Delayed Fight & Missing Cruise

[NukeTim]

I know, I know,to never fly in the day of the cruise departure; and I don’t think we ever have.  However, with our mobility issues, the amount of luggage, and the hassle of getting to and fro from London Heathrow hotels (no dedicated hotel shuttles), we’re arriving morning of Island Princess Southampton departure.  Booked a non-stop with 8am arrival, but have read all sorts of posts about delayed flights due to weather and cancelled flights due to mechanical issues.  We have the Princess Platinum insurance and even bought the airline flight insurance.  So, trying to be proactive and requesting advice and suggestions from others who missed their departure.  We do not have EZ Air (booked with mileage).  Was Princess Flight delay line available and did it help?  Would the airline change our flight to get us to next port of call instead of Heathrow?  Start praying for Friendly Skies?  And advice appreciated.  thanks

[cr8tiv1]

Need a little more information:

 

Time of year?

Do you have Princess Transfers?

 

 

I have not heard good things about Heathrow lately.  Good Luck.

Edited July 12, 2023 by cr8tiv1

[Ombud]

🙏

 

Unfortunately when I booked w/o EZAIR they were of NO help. But the airline counter was & got me in at 2pm instead of 10am. I had Princess transfers which was helpful. 

 

Immigration is really fast at LHR. Took less than 5 minutes last September.  So that's positive 

[New2cruise2022]

If this is purely proactive because of anxiety over the mere possibility of being delayed and missing the cruise, then take steps and actually mitigate your risk and bring you some piece of mind. Insurance is nice but it only protects your monetary investment, it doesn’t actually reduce risk or improve your chances for a timely departure. 
 

You stated luggage and mobility as concerns for not arriving earlier, but as with anything, there is a way to overcome some of those concerns. If you feel good about your situation, do nothing and have positive thoughts that your flight will arrive in a timely manner so you can make your cruise and enjoy planning. If you can’t have this kind of peace of mind, then change your flight for the day before and spend the money to have the transportation and lodging to be really able to enjoy your trip. 

Edited July 12, 2023 by New2cruise2022

[cavecreekguy]

There's a Hilton Garden Inn at Heathrow's terminal 2. If you fly into terminal 2 or 3 you wouldn't need a hotel shuttle.

Edited July 12, 2023 by cavecreekguy

[memoak]

You really need to come in at least one day early if not two. Even when we cruise from a port just an hour or 2 flight time from home we will always come in a day early

[New2cruise2022]

I’m a belt and suspenders kind of guy. 

[SoCalTraveler]

We've heard bad things about Heathrow as well, but in May we had a connection there from Terminal 5 to Terminal 3, and made it in 63 minutes, which, we understand, could be a record.

 

Seriously, you can check on various sites, such as Flight Aware, for your flight's recent arrival times.  I would also consider a private driver to shuttle you to Southampton.

[Lady Arwen]

I would be afraid, very afraid of arriving the same day as the cruise.  All this money on cruise fare and air fare and excursions, please try to book one night hotel in Southampton.  Fly to LHR, take the comfortable National Express Bus to Southampton and stay one night in one of the many hotels very close to the pier and cruise terminal.  We’re staying at Moxy.  You will enjoy yourself pre cruise so much more.  I can’t give you any advice on flying in on embarkation day.

[NukeTim]

2 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Need a little more information:

 

Time of year?

Do you have Princess Transfers?

 

 

I have not heard good things about Heathrow lately.  Good Luck.

 

[Steelers36]

Call me nuts, but I often do check any alternative flights on the day to see what would have happened.  Anyway, I figure if I tried to fly "day of", something would happen, but when I fly day before, it would have been okay to wait. 

 

Only once did we not get to port when expected, but arrived next morning after having to stay overnight in CLT.  That was in Jan 2000 and we had kids in tow as well.  We made it from CLT to FLL no problem the next day and bags were all good, so it worked out, but is certainly stressful.  I don't recall what would have happened had we flown "day of", but we might have made it not much later in the day.  

 

Still, I wouldn't think of attempting it in winter nor overseas, especially with airport snafus in recent times.  GL to OP.

[NukeTim]

This summer and we do have Princess transfers.

[NukeTim]

2 hours ago, New2cruise2022 said:

If this is purely proactive because of anxiety over the mere possibility of being delayed and missing the cruise, then take steps and actually mitigate your risk and bring you some piece of mind. Insurance is nice but it only protects your monetary investment, it doesn’t actually reduce risk or improve your chances for a timely departure. 
 

You stated luggage and mobility as concerns for not arriving earlier, but as with anything, there is a way to overcome some of those concerns. If you feel good about your situation, do nothing and have positive thoughts that your flight will arrive in a timely manner so you can make your cruise and enjoy planning. If you can’t have this kind of peace of mind, then change your flight for the day before and spend the money to have the transportation and lodging to be really able to enjoy your trip. 

Thanks.  Good Advice.

[ldubs]

Sounds like you are already booked and not able to revise the flight?  For what it is worth, we have taken several international flights to LHR arriving morning of the cruise.  There are hundreds of others doing exactly that same thing.  I would do it again if needed, but these days we opt for arriving earlier if we have the choice. That is obviously the best practice.   If you cannot revise your same day flight, having a nonstop is key and you already have that.   A Princess transfer, as already suggested, is worth considering.   

 

Others with more knowledge than I may be able to help with what support you will have should your flight be delayed.  

   

[SCX22]

At bare minimum program the Princess Enroute number and the local number for the Princess transfer reps (given in the transfer instructions) into your phone.  If you are delayed, call the Enroute number straight away and advise them of your delay.  The arrival window for Princess Heathrow transfers is 07:00 to 11:00.  If you get to the point where you are cutting it close to 11:00 upon arrival into Heathrow, call the local Princess transfer rep, give them your terminal and were you are in the arrivals formalities, and ask to see if they can wait for you.  Heathrow is quite the beast to walk through.

[milolii]

You didn’t mention the airline, time of departure, or the city?  You mentioned friendly skies, is it United?  
 

 

[lolane1]

A friend of mine and I were doing a Mediterranean cruise, leaving day of during the summer months from New York City.  We had separate rooms on the ship and we both had princess platinum insurance.  A huge rainstorm occurred in New York, delaying flights.  We both were on the tarmac of Kennedy at the same time, different planes, waiting for take off.  After just about  three hours, my plane took off.  She waited 5 hours on the tarmac and then returned to deplane.  She contacted EZair but the amount of planes and hotels she would have needed to catch up to the cruise was ridiculous and she could only be connected at the second port.  She canceled and got refunded with a cruise credit.  I cruised.  You just never know.  I am leaving for Hawaii in a few weeks on a 16 day cruise and I am flying in to LAX a day early. Did not book though EZair and bought separate insurance with a generous payouts for possible scenarios.  New York no longer allows for "cancel for any reason."  My first port is Hawaii, five seas days later.  If I miss the cruise, at least I can head off to a beach in Hawaii.  

Edited July 12, 2023 by lolane1

[Guindalf]

Do you play Russian Roulette with five bullets in the gun???

 

I wouldn't fly in on the day of the cruise for a two-hour domestic flight, let alone flying to London! 

 

Southampton is at least a two hour drive from LHR on a good day, so if you land on time (unlikely) and it takes an hour to deplane and recover your luggage and another hour to get to your transport, you MAY make it, but it'll be one long stressful experience! Why not arrive the day before, do some sightseeing and have a relatively relaxed trip to the ship the next morning?

[Sn0cruiser]

Not sure if you have the option to change anything at this point but if you do, consider using Luggage Forward to get your checked luggage sent directly to the ship and fly the day before with as little carry on as you can manage.  It is expensive but it greatly reduces the hassles with large amounts of luggage.  Then, as suggested above, stay at a Heathrow hotel and perhaps take a Princess transfer or National Express bus from the airport the next day.    I’ve never done used the Princess transfer so I’m not sure if that’s a possibility but it would certainly be worth checking out.

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, Guindalf said:

Do you play Russian Roulette with five bullets in the gun???

 

I wouldn't fly in on the day of the cruise for a two-hour domestic flight, let alone flying to London! 

 

Having done both many times, I might feel safer taking a red-eye from SFO to LHR than I would a 1.5 hour flight from SFO to LAX.  If I have to do the latter and arrival time is critical, I opt for the earlier flights.  Short regional flights just seem to be more prone to delays than long haul international flights and it gets worse as the day progresses.   

 

 

1 hour ago, Guindalf said:

 

Southampton is at least a two hour drive from LHR on a good day, so if you land on time (unlikely) and it takes an hour to deplane and recover your luggage and another hour to get to your transport, you MAY make it, but it'll be one long stressful experience! Why not arrive the day before, do some sightseeing and have a relatively relaxed trip to the ship the next morning?

 

 I have actually done red-eyes to LHR several times and it has never been as you describe.  Additionally,  we have never been even close to any timing issues negotiating LHR, connecting with the transfer and making the cruise.   Don't get me wrong, I'm all for traveling to a cruise a day or more early.  It is just that my experience flying to LHR and connecting with a cruise has never been as bleak as your describe.   Luck of the draw I guess.    

[Guindalf]

11 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

Having done both many times, I might feel safer taking a red-eye from SFO to LHR than I would a 1.5 hour flight from SFO to LAX.  If I have to do the latter and arrival time is critical, I opt for the earlier flights.  Short regional flights just seem to be more prone to delays than long haul international flights and it gets worse as the day progresses.   

 

 

 

 I have actually done red-eyes to LHR several times and it has never been as you describe.  Additionally,  we have never been even close to any timing issues negotiating LHR, connecting with the transfer and making the cruise.   Don't get me wrong, I'm all for traveling to a cruise a day or more early.  It is just that my experience flying to LHR and connecting with a cruise has never been as bleak as your describe.   Luck of the draw I guess.    

 

You have definitely been lucky.

 

I'm a Brit who grew up on he outskirts of London, although I've lived in rural GA for the last 25 years, so I think I might be qualified to express an opinion.

 

I'm not saying it can't be done, just that I prefer to start my vacation with my heart still in my chest! Remember, we're also talking post-covid.

 

 

[ldubs]

16 minutes ago, Guindalf said:

 

You have definitely been lucky.

 

I'm a Brit who grew up on he outskirts of London, although I've lived in rural GA for the last 25 years, so I think I might be qualified to express an opinion.

 

I'm not saying it can't be done, just that I prefer to start my vacation with my heart still in my chest! Remember, we're also talking post-covid.

 

 

 

I hope you didn't read my comment as saying your opinion didn't matter.  If so, that was not my intent.  I was simply giving my different experiences based on my travels from our west coast to LHR. Our last trip via LHR was this past November and we did arrive a day early.  Fortunately LHR seemed to have addressed the baggage issues by then and we breezed through (excepting the never ending walk from the arrival gate).  BTW, I liked taking the national bus from LHR to Southampton.  Very convenient and economical, though I wouldn't use it if arriving on embarkation day.   

 

I continue to agree with you that arriving earlier than embarkation day is to be much preferred.  

 

 

[Rick&Jeannie]

@NukeTim...we missed a transatlantic cruise leaving from FLL in early 2022.  We had always flown in "day of" and had never had an issue.  We live in the southeast, and as such always have to go through ATL to go *anywhere* (Delta).  Well, this was in March and we had a severe cold snap in the southeast.  Someone with Delta at our local airport apparently felt there was no need to check the de-icing equipment even though it was widespread knowledge that "this was going to be a bad one!"  We were to leave at 7:00am which would get us to ATL gate to gate in 45 minutes max.  I'll spare you the sordid details, but we finally got to ATL about 1:00pm.  The next flight to FLL would not get us to the ship in time.  So...we missed a great transatlantic sailing by not going in early.  By all rights...we should have been fine given the very short flight times involved.

 

This single experience set the bar for us for all future travel.  Five cruises since that ill-fated fiasco and we have gone early on every one.  We are retired...so we just mark it up as part of the entire trip and don't even give it a second thought now.

 

Just sayin'....

[Guest ldtr]

One good thing is that in the unlikely event that you miss the initial departure it is pretty inexpensive to fly to the next port of call in Europe to catch the ship there.

[AZjohn]

Yep, it just takes one unlikely experience with flying in day of to never try it again.

 

Many years ago got an unbelievable deal last minute with business class air and suite cabin but had to fly in same day LAX-IAD-AMS. Airplane was at the gate when we arrived LAX 2.5 hours before departure. Feeling good and excited for a 2week cruise.

 

Then noticed the electronic sign above jetway saying flight was delayed 5 hours (there went our connection in Dulles). Flight crew from inbound flight was 5 hours late the night before and had to take mandatory rest stop.

 

Stress level increasing through the roof (great way to start vacation).

 

United got us on a AA flight 2 hours later to IAD (not business class now but economy center seats separated 10 rows). Connection time was now 40 minutes at IAD and knew baggage wasn’t likely going to make it (stress level increasing more now).

 

The AA flight closes doors on schedule and just glad we were heading East but, plane doesn’t back up from gate. There is a security leak in the terminal and all flights are grounded until they catch the idiot who jumped the security line.

 

I could continue the horror story but I think my point is made that you just don’t know what freak things can happen the day of.

 

I will share we had the worst cruise ever. We did make it on the ship as they were untying the gangway (thank you Lufthansa) but, we were just sick from the stress and frustration (and yes our baggage got lost for 5 days)

 

Best of luck flying in day of, I wouldn’t want anyone to have an experience like we did.

 

Cheers