Questions for those of you who fly

We have always driven to all of our cruises and this time I'm trying to

talk to my husband into flying. He DOES NOT want to fly but since

it will just be the 2 of us instead of the whole family I'm trying to get

him to consider it.

 

We live in north Georgia and will be leaving out of Port Canaveral so we

would be looking at a 9 hour drive. We are doing an 8 day Southern so

we would have to fly down or drive down on Valentine's Day.

 

Do most of you chance flying in the same day or do you fly in the day

before? We don't usually have very much bad weather but our luck would

be that it would come a blizzard about the time of our flights.

 

Also, on the way back - how much time should we allow from getting

from Port Canaveral back to the airport in Orlando. I would really

prefer flying in Daytona but the rates are much higher than flying into

Orlando.

 

We usually do self assist debark - would I be ok with a flight that leaves

Orlando at 10:25 or would that be pushing it?

 

We can definitely drive and pay to park cheaper but that doesn't

count the time we will be in the car actually driving.

 

Thoughts and experiences please?

Fly the day before.

We always fly the day before with enough time to jump in the car and drive if something catastrophic happens at the airport. Sidenote, if you can fly out of Chattanooga instead of ATL you can fly allegiance and they have tickets for $47 each way even with the baggage fee it’s a great deal. They fly into Sanford also a hour drive to the port. I hope you can convince your DH to fly

Since it sounds like you find the long drive less than exciting, so, too, would be missing the ship because of some delay. Have you thought about going in to your port (or maybe just fairly close) EITHER way the day before. Get extra rest, a nice dinner, stay in a decent motel/hotel. Then, you get to the ship bright-eyed and ready to enjoy your cruise.

I personally would never fly the “day of” for several reasons. One, the exhaustion of the run to the airport then sit and wait, etc. But, also, on our first-ever cruise years ago, not knowing better, we flew from Detroit to San Francisco the morning of our cruise. Beautiful sunny day in July. What could go wrong? One of the flight attendants got a bloody nose which even a doctor could not stop. We emergency-landed in Denver. And, regulations said we had to refuel. It was only about an extra hour and a half, but my knuckles are STILL sore from my clenched fists.......:D:D:D:D

Agree with flying in the day prior...you never know what might affect air travel! A snowstorm elsewhere can delay YOUR plane, even in sunny Ga!!

You don't need to stay an extra day after the cruise....book something after noon, and you'll be fine.

Weather elsewhere has affected my flights significantly two separate times so I strongly agree with this. Flying from Minneapolis once in Nov, skies were clear as could be but I was flying into Denver which was under a major blizzard. I arrived over ten hours later than expected.

Second one, my husband and I were flying from CA to MN. Again, no problems on the MN end which we always brace ourselves for, but there was a storm in the Pac NW where our plane was coming from which delayed our take off and led to us missing our connection in AZ causing us to have to spend the night there. Crazy things can and do happen.

Personally, I'd just drive from GA.

Not only would I go a day earlier when I fly, I have went a day earlier when I drove the 4 hours from NY to Baltimore in February. I am not a worrier however it is not worth the stress of missing a cruise because of something out of your control like the weather. Good luck!

We have always driven to all of our cruises and this time I'm trying to

talk to my husband into flying. He DOES NOT want to fly but since

it will just be the 2 of us instead of the whole family I'm trying to get

him to consider it.

 

We live in north Georgia and will be leaving out of Port Canaveral so we

would be looking at a 9 hour drive. We are doing an 8 day Southern so

we would have to fly down or drive down on Valentine's Day.

 

Do most of you chance flying in the same day or do you fly in the day

before? We don't usually have very much bad weather but our luck would

be that it would come a blizzard about the time of our flights.

 

Also, on the way back - how much time should we allow from getting

from Port Canaveral back to the airport in Orlando. I would really

prefer flying in Daytona but the rates are much higher than flying into

Orlando.

 

We usually do self assist debark - would I be ok with a flight that leaves

Orlando at 10:25 or would that be pushing it?

 

We can definitely drive and pay to park cheaper but that doesn't

count the time we will be in the car actually driving.

 

Thoughts and experiences please?

I'm with your husband. I love flying, but flying is not always the best thing. 9 hour drive. You need to drive to the airport (1 hour which includes parking etc) Than you arrive at least 2 hours early (2 hours). Assuming you have a direct flight. (2 hours). Than you need to have transportation from MCO arranged. Time at airport (1 hour). Going to port. (1.5 hours).

By my count, you save 1 hour of time. You have many segments to manage. Jumping in a car, driving straight is just so much easier.

I fly all the time. I like flying. I have been on a plane on several occasions where the flight itself lasted 15 hours. But I only do it when it makes sense.

We have always driven to all of our cruises and this time I'm trying to

talk to my husband into flying. He DOES NOT want to fly but since

it will just be the 2 of us instead of the whole family I'm trying to get

him to consider it.

 

We live in north Georgia and will be leaving out of Port Canaveral so we

would be looking at a 9 hour drive. We are doing an 8 day Southern so

we would have to fly down or drive down on Valentine's Day.

 

Do most of you chance flying in the same day or do you fly in the day

before? We don't usually have very much bad weather but our luck would

be that it would come a blizzard about the time of our flights.

 

Also, on the way back - how much time should we allow from getting

from Port Canaveral back to the airport in Orlando. I would really

prefer flying in Daytona but the rates are much higher than flying into

Orlando.

 

We usually do self assist debark - would I be ok with a flight that leaves

Orlando at 10:25 or would that be pushing it?

 

We can definitely drive and pay to park cheaper but that doesn't

count the time we will be in the car actually driving.

 

Thoughts and experiences please?

We will be on the same cruise. We live in Ohio and have flown into the port city one or two days before sailing all but once. Too many variables out of our control with flights, weather, etc. to wait to fly on the day of sailing. We sailed out of Port Canaveral last spring. We flew into Sanford aiport (cheap direct flight on Allegiant from Columbus) and got a rental car for the day. We went through Budget and they have a shuttle from the rental location to the ship. It worked great.

There are plenty of hotel choices in the Orlando and Port Canaveral areas to suit anyone's preferences, so enjoy a the rest of your travel day and get a good night's sleep before the Sunshine sails away the next day!

As for the return flight, I agree with the others who have said that 10:25 is too early to be sure you will make it. Again, too many variables out of your control. Hopefully you can find a later flight. Hope to see you on board!!

We always fly in at least 1 day prior. We have had too many delayed flights to ever take that chance. There would have been quite a few times if we had flown in the day of we would have missed our cruise. FYI all of our delays were due to mechanical or other issues not the weather.

Wow! Thanks everyone for your experiences and advice.

Not only does my husband not like to fly, he has some health issues and being in the car

for 9 hours is hard on him. We do plan on leaving a day early but unfortunately I have to

work that day and so our drive wouldn't be able to start until probably 6 or 7 pm on Thursday

evening before we board the ship on Friday. We are also leaving 4 kids home with my oldest

who just started her first year teaching and she has made us promise to stay home as long

as we can since she is going to have them for 9 days already lol!

The jury is still out....we are looking at everything - cost, time, hassle of getting to and

from the airport in Orlando, etc. Several of you mentioned by the time we drive to the

airport in Atlanta, arrive at least 1 to 1/2 hours early, fly and then get to Port Canaveral, we

will be close to our 9 hours anyway and believe me, I've thought of that as well.

We will get it figured out and decide what we think will

be best for us though - still have a little time.

Thanks again for all your help!

I have to agree with your husband. If you really add up all the time it takes to fly these days, anything around 8 hours is better to drive. Atlanta to Port Canaveral is 7 hours. You are expected to get to the airport 2 hours before a flight and in ATL you need it. That along with the flight, navigating the airport, retrieving bags and getting a ride to the hotel involves 5 hours easy. Add to that the bag restrictions and cost savings and I would drive that distance also.

That being said, it is a 14 hour drive for us to our cruise and we fly and drive. We never fly the day of. Weather is not the only reasons cancellations happen and they happen pretty often. The airline does not care if you are going to miss a cruise. I also think 10:25 is too early a flight. Although with hustle, you could probably make the airport by 9:30.

Another idea we have been doing lately when driving is breaking the trip in half. Drive halfway leaving the house early, stay in a nice hotel with a hot tub and dine somewhere really nice and then continue the next day still arriving in port city a day early and seeing something local. Really makes the drive easier if you have the time.

Oh and it might have just been a bad day, but last time I flew out of MCO I almost missed my flight due to the security line. In Nashville I can be from my car through security in under 15 minutes consistently. I arrived in MCO with 1:45 until boarding time and found myself standing in a line that listed the time to make it through the line as 1:45. Luckily it was a little faster than that and I made it, but it was close.

Georgia~ We also are in North Georgia and as we have gotten older, those drives just aren't as fun as they used to be! LOL

That being said, we're cruising with our 23 yr old daughter in September and are driving to Port Canaveral. It takes us about 8.5-9 hrs as well. We're sailing out of FLL in February and hubby bought flights for us. :hearteyes: We're flying in the morning of our cruise and I'm a little nervous about that, but it is what it is. Then in June, we're flying to Alaska (obviously)

I think we have decided that Port Canaveral, Tampa and New Orleans all being right around an 8 hr drive are all doable for us for now. Anything further like FLL or Miami, we will at least check out flight pricing to cruise out of those again.

We always fly in the day before because we can board the ship relaxed. Our first cruise we flew in day of and I was nervous till we were on the ship.

I've never cruised out of Port Canaveral, but I think the airport is an hour away from the port. An early flight home could end up ruining your relaxing cruise if there are any delays.

We will be on the same cruise. We live in Ohio and have flown into the port city one or two days before sailing all but once. Too many variables out of our control with flights, weather, etc. to wait to fly on the day of sailing. We sailed out of Port Canaveral last spring. We flew into Sanford aiport (cheap direct flight on Allegiant from Columbus) and got a rental car for the day. We went through Budget and they have a shuttle from the rental location to the ship. It worked great.

 

There are plenty of hotel choices in the Orlando and Port Canaveral areas to suit anyone's preferences, so enjoy a the rest of your travel day and get a good night's sleep before the Sunshine sails away the next day!

 

As for the return flight, I agree with the others who have said that 10:25 is too early to be sure you will make it. Again, too many variables out of your control. Hopefully you can find a later flight. Hope to see you on board!!

Wow - small world I suppose! Who all is cruising with you? It will just be the two of us this trip. We've been looking for

friends to come with us but so far have had no luck. It's always so much more fun when you have someone to hang out with. Hope we see you on board. I haven't even checked the roll call yet - have you?

Have you been to any of these same islands yet?

I'm with your husband. I love flying, but flying is not always the best thing. 9 hour drive. You need to drive to the airport (1 hour which includes parking etc) Than you arrive at least 2 hours early (2 hours). Assuming you have a direct flight. (2 hours). Than you need to have transportation from MCO arranged. Time at airport (1 hour). Going to port. (1.5 hours).

 

By my count, you save 1 hour of time. You have many segments to manage. Jumping in a car, driving straight is just so much easier. .... But I only do it when it makes sense.

I think this quote sums it up pretty clear. Flying in this day and age is a real hassle, although at certain distances its an absolute necessity. Parking at port may offset the cost factor savings of transportation to and from MCO, but that depends if you are going to be parking at your airport also. I would drive part way the evening before, stop at a decent but cheaper hotel and finish with a few hours drive the morning of departure. - - Wish i was that close to a cruise port, my closest is 14 hours and that just about over the line.

We have always driven to all of our cruises and this time I'm trying to

talk to my husband into flying. He DOES NOT want to fly but since

it will just be the 2 of us instead of the whole family I'm trying to get

him to consider it.

 

We live in north Georgia and will be leaving out of Port Canaveral so we

would be looking at a 9 hour drive. We are doing an 8 day Southern so

we would have to fly down or drive down on Valentine's Day.

 

Do most of you chance flying in the same day or do you fly in the day

before? We don't usually have very much bad weather but our luck would

be that it would come a blizzard about the time of our flights.

 

Also, on the way back - how much time should we allow from getting

from Port Canaveral back to the airport in Orlando. I would really

prefer flying in Daytona but the rates are much higher than flying into

Orlando.

 

We usually do self assist debark - would I be ok with a flight that leaves

Orlando at 10:25 or would that be pushing it?

 

We can definitely drive and pay to park cheaper but that doesn't

count the time we will be in the car actually driving.

 

Thoughts and experiences please?

Flying in to cruise from Port Canaveral is a pain in the rump! I would drive.

Maybe I missed something but if it’s bad weather you’re worried about, wouldn’t that also affect flights ?

And if you’re worried about getting there too late, why not drive but drive in the day before and enjoy both worlds (get there early and avoid flight costs). Or drive and stay somewhere on the way so you only have a few hour drive on the day of the cruise.

As for return flight time, 10:25 seems like it’s a little risky. If the ship gets back on time and you get off first, it’s doable but I wouldn’t cut it that close if it were me

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10:25 am return flight out of MCO is to early. Even if you are first people off and thru customs its a hour drive to the airport, without traffic issues. Then MCO is a very busy airport so plan on at least 30 min to get thru security. Much better luck with a 11:30 or 12:30 flight

I think you're getting it figured out Georgia. You can easily catch an ATL-MCO flight after work, stay in a hotel near the MCO airport and comfortably shuttle in the morning. Alternatively, you can easily get in the car after rush hour and do a handful of hours grabbing a roadside motel at 11p near the Fla/Ga border finishing up in the morning. Both are solid plans. Both have you rested for the cruise with a solid emergency cushion.

While driving is never an option for us, that 'evening before' flight is a staple for us from Chicago. We've gone as far as Anchorage or San Juan that way. Further afield would take 'all' of the day before (say, sailing out of Barbados).

My thoughts are below:

Wow! Thanks everyone for your experiences and advice.

 

Not only does my husband not like to fly, he has some health issues and being in the car

for 9 hours is hard on him. I would drive, splitting the trip over 2 days. We do plan on leaving a day early but unfortunately I have to work that day and so our drive wouldn't be able to start until probably 6 or 7 pm on Thursday evening before we board the ship on Friday. If you have to work, it really makes sense to drive since I'm guessing flight times would be limited/late. We are also leaving 4 kids home with my oldest who just started her first year teaching and she has made us promise to stay home as long

as we can since she is going to have them for 9 days already lol! You may need to explain that as long as possible is earlier than she would like considering her father's health. I hope that isn't too harsh - does she have back-up/respite care during the 9 days if she's concerned? (Feel free to ignore if you were mostly joking;))

 

The jury is still out....we are looking at everything - cost, time, hassle of getting to and

from the airport in Orlando, etc. Several of you mentioned by the time we drive to the

airport in Atlanta, arrive at least 1 to 1/2 hours early, fly and then get to Port Canaveral, we

will be close to our 9 hours anyway and believe me, I've thought of that as well.

Driving 4-5 hours each Thursday night/Friday morning seems ideal for getting there, and you would have more time freedom on your return.

 

We will get it figured out and decide what we think will

be best for us though - still have a little time.

 

Thanks again for all your help!

I have always flown and I always arrive the day before. You never know what can happen (weather, mechanical issues, some other issue) that could delay your flight the day of. Even with a 9 hour drive I’d probably arrive the day before and get a hotel. Snowstorm, accident closing the Highway, etc.

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We have always driven to all of our cruises and this time I'm trying to

talk to my husband into flying. He DOES NOT want to fly but since

it will just be the 2 of us instead of the whole family I'm trying to get

him to consider it.

 

We live in north Georgia and will be leaving out of Port Canaveral so we

would be looking at a 9 hour drive. We are doing an 8 day Southern so

we would have to fly down or drive down on Valentine's Day.

 

Do most of you chance flying in the same day or do you fly in the day

before? We don't usually have very much bad weather but our luck would

 

be that it would come a blizzard about the time of our flights.

 

Also, on the way back - how much time should we allow from getting

from Port Canaveral back to the airport in Orlando. I would really

prefer flying in Daytona but the rates are much higher than flying into

Orlando.

 

We usually do self assist debark - would I be ok with a flight that leaves

Orlando at 10:25 or would that be pushing it?

 

We can definitely drive and pay to park cheaper but that doesn't

count the time we will be in the car actually driving.

 

Thoughts and experiences please?

Since we normally fly into ports (live in So. Cal and we prefer the Caribbean) we have flown in on red eyes BUT I am meticulous about our routes into cities. Galveston we flew in the day before and spent the night (and soooo glad we did as a storm came through), I do not mind driving (9 hours is not a difficult drive for me) although my husband hates it! Personally, I would drive down the day before and start my vacay that way. If flying, 10:25 would be pushing it a bit (I am a worry wart), I am pretty easy going and relaxed when I travel but that is because I plan for things and if something goes wrong I always prefer a built in cushion!

If it was me? I'd fly in a day early and get a nice hotel*. I'm sick of driving. Life is short. Start your vacation a day early. It's only a few dollars. Worth every penny IMHO. **

* No really. I mean a "NICE" Hotel.

** Been on plenty of cruises and know what I'm talking about.

:halo:

We usually fly in the day before just to be on the safe side (live in Southern Maryland). Back in January 2016, we were scheduled to go on a cruise out of Miami. Just so happens that a blizzard was headed our way. We had flights booked through Southwest and watching the weather, we knew they would be cancelled. Luckily, Southwest doesn't charge change or cancellation fees so we got all of our money back (as a credit) and rented cars. It took a total of 17 hours to get down there, which was rough.

Once again, we have booked another January cruise coming up in 2019. We have decided to drive down there pre-cruise then fly home post-cruise. We rented a car (through Travelocity-no credit card info needed so cancelling is easy) and will drop off right near Port Canaveral. After a vacation, the last thing I want to do is drive 14 hours. Doing it this way will save me about $500. If the flight costs go down, I'll fly and keep the rental car "just in case".

We always fly but Orlando airport and Port Canaveral are both a zoo. Never again. Drive in a day early, having your car will save you a lot of grief, we waited over an hour just trying to get transportation to the pier.