Do you arrive the day before or the day of your cruise?

[spammie]

We are not cruising until September 2006. We have always cruised during the summer months and flew down the day of our cruise. After last year's hurricanes in September I'm thinking maybe we should go down a day earlier. The only downside is of course paying for a hotel room and having to be packed a day earlier. Any thoughts? Wanda

[long time lurker]

We find it much more relaxing to travel the day before our cruise. Of course we are coming from Alaska and have jet lag and more weather delays to worry about. My advice is if you have the vacation time it is a much more relaxing way to start. You can genereally find an inexpensive place to stay on the internet. This allows you to get to the ship early and start your vacation before the crowds converge.

[familycruzer]

The only time we did not arrive a day early is when the ship left from the port 30 minutes from home. We even have a hotel when we leave from Bayonne NJ which is 1.5 hours from home. Its all part of the vacation and I like being worry free about getting there on time.

[dougp26364]

I've flown enough to know better than to trust the airlines to get me to my destination at the specified time. There's a lot that can go wrong including weather, maintenance issues, strikes and sick out's (Remember USAir?), and any other assortment of things that can cause a delay.

 

I prefer to give myself a little breathing room and fly out a day early. Packing for vacation a day early isn't a hassle to me at all. Priceline usually works well for a bed to sleep in for one night. Plus, being able to relax and take our time getting to the pier, rather than grabbing the luggage, looking for transportation and lugging the luggage to the porter again makes things so much easier.

 

By going in a day early we're never tired or worn out from traveling on the first night of our cruise.

[Druke I]

For us, depends entirely upon where the port of embarkation is. Left coast, arrive same day; east coast, day prior; overseas, a day or two prior.

[macbasset]

We usually go down the day before, especially if it is in winter; you never know what the weather will be like or if the plane will be delayed coming to your airport. We always stay in the Hyatt at Orlando when we go to Port Canaveral; we usually get a good AAA rate that includes buffet breakfast. That we are rested when we get up to leave on our cruise, unlike people who have been up early flying to their destination; we feel refreshed and ready to go. Also, you just put your luggage outside the room in the morning (for disney cruises anyway) and they pick it up and get it on buses to the ship at Port Canaveral. We also book a "day" room there when we return for about $60 so that we have a place to rest and swim untill our flight if we have a late flight.

[dad son team]

Always the day before regardless of the time of year. I can't relax until I get to the hotel the day before and I know that I will not have any air delays. Then I can get up at me leisure on the day of sailing and arrive at the ship early. I like to get on the ship as early as possible to take advantage of the emptyness and wander around to get a general idea of the ships layout.

[royale]

I highly recomend the day before it is much more relaxing to know you have

 

some leeway if you run ito trouble with the flight.We use to go the day of

the cruise and the last 5 times we have gone the day before and find it is

a much better way to do it.We will be on the Explorer on 7/24/2005 and

are going down the day before and staying at the Holiday Inn across from

the Bayside Market.

[clott]

We have always flown the same day as our cruise. Never had any problems even when we flew to San Juan and we always go in Oct. This year we are going down the day before only because we are taking my stepson so it will be a little more trouble.

 

Cindy

[MikeNJ1109]

Our preference has always been to arrive the day before. However, for our upcoming cruise on Voyager (5/7 repo), we will fly down the day of due to work committments the day before. From what I understand, about 20 to 30 of our fellow passangers will be on the same flight out of EWR that morning.

 

Mike & Silke

[downeasternercruisin']

We are going down to Miami two days before our cruise this year. We are looking forward to enjoying South Beach for a couple of days, and getting a head start on our tans. Plus, my wife wants some time on terra firma at a nice resort before heading out to sea.

[legalwife]

We have done both and both have worked great for us. I do love to stay the night before at the Renaissance at the Atlanta Airport and leave car there while gone. Shuttle drops you right at front of airport. If we fly the day of cruise, we always stay at an airport hotel the night before. This one is my very favorite because it overlooks the runway and we always request a balcony room. We will do this on next cruise as well.

 

We have also stayed night before cruise in Tampa, Port Canaveral and Charleston. Enjoyed that equally as much. I very much recommend Priceline or Hotwire if you fly in day before for one night. Have had good luck in past with them if you don't care if you are not in an ocean front room each time.

 

Just depends on, well, nothing in particular! Just whatever I want to do that time! :) I just love to go!!!!!!!

[MTS]

As most have said so far, arriving the day before makes for some peace of mind, since it's hard to predict how the airlines schedules might "act up".

 

Fortunately, for my May 1st Radiance cruise it's living from my homeport of San Diego, so I only have a 10 minute ride to the pier! ;-)) I just love when my cruises are leaving from home.

 

Have a great cruise, and my suggestion is definately the day before if your not close to home.

 

MTS

[J&SLowery]

We have always flown in on the day of each of our cruises, including San Juan departures twice. We have never had a problem.

 

I understand the piece of mind others have by arriving early, it's just not been a necessity for us. We always get early morning flights that allow us some room for error, but we also by trip insurance for every cruise, and are willing to accept if we encounter a delay.

 

Jay

[karenandgoose]

We live 1.5 hours from the port and still go the day before. I'm a worry wort and if the car breaks down or there is an accidant on I4 I want to have the security of knowing I have until tomorrow to get to the port.

It takes us at least a day to leave work behind and start getting in the vacation mode so I consider it an integral part of our vacation to take that extra day and decompress.

 

Karen

[NancyB84]

We arrived the day of our cruise for the first one... we were literally running from place to place in order to make it on time... they even had to hold the sailing by almost an hour to wait for all the people with flight delays (thankfully the air was through the cruiseline and there was a ton of us, otherwise I think they would have left without us). Then we arrived without a few of our bags. I won't ever go the day of a cruise again. That ruined me for same day departures. I was so stressed and just plain exhausted from all the running around and the delays/plane changes/etc!!!! I know alot of people who do the same day departure thing and have no problems... it just isn't for me.

[Grandma Dazzles]

Please take the extra day and fly in the day before!!!! No matter what time of year, the airlines have delays, and don't forget your baggage - that can also miss a connection and be delayed.

 

For all those who have always traveled the same day as sailing, you are so lucky..... we have experienced the "fun" of sitting in the snow at O'Hare waiting to be deiced to "thunder storms" over Miami .... all the time thinking there goes the ship. On the way to San Juan, baggage not "lost" just missed its connection, coming in on the "evening" flight.....

 

We learned and then always went in a day earlier. We board very early ...explore a fairly empty ship.... food and drink are always available. You really get almost another day on board.

 

Have also met up with Cruise Critic friends the previous night and all boarded together. Could not imagine flying in the same day any more.

[wrp96]

My first 3 cruises I arrived and left on the same day. For my next cruise out of San Juan, I'm going a day early and leaving a day later. Why?

 

Because I almost didn't make it back home the same day on my last cruise because of delays at the pier. I missed my flight home and there was only one seat available to get me home that night. If anybody else had been with me, we would have been in trouble.

 

I'm looking forward to not having to rush to get to the ship. I've been on three cruises, 2 out of Miami, and all I've ever seen of Miami is the port. I've sat frustrated at the airport waiting on delayed buses that we were told would be there any time (so none of us left to get any food because we were afraid to miss the bus) only to find when we finally got onto the ship that the buffet had just closed (horror of horrors[sarcasm] - except that we had been traveling since 4:00 o'clock that morning with no meals served on flights and no time in the airport to grab any food before the next flight).

 

I don't live in a town with a major airport. Most of our flights are on regional jets and usually are pretty full. We have to make a connection somewhere to be able to get to anywhere. If anything goes wrong with the first flight, we are left trying to get where we're are going. If bad weather happened the previous day, they can't get the plane in for the first flight of the day (which is the one we have to catch to be able to make a cruise ship). And bad weather can happen year round, where I live it's more likely to be severe weather than snow or ice but we get both. Also, going a day early takes into account the problems of overbookings. The first flights of the morning are frequently overbooked out of our town. For my 2nd cruise, the flight was overbooked and everyone on the plane was flying to meet different cruise ships, so none of us were going to give up our seats for only $200. There were no more available seats out until the next day. One very unhappy family was left sitting in the terminal unsure if they would get to go on vacation.

 

So to save my sanity on my next cruise, especially since I am taking my Mom with me for the first time (her back's acting up so it's harder for her to do the airport run - although I would argue that she is the queen of it), we are arriving a day early and leaving a day later. That way if planes get screwed up on the way there we're not worried about missing our cruise. That way if delays happen at the pier on the way back we're not worried about missing our flight. And that way my Mom will have time to call home from a square in the middle of Old Town San Juan and brag to the rest of our family about exactly where she is (like I did on my last cruise while they were at work and I was getting ready to go back to the ship for my second massage and facial of the week).

[hstrybuf]

Since we have to fly to every cruise port, we always arrive a day early. You just never know what might happen to cause a flight to be delayed or cancelled.

[Coralc]

Southern California cruises, the flight from Northern California is only an hour, and there are multiple flights. We fly down the day of departure.

 

East Coast flights, we like to arrive at least 2 nights early, just to get used to the times change, and be relaxed for our cruise.

 

It is unlikely that the hurricane season will be as bad next Fall, as this last year was....but we are flying in 3 nights early for our Oct. 2 Mariner cruise. :)

[Cruising89143]

I always arrive at least one day in advance but mostly a couple of days before my cruise. I like the idea of knowing that I have a good bumper of time in case something were to happen during transit to my debarkation city. Also nothing like getting there a couple of days ahead of time to kick back and unwound before stepping on the ship.

[cincicruisers]

After reading these boards I switched this cruise to flying in the day before for this trip. Last time coming into Miami for the cruise I was one of the last people on the ship. Had to run to find room, life jacket, and get to muster drill. Didnt really settle down and relax until the 2nd day. This time, meeting some others from CC for dinner the night before and will be up bright and early rested and relaxed to board the ship.

If possible, I will do this each time unless work prevents me from getting out of town a day early. :) Happy Cruising

 

OTS Mariner 4/24/05

Jewel 11/04

Majesty 10/03

[SA Traveler]

In the past we have usually arrived day of but as we have gained more cruising experience we realized it's a miracle we've always made the ship. Now we arrive the day before at a minimum.

[stuffic]

Have always flown in the day of the cruise and never had a problem. Having said that, from now on I will fly in a day earlier just to relax, sleep in late, and not have jet lag!

[dizzy205]

We have not yet. We will be when we take the Freedom in 12/06. The next few are in driving range. Any ideas on which hotel sees the ships in Miami best please let me know. We are thinking of the Marriot Biscayne Bay. Has anyone stayed there? Or is there another that we might like?