Can you fly in DAY OF?

[Coral]

Just now, Tapi said:

 I’m with a major. Regional airlines are expected to have a certain completion and on-time performance in order to maintain their contracts with the major airlines that they serve, but from my previous life working for a regional, I do remember more snafus and delays when I used to fly for them. Many times they don’t have the same resources or manpower that majors do, and they may also schedule their crews with less rest (although legal) meaning that any delays the night before would cause a delay in the morning in order to accommodate legal rest. 

I figured you were with a "major". 

[sheltielover256]

One more suggestion if you're still tense about it.  Why don't you check to see if your airline has an early morning nonstop flight out of Orlando and see what the change fee would be.  I doubt there would be an upcharge for the flight (Orlando tends to be cheaper than Jacksonville for flights), but they would charge you a bunch to change the ticket (up to 100% of the price). It may be worth just buying new tickets if they aren't too pricey.   I have looked at this flight (I'm going to Alaska next summer too!) and seem to recall two nonstops that leave around 630 or 7am.  It wouldn't get you in to Seattle much earlier, but maybe an hour, and  it would be nonstop, so essentially, it would half your concerns regarding connections.  Also, you would be sure to have your luggage with you when you arrived and, as inexperienced travelers, you wouldn't have to worry about getting around the HUGE DFW airport for a connection.  You'd have to leave Jacksonville at 2-3 am to drive down, but you could sleep on the plane.  The real annoyance would be driving back up after the cruise!

[Davis2010]

2 hours ago, Tapi said:

OP:

 

Congratulations on your 10th wedding anniversary! 
 

I’m an Airline Pilot, and I wanted to chime in. Personally, I would never fly on the day of the cruise, specially with a connection. I know firsthand the long list of things that could possibly delay you. But with that said, if you have no choice but to fly on the morning of the cruise, relax. Percentage wise, odds are in your favor that your flight will be on-time. Airlines do the best they can to launch first flights of the day on time because it sets the tone for the rest of the day. A delayed first flight of the day has terrible cascading effects. 
 

But things do happen once in a while. It doesn’t have to be a major maintenance issue, or a massive thunderstorm, or the apocalypse. It can be the absolute dumbest thing (for example recently, the evening crew left the airplane’s battery switch on overnight and I arrived in the morning to an airplane with a dead battery 😒 which delayed us an hour). Once again, delays are the exception, but they do happen.

 

One of my most memorable stories is about a family flying to Seattle on the day of the cruise with a stop in Minneapolis. Some family members with mobility issues were stuck at the security checkpoint, but one family member made it to the gate and begged to hold the flight because they were going on a cruise that afternoon. I decided to hold the flight against the gate agent’s wishes because I knew that this family would never catch up with their cruise if we left without them. When all the family members finally arrived, I made them stand in the jetway, with their right hand up, and swear to NEVER fly on the day of the cruise ever again! 😂

 

 Whatever you ultimately decide to do with your flights, I wish you a great cruise. Alaska is truly fascinating. One of my favorite cruise destinations for sure. 

Thank you. We didn't know any different as we've never flown before. So we put a lot of trust in our TA..... Anywho, we know for next time. Thank you for all of your input.

[Davis2010]

28 minutes ago, sheltielover256 said:

One more suggestion if you're still tense about it.  Why don't you check to see if your airline has an early morning nonstop flight out of Orlando and see what the change fee would be.  I doubt there would be an upcharge for the flight (Orlando tends to be cheaper than Jacksonville for flights), but they would charge you a bunch to change the ticket (up to 100% of the price). It may be worth just buying new tickets if they aren't too pricey.   I have looked at this flight (I'm going to Alaska next summer too!) and seem to recall two nonstops that leave around 630 or 7am.  It wouldn't get you in to Seattle much earlier, but maybe an hour, and  it would be nonstop, so essentially, it would half your concerns regarding connections.  Also, you would be sure to have your luggage with you when you arrived and, as inexperienced travelers, you wouldn't have to worry about getting around the HUGE DFW airport for a connection.  You'd have to leave Jacksonville at 2-3 am to drive down, but you could sleep on the plane.  The real annoyance would be driving back up after the cruise!

Great idea! Thank you! I'll look into this!

[Davis2010]

2 hours ago, mskaufman said:

Let's start getting you pumped for your cruise.  Here are some pictures from our Alaska cruise.

 

https://markandkarenalaska2011.shutterfly.com/pictures

 

 

OMGoodness! Thank you for sharing these pictures! I'm trying to be as excited as I can, but I'm so worried now. What excursions did you do in Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan?

[Davis2010]

2 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

This also the time to start planning your shore excursions.  Whale watching, train ride in Skagway (with your passport), maybe a float plane ride...

We are definitely doing a whale watching tour, although not sure which company. We would love to do the train too. We've thought about a heli/glacier tour? 

[VermeulT]

11 hours ago, sheltielover256 said:

One more suggestion if you're still tense about it.  Why don't you check to see if your airline has an early morning nonstop flight out of Orlando and see what the change fee would be.  I doubt there would be an upcharge for the flight (Orlando tends to be cheaper than Jacksonville for flights), but they would charge you a bunch to change the ticket (up to 100% of the price). It may be worth just buying new tickets if they aren't too pricey.   I have looked at this flight (I'm going to Alaska next summer too!) and seem to recall two nonstops that leave around 630 or 7am.  It wouldn't get you in to Seattle much earlier, but maybe an hour, and  it would be nonstop, so essentially, it would half your concerns regarding connections.  Also, you would be sure to have your luggage with you when you arrived and, as inexperienced travelers, you wouldn't have to worry about getting around the HUGE DFW airport for a connection.  You'd have to leave Jacksonville at 2-3 am to drive down, but you could sleep on the plane.  The real annoyance would be driving back up after the cruise!

 

I looked for you Davis - 7am flight out of MCO to Seattle non-stop with Delta that gets in at 10:03am.  Currently pricing at $358 round trip to Orlando.

[VermeulT]

And to spread more excitement - this link is to my photobook on Shutterfly from our 2015 Alaska Trip.  It includes some ports that you won't be going to but will give you something fun to look forward to.

https://alaskacruisestatendam2015.shutterfly.com/24

 

[katrina915]

I have been burned by TA.  Years ago they didn't tell me I needed a visa for France and I had to hide out in UK for awhile waiting for it.  I was poor in those days and it was an expensive lesson to learn.

 

Chances are things will be fine, but follow advice on board that works for you.

 

You might want to post on Princess board, so that you can get an emergency number for someone at the pier if you are running late to get to the pier.  Make sure you know which pier you are going to and your transportation knows.

 

Congrats on anniversary and you will LOVE Alaska.

Edited January 8, 2020 by katrina915

[mskaufman]

22 hours ago, Davis2010 said:

OMGoodness! Thank you for sharing these pictures! I'm trying to be as excited as I can, but I'm so worried now. What excursions did you do in Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan?

 

In Juneau I went up on the Mt. Roberts tram before the going on a helicopter excursion to the Mendenhall Glacier.  Skagway we did a trip to the Yukon.  Outbound by bus and back by train.  Ketchikan we did a DIY to see Totem Poles.

[ArnoldDonald]

Have you considered flying in the day AFTER?

That way, you will have no doubts or questions.

[VermeulT]

12 hours ago, ArnoldDonald said:

Have you considered flying in the day AFTER?

That way, you will have no doubts or questions.

 

Totally not necessary to be obnoxious.

[donaldsc]

13 hours ago, ArnoldDonald said:

Have you considered flying in the day AFTER?

That way, you will have no doubts or questions.

 

I can be a bit (maybe more than a bit) sarcastic at times but this comment is unnecessary.

 

DON

[Davis2010]

14 hours ago, ArnoldDonald said:

Have you considered flying in the day AFTER?

That way, you will have no doubts or questions.

Wow. So many things to “insert here” but no sense in lowering myself to your level. I may not be the most cruise and flight savvy and have to ask questions (no matter how silly they seem to you), but at least I’m not rude.

[Davis2010]

On 1/8/2020 at 9:39 AM, VermeulT said:

And to spread more excitement - this link is to my photobook on Shutterfly from our 2015 Alaska Trip.  It includes some ports that you won't be going to but will give you something fun to look forward to.

https://alaskacruisestatendam2015.shutterfly.com/24

 

It won’t allow me to view them 😔

[Tapi]

On 1/8/2020 at 9:36 AM, VermeulT said:

 

I looked for you Davis - 7am flight out of MCO to Seattle non-stop with Delta that gets in at 10:03am.  Currently pricing at $358 round trip to Orlando.

OP, i like the idea of a nonstop as well. You can always drive to MCO the night before so that you dont have to drive in the morning. 

[Ms BumbleBee]

On 1/8/2020 at 9:36 AM, VermeulT said:

 

I looked for you Davis - 7am flight out of MCO to Seattle non-stop with Delta that gets in at 10:03am.  Currently pricing at $358 round trip to Orlando.

BEST idea yet!!!  A non stop would be so much better!!!!

[sheltielover256]

Hi OP, I saw on another thread that you can change your flight with no penalty since you booked with EZAir. That eliminates my earlier concern that you'd lose your original ticket because of huge change fees.  I suspect that the price of parking in Orlando will be offset by a cheaper ticket. 

[VermeulT]

7 hours ago, Davis2010 said:

It won’t allow me to view them 😔

 

Try again.  I made it public.

https://alaskacruisestatendam2015.shutterfly.com/

 

[d9704011]

22 minutes ago, VermeulT said:

 

Try again.  I made it public.

https://alaskacruisestatendam2015.shutterfly.com/

 

Nice photos; I especially enjoyed the ‘fishing’ bears.

[Davis2010]

23 minutes ago, VermeulT said:

 

Try again.  I made it public.

https://alaskacruisestatendam2015.shutterfly.com/

 

OMGOSH!!!! The BEARS!!!! When did you go and where did you see them? The Bald Eagle too!

[VermeulT]

12 hours ago, d9704011 said:

Nice photos; I especially enjoyed the ‘fishing’ bears.

 

12 hours ago, Davis2010 said:

OMGOSH!!!! The BEARS!!!! When did you go and where did you see them? The Bald Eagle too!

 

Most of the bears were in Kodiak.  We took a private float plane excursion with Sea Hawk Air.  It was a lot of money but SO worth it.  We were as close as 25 feet at one point.  It was one of the most amazing days of my life.

(The first two bear pictures in the album were in Sikta at the Fortress of the Bear sanctuary).

The first eagle picture was at the Alaska Raptor Center also in Sitka.  The other two were on the Bering Sea Fisherman's excursion in Ketichikan.

I'm adding comments to each picture to help ID where they were taken.

Thanks for the complements.

[SightCRR]

For info those fishing bears were likely seen during Holland's 14 day cruise on a flight from Kodiak off the island to Katmai National Park to the west of Kodiak which starting this year Holland deleted from their 14 day cruise.  At your closest point you will be about 1000 miles away. The eagles and the crab boat however will be a 200 yard walk to the crab boat from your ship and something I always recommend first time AK cruisers do. For the eagle feeding ask for 5 min warning then be ready with your cameras as the action comes quick and doesn't last very long. sightcrr

[wolfie11]

On 1/8/2020 at 9:10 AM, martincath said:

I think you've gotten most of the relevant practical, "What I can actually do about potential problems" advice already (packing carryon with a couple of days clothes, airline and cruiselin phone numbers in your phone) but do be aware that the folks who warned you about the PVSA, and your TAs total incompetence to be unaware of it, are absolutely correct.

 

Furthermore, even if this flight was booked through Princess they will not necessarily fly you on to Ketchikan if you miss the ship - it's not just that there is a fine involved for breach of the PVSA, it's that knowingly violating the PVSA upfront has potentially worse repercussions for the cruiseline (and it is the line that gets fined, not the passenger - your cruise contract allows them to recoup the fine from you though). We're talking about foreign-flag vessels, with already-limited rights to operate in US waters - the fine covers unavoidable circumstances like terrible weather that prevents docking in Victoria, or passengers who have to leave early because of an emergency back home. Folks who have a late flight... the line will most likely just say No.

 

BUT - there is one potential way around it. As long as YOUR cruise ends in Canada, no violation would occur - and since Victoria is the day before returning to Seattle, you'd only miss the last night of your cruise if you disembarked there. You'd of course have to then get back to Seatac for you scheduled flight home - but there are several options (flights from YYJ, ferries to BC mainland then bus or train or rental car to Seattle, or the Clipper ferry from Victoria right to Seattle).

 

Now, hopefully all will go smoothly - as Gardyloo's post mentioned you seem to be on a fairly reliable flight, so odds are pretty good that you'll make the ship just fine. But if you don't - knowing that you can potentially disembark in Victoria means there's another option for you. You will have to ask - don't expect anyone you speak to at the pier or on the phone to be any less ignorant than your TA, unfortunately helpdesk and pier minions don't seem to get very consistent training, but self-advocate and demand to keep going up the food chain to a supervisor, manager etc. until someone actually says they understand the PVSA! You will need permission from Canadian authorities to be allowed to leave the ship in Victoria - but this is usually granted, it's a very common request.

 

NB: even if Princess are freakishly nice and fly you on to Ketchikan at their expense, you MUST have proper paperwork as your cruise will no longer be a Closed Loop. Only Closed Loop cruises get to use the 'no passport needed' Driving License/Birth Cert exemption to the WHTI (sorry, more jargon - Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative which demands passports for US citizens over 16 who re-enter the USA after being in a foreign country, as well as us foreigners who visit you) so you will need a passport, passport card, or NEXUS to be allowed to sail back to Seattle.

 

The other downside of all of this is going to be your insurance - given you have less than four hours between your scheduled arrival and your absolute cutoff boarding time, I don't think you will be paid out for a flight delay. Check your policy - there's usually a specified minimum length of delay before any benefits are payable and I've personally never heard of one less than 4 hours. If that's the case, be aware that your insurance will not pay out on any of the extra incurred costs. This is where being able to adjust your flight to one even a tiny bit earlier could literally make all the difference in the world... if the arrival time compared to the last possible boarding time can be adjusted so it does qualify under your insurance policy minimum delay, it may be worth paying a change fee for peace of mind.

 

On a personal note, don't apologise for your ignorance of these matters - you don't know what you don't know, you trusted a professional who was recommended to you, and it's just bad luck that your 'second thoughts' only kicked in when it was too late to avoid some of the potential issues. At least you DID think to check into it, so now you're getting some info on what to do if the proverbial brown stuff hits the fan. But you really, really should abandon that TA - any so-called professional who sells people cruises but has not even HEARD of the PVSA is an incompetent fool. It is the single biggest issue affecting cruises out of the USA and is why all the seasonal ships that come to Alaska have to faff around with one-way repo cruises from a US port to a Canadian one, then another from Canada to Seattle or San Francisco (LA-based ships can use a closer Mexican port), before they can legally start offering the Closed Loop cruises out of US west coast ports.

 

Misinterpreting the PVSA, making a mistake of some kind about it, might be forgivable in some circumstances - but not knowing about it at all means they have failed their 'due dilligence' so badly that it would be like a book-keeper offering to do your business accounts for you without any knowledge of the different tax laws for businesses compared to individuals! Furthermore, this TA has also indirectly confirmed that they have not even read Princess' policies on their 'get you to the next port' guarantees - it's right there in the wording that they will only make 'best efforts' to do it when it is legal to do so. The US is far from the only country to have Cabotage laws (controlling who can move goods and people around in their waters) - Canada, the EU, and probably almost every country with a coastline and any sort of domestic shipping industry have their own equivalents.

 

Best of luck!

I missed the Royal Princess last summer in Vancouver along with 13 others.  We all flew to Ketchikan and boarded there.  No mention was made of the PVSA, which should have been in effect, because it was a one-way cruise ending in Whittier and we were now traveling between two US ports on  a foreign-flagged carrier, which is what the PVSA addresses.  

[CruiserBruce]

16 minutes ago, wolfie11 said:

I missed the Royal Princess last summer in Vancouver along with 13 others.  We all flew to Ketchikan and boarded there.  No mention was made of the PVSA, which should have been in effect, because it was a one-way cruise ending in Whittier and we were now traveling between two US ports on  a foreign-flagged carrier, which is what the PVSA addresses.  

Princess may have eaten the fine.