Snowstorm blues

[Jaddy]

We had a pretty good snowstorm here yesterday and consequently most flights have been disrupted. We don't fly to FLL until 3/2 for our 3/3 cruise aboard Equinox. The first part of March is probably the peak of our snow season, however, so the current storm got me thinking about the possibility of another one hitting us on 3/2. What do you more experienced travelers do if your flight gets disrupted?

 

I should mention that I didn't use a TA to book the flight. Also, I did not get travel insurance. I don't believe that travel insurance covers inability to connect with a cruise because of airline disruption but if I am wrong please let me know.

 

I'll bet that many of you have developed strategies to deal with a situation like this. I would like to learn from your experie:confused:nce.

 

Thank you.

[Gonzo70]

The best thing is to closely monitor the weather starting 48 hours before your flight. Airlines generally allow you to change flights if a major storm is supposed to hit the day of your travel with no fees/charges. Try to be prepared to fly out the day before your flight if necessary as a Plan B. As a Plan C look into how much it would cost to fly to the first port-of-call in case you are unable to make boarding in time so you can hopefully be prepared to try and salvage some of your vacation, or determine to take a total loss if you can't reach the ship on sailing day (or decide to just do a land vacation in Florida once you are able to make it there).

 

Travel insurance policies are highly variable, but most do provide some coverage for missing a cruise because of flight delays/cancellations. Generally the delay has to be significant (i.e. not just a couple of hours) and how much they cover varies a lot from policy to policy (i.e. some may pay $250 towards expenses to "catch the ship" while others may fully reimburse all expenses). The most important reason for travel insurance is for medical coverage; many people do not have insurance that covers out of the country emergency medical care and most do not have insurance that covers air evacuation off the ship (and this can easily cost $25,000 to $50,000 or more and can happen to the young and healthy, i.e. appendicitis or a bad fall).

 

Good luck and hopefully the weather plays nice!

[Hotshot80]

The best thing is to closely monitor the weather starting 48 hours before your flight. Airlines generally allow you to change flights if a major storm is supposed to hit the day of your travel with no fees/charges. Try to be prepared to fly out the day before your flight if necessary as a Plan B. As a Plan C look into how much it would cost to fly to the first port-of-call in case you are unable to make boarding in time so you can hopefully be prepared to try and salvage some of your vacation, or determine to take a total loss if you can't reach the ship on sailing day (or decide to just do a land vacation in Florida once you are able to make it there).

 

Travel insurance policies are highly variable, but most do provide some coverage for missing a cruise because of flight delays/cancellations. Generally the delay has to be significant (i.e. not just a couple of hours) and how much they cover varies a lot from policy to policy (i.e. some may pay $250 towards expenses to "catch the ship" while others may fully reimburse all expenses). The most important reason for travel insurance is for medical coverage; many people do not have insurance that covers out of the country emergency medical care and most do not have insurance that covers air evacuation off the ship (and this can easily cost $25,000 to $50,000 or more and can happen to the young and healthy, i.e. appendicitis or a bad fall).

 

Good luck and hopefully the weather plays nice!

 

Hi, we were on the Infinity a couple of weeks ago and a passenger had to be airlifted off , so I hope he had travel insurance

[GiannaD]

I agree with the above poster that travel insurance is important and that you have to read each policy carefully. For many reasons: Don't leave home without it!

 

A few policies allow you to buy insurance close to the cruise as long as the storm has not yet been predicted. It is a bit late now but you could call Celebrity and ask about their Cruise Care Policy or check out insuremytrip.com.

 

Check for alternative flights from your area and see if you can get out early. You can also explore with Celebrity how to arrange to board the ship at a later port of call if all else fails. This happens frequently and they have procedures in place to allow for joining the cruise late.

 

Good luck!

[Bailey & Sophie]

Being from Minnesota, I always get the insurance. Never had to use it. AND, if possible, we fly in 3-4 days early. My thinking: if there is weather (as we call it here) the airlines should be able to reroute us within 3 days and not miss the cruise!

[riclop]

We had a pretty good snowstorm here yesterday and consequently most flights have been disrupted. We don't fly to FLL until 3/2 for our 3/3 cruise aboard Equinox. The first part of March is probably the peak of our snow season, however, so the current storm got me thinking about the possibility of another one hitting us on 3/2. What do you more experienced travelers do if your flight gets disrupted?

 

I should mention that I didn't use a TA to book the flight. Also, I did not get travel insurance. I don't believe that travel insurance covers inability to connect with a cruise because of airline disruption but if I am wrong please let me know.

 

I'll bet that many of you have developed strategies to deal with a situation like this. I would like to learn from your experie:confused:nce.

 

Thank you.

Living in Minn. you should plan to leave at least 2 days ahead.

[alcpa1]

The recommendations presented to you have great merit.

In addition I'd like to suggest you go to a site like Kayak and prepare a list of possible alternate flights. You did not mention which airline, but you are actually far better off by having booked directly. If you are not a member of the airline's frequent flyer program do join. You will have a better basis for negotiating a change.

If you do have difficulties, without insurance there is no one to get you to the next port but yourself, and on your own dime. If you do not have a passport you could be totally out of luck as well. There are restrictions on the closed loop cruises, which are the typical Caribbean itineraries.

I hope all goes well for this cruise. Before you book your next cruise do check out insuremytrip.com. It is the most comprehensive insurance aggregator. And remember, that most policies must be booked within several weeks of the cruise booking.