New Cruiser for Freedom 12/24

[roxies10]

Our agent has booked us out of Phila., 2 hours away, into Miami at 3:30; 12/24; Freedom of the Seas Xmas cruise leaves at 7 pm so he said there'd be plenty of time...plus Phil. is 2 hours away from our home--

 

(AND...it will cost us $40pp for a non stop flight!)

 

Going home we have to stopover in Charlotte, NC!

 

Should I pressure him for a flight 12/23 (Sat); how about the $40 surcharge pp for the non-stop flight? Is that standard procedure?

 

I thought cruising was supposed to be relaxing? It doesn't feel that way right now.

 

Eager for opinions and suggestions

[TomCat32174]

Can not comment on the surcharge since I haven't flown to a port in quite some years, but I would think that with the erratic wiunter weather, I would go for the flight out the day prior to departure. It will make your embarkation day that much less stressful since you will not have to deal with any possible delays PLUS trying to travel on Christmas Eve. Since you are flying through Charlotte on the return I assume you are on US Air. Is this booked through RCI or directly with the airline? There are cheaper fares for certain that go to Miami or even Ft. Lauderdale. Bieng you are from NJ, I would think that Newark is the closer airport for you. If I am correct, I think that Jet Blue is flying out of there now, so check in with that airline... The one thing good about getting your airline through the cruiseline would be that if the flight is delayed, there is a very good chance they would hold the ship since i have personally witnessed this a few times before.

[dcgrumpy]

I'm confused by the $40 "surcharge" I've never heard of such a thing. Do you mean it's $40 more to fly nonstop or it's an actual surcharge?

[w8ng 2 cruise]

Hi roxies10!

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

We are also on Freedom's First Christmas 12/24/06 Cruise!

Hi Shipmate!

 

We are flying into Florida on 12/23 just in case of inclement weather.

 

Come join our Roll Call http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=424047

[GMoney]

IMO, you absolutely need to try and get on a flight that arrives earlier in MIA. I normally have a very high risk tolerance for cutting things close when travelling, but you are flying in winter, during a holiday, from an airport that is notorious for delays. If anything goes wrong, you have very little time to recover.

 

Also, most RCI MIA cruises depart at 5pm. I suppose there are always exceptions, but you may want to double check that 7pm departure time.

[wrp96]

Assuming you are flying US Air, and knowing you are flying from Philly, then your flight is too late to make the ship. You are better off going in the day before but if you can't then you need to be on the earliest flight of the day. The combination of Philly and US Air is one of the worst pairings you can make especially trying to make a cruise, and especially if you want your luggage to accompany you. Look for reviews by Merion Mom of her December 2004 cruise on Jewel of the Seas (or lack thereof thanks to US Air).

 

Nonstops are almost always more expensive than other flights. I'm guessing you booked cruise air and your TA has you doing an air deviation and for non stop flights the actual fare is more than the cruise air so you would have to pay a difference, but for the one stop flights the actual fare is less so no difference.

[wrp96]

Also, most RCI MIA cruises depart at 5pm. I suppose there are always exceptions, but you may want to double check that 7pm departure time.

 

Patrick, the 7pm departure time is correct (at least according to RCCL's website and we know that's always correct;)).

[bajathree]

Flying in the same day as you cruise and on Christmas Eve:eek: that's playing with fire in my book.

[Merion_Mom]

Our agent has booked us out of Phila., 2 hours away, into Miami at 3:30; 12/24; Freedom of the Seas Xmas cruise leaves at 7 pm so he said there'd be plenty of time...plus Phil. is 2 hours away from our home--

 

(AND...it will cost us $40pp for a non stop flight!)

 

Going home we have to stopover in Charlotte, NC!

 

Should I pressure him for a flight 12/23 (Sat); how about the $40 surcharge pp for the non-stop flight? Is that standard procedure?

 

I thought cruising was supposed to be relaxing? It doesn't feel that way right now.

 

Eager for opinions and suggestions

roxies10, RUN, do not walk, to your TA's office and get that flight changed ASAP! Do not end up like me, sad, lonely and AT HOME on New Year's Eve, because USAir failed to get me to my ship. I should have arrived before noon, but it still didn't happen.

 

That flight is cutting it WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too close.

 

Click on the link in my signature, if you dare. :rolleyes:

[roxies10]

$40 more to fly non stop

 

free to the other family members who are C&A members

[Merion_Mom]

roxies, did you see this article in the Sunday, October 8 Philadelphia Inquirer?

 

Baggage Bungling

 

Source: Tom Belden and Craig R. McCoy INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS

For people who fly US Airways out of Philadelphia, there may be no scarier moment than this: the instant when their bags slip out of sight on the conveyor belt. Unless it's the wait for the bags to pop up on the carousel after landing. In between, the bags go on a perilous journey. On the way to the plane, they fall off carts onto the airport tarmac. Other US Airways luggage trucks drive by. Nobody stops. Outbound luggage circles pointlessly on US Airways'

 

Published on October 8, 2006, Page A01, Philadelphia Inquirer, The (PA)

 

Unfortunately, the full article is no longer available for free on the website, being three weeks old.

 

If you want the whole thing, email me at my Cruise Critic name on america online (no underscore), and I'll mail it to you.

 

You will not even CONSIDER the flight on which your TA has booked you.