Flight time home, is this "normal"?

[Lois R]

Hi friends, I figured this would be ok to ask here.........I am looking at the Douro and having AMA quote me on my flights........is it normal to have a flight home that leaves at 6:00am?😲......maybe it is me but this is crazy......so I would have to be up at 3:00am? (basically)?.........After retiring in Dec 2019 and now able to cruise and travel, whenever......this holds NO APPEAL for me....I think I will just continue to look around for something else.

 

Thoughts?

[Coral]

Are you spending the night before in port?

 

I had a 7 am flight out of Moscow and had to travel probably over an hour to get to the airport. I think we left the ship at 4 am.

[Lois R]

I always post before I do more research😲..........I have changed my plans. Still going on AMA but sailing to Paris/Normandy.  Have wanted to do this itinerary for quite a few years now. And flights are waaayyy better😃

Flight home leaves at 10:45am.......and only one connection.  Jax to Miami and Miami to Paris

Paris to Miami and Miami back home.....👍

And AMA is having a great price for solos on this particular sailing as well. 😀

[Pompein]

Had this problem too. I think it is an issue of where your cruise ends. If in smaller town/city, then you need to take connecting flight to larger hub city, like Paris, Frankfort, etc. Those flight times are mid morning usually. If you could, stay a day or so later, tour the large city and fly out at better time.

[rcaruso]

Just now, Pompein said:

Had this problem too. I think it is an issue of where your cruise ends. If in smaller town/city, then you need to take connecting flight to larger hub city, like Paris, Frankfort, etc. Those flight times are mid morning usually. If you could, stay a day or so later, tour the large city and fly out at better time.

We took a later flight from Porto to Madrid, and elected to spend night in Madrid to take the AA Flight home to DFW.  Viking was really upfront about that as we wanted to use AA. 

[Lois R]

1 minute ago, Pompein said:

Had this problem too. I think it is an issue of where your cruise ends. If in smaller town/city, then you need to take connecting flight to larger hub city, like Paris, Frankfort, etc. Those flight times are mid morning usually. If you could, stay a day or so later, tour the large city and fly out at better time.

Hi, I already changed my plans but you are correct. Porto is quite small compared to Lisbon. I will go back to Lisbon another time😀 actually I have a cruise booked that sails from there in April.

[Coral]

1 hour ago, Lois R said:

I always post before I do more research😲..........I have changed my plans. Still going on AMA but sailing to Paris/Normandy.  Have wanted to do this itinerary for quite a few years now. And flights are waaayyy better😃

Flight home leaves at 10:45am.......and only one connection.  Jax to Miami and Miami to Paris

Paris to Miami and Miami back home.....👍

And AMA is having a great price for solos on this particular sailing as well. 😀

You change your mind quickly 🙂 

[Lois R]

1 minute ago, Coral said:

You change your mind quickly 🙂 

Yes, I did......in this case in particular.  I have wanted to sail on the Seine for a long time. And when my gal at AMA was helping me with choices and after what has happened over the past (almost 2 years now), I said I am "GOING FOR IT".........it was really a great price for the cruise and the airfare.  And I have never been to Paris before.  Looking forward to it very much😃

[notamermaid]

Good to read you have been able to make a choice that you are very happy with. Go for it, exactly!

10 minutes ago, Lois R said:

And I have never been to Paris before. 

Paris is not my favourite city in Europe, but my, what a place to just experience! Everybody should go to Paris once in their life. Been twice and willing to go again.

 

notamermaid

 

[Coral]

13 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Yes, I did......in this case in particular.  I have wanted to sail on the Seine for a long time. And when my gal at AMA was helping me with choices and after what has happened over the past (almost 2 years now), I said I am "GOING FOR IT".........it was really a great price for the cruise and the airfare.  And I have never been to Paris before.  Looking forward to it very much😃

I haven't been to Paris either. I was supposed to in April 2020 and you know what happened to that. I was going to be there for 3 days and realized it wasn't enough. You may want to consider some more time there.

 

Glad you found a trip!

[Coral]

1 minute ago, notamermaid said:

Good to read you have been able to make a choice that you are very happy with. Go for it, exactly!

Paris is not my favourite city in Europe, but my, what a place to just experience! Everybody should go to Paris once in their life. Been twice and willing to go again.

 

notamermaid

 

So what is your favorite city?

[acwmom]

22 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Yes, I did......in this case in particular.  I have wanted to sail on the Seine for a long time. And when my gal at AMA was helping me with choices and after what has happened over the past (almost 2 years now), I said I am "GOING FOR IT".........it was really a great price for the cruise and the airfare.  And I have never been to Paris before.  Looking forward to it very much😃

I am so glad you are doing this itinerary. As you know, we have done it twice! (the second was a fallback, but was probably more enjoyable) We want to do the Burgundy-Provence route, and will likely fly into Paris a few days early then take the train to Lyon. We both love Paris, and haven't even scratched the surface.

Robin

[notamermaid]

1 minute ago, Coral said:

So what is your favorite city?

Now that is a great question - err, I have no answer of one I think. Of the ones I have visited only once, it would be either Budapest or Lincoln or Durham. Of the ones I know well I would say Bonn, Carlisle or Canterbury. If you ask me where I long to be right now out of that choice, I would say Canterbury.

 

Odd, I have just noticed while typing that I have not included London, although I have lived there. I think I have moved on in life...

 

notamermaid

 

[Lois R]

2 minutes ago, acwmom said:

I am so glad you are doing this itinerary. As you know, we have done it twice! (the second was a fallback, but was probably more enjoyable) We want to do the Burgundy-Provence route, and will likely fly into Paris a few days early then take the train to Lyon. We both love Paris, and haven't even scratched the surface.

Robin

Hi Robin, thanks so much🙂.  I do remember you sailing it.  Seems so long ago now........time is such a funny thing. We are now almost at the end of 2021.......You sailed on Uniworld, correct? I looked at them too.  But the price on AMA was too good to pass up. And they were my first river cruise and really loved it so I am sure I will have a good time on this one too. That cruise was Tulip Time in 2016. Seriously, where has the time gone?

[acwmom]

11 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Hi Robin, thanks so much🙂.  I do remember you sailing it.  Seems so long ago now........time is such a funny thing. We are now almost at the end of 2021.......You sailed on Uniworld, correct? I looked at them too.  But the price on AMA was too good to pass up. And they were my first river cruise and really loved it so I am sure I will have a good time on this one too. That cruise was Tulip Time in 2016. Seriously, where has the time gone?

Yes, Uniworld both times. I have a FrontLine Heroes certificate to use on AMA. Just need to find the right cruise.

We actually leave in 2 days for a cruise on Celebrity Edge. The price was right, the weather will be warm, and there are nonstop flights to FLL😁  I just completed my proctored Covid 19 test, so all that's left to do is pack!

[Gourmet Gal]

Read this too late to make the suggestion to just plan a stopover from Porto in another city like Paris or another main hub, stay a few days and fly home from there.  You would probably not have to get up at 3:00 AM for either.  Better yet, if the timing works, sail the Douro then fly to Paris to sail the Seine!

[Wings55]

20 hours ago, Lois R said:

I always post before I do more research😲..........I have changed my plans. Still going on AMA but sailing to Paris/Normandy.  Have wanted to do this itinerary for quite a few years now. And flights are waaayyy better😃

Flight home leaves at 10:45am.......and only one connection.  Jax to Miami and Miami to Paris

Paris to Miami and Miami back home.....👍

And AMA is having a great price for solos on this particular sailing as well. 😀

We enjoyed this cruise in August and I'm sure you will too. Like you we booked some time in Paris before the cruise because we had never been there before. We did some touring on our own and hired a Tours by Locals guide for a walking tour of the city and another to visit Versailles. 

Are booked on the AmaLyra or the AmaDante? 

Paul

[Lois R]

Good morning Paul, I am on AmaDante. 

[Wings55]

On 10/29/2021 at 9:17 AM, Lois R said:

Good morning Paul, I am on AmaDante. 

When we booked our trip last November we were scheduled to sail on the AmaDante. As the summer progressed I believe they had so few guests AMA was combining people from the 'Lyra and the 'Dante cut down on the number or sailings and to save money. The ships are almost identical so we didn't notice any difference. 

ENJOY!!

Paul