How Often do you Gamble with Flights?

[skrufy]

If you must fly the day of your cruise, take the earliest flight you can find thats non-stop. Never have connecting flights the day of cruise, eliminates one possible delay.

[ihavecats]

Please also remember that most insurance coverage has a stipulation that your flight needs to be delayed by x amount of hours before their coverage kicks in. The insurance we purchased for example states that we need at least a 6 hour delay before they cover us.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I'm not a gambler with travel. From the time I make the initial budget, I include early arrival if it's a cruise trip. If I can't afford that day early arrival, I can't afford the cruise. Plain and simple.

 

That's how we feel. If we can't manage getting to the embarkation city the day before at the least, we're not going then. And that includes not booking red-eyed flights. Why start your cruise all-bleary-eyed?

 

The only time we don't do this is when we're leaving from our home port, which is an hour's drive away...and even then, we're ready to leave by 9:30 or 10.

[Zach1213]

That's how we feel. If we can't manage getting to the embarkation city the day before at the least' date=' we're not going then. And that includes not booking red-eyed flights. Why start your cruise all-bleary-eyed?

 

The only time we don't do this is when we're leaving from our home port, which is an hour's drive away...and even then, we're ready to leave by 9:30 or 10.[/quote']

 

 

I have to take red eyes from LA to Dallas or Chicago a few times each year. Most recently was a few weeks ago. I hate them and they mess me up for a day or two...even if I sleep the whole flight, it's maybe 2.5 hours of so-so sleep. Can't imagine starting a vacation like that. Just isn't worth it to me.

[Shmoo here]

Well, let's see of our 13 cruises:

 

4 were from a port we could drive to.

 

2 we flew in early - one day early for one and, 3 days early for the other.

 

4 we flew in the day of the cruise.

1) Alaska from LA, used cruise arranged air, non-stop, arriving 5 hours before we had to be onboard.

2) Mediterranean, used cruise arranged air, arriving in Barcelona 8 hours before we needed to be onboard.

3) Panama Canal, booked the red eye to Boston, non-stop arriving 7 hours before we needed to board.

4) Bahamas/Caribbean, booked the red eye, non-stop arriving 8 hours before we needed to be onboard.

 

the other cruises were B2B cruises.

 

As others have said, if you have to arrive on the day of the cruise, book a non-stop and as early in the day as you can. Red eye flights work for us, we have no problem sleeping on planes and arriving at dawn.

[Cuizer2]

Taking a flight on the day of the crusie may sound brillantly planned out. An early morning flight, and stright up to the port to board the cruise. No need to pay for hotel, parking charge.

 

But what happens if there are delays and cancellations...

 

I'm planning my first cruise in March to the carribean. And trying to get from New York to Florida is a bit of sticky jam..with the high airfares (baggage included).

 

I don't really wish to stay a night in Florida pre-cruise, seeing as we are planning for a evening flight after our cruise, just to see the Space Center.

 

So the main question is...do i shift to a pre-cruise night stay? How bad are the delays with US flights from New York to Fort Lauderdale?

 

Thank you in advance.. :confused:

 

What time of the year is the flight? In the winter time flight delays are rampant. Are you flying non-stop or are you getting a connecting flight. A connecting flight doubles the chances for problems.

[CFC]

I like to fly in the day of the cruise but only first flight out , early am, and non-stop. Lastly, I make sure that the specific airline I'm flying on has a least a few non-stops flights after mine, that will still make the port deadline. If not, I then force myself to fly in the day before.

 

 

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[sail7seas]

We never gamble with flights pre-cruise or post-cruise either for that matter.

 

We always fly at least one day in advance but most of the time two or three nights.

[gooch47]

One or more days before and one or more after is our rule.

 

Twice we would have missed the ship, had to spend the night at the connecting city.

 

Three times we would have missed our return flight. Twice the cruiseline has made arrangements for us for a next day flight back when we still didn't allow any padding.

 

It just isn't worth the worry.

[BassettMom]

Everyone mentions flight delays; I'm always worried about lost luggage. Flying in a day early allows the airline time to reroute your luggage and deliver it before you sail (hopefully).

 

Having said that I've flown in on the day of, but only when I lived in Las Vegas and sailed out of San Pedro. I took a very early flight so if the flight got cancelled, I still had time to drive. Would not do that flying across the country.

[EGG]

Here are a few different things to think about.

 

Fly down to Florida the NIGHT before the cruise. Hotels in Florida are much less expensive than hotels in New York. You can still have a good part of the day,through mid afternoon to visit a few of the tourist sights.

 

Take a cruise out of Port Canaveral rather than Fort Lauderdale. There are some very nice ships sailing out of Port Canaveral including Freedom of the Seas. There are no convenient airports to Port Canaveral where the Kennedy Space Center is. Most people fly out of Orlando which I think is about 1.5 hours away from Port Canaveral, but there are usually a lot of flights to Orlando because that is the airport for Disney World. If you fly down in the evening you can probably get a hotel at the Orlando airport for a reasonable price and take a shuttle to a hotel near Port Canaveral the next morning.

 

If you are interested in getting more advice on this, please post and I am sure others who have done this will help with your planning.

 

To answer your question, I would never fly down the day of a cruise. I fly from the New York area and several times we have had delays of 3 hours. All the flights to Florida have been flying full, so by the time you find out there is a serious problem, you are competing with a hundred other people for the few available seats. And the airline has your luggage so it is not so easy to change.

[Harry and Lucille]

Denver to LA sailing from San Pedro to Hawaii. Used Princess transfer bus. Met at luggage claim and handed over to Princess folks. Flew in early and they were there waiting for us. Took us to a local hotel where a Continental breakfast was available. Got to meet many others on our cruise. They provide check in at that time and we were given a colored tag. Got to port, held up our tag, went thru security, sent upstairs where our cruise cards were waiting for us then right onto the ship. I think that this is the only cruise line and port that does this. Just for the service alone, we will be doing this again. It was wonderful. :cool:

[ronandannette]

Day-of flights? We never do it any other way for West Coast departures (LA, Seattle or Vancouver). There are many direct flights daily from our home city to each of these and we generally book an early one so there are several others afterwards in case of an incident.

 

For Florida, well, you just can't get from here to there on a day-of flight, even if you were willing to risk it. There are no direct flights from Calgary to Miami or Orlando during most months of the year. Connecting flights, even with everything going right will take at least 8 hours and most are closer to 12. So, like it or not, one might as well make the best of it - on our upcoming trip we're taking two days beforehand to drive down the Keys before boarding LOS in Fort Lauderdale.

Edited November 2, 2014 by ronandannette

[mapsmith]

You will not have any problem flying in the day of the Cruise-----Until you do!

 

Not for a cruise but for a Trade Show, we had scheduled a flight connecting in Dallas to get us to New York the night before the Trade Show was to begin. Weather in Dallas grounded ALL flights for 8 hours, from most everywhere in the Country that connected in Dallas. Our flight was cancelled and we were automatically rebooked on another flight 3 days later!!!. Fortunately, there was another airline flying to NYC connecting through Milwaukee that we were able to purchase tickets for. Those tickets were 2.5 times as expensive as our original tickets. The Original flight refunded us. but we still wound up with the added expense of NEW tickets and had to eat the cost of a non-refundable night at a NYC Manhattan Hotel.

 

Now we always go at least a day early on any flight.

[bearette]

I'm more concerned you want to see the space center from FLL. If that is your priority I agree you need to sail from Port Canaveral. That is like flying into LA to see Las Vegas. Possibly but not a short trip.

 

As for flights if it doesn't bother you that you may miss the ship then gamble with the airfare. I have done it twice, once to Europe and once to Texas from California. The Texas lightening storm delayed us but because it delayed so many it waited. My aunt was not so lucky on her European cruise where she caught up two days later due to a missed flight connection. If my schedule allows it; I choose not to gamble.

 

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[SPacificbound]

To quote: "Cruising can be peaceful, or it can be stressful, it depends on which one you choose."

 

I never gamble on flights, it's just not worth the stress.

[icklemonster]

If cruising in Winter I always fly at least a day before - but if winter this means a trip across the Atlantic. That said on our P&O cruise around the Caribbean they chartered flights especially for the cruise packed with Brit passengers and I'm pretty sure they guaranteed to get you to the ship. They flew out the same day.

 

On summer med cruises cruising from destinations like Venice or Barcelona where there are numerous flights leaving the UK we always fly out the morning of the cruise.

[thinfool]

Taking a flight on the day of the crusie may sound brillantly planned out. An early morning flight, and stright up to the port to board the cruise. No need to pay for hotel, parking charge.

 

But what happens if there are delays and cancellations...

 

I'm planning my first cruise in March to the carribean. And trying to get from New York to Florida is a bit of sticky jam..with the high airfares (baggage included).

 

I don't really wish to stay a night in Florida pre-cruise, seeing as we are planning for a evening flight after our cruise, just to see the Space Center.

 

So the main question is...do i shift to a pre-cruise night stay? How bad are the delays with US flights from New York to Fort Lauderdale?

 

 

Thank you in advance.. :confused:

 

Fly to Orlando 1-2 days early, rent a car, drive to the Space Center, stay over, enjoy Central Florida, stay a 2nd night, drive to FLL and board your ship. Fly home from FLL.

[Flatbush Flyer]

 

 

 

On summer med cruises cruising from destinations like Venice or Barcelona where there are numerous flights leaving the UK we always fly out the morning of the cruise.

 

 

There is a problem with this thinking.

Unless you are a premier level frequent flyer on your chosen airline, you will not be among the first to be rebooked on another flight.

United, for example, automatically rebooks connections that may be missed due to scheduled plane's issues. In fact, top level FFs can call ahead when time is tightening and request a backup seat assignment on the next flight while everyone else is on hold either with the general phone number or in the service counter line.

Also, don't forget that, while you may be rebooked on one of the "multiple flights," your checked luggage may not.

 

 

 

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[Sue Do-Over]

We always gamble on flights, booking them the morning of sailing.

 

To reduce stress in case of overbooked flights...

 

Print all the possible combinations through all airlines that get you there on time.

Pack carry on only, so that you have your luggage at your side.

Get the smartphone app for your airline, and the other major carriers -- you can check changing schedules easily.

 

We have volunteered for bumps, and gotten moved to another airline. On one trip, we moved from a 2-leg flight to a direct flight on another airline... getting us to the port 2 hours earlier AND with $600 each in vouchers.

 

We *always* volunteer for bumps on the trip home. In 10 cruises, we've collected bump vouchers 5 times.

[cruzeluver]

Anything to minimize the stress of travel, I am all for. We fly in at least one day early and do not book a return flight any earlier than 1:00PM.

[icklemonster]

Just to add - I guess it depends on how you view the statistics. Looking at our cruise in 2012, the chance of a flight being delayed by over 3 hours from London GTW to Barcelona was 0.46% in 2012 (http://www.flightontime.info/londonbarcelona/index.html).

 

It's a 2 hour flight so we always aim to arrive around 8am. Therefore, I figure statistically I'd have to take 217 med cruises before I 'might' not make the ship (I say might as I allow 6 hours for delays and this only gives a figure for over 3 hours).

 

This has confirmed my belief, it's not worth booking the extra day off work as holiday, which I can use for my next cruise for such a short flight.

[Talisker92]

I would never come in the same day. Red eyes are fine if you are young, but the one time we tried it recently it wiped us out.

Picture this: You are on a United or American flight through Chicago the day that guy set fire to the TRACON. Some of those people did not get out for 3 days. I hope they had trip insurance!