Today a perfect example of why fly in day ahead of cruise

[sdrocks]

Cruising on Anthem tomorrow for a b2b.  Booked our flight s in July to get specific times & seats.  That plan fell apart at 1 am this morning when Delta begin

texting changes.  After 4 changes finally got a final departure time of 6:15.  After we scrambled to the airport to find seats downgraded and an extra leg

added with no current seat assignments I was in a panic.  (Had totally confirmed the flights 24 hrs before with no problems identified)  The upshot was we

had extra transfers added and didn't get into Newark until 5 pm.  Didn't get out of airport until 5:30.  (Our original time was arrival of 145 which still would be 

late for same day cruise.

So just an example of how flights can go wrong & we don't take the chance of waiting to fly the same day.

We were excited our luggage actually arrived the same time we did.  LOL !

 

[karena1]

yup, would never fly the day of.  We live in Florida and if we cruise out of San Juan, we still fly in the day before.  Just never know what can happen

 

[SparklyPinkCruiser]

Agreed... Years ago we flew in day before cruise. The flight was delayed and we barely made our connection at Ohare. Picture us running through Ohare to make our connection (I wouldn't be able to run these days!) and I looked over at my husband and said "If we're running this fast, our luggage is not!". I was right. The luggage didn't make it.  It came to us at 10am the next morning at the hotel. 

 

I would never fly in day of after that!

[Snit13]

10 hours ago, sdrocks said:

Cruising on Anthem tomorrow for a b2b.  Booked our flight s in July to get specific times & seats.  That plan fell apart at 1 am this morning when Delta begin

texting changes.  After 4 changes finally got a final departure time of 6:15.  After we scrambled to the airport to find seats downgraded and an extra leg

added with no current seat assignments I was in a panic.  (Had totally confirmed the flights 24 hrs before with no problems identified)  The upshot was we

had extra transfers added and didn't get into Newark until 5 pm.  Didn't get out of airport until 5:30.  (Our original time was arrival of 145 which still would be 

late for same day cruise.

So just an example of how flights can go wrong & we don't take the chance of waiting to fly the same day.

We were excited our luggage actually arrived the same time we did.  LOL !

 

Happy all worked for you and your luggage arrived when you did.  DH was a maintenance manager for a major airline and it is unbelievable all that can go wrong and delay or cancel flights.  Mother nature, plane parts failure, crew out of time and no crew available to replace and so on.  He once had a plane with a fuel tank issue that kept the plane out of service for a week.  Sort of difficult for any airline to meet schedule with planes out of service.  Enjoy your cruise.

[hallux]

Yup..

 

When I cruised earlier this year I made it to MDW on time.  My connecting flight was scheduled to arrive in LA (not an RCI cruise) at 1:30 local.  Because of delays (it was snowing in Chicago in April plus equipment issues) my 4 hour layover turned into 6+, didn't get to LA until 3:30 or 4, with a planned cruise departure of 4 PM.  Wouldn't have made the cruise if that had been the day of...

[eightofninekev]

I was flying to Hong Kong via Dubai for a cruise with a nights stay in Hong Kong . There was a medical emergency on the first leg to Dubai, we had to land in Athens .I can't remember how long it was we sat on the runway but by the time we took of it was too late for the connecting flight .The airline put me up in a hotel as the re-arranged flights was 16 hours from the time i landed in Dubai ,my flight was from Dubai to Mumbai then on to Hong Kong .Thankfully I arrived same day as the cruise and was taken to the terminal.

[Arzeena]

13 hours ago, sdrocks said:

Cruising on Anthem tomorrow for a b2b.  Booked our flight s in July to get specific times & seats.  That plan fell apart at 1 am this morning when Delta begin

texting changes.  After 4 changes finally got a final departure time of 6:15.  After we scrambled to the airport to find seats downgraded and an extra leg

added with no current seat assignments I was in a panic.  (Had totally confirmed the flights 24 hrs before with no problems identified)  The upshot was we

had extra transfers added and didn't get into Newark until 5 pm.  Didn't get out of airport until 5:30.  (Our original time was arrival of 145 which still would be 

late for same day cruise.

So just an example of how flights can go wrong & we don't take the chance of waiting to fly the same day.

We were excited our luggage actually arrived the same time we did.  LOL !

 

Glad you made it. Enjoy your cruise. We too would never fly the day of.

Edited October 19, 2019 by Arzeena

[WeLuvVacation]

Agreed, would NEVER fly in same day and for all the smarties who pooh pooh our thinking I wish all the luck to you flying in same day.

[bilyclub]

We were flying in 2 days before a cruise out of Miami. It was an early evening flight to Fort Meyers because we were stopping to say hi to some friends. The flight took off 2 hours late and only made it to Nashville because of a fuel pump problem. Hung around in a closed Nashville airport for hours. Finally a flight from DFW  arrived and the plane and crew were shanghaied to take us to Fort Meyers.    When we got to RSW, the pilot tried landing twice but bailed out due to fog. We diverted to Miami and after deplaning in MIA were told your flight is now canceled. This was at 6 AM.    After dealing with an angry mob of passengers. the still sleepy station manager ordered a bus to take everybody to Fort Meyers.    I talked to the manager and was able to get a room in Miami and spent a wasted Saturday in a hotel.  We get spoiled by living near O'Hare and having a lot of flight options, but no longer take  evening flights out.

[MalteseMama2]

We always fly a day ahead and it has proven to be the correct idea several times. Last Dec it allowed our luggage to catch up with us. I’ve come to enjoy that precruise day.  We get to relax a bit before heading to the ship, we eat dinner at restaurants that are unique to the area and we get to the ship early on embarkation day. 
Once we were notifying an airport authority that our luggage hadn’t arrived and the man asked if we could wait while he assisted his coworker in trying to get a family to the port because their ship was leaving in 1hour. We knew we had plenty of time and said of course we didn’t mind. I don’t know if they made it or not. 

Edited October 19, 2019 by MalteseMama2
Typo

[soremekun]

5 hours ago, SparklyPinkCruiser said:

Agreed... Years ago we flew in day before cruise. The flight was delayed and we barely made our connection at Ohare. Picture us running through Ohare to make our connection (I wouldn't be able to run these days!) and I looked over at my husband and said "If we're running this fast, our luggage is not!". I was right. The luggage didn't make it.  It came to us at 10am the next morning at the hotel. 

 

I would never fly in day of after that!

Reminds me of:

 

[ChinaShrek]

2 hours ago, WeLuvVacation said:

Agreed, would NEVER fly in same day and for all the smarties who pooh pooh our thinking I wish all the luck to you flying in same day.

 

Many people cannot take that extra day off from work and will have no choice but to fly in the day of the cruise. So, have some compassion when my flight from Maine is delayed or canceled on the day the cruise is departing.

[Tree_skier]

We're flying from the Westcoast. Either Cali, WA, or BC depending on where we are at the time.  There is so much that can does go wrong on cross country flights that I could imagine not flying in a day early.  I understand when you are out east and have a shorter flight with no connections but for us it would mean in inevitably missing an embarkation or two over the coarse of time.  I'm not unsympathetic to those who fly in day of and lose but I would encourage folks who have the ability to go a day early to do so.  Much more enjoyable embarkation day and much better start to your vacation.

[MalteseMama2]

1 hour ago, ChinaShrek said:

 

Many people cannot take that extra day off from work and will have no choice but to fly in the day of the cruise. So, have some compassion when my flight from Maine is delayed or canceled on the day the cruise is departing.

You make a very good point and I would never judge those who fly the day of embarkation. I like to ENCOURAGE people to do so, knowing the majority of people make thoughtful choices based on their own situations. 

[artypharty]

We did not always fly in the day before but a very close call convinced us otherwise.  We have an hour drive to the airport and if we have an early morning flight, will even get a hotel at the airport the day before the flight.  We almost missed an early flight once because of a traffic accident on the interstate.  There is a lot to be said about peace of mind and the early start to the vacation is never a  bad thing! 😉   

[StolidCruiser]

6 hours ago, WeLuvVacation said:

Agreed, would NEVER fly in same day and for all the smarties who pooh pooh our thinking I wish all the luck to you flying in same day.

 

30+ cruises.  20+ of them have been same day without a single issue (the others being day before by choice/convenience).

 

I’d say I don’t need your luck but my own ability to intelligently schedule my travel itineraries. 

[legaljen1969]

2 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

We're flying from the Westcoast. Either Cali, WA, or BC depending on where we are at the time.  There is so much that can does go wrong on cross country flights that I could imagine not flying in a day early.  I understand when you are out east and have a shorter flight with no connections but for us it would mean in inevitably missing an embarkation or two over the coarse of time.  I'm not unsympathetic to those who fly in day of and lose but I would encourage folks who have the ability to go a day early to do so.  Much more enjoyable embarkation day and much better start to your vacation.

I agree. If you can do it, plan that extra day into your travel plans and head out so you don't have the last minute panic. 

[okeytaco]

MalteseMama said "I’ve come to enjoy that precruise day.  We get to relax a bit before heading to the ship, we eat dinner at restaurants that are unique to the area and we get to the ship early on embarkation day." That's exactly how we feel.  We always fly in a day or two early but even if the port is only a 4-6 hour drive for us we still go the day before.  Accidents or car troubles can certainly happen so we make sure we'll have time to fix any problems that may arise.  Then we can enjoy the city and be rested, refreshed and ready for embarkation the next day.

[mayleeman]

6 hours ago, bilyclub said:

...the pilot tried landing twice but bailed out due to fog.

 

Man, that is a new one. I guess we have to add crew parachuting to the list of things that can happen! 

[Baron Barracuda]

This summer db and family had same day flight from ewr to mco for Mariner sailing.  7:30 am flight should have arrived at 10:30.  He knew it could be a problem but because of work had no choice.  Beautiful morning, great weather.  Plane arrived at gate and blew out a tire.  Cost him an hour.  Finally began to board.  As he walked down the aisle flight attendant (older) collapsed in front of him.  Everyone had to deplane for ems to work.  Turned out to be dehydration.  Another hour.  Back on the plane.  Cockpit computer crapped out.  Another hour lost followed by an hour in queue waiting to take off.  Finally landed well after 2pm.  Fortunately the driver he booked in Orlando was a madman who sped them to the ship with minutes to spare. 

 

We flew from EWR to MIA two days early for a Feb sailing.  9:30 am flight.  Checked flight status before leaving house.  On time.  Arrived at EWR to discover every flight from every airport with destination south of Orlando was being held at gate until 12:30 because of Space X test launch which had been scrubbed day before.  It was presidents weekend and spring break so airport was mobbed.  Launch was ultimately scrubbed again.  Finally landed in Miami at 4pm and watched many people with Carnival and Royal luggage tags running through airport.  Don't know how many missed ship.   

[CFIGuy]

As someone who works in the industry, I always fly in a day early (on paid/confirmed tickets).  While I dislike spending the extra money on a hotel/meals for staying the night, the not worrying makes it worth it.  

 

For those who have flown in day of, and haven’t had issues, consider yourself lucky.  Your luck will most likely catch up with you.  Yes, travel insurance (and the airline if it is considered a controllable delay/cancellation) will get you new flights, a subpar airport hotel room, and meals. But missing the first day or days of the cruise, and the overall stress of getting to the ship won’t be fun.  

 

Years ago, we were to fly to Rome to catch a European cruise, and as always we flew out a couple of days early.  As it happened, Air France went on strike that day, and because they were operating an Airbus 380, there weren’t enough seats on all of the other airlines to absorb all of their passengers.  The best option I could find was a flight to Zurich.  I wasn’t worried because three airlines fly Zurich to Rome.  Fast forward to trying to get tickets Zurich to Rome, and Alitalia was on strike, so no seats on the route on the other two airlines were available.  Spent the day taking a train from Zurich to Milan to Rome.  Didn’t arrive in Rome until 9PM.  Same trip, flying home thru Frankfurt, we landed in Frankfurt and held out 45 minutes for a gate, then waited in line 75 minutes to get thru departure immigration.  We got to the gate just in time to see our flight push.  Enjoyed a nice overnight with German food in Frankfurt.

[lisa6191]

3 hours ago, Baron Barracuda said:

This summer db and family had same day flight from ewr to mco for Mariner sailing.  7:30 am flight should have arrived at 10:30.  He knew it could be a problem but because of work had no choice.  Beautiful morning, great weather.  Plane arrived at gate and blew out a tire.  Cost him an hour.  Finally began to board.  As he walked down the aisle flight attendant (older) collapsed in front of him.  Everyone had to deplane for ems to work.  Turned out to be dehydration.  Another hour.  Back on the plane.  Cockpit computer crapped out.  Another hour lost followed by an hour in queue waiting to take off.  Finally landed well after 2pm.  Fortunately the driver he booked in Orlando was a madman who sped them to the ship with minutes to spare. 

 

We flew from EWR to MIA two days early for a Feb sailing.  9:30 am flight.  Checked flight status before leaving house.  On time.  Arrived at EWR to discover every flight from every airport with destination south of Orlando was being held at gate until 12:30 because of Space X test launch which had been scrubbed day before.  It was presidents weekend and spring break so airport was mobbed.  Launch was ultimately scrubbed again.  Finally landed in Miami at 4pm and watched many people with Carnival and Royal luggage tags running through airport.  Don't know how many missed ship.   

OK I get that things can happen, but that first example is an absurd combination of circumstances. I really think a same day nonstop flight under three hours that is supposed to land by around 10 am should be okay 95% of the time. Sucks for the 5%, but it's pretty good odds. I definitely would not do a same day connecting flight though (I actually never do connecting flights unless it is absolutely unavoidable, I am fortunate to live close enough to enough airports that I rarely have to).

[ReneeFLL]

10 hours ago, StolidCruiser said:

 

30+ cruises.  20+ of them have been same day without a single issue (the others being day before by choice/convenience).

 

I’d say I don’t need your luck but my own ability to intelligently schedule my travel itineraries. 

I don't care how intelligently you schedule your itineraries. Things can and do go wrong. Trust me I know. DH is a pilot for AA and I know more than I care to admit. Doesn't mean it will happen to you, but all it takes is the one time. 

[crochetcruise]

I must fly interstate in Australia to reach my departure port. I always schedule to travel the day before, and stay overnight. I can collect anything needed from the supermarket-always get some nibbles to bring aboard, knowing I can book a taxi to take me to the cruise terminal, non driver here. It's very relaxing, sitting beside the taxi driver going to the port! And I recommend their company to other people!

[Plum Happy]

17 hours ago, ChinaShrek said:

 

Many people cannot take that extra day off from work and will have no choice but to fly in the day of the cruise. So, have some compassion when my flight from Maine is delayed or canceled on the day the cruise is departing.

 

In this case, you should take the very last flight out the day before.  Years ago my family's 8:30 flight to FL didn't take off until 2 pm because of thick fog, the plane was coming from another airport with direct flight to FL.  That entire airport schedule was messed up by incoming flights that couldn't leave from their various airports. Most airports are open 24 hours, you can sit in the airport overnight and no one will harass you.

 

We were informed by an airline person at our airport this:  if you are flying out, get on the very first flight out that is scheduled to leave around 6 am, that plane HAS to fly out as long as there's no mechanical issues or you can call the airline and get the last one out the day before the cruise. 

 

 

Edited October 20, 2019 by Plum Happy