Snow coming - what happens if we miss our flights?

[whiterose]

I'm a nervous wreck because there's a good chance we will not get to Buenos Aires in time to get on the Amsterdam next Monday. Another big snow storm is supposed to hit Northern Virginia starting tomorrow and continuing through Saturday with over a foot of snow. We fly out of Dulles IAD Sunday afternoon but we may not be able to get to the airport if our roads are not cleared.

We have HAL air. So what happens if we don't get to BA in time? It's too late to fly to Miami early (our flights connect there) because of the Super Bowl all flights and hotels are full.

I'd love to hear from others who have had similar problems. What did HAl do to help? The first stop on this cruise is Montevideo on Tuesday and then it's 8 days at sea till Namibia - not much chance to catch up with the cruise.

[jhannah]

Since you purchased your air through HAL, then they will work to get you alternate flights to the port.

Any chance you can make your way up north before the worst of it hits? A night or even two at a hotel near Dulles would bring you lots of peace of mind. Plus you could do some touring in DC pre-cruise.

[catl331]

You have time to drive a rental car to Miami, but of course you could have a hard time finding a hotel. You would have to make sure the airlines understand that you would be taking the Miami to BA leg, even though you'd be a no-show for the first leg.

[RetiredMustang]

whiterose,

You might want to check with HAL right away. You might want to ask them if if they can shift your flights to Charlotte or Raleigh or something -- it's looking like the snow/rain line is expected to be about the VA-NC border. Or, they may have other good advice.

If you can't change airports, I agree with Jim, I think you should head for Dulles and be in a hotel there before the snow hits. I don't know where in Virginia you are, but you could drive up here Friday morning.

The local forecasters are predicting 16-20 inches of snow; I expect that Dulles may be at the upper end of the amount we do get. They are saying that the snow will start about noon Friday, but will not really get going strong until 4 p.m. or later, so you should be able to get here Friday (If you are coming from Bristol or Marion or similar, you may be racing ahead of the front of the storm). The big amounts of snow are expected on Saturday, but the system should move on and Sunday should be OK. Presuming IAD will be able to clear runways, etc. and be operating (and your flight gets in from wherever it is coming from), you should be set if you are in an airport hotel.

Alternatively, you could head for Florida by car. The Miami area hotels will be full, but you could stay in Port St. Lucie, or Melbourne or even Orlando the night before and still get to the Miami airport the day you leave.

Dave

[whiterose]

Thanks for the suggestions. We actually live about 30 minutes from Dulles so staying at a hotel might not help all that much but I will talk to our son about that. He has promised to drive us to the airport on Sunday.

Driving to Florida is out - we're too old for that.

We'll talk to our travel agent and see if she can tell us what HAL will do for us if we miss our flights entirely. Seems like HAL will only talk to you if you have an emergency on the actual day of travel - is that correct???

[m steve]

My daughter and sil live in close in Maryland and are due to fly Sat fora Sun cruise. I doubt if they can do it. I have insurance and have checked that they are covered for cancellation or delay so they could meet us in San juan if flights were available after 2-3 days of cancellations. We could also cancel if they don't want a partial trip as insurance is combined. We just have to wait until it happens.

[YXU AC*SE]

You may also talk to your airline directly (I assume UA?) In cases of anticipated irregular operations they will often waive change fees / fare differences and get you moved out.

A travel waiver has already been issued by UA -- http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6867,52939,00.html for travel to / from airports located in Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, D.C. -- meaning they have already begun re-routing pax in advance of the weather.

The sooner you call, likely the better your chances of being re-routed ahead of the storm.

Scott.

[Twickenham]

You may also talk to your airline directly (I assume UA?) In cases of anticipated irregular operations they will often waive change fees / fare differences and get you moved out.

A travel waiver has already been issued by UA -- http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6867,52939,00.html for travel to / from airports located in Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, D.C. -- meaning they have already begun re-routing pax in advance of the weather.

The sooner you call, likely the better your chances of being re-routed ahead of the storm.

Scott.

This is absolutely the route I would be taking. Talk with the airline, explain in full the situation, and see what they can do for you. I personally would be trying to get all the way to BA early - a couple nights hotel in BA are to me infinitely better than a couple of nights at IAD, because then you know you'll make the cruise.

[DFD1]

Early flights to BA make the most sense to me. Short of that, I'd park myself in a hotel as close to Dulles airport as possible.....as soon as possible.

All indications are that the DC area is going to be a mess...including the airports.

Good Luck. I surely do hope you make it. That should be a wonderful cruise.

[Randyk47]

Early flights to BA make the most sense to me. Short of that, I'd park myself in a hotel as close to Dulles airport as possible.....as soon as possible.

All indications are that the DC area is going to be a mess...including the airports.

Good Luck. I surely do hope you make it. That should be a wonderful cruise.

I agree about moving out as close to Dulles as possible. There's a Marriott almost right on top of the airport. My ex and I were caught in very much the same situation back in the early 90's for our first major cruise and stayed in that Marriott rather than take a chance of getting snowed into our house in Great Falls that was kind of out in the country. Turned out we probably would have been OK but it was great to relax and not worry about the potential of getting snowed in.

[gemjunky]

We were concerned about air delays and after talking with our travel agent, decided to book our air through HAL rather than doing it ourselves. HAL will take care of you whereas travel insurance will only cover your costs if you are delayed (if they even pay out). Our travel agent has a similar situation where he contacted HAL and arranged for folks to fly out early due to weather conditions. I agree with everyone else - contact your airlines, HAL, and your travel agent and see what can be done. Good luck.

[PaulMCO]

I would not camp out at IAD. You still may not have a plane to board.
What UA will do will be to cancel the inbounds and hold them in BA. This way there are not the incoming passengers that will have no where to go or transfer because all flights will be canceled.

It happened to me on the last Blizzard on 20 Dec,

[mrsltg]

As a couple of others have said, get in the car and get to Florida. Make sure to notify HAL and the airline that you will be skipping the first flight and they should not cancel the second leg. The drive from here (I'm in PW County) to Orlando is 12 hours. It's really not that bad. Find a hotel somewhere around there and then drive to Miami on Sunday.

Good luck!!!

[2ptu/000]

If you do miss your flight, Montevideo is very close to Buenos Aires, 5 maybe 10 miles, I'm not sure. You would only miss a little of your trip. Next time you cruise consider flying out 1 or 2 days ahead of time when you are leaving a cold area, or connecting in a cold area. Buenos Aires would have been a great city to visit.

[bbwex]

A similar thread was on this board a week or so ago when the previous storm was coming through. It was pointed out that the airlines actually like to get people out ahead of the storm as that alleviates part of the problem when the storm hits. They evidently will get you on your way with no extra charge as it helps minimize the "mess" caused by the weather.

We all know what happens to Washington when snow hits. Get out early, enjoy an extra day, and skip the valium you would have needed!

[eldercruser]

It is getting late in the day, but strongly suggest trying to get out of town tonight or first thing Friday morning. If in fact the storm dumps 16-20 inches of snow on DC by Saturday night, it is highly doubtful operations will be anywhere close to normal on Sunday.

Realize your flight can't leave if the aircraft hasn't arrived! In big storms such as this all the inbound flights will probably be canceled on Saturday and Sunday morning. Not only the runways and taxiways have to be cleared, but the big job is all the ramp space. It may well be late Sunday before all that is cleared and the airlines will not be scheduling aircraft to arrive until the ramps are cleared.

As others have said get on the phone with HAL, your TA and the airline to discuss options.

[parrotfeathers]

Well, the storm is there. Does anyone know if the OP got to FLL?

[Krazy Kruizers]

They were to fly out of DC on Sunday.

It's bad here -- southwestern PA -- over 20 inches of snow -- Pittsburgh International Airport closed -- they hope to open around Noon today.

[Randyk47]

As of right now there are virtually no flights in/out of Dulles International according to http://www.metwashairports.com/snow . Hard to say what tomorrow (Sunday) will bring though the weather forecast is clear. With the schedules all messed up it's going to take a couple of days, snow not withstanding, to get flights back on normal operation. Our friends and family in the area are basically snowed in their communities as only the major roads are relatively clear.

[patseacruiser]

Hope the OP gets back to us - I hate when they leave us hanging. I don't know if IAD is flying tomorrow even. The snow is not predicted to stop until tonight I think and flights have been cancelled since Friday night so there's a big back up there.

[eldercruser]

All flights are Dulles are canceled until Sunday afternoon as of right now. I expect as the storm continues, the practice of "creeping cancellations" will take place.

Dulles is already reporting around 24 inches on the ground and the snow is forecast to continue for another eight hours or so.

I will be surprised if anything happens before Monday afternoon.

We are supposed to leave Wednesday for Florida and our 2/13 Noordam cruise. That is looking dicey since another storm is being forecast for Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

We will be lucky to be plowed out of our neighborhood by Monday night.

Time to get back to the snow blower and try to keep up. At least keep the driveway clear!

[Krazy Kruizers]

This may be our 4th worst snow storm in history.

And we are also to get another snow storm on Tuesday.

The BIG plow just came through -- there is now 5 feet high of snow at the end of the driveway.

Our snow thrower died in January.

[lorekauf]

I feel so sorry for you guys that are getting so much snow. We had a terrible Nov. and Dec. and our residental roads are still brutal. I think if we ever got as much snow as some of you are getting we just couldn't handle it...and I'm in Canada. That said our snow removal policy in Calgary is wait until it melts :eek:. Good luck to everyone!

[serendipity1499]

Well, the storm is there. Does anyone know if the OP got to FLL?

The OP was not flying to Ft. Lauderdale..They were flying to Buenos Aires for a South American Cruise..

I doubt that they will get back to us as their cruise leaves BA on Monday..Hopefully they have been en-route since they last posted..We also don't know what airline they were taking & if they were going via Dallas or Miami..[/

[SIZE=4]It would be nice if they get back to us after they return from their cruise... SIZE]

To All of you in the blizzards path, we hope that you are safe & warm..

Cheers..Betty

[Krazy Kruizers]

OP was to fly out of Dulles airport on Sunday.

Their connecting flight to BA is in Miami.

Many airports are shut down.

[madelinerose]

The BIG plow just came through -- there is now 5 feet high of snow at the end of the driveway.


Lucky you. We never see a plow and rarely a salt truck. If you're on my street, you're on my street. Your vehicle is going nowhere. Period. ;)

Putting things in perspective....I have electricity, my sil does not.

[usha]

Lucky you. We never see a plow and rarely a salt truck. If you're on my street, you're on my street. Your vehicle is going nowhere. Period. ;)

Putting things in perspective....I have electricity, my sil does not.
Sounds like you have a great attitude about your situation...
or is it just the popcorn & martinis talking?;):D

[madelinerose]

Sounds like you have a great attitude about your situation...or is it just the popcorn & martinis talking?;):D


All of the above. ;)

[T2inDC]

As of 10:30am Saturday all fights were canceled from both airports until further notice. DCA had already cancelled all Saturday flights yesterday. The snow hasn't stopped here yet.

I would have drove to the port. We have a cruise at the end of the month by we fly into Tampa 2 days early.

[PathfinderEss]

I hope the OP get back with us also, I'm sure they have figured out something by now. I did hear where the trains were running and that certain could have been another way to go down to Florida. Flying tomorrow out of Dulles, looks like its will not happen. Good luck to the OP, hope they make their cruise.

[mrsltg]

I'm in Northern Virginia and it is incredible! I have shoveled twice already and all it's accomplished is less snow to shovel when I have to go back out again! We've got a solid two feet and I don't know when we'll be able to get down the street again. Oh well... Attached is a picture of my deck. The snow is halfway up the tiki bar. I guess we'll have to drink inside...

[twinkletoes4445]

I'm in Northern Virginia and it is incredible! I have shoveled twice already and all it's accomplished is less snow to shovel when I have to go back out again! We've got a solid two feet and I don't know when we'll be able to get down the street again. Oh well... Attached is a picture of my deck. The snow is halfway up the tiki bar. I guess we'll have to drink inside...

Wow! That's crazy. We got 8 inches yesterday and I think we're supposed to get another 8 tomorrow. We live in Kansas and we have had more snow this year than I can remember from years past.

I think a lot of us are having to have our drinks inside ... and probably will until the spring thaw! Who knows when that will be this year...

[broberts]

. . .
I would have drove to the port. We have a cruise at the end of the month by we fly into Tampa 2 days early.

Unfortunately for the OP driving to Buenos Airies wasn't an option.

[eldercruser]

Just about all Sunday flights out of Reagan National and Dulles have already cancelled. Even some Monday morning flights have already cancelled.

[Cruisenouvelle]

I'm in Northern Virginia and it is incredible! I have shoveled twice already and all it's accomplished is less snow to shovel when I have to go back out again! We've got a solid two feet and I don't know when we'll be able to get down the street again. Oh well... Attached is a picture of my deck. The snow is halfway up the tiki bar. I guess we'll have to drink inside...
Oh, man, I feel for you! I used to live in Dale City, and moved to Fla. a week before the blizzard that shut down the Fed gov't. in the 90's...still have family in Falls Church and Arlington.
I told DH I'd live under a bridge in Fla. before battling the snow and cold up there again. I truly feel for you all.

[RuthC]

Unfortunately for the OP driving to Buenos Airies wasn't an option.
But driving to Florida was; that was where OP was to connect to the overseas flight. Even though there was no place to stay in Miami, OP didn't need to get all that way. The flight to BA must leave at night. OP could have driven the rest of the way that same day, and still easily made the connecting flight.

[Two@Sea]

Unfortunately for the OP driving to Buenos Airies wasn't an option.

Pass me a towel... you just made me sputter coffee all over my keyboard! :D:D:D

[mamaofami]

I think that the fact that the OP hasn't come back must mean they drove down to Miami or got out on a plane before the snow came. I hope so. Here's a picture of the snow in Philly...27 inches.
http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs216.snc3/22365_331154574534_523454534_4922196_1817610_n.jpg (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4922120&id=523454534)

[Pokeynose]

Now that cute picture makes this whole thread worthwhile. Brings back memories of my boys when they were that young.:)

[broberts]

But driving to Florida was; that was where OP was to connect to the overseas flight. Even though there was no place to stay in Miami, OP didn't need to get all that way. The flight to BA must leave at night. OP could have driven the rest of the way that same day, and still easily made the connecting flight.

If they were younger this makes sense. OP did make a post indicating that they were elderly and a long drive was not feasible for them. I wondered about a train. Are they running?

[imsulin]

Heard that Amtrak stopped running in those mid-Atlantic areas as of yesterday. The Weather Channel has some good (actually bad) pictures and updates. The people who live there have my sympathy! I remember back in the mid-90's when the whole DC area was shut down over Christmas, and my friend's daughter spent three days in Seattle trying to get home. On Dec. 24, 1982, Denver had the "Blizzard of the Century", accumulating 5-7 feet of snow in just over a day. Talk about a White Christmas!! The wind blew 12-foot drifts...the swingset in our back yard was completely covered, and the neighbor's car parked in front of his house was finally unearthed in early March. I've never seen anything like it. Even our garaged 4WD Suburban had trouble getting around a week later. We were among the lucky ones who didn't lose power. They had to use snowmobiles to transport people to hospitals, and more than a few babies were born naturally at home. Denver didn't use salt, but gravel. Plenty of snowplows for the main thoroughfares, but it took weeks to clear side streets. I still have a "I Survived The Blizzard of '82" T-shirt around here somewhere. Again, for those of you in the mid-Atlantic area, you have my sympathy!

[RuthC]

If they were younger this makes sense. OP did make a post indicating that they were elderly and a long drive was not feasible for them. I wondered about a train. Are they running?
Right. I'd forgotten that OP said they couldn't drive. But I don't know---maybe if they started out several days in advance, and an overnight or two??? Then the rest of the way on Sunday? Might have been worth trying.

The trains were running when this problem first came up; don't know if they still are. Then the problem was getting a place to stay---everything's booked, what with the Superbowl in Miami. That's why someone suggested staying far from Miami, then going the rest of the way on Sunday. It was a good idea.

I hope the OP makes/made it to Miami. This is too good a cruise to miss of there was some way to get out of town.

[mamaofami]

Amtrack canceled a lot of trains starting late Friday. Hopefully they got out before if they were taking a train.

[jtl513]

Right. I'd forgotten that OP said they couldn't drive. But I don't know---maybe if they started out several days in advance, and an overnight or two??? Then the rest of the way on Sunday? Might have been worth trying. Their last post was 9:09a Thu, so I suspect they figured out how to get out of Dodge ahead of the storm somehow!

[serendipity1499]

Our local weatherman just announced that somewhere in MD there was close to 40 inches of snow...:eek: And he said they expect another storm on Tuesday..

Feel so sorry for those poor people who are without electricity..

[whiterose]

Hope this is not a double post - I'm having trouble logging on to CC.

Wow thanks for all the kind thoughts. We're stuck at home with 30" of snow and today's flight from Dulles is cancelled. We probably could not get to the airport anyway. Loudoun county government is practically begging people to stay home and not clutter up the roads so the emergency people can reach downed power lines and the crews can plow the roads.

We've been on the phone a lot with our TA and HAL and as of now - tomorrow we fly to Miami to get on a plane to Montevideo to join the ship there. If tomorrow's flight is also cancelled then we go to Plan B which is fly to Cape Town next week for a much shorter cruise. Just saw on the news that Baltimore airport has cancelled many flights for tomorrow.

We could not get out of town before the storm so decided the best place to ride it out was at home where at least we were warm, with plenty of food and access to phones and computer. Yesterday we lost power for 5 hours but thankfully it came back on at 9 pm - the temp got down to single digits last night. Some poor people are still without power and I'm sure the power crews were working non stop in miserable conditions - I may include a thank you card next time I pay my electric bill.

We taken many cruises and usually fly in a day or two before but this time we took a chance in order to save money and also because we've been to Buenos Aires several times already. I've learned my lesson - the past week has really stressed me out. I truly need a cruise now - smile

[RetiredMustang]

All,

Hello from white D.C! Amtrak has indeed cancelled a good many trains, and all three airports (Dulles, Reagan and BWI) remain closed, although the airport spokesman said there are working to get one runway up at Dulles for operation later this morning.

The official total snow at Reagan was 17.8 inches. Dulles got 32 inches. The sun is shining clear and bright right now, but it is a white wasteland out there with only the major arteries passable -- I-66 has one lane open in each direction, for example. The various DOTs are working everything they have to clear roads.

And, yes, there is another inch or two of accumulation forecast for Tuesday night; although that system is supposed to pass north of us (sorry NYC, it's coming at you), it may veer and drop more.

We were initially booked on Amtrak Thursday to go for our Noordam Feb. 13 cruise, but we cancelled when we saw the storm coming and decided to drive. I will watch the road situation and that next system, but I'm thinking we're out of here Tuesday, driving into summer. A couple of extra days in Florida is easier to take than fretting about missing the cruise.

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

whiterose,

We were posting at the same time. Sorry to read you were not able to get out before the storm, but glad that you are safe and have power back! Best wishes for the flight tomorrow!

Dave

[Krazy Kruizers]

Whiterose

Glad you are safe at home and have gotten power back.

I hope everything works out for you and you get to fly out tomorrow.

Here is southwestern PA we got over 2 1/2 feet of snow and the state will remain in a state of emergency for another week.

We got up to Zero degrees this morning.

And more snow is on the way on Tuesday.

Thousands are still without power.

Ww are not completely dug out yet -- will be working on that again today.

[parrotfeathers]

Frankly, I would be too worried about leaving my house to the elements to go cruising and the possibility of what might happen while I was gone if I were in that snowstorm.

[Randyk47]

The on-the-spot news from friends and family up in the DC area is not encouraging in terms of a quick recovery from the residual of the storm. Dulles, which is just six miles from one friend's house, is still basically shut down and just limping along with a few scheduled flights today and even those might get canceled. Reminds me of when we lived up there and it gets to the point where there isn't enough equipment to go around and even then they literally run out of places to move the snow to and get it out of the way. I think it was the storm of 1996 that they built such a mountain of snow....something like 30 feet tall....in the Pentagon parking lot that it was almost 2 months before it all melted. We're paying close attention as Mrs. K has a business trip to DC through Reagan National on Tuesday with more snow forecast Tuesday and temperatures at or below freezing.

Luckily the OP has family in the immediate area who can watch their house if they ever get out of town. I hope they make their cruise but it's not very encouraging right now.

[eldercruser]

Sorry to hear Whiterose didn't make it out of town. Hopefully, tomorrow. United Airlines does have a few flights scheduled for later today at Dulles - American has cancelled all their's, best I can tell. The problem now is trying to get to the airport. We have over two feet of snow on our street and who knows when it will be plowed - maybe by Tuesday morning.

Of course another storm is scheduled for Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Our flight to Florida is Wednesday morning and looking increasingly dicey We are on the 2/13 Noordam cruise. Once we are able to get our of our neighborhood we will address the alternatives. right now it is pointless. In the meantime we are getting packed up so we can leave at a moment's notice!

[esther e]

All,

Hello from white D.C! Amtrak has indeed cancelled a good many trains, and all three airports (Dulles, Reagan and BWI) remain closed, although the airport spokesman said there are working to get one runway up at Dulles for operation later this morning.

The official total snow at Reagan was 17.8 inches. Dulles got 32 inches. The sun is shining clear and bright right now, but it is a white wasteland out there with only the major arteries passable -- I-66 has one lane open in each direction, for example. The various DOTs are working everything they have to clear roads.

And, yes, there is another inch or two of accumulation forecast for Tuesday night; although that system is supposed to pass north of us (sorry NYC, it's coming at you), it may veer and drop more.

We were initially booked on Amtrak Thursday to go for our Noordam Feb. 13 cruise, but we cancelled when we saw the storm coming and decided to drive. I will watch the road situation and that next system, but I'm thinking we're out of here Tuesday, driving into summer. A couple of extra days in Florida is easier to take than fretting about missing the cruise.

Dave

"Driving into summer" is speculative. We're about 4.5 hours north of FLL and right now, at 12:45 PM, our temp is 49 degrees. I hope that by next week when you are due here it is more like spring. Not summer for a while, but we could use "spring."

[jtl513]

"Driving into summer" is speculative. We're about 4.5 hours north of FLL and right now, at 12:45 PM, our temp is 49 degrees. I hope that by next week when you are due here it is more like spring. Not summer for a while, but we could use "spring."We're just south of Cocoa Beach and it's 58 here right now. :(

[mamaofami]

Whiterose, I'm so sorry to hear you didn't get out, but glad you're safe. Hopefully you can go with plan A and catch up with your cruise.

They're predicting another storm later this week, and this time it will travel further up the east coast to NY and points north. We had no snow 30 minutes north of NYC.

[serendipity1499]

Whiterose..So sorry you were not able to get out but glad to hear you are safe..Hope your get out tomorrow, but if not hope your trip to Capetown is better..Thanks so much for letting us know how you are..You sound like your rolling with the flow..:)


"Driving into summer" is speculative. We're about 4.5 hours north of FLL and right now, at 12:45 PM, our temp is 49 degrees. I hope that by next week when you are due here it is more like spring. Not summer for a while, but we could use "spring."

We're just south of Cocoa Beach and it's 58 here right now. :(

On the Caloosahatchee in Cape Coral, at 2:45 p.m. it's sunny, windy & 61 degrees..We're directly across the state from, West Palm, so it might be a little warmer in MIA or FLL..

To us that's not summer though...We have the heat on & are still in jeans & sweatshirts, while the snowbirds are in tees & shorts..:DLOL

Cheers..:)Betty

[alwayshappytocruise]

But driving to Florida was; that was where OP was to connect to the overseas flight. Even though there was no place to stay in Miami, OP didn't need to get all that way. The flight to BA must leave at night. OP could have driven the rest of the way that same day, and still easily made the connecting flight.

OP posted that they are "too old" to drive that far...........geez, people.......keep up there'll be a test!!

[peaches from georgia]

[QUOTE=RuthC;23031652]Right. I'd forgotten that OP said they couldn't drive. But I don't know---maybe if they started out several days in advance, and an overnight or two??? Then the rest of the way on Sunday? Might have been worth trying.

I know she said they were too elderly to drive to Miami, but I wish they had done the one day drive to Atlanta. You totally avoid I-95 and take I-81 through rural VA and down through Charlotte on 77. Beautiful and easy drive. They could easily have flown Atlanta to Miami round trip and had a one day drive home. At this point all things considered I would think of just cancelling and rebooking for another time.

[CowPrincess]

OP, so sorry this has happened. I hope you are able to join your cruise with very little additional drama! And to everyone who may not get their flights I'm really sorry :(

As to everyone armchair quarterbacking the OP's decision to not drive, wait till you are elderly, infirm, incapacitated in one way or another. I applaud anyone (having witnessed FAR too many elderly people who refuse to give up driving) who has the guts and self-knowledge to choose to stop driving.

[alwayshappytocruise]

OP, so sorry this has happened. I hope you are able to join your cruise with very little additional drama! And to everyone who may not get their flights I'm really sorry :(

As to everyone armchair quarterbacking the OP's decision to not drive, wait till you are elderly, infirm, incapacitated in one way or another. I applaud anyone (having witnessed FAR too many elderly people who refuse to give up driving) who has the guts and self-knowledge to choose to stop driving.

Well said CP!!

[NMLady]

Hope this is not a double post - I'm having trouble logging on to CC.

Wow thanks for all the kind thoughts. We're stuck at home with 30" of snow and today's flight from Dulles is cancelled. We probably could not get to the airport anyway. Loudoun county government is practically begging people to stay home and not clutter up the roads so the emergency people can reach downed power lines and the crews can plow the roads.

We've been on the phone a lot with our TA and HAL and as of now - tomorrow we fly to Miami to get on a plane to Montevideo to join the ship there. If tomorrow's flight is also cancelled then we go to Plan B which is fly to Cape Town next week for a much shorter cruise. Just saw on the news that Baltimore airport has cancelled many flights for tomorrow.

We could not get out of town before the storm so decided the best place to ride it out was at home where at least we were warm, with plenty of food and access to phones and computer. Yesterday we lost power for 5 hours but thankfully it came back on at 9 pm - the temp got down to single digits last night. Some poor people are still without power and I'm sure the power crews were working non stop in miserable conditions - I may include a thank you card next time I pay my electric bill.

We taken many cruises and usually fly in a day or two before but this time we took a chance in order to save money and also because we've been to Buenos Aires several times already. I've learned my lesson - the past week has really stressed me out. I truly need a cruise now - smile

What a disappointment for you. Thank you for getting back to us to let us know what's going on. I hope you're able to salvage at least some of the cruise. Good luck!!

[RuthC]

Thank you, whiterose, for giving us an update. I'm so sorry you didn't make it out of town, and hope you do get to Montevideo in time to meet the ship. In the meantime you have a warm place to stay, and you must be ever so grateful for that.

[RetiredMustang]

We're just south of Cocoa Beach and it's 58 here right now. :(

John (and Esther), 58 or 49 may not sound all that warm to you, but when you are up to your aft in snow and ice, and rooting for the thermometer to make it all the way up to 30, it sounds like summer. It doesn't help that G-TV (the Weather Channel; our kids call it Geezer TV) keeps showing the forecast temps for Miami on the local on the 8's! Luckily, I foresee widespread Noordam in my personal forecast for next weekend!

Dave

[lorekauf]

John (and Esther), 58 or 49 may not sound all that warm to you, but when you are up to your aft in snow and ice, and rooting for the thermometer to make it all the way up to 30, it sounds like summer. It doesn't help that G-TV (the Weather Channel; our kids call it Geezer TV) keeps showing the forecast temps for Miami on the local on the 8's! Luckily, I foresee widespread Noordam in my personal forecast for next weekend!

Dave
I was thinking the same thing. Those temps sound like summer in Calgary to me. It's pretty hard for folks to realize how bad the snow and cold can be. I was so frustrated by our weather in Nov - Dec. that I had to book a cruise for Feb. It means I probably won't be able to have any time off in the summer but at least it will be somewhat warm. Good luck with your snow.

I hope everything will go better for the OP now.

[esther e]

First, to the OP, I hope you can get to your wonderful ship in a timely manner.

Now to the rest of you -- I lived all my life in NYS and know snow and ice and cold all too well. We've been in Florida for over 23 years and have NEVER had a winter this cold for this long. Our blood can't take long periods of cold. An example: a few weeks ago it was almost 70, but damp and foggy. I was waiting outside my dentist's office for DH to pick me up. I was so cold that it was horrible. When that orange thing in the sky is sleeping during the day, it ain't pleasant here!!!

I can well understand that you think you've arrived in the tropics after Canada or 30" of snow. But you haven't, until that ship leaves the pier and heads further south. And boy, do I wish we were on one now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[esther e]

And to add the driving thing: My husband voluntarily turned the driving over to me (fool that he is!) because he just doesn't feel comfortable driving long distances. Locally, fine. To Miami or FLL, no. And there's no way I can drive that distance alone. Or want to. I have to give anyone a lot of credit for making the decision freely because it takes away so much of their independence. So we're now in the process of having a limo take us to Orlando airport and taking an hour flight to FLL in order to cruise. I'm a good driver, but very afraid of the south Florida traffic, particularly on I-95.

[mrsltg]

And to add the driving thing: My husband voluntarily turned the driving over to me (fool that he is!) because he just doesn't feel comfortable driving long distances. Locally, fine. To Miami or FLL, no. And there's no way I can drive that distance alone. Or want to. I have to give anyone a lot of credit for making the decision freely because it takes away so much of their independence. So we're now in the process of having a limo take us to Orlando airport and taking an hour flight to FLL in order to cruise. I'm a good driver, but very afraid of the south Florida traffic, particularly on I-95.

God bless you and your husband and good for you for knowing your limits. I wish you smooth flying and sailing!

[Copper10-8]

Whiterose; all the best to you! Here's hoping you'll catch and make that flt to Uruguay!

[eldercruser]

Hopefully Whiterose can make it to Dulles Monday. The main roads in northern Virginia are now passable, but many,if not most,of the residential areas are a mess. The federal government is actully closing on Monday. Metro (subway system) is still not running above ground service.

Not sure which airline they are taking , but both of American's flights to Miami are scheduled to operate. Hopefully everything will work out for them.

[serendipity1499]

First, to the OP, I hope you can get to your wonderful ship in a timely manner.

Now to the rest of you -- I lived all my life in NYS and know snow and ice and cold all too well. We've been in Florida for over 23 years and have NEVER had a winter this cold for this long. Our blood can't take long periods of cold. An example: a few weeks ago it was almost 70, but damp and foggy. I was waiting outside my dentist's office for DH to pick me up. I was so cold that it was horrible. When that orange thing in the sky is sleeping during the day, it ain't pleasant here!!!

I can well understand that you think you've arrived in the tropics after Canada or 30" of snow. But you haven't, until that ship leaves the pier and heads further south. And boy, do I wish we were on one now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We too lived on Long Island in NY & know what cold & snow is..I drove 25 miles each way to my office even in snow..Our office was on a hill & several times I could not get home as we were snowed in...Some of us camped out in the office overnight...After 22 years in Florida I can no longer take the cold & feel exactly as you do...Our heat is still on & our Electric bill for the past 28 days was $311..Largest bill we have ever received even with air on in the 90 degree summers..

And to add the driving thing: My husband voluntarily turned the driving over to me (fool that he is!) because he just doesn't feel comfortable driving long distances. Locally, fine. To Miami or FLL, no. And there's no way I can drive that distance alone. Or want to. I have to give anyone a lot of credit for making the decision freely because it takes away so much of their independence. So we're now in the process of having a limo take us to Orlando airport and taking an hour flight to FLL in order to cruise. I'm a good driver, but very afraid of the south Florida traffic, particularly on I-95.

Esther, completely understand your feekings..I've always driven like a NY Cab driver & many times fearlessly drove into Manhattan for meetings... DH now leaves most of the driving to me...I'm not sure how long I will be able to drive to Fort Lauderdale or Miami from here, (only 2 1/2 -3 hours) for our cruises..Last time I drove on I95, it was almost as if I was back on the Long Island Expressway....I actually felt uncomfortable for the first time drinving in all that traffic.. :eek:

Cowprincess..As to everyone armchair quarterbacking the OP's decision to not drive, wait till you are elderly, infirm, incapacitated in one way or another. I applaud anyone (having witnessed FAR too many elderly people who refuse to give up driving) who has the guts and self-knowledge to choose to stop driving.

Thank you Cow Princess for being so understanding! We have friends who are well in their 90's, who can hardly walk but are still driving...They scare me & I only hope that I will be smart enough to know when it's time for me to give up driving.. As it is, we tell the kids that it's time for them to drive down to see us, as we are not comfortable with driving up to see them any more..

Cheers...:)Betty

[Boytjie]

We were supposed to fly from JFK to Ft. Lauderdale on Wednesday evening for our cruise on the Eurodam that starts Saturday. With snow on its way I called Delta and was able to change our flight (booked with frequent flyer miles, no charge for the change!) to Tuesday afternoon. :cool:

Now I better start packing! :eek:

[PathfinderEss]

Whiterose, sorry to hear you did not make it out in time for your cruise, but I am glad you are safe and warm at home at this time.
Eldercruiser, hope you get out in time for your cruise and you also Boytjie. We're sending you a massive storm from California where we got anywhere from 5 inches to 2 1/2 inches of rain Friday and Saturday.
My suggestion would be get out of town while you can for your cruises, even if you have to spend a few days extra in Florida. More snow is coming, sorry and I hear it will be out your way by Tuesday.

[mudscraper]

Six to ten inches for Chicago starting tomorrow (Monday).
Shouldn`t affect cruisers this early in the week.


Rich

[Overtime4me2]

Whiterose,

So sorry to hear you're stuck at home, but I hope it works out for you to catch-up with the ship soon! Please keep us informed if you can. I've been checking this post every night the past couple of nights hoping to hear what happened.

Take care! :)

[whiterose]

As of 8 am our flight to Miami on American is supposed to leave on time at 3:15. We have the taxi booked and hopefully they will get us safely to Dulles airport even though the roads are still bad.
Only two runways are open so many flights will still be cancelled or late. We have 5 hours in between to get our flight to Uruguay so we should make the connection. If I don't post again you will know we made it out of town - smile.
Thanks for all the good wishes - sure are some nice people on the HAL board so hope to sail with you one of these days.

Joan

[mamaofami]

Good luck. Enjoy your cruise.

[Boytjie]

Joan, good luck!

[eldercruser]

Whiterose, you should make it OK this afternoon. The best we could do at changing flights was one late Tuesday night. However, the snow is supposed to start again around noon Tuesday so we are reluctant to take the chance.

Miraculously, a snow plow came through this morning so we can get out.
We are changing plans and plan to hit the road in a few hours before the next storm hits and we are trapped again.

[mamaofami]

We have friends who are well in their 90's, who can hardly walk but are still driving...They scare me & I only hope that I will be smart enough to know when it's time for me to give up driving.. As it is, we tell the kids that it's time for them to drive down to see us, as we are not comfortable with driving up to see them any more..

Cheers...:)Betty

My friend's dad who is 98 and lives in FLA is still driving. He bought his last car with an extended warranty. I hope not to meet him on the road.

[esther e]

Whiterose, I certainly hope we do not hear from you. (That means you're in the air and on the way!)

[esther e]

Betty, we live by A-1-A where we still have 2 lanes, deemed by the Florida Beautification Program or such, so you can well imagine my fear and fright when I am on I-95 near WPB or FLL. Those people are nuts. Not to mention the fact that there are lanes to the right and left merging right into my front fender!!!!

[Love the beach]

Good luck Joan (Whiterose) ---and Peter(Boytjie) ! Hope you both have a great cruise :)
Marge

[Krazy Kruizers]

Whiterose

Praying that we don't hear from you and your plane is the one that gets you to Miami without any more delays!!

[Limeygirl]

Whiterose, I'm glad that it looks like you will be able to fly out today! I hope you (and all of the other posters flying out this week) get there safely, and have a great time! I really wish I was getting out of the deep freeze. I'm off to the grocery store after work tonight to stock up before this next storm hits.

[Boytjie]

Good luck Joan (Whiterose) ---and Peter(Boytjie) ! Hope you both have a great cruise :)
Marge

Thanks! a pilot buddy just checked the forecast for LGA and it is looking good for tomorrow afternoon. :)

[PathfinderEss]

As of 8 am our flight to Miami on American is supposed to leave on time at 3:15. We have the taxi booked and hopefully they will get us safely to Dulles airport even though the roads are still bad.
Only two runways are open so many flights will still be cancelled or late. We have 5 hours in between to get our flight to Uruguay so we should make the connection. If I don't post again you will know we made it out of town - smile.
Thanks for all the good wishes - sure are some nice people on the HAL board so hope to sail with you one of these days.

Joan
Good luck to you, and wishing you happy cruising. Sounds like you'll have plenty of time to make connections.



Whiterose, you should make it OK this afternoon. The best we could do at changing flights was one late Tuesday night. However, the snow is supposed to start again around noon Tuesday so we are reluctant to take the chance.

Miraculously, a snow plow came through this morning so we can get out.
We are changing plans and plan to hit the road in a few hours before the next storm hits and we are trapped again.
And good luck to you also Eldercruser. Think your doing the right thing by getting out now. Have a great cruise.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Whiterose, Enjoy your cruise when you get there. Wishing you all the best luck.

[HouseRulz]

American Airlines flight 1851 departed IAD at 3:35 PM, 20 minutes late.
Flight 989 doesn't leave MIA until 11:10 PM, so it looks like Whiterose should be in Montevideo at 11am tomorrow morning. Let's hope they survived the ride to Dulles, and that they can survive a 5 hour layover at MIA - Yuck ;)

[DFD1]

It's good to hear that they are on their way. They've been in a difficult situation for the last few days. I hope everything works out for them and they have a great cruise.

Looks like the DC area may get a bit more bad weather this week.

[Krazy Kruizers]

American Airlines flight 1851 departed IAD at 3:35 PM, 20 minutes late.
Flight 989 doesn't leave MIA until 11:10 PM, so it looks like Whiterose should be in Montevideo at 11am tomorrow morning. Let's hope they survived the ride to Dulles, and that they can survive a 5 hour layover at MIA - Yuck ;)

Thanks for the information!!

That sounds great for them!!

[mrsltg]

It's good to hear that they are on their way. They've been in a difficult situation for the last few days. I hope everything works out for them and they have a great cruise.

Looks like the DC area may get a bit more bad weather this week.


Looks like another foot of snow... I am LOVING this! I have waited for a real winter for as long as I can remember. My dh has been working like crazy (DC cop) so I've been holding down the fort and the natives (9, 4, and 2) are becoming more and more restless with each passing moment! I don't care, though, I'll be happy to shovel another foot just to watch the snow fall again.

Good luck to all on the East coast. Tomorrow and Wednesday will be rough.

[pms4104]

Looks like another foot of snow... I am LOVING this! I have waited for a real winter for as long as I can remember. My dh has been working like crazy (DC cop) so I've been holding down the fort and the natives (9, 4, and 2) are becoming more and more restless with each passing moment! I don't care, though, I'll be happy to shovel another foot just to watch the snow fall again.

Good luck to all on the East coast. Tomorrow and Wednesday will be rough.
Yeah, my husband love the snow too ... says he can watch me shovel for hours and hours:p Too bad he'll be at work when our storm arrives tomorrow:p

[eldercruser]

As we suspected our flight today was cancelled as was the flight we were going to re-book too last night. The decision to get in the car and head south turned out to be the right one.

Our local roads were still in very bad shape Monday afternoon, but after we made it to I-95 it was smooth sailing.

Hopefully the air system will normalize by Friday so others can make it to the ship by Saturday.

Hopefully Whiterose made to Montivideo and is onboard!

[mrsltg]

As we suspected our flight today was cancelled as was the flight we were going to re-book too last night. The decision to get in the car and head south turned out to be the right one.

Our local roads were still in very bad shape Monday afternoon, but after we made it to I-95 it was smooth sailing.

Hopefully the air system will normalize by Friday so others can make it to the ship by Saturday.

Hopefully Whiterose made to Montivideo and is onboard!

Glad you made it! Enjoy your cruise :-)

[madelinerose]

Baltimore Blizzard Number 2. :rolleyes:

[esther e]

Warm, balmy, sunny Florida is still 45 in my yard. Damn, I'm cold.:eek:

[Randyk47]

Sleeting in San Antonio, Texas right now....at least at our home. Far better than when we lived in the DC area, particularly right now, but way colder than typical here and way too close to real winter weather! Just saw on TV that the mayor of Baltimore has closed city streets and only emergency vehicles are allowed to be out. I can't remember that ever happening in my 16+ years up there.....ugh! :eek:

[durangoscots]

I lived in Baltimore and the Baltimore area through the 40's, 50's and 60's and I can't remember the city being this shut down. We did have some really deep snows ... but things just sort of clunked along. Here in Durango we have had about 85 inches this season to date but hey, this is Colorado!! Roof was shoveled the a couple days ago. Sun is shinning today.

Hope all cruisers make it.... I could really use a cruise just now, but will have to wait until July when I head to ...... Iceland and Greenland. Am I a sucker for punishment or what?

Susan

[madelinerose]

Warm, balmy, sunny Florida is still 45 in my yard. Damn, I'm cold.:eek:


Ok, Esther, rub it in. We'll take 45 right now in a heartbeat! :D

Have a friend who moved from Long Island to Baltimore to Ft. Lauderdale and now 60 degrees to her is the frozen tundra. ;)

[PathfinderEss]

As we suspected our flight today was cancelled as was the flight we were going to re-book too last night. The decision to get in the car and head south turned out to be the right one.

Our local roads were still in very bad shape Monday afternoon, but after we made it to I-95 it was smooth sailing.

Hopefully the air system will normalize by Friday so others can make it to the ship by Saturday.

Hopefully Whiterose made to Montivideo and is onboard!
Eldercruser, so glad you got out of town when you did, and nice to know you are safe and going to make your cruise.
Anyone else going on a cruise trying to leave the East Coast, you may get a little break on Thursday and Friday but we're sending you more snow, we just had a small storm go through yesterday, so again I say get out of town when you can. You could be back to bad weather by this weekend. Sorry!

[Oceanwench]

Warm, balmy, sunny Florida is still 45 in my yard. Damn, I'm cold.:eek:

And going into the 30s tonight in South Florida ...
I've lived in Ohio, Mass. and NH and I know cold.
But I am still chilled when it drops below 70 degrees down here.

Though the northerners may laugh at our complaints about the "cold" -- the tourists who come here from up north aren't too happy when the temps dip below 70 either!!!:D

[CruisinManiac]

Glad everyone is making it to their cruises...I hope.;)

20 degrees here, with wind chills 0-10/ Snow fell all day in NE TN. Icy roads and more predicted for the weekend. Hopefully, all this stuff will be cleared out by 2/26. :D

[esther e]

And going into the 30s tonight in South Florida ...
I've lived in Ohio, Mass. and NH and I know cold.
But I am still chilled when it drops below 70 degrees down here.

Though the northerners may laugh at our complaints about the "cold" -- the tourists who come here from up north aren't too happy when the temps dip below 70 either!!!:D

Nobody can possibly understand the bone chill we get with low (for us) temps. Our blood is thin and the dampness and cold go right through us. Heck, today I had to hunt for a pair of socks!

Also, this has been the longest and coldest in all of Florida in over 60 years. Global warming????? I don't think so.

There was a clip on TV news in January about how the tourists were combing thorough Good Will trying to find something warm to wear. I feel very sorry for those who are coming here for a winter vacation....even if it's not snowing, it's dang cold.

[whiterose]

Guess you all figured out that we made the cruise. Dulles IAD cleared some runways on Monday afternoon and we got to Miami and then Montevideo. Monday night there was another foot of snow but we were gone by then - smile.

When we arrived in Montevideo there was noone to meet us so we took a cab and trundled out luggage on board ourselves. Took a while to get booked in but from then on everything was great. Beautiful ship (Amsterdam) with a very friendly crew and super nice passengers.

Still jetlagged so will keep this short. I learned a lesson about booking a cruise in winter. Will fly in early next time or stick to cruises closer to home.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Guess you all figured out that we made the cruise. Dulles IAD cleared some runways on Monday afternoon and we got to Miami and then Montevideo. Monday night there was another foot of snow but we were gone by then - smile.

When we arrived in Montevideo there was noone to meet us so we took a cab and trundled out luggage on board ourselves. Took a while to get booked in but from then on everything was great. Beautiful ship (Amsterdam) with a very friendly crew and super nice passengers.

Still jetlagged so will keep this short. I learned a lesson about booking a cruise in winter. Will fly in early next time or stick to cruises closer to home.

When I didn't see you posting any more, I knew you had madxe it.

Glad you had a wonderful cruise.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Guess you all figured out that we made the cruise. Dulles IAD cleared some runways on Monday afternoon and we got to Miami and then Montevideo. Monday night there was another foot of snow but we were gone by then - smile.

When we arrived in Montevideo there was noone to meet us so we took a cab and trundled out luggage on board ourselves. Took a while to get booked in but from then on everything was great. Beautiful ship (Amsterdam) with a very friendly crew and super nice passengers.

Still jetlagged so will keep this short. I learned a lesson about booking a cruise in winter. Will fly in early next time or stick to cruises closer to home.

When I didn't see you posting any more, I knew you had made it.

Glad you had a wonderful cruise.

[RuthC]

Thanks for checking back with us, whiterose. Glad you made it; hope you had a great time.
(Long flight, isn't it.)

[RetiredMustang]

... Monday night there was another foot of snow but we were gone by then - smile. ...

Yes, DW and I also got out of DC that Monday and made our Noordam cruise. We figured you had escaped as well. Great -- hope you had a wonderful time!

Dave