Snow??

[newyorkray]

I always fly to Florida a day or two before the cruise (from New York), especially in the winter. I am booked on the Reflection January4th and due to a work situation I am not flying down until Saturday morning, the day of the cruise. Land in Miami at 10:35AM. I booked through ChoiceAir through Celebrityand did take the cruise insurance through Celebrity. Anybody have any snow expeience?? I am so fearful there will be a major snow storm that Friday night. I really don't want to miss the cruise. Anyone know if ChoiceAir tries to rebook for a flight the night or day before? And worst case senerio, does the insurance cover missing a cruise due to snow? I am upset at myself for not going the day before but to rebook now would cost a small fortune.

[Big Chief]

I can't answer for Choice Air, but several years ago we were scheduled to fly the day of the cruise out of Newark. The day before all the flights were cancelled due to snow. When we arrived there were people all over the airport waiting for open flights. We, however, flew on time because of our reservation, while only six people from the day before managed to board our flight. In other words, if you miss a flight due to weather you will find an airport full of people looking for very few open seats. Unlike either missing an active flight, or having a particular flight dropped (for mechanical etc.), weather delays are system wide; every airline is trying to "get their people out". Also weather also results in many planes being "out of position" thus even a scheduled flight the next day can be problematic. Northeast weather is always a problem, but the NY area airports are pretty good at managing modest snow but major storms are another matter. Clearly this is not what you wanted to hear, but problems are not as common as you would think. I am confident that a good Agent (or choice air) will do all they can, but you can't fit 20 pounds of sand into a 10 pound box.

[WestLakeGirl]

Every insurance policy is different. You'll need to read the particulars of the policy you purchased.

 

Some airlines have been known to let people re-book for no fee in advance of a storm.

 

But you don't know at this point what the weather will be on January 4. It's too far out to forecast.

 

And even if you don't have bad weather where you are, if the aircraft you are waiting for gets stuck somewhere else, well.....

[evandbob]

For over 20 cruises, I've always flown in the day of the cruise, and I'm doing that again Jan 4 JFK to SJU for the Summit sailing. In winter you worry about snow, sleet, etc. In summer, T storms or tornadoes can throw airline schedules for a loop. And like Westlake Girl just said, the weather in other areas can affect your own airport. However, it has yet to happen to me, and I'm usually enjoying myself on the ship well before most other people have boarded. Someday it will get me, but in the meantime, the 20+ hotel nights I've saved have paid for a few other cruises.

[herbanrenewal]

i know long range forecats aren't worth much but now we are within the windiw of opportunity for forecasts I'm addicted to looking.

 

I'm flying through JFK on my way to BA on the evening of the 4th.

 

http://www.myforecast.com/bin/expanded_forecast_15day.m?city=24384&metric=false

currently the long range forecast for NYC

Fri, Jan 3

Sunny. Cold. 30°F 18°F 16 mph / N 54% 19°F Minimal 10%

Sat, Jan 4

Sunny. Cold. 30°F 20°F 12 mph / N 42% 20°F Minimal 10%

Sun, Jan 5

Sunny. Chilly. 35°F 26°F 6 mph / N 44% 31°F Minimal 0%

 

There is also an airport delay report on this site for closer to departure.

[travellover39]

i know long range forecats aren't worth much but now we are within the windiw of opportunity for forecasts I'm addicted to looking.

 

I'm flying through JFK on my way to BA on the evening of the 4th.

 

http://www.myforecast.com/bin/expanded_forecast_15day.m?city=24384&metric=false

currently the long range forecast for NYC

Fri, Jan 3

Sunny. Cold. 30°F 18°F 16 mph / N 54% 19°F Minimal 10%

Sat, Jan 4

Sunny. Cold. 30°F 20°F 12 mph / N 42% 20°F Minimal 10%

Sun, Jan 5

Sunny. Chilly. 35°F 26°F 6 mph / N 44% 31°F Minimal 0%

 

There is also an airport delay report on this site for closer to departure.

 

Very nice website. Thanks :)

[ischeer]

We are a party of 6, sailing on Jan 5. We are flying on Jan 4, but from 4 different airports (W. Mass, Chicago, Detroit, Central Ohio.) I am hoping we will all make it to FLL.

[miched]

When we flew we change it to be in a day before just to be able to be rested to enjoy th effort day of the cruise.

 

We never thought about having a problem on the back end and always flew home on the day of departure. Luckily we never had any problems. Now that we have more time we are driving to the ports and have experienced many delays getting into the port on time due to medical emergencies, storms and etc. On one cruise that was supposed to end on Sat didnt get in until 8 that night. People with flights were frantically trying to make rearrangements and one told me that the earliest he could get was Thurs. Something to think about.

 

 

 

.🎅🎄

[JFontaine]

Flying the day before doesn't do you much good if the day before is the day of the snowstorm. If you try to rebook for the next day you will most likely find that those flights are sold out.

 

The best advice is above - if you hear of an advancing storm try to leave before the storm. Most airlines allow you to rebook without a penalty if a storm is forecasted. So be ready early, if bad weather develops. And be flexible with connections, etc. Just don't let them rebook you into an area where the storm is also predicted.

 

Flying in advance has other benefits - time for mechanical delays (entire system not effected), delayed luggage, catching your breath, starting your vacation early, etc. But for a snow storm, you need some luck. So, good luck!

Edited December 25, 2013 by JFontaine

[Scrapnana]

i know long range forecats aren't worth much but now we are within the windiw of opportunity for forecasts I'm addicted to looking.

 

I'm flying through JFK on my way to BA on the evening of the 4th.

 

http://www.myforecast.com/bin/expanded_forecast_15day.m?city=24384&metric=false

 

 

There is also an airport delay report on this site for closer to departure.

 

Thanks for this site-it is really useful! Things are looking good for my flight on the 7th!:)

[alcpa1]

Newyorkray,

While the extended forecast provided above can change, there are a few things you can do proactively.

Read your cruise air and cruise insurance contracts carefully. There may be some things in both that will leave you shaking your head.

Carry the telephone numbers for both either in your cell phone or in a convenient place. And, of course, record the phone number for your airline.

Do a little homework and find alternate flights with your assigned airline and alternates that will get you in to Miami before 1. (I am presuming you are sailing out of the Port of Miami.) There should be alternate flights into Ft. Lauderdale but you'd best arrive by noon in order to get to the ship in Miami before the 90 minute cut off.

I hope you have a passport. In the event you miss the sailing and the first port you can reroute to is not a US port you will be denied passage. Also note, that there are several island/countries where you cannot board - Jamaica and Haiti come to mind. Please note that I said reroute because there is no guarantee you could get a flight to the first port.

For future reference, you would have had better options booking both your own air and your own insurance. The next time you cruise check out insuremytripdotcom.

Good luck and have a wonderful cruise.

[Host Jazzbeau]

There have been a number of threads on different forums regarding air purchased through a cruise line.

 

Apparently the most important thing to check on is what type of ticket you got from the airline. If you're lucky, it's a regular ticket -- that means the airline will help you get rebooked if there's trouble. But if you get a ticket market "NONEND" or "NONRER" you'll be left helpless.

 

Here's my source for the above info:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=41048267&postcount=78

[newyorkray]

Thanks for all the input, if there should be a forcast of snow I will probably see about re-booking before the storm. It's an early flight on the 4th, leaving at 7:25AM. I still get very excited going on a cruise like it was my first on the Celebrity Meridian in 1995. At this point we would pay whatever if we need to re-book a day or two earlier (not that I am wealthy but just don't take my cruise away )

[Algebralovr]

If you do end up with a winter storm, chances are you'll be able to meet up with the ship on the first port in San Juan. That happened to a number of northeastern people last February when I sailed on the Reflection, and it happened a couple of weeks back to someone flying out of Dallas as well. Again, be sure you have the schedule so that you can propose alternates to the agent.

 

It is recommended that you keep an eye on the weather, and be able to travel early rather than late, and also have the schedules for the airlines in the same network available that the airline might code share with.

[phoenix_dream]

Do I have any snow experience? On my first cruise, which also happened to be my honeymoon, and also happened to be in January, we were flying in the day of. We had a one stop from Chicago through St. Louis to Miami. St. Louis got hit with a big sleet storm and our flight was cancelled. At the time we were using a TA and she got on the phone post haste and we ended up on a non-stop and got to the cruise on time. In our 30+ cruises since then, we have learned to fly in one or two days before.

 

But you already know to do that. My advice mirrors others - be prepared. Check out alternatives and have a number in hand if the worst happens and it looks like there might be issues. Read over the fine print in the insurance and Choice Air docs. Figure out which would be the first port you could fly to if need be. Unfortunately, that does not always work. Apparently on some islands you cannot board the ship. On others, you can't fly direct and by the time you make your connection you can't catch the ship. Even to Puerto Rico, there are a limited number of flights available and those would fill up fast so homework ahead of time is key. After all that - RELAX and try not to worry about it. You can only prepare ahead of time. After that it is in the hands of God, or fate, whichever you believe in. Best of luck.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Fingers crossed: the 10-day forecast shows clear weather in NY on Jan. 4.

[JFontaine]

Anybody remember when Regis Philbin flew to a Celebrity cruise in the midst of a snowstorm, also from NY? I was on that cruise too.

 

The storm was predicted for the day before the cruise, which was my travel day. The airlines allowed you to change flights for free, so I decided to leave a day early. Sure enough, the storm started that night, and all flights out of NY were impacted. I finally got on a flight to Palm Beach, not Fort Lauderdale, that arrived at 3 am. It was a long and expensive cab ride.

 

If I recall correctly, Regis was scheduled to fly the morning of the cruise. Things in NY were still messed up, but somehow he got on a flight - but in the commotion of the weather - without his wallet. He told many jokes about sticking his travel companions with his bills.

 

Good luck to the original poster. Weather forecast looks good so far.

[riclop]

I always fly to Florida a day or two before the cruise (from New York), especially in the winter. I am booked on the Reflection January4th and due to a work situation I am not flying down until Saturday morning, the day of the cruise. Land in Miami at 10:35AM. I booked through ChoiceAir through Celebrityand did take the cruise insurance through Celebrity. Anybody have any snow expeience?? I am so fearful there will be a major snow storm that Friday night. I really don't want to miss the cruise. Anyone know if ChoiceAir tries to rebook for a flight the night or day before? And worst case senerio, does the insurance cover missing a cruise due to snow? I am upset at myself for not going the day before but to rebook now would cost a small fortune.

There is a blizzard on that day.

[waterbug123]

Fingers crossed: the 10-day forecast shows clear weather in NY on Jan. 4.

 

That would be wonderful news, except that the planes all end up in NY after flying in from other places, and many of the crew end up in NY after flying in from other places. So the weather can be fantastic in NY, but if your plane is stuck in Minneapolis, and your crew is stuck in Atlanta, YOU may end up stuck in NY, even though the weather there is lovely. :eek:

[evandbob]

That would be wonderful news, except that the planes all end up in NY after flying in from other places, and many of the crew end up in NY after flying in from other places. So the weather can be fantastic in NY, but if your plane is stuck in Minneapolis, and your crew is stuck in Atlanta, YOU may end up stuck in NY, even though the weather there is lovely. :eek:

 

This scenario can apply to late morning or afternoon flights. It generally does not apply to morning flights. One can call the airline the day before and ask where a flight originates from just to be sure the plane will be parked at the gate.

It seems like 90% of CC posters say they fly in the day before or earlier, while most cruisers I've talked to on board a ship have flown in that day.

[JFontaine]

Aren't most flights between NY and Florida just that - back and forth between NY and Florida? So if there is no storm in NY there should be no weather related problems. There are standby crews in big airports like NY, where the original poster is.

[newyorkray]

Thank you for all who replied, however I am beginning to think my concern may not be warranted. It is Wednesdayy Jan 1 (HAPPY NEW YEARS) and they are predicting 6-10 inches of snow Thursday into Friday. My flight to Miami is 7:25 AM Saturday for Saturday's Reflection sailing. I am sure the airports will be ok on Saturday but a lot of people may have cancelled flights Thurs and Fri and afraid we may get bumped Saturday in favor of those who had earlier cancelled flights. Hope ChoiceAir can help me if that happens!

[Tomato53]

Good luck Ray!

 

Looks like the storm should pass before you fly. It's going to be freezing so your cruise timing is great!

[bbappel]

Check in at 7:25 am on Friday and show up at 6:00 am and you should be fine. Just a suggestion.

Beth

[jerseygirl3]

Thank you for all who replied, however I am beginning to think my concern may not be warranted. It is Wednesdayy Jan 1 (HAPPY NEW YEARS) and they are predicting 6-10 inches of snow Thursday into Friday. My flight to Miami is 7:25 AM Saturday for Saturday's Reflection sailing. I am sure the airports will be ok on Saturday but a lot of people may have cancelled flights Thurs and Fri and afraid we may get bumped Saturday in favor of those who had earlier cancelled flights. Hope ChoiceAir can help me if that happens!

 

You will not be cancelled in favor of those whose flights on thursday and friday were cancelled. they will be on standby, not you.

 

looks like it worked for you this time. we plan to fly out (from atlantic city) on Jan 29 (2 days prior to our cruise). if a storm is predicted we;d have time to jump in the car and drive to ft. lauderdale.