Fly in the day of the cruise?

[RCI Cruisers 004]

Like everyone says, it's way to risky. If you are out of vacation days or sick days, I would call in dead, and leave a day early !

[C Cruise Dude]

We are thinking of taking the red eyes flight and arrive to FLL at 8:30am for the Oasis in August. We usually fly in the day before, but due vacation time. We don't have a lot of option. Do you think it is too risky?

 

Some considerations: Is your flight non-stop or connecting flights. Do you fly into or out of Atlanta? I was told by someone who retired from the airline industry to avoid flights involving Atlanta because of delayed or cancelled flights especially due to weather. I had a late flight leaving Miami due to weather, had a connecting flight in Atlanta and ended up missing my connecting flight and spending the night in Atlanta. Can you take flight after work or change shifts if needed?

[grandgeezer]

If you're going to be a worry wart, why stop at flying in only one day early? Two maybe not be enough, a week's better. I've done twenty seven cruises, leaving at all times of the year, and I have NEVER had a problem flying in the day of the cruise, that included Phoenix to Ft. Lauderdale. There is a lot to take in to consideration, but the bottom line is, do you feel lucky?

[waterbug123]

I honestly think it depends where you're flying from, where you're flying to and what time of year it is.

 

Are you saying that because of weather? You do realize that weather anywhere in the country can affect a flight anywhere else in the country, don't you? Example: Maybe you're flying from Dallas to Miami in March and the weather in both cities is fine. But OOPS! The plane is coming in from Pittsburgh where there's a late season blizzard and all flights are grounded.

 

Some considerations: Is your flight non-stop or connecting flights. Do you fly into or out of Atlanta? I was told by someone who retired from the airline industry to avoid flights involving Atlanta because of delayed or cancelled flights especially due to weather. I had a late flight leaving Miami due to weather, had a connecting flight in Atlanta and ended up missing my connecting flight and spending the night in Atlanta. Can you take flight after work or change shifts if needed?

 

Atlanta is the busiest airport in the world. More flights = more fights with problems. But flights with issues as a percentage of total flights may be no worse than anywhere else. The flip side of this is that if you have an issue at the busiest airport in the world, you typically have a lot of other options if something goes wrong.

[irishgal432]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/22/travel/southwest-airlines-glitch/index.html?c=us

 

This is why you don't fly in the day of the cruise if you can help it.

[cruiserking]

The bottom line is do you really want to have the stress of worrying if your flight will arrive in time. See if you can catch an evening flight the night before.

Do yourself a favor and enjoy your vacation without adding unnecessary worries.

 

Jonathan

[CRUISING71]

Thank you for all the great advice. We weighted the pro and con and booked a flight coming in a day early.

 

Yesterday a friend of our was stranded in SNA (Orange County Airport) going to Las Vegas. Nothing is wrong with the weather in both city. Just Southwest Airline's computer system crash and all flights in and out of SNA was cancelled. It was a wake up call for us too.

 

So we booked a flight coming in early and will be staying at Embassy Suite on 17th.

[constable145]

Whatever extra cost that you may incur for the hotel or loss of wages is easily repaid by the peace of mind you will have.

 

Another good example... A years ago my brother and I popped for a cruise for my parents for their 30th anniversary . Everything was included. Flights from Buffalo to Jfk... Pre-cruise night in the Sheraton in Times Square etc.

 

For a brief moment I thought about sending them to a Yankees game the day of their flight. Good thing I didn't. There flight was delayed by over 3 hours.

 

Once they got there... No luggage. It didn't arrive until about 10 minutes prior to their departure for the pier.

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app on my Samsung Galaxy S3

[satxdiver]

We always arrive the day before the cruise or earlier. We want to account for travel delays and we want to kick back and relax before we board the ship. We are always energetic and ready to go the day we board the ship. I would highly recommend arriving the day before or earlier if there is some question about the travel such as bad weather, etc.

[Donut23]

I'm going to take a wild guess and say you are uneasy with the option already. You decided to ask here hoping enough would say....Oh yea, No problem, go ahead.

 

I say, if your wallet can afford the cost of last minute airfare and hotel accommodations chasing the ship after it sails, you don't mind the stress and exhaustion of missing the ship and you don't mind the loss of vacation days, then all means fly in the day of departure.

 

Who can tell you what will happen......like the person who adked here if a September cruise from PC would be impacted by a hurricane.

 

Vacation time is my chance to get away from stress. We are always there a day ahead unless we leave from Bayonne....our hometown port.

[sparky-elpaso]

Thank you for all the great advice. We weighted the pro and con and booked a flight coming in a day early.

 

Yesterday a friend of our was stranded in SNA (Orange County Airport) going to Las Vegas. Nothing is wrong with the weather in both city. Just Southwest Airline's computer system crash and all flights in and out of SNA was cancelled. It was a wake up call for us too.

 

So we booked a flight coming in early and will be staying at Embassy Suite on 17th.

 

Embassy Suites is very nice - have a great time.

[parrotfeathers]

I wondered how many people were affected by Southwest's computer crash.

[whyrlygig]

We have had our last flight the day of. Way too stressful.

[cjdixon4]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/22/travel/southwest-airlines-glitch/index.html?c=us

 

This is why you don't fly in the day of the cruise if you can help it.

 

 

irish-

Yep. And usually Southwest is my airline of choice out of Chicago to Florida. I'm certainly aware that it could happen on any airline, but I, like you, will NEVER fly out same day as my sailing. Just paranoid I suppose, but coming into the port city a day or two in advance of the cruise hasn't failed me yet!

 

Besides, I can't take the stress...:eek: