HELLLP!!! Our NCL Breakaway cruise leaves Nov 17.can’t change flight from same day!

[CynsLavaLamp23]

We didn’t know we had to change our flight 90 days prior!!!  Our cruise leaves Nov 17.  When we got our flight info it has us flying from Dayton, OH at 6am, going to Chicago for a 55 minute flight & ending up in Miami at 11:45am.  We can board the ship at 2 & heard it will leave at 4.  This means to us if there are any delays we will miss our cruise!!!!  Here’s the thing, this would suck for anyone of course but I have 3rd stage COPD & chronic Respiratory Failure— I haven’t traveled in 4 years because of my health.  My best friend paid 65% of my trip because after I first went on disability when we lived together I took care of her sister with 3 types of cancer the last 4 months of her life.  I loved doing it.  Anyway, this very likely will be the last trip I will ever take & it would crush both of us to miss this cruise!!!  It’s a 5 night cruise & if we miss it we can’t afford to fly to the next port.  What do you guys think our chances are of making it to the cruise on time?  I also paid $230 to rent a scooter for the trip.  Is there ANY POSSIBILITY of somehow changing our flight?  I tried & was told NO!!!  Any advice is appreciated, thank you.  ☮️❤️😁

[Tapi]

For clarification, are you trying to change your flight so that you arrive in MIA the day before and then spend the night at a hotel? 
 

The good news is that, chances are overwhelmingly good that your flight will be on time and you’ll make your cruise. Airlines place extra effort on launching their first flight of the day on time because that sets the tone for the rest of the day, and it avoids cascading delays. The bad news is that stuff still can happen. Weather delays, air traffic control issues (specially going into a big hub airport), crew rest legalities, equipment issues, maintenance issues, etc. I’m not trying to alarm you, but trying to place all the cards on the table. 
 

I just did a quick search and it seems like there are no nonstop flights available between DAY and MIA or FLL, so no matter how you slice it, you will need to make a connection at a hub airport, so changing to another flight on the 17th will most likely look similar to your current one. It seems to me that the best course of action is to look for flights that arrive in Miami a day prior on the 16th and spend the night at a hotel. It will most likely cost you extra, but that’s personally what I would’ve done to start with. 
 

If NCL is  unable to make any changes to your current flight reservation, I would personally bite the bullet and purchase my own flights. Yes, it’s an added expense on top of a hotel stay, but in my humble opinion it’s an easier pill to swallow than missing the cruise altogether or dealing with all the stress associated with a tight connection in ORD on the day of the cruise. I’m doing a quick search for the 16th and it seems like you can get flights for about $200.

 

Sorry about the stress that this situation is causing, and I hope it gets rectified to your satisfaction soon. Unfortunately you’re learning a tough lesson concerning NCL’s  “free airfare” program. Not worth it for anybody who wants specific dates and flights, or for someone with special needs. 

Edited November 3, 2019 by Tapi

[CynsLavaLamp23]

Thank you for your reply.  You’re saying $200 each for flight right?  Yes, we wanted to fly in the day before & stay in a motel.  Bluh.