Flying in the day of the cruise, need advise.

Ok, now, all these talks about delays in check in, etc is making me nervous! We are due to fly into Miami the day of our sailing. We are supposed to arrive by 10 AM. I was thinking that this would be enough time for us since the port is not far from the airport....now, Im thinking that I made a big mistake and should have just scheduled to fly I the day before as we always have. I dont want us to mis the boat! Have you ever flewn in the day of sailing?

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We've only flown in the same day as our cruise once. Not to be negative but the stress associated with a delayed flight was almost too much to handle. We made it but only because we ended up paying a huge taxi fare and we ran all the way into the terminal, we were so close to departure that we didn't even have time to xray bags, just a quick hand check while an agent was running for our room keys. Honestly, never again. Now on the positive side thousands of people do this every week and they are completely fine. Sending happy thoughts for smooth travel:)

I'd only fly in the day of embarkation if I had travel insurance.

Never, ever fly in same day. So many potential issues...rebook if possible. Last time, I had a 6 am flight, should have been it at FLL by 1 pm. Huge rain and the flight crew did not make it to the airport on time. It was close to 11 pm by the time I arrived. Good thing I cruised the day.

We have done it 6 times without a problem but we only have about a 2 hr. flight from NC. The latest we ever landed was 12:30 and had no problems.

My DH and I have flown to a dozen cruises and only one have we flown in the day before. We fly to FLA most often and usually fly in around 11 or 12. I do try to have a direct flight however. But we have a little longer than you to get to the port if we cruise out of Miami as we most always fly into Ft. Lauderdale. (Southwest) Also we mostly cruise in April and the hurricane season and rarely have any issues with snow. So we are very comfortable flying in day of.

Have a great cruise!

Never, ever fly in same day. So many potential issues...rebook if possible. Last time, I had a 6 am flight, should have been it at FLL by 1 pm. Huge rain and the flight crew did not make it to the airport on time. It was close to 11 pm by the time I arrived. Good thing I cruised the day.

Put me down for this ;)

Have to agree with the others.. We always fly in the day before just to avoid the stress.

Now with that said, so many people do fly in the day they are cruising and it is fine. I am sure yours will be too. I am just stating my preference... Enjoy your cruise:)

We live in Atlanta and there are at least a dozen direct flights a day from ATL to Miami. So, for us it depends on the season, if its Winter, we'll go in a day early because "old man winter" can play havoc with the airlines. If its a spring/summer cruise, we're good going in the same day. We just book an early flight.

I've always flown in the same day. Each time we flew in early morning and the ship left in the late afternoon. It is a matter of luck and season. Bad snowstorms etc.

If it makes you feel any better, on the departure day of our RCCL cruise we flew to San Juan from Minneapolis made a connection in Atlanta in the middle of winter and we didn't buy travel insurance but we made it! :D

If you're flying nonstop and arriving at 10am you will make it but having travel insurance might give you peace of mind. Good luck!

I've flown in the same day for all of my cruises. Maybe I've just been lucky, but I've never had any problems getting to Miami port on time, and we fly into Ft Lauderdale! Have cruised during winter and hurricane season, but flights were never delayed enough for us to miss embarkation!

As I said, maybe I've just been lucky- I probably just shot myself in the foot for my cruise at the end of this month! In any case, good luck and enjoy your cruise :)

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okay guys, OP has already booked a flight and telling them to change the flight (generally $150 change fee plus difference in fare - per ticket) is probably not reasonable.

I have flown in 3 times the day of the cruise all without problems. If I could have flown in the day before each time, i would have. But it was never possible. Again though, never had any problems flying in the day of the cruise.

After a major delay on one of my first cruises that caused me to almost miss the ship, I decided to always fly in the day before.

If you arrive on time, you should have plenty of time to get to the port- I don't think the TSA delays will affect getting out of the airport after arrival.

On my last flight to my recent cruise, a woman and her daughter were scheduled to arrive at the airport at 2pm for a 4pm departure time. That timing wouldn't have worked if all her stars aligned.

The airplane was delayed and we did not even get to the airport until just before 4pm and she still had to get to the port. I have no doubt that the woman and her daughter missed their very first Disney cruise, I felt really bad for both of them.

I guess it's just a matter of whether your are comfortable that you will be able to catch another flight if yours gets delayed and if you wil have enough time to get to the port. You are supposed to be checked in about an hour before departure, as well.

We usually cruise during DD's April vacation, however, DH is a CPA, and ta season doesn't officially end until 4/15.:mad::mad: So, this year, we are flying in on the morning of the cruise, and hoping for the best!!! We really have no other choice. And we didn't buy travel insurance:eek::eek:

Back in the old days, we flew in the same day. We had a few close calls and now always fly in a day before. We relax that night and get to the port clean and well rested. With all of the airline mergers, change in rules, many fewer flights especially direct it is too risky. I used to say that you could fly anywhere in the world nonstop from Newark on Continental. Now with United, flights are constantly canceled at the last minute. There are many fewer flights and they are all packed. All airlines are using hubs that can be a nightmare. All of the insurance won't get you on the ship at debarkation if your plane arrives late.

You should be fine. You can handle up to 3 hours of flight delays and still make the ship.

You're much less likely to be hit with a delay when you leave early in the morning. The air traffic system gets worse as the day goes on because of the cascading effect of delays.

Back in the old days, we flew in the same day. We had a few close calls and now always fly in a day before. We relax that night and get to the port clean and well rested. With all of the airline mergers, change in rules, many fewer flights especially direct it is too risky. I used to say that you could fly anywhere in the world nonstop from Newark on Continental. Now with United, flights are constantly canceled at the last minute. There are many fewer flights and they are all packed. All airlines are using hubs that can be a nightmare. All of the insurance won't get you on the ship at debarkation if your plane arrives late.

I was on United 3-weeks ago and had a connection through Chicago to LAX and when I arrived my luggage did not make it. Luckily I got in at 11am for a 4pm cruise and was able to wait around for my luggage on the next flight at 1pm. If you fly on the same day as embarkation try to avoid connected flights and leave yourself 4+ hours before the ship sails. If this is too stressful fly in the night before.

As an airline pilot, I've seen my share of crying passengers over the years because they missed their cruise. Knowing all the things that can go wrong (and that can delay or cancel a flight even on the most gloriously beautiful day), I would never, EVER fly on the same day of the cruise. Don't be fooled, even those of you who say "I have a short flight" or "I have a nonstop flight" or "there are plenty of flights". If your flight is cancelled, that doesn't guarantee that you will be accommodated on a flight that will get you to port in time.

To all the people who say: "Sure! I've done it plenty of times with no problems", All it will take is ONE cancelled or delayed flight before you change your advice.

You should be fine. You can handle up to 3 hours of flight delays and still make the ship. You're much less likely to be hit with a delay when you leave early in the morning. The air traffic system gets worse as the day goes on because of the cascading effect of delays.

And this is one example of bad advice. Air traffic control is just ONE of the many things that can delay a flight. I've lost count of the times I've been delayed on the first flight of the morning. Maintenance issues, crew rest issues, morning fog, station issues, early morning sick calls (with no crewmember to replace the sick one), unseasonably chilly mornings that require de-ice (and nobody had the common sense to get the de-ice trucks ready) as late as May or as early as September, etc, etc, etc

O never take connecting flights which is an advantage I have of being close to a hub. But, too many flights are canceled due to weather, crew issues, airport traffic delays, inbound flight delays, etc. These are different times. My son flew home 8 times last year and 3 of those flights were canceled. With fewer flights and planes flying full, you no longer have the option of falling back on a later flight. I see no advantage of flying in the same day other than the cost of a hotel. Peace of mind wins hands down for me.

Thanks for the insights guys...we are leaving around 6Am from NYC, direct flight to MIA, scheduled arrival at 10 AM. Now this is the first time we are trying this same day flying and we are only planning on traveling light...meaning all 4 (DH, 17 y/o DD, and 8 y/o DS) of us will be taking carry on luggage on a b2b2b cruise (4-4-3 days). This is going to be my ultimate packing test! so no check-ins. I will try this once but the stress is definitely not worth it...

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I flew in the same day on my last cruise-it was a direct flight to Miami with some time to spare. We used Carnival Transfers and had a really good experience with that, were able to check in/get sign and sail cards at the airport, then use the VIP lanes at the port.

To piggyback on Tapi.....

I'm a flight attendant and have seen my fair share of people almost miss their cruise as well. So many people are saying I fly when there shouldn't be a snow storm or bad weather. All it takes is a 30 minute thunderstorm with lightning to disrupt airport operations for the day. Flying in the spring is just as bad as flying in the winter honestly. Here in Atlanta, about two weeks ago, there was a bad hail storm that completely SHUT DOWN the airport (and the rest of the city for that matter). When the storm ended, planes then couldn't fly because they had to be inspected for damage. Never say we shouldn't have bad weather because we're flying in whatever month. Mother Nature strikes whenever she wants.

About 2 months ago, I had a group of friends heading from up north to Ft. Lauderdale to take a cruise from Miami. One friend got caught up in TSA and missed the flight. There were no more nonstop flights that day and no flights where she could connect and make it to Florida in time. It was a 3 day Bahamas cruise and according to her friends, she didn't have a passport to fly into Nassau and she didn't have travel insurance either. Poor girl missed her vacation and lost all her money. Another reason I recommend travel insurance and cruising with a passport.

To the OP- you should be fine. You're on a nonstop flight, which is good. Have a great cruise! :)

But to everyone else wondering if you should fly in the day before, I'd HIGHLY recommend it.

We have flown in the day of our cruise twice. Once we made the ship with time to spare. The other time we "missed the boat" entirely because of air delays, and had to catch up with it two days later at the second port. Thank goodness for Travel Insurance.

I would try not to stress OP. As others have said, thousands of people do it every week, and if the flights are already booked there isn't a great deal you can do about it anyway. Me personally, I would be stressed out the whole way but that probably just says more about my personality than the situation. Good move on taking only carry-on luggage! One less thing to worry about. Have a great cruise!