I know, I know...

[Cruisegirl6]

Always fly the day before even if your going in the summer, I say this for multiple reasons:

 

1- delay or cancellation of flight

2- just the other day many flight/passengers didn't receive their luggage because the baggage belt was broken in Miami

3- lost baggage at least with 24 hour you have a higher chance of them locating it and getting it to you or to the ship before sailing time

4- you give yourself a good rest the night before and you wake up in the am and not have to travel...you go right to the ship its nice

5- you give yourself an extra vacation day, stay at a nice hotel and use its facilities and eat at a nice restaurant for dinner

6- if traveling with children it be easier on them separating travel and cruise boarding day

7- you can have a delay for many reasons getting to the airport and making your flight (accident, flat tire, traffic, closure of highway due to accident, etc)

 

We ALWAYS fly the day before and sometimes two days before to extend our trip. Why have the stress why have the chance of something happening? Even with insurance, you certainly don't want not to get on that ship, you want that vacation.

[PortSideCruzan]

Hi Sweetsixteencruisers :)

 

The members have given you some wonderful, sound advice.

 

Oh my, not sure if I would be able to tolerate the anxiety level of flying in the day of my voyage.

If I made it, I would then be worried if my luggage made it also.

 

In the past 32 years of cruising, I have witnessed far too many things that can possibly go wrong.

 

However, I see you are putting some precautionary measures in place by taking a 7am non-stop flight, airport transfers & travel insurance.

Always wise to have back-up plans in place.

 

Have a fantastic voyage!!

 

 

:)

 

 

 

 

 

[lbrav]

I have flown in the day of cruise 3 times ( once even during spring break) and everything worked out fine. Only do that if I have too... Very stressful!

[mrpayroll]

Obviously many people fly in the day of because the ships offer transportation to the port. I would never do it in the winter ( we live in Michigan ) but have done it several time in Spring and Fall. Of course " anything can happen " but if it was a big problem, you would here more people complaining about missing their ship.

[YubaSutter]

 

Flying in the day of a sailing will leave you with a 50% chance of having to use it.

 

 

Where do you get this number? I highly doubt that 50% of the cruisers that fly on the day of departure miss their ship.

[ObstructedView2]

Where do you get this number? I highly doubt that 50% of the cruisers that fly on the day of departure miss their ship.

 

See post #13...

 

 

:)

[10XCRUISE]

DW and I have been on 32 cruises from Philadelphia. We have never experienced a flight cancellation in all of the cruises in January, February and March. Only one time we flew out a day early because there was a storm warning on the day of departure. Luck? Perhaps.

 

We all spend an untold amount of time searching for the best cruise and flight deals but my DW and myself don't want to spend a few hundred extra dollars on car rentals and hotel costs to fly in the day before.

 

We have learned the vacation 'adventure' begins the moment we leave our driveway and head to the airport. Roll with it.

[sweetsixteencruisers]

Thank you everyone!

I know it's a gamble. But as said before at the moment we don't have a choice. We have driven and have flown, all arriving the day before.

 

I'm hoping it changes but for now, I think I have things covered. Insurance, airport transfers and a little luck.

[hancock]

I purchased the airport transfers last night!!

 

You haven't mentioned which airport you are flying into or the port you are sailing from. If you are flying into FLL and sailing from Port Everglades, cancel that transfer and take a cab. It's cheaper and quicker.

[chrispb]

Chances are that you'll be fine. I really can't believe that 50% quoted earlier, especially in August when there's no risk of snow/ice.

Fingers crossed for you anyway.

[Dayenu]

Flying in on the day you sail is not recommended. Normal circumstances we would not. But we've been thrown some lemons and we have no choice.

 

We are traveling in August, 6 months away, we have insurance. Just having anxiety over it already.

 

So, how many of you travel the day of sailing? I think August is better then winter months but you never know.

 

Gotta get on that ship, lol...

 

~Sweet~

 

Sorry... but I have to tell you this. Read the small print on your insurance. Not all of them cover being late to a cruise.

[YubaSutter]

See post #13...

 

 

:)

 

Evidently, you've never taken a probability and statistics course.

[sweetsixteencruisers]

You haven't mentioned which airport you are flying into or the port you are sailing from. If you are flying into FLL and sailing from Port Everglades, cancel that transfer and take a cab. It's cheaper and quicker.

 

 

We are flying from Islip, NY. Southwest into FLL. 1st non-stop out at 7am. Arrival 10am.

[Grandma Dazzles]

Everyone always stresses about winter weather - summer isn't as bad, perhaps, but there are still delays.

 

One time we were diverted to Orlando because of heavy thunderstorms over Miami/Fort Lauderdale - this was the middle of summer. We spent a few hours on the ground until the weather cleared. Fortunately this was the day prior to our cruise, however, many people said they would probably miss their cruise.

 

Also take into consideration equipment/crew delays. it doesn't give any wiggle room for baggage delays either.

 

Insurance is good - but doesn't always work if the fllight gets you there within a certain number of hours - check the small print carefully.

 

Good luck, truly hope it works for you.

[ObstructedView2]

Evidently, you've never taken a probability and statistics course.

 

LOL Yuba, good grief.... Evidently you need a break from this message board.:rolleyes:

That is 100% clear.

 

Sorry OP..

 

:)

[cucruizin]

We've always flown in the day of sailing; non-stop flight only, as early in the day as possible.

[Flatbush Flyer]

You realize you're saying that 50% of the people that fly in on the day of cruise end up having to use their insurance. :confused::confused::confused:

 

 

 

If this were true, costs for insurance would be sky high. Insurance companies that lose money don't stay in business very long.

 

 

Probability and reality are vastly different things. Probability is based on multiple attempts at the same action. However, the OPs single action is more akin to a coin flip, i.e., either the flight and/or it's connection will be on time OR not.

And what a lot of CC recreational traveler's may be forgetting is that, with contemporary flights pretty much always full, what open seats on "the next flight" are already gone or being held for premier frequent flyers.

OP should plead their case to boss, school, whoever, to give them a break.

[AKman2495]

Looks to me based on the weather so far, are you sure it won't be snowing in August????

[Cruisin' Chick]

Always fly the day before even if your going in the summer, I say this for multiple reasons:

 

1- delay or cancellation of flight

2- just the other day many flight/passengers didn't receive their luggage because the baggage belt was broken in Miami

3- lost baggage at least with 24 hour you have a higher chance of them locating it and getting it to you or to the ship before sailing time

4- you give yourself a good rest the night before and you wake up in the am and not have to travel...you go right to the ship its nice

5- you give yourself an extra vacation day, stay at a nice hotel and use its facilities and eat at a nice restaurant for dinner

6- if traveling with children it be easier on them separating travel and cruise boarding day

7- you can have a delay for many reasons getting to the airport and making your flight (accident, flat tire, traffic, closure of highway due to accident, etc)

 

We ALWAYS fly the day before and sometimes two days before to extend our trip. Why have the stress why have the chance of something happening? Even with insurance, you certainly don't want not to get on that ship, you want that vacation.

 

Probability and reality are vastly different things. Probability is based on multiple attempts at the same action. However, the OPs single action is more akin to a coin flip, i.e., either the flight and/or it's connection will be on time OR not.

And what a lot of CC recreational traveler's may be forgetting is that, with contemporary flights pretty much always full, what open seats on "the next flight" are already gone or being held for premier frequent flyers.

OP should plead their case to boss, school, whoever, to give them a break.

 

Sorry, but I wouldn't book a vacation that I know would be impacted by a missed flight or cruise. We don't go on vacations every year (and life was happening to much during one stretch between 2006 and late 2010 where our only trip was a two-day one an hour's drive away). So any vacation where timing is important, such as a cruise that could leave without us, if we can't schedule a day ahead for traveling to the port, we're not going or we'll cancel (the OP isn't near "final payment" so I'm not getting the urgency of sticking with her original plans). We're certainly not going to add stress to the travels by hoping nothing goes wrong (mechanical, a hurricane -- the OP is traveling to Florida during hurricane season, financial -- cancelled flights, an airline strike, you get the picture). And if you end up having to travel to the next port, well, you've just missed a day or more of your cruise and you're going to be paying for another flight and possibly hotel room.

 

We've had about 200 passengers miss our 2010/11 cruise as they were flying from Heathrow during a bad (and unexpected) snowstorm and flying to Los Angeles, when we were having a record number of straight days of rain. Any Brits we ran into on that cruise had flown a few days ahead of the cruise and stayed in LA or Vegas. I don't think any flew on to Hilo (it could be that they wouldn't have been able to embark there).

 

I had been in the position for years of having few vacation days so that impacted the length of my vacations until I went to work for a company that allowed me to carry over vacation days from year to year. But not everyone can do that. In my case, it made me more cautious about booking trips that flights can impact (and actually had that happen to me because of the Mt. St. Helens eruption, even though I wasn't heading for a cruise).

[Lerin]

We've done it several times including with connecting flights. Never had an issue.

[njmomof2]

We're flying in day of for our end of August cruise out of Port Canaveral. Leaving Newark on a 6:30 AM non stop flight into Orlando. I have found that the thunderstorms occur in NY/NJ later in the day, and we've had more issues with flights leaving after 4 PM in the summer months, and once even sat in the airport until almost midnight for a flight that was scheduled for 6 PM.

 

I would not do it unless it was the first flight, non stop. We arrive in Orlando at 9:05 AM day of sailing. I'm having a car service take us to the port.

[DirtyDawg]

We are flying from Islip, NY. Southwest into FLL. 1st non-stop out at 7am. Arrival 10am.

 

As long as you've covered your bases re flight, transfers, insurance and a back- up plan to either catch up to the ship or spending the week in Florida, you've done all you can. So sit back and don't worry about things you have no control over. Enjoy your cruise.

[DirtyDawg]

Evidently, you've never taken a probability and statistics course.

 

:) One thing I learned long ago is to never discuss probabilities, statistics, expected value, economics, or Cruise Line earnings here on CC. Not worth it!;)

[Grannycb]

We usually fly the day the cruise leaves. The exceptions are cruises leaving from the West Coast (because of flight arrival times), transatlantic cruises (it's a long wait for the next stop), or to explore a new city. We haven't encountered any problems with arrivals in 43 cruises. If something were to happen and we arrive late, well then there are always new adventures to be had. We missed connections on flights back from Venice and ended up with an unplanned overnight in London. We used the extra time for some sightseeing. What a wonderful bonus! One more thing, we never leave home without good insurance.

Edited February 23, 2015 by Grannycb

[bbeltmom]

We have always flow in the day before, but until now we have also only cruised December through March, where winter storms anywhere in the country can wreak havoc on the whole system. We have only had a flight cancelled once and fortunately that was post cruise.

 

We booked Alaska out of Vancouver or August 2015. After booking (but fortunately before we booked flights) we got a call saying our niece was getting married the night before we sail. So we booked our flights for 8 am non-stop from Vancouver to Toronto and we are supposed to arrive in Vancouver at 10 am. Domestic flight - so no Customs to deal with. August -- so weather delays are at a minimum. We know we are taking our chances but re thinking we should still be in great shape to make the 4:30 pm sailing.

 

I am definitely considering getting the Celebrity transfer even though my daughter will be flying with us and have a car parked at the airport and could drive us to the port.

 

Fingers crossed.