Flight Arriving Way Early

[ryanwinkel]

Booked my flight through carnival and my options was to arrive at 2pm when the cruise is set to sale at 3pm or arrive at 1am the day of the cruise. I just don't know what I think about waiting in an airport until the port of miami opens. 

 

My question is Have you had to do this?  What do you do with no sleep the night before the cruise. Isn't your first night just completely ruined?

 

 

Ryan

[Shmoo here]

2 minutes ago, ryanwinkel said:

Booked my flight through carnival and my options was to arrive at 2pm when the cruise is set to sale at 3pm or arrive at 1am the day of the cruise. I just don't know what I think about waiting in an airport until the port of miami opens. 

 

My question is Have you had to do this?  What do you do with no sleep the night before the cruise. Isn't your first night just completely ruined?

 

 

Ryan

We've often taken a red-eye flight from LA to Orlando for cruises.  Gets us into the airport before 6:00 am.  We're able to catch a few hours sleep on the flight.  We just would hit the food court for a little breakfast and then head over to the shuttle connection to the port to wait.  I've seen people sleeping on the floor, or in the chairs there.  

 

Once onboard, there's usually time for a nap (if necessary) before the drill.  But, one day/night of minimal sleep doesn't ruin the day for me.

[ryanwinkel]

so do you have to pay extra for the shuttle ? I am going carnival with FTTF.

[mom says]

Why not just get a hotel close to the airport? You could still get a half decent night's sleep, then go back to the airport to get a shuttle to the port. Or take an uber to the port.

[ryanwinkel]

Good point.

[kerryincork]

Lots of airport hotels offer free shuttle from airport and to the port in the morning. You could get 6/7 hours sleep 😊

[Flatbush Flyer]

Even for a domestic US flight to an embarkation port city we would NEVER fly in on the day of departure. Far too much can go wrong, not the least of which is misplaced luggage and flight delay/cancellation (including missed connections). And gone are the days of "we'll just take the next flight." Your rebooking could be days later since the top tiers of frequent fliers are automatically rebooked to the best alternatives.

Given OP's post, it really sounds like DIY would be the better option with, at the very least, an earlier arrival on the day (or two days) prior to embarkation.

BTW, cruise line contracted air arrangements may seem like a good deal, particularly on lines where economy air is "complimentary." But, if you're not happy with their timing/routing, be prepared to pay an extra deviation fee and ticket price difference for your preference.

[John Bull]

12 minutes ago, mom says said:

Why not just get a hotel close to the airport? You could still get a half decent night's sleep, then go back to the airport to get a shuttle to the port. Or take an uber to the port.

 

 

Agreed.

Most airport hotels have 24-hour check-ins, and book one with a tolerably late check-out.

But remember the date to book for the hotel is the date of your flight, not the date of your arrival. Seems a bit strange because you'll be arriving at the hotel around 2.30am on the day after your booking.

Had that with the added complication of a flight which crossed the International Date Line. 

 

JB 

[davekathy]

We always fly in the day before (red eye if heading east). Check in at the hotel early, get something to eat, go to the mangers reception in the evening for snacks and drinks. By then we're ready for a shower and a good nights sleep. Up the next morning rested, fresh clothes, eat a good breakfast, put cruise luggage tags on our luggage. Crab a cab to the port, check in and "to ship".   

[skrufy]

2 hours ago, ryanwinkel said:

Booked my flight through carnival and my options was to arrive at 2pm when the cruise is set to sale at 3pm or arrive at 1am the day of the cruise. I just don't know what I think about waiting in an airport until the port of miami opens. 

 

My question is Have you had to do this?  What do you do with no sleep the night before the cruise. Isn't your first night just completely ruined?

 

 

Ryan

Would never book a cruise that arrives that late. Take the 1am flight, get a hotel room, sleep in,  have breakfast and then head to the port. There are many things that can happen flying the day of a cruise to delay you. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, John Bull said:

 

 

Agreed.

Most airport hotels have 24-hour check-ins, and book one with a tolerably late check-out.

But remember the date to book for the hotel is the date of your flight, not the date of your arrival. Seems a bit strange because you'll be arriving at the hotel around 2.30am on the day after your booking.

Had that with the added complication of a flight which crossed the International Date Line. 

 

JB 

Yes- extremely important since using the flight arrival date would limit check-in to afternoon (after you're already on the ship). 

For OP: book hotel for the day you fly out and check-in/phone ahead informing them that you will be a late check-in after midnight.

[Ferry_Watcher]

Just find a clean, decently priced hotel near the airport and get some sleep.  If you decide to hang out in the airport until the cruise terminal opens for embarkation, it will be the longest 8-9 hours of your life.  Reserve a hotel room and start your cruise off on a happy, well rested note.

[zqvol]

5 hours ago, ryanwinkel said:

Booked my flight through carnival and my options was to arrive at 2pm when the cruise is set to sale at 3pm or arrive at 1am the day of the cruise. I just don't know what I think about waiting in an airport until the port of miami opens. 

 

My question is Have you had to do this?  What do you do with no sleep the night before the cruise. Isn't your first night just completely ruined?

 

 

Ryan

 

Get a hotel for the night. Waiting in the airport is foolish.

[ryanwinkel]

15 minutes ago, zqvol said:

 

Get a hotel for the night. Waiting in the airport is foolish.

I'm going to take your advice and get a hotel. I would rather spend the money and get rest and be able to party on the first cruise day.

 

Thank you

[DirtyDawg]

4 minutes ago, ryanwinkel said:

I'm going to take your advice and get a hotel. I would rather spend the money and get rest and be able to party on the first cruise day.

 

Thank you

 

Now that's a good attitude to ensure a great cruise! 🍻

[SRF]

On 12/14/2019 at 2:15 PM, mom says said:

Why not just get a hotel close to the airport? You could still get a half decent night's sleep, then go back to the airport to get a shuttle to the port. Or take an uber to the port.

 

This is what I would do.

 

Heck, 2AM into the room, leave at 10:30, is a full 8 hours of sleep.

[navybankerteacher]

27 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

This is what I would do.

 

Heck, 2AM into the room, leave at 10:30, is a full 8 hours of sleep.

And if you do not nap on the plane you can get to sleep within a couple of minutes of checking in.

[LandlockedCruiser01]

TL;DR: Don't wait in the airport, unless you're 23 or younger.  It'll wreck your entire first day on the cruise.

 

I agree with flying in 1:00 AM, then getting a hotel.  With the baggage claim, ride to the hotel, check-in, and snack/nightcap, you'll be in bed by 2:00 AM.  This will easily give you 7 hours of decent sleep, in a real bed, in proper sleep clothes.  You'll still have enough time to shower in the morning and eat a filling, inexpensive breakfast.  If you nap in a chair in the airport or putz around the terminal, your first cruise day will be pretty much done for: you'll be too tired to enjoy much.  Plus, you'll be sweaty and disheveled at embarkation, and airport food is overpriced and underwhelming.

 

I once flew overseas, landed at 5:00 AM after a 14-hour flight, then started an all-day tour.  I handled it like a trooper, and stayed up till 11:00 PM that day, even though I drank 3 Red Bulls throughout the day, and was nodding off after dinner.  It was worth it, because it was a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Israel.  But I was 21; BIG difference.  There's no way I could handle it today.

 

 

[caffeine_demon]

" arrive at 2pm when the cruise is set to sale at 3pm "

 

Even if i could walk directly from the plane to the boat that would be far too tight!

[evandbob]

No one is assuming that the incoming flight will be late or be cancelled somehow.  I guess red eyes have a better on time %?

 

On threads about flying in the morning of the cruise, or 7 or 8 hours later, the nervous nellies rush to post how they could never do that, so they fly in the day or even days before the sailing.

 

I just don't understand the dichotomy???? 

 

{BTW, when I lived in NY, I flew in the morning ofmy MIA or FLL cruise about 35 or 40 times, never an issue.}

[Zach1213]

31 minutes ago, evandbob said:

No one is assuming that the incoming flight will be late or be cancelled somehow.  I guess red eyes have a better on time %?

 

On threads about flying in the morning of the cruise, or 7 or 8 hours later, the nervous nellies rush to post how they could never do that, so they fly in the day or even days before the sailing.

 

I just don't understand the dichotomy???? 

 

{BTW, when I lived in NY, I flew in the morning ofmy MIA or FLL cruise about 35 or 40 times, never an issue.}

 

I'm a regular on the Cruise Air page, and we get plenty of people who say they're looking to fly in the day before. It's almost never "my flight arrives at 8am or 9am", but usually "my flight arrives at 12pm or 1pm"...those are the people we warn off. I certainly wouldn't recommend 8am or 9am either, but it's better than 1pm. And 1am is basically the day before.

 

Even so, the majority of flights are on time. But what we focus on on the Cruise Air page isn't necessarily that you'll miss that one flight, but that you won't have many (if any) options for flights after that. If you plan to arrive at 1am, you may very well have a couple of flight options that will get you there before the cruise leaves if need be. If you plan to get in at 1pm (or, hell, even 9am), your options of having another flight after that to get you there in time go down quickly. 

[LandlockedCruiser01]

3 hours ago, evandbob said:

On threads about flying in the morning of the cruise, or 7 or 8 hours later, the nervous nellies rush to post how they could never do that, so they fly in the day or even days before the sailing.

 

2 hours ago, Zach1213 said:

I'm a regular on the Cruise Air page, and we get plenty of people who say they're looking to fly in the day before. It's almost never "my flight arrives at 8am or 9am", but usually "my flight arrives at 12pm or 1pm"...those are the people we warn off. I certainly wouldn't recommend 8am or 9am either, but it's better than 1pm. And 1am is basically the day before.

 

Flying in the day before isn't about being a "nervous nellie".  It's more like insurance against missing the ship in case your flight goes haywire.  Airlines nowadays delay or cancel flights, or mishandle your luggage, however they please, with no repercussions.  Do you want that to be the reason you miss your cruise?  Highly unlikely!  By flying in the day before, or at least super-early the same day, you give yourself a time buffer to make contingency plans. 

 

A spartan but safe hotel room costs about $150 a night.  With the cruise fare, the drink packages, the excursions, and the cruise supplies you're already buying, it's not that much.  Plus, it's not like you're wasting that money.  You get value out of it: seeing a part of a new city, and trying new foods, like ceviche in Florida or In-N-Out Burger in California.

[Zach1213]

1 hour ago, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

Airlines nowadays delay or cancel flights, or mishandle your luggage, however they please, with no repercussions. 

 

I'd like to argue against this point, to some extent. Airlines don't delay or cancel flights for the hell of it. They do everything they can to operate on-time and get you from point a to point b, because a plane on the ground does not make money. Also, assuming you're viewing this from an American point of view, there are legal protections in place for the passengers, though they are nowhere as strong as the EU. 

[LandlockedCruiser01]

56 minutes ago, Zach1213 said:

I'd like to argue against this point, to some extent. Airlines don't delay or cancel flights for the hell of it. They do everything they can to operate on-time and get you from point a to point b, because a plane on the ground does not make money. Also, assuming you're viewing this from an American point of view, there are legal protections in place for the passengers, though they are nowhere as strong as the EU. 

 

Hanlon's razor says: "Don't attribute to malice what can be explained by stupidity."  I'm not saying that airlines mess up flights and luggage to annoy the passengers for fun. They do it because they're negligent, and there are no laws to penalize them for it, because deregulation.  In a bind, they can just say "weather", to absolve themselves of all responsibility and leave the passengers high and dry.  If there are indeed protections, and I'm not talking about travel insurance I gotta pay extra for, I want to know which ones.

 

 

Edited December 17, 2019 by LandlockedCruiser01

[cb at sea]

Is this the ONLY flight you can take?  It really would be better to arrive the day prior, stay in a hotel and head to the ship when you can.

 

If you CAN'T change your flight, I would STILL book a hotel for the night...and head to port whenever they've told you to.  Get some sleep....Yes, it's gonna cost you...but what else are you going to do?  Sit in the airport for 12 hours?  Get a room.