Grand Princess delayed flight

[fonekween]

Apparently this is cruise #9 & they've never done it any differently. Absolutely amazing! My SIL's parents over the course of their 73 years of marriage have cruised every year except this one for many, many years & have apparently also ALWAYS flown to the cruise port the same day. They set the example for them, but I can guarantee you this: when they take their next cruise in 2018 with us, they'd best plan on flying in the day BEFORE on the same plane that we are or they won't be going with us! No way am I gonna go through this, but golly gee, wasn't this fun?!!! Whew.....

Edited July 20, 2016 by fonekween

[Colo Cruiser]

Apparently this is cruise #9 & they've never done it any differently. Absolutely amazing! My SIL's parents over the course of their 73 years of marriage have cruised every year except this one for many, many years & have apparently also ALWAYS flown to the cruise port the same day. They set the example for them, but I can guarantee you this: when they take their next cruise in 2018 with us, they'd best plan on flying in the day BEFORE on the same plane that we are or they won't be going with us! No way am I gonna go through this, but golly gee, wasn't this fun?!!! Whew.....

 

 

Ha! For sure. :)

[BEAV]

Apparently this is cruise #9 & they've never done it any differently. Absolutely amazing! My SIL's parents over the course of their 73 years of marriage have cruised every year except this one for many, many years & have apparently also ALWAYS flown to the cruise port the same day. They set the example for them, but I can guarantee you this: when they take their next cruise in 2018 with us, they'd best plan on flying in the day BEFORE on the same plane that we are or they won't be going with us! No way am I gonna go through this, but golly gee, wasn't this fun?!!! Whew.....

 

When your brother gets back, have him read post #58 of this thread (located on page 3). Those poor folks were only trying to fly from Sacramento to L.A. (Nonstop 90 minute flight) and STILL missed the ship! :eek:

[IECalCruiser]

Glad everything worked out for you brother!

 

On our first cruise in 2002 we booked our flight with Carnival. Our direct flight from Chicago to Orlando was delayed almost two hours and by the time we made it to Orlando we had just missed the next to the last Carnival shuttle to Port Canaveral. There were less than a half dozen people on the last shuttle and they closed down checkin when we were done. We boarded the ship hot and tired less that 60 minutes be departure and we saw all of these people relaxing by the pool with their adult beverages. We said never again!

[Hoosier-Cruiser]

We usually drive to the port, but for our cruise in 2014, the timing was tight due to available vacation days and wouldn't work.

 

We flew out Friday evening for our Saturday cruise. We were due into Fort Lauderdale just after midnight, which would have gave us 8 hours or so to recharge before boarding. Unfortunately, the plane for our connecting flight in Atlanta was delayed and would have put out landing time in Fort Lauderdale about 15 minutes after the airport closed for the night at 1am.

 

The great lady at the Southwest check-in desk looked around the system and gave us two options. Fly into Fort Lauderdale on Saturday or Fly into Southwest Florida International Friday night. My wife wanted to fly the next morning, but I wasn't about to risk it.

 

We took the flight to Southwest Florida, rented a car and drove 2 hours across to Fort Lauderdale. We got to our hotel at 3am, but we were in Fort Lauderdale. Worst case scenario, we walk a mile to the port instead of worrying about flights, layovers, connections, etc.

 

A couple of hours later and we could have watched the Caribbean Princess arrive.

[DougH]

So glad he made it and everything worked out. But the reason you fly in a day early is for when things like this happen and you have a little leeway on getting to the ship.

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/southwest-airlines-travel-nightmare-should-be-easing/

[Cuizer2]

TO ALL OF YOU NEGATIVE NELLIES - HA!!!! Not only are they onboard, but they were in their cabin by 2:45! I talked to them an hour ago just as they were heading to muster...gorgeous day & they have a wonderful view of the bridge. I'd attach it here but can't figure out how! THANK YOU to all of you who've shared this saga with me & as amazing as it is, my brother pulled it off without a hitch.....just as he said he would! Who'd have thunk?!

 

I take it your brother was not flying Southwest. Southwest had some major computer issues yesterday and cancelled about 1000 flights.

 

Usually things work like they should. However, things can and do happen. Fortunately for me they have always happened on the way home. Twice I have had major flight delays that were not known until after I got to the airport. One was a mechanical issue and the other was weather related. In one case I had to change the connecting flight and in the other case I arrived home eight hours later than scheduled.

 

Twice my luggage when in one direction and I went in the other. However, all that resulted in was a delay in doing laundry.

 

I had a minor mechanical delay on an outbound flight cause me to worry for the entire flight because I thought I would miss my connecting flight. The door hit my backside when they closed it. Then I worried my luggage didn't make it to the connecting flight. The connecting flight took an hour longer because we were routed around a storm. My luggage made it and I had a good night's sleep since I flew in a day early.

[iceleven]

After I read about the Southwest Airlines problems the first thing I thought was how many people did this impact for their cruises. Sometimes you can book another flight on another airlines but there's no guarantee your luggage will follow you. That would be a nightmare for some.

Edited July 21, 2016 by iceleven

[caribill]

After I read about the Southwest Airlines problems the first thing I thought was how many people did this impact for their cruises. Sometimes you can book another flight on another airlines but there's no guarantee your luggage will follow you. That would be a nightmare for some.

 

And if yesterday (Wednesday) was the day to fly in one day early, it would still be a problem because many of Southwest's stranded passengers could not get booked on any flight Thursday.

[Cuizer2]

And if yesterday (Wednesday) was the day to fly in one day early, it would still be a problem because many of Southwest's stranded passengers could not get booked on any flight Thursday.

 

All you can do is reduce the risk. You cannot eliminate it.

[broberts]

And if yesterday (Wednesday) was the day to fly in one day early, it would still be a problem because many of Southwest's stranded passengers could not get booked on any flight Thursday.

 

Any Southwest flight. But being a day early one can elect to wait out the Southwest glitch, book with another airline, or consider other travel arrangements.

 

In my mind an important reason for electing to travel the day before is the additional time it provides when something goes wrong.

[cruzsnooze]

Actually they could have a bigger problem. While in theory EZAir would get him to the next port, in this case the next port is a different US port. This would result in him getting on in one US port and off in a different port, a violation of the PVSA. Not sure if Princess/EZAir is willing to pay the fine for doing this.

 

Not sure about this because i board in San Pedro Calif for a Panama canal that ends in Florida. two US ports.

[BEAV]

Not sure about this because i board in San Pedro Calif for a Panama canal that ends in Florida. two US ports.

 

Your Panama Canal cruise does not violate the PVSA because it calls at a distant foreign port, which is a requirement when boarding at one U.S. port and disembarking at a different U.S. port. In the case of Alaska, there are no distant foreign ports in that region, which is the reason cruises don't sail one-way between Seattle and Whittier/Seward, for example.

[Cruiser411]

I take it your brother was not flying Southwest. Southwest had some major computer issues yesterday and cancelled about 1000 flights.

 

 

Fortunately for the OP's brother, Southwest is not one of the airlines in the Ezair program... 'course that kind of glitch can happen to any airline...

[Cuizer2]

Not sure about this because i board in San Pedro Calif for a Panama canal that ends in Florida. two US ports.

 

Read the entire thread. In order for a ship to transport someone from one US city to a different US city the ship must make a stop at a distant foreign port. There are no distant foreign ports in North or Central America.

[Cuizer2]

Fortunately for the OP's brother, Southwest is not one of the airlines in the Ezair program... 'course that kind of glitch can happen to any airline...

 

That was the whole point - it can happen to any airline.