DO NOT fly in the day of the cruise (if you have any alternative)

Well, I just heard another of those "you've got to be kidding" stories. It seems that a family booked a DCL cruise out of Vancouver BC (as in Canada). They booked air to Seattle and a train to Vancouver, Washington (as in US). And to top it off, they flew in on the morning of the cruise, thinking that the 3 hour time difference between the east coast and the Pacific coast would give them "plenty" of time.

Suffice it to say that their Disney cruise is toast. By the time they got off the train and realized the mistake, it was impossible to be at the port on time. DCL is actually being very decent and has offered them the ability to transfer the money they paid to a different cruise for a very minimal amount.

Now they are dealing with what to do with their week in Seattle--whether they can do a cruise on another line departing from Seattle, the possibility of changing plane tickets, changing this to some sort of land based vacation, or whatever.

Had they chosen to fly in yesterday, the mistake would have been realized and they could have made it to the cruise departure port. I recommend coming in early to allow time for "lost" luggage to catch up with me or to be able to be more flexible with canceled flights, etc and still make the cruise. But this is a new one.

Also, if you are booking your own transportation (as opposed to using an agent or going thru DCL), be sure that you do it right. If you use a TA, presumably you will READ the confirmations and make sure that the TA did it right. If you book it yourself, no one is double checking your work.

Yes, there were plenty of ways that this situation could have been avoided or corrected...but flying in a day early is an easy one.

I hope they get it all worked out and come up with some sort of vacation...and enjoy a DCL cruise another time. I think I'll go to my airline's web site and "re-verify" my flight info!

Good advice, but it seems the major problem that family had was failing to look up the distance between Seattle and Vancouver, and then realistically assess the travel time between the cities (taking into account time to the station, the port, etc.).

I'll fly to Florida same day (first AM direct flight). I've even done Galveston same day (again, direct flight). It would never occur to me to do a cross country flight to catch a cruise same day.

Good advice, but it seems the major problem that family had was failing to look up the distance between Seattle and Vancouver, and then realistically assess the travel time between the cities (taking into account time to the station, the port, etc.).

No, the major problem was they booked train tickets to Vancouver WASHINGTON, not Vancouver BRITISH COLUMBIA. And not realizing it in time to take a different train the day they arrived in Seattle.

I can't believe they actually got on the wrong train without being aware of it.

I mean, they did the "fly into Seattle" thing to save money, but didn't realize that they booked the train going the wrong way? To the wrong Vancouver?

I'm sorry they're having to scramble now, but it seems that they're going to get some good out of it.

I'll fly to Florida same day (first AM direct flight). I've even done Galveston same day (again, direct flight). It would never occur to me to do a cross country flight to catch a cruise same day.

While it's not ideal, it can be done. We've flown from LA to Boston, Barcelona, Orlando on the day of the cruise several times.

Reminds me a bit of the story who's travel agent booked his airline tickets to Sydney. He ended up in Sydney, Nova Scotia instead of Sydney, Australia...... Wonder if it was their error or aTA error.?

Reminds me a bit of the story who's travel agent booked his airline tickets to Sydney. He ended up in Sydney, Nova Scotia instead of Sydney, Australia...... Wonder if it was their error or aTA error.?

This one, I know for sure was their error, not the TA.

Yes, I've done those "day of cruise" flights...but I don't like or recommend them. First, you are up before dawn to get that first flight. For me, there are no more direct flights to MCO, so I have to worry about connections. That, in itself, makes it a "no deal" in my mind. If I do it, by the time I get to the cruise terminal I've been up 6-8 hours and am boarding the ship already tired and stressed.

If I fly in the night before, I get a decent sleep at a hotel and a calm, collected trip to the cruise terminal. I board feeling great and ready to start my vacation.

Most recently I did a "day of" to Houston. The only reason I did it was that it was a direct flight AND there were 2 additional flights that would have gotten me there in time to make it to the terminal well before "all aboard."

Shmoo--Barcelona? You're gutsy.

This one' date=' I know for sure was their error, not the TA.

Yes, I've done those "day of cruise" flights...but I don't like or recommend them. First, you are up before dawn to get that first flight. For me, there are no more direct flights to MCO, so I have to worry about connections. That, in itself, makes it a "no deal" in my mind. If I do it, by the time I get to the cruise terminal I've been up 6-8 hours and am boarding the ship already tired and stressed.

 

If I fly in the night before, I get a decent sleep at a hotel and a calm, collected trip to the cruise terminal. I board feeling great and ready to start my vacation.

 

Most recently I did a "day of" to Houston. The only reason I did it was that it was a direct flight AND there were 2 additional flights that would have gotten me there in time to make it to the terminal well before "all aboard."

 

Shmoo--Barcelona? You're gutsy.[/quote']

Well, it was through DCL. We checked booking our own flights and the price difference from what we could find to what the DCL price was for booking us was only about $100 more through DCL. It was worth the $100 for the knowledge that, if something were to happen, DCL would (probably, maybe) assist us in getting to the ship.

 

But, actually it was a real nice flight. LA to Atlanta we left about 9:00 am and arrived (with a 1 1/2 hour layover) around 5:00pm. Got dinner in the airport, walked around a bit, and next flight was 7:30ish (can't recall right off hand) arriving in Barcelona at 9:00 am. Slept on plane, so not as much jet lag. But still had a bit. Short city tour from airport to port (since we couldn't board right away. Once at the port, checked in and waited about 1/2 hour for boarding to start.

Well, it was through DCL. We checked booking our own flights and the price difference from what we could find to what the DCL price was for booking us was only about $100 more through DCL. It was worth the $100 for the knowledge that, if something were to happen, DCL would (probably, maybe) assist us in getting to the ship.

 

But, actually it was a real nice flight. LA to Atlanta we left about 9:00 am and arrived (with a 1 1/2 hour layover) around 5:00pm. Got dinner in the airport, walked around a bit, and next flight was 7:30ish (can't recall right off hand) arriving in Barcelona at 9:00 am. Slept on plane, so not as much jet lag. But still had a bit. Short city tour from airport to port (since we couldn't board right away. Once at the port, checked in and waited about 1/2 hour for boarding to start.

We flew in the day before, stayed at a nearby airport with complimentary airport shuttle, and returned to BCN to take DCL transfer to the port. Yeah, the city tour when they needed to get us out of the airport but it wasn't time to go to the port was a nice addition.

It wasn't a cruise, but we were supposed to land in Rome at 6:30am for a week vacation with friends, beginning with a private tour later that morning. We flew through Toronto from Texas. We got to Toronto in plenty of time, and flew out to Rome. Three hours into the flight, they turned us around to return to Toronto due to mechanical issues (better than flying over the Atlantic with this!) We got back to Toronto at midnight, and were told to return to the airport at 6:00am for an early morning replacement flight. (The airline paid for rooms at the airport hotel.) Our replacement flight left 6 hours later than it was initially scheduled due to issues with the restroom. We arrived in Rome at something like 2:00am, almost 24 hours late. We missed that day's tour, but at least it wasn't a missed embarkation and then chasing down the ship in another port.

I live about a two hour drive to the port I normally use.

Even so I like to drive down the day before and stay the night.

totally agree with you....people who fly in the same day are asking for trouble..

and yes i know that people who have booked with DCL have been flown in the same day - reason enough not to purchase air travel from DCL!!

no matter how close you live, if you have to fly, a whole lot of things can go wrong that will prevent you from getting to the ship on time.

At the very least, come in the day before.

And if you're flying from very far away (like we do), fly in 2 or 3 days in advance. You never know what will happen.

Mechanical problems, weather, airport strikes, airplane strikes and the dreaded volcano eruption.

Do yourself a favor and fly in the day before (at the very least).

And buy travel insurance!!!

And buy travel insurance!!!

Travel insurance will cover airline issues. I don't think it will cover stupidity.

And, while it is nice to be able to get your money back...which might enable you to do a future vacation...it won't make up for a ruined vacation this time.

I'm a huge advocate of flying (I should broaden that to arriving, since delays don't necessarily have to be of the air variety) the day before due to personal experience. Once it happens to you, you never want to go through it again. And don't get fooled that delays are only weather related. There are lots of other things that can go wrong or even if they are weather related, it could be weather in another city that causes a domino effect. The cost of a night's hotel stay is worth its weight in gold for the stress avoidance.

Oh geez. This thread throws my internal obsessive planner into panic.

We cruise in the winter and come in from Canada where the weather can be unpredictable. We fly in two, sometimes three, days in advance. So much can go wrong at the last minute, regardless of time of year, that I would never consider NOT flying in a day early.

I know there are some people who do it regularly, but that's waaaaaay outside my comfort zone. I hate starting my vacation against a tight deadline. There are enough of those at work. :(

Oh geez. This thread throws my internal obsessive planner into panic.

 

We cruise in the winter and come in from Canada where the weather can be unpredictable. We fly in two, sometimes three, days in advance. So much can go wrong at the last minute, regardless of time of year, that I would never consider NOT flying in a day early.

 

I know there are some people who do it regularly, but that's waaaaaay outside my comfort zone. I hate starting my vacation against a tight deadline. There are enough of those at work. :(

It's like I could have written this exact post myself. As a fellow Cdn. winter cruiser and compulsive planner/worrywart, I agree with everything you said.

Unless you have one heck of a policy, Travel Insurance wouldn't apply to this, as the policy would cover booked transit, none of which was delayed. Since they booked the ticket to WA and it was on time, delay coverage doesn't apply.

If they booked via a TA, the TA's company might have errors and omissions insurance that would cover it.

Even if Disney is letting them rebook now they have to pay again to get to that cruise. That said, there are worst places to be stuck then Seattle, and hopefully they are taking it with good humor.

And buy travel insurance!!!

I live less than an hour from PC and I am pushing us out of the door about 8 am to "give us plenty of time", god knows what I would be like if I was travelling any real distance!

Next cruise this year (not DCL) is from Miami, 5 hour drive tops but no way would I leave on the day of the cruise, we will be driving down the day before and staying in a nice hotel and then leisurely transfer to the port morning of, you just can't leave anything to chance and those that do are either brave or a little crazy!

It's like I could have written this exact post myself. As a fellow Cdn. winter cruiser and compulsive planner/worrywart, I agree with everything you said.

LOL. I'm in Calgary too!

I'd say the motto to this one is not necessarily "don't fly in the same day" but "if you fly in the same day, you better make darn well sure that all your travel arrangements are booked properly."

I suppose this one is something that travel insurance would not help with, as the traveler booked the wrong train. I don't know that I've ever seen travel insurance that would protect the holder from their own error like that.

Once my computer did an "auto-correct" on the airport code. Luckily saw the flights shown were to a totally different airport before I bought!!!

Peg

Well' date=' I just heard another of those "you've got to be kidding" stories. It seems that a family booked a DCL cruise out of Vancouver BC (as in Canada). They booked air to Seattle and a train to Vancouver, Washington (as in US). And to top it off, they flew in on the morning of the cruise, thinking that the 3 hour time difference between the east coast and the Pacific coast would give them "plenty" of time.

[/quote']

 

I agree that it's a huge risk to arrive the day of, but I disagree that this is the sort of problem that one should be considering when weighing when to arrive in the departure city. I mean, these people traveled to the wrong COUNTRY. I doubt anyone reading this thread (i.e., being on CruiseCritic) would be clueless enough to do that.

 

ETA: The Amtrak Cascades timetable distinguishes between the Vancouvers (WA vs. BC). https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/394/275/Amtrak-Cascades-Schedule-022016,0.pdf . I suppose if you're from the East Coast, you might not notice, but you would really have to be not paying attention to basic geography.

No, the major problem was they booked train tickets to Vancouver WASHINGTON, not Vancouver BRITISH COLUMBIA. And not realizing it in time to take a different train the day they arrived in Seattle.

 

I can't believe they actually got on the wrong train without being aware of it.

 

I mean, they did the "fly into Seattle" thing to save money, but didn't realize that they booked the train going the wrong way? To the wrong Vancouver?

 

I'm sorry they're having to scramble now, but it seems that they're going to get some good out of it.

I once took a class in Redmond, Washington. In order to get there, you should fly into Seattle and ground to Redmond. Another pair of classmates though that they would simply fly direct to Redmond... Oregon as it turns out.

A long time ago, pre-internet, I used to use American Airline's dial up service called AArdvark (really). I was confused about why flights to San Jose (SJO) went through Miami. It was a while until I learned that SJO is San Jose, Columbia and San Jose, California is SJC. Fortunately, nothing was booked. :o

The planner in me would never chance a same day arrival. I don't really understand why people would do that. The $100-200 spent on a hotel room is well worth the peace of mind.

We will be in Orlando a whole week before this cruise and I'm already plotting what time to leave from our resort to head to the port!