselves. Cruise line customer service reps have been known to tell people things that are incorrect. Call back and you will probably get a different answer.

 

One more thing, RCI does not book though AirTran so they would not have a large group booked on that flight themselves. The only way they would know which passengers are on which flights is if they booked it themselves.

[TrentS]

They will NOT hold the ship unless there are a LARGE and I mean LARGE number of pax who's flights are late. Don't believe half of what the customer service reps tell you, they're clueless on most things!

 

I'm sorry, but flying in on the same day of your cruise is crazy, booking a flight that leaves when you should be at the port, getting ON the ship, is simply unbelieveable. :confused:

 

Instead of checking to see if there's space on earlier flights on Saturday, you SHOULD be checking flights on FRIDAY and booking a hotel in Miami! Of course that SHOULD have been done when you booked the cruise.

[lv2crooz2]

Look...what's done is done. Don't let everyone beat you up about it! (although if I was your wife...hmmm) Of course you have a chance of making it on time. I'm not sure what the rules are for meeting the ship at first port but you might be able to if it comes to that. Have faith and I'll keep my fingers crossed. Enjoy that cruise-you will deserve it:)

[Longfellow Deeds]

Okay guys, I've already fallen on the sword and owned up to my "oversight and indiscretion". Beating me up over the blunder is not helping matters. Please consider the "Original Theme" of the thread. I simply wanted some advice. But to answer a couple of the questions: Yes, I have cruised a bit, and have only arrived a day prior on one occasion. I've always flown in on the day of the cruise, and had no problems. Although, I've flown much earlier in the morning.

 

Secondly, this cruise was a Christmas gift that was "with good intention" purchased a few days before Christmas. Thus, I had limited options in scheduling the flight a mere month ago. I should have settled for an earlier flight with a connection. But, my wife truly has issues with flying and "non-stop" is so much easier for her. "Foolishly", I suppose, I gave too much consideration to her plight. She has to work Friday, 1/27, and we could not leave early.

 

You know, from the onset, I admitted thatt I screwed up. What I don't need is a reminder of such - it's counterproductive. I simply sought some advice and to be honest, perhaps, some encouragement. As stated above, I have exhausted all options. Thanks anyway.