For Europe or Asia-add extra day?

It seems some cruisers arrive the day of, or depart the day of when they cruise, even for distant ports (from the US). After spending thousands of dollars for air and the cruise itself, I could not imagine the anxiety about delays, or a missed cruise or flight. A recent post was in regards to a cruise ending in Valparaiso. Five hours from ship arrival to their plane's departure time. The port is one and a half hours from the airport! US airports recommend arriving three hours early for international flights.

Do you fly in or depart the same day as the ship in foreign ports?

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Never. Not even domestic ports. At least a day before and usually a day after. I don't like stress......have enough at work!!

Unless we're leaving from NYC, we arrive early, sometimes just the day before, more days if it's a port we haven't been to before. Timing for going home depends on connections. I'd guess we leave for home on the day of arrival about half the time. But we allow plenty of time, even if it does mean cooling our heels in an airport.

If we are going to fly half way around the world to get to a port, we like to take advantage and get the most out of it so we usually add 3-4 days before the cruise and 3-4 days after the cruise. Even when sailing out of Florida, we fly mostly out of Buffalo and always come in to Fort Lauderdale 3-4 days before the cruise but fly home the day of disembarkation.

For trips leaving Europe we fly in at least a day or two ahead of when the ship sails. This way we can explore some of the departure city as well. An extra day after the cruise is not really necessary unless one lives in a location with few flight options. We tend to book flights later in the day on arrival day to come home. Of course staying extra is great if one has the time.

We've never caught a ship in Asia but having been there on land trips I would give at least 3 or 4 days at the beginning if time allows. The flight is brutal and the first day or two you may still be "out of it". I may add and extra day at the end of the cruise as well to prep for the awful flight back.

Trips leaving from North American ports don't IMO require hotel stays unless it is the opposite side of the country (like we did when leaving from Seattle). Leaving from Florida we've done both ways but prefer to take the first flight there on the day of. I've no desire to spend any more time in Florida than I have to.

And of course if the ship leaves from Boston or NYC we just drive to the port on the day of.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Domestically, I go in a minimum of the day before, sometimes more if it's a city I want to spend extra time in. Internationally a minimum of 2 days early. Coming home always do same day domestic, and international depends of if end city is different than start - if different then I will linger at least 2 days post cruise, if same I fly home same day if possible. I always try to allow sufficient time on my return flights to allow for disembarkation delays, transport from ship to airport etc. To date I have yet to miss a cruise or return flight with this strategy.

Travel is stressful enough - I will never understand why people want to add to their stress by booking things so tight at either end of the trip :confused:

I've always flown in at least the day before the cruise. When going to Europe, Asia or South America, I add additional days. Considering how far you're going and how much it costs, I want to spend some time seeing the cities I am in. I always figure I won't be back that quickly, so take advantage of being there.

It seems some cruisers arrive the day of, or depart the day of when they cruise, even for distant ports (from the US). After spending thousands of dollars for air and the cruise itself, I could not imagine the anxiety about delays, or a missed cruise or flight. A recent post was in regards to a cruise ending in Valparaiso. Five hours from ship arrival to their plane's departure time. The port is one and a half hours from the airport! US airports recommend arriving three hours early for international flights.

 

Do you fly in or depart the same day as the ship in foreign ports?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

You've got to kidding right? Europe we always do our vac/holiday where we will be there one to two weeks prior to cruise at least. This past Sept. we traveled to Paris and Nice for a month in an apt. Prior to boarding The European in Venice for our 24 days. Now we are retired well I am my husband is this Feb. in 2013 we did our cruise first on The Nieuw Amsterdam and we were in Milan for a week prior to taking a train into Venice.

I would absolutely go crazy if we traveled even 2 days

Prior to a cruise!! We have seen people at airports delayed and missing flights due to weather etc.! We also make sure when flying to Europe we are pickey about where we fly! Most of the time we have been lucky always non stops from San Francisco to Paris!!!!

Denise :)

We don't even fly into a US port on the same day let alone for a foreign port.

We always arrive at the embarkation port at least 3 days early -- even that didn't help us one time when a major snow storm cancelled all flights for the better part of 5 days.

And we always stay over at least one day -- that way we aren't stressed if we are going to make our flights if the ship should be late getting to the disembarkation port.

I'm sorry I did not proof read my notes!

It was The European we were on!

Also my heart goes out to PARIS with the terriost attck right on The Champs Elyees!!

:') Denise

Eurodam!!!!

Sorry

Denise :)

Whether I fly or drive to any US port, I will always plan to arrive no less than one day in advance of sailing; often 2-3 days before sailing. (I had an experience in 2016, the Friday before Christmas in West Palm Beach for a sailing from Fort Lauderdale on the Nieuw Amsterdam due to a potential car problem that could have caused issues with making the cruise on time.)

For sailings from foreign ports, I will always try to arrive 2-3 days before sailing, if not more. Why fly so far and not have an opportunity to see some of the area as well as attempt to recover from whatever jet lag there might be?

We never fly in on embarkation day. At least the day before within Europe, as we are in the U.K. and ideally 3 days before for anywhere else. When we took a cruise from Rio my mums suitcase took 2 days to arrive, luckily it came just before our 3 week cruise.

Having seen first hand how many flights get disrupted, I would never risk flying in the same day personally. On the other hand, we do fly home the same day within Europe. For a longhaul flight home we try and stay a night in a hotel before departing, to get some rest. It's hard to sleep well on the last night of a cruise, with all the noise of baggage being moved all night, and docking somewhere at the crack of dawn.

Flew into San Diego the morning of embarkation once, first flight out of Albuquerque, back in 2004 I think. Times have changed, airport security issues, possible lock-downs...I don't think I'd ever do that again. Now it's usually 1 or maybe 2 days ahead depending on price of flights. Domestically, we usually fly home the day of debarkation unless visiting with family/friends in the region can be arranged.

Foreign travel is very, very different. We use cruises as transportation to far away places rather than fly (Australia) and within a long itinerary cruises break up touring in Europe, sometimes multiple cruises, and then we usually take a cruise back home (TransPacific or TransAtlantic) rather than fly, so then again it all ends with a flight to home airport the afternoon of day of debarkation, but a night at a home airport hotel before we can make the grocery stock-up and the drive home to the mountains where we have a long spin-up to get our mountain home water system up and the place heated.... so no coming home in the late evening for us. But all this might be after 2 -4 months away. Life's been good! No travel planned this year though, at least nothing yet and surely nothing complex! Working on other parts of life.... still good though! m--

We find that three hours is plenty. We went through Santiago twice this winter-both times international flights. It took us 30 minutes max to get from the front door of the terminal past security to the gate area. This has been our experience at most international airports. Usually an hour at most to get through security. The one exception has been LHR on several occasions.

But...we check in on line and don't have any luggage to check. On the rare occasion when we do check luggage we find the lines for luggage drop off much shorter than the check in lines. Especially true for FLL. Just another reason why we do carry on.

We never fly in same day. Usually at least several days.

I am cruising the Fjords this June from Amsterdam. Arrive the day of sailing at 6:00AM. We are, however, spending 5 days in Amsterdam after the cruise.

If I'm sailing out of Copenhagen (train) or Hamburg (drive), then I travel on the day of departure. If I'm sailing out of a port that requires a flight, like Barcelona, then I fly in the day before I sail, and out on disembarkation day.

You've got to kidding right? Europe we always do our vac/holiday where we will be there one to two weeks prior to cruise at least. This past Sept. we traveled to Paris and Nice for a month in an apt. Prior to boarding The European in Venice for our 24 days. Now we are retired well I am my husband is this Feb. in 2013 we did our cruise first on The Nieuw Amsterdam and we were in Milan for a week prior to taking a train into Venice.

I would absolutely go crazy if we traveled even 2 days

Prior to a cruise!! We have seen people at airports delayed and missing flights due to weather etc.! We also make sure when flying to Europe we are pickey about where we fly! Most of the time we have been lucky always non stops from San Francisco to Paris!!!!

Denise :)

Sounds like us. Having agreed, many people may not have the money to do this and MANY ARE NOT world TRAVELERS, but cruise travelers and prefer the more convenient, easier and safer form of travel

Just taking into account the jet lag and time changes involved in flying to Europe, we never fly in less than several days pre-cruise (if we have the time, preferably a week). I'm not going to go that far and spend that much $$ just to be miserable the first day or two of the cruise. We stay a few days post-cruise too for all European cruises.

Just taking into account the jet lag and time changes involved in flying to Europe, we never fly in less than several days pre-cruise (if we have the time, preferably a week). I'm not going to go that far and spend that much $$ just to be miserable the first day or two of the cruise. We stay a few days post-cruise too for all European cruises.

Jet lag didn't seem like much of a problem when we first started to travel to Europe, but now we definitely feel it. When we did our Amsterdam-Antwerp river cruise, we flew to Amsterdam early, partly to get over jet lag, but also to enjoy the city. On the first day of the cruise, many passengers had arrived just that morning, and couldn't believe how bright and awake we were until we said how long we'd been in Amsterdam. They stumbled through the day's tours, and we actually "got" what we were seeing!

Although we fly in a day early it also helps when flying east to try and get a flat bed seat. Got a great price flying thru Toronto on Air Canada, flying to Rome. A little longer trip, but very comfortable business class seats. Flying west the new premium economy seats are not bad at all.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Jet lag didn't seem like much of a problem when we first started to travel to Europe, but now we definitely feel it. When we did our Amsterdam-Antwerp river cruise, we flew to Amsterdam early, partly to get over jet lag, but also to enjoy the city. On the first day of the cruise, many passengers had arrived just that morning, and couldn't believe how bright and awake we were until we said how long we'd been in Amsterdam. They stumbled through the day's tours, and we actually "got" what we were seeing!

So true! And coming from the west coast is even harder! If we were smart we would fly to the east coast, stay a night or two, and then fly on to Europe -- but DH is always in too much of a hurry. ;)