Nervous we'll miss the ship

[JWestShuh]

This is my first time flying to my cruise departure port next March. My husband and I used to live in Georgia and drive to port in Miami. Anyway, long story short, we are scheduled for a cruise out of San Juan next March and we obviously have to fly. My husband is a student, and not knowing his test schedule until mid January, I booked a flight for the day of departure. Well, we live in Michigan and I am starting to get nervous about weather delays. We will arrive in San Juan at 4pm - so that gives us a few hours of delay time. I know you can not read into the future, but I wanted to get a feel for how many of you arrive the day of versus the day before when flying?

[John Henry on CC]

This is my first time flying to my cruise departure port next March. My husband and I used to live in Georgia and drive to port in Miami. Anyway, long story short, we are scheduled for a cruise out of San Juan next March and we obviously have to fly. My husband is a student, and not knowing his test schedule until mid January, I booked a flight for the day of departure. Well, we live in Michigan and I am starting to get nervous about weather delays. We will arrive in San Juan at 4pm - so that gives us a few hours of delay time. I know you can not read into the future, but I wanted to get a feel for how many of you arrive the day of versus the day before when flying?

In your situation, I would feel more than nervous. I would feel apoplectic about the possibility of missing the ship.

[MrsPete]

I would do whatever it takes to change this situation. It's entirely too likely that you could miss your ship.

[BrianAlt]

Could you leave the day before? The change fees will be less than trying to catch up to the boat if you miss it. As for not getting out, the chances are you will without an issue, but I always like flying a day early anyway.

[broberts]

Ship departure is 8:30 pm. You have to be aboard, if I recall correctly, by 7:30. You have a cushion of less than 3 hours. If you don't have a direct, non-stop flight I'd bet against you getting aboard before departure.

 

I only flew day of once. The stress just wasn't worth it. Any chance of changing to a flight the day, or even night before?

[nanfromatlanta]

Personally, I think that you are cutting it too close, especially at that time of year and the weather in Michigan. I would make every possible attempt to fly in a day early.

[JWestShuh]

I won't know until mid January if I can leave the day before. My husband is in med school, and missing a test does NOT happen. He won't get his syllabus until January for that particular semester. I guess I will have to wait it out until then. I read that people arrive the day of all the time...but the more I think about it, the more nervous I get.

[rummenroman]

While not in Med school i do know that many college/universities will allow students to take a mid-term/final prior to the testing date if there is proof the student will not be able to attend the actual final date. I have used this on a couple of occasions where i go to school.

 

Have your DH look into the policy on doing this. It may be the solution to your issue.

 

Good Luck!

[JCafaro]

I won't know until mid January if I can leave the day before. My husband is in med school, and missing a test does NOT happen. He won't get his syllabus until January for that particular semester. I guess I will have to wait it out until then. I read that people arrive the day of all the time...but the more I think about it, the more nervous I get.

 

I'm sure a lot of people fly in the day of all the time, but you are cutting it really close. Is there an earlier flight you can take?

 

We flew in the day of on our first cruise, and had to take a train to the airport. Our train was delayed and even though we made our flight with time to spare, we found the stress to be too much.

[apk1389]

i have flied in the day of the cruise everytime.. hadone close call.. usually though i try to get in first thing in the morning.. it is a tight sitaution for u

[shelbylook]

For our first cruise March 2001, before discovering CC, we booked through a TA and our flight was about 8:00 a.m. to San Juan from Detroit. It never occurred to us we should fly in a day early. We knew nothing. Had no computer and planned our trip w/brochures. Of course we know better now but because we have the time and don't mind it, we drive to FL. It's a control thing. :p

 

Cathy

[Icruzthere4Iam]

That is tight in my opinion. Last I knew the doors were shut 90 minutes before sailing with no wiggle room on that. The cruise I did out of San Juan I flew down the day prior due to the advice on here. Got to Miami, from Denver and sure enough the flight was delayed so they could swap out some widget on the plane. Wound up only being about a two hour delay but I realized if that had been the day of the cruise I would have been FREAKING out for those two hours. Then even if I had made the boat I would have been stressed out. If at all possible fly in the day prior, get a nice hotel room looking out over the ocean, drink a mojito, listen to some salsa music and let the relaxing begin. I'm smiling thinking back to doing just that. Hope it works out for you and enjoy your cruise! Jim

[MrsPete]

I won't know until mid January if I can leave the day before. My husband is in med school, and missing a test does NOT happen. He won't get his syllabus until January for that particular semester. I guess I will have to wait it out until then. I read that people arrive the day of all the time...but the more I think about it, the more nervous I get.

Will he get his schedule within the 60-day you-can-cancel timeframe? If taking the test early really and truly isn't an option in any way, shape, or form . . . the fall-back plan might be canceling the cruise at the last minute and rebooking at a more schedule-friendly time.

 

I know that's not what you want to hear, but too many things can go wrong in this scenerio. I don't fly all that often -- maybe once every other year -- but in the last two years I've TWICE been delayed. Once we were in the airport for HOURS and HOURS while they did something mechanical to the plane. The other time we were sure we'd miss our connection, but we literally RAN from one end of Sky Harbor to the other and were literally the LAST PEOPLE on the plane. They were literally closing the gate when they saw my husband running and heard him calling out, "Wait, lots of people are behind us -- we were all on a connecting flight." And I never had the added concern of flying out of a cold-weather state in March.

 

Could you choose a later date?

Could you choose a cruise that leaves closer to home? (New York or Baltimore would at least be shorter flights -- you could possibly even take a night train or a redeye to a closer location)

 

If you stick to this plan, do at least choose a first-thing-in-the-morning filght. At least you won't have to worry about the day's first flight making you late. And at least choose a direct flight so you'll only have one flight about which to be concerned. And if you do stick to this plan, you've got to go with carry-on only; waiting for baggage will only lengthen your time in the airport. And finally, you've got to have your ground transportation there and waiting -- and have a back-up plan.

[FB]

Just make sure you have insurance that will cover your situation. I believe most policies state your flight must arrive 2 hours prior in order to qualify. Of course not all situations are covered and you must pay for the expenses to meet up with the ship yourself and then claim them later. If you have to fly in the day of what other choice do you have. I have flown in the day of 3 times and not had a problem, but stuff happens. Our flight on the way home was once delayed a whole day.

[Reimer]

I always fly in the day before no matter what. The uncertainty of the airline industry and the possibilty of anything causing a delay is too great to risk. Either that or I hope you booked everything with cancellation insurance.

[JWestShuh]

Thanks for all the responses everyone! This is the earliest flight out of Michigan to San Juan. I misspoke and we actually arrive at 3pm (not that it makes much difference), so it would only allow for a 4 hour delay. This is the only time that we will be able to do this for a few years. Since he is in med school, next year he will be a second year student and thus, his last year of spring break which is a one week window. At the time I booked...I really knew better about the flight in the back of my mind - we just haven't cruised in 3 years and I think I jumped the gun a bit on this one. I got a bit too excited I guess. So I have asked my husband to talk with the Dean which he isn't too thrilled about - but he'll live :) So keep your fingers crossed that the Dean says taking a test early if he has one will be possible and I can change the flight for the day before. Thanks again for your responses and advice. This is why I love cruise critic!!

- And yes, I did get insurance. Cancellation insurance as well :)

[Gonzo70]

I personally would not take the risk. You do not have as much wiggle room as you think. You must be on board the ship 90 minutes before departure, so you'd need to arrive at the cruise terminal by 6:30 to check in. Also most (if not all) travel insurance policies will not cover you if your plane is 3-4 hours late and this causes you to arrive too late at the cruise terminal to check in. Most travel insurance policies require a delay to be of at least six hours in length before they provide any coverage - i.e. if your plane is five hours late, most insurance policies will not provide any relief. Be sure to check your travel insurance policy to see how long of a delay has to occur before they will provide coverage.

 

Is there a cruise you can do in Florida instead of San Jaun? At least you should be able to find a non-stop flight to a port in Florida that would arrive early enough to provide a little extra wiggle room. That might be something to look into.

[dalitos]

This is my first time flying to my cruise departure port next March. My husband and I used to live in Georgia and drive to port in Miami. Anyway, long story short, we are scheduled for a cruise out of San Juan next March and we obviously have to fly. My husband is a student, and not knowing his test schedule until mid January, I booked a flight for the day of departure. Well, we live in Michigan and I am starting to get nervous about weather delays. We will arrive in San Juan at 4pm - so that gives us a few hours of delay time. I know you can not read into the future, but I wanted to get a feel for how many of you arrive the day of versus the day before when flying?

 

Please try to change the ticket..

Best case scenario, your nerves get the best of you until you arrive on the ship.

Worst case scenario, miss the ship, lose a lot of money, ruin your vacation.

(some scenarios in between where you would try and catch the ship at the next port of call, etc..).

We always fly a day or two in advance.

Are you flying Detroit - San Juan direct? Only one flight a day with DL and one flight a day with NK (Spirit), too risky.

[wvufan]

Well, it is unanimous that it is very risky to try to fly in as proposed. You are not only at the mercy of the weather there, but also the weather where that particular flight may have come from ealier in the day-domino effect.

 

Is it possible to fly out after the exam to Florida, spend the night at a hotel, and then catch another flight the day of departure to PR? That would be my choice. May even have to fly (or get a rental car) to Chicago or another place the night before to catch a plane to Florida, but I would try it.

 

Happy Sails to You

 

OOOEEE :D:D Bob and Phyl

[Robinhill]

This is my first time flying to my cruise departure port next March. My husband and I used to live in Georgia and drive to port in Miami. Anyway, long story short, we are scheduled for a cruise out of San Juan next March and we obviously have to fly. My husband is a student, and not knowing his test schedule until mid January, I booked a flight for the day of departure. Well, we live in Michigan and I am starting to get nervous about weather delays. We will arrive in San Juan at 4pm - so that gives us a few hours of delay time. I know you can not read into the future, but I wanted to get a feel for how many of you arrive the day of versus the day before when flying?

 

Rellax JWestShuh- i have been on 3 cruises out of San Juan and I fly there the day of departure from Baltimore Maryland. I have done this in January and February when there is a very real threat of bad weather and have been very nervous about it and I too arrive around 4ish. I have never had a problem- at all. In March I particularly think you will be okay. My sailaway time was 8pm and I was at the airport at 4:15, got my bags (traveling with 6 other people so waiting for their bags too) and was at the ship by 4:55. Just in time to get something to eat and a nice drink!

[hubofhockey]

If you didn't have the words March and Michigan involved (please differentiate from post above mine - despite this past Winter, Baltimore is no Michigan), maybe you could roll the dice. We have gone in late April from Boston to Fort Lauderdale on day of. But we stopped doing that when it just became too much of a hassle waking up at 4 am to catch early morning flights. With all of the worry and the rushing, I found it hard to enjoy my first day on the cruise. I agree with the others about changing your flight. Even with one day, you still have the snow issues. Good luck.

[TheWog]

I would be having a stroke. :D I would try to arrange for day before once you know the schedule. If not, try and get an earlier flight if possible, anything to add time for delays, etc.

[Nessa1dc]

I have mostly sailed out of Miami...and we flew the day of the cruise only once and I was a nervous wreck (mid November, from Baltimore) no problems though. We are sailing out of San Juan in December and we decided to leave 2 days in advance....and I'm still nervous...want to know why? We had a trip planned to Vegas for the Super Bowl this year out of Baltimore...what happens? A BLIZZARD! Who would have thought? You can never predict the weather...we eventually made it to Vegas a day later...and we were one of 3 flights to make it out of the DC area....get my point?

 

Don't stress any further. Think....is about $400 or $500 worth your piece of mind? See if you can change the cruise date to a time when you know your Husband won't be in exams, maybe a month later or earlier (that may be free), then call the airline and change your flight to the day before that time...now they may charge you about $200 per person...in my opinion...it's worth it.

[MAZANDSTEVE]

I would definately only travel at least a day before, its not worth risking missing the ship and losing out.

[cruznjan]

There are many of us who, for whatever reason, have to fly to the port city the day of cruise period. I've done it several times and I've never had any problems. I've also flown in a day or two before when I could. Let's not use scare tactics. JWestShuh has insurance, and we can hope and pray for the best.