Are We Crazy - Same Day Seattle Arrival

[robbie21]

Thanks for the responses. Yes, it is a non-stop flight. We're scheduled for August. There are no intermediary airports

 

I'm the one pressing for flying in the day before and changing our arrangements. My husband is pressing for taking the risk.

 

I think I will price out the cost of good trip insurance versus readjusting our flight time, adding a hotel stay, and the change in cruise dates.

 

He's all about the bottom line.

 

If I can't get him to change his mind, I'll just have a very stressful day ahead of me.

 

I originally took you at your word that you had no choice but to fly on departure day. So, I was trying to tell you that there was very little to get all worked up about. :D Of course it is "safer" to come a day early if you can but not everyone can schedule the time. Even better come a week early and enjoy all that Seattle has to offer and leave lots of money in our local economy ;).

 

For the rest of the alarmists - Seattle is due for a big earthquake sometime in the next 50 years. Mt Rainier may erupt anytime. The ship could hit a rock and sink (hey, it has happened!). You could get in a traffic accident on the way to the airport. You could be run over by a bus :rolleyes: The point is that there are lots of things that could potentially interfere with your cruise. Some of the one's mentioned above are statistically more likely than any problems with your air connections.

 

So, buy insurance, come early if you can, chill out if you can't. Relax and have a nice trip.:):)

[CRUISING71]

We are going n July on Princess and I book the flight the day off. Will get to Seattle by 9:40. It is a direct flight from SNA.

[snowman70]

We too are flying in the day of our cruise for work reasons too. We land about 10:40am also but are only flying from Denver to Seatac. We have flown many a time on the same day when we used to live in NY for cruises out of FL without ever having a problem. Because of the risks I am looking at moving to Friday night but it would be very late and the 3rd flight leg for my wife that day. Fortunately we are on Southwest so changes are free.

[SadieN]

Thanks for the responses. Yes, it is a non-stop flight. We're scheduled for August. There are no intermediary airports

 

I'm the one pressing for flying in the day before and changing our arrangements. My husband is pressing for taking the risk.

 

I think I will price out the cost of good trip insurance versus readjusting our flight time, adding a hotel stay, and the change in cruise dates.

 

He's all about the bottom line.

 

If I can't get him to change his mind, I'll just have a very stressful day ahead of me.

 

If you do miss the cruise you get to say, "I TOLD YOU SO!" :D

[crzndeb]

Maybe you missed the, "We're flying DIRECT from Atlanta" part.

 

The OP did clarify it was non-stop, but the difference is, a direct flight is one that has other stops, but no plane change, and the flight number remains the same. A non-stop is self explanatory. So yes, a direct as opposed to a non-stop could make a big difference.

[kenish]

The OP did clarify it was non-stop, but the difference is, a direct flight is one that has other stops, but no plane change, and the flight number remains the same. A non-stop is self explanatory. So yes, a direct as opposed to a non-stop could make a big difference.

 

Slight correction...a direct flight *can* involve a plane change at an intermediate stop. When that happens there's no practical difference from a connection. Random example- AA60 is a *direct* flight from NRT (Tokyo Narita) to MIA. It stops in DFW....where you clear Customs and there's a change of plane from a 777 to a 757. (Going from a widebody to a single-aisle plane or vice-versa is nicknamed a "change of gauge" from the railway days).

 

SWA uses a lot of direct flight numbers. A plane may hopscotch across the country making 5 or more stops, with the same flight number the entire way. It may be why SWA obfuscates the difference and you have to dig deeper to tell if a flight from A-B is really nonstop. Example: WN782 is a direct flight from BDL-DEN-AMA-DAL-AUS-OAK-SNA-PHX No problem if you're flying a segment or two, but DEN-SNA could be an interesting and long adventure!

Edited April 10, 2014 by kenish

[mapleleaves]

Regardless of when your flight arrives to Seatac, here are the logistics of it:

either pier is usually a 30 minute drive from the airport, but give it 1 hr due to heavy traffic, city events, road closures, tunnel construction, etc.

 

To save a little time ....as soon as you collect your luggage, use the courtesy phone to call STILA limo which has vehicles stationed in the airport garage, and they'll pick you up at the curb w/in 5 minutes. Or make arrangements with http://www.flatrateforhire.com and they will have a taxi waiting a few blocks from the airport and will also pick you up at the curb w/in 5 minutes.

 

Based on 6 yrs experience I can tell you that on any given departure day in Seattle there is always someone who misses their ship. (or are denied boarding due to lack of proper documentation). And contrary to the previous post ... people CAN fly ahead to meet the ship. People often fly to Ketchikan or Juneau to meet up. But you pay thru the nose for a last minute plane ticket.

Edited April 10, 2014 by mapleleaves

[luv2gamble]

first of all, when I initially made comment it was w the understanding that the op had no alternative but to go the day of. After the fact, the op said its only bec husband dont want to go day b4 meaning dollars and cents. Op said she can change the date bec purchased w points. No way would I go day of if I was able to go the day b4. Face it, the flight should be the same or approx, so the only diff would be the cost of a hotel which you can find pretty cheap like holiday inn express and even get a free breakfast w it. If someone has the opportunity to come day b4 and wont bec of that, they prob should not be going on a cruise in the 1st place. So many posts to help out and its all for the cost of a 1 night hotel bill???????:confused::confused::confused::confused:

[Cruisin' Chick]

Fortunately my hubby isn't like hers. He wouldn't want to start a cruise all stressed out and red-eyed. After the one time that we had booked cruise air (to Miami) and they tried to give us a red-eye flight arriving early the morning of the cruise (and the hotel room we were expecting to have for the night turned into a day room), we said no way and insisted we were changed to a flight the day before to arrive in Miami around 8pm. I can't even remember if he went in to work that day and I think I left a couple of hours early to get home before rush hour and grabbed my packed suitcase.

 

When we got up the morning of our cruise, we were waiting for our elevator to go downstairs. It opened and a group of bedraggled people got out. Turned out they took whatever flight Carnival air gave them and they had just got into Miami. They were going to take a nap in their "day rooms" before getting on the shuttle to the port. From then on, he's had me make the flight and hotel arrangements. We do not go through the cruiseline. And we always get there at least a day ahead. The only exception would be for the Port of Los Angeles as we're an hour's drive, but we always leave in the morning, just in case something happens to our car.

[luv2gamble]

Fortunately my hubby isn't like hers. He wouldn't want to start a cruise all stressed out and red-eyed. After the one time that we had booked cruise air (to Miami) and they tried to give us a red-eye flight arriving early the morning of the cruise (and the hotel room we were expecting to have for the night turned into a day room)' date=' we said no way and insisted we were changed to a flight the day before to arrive in Miami around 8pm. I can't even remember if he went in to work that day and I think I left a couple of hours early to get home before rush hour and grabbed my packed suitcase.

 

When we got up the morning of our cruise, we were waiting for our elevator to go downstairs. It opened and a group of bedraggled people got out. Turned out they took whatever flight Carnival air gave them and they had just got into Miami. They were going to take a nap in their "day rooms" before getting on the shuttle to the port. From then on, he's had me make the flight and hotel arrangements. We do not go through the cruiseline. And we always get there at least a day ahead. The only exception would be for the Port of Los Angeles as we're an hour's drive, but we always leave in the morning, just in case something happens to our car.[/quote']

 

All I have to say is, your 100% correct!

[Flatbush Flyer]

Years ago, we flew up to Seattle from SFO to look at some colleges with our daughter. This was a direct flight on United during a time when I was traveling a lot for work and had "1K" status. Even though special tags on the checked bags identified that status, we were missing one bag when we arrived at SeaTac. I called the 1K number and the good news was that it wasn't lost. The somewhat bad news was that it had been held over with some others for the next flight due to the plane's overall "weight situation." True or not, the bag did arrive at our hotel later that same day. Fortunately, our standard practice has always been to arrive at least one night before the day we have anything scheduled.

 

Arriving by plane on the same day as a cruise leaves is not a very good idea.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[luv2gamble]

Years ago, we flew up to Seattle from SFO to look at some colleges with our daughter. This was a direct flight on United during a time when I was traveling a lot for work and had "1K" status. Even though special tags on the checked bags identified that status, we were missing one bag when we arrived at SeaTac. I called the 1K number and the good news was that it wasn't lost. The somewhat bad news was that it had been held over with some others for the next flight due to the plane's overall "weight situation." True or not, the bag did arrive at our hotel later that same day. Fortunately, our standard practice has always been to arrive at least one night before the day we have anything scheduled.

 

Arriving by plane on the same day as a cruise leaves is not a very good idea.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

So true! According to the OP, she is going in August. With so much notice, and you know and everyone is saying its a bad idea, don't you think you would change it now? Does not make sense. Its a shame if he doesn't bend and be flexible and go the day before. You can find a hotel for $100. Its cheap enough to make the decision a no brainer LOL..The cruise is already being paid by points. If it were me, this thread would not even exist. I would just go the day before and tell my husband that is what we are doing and thats it. Simple. Besides, with all the ideas ppl get from CC, you save money by all the time (like cheaper excursions, cheaper taxi's, etc) :D