Arrival San Juan airport 3:15 pm/ship's departure 6:00 pm. Is that enought time?

[chrisoutofafrica]

Thanks for all your replies, really do appreciate all your thoughts and suggestions.

 

The TA spoke with O. and altho there is a requirement to be on board 2 hours before and also a possible $1000.00 pp fine for holding up the ship, O is sticking to this airline itinerary and said they would "waive" that requirement/fine this time.

 

So, we are scheduled to arrive SJU at 315, (hopefully on time and no weather) and then gather baggage and get to the ship so it can depart by 6 pm .

 

TA recommended that we purchase O airport/ship transfers, which we have now done. That way, O is meeting us and waiting for us (to an extent, I realize).

 

So that is the best we can do. But I would prefer that O choose other/better flights that are not so close-call. And, I have to say that I am a bit disappointed in O in breaking their own 2 hour boarding rules just to suit themselves this time.

[Mura]

I have to admit that while I knew about the 2 hour rule, I wasn't aware of the $1,000 penalty if the ship has to wait for you. I'm sure that depends on circumstances.

 

In April 2009 we flew down to Miami for a TA to Barcelona, knowing that I needed to get my passport replaced THAT DAY. (Our cruise was leaving Miami on Monday evening, and I had discovered that my passport was missing on Saturday morning, but the Passport Bureau wouldn't give me an appointment until the following Thursday, when the ship would have been approaching Madeira. So we just flew down to Miami early that morning, stood in line and got the passport.) Actually, even without an appointment, it didn't take that long. (I'd been unhappy when O gave us a 7:30 am departure but that did turn out to be a good thing in the circumstances!)

 

Unfortunately, there was a glitch in informing me at the Bureau when to go downstairs to collect my passport, so by the time we got to the ship it was more like 1 hour before departure, not 2. And we weren't alone because some passengers from the Boston area had had flight delays due to bad weather. But we all got on board on time, and no penalties were charged because at the last minute the ship was loading stores for the cruise and so we didn't really depart until 7pm, not 6m.

 

So one never knows ...

 

Mura

[Jancruz]

I checked and there are 24 other Oceania passengers on your flight, I am sure there will be no problem and as it is Thanksgiving weekend I would venture to say there were no other flights available..

Have a great trip

Jancruz1

[ORV]

We're on that trip leaving Thanksgiving weekend, but O scheduled us in the day before. They couldn't get us there in time from our originating airport. That's what I would have preferred anyway. Saved us the deviation fee.

[chrisoutofafrica]

We are on the RedEye from YVR to YYZ to SJU departing the night before. I would feel better if there were others on my flight trying to get to the same cruise on time. Can't see O delaying an entire ship for just 2 pax.

 

I am already checking flights out of San Juan to Nevis to catch up the next day if need be, but even that looks "dicey". Cape Air is a "misconnect" but Seabourne Air has one that leaves SJU at noon and gets into Nevis at 205 pm, with the ship departing Nevis at 4 pm that day.

 

So hopefully we are not the only ones and will have a pro-active O. air dept keeping a close look on all of us. The ship's itinerary did show a change of departure time from either 400 or 5 pm (I forget)to the now 6 pm dep time. So maybe they talready took this into consideration.

 

I know people out there will just say "take the deviation and stop worring" but the point is I want to use O air and it should be OK, barring any winter storms/mechanical delays, which of couse is not O.'s fault.

 

But reading the post above, it seems that O did fly others in a night early over Thanksgiving because there were no other flight connections. I just wish O. had done the same with us, but we are already ticketed and have our seat assignments, so it is too late for that now.

[roothy123]

We have flown in and out of San Juan twice now, although on our own and a day early, as we have a friend there. The airport is fairly small and painless. I don't remember having to go through passport check (we are U.S. citizens) but perhaps we did. We didn't go directly to the port, but the airport is not that far from the port (or ports? there are several docking locations) so unless the traffic in San Juan is really awful, or your plane is really late, I would think you would be OK, especially if you're using Oceania's transfers.

 

For anyone not taking their transfers, my advice would be to make sure you know which docking area you want, as there are 2 different ones, and a cab driver may not know which one to go to. Also, Oceania always sends an emergency number to contact if you're having travel problems/delays. It's included in the cruise documents you receive (what I call the "blue book") - take that number with you.

[MotheringInstinct]

Hi, thanks for the quick replies, but really wondering if anyone out there has actually done this trip from the San Juan airport to the pier, and how long it takes.

 

As I say, we have already opted to take O air, and trust that what they book for us will work.

 

BUT it does seem like a very short time. Then again, I don't know if the airport is right next door to the airport and it is an quick ride??

 

thanks

 

......oooops....I reposted my next reply before my computer updated me on all your replies. Sorry, did not want it to seem like I had not read them all.

 

Yes, we are taking O air, as our holiday is short.

 

Yes, we will go via YYZ, but was unclear if US Customs would apply to Puerto Rico,

 

We were just in San Juan 2 weeks ago. The airport is only 15-20 minutes from the port. The taxi service is all lined up and well organized. Our luggage was checked by TSA but there wasn't any customs with which we had to deal. I think you should make it but if O did this to you, they should wait.

[StanandJim]

Hi COOA,

 

In general, it is not enough time.

 

However, since O made the booking for you they will have to ensure that you make the ship.

 

Have a nice cruise.

 

Ira

 

The days of cruise ships waiting for passengers because the Line arranged their Air are over.

 

These days, Ports charge GIANT FEES to keep their shoreside staff on duty for longer than their proscribed shift, so what used to be a common courtesy has become prohibitively expensive.

 

Oceania may stump up for the expense of getting the OP to the next Port on their dime, but the waiting game is virtually history unless he is flying with twenty or thirty fellow passengers.

 

->And Jancruise verified that there ARE 25 or so flying with the OP, so there isn't any need to worry in this case!

Edited November 10, 2014 by StanandJim

[ORV]

The days of cruise ships waiting for passengers because the Line arranged their Air are over.

 

These days, Ports charge GIANT FEES to keep their shoreside staff on duty for longer than their proscribed shift, so what used to be a common courtesy has become prohibitively expensive.

 

Oceania may stump up for the expense of getting the OP to the next Port on their dime, but the waiting game is virtually history unless he is flying with twenty or thirty fellow passengers.

 

->And Jancruise verified that there ARE 25 or so flying with the OP, so there isn't any need to worry in this case!

 

Actually the OP later posted their travel date, 12/7-12/17 and it is a week later than the one Jan referenced. Still probably no need to worry.