schmeed Posted March 28, 2018 #1 Share Posted March 28, 2018 For some reason, flights to San Juan this fall are not a plentiful (or lower cost) as in years past. We are sailing on FOS on Saturday, October 13th. There is a flight that works for us that lands at 4:50pm. Is that enough time to gather bags and get to the port? What is the latest you can board the ship that sails at 8:30pm? Thanks, Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39august Posted March 28, 2018 #2 Share Posted March 28, 2018 I wouldn't try it. Is there no way you can fly in the day or evening prior? You are paying for day one of your cruise. You might as well take advantage of it and board by around 11 or noon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerif Posted March 28, 2018 #3 Share Posted March 28, 2018 You’ll be fine if your flight lands on Friday at that time. You must be checked in by 7:00. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schmeed Posted March 28, 2018 Author #4 Share Posted March 28, 2018 I wouldn't try it. Is there no way you can fly in the day or evening prior? You are paying for day one of your cruise. You might as well take advantage of it and board by around 11 or noon. We normally do, but the flights on Friday (day before) either don't work with our schedule or the prices are outrageous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerif Posted March 28, 2018 #5 Share Posted March 28, 2018 We normally do, but the flights on Friday (day before) either don't work with our schedule or the prices are outrageous. Make sure you have insurance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniChunks Posted March 28, 2018 #6 Share Posted March 28, 2018 If everything goes perfectly you can make it. I would never do that, but to each their own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiseguy1016 Posted March 28, 2018 #7 Share Posted March 28, 2018 If everything goes as scheduled, landing at 4:50 will not be a problem. If you figure 30 - 45 minutes from the time you land until the time you have your luggage, that puts you at the taxi stand at 5:20 - 5:30. Wait time for a taxi could be zero or it could be 20 minutes depending on how many other planes have just landed. The taxi ride to the ship is 20 - 25 minutes. That should put you at the ship no later than 6:15, plenty of time for a 7:00 PM boarding. I say all that with my tongue in my cheek. If everything goes perfectly, you won't have a problem. If there is a 30 minute delay in a flight somewhere, you might be in trouble. Where are you flying from? Do you have connections? Personally, I would not attempt this. There just is not enough wiggle room in the event there is a flight delay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarea Posted March 28, 2018 #8 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Very little margin for delay, I would try very hard to arrange an alternative Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandma Dazzles Posted March 28, 2018 #9 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Personally wouldn't risk it - cutting it very close, especially with possibility of flight/luggage delay. Haven't flown into SJ since last year 's hurricane. Not sure if the hurricane has affected airport/local infrastructure, but never found the airport to be the most organized and speediest, even in previous time, as far as baggage, cabs, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Rogueperson Posted March 28, 2018 #10 Share Posted March 28, 2018 If everything goes as scheduled, landing at 4:50 will not be a problem. If you figure 30 - 45 minutes from the time you land until the time you have your luggage, that puts you at the taxi stand at 5:20 - 5:30. Wait time for a taxi could be zero or it could be 20 minutes depending on how many other planes have just landed. The taxi ride to the ship is 20 - 25 minutes. That should put you at the ship no later than 6:15, plenty of time for a 7:00 PM boarding. I say all that with my tongue in my cheek. If everything goes perfectly, you won't have a problem. If there is a 30 minute delay in a flight somewhere, you might be in trouble. Where are you flying from? Do you have connections? Personally, I would not attempt this. There just is not enough wiggle room in the event there is a flight delay. I flew in to Fort Lauderdale the day off once. I landed at 11:30. I did not enter the terminal area until 2:15. This was for a 4:00 departure. From FLL, you can SEE the ship from there. I would pay the outrageousness to get you down there in time than chance missing the ship so you can save a little money. Even with insurance, you're looking at a lot of heartache and depending on insurance, they might say you helped cause this by not booking an earlier flight when you could and denying your claim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brookie848 Posted March 28, 2018 #11 Share Posted March 28, 2018 A couple of options for you. First, is Southwest a possibility? Their flight schedules for November haven't really opened up yet (they are only open through 11/3). On May 31, they will open up their schedules. If you book a flight the morning they open up their schedule, you can usually get a good deal. A second option (and this may not be at all economical) is to fly as far as Florida the night before. Then fly into San Juan the morning of your cruise. We did this in November for our cruise, but our reasons were simply because the uncertainty hotel availability. Our flight from FLL to SJU was less than $100/person and we bought the tickets only a few weeks before our flight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starry Eyes Posted March 28, 2018 #12 Share Posted March 28, 2018 I would not risk that. But if you decide to do it, can you go with carry on luggage only? That would save time in terminal upon landing. And do read your travel insurance carefully to see if they will cover you with that short plane to ship connection. And look to see how you’d get to next port if you do miss the ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schmeed Posted March 28, 2018 Author #13 Share Posted March 28, 2018 A couple of options for you.First, is Southwest a possibility? Their flight schedules for November haven't really opened up yet (they are only open through 11/3). On May 31, they will open up their schedules. If you book a flight the morning they open up their schedule, you can usually get a good deal. A second option (and this may not be at all economical) is to fly as far as Florida the night before. Then fly into San Juan the morning of your cruise. We did this in November for our cruise, but our reasons were simply because the uncertainty hotel availability. Our flight from FLL to SJU was less than $100/person and we bought the tickets only a few weeks before our flight. Cruise is in October. Schedules are open and the options from Indianapolis are terrible. I thought with the hurricane issues, it would be cheap to fly there, but it's actually the opposite as there are limited flights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4williams5 Posted March 28, 2018 #14 Share Posted March 28, 2018 We will be on the same cruise. We have been watching prices for a while and decided to wait to buy. We did not want to go down on Friday because didn't want the daughter to miss school that day. We decided it was not worth it to fly in on same day unless we went through royal airtosea. At least then if issue they can get you to the next port. We will probably just take her out of the school and head down on Friday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniChunks Posted March 28, 2018 #15 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Cruise is in October. Schedules are open and the options from Indianapolis are terrible. I thought with the hurricane issues, it would be cheap to fly there, but it's actually the opposite as there are limited flights.Is driving to Cincinnati an option if flights are cheaper? I am lucky in that Boston and the NYC airports are only 1.5hrs away from me, but I'd drive a few hrs for a better price Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brookie848 Posted March 28, 2018 #16 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Cruise is in October. Schedules are open and the options from Indianapolis are terrible. I thought with the hurricane issues, it would be cheap to fly there, but it's actually the opposite as there are limited flights. Sorry about missing your date -- I zoned there. Good luck with finding something that works for you. We book most of our cruises really early and I hate when the other parts of the trip don't line up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
logan25 Posted March 28, 2018 #17 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Don't know what qualifies as "outrageous". A quick search for one-way fares on October 13 turned up $158 on American Airlines which departs at 7:50 a.m., connecting through Philadelphia, landing at 2:20 p.m. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schmeed Posted March 28, 2018 Author #18 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Don't know what qualifies as "outrageous". A quick search for one-way fares on October 13 turned up $158 on American Airlines which departs at 7:50 a.m., connecting through Philadelphia, landing at 2:20 p.m. From Indianapolis? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniChunks Posted March 28, 2018 #19 Share Posted March 28, 2018 you can fly Friday the 12th and return the 18th on Southwest out of Cincinnati for $328 RT or there's a Delta flight from Columbus for the same price on the same days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schmeed Posted March 28, 2018 Author #20 Share Posted March 28, 2018 you can fly Friday the 12th and return the 18th on Southwest out of Cincinnati for $328 RT or there's a Delta flight from Columbus for the same price on the same days LOL. How do I return on the 18th when the ship doesn't come back to port until the 20th? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniChunks Posted March 28, 2018 #21 Share Posted March 28, 2018 LOL. How do I return on the 18th when the ship doesn't come back to port until the 20th?Swim? Lol, I messed up the dates. Same price on the 20th Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zach1213 Posted March 28, 2018 #22 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Cruise is in October. Schedules are open and the options from Indianapolis are terrible. I thought with the hurricane issues, it would be cheap to fly there, but it's actually the opposite as there are limited flights. It's a combination of changing customer dynamics + supply and demand. As you mention, flights aren't quite as plentiful as before, so prices go up as a result of having fewer seats. However, the dynamics have also changed - there are few tourists, and the people going to PR often (not exclusively, of course) NEED to go there...to deal with family, to do reconstruction work, etc., and this often results in expensive tickets (kind of the reason why some very unpleasant places, such as some "sketchy" African destinations, can be the most expensive...people aren't going unless they need to go, and airlines can charge a premium because of that. Obviously this isn't quite the case with PR because there are still people going for vacations, but the customer dynamics have definitely changed in the last year). I wouldn't touch this 4:50pm arrival with 2000ft pole Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjrice1 Posted March 28, 2018 #23 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Several times I cruised the same day.. all flights arriving around 11 ish.. One time the flight was canceled.. (crap till the next day.. ...) end up taking a taxi from MCO to palm bay.. (stupid counter guy told me it was only 1.5 hrs away.. nope 3 hrs away with 15 minute to catch the flight) Long story short.. made the flight and the ship with heart palpation all the way. Wrote long letter to the airline.. with info proving it was not weather (weather.com thank you) and it was engine trouble.. they did reimburse me for the taxi $500.00... (thank goodness I had the cash put away ...my ocd.. son calls in cdo) and they reimburse 5 of us credit for the flight too. Now we are going to try it again in Dec for same day with flight arriving at 11 for a 8pm sail away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shellsipes Posted March 28, 2018 #24 Share Posted March 28, 2018 If you fly on the 13th the itinerary below will get you to San Juan at 2:20 PM. The layover in Philadelphia is only 48 minutes so that could be an issue if your flight out of IND is delayed. Round trip fare is $412. Indianapolis (IND) to San Juan (SJU) — Sat, Oct 13 Indianapolis (IND) to Philadelphia (PHL) — Sat, Oct 13 American 4737 Dep: 7:50 am Arr: 9:42 am Layover in PHL 0h 48m Philadelphia (PHL) to San Juan (SJU) — Sat, Oct 13 American 1992 Dep: 10:30 am Arr: 2:20 pm San Juan (SJU) to Indianapolis (IND) — Sat, Oct 20 San Juan (SJU) to Charlotte (CLT) — Sat, Oct 20 American 1852 Dep: 2:40 pm Arr: 6:25 pm Layover in CLT 3h 50m Charlotte (CLT) to Indianapolis (IND) — Sat, Oct 20 American 4603 Dep: 10:15 pm Arr: 11:53 pm If you fly on the 12th this itinerary is $508 round trip. If you are OK departing IND at 5:30 AM there's an option for $465. It's also on AA. Indianapolis (IND) to San Juan (SJU) — Fri, Oct 12 Indianapolis (IND) to Miami (MIA) — Fri, Oct 12 American 3483 Dep: 12:59 pm Arr: 3:52 pm Layover in MIA 1h 33m Miami (MIA) to San Juan (SJU) — Fri, Oct 12 American 1570 Dep: 5:25 pm Arr: 8:00 pm San Juan (SJU) to Indianapolis (IND) — Sat, Oct 20 San Juan (SJU) to Philadelphia (PHL) — Sat, Oct 20 American 1992 Dep: 3:20 pm Arr: 7:15 pm Layover in PHL 1h 20m Philadelphia (PHL) to Indianapolis (IND) — Sat, Oct 20 American 4520 Dep: 8:35 pm Arr: 10:40 pm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARandomTraveler Posted March 28, 2018 #25 Share Posted March 28, 2018 I’ve been watching prices to San Juan for a couple years now on Southwest Airlines. They work differently than most airlines in that the cheapest flights can be bought when you book the furthest in advance. The longer you wait, the more expensive they will be. If you’re looking at flying Southwest in October and haven’t bought your tickets yet, you’re probably paying $300 more per person than if you’d bought them a couple months ago when they became available. That being said, flights to Puerto Rico are definitely more expensive this year than they have been in the prior 3 years. The cheapest flights I’ve found (from Denver) in the past year, going on thurs/fri and coming back on Saturday are $316. But that was an outlier, as the most common price combination was $277 each way ($554), every week of every month. If you find something around this price on Southwest, I’d say you got a fair price. I saw the prices drop slightly below this ($248 each way, $496 total per person) and jumped on it. The price has only gone up from there, and the lowest price for when I sail is now $698. I’ve stopped checking other months and weeks, but I imagine the pattern is the same as it’s been. Airfare to San Juan is generally what keeps people from sailing from there, but hopefully my price comparisons will help you know if the prices you’re seeing are truly outrageous or if they are fairly standard, and maybe that will help you bite the bullet on a Friday flight (or not). If airfare is scaring you away, you will likely be even more deterred by the price of hotels. There’s a 26% tax added on to whatever rate you see listed, and if you have waited this long to book a hotel, you’re already paying a premium price. I had to book mine a year in advance for a “good” price, but 6 months out that price had already almost doubled. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now