Whats the latest you would fly in on day of embarkation

[Gonzo70]

We also live in the SE.....always fly the day of, even in January. We DO book with Choice Air to make sure that we get the ship, but we have always been on time or early.....

 

Why do you think booking with Choice Air ensures you will get to the ship?!? They have ZERO control over the airlines. I think you took their marketing lingo too seriously.

[Denny01]

I've done a great deal of business travel and yes, missing or delayed flights are not the norm. But I book flights to arrive the day before for pretty much any cruise. For European cruises, I get there a few days before.

 

That way I'm not watching the wx and checking flights the days before (well, maybe a bit!) and worry about.

 

So no, I do not get in the day of the cruise, no matter if it costs me a day of vacation. Those that end up just making it talk about it a good deal of the cruise, and those that have to catch up at the next port end up making that the focus of the cruise. Human nature.

 

All it takes is missed flights for one cruise to refocus priorities. But I do realize some don't have that amount of flexibility, but if you do, you might think about lowering the stress since the point is enjoying a vacation.

 

And no, I don't own a chain of hotels next to various ports!

 

Den

[3dog]

You definitely would not be able to board in Key West as it would be illegal because of cabotage laws (PVSA).

 

This isn't as clear as you may think. For the most part, what matters is that documentation shows the passenger (in a closed-loop cruise) return to the same port they departed (and even this allows exceptions - sort of how Dream passengers got back to the US after it became disabled in St. Maarten). X would check you into the cruise at FLL, transport you to Key West (probably not on a ship), where they transport you to the next port (though, this time on the ship). I means a bit more documentation, but is definitely doable.

 

What wouldn't be allowed is to just drive (or take some other transportation on your own) and join the ship in Key West.

 

 

That said, it is far less trouble to board the ship at the embarkation port. And IMHO, the closer to the scheduled airline arrival is to the ship departure, the higher the probability of missing the ship due to flight delays. Plus the time of year (e.g. common weather issues, such as snow) and number of stops increases the probability of flight delays. If the OP chooses to fly on embarkation day, try hard to get non-stops, travel/arrive as early as possible, and keep a list of alternate flights.

[3dog]

But I book flights to arrive the day before for pretty much any cruise. For European cruises, I get there a few days before.

 

I should also point out that traveling the day before (or several) doesn't guarantee making a cruise ship. Flights get canceled for many reasons, and the day-before flight could be canceled, and there are no others available for arrival to make a cruise - even though the day-of flight arrived just fine (should be evident from the passenger comments as to how long to get to a destination after weather cancellations).

 

What it does help with are if there are delays, or allows time for baggage to catch up should they somehow get rerouted (which is far more common than the passenger not arriving in a reasonable time).

 

I usually travel some number of days before European cruises, as I have spent time and money getting there (sometimes more than the cruise), I wish to enjoy some amount of time in the departure and/or arrival port.

 

And if a flight is non-stop, non-international, less than an 8 hour effective travel (e.g. 5 hour flight plus a 3 hour time change), I have no problem flying in the day of embarkation (have done it from SF to FLL a couple of times).

[riclop]

2nd cruise coming up at the end of the month and we are flying on day of embarkation. We arrive at FLL at 11:50am (it was 10:50am but there was a flight schedule change). Must be on ship by 3:30pm. Am I crazy? I did book through choice air so I'd be able to meet the boat in key west if the worst happens but missing 1 night on a 5 night isn't a great start to a cruise. We're on the earliest Delta flight leaving Memphis with a single stop in Atlanta (1 hr and 13 min layover). I was thinking about changing to a one-way Southwest flight out (arrives FLL 10:25am with 1 stop in Tampa) and keeping the Delta return but I've heard that if you miss one leg of your flight they will cancel the rest of it. Is that true?

So for those of you brave enough to fly on the day of departure... what is the latest you are comfortable with arriving at the airport/ship?

Will not chance it , fly day before.

[waterbug123]

I would also bet money (maybe not as much as above) that you will be on ship with plenty of time to spare

 

I agree... most likely, that is what will happen. BUT, the odds of problems occurring increase greatly if you fly in the same day. People can and do miss cruises because of that so it's important to fully understand the risks. If someone is ok with that risk, so be it; at least they are fully informed.

 

A couple of years ago the ship waited for a flight from PA. y, but we made do in the Martini Bar. This year we are leaving 4 days early!!

 

And sometimes that happens, but not always. I would never count on the ship waiting for you.

[waterbug123]

always fly the day of, even in January. We DO book with Choice Air to make sure that we get the ship,

 

Choice Air doesn't guarantee that you will get to the ship.

[dodger1964]

Choice Air doesn't guarantee that you will get to the ship.

 

From X site:

Celebrity's ChoiceAir® program has been enhanced with Premium Benefits that give you everything you want in airfare service: the best value, the assurance that you'll get to your ship, the flexibility to choose your favorite airline and flights, and the security in knowing you have round-the-clock support throughout your travels.

 

 

 

Maybe it would be best to start a new thread about "success" stories for choice air ticketed flights that had problems and see what "assurance that you'll get to your ship" really means...I would take that to mean they will get you to the ship??

 

I wish we could do a study on a sailing to see how many people flew to port city, how many of those flew in the day of sailing, and how many missed the ship.

 

I would predict that "missed the ship" would be a very small number.

[Biker19]

I would predict that "missed the ship" would be a very small number.

 

From the tone of this thread, it seems that quite a few folks still lean toward getting to port a day early, regardless of how small that number might be.

[4774Papa]

We NEVER arrive at the port of embarkation on the day of the cruise. We fly in or drive to the port at least the day before.

Stuff Happens, especially when flying and changing planes.

[scottw3]

From X site:

 

 

I wish we could do a study on a sailing to see how many people flew to port city, how many of those flew in the day of sailing, and how many missed the ship.

.

 

While certainly not scientific, I've added a poll to the thread to see the %

[kyriecat]

I'm generally a cautious traveler. I have only flown to the port on the day of departure twice. Once was on my first cruise and, not knowing any better, I let the cruiseline book my air. They booked us from Houston to San Juan with 2 connections, switched airlines both times so we had to get our luggage and switch terminals, it took 14 hours to get there, and we arrived about 1.5 hours before the ship departed. It was early summer and we didn't have any delays, but very stressful. I won't do that again. I booked my own air once and because of work, had to fly in on the day of departure. However, I booked a red-eye and arrived about 11 hours before departure. I was nervous but didn't have any delays.

 

I leave on my next cruise Feb. 10th and am flying on the 8th so I have a couple days in case there are any delays due to winter weather.

 

I don't think you can change flights without penalties and fees due to it arriving close to the ship departure time, unless you booked a full fare without restrictions. Some airlines will let you change your flights without a penalty if it looks like you will be affected by a winter storm on your day of travel. OP might want to check on possible storm effects, but even if the airline allows changes, the OP might not have any flight options available that will meet his schedule since most flights are full and many others will also want to make changes.

[PoofCat99]

I posted this story on a reply on the Carnival board: This is how I spent my Christmas.

 

I left my house at 6 for Newark, no traffic, it was great! Was at the airport, parked, and in the terminal by 7 for boarding a flight to Cleveland at 8:30. Security took a little extra time because I had a plum pudding in my bag (like a fruit cake) and they gave it an extra look then let me go.

 

Got breakfast ($11 for a Ham/Egg/Cheese and Coffee) and sat to wait. Fast forward, and they have now annouced that our plane coming from Ontario was stuck there with a mechanical issue. They were working on trying to re-route a different plane for my flight, and also flying a part from Chicago to fix the original one.

 

After numerous push-backs, our original plane arrived around 12:45 and we left the gate around 1:30. I think we took off about 2. It is a 1.5 hour flight to Cleveland. If I had left my house at 6 and driven I would have gotten there at the same time as flying.

 

While I was only trying to get to Ohio to spend Christmas with my 94 y.o. grandma, and was able to "go with the flow", you may want to consider this before flying in the day of a cruise.

[dodger1964]

From the tone of this thread, it seems that quite a few folks still lean toward getting to port a day early, regardless of how small that number might be.

 

I like the poll questions:)

 

I know some don't have time issues to deal with, but many of us only get so many vacation days and have to add that into the equation of when to travel.

 

If I was retired, I might change to arriving early, but to go a day or days early just in case of travel issues just is not worth it to ME. If 99% of the time you would make the ship, I do not think I need to elevate that risk in MY decision to fly in the same day.

 

Of course this is all IMHO.

 

I think it is safe (ish) to use the cruise lines own guidelines as far as flight timing is concerned.

[Duanerice1]

Sounds like you don't really have a choice so there is nothing you can do. Just sit back and relax then worry about the weather when it gets closer :)

 

But since you asked, flying in the day of wouldn't be my choice and if I had to fly it would definitely be the day before. But that's what you have, so just enjoy the fact that you are going on a cruise. Heck we live in South Florida and still drive over the day ahead. OK, that is mostly due to the fact that we can get a hotel room with parking for just the cost of parking so why not start our vacation a day early? Also we don't have to take any extra vacation as we drive over after work. Most people, at least on the East Coast) can catch an evening flight to FLL so they don't have to use any extra vacation time.

 

Good luck, everything should turn out OK. If not you have one of those "I told you so" moments that you can use for a long time :)

enjoy

Edited February 5, 2014 by Duanerice1

[BosoxI]

First flight in the morning is as late as I would go out.

Prefer to fly in the night before if at all practical.

 

I freak out about airport delays and an early flight:

a. has the best chance of taking off on time

b. if its cancelled you have a shot at a later flight.

 

 

But don't forget that an early flight is dependent on the plane arriving the night before and sitting on the ground overnight. There's always going to be a bit or risk no matter what is done. DW and I fly standby which really can make for excitement. If you have to fly on a subsidiary carrier to get to a major airport, add a little more worry to your trip. Those 50 passenger planes are notorious for being grounded in bad weather.

Edited February 5, 2014 by BosoxI

[jsf]

On 20+ cruises we have only flown in a day early twice. We have never missed a cruise including in San Juan when we landed 6PM for an 8:30PM departure. You should worry more on what to wear than a once in a million chance of being that late that you'll miss the boat.

J.

[Gonzo70]

This isn't as clear as you may think. For the most part, what matters is that documentation shows the passenger (in a closed-loop cruise) return to the same port they departed (and even this allows exceptions - sort of how Dream passengers got back to the US after it became disabled in St. Maarten). X would check you into the cruise at FLL, transport you to Key West (probably not on a ship), where they transport you to the next port (though, this time on the ship). I means a bit more documentation, but is definitely doable.

 

 

Sorry, but that is total BS. What you are stating would be ILLEGAL if it were done. Not going to happen. If it were that easy to circumvent the PVSA then people would avoid Ensenada on one way Hawaii cruises.

[Gonzo70]

On 20+ cruises we have only flown in a day early twice. We have never missed a cruise including in San Juan when we landed 6PM for an 8:30PM departure. You should worry more on what to wear than a once in a million chance of being that late that you'll miss the boat.

J.

 

Flying in same day (especially if arriving within a few hours of sail-away versus early that morning) is FAR more than a one in a million chance of missing the ship. Yes, the vast majority of time people make the ship and missing the ship is rare, but it does happen and is a real risk. With flights often flying full these days it has become an even greater risk as it is harder to quickly be placed on another flight if one's flight is cancelled or greatly delayed.

Edited February 5, 2014 by Gonzo70

[PartyAllDaTyme]

Earliest I would arrive on the day of embarkation? 12:01am:D

 

In 2011, we had a flight booked ORD - Houston - San Juan arriving Friday for a Saturday cruise. Booked a nonrefundable hotel on Priceline. Wednesday, got advisory from Continental about possible bad wx in Houston, did we want to switch to a flight getting us to PR on Saturday? Didn't want to have hotel go to waste, called airline and asked how likely. Was told they're probably being overly cautious, if the flight was cancelled we could always take the flight arriving on Saturday. Early Thursday morning, flight is cancelled, no more Saturday flights available, earliest they can get us in is Sunday. Cancelled booking, went to American for flight leaving Chicago Friday night and connecting in Philly. Left for Chicago Thursday for our park-n-fly hotel stay, went to Shedd Aquarium Friday, went Friday night to check in, Philly flight's cancelled. Went to American counter to beg, plead and grovel. Got standby to Dallas leaving in an hour, overnight in DFW and a 10am flight Saturday morning. This was the weekend the Super Bowl was being played in Dallas. Fat chance of no shows, but by God there were four! Spent the night in DFW, wife is wearing her Packers shirt, Packer fans arriving in the morning, asking if we were excited to be going to the game. No, we're going to San Juan:eek:. Flight one hour late out of Dallas due to mechanical issues, on the ground in San Juan 4pm. No gate available, sat on tarmac for half hour. Got luggage, got to ship at 5:30. That's as close as I ever want to come.

[waterbug123]

From X site:

Celebrity's ChoiceAir® program has been enhanced with Premium Benefits that give you everything you want in airfare service: the best value, the assurance that you'll get to your ship, the flexibility to choose your favorite airline and flights, and the security in knowing you have round-the-clock support throughout your travels.

 

Read the fine print; there is no guarantee that booking through CA will get you to the ship on time. What you'll find is a lot of words like "we'll work with the airlines to TRY..." or "we'll do whatever is reasonable..." and things to that effect. Have people have issues and gotten a great response from CA? Absolutely. Are there others who have had issues and called CA and gotten no help whatsoever? Absolutely. In fact, there have been stories of people who couldn't even get through to CA on embarkation day because it was a weekend, or were simply told, "you need to talk to the airline" and thus had to make all their own rebooking arrangements themselves.

 

Here's the bottom line: Most people make the ship, whether they book through the airline or through CA. And most people make the ship whether they fly in advance or on the day of embarkation. But there are increased risks in flying the same day, and there are no guarantees with CA. Each person needs to be fully informed of the risks, weigh the risks, and decide for themselves if the risk is worth the tradeoff. Just be fully and accurately informed before you do so. :)

[3dog]

Sorry, but that is total BS. What you are stating would be ILLEGAL if it were done. Not going to happen. If it were that easy to circumvent the PVSA then people would avoid Ensenada on one way Hawaii cruises.

 

Not even close to total BS.

 

First the PVSA effectively states:

No foreign vessels shall transport passengers between ports or places in the United States, either directly or by way of a foreign port.

 

Which means that a "stopover" in Ensenada on Hawaii cruises is not allowed, and the cruise either needs to begin or end in a non-US port (or be a "closed loop", which is why those that I am aware of begin or end in Vancouver - not sure any, other than closed loop are going to or from Ensenada anymore). So "avoiding" these ports means that the pax would miss at least a third of the cruise (where would you rejoin the cruise should you find yourself missing departure at the embarkation point).

 

The loophole that cruise lines use are "closed loop" cruises, such that the PVSA states it is "between" ports or places, so as long as the ship begins and ends in the same port/place and visit a foreign port, it is not prohibited. Close the loop and the conditions are met.

 

There are also exceptions, most notably, medical emergencies and disasters.

 

Finally, violation is simply a fine ($300 pp), and the CBP has the authority to waive the fine. Or the cruise line can just pay the fine and optionally choose to charge the pax.

 

"Not going to happen"? Mostly, that is BS, because it does happen and certainly more than the implication, ("never" - though I would point out that it would be at the discretion of the cruise line, as they would have to file the appropriate paperwork and would be responsible for any fines).

[fleckle]

Here's the bottom line: Most people make the ship, whether they book through the airline or through CA. And most people make the ship whether they fly in advance or on the day of embarkation. But there are increased risks in flying the same day, and there are no guarantees with CA. Each person needs to be fully informed of the risks, weigh the risks, and decide for themselves if the risk is worth the tradeoff. Just be fully and accurately informed before you do so. :)

 

Good advice! Additionally, know your backup options, just in case.

 

There is always the chance of a flight being delayed or cancelled regardless of which day you fly.

 

But if you wait until the day of the cruise to fly in, you severely limit your options if a problem arises because you do not have sufficient time to get there via alternate re-routing as you do when flying in a day or two in advance.

 

[VegasMark]

When I was a kid (about 25 years ago), we made the ship with about one minute to spare. I think we had a flight delay. I have a faint recollection of them pulling the gangway just after we boarded. We would have missed the ship in these times of 90 minute advance boarding.

I usually fly in the day prior so there are no issues and to see the city a bit. I see it as cheap insurance (just a hotel bill).

[smoosh21]

There are two advantages to the Southwest plan besides the one hour. First, you are changing planes in Tampa, which will not be snowed or iced in. Second, if the second leg is cancelled, you can rent a car and drive to the port. A third one, if you are going to cancel at the last minute, you can use the Delta as a backup if the Southwest is badly delayed on the first leg.

 

TPA is a much smaller airport and can have its own set of issues that cause delays. Also, it is still a 4 hour drive from Tampa to Lauderdale. I am not sure that picking up a car and driving to the port would still be doable if their are delays involved.