Enough Time?

[kcruise1]

I have a flight booked arriving at MCO at 1pm and cruising from Port Canaveral. Disney says you cannot board past 3:45. Am I cutting it to close? Same scenario on the way back....flight leaves at 10:30...if we disembark at 7:30 think its to close? Thank you!

[GUT2407]

I have a flight booked arriving at MCO at 1pm and cruising from Port Canaveral. Disney says you cannot board past 3:45. Am I cutting it to close? Same scenario on the way back....flight leaves at 10:30...if we disembark at 7:30 think its to close? Thank you!

 

Yep.

[GUT2407]

BTW sorry forgot to say welcome to CC.

[leaveitallbehind]

Agree those are pretty tight times. Understand also that the "must board by" time is strictly enforced as that is the time when cruise line documentation confirming proper boarding documentation on all passengers must be submitted to customs in order to meet the scheduled departure date. Arrive past that time and you will likely be denied boarding. The only typical exception is when a flight booked through the cruise line is late and the captain may then hold the ship for a late departure.

Edited August 17, 2015 by leaveitallbehind

[GUT2407]

That was funny I hit quote to point out something and when it quoted the ord I was going to comment in had changed, you must have been editing at the exact moment I was quoting.

 

Nit that it matters, but strange.

[leaveitallbehind]

That was funny I hit quote to point out something and when it quoted the ord I was going to comment in had changed, you must have been editing at the exact moment I was quoting.

 

Nit that it matters, but strange.

 

If you were quoting me, believe I was correcting a typo from "airlines" to "cruise lines" in the last sentence.

Edited August 17, 2015 by leaveitallbehind

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

JMO -- but I think you are cutting it too close for your flights. I would not want to be stressed over whether I made the ship or not. All too often we have experienced flight delays.

[flamomo]

JMO, but I think you are crazy for planning on cutting it that close on the way to the cruise. We all know the state of air travel these days (often unreliable, full flights, late departures, etc, etc), so why put yourself at risk for missing your cruise.

[sparky-elpaso]

We always fly in the day before and stay in a hotel for the night. Any little hiccup in your flight(s) - weather, mechanical problems, flight crew problems, etc. and you would be watching your ship sail away. Then we're rested and relaxed when we get on the ship the next day.

 

For that same reason we try not to have any connections under 2 hours. We landed late because of weather in DFW once but because we had a 2 hour layover we weren't those people running thru the airport for their next gate.

[kcruise1]

Thanks everyone. We don't have a cruise booked as of now. We took advantage of a low airfare deal and are now trying to plan what to do. I agree, it is to close. Thanks!

[GUT2407]

If you were quoting me, believe I was correcting a typo from "airlines" to "cruise lines" in the last sentence.

 

That was the one, and it said airlines I hit quote and it quoted as cruise lines, so I realized you had spotted it, it was just strange that ou must have been hitting save edit at the same time I was hitting quote, it really threw me for a minute or two that's all.

[Keith1010]

Do not fly in the day of the cruise. Fly the day before. Things go wrong.

 

Just take this weekend when there was a shutdown of air traffic in certain locations back east due to an FAA control tower issue and flights were cancelled and or delayed hours.

 

Keith

[cruiserking]

The way I look at is you've already paid a significant amount of money for your Disney cruise, why jeopardize it by flying in the same day and risk arriving late.

 

You are much better off arriving a day earlier and staying overnight in one of the myriad of hotels in the Orlando area, then taking an early morning car service or cab to the cruise pier at Port Canaveral.

 

Flights can get delayed, there might be traffic issues, issues with getting your luggage back in a timely fashion. You booked a cruise to relax and enjoy yourself, try and start out on the right foot by putting yourself in a position where you don't have to stress about anything more than whether you'll have peanuts or potato chips on your plane ride.

 

Jonathan

Edited August 18, 2015 by cruiserking

[simplelife]

That cutting it very close,. Orlando Airport is NOT close to Port Canaveral, Assuming your plane lands with no delays (a big if ), it will take a while to deplane, locate your luggage and hail a cab, then take the 40 minute drive to the port and check in. If there is a delay, you could be left behind.

[skrufy]

These are the two rules I go by when flying in the day of a cruise, 1. always arrive as early as possible. 2. Fly non-stop, never use connecting flights. In the winter months its safest to arrive a day before. When flying into Florida ports in the summer months you always have to worry about weather delays. Thunderstorms roll accross the state and can be very intense.

[notentirelynormal]

I have a flight booked arriving at MCO at 1pm and cruising from Port Canaveral. Disney says you cannot board past 3:45. Am I cutting it to close? Same scenario on the way back....flight leaves at 10:30...if we disembark at 7:30 think its to close? Thank you!

 

With all the stars aligned I doubt you could make it. You sure shouldn't have any checked luggage either. Not sure the size of the airport and the distance to the port but on almost every flight I've taken by the time I've gotten off the airplane and walked to the carousel and the luggage has started to come out we are talking at least 30 to 45 minutes. Then you have to leave the airport and get whatever mode of transport you are using to the port, get out of the car, unload luggage, give to porters, walk into building, register and get on the ship.

 

The reason they are so cheap coming home is cruise ship passengers usually can't make them. You are again assuming you will be off the ship at an early time. Things go wrong. Late docking, immigration, weather. You would have to take your luggage off the ship with you in the morning with no help from crew. Find transportation, check in and be there 2 hours before flight time.

 

Welcome to CC.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Thanks everyone. We don't have a cruise booked as of now. We took advantage of a low airfare deal and are now trying to plan what to do. I agree, it is to close. Thanks!

 

 

"Pennywise and pound foolish"

[kimmi5207]

I just got off a flight this weekend that had its departure delayed for 45 min (after we were on the plane). Several other flights were cancelled due to issues in other cities. Then upon arriving there was a 10-15 min wait to depart the plane. Due to that total delay of an hour some people missed connecting flights. Then I had 15-20 minutes before the luggage started coming out for pickup-even longer for my bags to actually arrive.

 

Going to catch your cruise with a planned arrival of 1pm-that is way too close even with a direct flight. If you have a connection even more could go wrong.

Edited August 18, 2015 by kimmi5207

[Vampire Parrot]

Looking at the statistics, 65% of flights from ORD to MCO are on time with a scheduled arrival time of between 1200 and 1500. Many other routes to MCO I checked have similar statistics, although some (e.g. JFK to MCO) show a much better on-time rate, 88% in that case.

 

Of those that are delayed, the average delay for ORD->MCO flights is around 45 minutes.

 

So... yes you are right to change your plans.

 

VP

[SantaFeFan]

When we did our Disney cruise, we arranged with Disney for transportation from the airport to the ship and back again. They would not offer us the transport option to the ship unless we arrived the day before and stayed at one of two hotels on their list. That gives you an idea of what Disney thinks about the risk. They picked us up at 10:30 am the morning of the cruise. There was a whole bus load of people staying at that hotel.

 

Using Google Maps to gauge the travel time, if you arrive on time at 1:00 pm (emphasis on "IF"), I would allow about 50 minutes to walk to the carousel, pick up your luggage, and walk to the curb for your ride. Assuming that your ride will leave as soon as you are ready, Google says it will take another 50 minutes during that time of day to get to Disney's cruise terminal at Port Canaveral. That means you will arrive at the check in desk sometime between 2:45 and 3:00, depending on congestion at the terminal, for a last check in time of 3:45. That leaves you 60 minutes or less to spare - time that can very quickly used up if there is any road work or accidents along the way, or you have to wait for a shuttle or bus to fill up before it can leave.

 

I would not do it!

Edited August 18, 2015 by SantaFeFan

[zqvol]

I have a flight booked arriving at MCO at 1pm and cruising from Port Canaveral. Disney says you cannot board past 3:45. Am I cutting it to close? Same scenario on the way back....flight leaves at 10:30...if we disembark at 7:30 think its to close? Thank you!

 

 

Get good travel insurance. The odds of you making the cruise are maybe 25%, and the odds of making the flight home are less than 10%.

[zqvol]

JMO, but I think you are crazy for planning on cutting it that close on the way to the cruise. We all know the state of air travel these days (often unreliable, full flights, late departures, etc, etc), so why put yourself at risk for missing your cruise.

 

You must not fly often. While flights are full most flights depart early and arrive within 15 minutes of scheduled time. That being said this OP is cutting it too close at MCO.

[SantaFeFan]

....most flights depart early and arrive within 15 minutes of scheduled time.....

 

Currently the average on time performance - those flights that arrive within 15 minutes of schedule - is 75% across the US airlines. Some are much worse. Spirit is about 50% while United is about 66%. That means that 1 out of 4 flights get in late (or put another way, 1 out of 4 passengers arrive late). This could be 1 minute late, but also could be hours late. I guess it all depends on how willing a person is to gamble.

 

http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2015/08/11/on-time-performance-improves-at-most-us-airlines-but-half-spirit-flights-arrive/

 

As exhibited in a previous thread http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2246549, this poster is perfectly happy to gamble with other people's vacations by giving them the riskiest advice rather than the safest. :eek:

 

Here is what he had to say on that thread (he was the only person who did not advise the person to fly in a day early)

 

"The doom sayers seem to be out in force.

 

You have allowed plenty of time for any potential delays, and those flights instead of being delayed tend to be early, because your take off is so late that most of the flight congestion issues have resolved.

 

Yes, some time flights are delayed, but most delays are in the 15 minute range, not hours.

 

Ask savvy business travelers. they rely on flights to make their living and they do not hesitate to fly the day they have to be at a location.

 

Book that flight and have a good time on the cruise."

 

As for that cavalier attitude of those "savvy business travelers" he mentions, someone else pointed out that these travelers have loyalty arrangements with the airlines that will allow them priority bookings on other flights if necessary, a luxury that the average traveler does not have.

Edited August 18, 2015 by SantaFeFan

[Sandy Sails]

Thanks everyone. We don't have a cruise booked as of now. We took advantage of a low airfare deal and are now trying to plan what to do. I agree, it is to close. Thanks!

 

Since you already have the flights booked, look at the DisneyWorld Resort packages. You stay in one of their hotels, you have free transportation to the parks, you can buy a meals package. It's a great vacation. We did this once and had a ton of fun. If on a budget, you can stay in one of their budget hotels. Still very nice.

[sloopsailor]

Currently the average on time performance - those flights that arrive within 15 minutes of schedule - is 75% across the US airlines. Some are much worse. Spirit is about 50% while United is about 66%. That means that 1 out of 4 flights get in late (or put another way, 1 out of 4 passengers arrive late). This could be 1 minute late, but also could be hours late. I guess it all depends on how willing a person is to gamble.

 

http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2015/08/11/on-time-performance-improves-at-most-us-airlines-but-half-spirit-flights-arrive/

 

As exhibited in a previous thread http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2246549, this poster is perfectly happy to gamble with other people's vacations by giving them the riskiest advice rather than the safest. :eek:

 

Here is what he had to say on that thread (he was the only person who did not advise the person to fly in a day early)

 

"The doom sayers seem to be out in force.

 

You have allowed plenty of time for any potential delays, and those flights instead of being delayed tend to be early, because your take off is so late that most of the flight congestion issues have resolved.

 

Yes, some time flights are delayed, but most delays are in the 15 minute range, not hours.

 

Ask savvy business travelers. they rely on flights to make their living and they do not hesitate to fly the day they have to be at a location.

 

Book that flight and have a good time on the cruise."

 

As for that cavalier attitude of those "savvy business travelers" he mentions, someone else pointed out that these travelers have loyalty arrangements with the airlines that will allow them priority bookings on other flights if necessary, a luxury that the average traveler does not have.

 

Yeah, don't you just love it when a person sitting in the comfort of their own home gives dubious advice to take chances with expensive vacations that they aren't paying for! :rolleyes:

Edited August 18, 2015 by sloopsailor