To Arrive early or not ! ! !

[CoCoMoonGirl]

Okay so my question is do I really need to arrive the day before the cruise or can I arrive the day of the cruise? people keep telling me that I should arrive the day before but i'm saving for this trip I didn't calculate a hotel and fees only shuttle fees from the air port to the port and back. People keep being pushy about flight cancellations and lost luggage!

[smm0218]

This happened to a friend today. Traveling from Omaha (left Omaha at 5:30am) to Pittsburgh (not for a cruise), 20 min outside of Midway, the plane turned around and came back to Omaha because of fog. Instead of arriving in Pittsburgh this afternoon, she won't arrive until 8:30. If she had been taking a cruise with a 4 or 5pm departure it would have cost her a lot more money, not to have flown in the day before. You could always go in the day before and sleep at the airport, not a great option but it's an option. If you have saving for your cruise it would be a shame to miss it (even if it isn't a splurge to cruise) because of a couple hundred $.

[davekathy]

Okay so my question is do I really need to arrive the day before the cruise or can I arrive the day of the cruise? people keep telling me that I should arrive the day before but i'm saving for this trip I didn't calculate a hotel and fees only shuttle fees from the air port to the port and back. People keep being pushy about flight cancellations and lost luggage!

 

Welcome to CC. Where is your embarkation port? What time of year are you cruising? Our preference is always fly in the day before. Agree with the cautions (not being pushy) other have mentioned plus a few other reasons.

Edited September 15, 2017 by davekathy

[CruiserBruce]

Generally the advice is to arrive the day before, if possible.

 

But, there are variables. Long flights (US to Europe, for example), we would arrive 3 or 4 days in advance. Short flights, we might fly in that morning. Medium length, with a redeye option, people fly overnight, arriving in the morning of their cruise.

 

Without more info...cities, port, etc, hard to give you more definitive info.

[mom says]

. People keep being pushy about flight cancellations and lost luggage!

OR maybe it's people with experience giving good advise. Which would be worse- spending $200 for a taxi and hotel room for 1 night, or missing your cruise because your flight didn't make it due to weather or mechanical issues? If you are planning to check luggage on your flight, which would be worse- spending $200 for a taxi and hotel for 1 night or having to do a panic shopping spree at your first port because your luggage didn't make the same trip as you did?

 

If your flight is a short haul first thing in the morning, with multiple later flights available in the morning, then maybe you'd be safe (barring severe weather). The question is, do you feel lucky? Do you?

 

I can't imagine going on any vacation with NO extra money for contingencies. If you're that cash strapped, perhaps you should push back your plans until you've saved a bit more.

[Hey Tina]

You can arrive the day of. You might arrive after the ship has sailed and miss your cruise if there are delays or cancellations, but at least you'll have saved the cost of a hotel.

[pris993]

I do not know what port or where you are flying from... but I can tell you I would not think of going less than 1 day in advance.... and I am now planning to go two days ahead... flight are full, it is hard to get on another flight if you run into a problem. Next month I am flying to Barcelona from San Francisco... booked flight 3 days in advance.. next time I go to Florida plan to book 2 days in advance.... I just don't think it is smart to do any less given flying challenges today. If you can't swing this time. keep in mind for the next trip.

[creel5857]

we have only been on 7 cruises but due to the variety of things that can happen and have happened I would never wait until the day of the cruise......if I don't have the money for one night pre trip hotel stay then I don't have enough money to make the trip.....plus, if you are already near the port you can get up easier and progress to ship in more enjoyable manner.

[payitforward]

I flew in the day of a cruise ONCE, and will never do it again. It was just too stressful worrying about all of the things that could happen that might cause me to miss the ship. Even if you have to stay and a really cheap hotel, it's worth it.

[lbjen]

Maybe consider spending that hotel money on some insurance instead, it will probably cost about the same and you will at least be covered if your flight does end up being delayed. Plus you'll be covered for a lot of other possible situations.

[geoherb]

If you decide to fly in the day of the cruise, make sure you have good travel insurance that will catch you up to the ship if anything goes wrong. We've done it a few times but not very often in the past 16 years. If we do, it's either on a flight booked through the cruise line or else a very early morning flight direct to the port--one in which our plane isn't coming in from another city.

 

One of the worst delays we had was during a gorgeous day in December. Or at least it was gorgeous in North Carolina. New England had a snow storm. Our plane was held up in Vermont. We finally flew out around five hours late. We had a very short time to catch our connecting flight in Orlando on the way to Fort Lauderdale. Our checked luggage did not make the second flight. Fortunately since we were flying down a day ahead, our luggage caught up with us during the night. The airline delivered it to our hotel. We met several people on that cruise who were missing luggage. Several others missed the cruise entirely, including the Protestant minister who was supposed to be on the cruise to help celebrate Christmas.

[Scrapnana]

The last time I flew to Fort Lauderdale I had an early flight out of Richmond and was supposed to arrive in FLL around 1 pm. Unfortunately RIC was fogged in and the plane coming from Atlanta sat in Atlanta until the fog cleared. Then they had to fly to Richmond. I finally arrived in FLL a little after 6 pm. My suitcase missed the connection in Atlanta and was not delivered to me until 1:30 am the next morning. I was very glad I arrived a day early!

[Keith1010]

I think it is very wise to always arrive one or more days prior to the cruise for many reasons including;

 

Not missing the ship due to flight cancellations/delays which can be caused by a wide range of factors including mechanical, weather, insufficient flight personnel, FAA computer/airline computer issues, security breaches at airport/on aircraft and a countless number of other items.

 

It also allows you to get over jet lag and should luggage go missing it provides a window of opportunity for it to be recovered and returned to you prior to boarding.

 

Keith

[Ashland]

Okay so my question is do I really need to arrive the day before the cruise or can I arrive the day of the cruise? people keep telling me that I should arrive the day before but i'm saving for this trip I didn't calculate a hotel and fees only shuttle fees from the air port to the port and back. People keep being pushy about flight cancellations and lost luggage!

You only "really need" to do what's best for you and your particular personal set of circumstances, not anyone else's...Weigh your options and make the decision that's right for you. Chances are you'll be fine and probably won't be the only one on your flight heading for that cruise.

 

Enjoy your cruise and welcome to Cruise Critic !!

[squick64]

Like everyone says, it's a gamble. I've never had any issues, but you never know. Delayed flights can happen, especially as so many US cruises are to the Caribbean in the winter--that's a prime time for planes to get snowed and iced in (looking at you, O'Hare). And if you stay the night before, you'll be relaxed and ready to go, not all tired and stressed. It also gives you the option of arriving at the terminal nice and early and maybe being on board around lunchtime and getting an early start on the vacation.

[champagne123]

Just as long as you don't come back here on CC and complain that the ship did not wait for you because your flight was delayed/cancelled.....as your second post. :o and wanting a full refund. (which you will not receive, of course).

 

Listen to the experienced cruisers. We know...we learn...we teach....so that others may learn from our mistakes and experiences. If this past week with all of the devastation and destruction did not teach us all something, then nothing ever will.

 

One important thing I learned on the "Florida Section", years ago...was if you are sailing out of Tampa, they have major fog issues and to never book early flights going home after the cruise. Well, guess what? We were stuck out to sea for HOURS. Did not pull into port until 1pm and tons of people missed their flights home. Luckily, I learned from the experts and booked our flight for 5pm. We were one of the lucky ones!

Edited September 15, 2017 by champagne123
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[Krazy Kruizers]

We are even more cautious than others here.

We arrive 2 - 3 days early at the embarkation port. All too often we have experienced flight cancellations and our airport doesn't have a lot of extra flights to anywhere. Plus we have to go through either Charlotte or Atlanta.

[Herfnerd]

Its not just weather or mechanical delays anymore. With flights flying full, there is a very real possibility of getting bumped as well. I have no idea how airlines determine who will be removed if no one volunteers but if you are like most of us that purchases the least expensive airline ticket, I have a feeling that puts us at the forefront..........

[flamomo]

IF, for whatever reason. one's flight is cancelled, doesn't depart on time, etc, etc,.... EVEN IF there are other subsequent flights that could get you to the port city in time, remember that these days, most planes are flying fully booked and all seats are occupied, so you might not even be able to get seats on one of the following flights.

Get yourself to the port city a day early, prebook a less expensive hotel room (ie. Motel 6 type) that is not close to the port itself, and pay a little extra in taxi fares. All you really need is a clean place to sleep and shower!! At least you won't miss your cruise!

[sanger727]

Plenty of people fly in the day of without a problem. Just like plenty of people make the 10:30 flight out going home without a problem. Problem is that once in a while, there is a problem, and if that happens to affect your flight, you are SOL.

 

If you are flying during the winter or hurricane season, I wouldn't even consider the day of due to the increased probability of weather delays. If you are traveling outside of those months, I would consider a few things, 1. Booking air through the cruise line or 2. Booking a non-stop early morning flight only.

 

 

We always fly in a day before. Cruising isn't like a land trip where if the flight is delayed you simply start your vacation late. You have to board 1-2 hours before debarkation time so that 4 pm departure, is really 2. There's not any wiggle room, if your flight that was supposed to get in at 12 gets delayed 2 hours, there's a very real possibility that you will miss your cruise.

 

 

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[Shadow9612]

Listen to the experienced cruisers. We know...we learn...we teach....so that others may learn from our mistakes and experiences.

 

Well said! I learn so much from Cruise Critic now, and I am so grateful to everyone who spends so much time trying to guide others to a wonderful vacation! Thank you to all of you!

 

I almost missed my first cruise by flying in the day of embarking (my first flight was delayed due to weather and I almost missed my connecting flight).

 

I didn't know about Cruise Critic back then and relied on my travel agent who booked everything. Boy did I learn - I never did that again - I always go (at least) 1 day earlier.

 

As other posters have said, I now factor this in to my overall vacation cost and planning.

 

My first cruise was an incredibly positive experience (which contributed to why I now love cruising I'm sure).. How different my feeling might be had I missed that first cruise.

 

To the OP, try to interpret everyone's advice as them wanting you to enjoy your trip and not miss the cruise ;)

[bhageerah]

Please listen to what everyone has said here, you can do searches on this and other forums and you will find people that did and did not listen to the advice that you were given. We have found that arriving one day early removes the stress of trying to rush around. We arrive a day early, check into the hotel and have a nice meal somewhere. The next morning get up repack everything and either drive or catch our ride to the cruise terminal and we do not have any stress and have already started to be relaxed and enjoy our time together already. The anxiety is gone and we know that we don't have to sweat trying to make it to the boat on time. As someone has said most of the time things go right, but what happens if you arrive but you're luggage doesn't? At least arriving a day early allows them the chance to get it to you before you sail. The small amount of money that you will save from flying in the day of is absolutely not worth the stress and strain that you may find yourself under. A few hundred bucks is worth it, you may be able to cut it out somewhere else in the cruise.

[BlueRiband]

Are you sailing without a passport? If you miss the ship at the embarkation port you won't be able to board an international flight to the next port without one. So your entire vacation memory will be a selfie with the ship's stern in the background. Unless you are on a cruise line sponsored air transfer the ship won't wait.

 

You didn't budget for a pre-cruise hotel? Did you budget for the flight to the next port? A last minute one-way fare isn't cheap. (Assuming you have a passport.) How would you handle an emergency such as having to buy some clothes if your luggage didn't make it? We recently had a very long post from a member who didn't have his luggage for five days of a nine day cruise. It went on and one with one reason or another why he didn't buy some clothes in port. It's a huge risk to travel with no funds to handle unforeseen circumstances.

 

Everyone has to weigh their own circumstances and tolerance for risk. For some it might even be a game to see how cheaply they can sale and minimize their costs. We're not being pushy but just making you aware of the possible consequences if your flight doesn't go as planned.

[Nic6318]

Hi there

 

It's not rocket science.

 

Pretend like it's something ordinary that you can relate to. Imagine you are expected to arrive at your work on time every day. You know it takes you half an hour to get there by bus. You take the bus every day at 07:30 and it gets you to work on time at 08:00. So, once in a while you arrive a little late, and it's ok till one day your boss has a talk with you. "Hey, Joe, get here late one more time and don't bother punching in", he/she says. What would you do?

 

If you are rich and don't really like this job, then it doesn't matter. Otherwise, you should think carefully about your future plans. Some people don't buy insurance, some people fly in the day of the cruise. For most, it won't matter, for some it will. How important is it that you absolutely get there on time? The ship will not wait for you. One of those funny little things about cruising. :)

[NantahalaCruiser]

Okay so my question is do I really need to arrive the day before the cruise or can I arrive the day of the cruise? people keep telling me that I should arrive the day before but i'm saving for this trip I didn't calculate a hotel and fees only shuttle fees from the air port to the port and back. People keep being pushy about flight cancellations and lost luggage!

Welcome to CruiseCritic. Given the tone of your post, it sounds like you are tired of hearing constructive criticism and are seeking approval to ignore their well-meaning (or perhaps not so well-meaning) advice.

 

Well here it is - you are the master of your own life and are free to ignore the advice of others so long as you take personal responsibility for the consequences of your own actions.