Would you feel comfortable landing in Asia 6:45 am for a 11am-3pm same day boarding?

[BNBR]

7 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Believe me, when we were stuck in Shanghai, I was looking at flights into Phuket, our first stop.

And our trip was 28 days, not 4.

 

Right. A totally different type of trip.  I'd be more cautious on a 28 day trip, too.  A 4 day?  Miss it.. who cares?  And even then, super, super unlikely to be missed.  It happens, but the risk isn't worth the extra expenses.

 

For OP, the cruise is only a part of the trip.  Not the entire thing.

Edited October 16, 2019 by BNBR

[John&LaLa]

Just now, BNBR said:

 

Right. A totally different type of trip.  I'd be more cautious on a 28 day trip, too.  A 4 day?  Miss it.. who cares?  And even then, super, super unlikely to be missed.  It happens, but the risk isn't worth the extra expenses.

 

I'm not adventurous enough to arrive in Singapore with no plans and wing it for 4 days.

 

But I also would not travel halfway around the world for a 4 day cruise

 

 

[BNBR]

3 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I'm not adventurous enough to arrive in Singapore with no plans and wing it for 4 days.

 

But I also would not travel halfway around the world for a 4 day cruise

 

 

 

He's already extending the trip for days.  Also, you would most likely know before taking off if you'll miss the ship or not and can make a decision before ever leaving.

[Tree_skier]

I wouldn't even think about it.  Always at least 1 day early for domestic cruises and 2 for my one European cruise.  I'm just not that interested in stress and worry.  If you don't care about missing the cruise and wouldn't be stressed by that and having to wing an Asian vacation then have it but if going on the cruise is important go in a couple days early and enjoy yourself.

[John&LaLa]

5 minutes ago, BNBR said:

 

He's already extending the trip for days.  Also, you would most likely know before taking off if you'll miss the ship or not and can make a decision before ever leaving.

 

We took off fine, flight from Atlanta to Tokyo was fine for two hours😉

[BNBR]

4 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

We took off fine, flight from Atlanta to Tokyo was fine for two hours😉

 

"most likely" 😉

[ronandannette]

I'm another that says "sure".  I don't actually think it's that wildly risky. Most planes take off and land reasonably on-time.  Once you're in the air out of SFO, it would take an extraordinary situation to divert your flight.  Buy insurance on the cruise and even in the worst-case-scenario you get your fare returned, or the cost of catching up at the next port covered.  Enjoy your trip. 

[MJSailors]

To the OP.  Let me understand your plan- 

To arrive the the cruise you will be leaving  from California to fly to Singapore

 You will be flying 18-20 hours (air time) which means an additional travel time of getting to the airport,checking in,TSA clearance and waiting to board the plane at the gate.

Then, you will travel from the airport to the ship.

It is afour day cruise, but in reality is it a three day cruise if the day of embarkation is considered day 1?

If my DH and I did this, we would be over the jet lag just as we were disembarking the ship.But, I digress.

Then,you plan a “few”days in Singapore before repeating the trip to the airport and getting on a plane for a return flight of 18-20 hours.

Then, you will need to travel to your home once the plane has landed which adds travel time to your trip. 

It seems to me that your plan involves many hours of travel and few hours of relaxation.

If you do insist on taking this four day cruise, then I would suggest that you stay at least two days pre-cruise in Singapore. I am aware that hotels in Singapore can be expensive, but considering airfare and cruise fare that is quite pricey,it is an addition to your budget that would make the trip a bit more reasonable for your well-being and well worth the cost.

A pre-cruise  stay would allow some recovery time from jet lag and travel and reduce the stress on your body.

iMHO travel should be viewed as a journey, not a marathon.

Perhaps this opinion is influenced by our ages (65+),but from our perspective DH and I think comfort is #1 when planning a vacation.

YMMV

[Stockjock]

1 hour ago, MJSailors said:

To the OP.  Let me understand your plan- 

To arrive the the cruise you will be leaving  from California to fly to Singapore

 You will be flying 18-20 hours (air time) which means an additional travel time of getting to the airport,checking in,TSA clearance and waiting to board the plane at the gate.

Then, you will travel from the airport to the ship.

It is afour day cruise, but in reality is it a three day cruise if the day of embarkation is considered day 1?

If my DH and I did this, we would be over the jet lag just as we were disembarking the ship.But, I digress.

Then,you plan a “few”days in Singapore before repeating the trip to the airport and getting on a plane for a return flight of 18-20 hours.

Then, you will need to travel to your home once the plane has landed which adds travel time to your trip. 

It seems to me that your plan involves many hours of travel and few hours of relaxation.

If you do insist on taking this four day cruise, then I would suggest that you stay at least two days pre-cruise in Singapore. I am aware that hotels in Singapore can be expensive, but considering airfare and cruise fare that is quite pricey,it is an addition to your budget that would make the trip a bit more reasonable for your well-being and well worth the cost.

A pre-cruise  stay would allow some recovery time from jet lag and travel and reduce the stress on your body.

iMHO travel should be viewed as a journey, not a marathon.

Perhaps this opinion is influenced by our ages (65+),but from our perspective DH and I think comfort is #1 when planning a vacation.

YMMV

It's a 4 night cruise to be precise.  Would spend 3 nights in Singapore in the backend.  Would normally stay longer, but GF has limited time off from work.

We did Phuket for about a week and it was a bit hurried, but still fun.

[ReneeFLL]

Never, there are to many things that can go wrong. Why take that risk?

[MichellePerth]

I'd say, no problem.  I do this sort of thing all the time.  I cruise royal about 12-14 times per year.  I fly into Sydney from Perth, land at noon and the sail away is at 5 or 6.  It beats flying in at 6 and having to cool my heels for 4 hours before boarding.   I flew into honolulu last month at 7 am for the sane day flight.  

 

The likelihood is that with a 4 night cruise, the ship is in KL the next day.  You can take a train or bus there if worse comes to worse.  Singapore Airport is magic.  You will breeze through immigration, a normal cab will be less than $20usd to the cruise terminal. 

 

When you arrive, go to the jewel next door to the airport. The jewel is another magical place.  You can have them hold your luggage while you wander around, sampling delicious local food.  There is a hawker centre iand grocery store n the basement, along with the base of the vortex.  Stretch your legs by wandering around in the rainforest.  If you like coffee, Starbucks has a bespoke shop at the jewel that sells many varieties of single origin coffee.   There are several Michelin star outposts at the jewel.  

 

I think that the jewel might even be able to transport your luggage for you. 

 

Please don't try to flash around us dollars,  it's insulting when Americans do that in first world countries with stable currencies not pegged to the us dollar.  There are lots of atms and money changers. 

 

 

[atush]

I would not fly all that way on the same day.  That far i'd want 2 days in hand

[kernow]

I wouldn't do it, as much for the way I'd be feeling after that flight as for the chance of missing the ship. I like to be feeling raring to go when I board the ship.

 

We are cruising from Singapore next Feb, for us it's a 13 hour flight with an 8 hour time change. I know from experience that I'll be feeling groggy by the time I arrive. We're spending 3 days in Singapore before a 9 night cruise. Is there no way that you could have your Singapore stay at the beginning of the trip rather than at the end? 

 

 

[gamajr]

It wouldn't worry me in the slightest. I'm in Australia so long haul travel is what we do.

 

Our last cruise we flew into LAX from Brisbane at 6:30 am. Headed to a regular airport hotel for breakfast. Did a quick Uber trip to Walgreens at 9:30 for a few things to take on board while one member of our group stayed with the bags. Back to the hotel, grabbed the bags and an Uber to the port. We were on board by 11am.

 

A few people in our Roll Call were worried but not us. Unfortunately my work schedule didn't allow us the luxury of leaving a day early.

 

So glad we did it.

[cb at sea]

I would rather spend several days PRIOR to the cruise, than after.  It would assure you WILL be there to meet your ship....and get acclimated to the time change....getting home isn't the issue...it's getting TO the cruise in a timely fashion!

[4774Papa]

9 hours ago, Stockjock said:

Doing a 4-day cruise out of Singapore.  The plan is to spend a few days in a hotel after the cruise and possibly to go straight from the plane to the ship.  

Total airtime from the U.S. should be about 18-20 hours each way.  I'm shooting for something with 1 stop, so SoCal to SFO to Singapore and then something similar on the way back.

Looking at a flight that is scheduled to land in Singapore at 6:45 am with United Airlines the day of the cruise.  Check-in starts at 11:00 am and ends at 3 pm with a 4:30 pm departure.  It should take about 25 minutes or so to get from the airport to the cruise terminal.  Obviously one would have to get their bag, clear Customs, etc.  Apparently it usually takes about 30 minutes to clear Singapore Customs.

It sounds to me like this would be doable.  Only risk would be if you missed a flight or was a major delay.  I figure I could have a problem that costs me maybe 4-5 hours and still make it.

Given this, would you feel comfortable with these flights?

We flew from the East Coast in 2015 to Singapore via Europe.  It was a brutal trip with two flights exceeding 8 hours.  No way would I want to deal with pushing the limit on missing a cruise.

 

In any event, I would not do it.  Yes, the airport to cruise terminal is probably no more than 30-45 minutes, but what if you lose a connection are late?  Take some time to enjoy Singapore.  We spend five nights precruise and loved Singapore. The Botanical Gardens are fantastic.

[bobmacliberty]

Disclaimer...my opinion on any of these flight related questions is to fly in a day (or 2) early whenever possible but if that's just not an option, go for it and be ready with a plan B should something go wrong.  For your particular case, I'd give it a 95+% chance that you'll have no problems.  I fly internationally several times a year and I've landed early almost every flight in the last few years.  You can call me lucky, but I think the airlines pad their posted arrival times to ensure good on time stats, so you have a little buffer already built in for headwinds or other delays.  See 2 week history of your flight here where the latest arrival was 6:30.  You can be a good 5 hours late and still make the ship by 1:00pm (although I'd be sweating).  Singapore is one of the best airports in the world...maybe my favorite.  Very easy.  I'd be more worried about something happening at SFO that would cause a problem.  Your risk is really more that the flight will be cancelled than it will be late. 

 

Still, I'd fly a day early just to allow my body clock to adjust.  If that just isn't an option due to your GF's vacation days, go for it.  Have a plan B ready should something go wrong.

[papaflamingo]

9 hours ago, BNBR said:

 

I don't think they carry a few hours of extra fuel generally...

I'm a retired major airline pilot.  Actually on a flight like this they would carry a rather long reserve.  A few hours of reserve fuel is very likely and if they did encounter stronger than forecast headwinds, which does happen, they could end up diverting in route to add fuel. Add to this, the flight may be scheduled for an average flight time and if the headwinds are unusually strong,  the plane would be fueled for the additional time. And you can add a great number of unexpected things that could delay or lengthen the flight. I did a flight from Portland to Narita in 2010.  Because of volcanic activity the Pacific routes were closed and we had to fly over Alaska and down the Kamchatka peninsula.  It added a significant amount of time to our scheduled flight time.  
I agree with many that the odds are the flight will arrive on time.  But I also know that there seems to be more delays on international flights than domestic for a variety of reasons.  Small mechanical issues that wouldn't be fixed on a domestic flight will be fixed on an international flight.  Late arrivals, weather deviations, etc. 
I wouldn't do it for any reason.   Most importantly, as others have said, the jet lag on a flight like this is tremendous.  It takes more than a few hours for the body to catch up.   Add to that the stress of worrying about delays.  I'd spend the 4 days in Singapore before the cruise then fly directly home.  That gives lots of wiggle room on arrival as well as a chance to be on the local time zone to fully enjoy the cruise portion.

Edited October 16, 2019 by papaflamingo

[AshleyDillo]

Effectively you're gambling with losing the cost of the cruise plus any extra costs you incur if you DID miss the ship or had to catch up to it and travel delay insurance coverage can help mitigate that to some extent.  If you're comfortable enough to take things as they come in the event that you do have to spend the time in Singapore instead of on the cruise, I see no reason to not take the gamble.

 

[Plum Happy]

9 hours ago, BNBR said:

I'd do it. As long as the flight isn't canceled, which long hauls rarely are, it's highly likely to be no issue at all.  These flights are typically pretty much on time or close to it.

I had a flight out of LAX for 10 pm to Australia, the flight got delayed because the pilot and support personnel was coming from Miami, it was delayed 1 hour until they were able to get to the gate.  (If it's an American crew, you never know where they are coming in from, they aren't all based in California)

 

Then once on the plane they had issues with the cargo.  They had to offload it and reload it.  Another hour delay.  We were due to arrive 6:45, arrived near 9 am,  then getting baggage and customs we didn't get out until 9:45 or so.  So, yeah I had no delay with customs, but you really should arrive and tour before you cruse since you plan to do it anyway. 

[Joseph2017China]

10 hours ago, Stockjock said:

Doing a 4-day cruise out of Singapore.  The plan is to spend a few days in a hotel after the cruise and possibly to go straight from the plane to the ship.  

Total airtime from the U.S. should be about 18-20 hours each way.  I'm shooting for something with 1 stop, so SoCal to SFO to Singapore and then something similar on the way back.

Looking at a flight that is scheduled to land in Singapore at 6:45 am with United Airlines the day of the cruise.  Check-in starts at 11:00 am and ends at 3 pm with a 4:30 pm departure.  It should take about 25 minutes or so to get from the airport to the cruise terminal.  Obviously one would have to get their bag, clear Customs, etc.  Apparently it usually takes about 30 minutes to clear Singapore Customs.

It sounds to me like this would be doable.  Only risk would be if you missed a flight or was a major delay.  I figure I could have a problem that costs me maybe 4-5 hours and still make it.

Given this, would you feel comfortable with these flights?

When you have a flight like this, you only have one shot at getting it right. There are no alternative options, like taking the next flight.  So, yes, you can make the ship, no problem.  Plenty of time.  But would I do it?  No way.  I'm spending a few thousand, and am planning on spending a few days in Singapore, I would go at least a day early, enjoy Singapore for one day (tired) and do another tourist thing in the morning before grabbing your bags from the hotel (who will hold it for you) and enjoy the cruise.

[jakeil7]

Curious you would use the word “comfortable” in your question. Have you ever done a flight this long?  Some people don’t mind, others don’t handle it well. I suppose it also matters what class you are flying in, but I am assuming full economy.  The issue isn’t so much timeframe (although you probably want insurance if you are cutting it this close), it’s about your physical and mental state when you step off the plane. 
 

as for those who are questioning why you would fly so far for just a week, don’t worry about it;  you have to make it fit your schedule 

[Arzeena]

11 hours ago, Stockjock said:

Doing a 4-day cruise out of Singapore.  The plan is to spend a few days in a hotel after the cruise and possibly to go straight from the plane to the ship.  

Total airtime from the U.S. should be about 18-20 hours each way.  I'm shooting for something with 1 stop, so SoCal to SFO to Singapore and then something similar on the way back.

Looking at a flight that is scheduled to land in Singapore at 6:45 am with United Airlines the day of the cruise.  Check-in starts at 11:00 am and ends at 3 pm with a 4:30 pm departure.  It should take about 25 minutes or so to get from the airport to the cruise terminal.  Obviously one would have to get their bag, clear Customs, etc.  Apparently it usually takes about 30 minutes to clear Singapore Customs.

It sounds to me like this would be doable.  Only risk would be if you missed a flight or was a major delay.  I figure I could have a problem that costs me maybe 4-5 hours and still make it.

Given this, would you feel comfortable with these flights?

If you are talking about staying in Singapore pre/post cruise or even getting stuck in Asia...Singapore is the best place to get stuck in!!! (I would not get stuck anywhere else, if that was an option! LOL!)
In Singapore it is absolutely safe!
The airport is great, even if you have to wait there your will be fine. The taxi system is perfectly safe. You do not have to be scared of anything. Customs does not take 8 hrs...perhaps 8 seconds yes.
This is my personal experience.

Edited October 16, 2019 by Arzeena

[spookwife]

I have done  many a  East coast To Narita  flight.  ( and vice versa).   jet lag is a bear and I always spring for First class.  if you are already planning on spending few days in Singapore It makes far more sense to do so at the front end.   you get to  sync up with local time  within 24 hours , make the cruise without anything panic inducing.  as this is just a wimpy little 4 night cruise if even something minor went wrong, you'd likely miss all or most of it  if you go with your original plan.  

[BNBR]

1 hour ago, papaflamingo said:

I'm a retired major airline pilot.  Actually on a flight like this they would carry a rather long reserve.  A few hours of reserve fuel is very likely and if they did encounter stronger than forecast headwinds, which does happen, they could end up diverting in route to add fuel. Add to this, the flight may be scheduled for an average flight time and if the headwinds are unusually strong,  the plane would be fueled for the additional time. And you can add a great number of unexpected things that could delay or lengthen the flight. I did a flight from Portland to Narita in 2010.  Because of volcanic activity the Pacific routes were closed and we had to fly over Alaska and down the Kamchatka peninsula.  It added a significant amount of time to our scheduled flight time.  
I agree with many that the odds are the flight will arrive on time.  But I also know that there seems to be more delays on international flights than domestic for a variety of reasons.  Small mechanical issues that wouldn't be fixed on a domestic flight will be fixed on an international flight.  Late arrivals, weather deviations, etc. 
I wouldn't do it for any reason.   Most importantly, as others have said, the jet lag on a flight like this is tremendous.  It takes more than a few hours for the body to catch up.   Add to that the stress of worrying about delays.  I'd spend the 4 days in Singapore before the cruise then fly directly home.  That gives lots of wiggle room on arrival as well as a chance to be on the local time zone to fully enjoy the cruise portion.

 

I'd spend the 4 days before, too.  But maybe that's not an option.  Remember that the flight gets in at 6:45.  So even a 5 hour delay wouldn't cause the traveler to miss the ship

 

I travel to Europe often and don't feel the jet lag is that bad.  But we all respond differently.  I think embarkation day on the ship is a good time to catch up with jet lag.