Need advice please!

[twinkle toes]

The Golden leaves Seattle at 4:00pm for Alaska on September 1st. I have the ability to fly out of my hometown rather than driving to a larger airport 3 hours away. This would alleviate the need to stay overnight at a hotel, as well as pay for a weeks worth of parking. The rub is this. The flight is due into Seattle at 1:25pm. If when I book my cruise, I buy the pre and post cruiseship transfers, am I really taking a chance? This flight into Seattle has a very good record for getting in on time. What would you do?:confused:

[Cruzman]

The Golden leaves Seattle at 4:00pm for Alaska on September 1st. I have the ability to fly out of my hometown rather than driving to a larger airport 3 hours away. This would alleviate the need to stay overnight at a hotel, as well as pay for a weeks worth of parking. The rub is this. The flight is due into Seattle at 1:25pm. If when I book my cruise, I buy the pre and post cruiseship transfers, am I really taking a chance? This flight into Seattle has a very good record for getting in on time. What would you do?:confused:

 

You must ask yourself if it is worth the risk. Personally, I have seen way too many cases where air delays have caused folks to miss their vacations; not worth it to me.

[san diego sue]

Call Princess and see how late their shuttles leave the Seattle airport for the port. It is not a great distance. However, maybe taking a cab would be quicker.

When we did the Princess shuttle, they met us at baggage claim, asked us to leave our luggage with a big pile bags, that they said would be transported to ship. Wasn't on the bus with us(didn't really like leaving our bags there). Then we were told to go outside, given a number and boarded a bus when number was called. Holland America passengers also there waiting for buses.

We are leaving in a few weeks, flying same day, but a west coast flight with arrival at 9:30. Taking cab this time.

By the way, when we cruise and fly cross country, would never fly in same day, always one to two days before. Have to allow for weather or delays.

 

 

[MustangGT]

I am only comfortable getting to the port city the day before. Too may horror stories of people missing the boat.

[runnerodb83]

I wouldn't, that gives you just about 2 hours to get your luggage and get to the ship which is cutting it awfully close, and is that really the best way to start a vacation? Sure, the stats may say the flight is frequently on time, but what if the time that its late is the day you are going to fly there on. It will take you 20 minutes to get off the plane and get to baggage, another 10 or so to get your baggage, another 10-20 to get situated in a taxi or transfer, 30-40 to get to the pier, 30 to check in. I count just about 2 hours there which is not leaving you ANY margin for mishaps.

 

Another thing too, because of the PVSA, if you miss the boat, you will basically forefeit your entire cruise since you won't be able to legally board till victoria, the night before the ship returns to seattle.

 

I personally am all for saving money, but find another way to make it happen. If you come in early you could save $40+ and use public transit to get from the airport to downtown and then to the terminal. Staying at a hotel near the airport is much less expensive than downtown also. Seattle is a great city, come and visit for a day, its more fun that way too. So far we have had a very sunny summer here, so sunny in fact that we are getting very rare thunderstorms occasionally, and you can bet that the afternoon thunderstorms cause delays at the airport.

 

I think 95% of posters on here will echo what I've said about your proposed flight being just too close to start a vacation.

[paul929207]

You will need to checkin by 2:30pm. Assuming you land at 1:25pm, it will take about 10 minutes to get to the gate. Another 10 to get off the plane. 10 minutes to get to the Princess transfers area. Probably once you are there you are OK. However, even 15 or 20 minutes late, the transfer people could be gone.

 

To me it is way too much chance of missing the cruise. Missing the ship in Alaska causes you problems. You will have to either board in a Canadian port or disembark in a Canadian port. Therefore you will need a passport. If you are traveling with your Birth Certificate and DL. You will just throw your cruise and the money you paid away

[PlanoDebbie]

I always like to be in the port city the day before my cruise begins. You've spent too much time and money to have something go wrong at the last minute. Flights get cancelled all the time.

 

Two weeks ago on the Sapphire, we had dinner with a couple from Atlanta. As they were leaving their house early Saturday to go to the airport for their flight, they got an automated call from American that their flight had been cancelled. They quickly called Expedia to try to get them re-booked so that they would not miss the cruise later that day. They got re-booked on United. Were going to have to go through Phoenix, but still should have gotten to the port city on time. Well, their United flight had engine problems and they sat on the plane for 3 hours before they were finally able to leave. Needless to say, they missed the cruise leaving Vancouver. Once they made it to Vancouver, they had to fly to Ketchikan and stay there until the ship arrived there on Monday. Not a fun way to start a vacation!

 

Find a cheap hotel near the airport that offers free shuttle to the airport. From there, you can take their light rail train downtown Seattle. A cab ride from there to the pier should be pretty cheap.

[Caris]

I think it's too risky. That is Labor Day weekend and Seattle has a huge festival that entire weekend called Bumbershoot. Traffic could be severe to get thru the city.

[lor74]

I don't know where you are coming from, and I can only assume your flight would be direct, but here is my experience getting from Montreal to Seattle a few weeks ago:

 

Montreal - > delayed 3hrs (maintenance problem)

Vancouver -> missed connection, put on last flight out

 

Was supposed to arrive in Seattle before 4pm, got there close to 11pm.

 

Obviously we would never do such a long, connecting flight on the day of the cruise....but it is an example of a bad travel day!

[Samanthamelody3]

I would not do this. Princess does have time lines to arrive in the port city - have you checked them for this cruise?

Delays have frequently and if you are late getting their it might be a disaster (if you are not booking your air with Princess).

 

Good luck.

[Pam in CA]

Realistically, by the time your flight arrives, your baggage is claimed, and you get to the ship, it'll be close to 3pm. The ship's manifest must be submitted to Homeland Security at least 60 minutes before sailing so if you arrive after 3pm, you may not be allowed to check in. I know that in San Pedro, almost all of the check-in people leave at about 3pm for a 4pm sailing.

 

As has been mentioned, the biggest risk is the PVSA. If you miss the ship, you will not be allowed to board at any other port other than in Canada so you'd be essentially missing your entire cruise. It's up to you whether missing the entire cruise is worth it to you.

[twinkle toes]

Thank you everyone. Based on what you have said, I am going to take the same time flight a day before and just relax. My 82 and 84 year old parents are coming with us, so that will make it much easier for them. I didn't realize there was a festival going on. That would have made it impossible. Again, thanks. That's why I love this board so much:D

[paul929207]

Wise choice.

 

Have a great cruise.

[Gunner22aa]

Of an airline is not even an odds on bet! Today it's a different plane than yesterday. The one yesterday didn't break, nothing says this one won't. Cutting it way too close for my liking and a few dollars. What if your bag gets misplaced? The day before is one of the best insurance policies you can buy. Almost missed our very first cruise because the travel agent assured us the additional expence of a hotel the night before was a "complete waste of money" I have a different agent now.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I wouldn't, that gives you just about 2 hours to get your luggage and get to the ship which is cutting it awfully close, and is that really the best way to start a vacation? Sure, the stats may say the flight is frequently on time, but what if the time that its late is the day you are going to fly there on. It will take you 20 minutes to get off the plane and get to baggage, another 10 or so to get your baggage, another 10-20 to get situated in a taxi or transfer, 30-40 to get to the pier, 30 to check in. I count just about 2 hours there which is not leaving you ANY margin for mishaps.

 

Another thing too, because of the PVSA, if you miss the boat, you will basically forefeit your entire cruise since you won't be able to legally board till victoria, the night before the ship returns to seattle.

 

I personally am all for saving money, but find another way to make it happen. If you come in early you could save $40+ and use public transit to get from the airport to downtown and then to the terminal. Staying at a hotel near the airport is much less expensive than downtown also. Seattle is a great city, come and visit for a day, its more fun that way too. So far we have had a very sunny summer here, so sunny in fact that we are getting very rare thunderstorms occasionally, and you can bet that the afternoon thunderstorms cause delays at the airport.

 

I think 95% of posters on here will echo what I've said about your proposed flight being just too close to start a vacation.

 

You will need to checkin by 2:30pm. Assuming you land at 1:25pm, it will take about 10 minutes to get to the gate. Another 10 to get off the plane. 10 minutes to get to the Princess transfers area. Probably once you are there you are OK. However, even 15 or 20 minutes late, the transfer people could be gone.

 

To me it is way too much chance of missing the cruise. Missing the ship in Alaska causes you problems. You will have to either board in a Canadian port or disembark in a Canadian port. Therefore you will need a passport. If you are traveling with your Birth Certificate and DL. You will just throw your cruise and the money you paid away

 

 

Unless some of us are wrong, if you miss the embarkation in Seattle for a RT Alaskan cruise, you're basically out of luck. But even if we're wrong, and you can embark in Ketchikan, you'll be responsible for getting up there, which will mean finding a flight and getting there by the time the ship gets there.

 

Just on a whim, I looked up Alaska Air flights for today from Seattle, getting to Ketchikan. You're talking about some $428 per person. And whether you wait in Seattle or wait in Ketchikan for the ship to get there (the second day is a sea day), you're paying for a hotel room.

 

So for the amount of parking your car and a hotel room in Seattle for one night, you're going to risk other extra costs AND the stress of having to deal with all the extra arrangements (plus hoping you don't have to jump through hoops in Ketchikan, especially as you'll have to make sure there's the ability to check in there as that's not a normal embarkation port). And to me, stressing out over whether it will work out before even leaving for the airport...it's just not worth it for me.

 

I have also read many horror stories on this site about cancelled or delayed flights, which have often resulted in missed cruises. We had about 200 on our 2010 cruise who didn't get on the ship because their flights got delayed in London because of weather problems, and there were delays in Los Angeles due to weather problems here (yes, we sometimes do get actual weather here). Fortunately for me, anytime I've had a flight delay, it was on the ending part of the trip, and both times I've had misplaced luggage, it was on the return flight (we switched to an earlier flight one time, but the luggage stayed on the later flight; second time, the counter person didn't care for my mother's whining, and I'm guessing that's why our luggage was given the wrong destination tag:rolleyes: and I don't really blame them).

 

When we went to Seattle for our Alaskan cruise, we took the train up the west coast, but I selected the train that would get us in on Friday night for a Sunday cruise. The train was four hours late (which seemed to be actually the norm that summer), getting us in around midnight. We were able to sleep in to recover, then do a little pre-cruise shopping and sightseeing (we were staying post-cruise for a few days so our main sightseeing would be then). For our cruises out of Florida, we got in the night before, even though it would have been cheaper to get in early the morning of the cruise. We had the night to relax, rather than trying to sleep on the plane, plus the stress if there were any delays.

[Cruiserkenn]

For sure you need an earlier flight or fly in the day before.

 

Here in Illinois, we can have summer thunderstorms. All it takes is a surprise thunderstorm to delay your flight for an hour or two, and then you miss the cruise.

 

Don't risk it. I have been delayed countless times, for hours on end, by summer thunderstorms.

[jagoffee]

Thank you everyone. Based on what you have said, I am going to take the same time flight a day before and just relax. My 82 and 84 year old parents are coming with us, so that will make it much easier for them. I didn't realize there was a festival going on. That would have made it impossible. Again, thanks. That's why I love this board so much:D

 

Great choice IMO. Enjoy the anticipation. My DW and I always enjoy the precruise hotel stay near the port. It is a great way to start a vacation assuming that you have the time.

[donaldsc]

Deketed. The OP has made the proper decision.

 

DON

[Pam in CA]

Thank you everyone. Based on what you have said, I am going to take the same time flight a day before and just relax. My 82 and 84 year old parents are coming with us, so that will make it much easier for them. I didn't realize there was a festival going on. That would have made it impossible. Again, thanks. That's why I love this board so much:D

Wise decision. It's just not worth taking the chance or going through the anxiety. Particularly for your parents. This way, you'll be far more relaxed and it'll be less stressful for everyone.

[jTravels2]

I wouldn't take a chance. I definitely would leave a day early and find a hotel near the airport, so you can pick up your transfer after check out.

[caribill]

The Golden leaves Seattle at 4:00pm for Alaska on September 1st. .... The flight is due into Seattle at 1:25pm.

 

A 4 PM departure means you need to be on board by 3 PM, 1 hour 35 minutes after you flight's scheduled arrival. Too close in my opinion.

 

To avoid the three hour drive, take the flight the day before and enjoy a night in Seattle.

[notentirelynormal]

Glad you changed it. I absolutely hate Seattle traffic. It seems there is always a traffic jam. I was there recently and it took about an hour to get through town. Stop and go, stop and go, and stop and stop and then go. The only part of Seattle traffic I like is the expressway. There is no way on this earth you could get off a flight that late and do the airport, traffic and get to the port on time.

[hpeabody]

I recently cruised out of Seattle. I think you have made a very wise decision to come in the day before. If you have not decided on a hotel, I stayed at the Hampton Inn on 28th St. It is NOT too expensive and a nice breakfast is included. I took the light rail to downtown and back (hotel provided a shuttle to station) and visited Pikes Place Market. To get to the port I used Seattle Express and it worked out well.

 

Happy Cruising :)

[nukesubsailor]

The Golden leaves Seattle at 4:00pm for Alaska on September 1st. I have the ability to fly out of my hometown rather than driving to a larger airport 3 hours away. This would alleviate the need to stay overnight at a hotel, as well as pay for a weeks worth of parking. The rub is this. The flight is due into Seattle at 1:25pm. If when I book my cruise, I buy the pre and post cruiseship transfers, am I really taking a chance? This flight into Seattle has a very good record for getting in on time. What would you do?:confused:

 

I would not risk it. My plane arrived in Seattle on time but my luggage was not on it. Princess personnel sent me on to the ship and had someone pick up my luggage which was on the next plane and bring it to the ship just prior to sailing. The stress was not worth it. Now I always fly to the embarkation port the day before sailing. A similar lost luggage event happened when I flew to Ft. Lauderdale for a cruise. My baggage arrived about 12 hours after I did. Fortunately this time I had flown the day before the cruise and did not have to spend two weeks wearing the same set of clothes or hiding in the cabin while my wife and I took turns in the ship's passenger laundramat washing each other's clothes.

[LoveThisCruisingThing]

I think you are taking a chance. What happens if your home import gets horrible weather the dy of your trip and is delayed? Or a mechanical problem? I always arrive at least the day before. Not worth taking the chance.