When do I just give up and drive?

[Eskylady]

Hi there!

 

So I, like many others am doing the 10/31 10 day Regal Princess cruise leaving from New York.  I booked EZAir.  It was a good price and I thought I had everything taken care of.  Initially the flight was supposed to be in early morning on the 31st.  (Yeah, I know...go in a day early which I normally do, but work and finances make that a little dicey this time). There have been three time changes so far with the most recent arrival time being around 10:30.  Now, 1030 is fine, but I had figured that if there was a delay I had a decent 6ish hour window without being stressed, with the change if there is a delay well...   So, what should I do?  Hope for the best?  Drive the day before? I don’t have any east coast experience.  Sorry to bother you all, but there are a lot of experienced travelers and good ideas.  Thanks for reading.  🐵

[dfields1814]

I would drive in the day before. Once you arrive at a NYC airport you still have to drive through NYC traffic to get to the port. That could take some time. It is not worth the stress. 

[CineGraphic]

Drive from where?

[jasbo49]

Do you really want to have your car in NYC when you cruise ends in FLL?

 

Jim

[mom says]

Can't you just call and tell them that the time change is unacceptable and you need an earlier flight?

[clo]

Just now, mom says said:

Can't you just call and tell them that the time change is unacceptable and you need an earlier flight?

I've had many of these schedule changes but none really made a difference.  But in the notification I'm asked if I accept the change.  I'm guessing if I said no they do something.  With so many airlines charging for changes that's where I'd start for sure.

[ducklite]

Where are you coming from?  You might have a lot of creative options you haven't even thought of, but without the full picture it's hard to give suggestions.

[Schoifmom]

You have a couple of options:

1. Call them and say that the timing in unacceptable and see if it can be changed.
2. Accept the risk.  You booked through the cruiseline, so there may be some protection there against missing the ship (I know with Carnival there is).  There may also be some requirement to book airfare both ways if you do not live near one of the two ports.
3. Choose to drive, and pay for parking your car at the port (Manhattan is $40 per day).  If flying in the day before is cost prohibitive, I'm sure that this is a also a concern.
4. Cancel the EZAir booking and book it yourself.

[Cruiser_1977]

One of the perks of EZ Air is the promise to get you to the cruise. If you cancel and drive, you don't have that guarantee. As someone mentioned, you then have to get to NY from FLL to get your car. I believe that if you don't make the first leg of your trip, they will cancel the return leg.

[Eskylady]

Hi.

 

As far as the driving goes, I had looked up a one-way rental from Detroit Metro to LGA. So no parking fees or worrying about getting my car, but then we’d need a place to stay for the night. I only bought transfers from the airport to ship one other time and hated it (although I did get them for this trip because I have absolutely no idea where anything is), I guess partly because they consider embarkation day the first day, and well, I want my first day to last as long as possible. Plus I get motion sick and buses are the worst..except for the occasional rough tender.  I guess truthfully, I want it all. I want the no-hassle arrival, I want to be on the ship earlier rather than later....and I definitely don’t want to miss the ship or be so stressed the Hubs wants to kill me. 

[ducklite]

1 minute ago, Eskylady said:

Hi.

 

As far as the driving goes, I had looked up a one-way rental from Detroit Metro to LGA. So no parking fees or worrying about getting my car, but then we’d need a place to stay for the night. I only bought transfers from the airport to ship one other time and hated it (although I did get them for this trip because I have absolutely no idea where anything is), I guess partly because they consider embarkation day the first day, and well, I want my first day to last as long as possible. Plus I get motion sick and buses are the worst..except for the occasional rough tender.  I guess truthfully, I want it all. I want the no-hassle arrival, I want to be on the ship earlier rather than later....and I definitely don’t want to miss the ship or be so stressed the Hubs wants to kill me. 

Just stay in PA for the night and then drive the two hours or so to NY the next day.  There is a cheap, clean, safe Fairfield Inn in the Allentown, PA area.  If it was me, I'd drop the car off in Newark and take a car service to the cruise port.  It might cost a few more dollars but it would avoid a ton of hassle.

[FlyerTalker]

46 minutes ago, JennyB1977 said:

One of the perks of EZ Air is the promise to get you to the cruise. If you cancel and drive, you don't have that guarantee. As someone mentioned, you then have to get to NY from FLL to get your car. I believe that if you don't make the first leg of your trip, they will cancel the return leg.

 

HA!!

 

Please show the actual language in the terms & conditions that gives you that "promise".  Yes, they may work with you to get you to the next port, but there is no guarantee.

[ed01106]

11 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

HA!!

 

Please show the actual language in the terms & conditions that gives you that "promise".  Yes, they may work with you to get you to the next port, but there is no guarantee.

No there is no guarantee.  However, you won’t barely miss the ship.  Being Princess is the one that has to pay to put you up in a hotel and fly you to the next port, if your flight is late they are much more likely to hold the ship for you.

 

And I mean much more likely.

 

On one cruise (different line) I had my air arrangement with the cruise line. My flight was six hours late.  On the same flight was a family that had made their own arrangements for flights but had booked an airport transfer with the cruise ship.  We learned from the agent that had I arrived before the family she was to not wait for them but to bring me to the ship immediately.  But if they arrived at the same time or before me to bring them too.  There was another couple that had arrived on a different late flight that arrived a half hour before me that would have missed the ship, if not for me.  I was literally the last customer to board the ship a little. more than an hour after scheduled debarkation. (I purposely got in line last for check in to make sure my new friends did get left at the pier after I boarded)

 

While some people say you need to fly the day before, my attitude is either fly the day before or book air thru the cruise line.  While nothing is 100%, that seriously decreases the odds you miss the cruise.

[Joebucks]

I ALWAYS fly in at least the night before. That way, even a delay doesn't ruin my cruise. Plus, that night in the city is part of the vacation! Why not wake up in a hotel near the port, enjoy breakfast, walk around, etc instead of stressing yourself out of making all of these schedules?

[ed01106]

23 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

I ALWAYS fly in at least the night before. That way, even a delay doesn't ruin my cruise. Plus, that night in the city is part of the vacation! Why not wake up in a hotel near the port, enjoy breakfast, walk around, etc instead of stressing yourself out of making all of these schedules?

Fine if you are retired or have a ton of vacation time.  Not everyone can do that.

[FlyerTalker]

1 hour ago, ed01106 said:

No there is no guarantee.  However, you won’t barely miss the ship.  Being Princess is the one that has to pay to put you up in a hotel and fly you to the next port, if your flight is late they are much more likely to hold the ship for you.

 

And I mean much more likely.

 

Let's put this under a BIG microscope.  For every hour that the ship stays at the pier, it incurs additional docking charges.  Add to that the additional costs for the longshoremen, the security staff, pilot staff and more.  That clock starts adding up FAST.  And they are going to hold a 2000+ passenger ship for one couple.  Or even a few folks.

 

You wear some very rose-colored glasses, sir.

[geoherb]

Booking through Princess guarantees you'll make it to the ship. If there's a delay to your flight that makes you miss the ship in New York, Princess will fly you to St. Maarten and pay for your hotel for the three nights you'll miss aboard the ship.

[evandbob]

29 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Let's put this under a BIG microscope.  For every hour that the ship stays at the pier, it incurs additional docking charges.  Add to that the additional costs for the longshoremen, the security staff, pilot staff and more.  That clock starts adding up FAST.  And they are going to hold a 2000+ passenger ship for one couple.  Or even a few folks.

 

You wear some very rose-colored glasses, sir.

 

 

I have been on several Florida Carnival cruise departures that were delayed a few hours so that weather delayed flights could arrive.  Sometimes a 4pm sailaway turned into a 6 or 7 pm departure to accommodate cruise arranged late arrivals.

[ed01106]

28 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Let's put this under a BIG microscope.  For every hour that the ship stays at the pier, it incurs additional docking charges.  Add to that the additional costs for the longshoremen, the security staff, pilot staff and more.  That clock starts adding up FAST.  And they are going to hold a 2000+ passenger ship for one couple.  Or even a few folks.

 

You wear some very rose-colored glasses, sir.

Just speaking from what happened.  Not unlike how if you take a cruise organized port excursion vs own excursion.  They aren’t going to hold the ship for 12 hours or anything like that.  But for an hour they did with me.  Granted 15 minutes before I arrived an entire bus of people arrived from the other airport from a late flight.  Don’t know how many of those people were like me or self booked.  So they may have held it 45 mins for them and an additional 15 minutes for me.

[sverigecruiser]

49 minutes ago, ed01106 said:

Fine if you are retired or have a ton of vacation time.  Not everyone can do that.

 

If I couldn't have one more day of vacation and fly in the day before I shouldn't cruise.

 

People are different, and that is a good thing, but if I were in that situation I shouldn't cruise.

[ed01106]

2 minutes ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

If I couldn't have one more day of vacation and fly in the day before I shouldn't cruise.

 

People are different, and that is a good thing, but if I were in that situation I shouldn't cruise.

If my cruise leaves on a Sunday, I will fly Saturday, otherwise I book my air thru the cruise line. Only cruise  I ever missed I had a Saturday flight  for a Sunday cruise.  Massive snowstorm on Friday night cancelled all Saturday flights.  I should have tried to move my flight on Wed or Thursday to Sunday, because I knew the storm was coming. On Saturday morning when the airline officially cancelled the flight every thing for Sunday was already fully booked.  Had I booked for Sunday originally I would have not missed the cruise.  So you never know.

[Eskylady]

I appreciate all your helpful replies. Driving to Newark, cruising and then flying home from Fort Lauderdale sounds like a great idea.  Most of you are so supportive and I truly appreciate that.  Sverigecruiser.  Well, two things come to mind that make taking that extra day one that deserves some contemplation.  First of all, I’m a nurse and staffing safely requires that I can’t (none of us can) take time where there won’t be adequate coverage, and secondly, I used up the majority of my vacation time while I was nursing my mother before she passed away.  Still, I would like to enjoy my time off and me and my family need some healing time...so that day in the big scheme of things isn’t going to make or break me.  I just want to do what makes the most sense and keeps the stress level as low as possible.  Ahhh....the beauty of a vacation.  Take care all. 

[Nic6318]

2 hours ago, ed01106 said:

No there is no guarantee.  However, you won’t barely miss the ship.  Being Princess is the one that has to pay to put you up in a hotel and fly you to the next port, if your flight is late they are much more likely to hold the ship for you.

 

And I mean much more likely.

 

On one cruise (different line) I had my air arrangement with the cruise line. My flight was six hours late.  On the same flight was a family that had made their own arrangements for flights but had booked an airport transfer with the cruise ship.  We learned from the agent that had I arrived before the family she was to not wait for them but to bring me to the ship immediately.  But if they arrived at the same time or before me to bring them too.  There was another couple that had arrived on a different late flight that arrived a half hour before me that would have missed the ship, if not for me.  I was literally the last customer to board the ship a little. more than an hour after scheduled debarkation. (I purposely got in line last for check in to make sure my new friends did get left at the pier after I boarded)

 

While some people say you need to fly the day before, my attitude is either fly the day before or book air thru the cruise line.  While nothing is 100%, that seriously decreases the odds you miss the cruise.

 

 

Hi

 

I agree. If you make connecting arrangements though the cruise lines my experience has been that they will bend over backwards to get you on the ship.

 

Twice I have had experiences where they (Carnival) held up the ship for me. Once it was for a bus transfer from the airport. I never did hear what the problem was, but the agent was staying with me and reassuring that the ship would not leave. This was from FLL to POM. I could see that the wait was taking too long (something was obviously wrong)and offered to take a taxi, but I was told don't worry. When the bus finally arrived there were a few others, but not going to the same ship as myself. It was almost 5 p.m. by the time I was dropped off at the port. They had someone waiting for us to take our bags. We were hurried in where there was 1 person in the terminal building waiting to check us in. There was nobody else around. As soon as we got on the ship they sounded the muster drill. 

 

That's not how I want to start my cruise, but I was assured it would be alright, and it was.

 

The other time was a delayed return from an excursion. At least that is something everyone can understand. It was a full busload of people. They held up the ship for more than an hour. They ended up refunding the excursion price for our "inconvenience".

[clo]

33 minutes ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

If I couldn't have one more day of vacation and fly in the day before I shouldn't cruise.

 

People are different, and that is a good thing, but if I were in that situation I shouldn't cruise.

Does that mean you wouldn't travel or you wouldn't go on cruises.

[ed01106]

9 minutes ago, Eskylady said:

I appreciate all your helpful replies. Driving to Newark, cruising and then flying home from Fort Lauderdale sounds like a great idea.  Most of you are so supportive and I truly appreciate that.  Sverigecruiser.  Well, two things come to mind that make taking that extra day one that deserves some contemplation.  First of all, I’m a nurse and staffing safely requires that I can’t (none of us can) take time where there won’t be adequate coverage, and secondly, I used up the majority of my vacation time while I was nursing my mother before she passed away.  Still, I would like to enjoy my time off and me and my family need some healing time...so that day in the big scheme of things isn’t going to make or break me.  I just want to do what makes the most sense and keeps the stress level as low as possible.  Ahhh....the beauty of a vacation.  Take care all. 

Driving overnight from Detroit to Newark sounds way more stressful than flying.  Your chances of getting stuck in traffic and missing your cruise, is probably higher than missing your cruise because of your flight being delayed.