Another reason to fly in the day before a cruise

[Fattony]

http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-united-airlines-flight-diverted-dec-11,0,6494174.story See the first passenger interviewed: as he arrived, late, at LAX, he said he had a cruise to catch a half hour previously.;

[paul929207]

Sad when people don't take a reasonable precaution and arrive a day early

[Keith1010]

Since the first time we have cruised, we always arrived a day early for the cruise and that was the case when I worked full time.

 

Often people say I always fly in the same day of the cruise and never had a problem.

 

My response is consider yourself lucky.

 

Keith

[ab0si]

Since the first time we have cruised, we always arrived a day early for the cruise and that was the case when I worked full time.

 

Often people say I always fly in the same day of the cruise and never had a problem.

 

My response is consider yourself lucky.

 

Keith

 

Keith, perhaps you were on this cruise, also....

 

Several years ago, we cruised on Crystal LA->Hong Kong. The ship ran into some horrid weather and seas, so we docked quite late. One couple was upset because they were scheduled to board another cruise (another line) the same day ... out of Singapore.

 

I am always amazed by the faith some people have that everything will go as planned .. no schedule hiccups, no problems. My view is that:

 

a) Per Murphy: anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

b) Murphy is WAY TOO optimistic. It will go wrong in the worst possible way at the worst possible time.

c) Campbell was right: The perversity of the Universe tends towards a maximum. ... Finagle's Law

[melligene]

Since the first time we have cruised, we always arrived a day early for the cruise and that was the case when I worked full time.

 

Often people say I always fly in the same day of the cruise and never had a problem.

 

My response is consider yourself lucky.

 

Keith

 

 

AGREE. Also one might think about the day after your cruise. Check to see how many of your particular cruise line ships dock at the same day at the same port. Your cruise line uses their own building. Especially if you have an early flight out the same day as arrival. We recently had the experience of two of the same cruise line ships disembarking at the same time. There was a 45 minute hold at customs due to congestion. (4,600 pasengers going thru the same building) We were supposed to be off the ship by 10:00 a.m. but that didn't happen until almost 11:00 a.m. If your flight time is critical you might want to think about this.

Best to book a room pre/post cruise just in case. Just my $.02.

[Ms Understood]

Or a Baldwin could be on your flight causing yet another unanticipated delay:D

------------------

Helen

[Cruise Junky]

Keith, perhaps you were on this cruise, also....

 

Several years ago, we cruised on Crystal LA->Hong Kong. The ship ran into some horrid weather and seas, so we docked quite late. One couple was upset because they were scheduled to board another cruise (another line) the same day ... out of Singapore.

 

 

Similar thing on our Panama Canal Cruise... we were about 2 hours late getting into Vancouver..a lady had a $14,000 suite booked on an Alaskan Cruise out of Seattle leaving that afternoon. The only way she would have made it was chartering a helicopter/float plane and that wouldn't have been cheap. Even with the 2 hours, she could have run into numerous problems.

[PennyAgain]

I watched an HAL ship sail away without me when I had a same day flight arrival.

 

My family was on the ship having arrived from another city.

[FlyerTalker]

I watched an HAL ship sail away without me when I had a same day flight arrival.

Did you at least get pictures? And did they get pictures of you on the pier?

[PennyAgain]

Did you at least get pictures? And did they get pictures of you on the pier?

 

No photos!

 

Husband and family were on the ship and were told I would be boarded. I was locked in a van by the cruise line and not allowed to make any attempt to board.

 

Travel insurance did not pay as the delay was caused by weather.

 

Husband was charged a single supplement.

 

I couldn't catch up to the ship as the weather really was foul and ports were passed up.

 

I didn't get a refund.

 

Jolly all around.

[UKBayern]

Several years ago, we cruised on Crystal LA->Hong Kong. The ship ran into some horrid weather and seas, so we docked quite late. One couple was upset because they were scheduled to board another cruise (another line) the same day ... out of Singapore.

 

Did these people even know HongKong and Singapore are not remotely near (1599 miles!!!) or even in the same country????

[Keith1010]

Keith, perhaps you were on this cruise, also....

 

Several years ago, we cruised on Crystal LA->Hong Kong. The ship ran into some horrid weather and seas, so we docked quite late. One couple was upset because they were scheduled to board another cruise (another line) the same day ... out of Singapore.

 

I am always amazed by the faith some people have that everything will go as planned .. no schedule hiccups, no problems. My view is that:

 

a) Per Murphy: anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

b) Murphy is WAY TOO optimistic. It will go wrong in the worst possible way at the worst possible time.

c) Campbell was right: The perversity of the Universe tends towards a maximum. ... Finagle's Law

 

We did that cruise but a few years after yours, I think. We were on the 2009 Crossing.

 

I continue to be amazed like you and am in 1005 agreement about the Murphy Law.

 

We always add lots of pad for both the pre and post cruise.

 

We just don't want to deal with any of the stress of worrying about getting to and from the ship nor take the risk of missing the ship or the plane.

 

Keith

[bouhunter]

We fly in TWO days prior to a cruise now. Great way to get the vacation started!:D And we're flying from the Great White North so no reason to risk winter weather interfering.

[Zach1213]

Did these people even know HongKong and Singapore are not remotely near (1599 miles!!!) or even in the same country????

Pretty crazy. The quickest I've flown between HKG and Singapore, from arriving at HKG's front doors to passing Singaporean customs, is 5.5 hours, and that was thanks to an unusually quick flight and my unexpectedly cutting it close thanks to a longer-than-expected meeting in Tung Chung. I would never, ever think of planning activities in both cities on the same day...

[pascalburns]

took a flight the day of cruise,out of ala to ft lauderdale fl,got there in time,but will not do it again.

:)

[dchan865]

Several years ago we barely made it to our cruise in Italy with only 2 hours left before the ship sailed. Under the original plan we were supposed to make it to port with about 8-10 hrs to spare. But our flight from EWR was delayed due to mechanical problem(7-8hrs delayed) so needless to say we were very stressed. That was one experience that my family would not like to go through again.

[Steppy08]

My husband is a supervisor for an airline and therefore has many cautionary tales of air travel and cruising. This is one of the best:

 

A couple were flying down to Florida for a cruise with a bunch of family and friends. They opted to fly down the same day as their sailing. The woman forgot an article of clothing at home, they went back home to get it and missed their flight and consequently their cruise. The rest of the family made it without them. Here's the kicker: they were getting married on the ship and the clothing she forgot was her wedding dress!

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

We go the day before if it is more than 5 hours drive to the port.

[ducklite]

For a Florida based cruise I'd leave my house that day, I'm 90 minutes from PC or TPA, three hours from FLL, 3.5 from Miami. That said, I would leave early enough that if there was bad traffic, a flat tire, etc. we'd have plenty of time to sort it out and still arrive before the ship sailed.

 

For an East or southern West Coast departure, I'd fly in the day before. For Alaska I'd probably fly in two days before, no later than the earliest flight the day before.

 

For Europe we arrive a full two days plus prior to our departure time, and I can't imaging doing it any other way. It will also allow us to get partially onto the new time zone before we board.

[genealogyfan]

Yes I agree why risk flying the same day as a cruise. Also if you need to be somewhere that day, print out alternate flights just in case.

 

One time I was flying home to the East Coast from Paris. They said there was a delay due to mechanical problems, so while we were waiting I got online and found 3 flights to the East Coast - one to my final destination and two to NYC (which is a train ride away). I wrote down the info just in case.

 

Short time later they announced the flight had to be canceled and said they had no other flights that day and were going to book everyone at a hotel and fly them the next day (which was true, that airline didn't but others had flights). I was amazed at the number of people throwing fits, some pounding on the wall that they had to be home that day.

 

I went up to the counter all calm, asked if I could be rebooked to the Air France flight that flew directly to my destination that I had found (even gave the NYC flight info to another couple who wanted to get home that day too (they then could take a train down to Philadelphia) ) and they rebooked me without a problem

[UKBayern]

Yes I agree why risk flying the same day as a cruise. Also if you need to be somewhere that day, print out alternate flights just in case.

 

One time I was flying home to the East Coast from Paris. They said there was a delay due to mechanical problems, so while we were waiting I got online and found 3 flights to the East Coast - one to my final destination and two to NYC (which is a train ride away). I wrote down the info just in case.

 

Short time later they announced the flight had to be canceled and said they had no other flights that day and were going to book everyone at a hotel and fly them the next day (which was true, that airline didn't but others had flights). I was amazed at the number of people throwing fits, some pounding on the wall that they had to be home that day.

 

I went up to the counter all calm, asked if I could be rebooked to the Air France flight that flew directly to my destination that I had found (even gave the NYC flight info to another couple who wanted to get home that day too (they then could take a train down to Philadelphia) ) and they rebooked me without a problem

 

Yep, always check or have somebody else check for you. Even if the flight does not go exactly to your final destination, somewhere close might do. Our holiday was saved once that way when DH's flight home was cancelled (we were scheduled to leave for our holiday the next morning), and I found on the internet there was a flight to an obscure little regional airport 2-3 hours by train from our home. He and 2 other guys were the only ones who came up with that idea, whilst the rest of the plane stood in line like a bunch of sheep waiting to be transported to a hotel.