Help! Flight time from Barbados changed!

We are sailing the Jewels of Windward Isle in February. The airline has had a schedule change and instead of 8a, the flight now leaves at 730a. If anyone has done this itinerary, do you think we will make it ? Ship schedule to arrive in Barbados at 5a according to itinerary.

FYI - we booked this on our own, not through Windstar so we are on our own with this dilemma

Thanks!

On our cruise, there was a group of people with a very early flight (around the time of yours), and they left the ship around 5:30 am to go to the airport. I don't know if they bought air through Windstar or not.

If this was me, I'd call the airline, explain the situation, and asked to be moved to a later flight. Do some research first, so you know what flight you'd like to be changed to.

We are sailing the Jewels of Windward Isle in February. The airline has had a schedule change and instead of 8a, the flight now leaves at 730a. If anyone has done this itinerary, do you think we will make it ? Ship schedule to arrive in Barbados at 5a according to itinerary.

 

FYI - we booked this on our own, not through Windstar so we are on our own with this dilemma

 

Thanks!

"Arrive" and "disembark" are vastly different things. As is said in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies (regarding the Pirate Code), "they're more a set of guidelines."

In addition, you have the issue of boarding an international flight. Depending on the particular airport/airline, check-in cutoff may be significantly more than one hour (we always plan check-in for 3 hours prior to initial take off and no less than 2 hour layovers - in fact we prefer 3 hour layovers to be safe).

The days of "we'll just get on the next flight" are long gone. Perhaps more important than what could be a sizable fare difference is the fact that empty seats on "the next flight" are now few and far between.

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On our cruise, there was a group of people with a very early flight (around the time of yours), and they left the ship around 5:30 am to go to the airport. I don't know if they bought air through Windstar or not.

 

If this was me, I'd call the airline, explain the situation, and asked to be moved to a later flight. Do some research first, so you know what flight you'd like to be changed to.

This is worth a try. Airlines have rules for what qualifies as a schedule change that allows rebooking. 30 minutes usually isn't enough, but given the circumstances they may be accepting. Before you call, be prepared with the substitute flight(s) you'd like.

When we have had airlines change our flight times and have received a notice I have called and told them the new times would not work for me and given them another option to move me to. Most of the time it has worked. I think if you explain that you are arriving by ship and there is no way you can make the new earlier time you will have at least something to go by. Be kind and hopefully you'll get a good agent who will help you. If not, ask to speak to a supervisor. Good luck!

Thanks for all the feedback. I actually wanted to keep the earlier time so we get home at a reasonable hour. Flights are so infrequent that the next option doesn't get us back home until close to midnight. I was just wondering how bad the debarkation in Barbados is for the Windstar. Realize on a megaship we wouldn't make it. Wondered with the smaller vessel if getting off is streamlined. Do you have to go thru Barbadian customs or just get off and head to the airport?

Thanks for all the feedback. I actually wanted to keep the earlier time so we get home at a reasonable hour. Flights are so infrequent that the next option doesn't get us back home until close to midnight. I was just wondering how bad the debarkation in Barbados is for the Windstar. Realize on a megaship we wouldn't make it. Wondered with the smaller vessel if getting off is streamlined. Do you have to go thru Barbadian customs or just get off and head to the airport?

Typically you line up to get your passport and this can happen as soon as the ship has been cleared. This is usually quick, except in Greece, where the entire family comes in board looking for breakfast. LOL.

Honestly, I think you were pushing it with an 8am flight let alone 7:30. I have disembarked from the same ship in Barbados. It does not take long but the ship will need to be cleared first. That is the key question. If it happens early (when the ship arrives in port) then you are fine, but if it happens later then it will be difficult to make your flight.

Port to airport is about 20 mins and then you need to be there before flight cutoff for check in. If you travel with carry on and do check in /boarding pass in advance then that will save time. Make sure you prearrange transport from port.

In the end you need to determine whether you risk missing your flight and incurring a high cost to get home, or see if your airline will change your flight to later and arrive home later. You might want to suck it up and arrive home later rather than waste your vacation worrying about missing your flight home.

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