Can I book a noon flight?

[arxcards]

This question comes up often, and the answer is that it is possible on a normal day.

Today isn't one of those days. 

 

Both Pacific Adventure and Carnival Splendor are due in Sydney Harbour this morning, but are both bobbing around off Sydney Heads, awaiting safe conditions to board a pilot and navigate into the harbour.

 

 

Splendor is currently due to enter the harbour at 11:30, Pacific Adventure at 12:15. As a perfect storm of sorts, today marks the start of NSW school holidays, the end of QLD school holidays and Sydney featuring in the  AFL grand final tomorrow. Replacement domestic flights for tonight or tomorrow are going to be very hard to find.

[Muffinz]

This is one of the reasons we booked a later (5:45pm) flight on the day our cruise disembarks in Sydney 26 December

[ceeceeDee]

2 minutes ago, Muffinz said:

This is one of the reasons we booked a later (5:45pm) flight on the day our cruise disembarks in Sydney 26 December

It's always prudent to err on the side of caution in my opinion. I'd rather cool my heels for several hours, if necessary, rather than risk the stress of rushing to meet or miss a flight.

[Muffinz]

3 minutes ago, ceeceeDee said:

It's always prudent to err on the side of caution in my opinion. I'd rather cool my heels for several hours, if necessary, rather than risk the stress of rushing to meet or miss a flight.

same - the return flight we would have preferred is leaving Sydney at 11:45am - and there's probably a 90% chance we'd make that flight easily.... but just in case something like this happens we decided to book a later flight - even if it means sitting around Sydney airport for a few hours...

[arxcards]

12 minutes ago, ceeceeDee said:

It's always prudent to err on the side of caution in my opinion. I'd rather cool my heels for several hours, if necessary, rather than risk the stress of rushing to meet or miss a flight.

Stress from rushing and ruining the benefits of a relaxing holiday is one part. On the financial side, it is the lack of flexibility in airline tickets and the hassle of chasing-up most of your unexpected expense through travel insurance.

[cruiser3775]

10 minutes ago, Muffinz said:

just in case something like this happens we decided to book a later flight - even if it means sitting around Sydney airport for a few hours...

I have no problem with "sitting around in Sydney for a few hours". I book a flight at 2pm or later. Then I walk down to Circular Quay with my luggage and have a coffee at Rossini, while looking out at the ship for the last time and re-living some good memories.  Then I take my luggage to Bounce at CQ for a couple of hours.  That gives me time to do one of my favourite Sydney things. The choice is good - walk around The Rocks, walk to the Opera House, catch a ferry to Watsons Bay and back, catch the light rail to the Queen Victoria Building, etc. Then collect luggage and onto the train for the airport.

I certainly wouldn't make a beeline for the airport straight away, and wait the time out there.

[ceeceeDee]

Also Museum of Sydney is not far from Circular Quay if you want to 'kill' a couple of hours (after parking your luggage at Bounce, of course).

[CDaze71]

Runs off to Google BOUNCE. 

Prices anyone? Ta

[buchhalm]

2 hours ago, arxcards said:

This question comes up often, and the answer is that it is possible on a normal day.

Today isn't one of those days. 

 

Both Pacific Adventure and Carnival Splendor are due in Sydney Harbour this morning, but are both bobbing around off Sydney Heads, awaiting safe conditions to board a pilot and navigate into the harbour.

 

 

Splendor is currently due to enter the harbour at 11:30, Pacific Adventure at 12:15. As a perfect storm of sorts, today marks the start of NSW school holidays, the end of QLD school holidays and Sydney featuring in the  AFL grand final tomorrow. Replacement domestic flights for tonight or tomorrow are going to be very hard to find.

Yep, Carnival just passed my window 10 minutes ago. Nearly 6 hours late. 

[By The Bay]

Webcam is showing Splendor arriving at OPT.

[By The Bay]

[buchhalm]

7 minutes ago, buchhalm said:

Yep, Carnival just passed my window 10 minutes ago. Nearly 6 hours late. 

Followed now by P&O

[arxcards]

5 minutes ago, CDaze71 said:

Runs off to Google BOUNCE. 

Prices anyone? Ta

Bounce isn't dear, but make sure you don't incur international transaction fees, as your payment is processed overseas. The MCA now uses bounce, as well as via other providers.

[By The Bay]

Nearly there. Now to re-organize their travel plans.😱

[Yaya_in_Oz]

I tend to think in probabilities, and if it doesn't normally happen, it probably won't. The Diamond was due in Sydney at 6am yesterday, so I booked a noon domestic flight. With on-line check in, the required time for bag drop before departure is 45 mins. Plenty of time. International, a totally  different story. I also considered that Melb- Sydney has many flights, trains and buses, so I wouldn't be stuck there for long. What I didn't consider was Sydney Swans making the Grand Final! Long odds from a year out. Sydney Airport was fairly quiet in T3 but Melb was a bit chaotic. The flight was full and no coffee after midday now on short flights on QF, may as well fly Jetstar. I like to go home in daylight hours whenever possible.

Having said that when I get off Dora in Perth in Feb. I will store my luggage and fly home on the red-eye special, as I don't go there often and other alternatives are few and far between.

 

Now if I had been delayed yesterday, I would have just put in a travel claim, which I've done before. They take a while but do pay out. Those passengers who booked with EzAir would have their flights rebooked etc. shoreside at no cost to themselves.

This is what I missed yesterday.

[Yaya_in_Oz]

30 minutes ago, By The Bay said:

Nearly there. Now to re-organize their travel plans.😱

Yes, what a difference a day makes!

[cruiser3775]

58 minutes ago, CDaze71 said:

Runs off to Google BOUNCE. 

Prices anyone? Ta

They are behind a cafe in Circular Quay, between piers 3 & 4.

https://usebounce.com/city/sydney/sydney-circular-quay

Use a credit card that doesn't charge foreign exchange fees, because it is an international company.  They are good about security - make you take a photo of your bags on your phone, and you have to show that to them when you come back, along with ID.  Never had any problems, except once when I didn't pre-book and they were full up because of a big cruise ship in port. They suggested getting a cup of coffee and coming back after that, which worked out well.

Edited yesterday at 02:48 AM by cruiser3775

[arxcards]

MCA:

Luggage storage Museum of Contemporary Art Australia - 24/7 - Online Booking (eelway.com)

[arxcards]

2 hours ago, cruiser3775 said:

They are behind a cafe in Circular Quay, between piers 3 & 4.

https://usebounce.com/city/sydney/sydney-circular-quay

Use a credit card that doesn't charge foreign exchange fees, because it is an international company.  They are good about security - make you take a photo of your bags on your phone, and you have to show that to them when you come back, along with ID.  Never had any problems, except once when I didn't pre-book and they were full up because of a big cruise ship in port. They suggested getting a cup of coffee and coming back after that, which worked out well.

Yes, that one is connected to City Extra, and a worthwhile stop for coffee at the same time. According to their blurb, Bounce now has 78 locations in Sydney that use their booking system. Some use more than one booking app. There are 4 Bounce outlets around Circular Quay, some also using competing brands. Shop around.

[arxcards]

3 hours ago, Yaya_in_Oz said:

Now if I had been delayed yesterday, I would have just put in a travel claim, which I've done before. They take a while but do pay out. Those passengers who booked with EzAir would have their flights rebooked etc. shoreside at no cost to themselves.

 

Those delayed enough to miss their flight today (for Melbourne in particular) will be lucky to get a replacement tonight or tomorrow - even with ezair.

 

[CDaze71]

1 hour ago, arxcards said:

MCA:

Luggage storage Museum of Contemporary Art Australia - 24/7 - Online Booking (eelway.com)

Hmmm so the MCA used to store our luggage free of charge in their cloakroom, while we looked around the museum and ate in the rooftop Cafe. Are they charging everyone now (guests of MCA) or just those people who want to look around elsewhere ? 

Edited yesterday at 06:53 AM by CDaze71

[arxcards]

1 hour ago, CDaze71 said:

Hmmm so the MCA used to store our luggage free of charge in their cloakroom, while we looked around the museum and ate in the rooftop Cafe. Are they charging everyone now (guests of MCA) or just those people who want to look around elsewhere ? 

Don't know. Maybe they are still free to those that ask, or they have cottoned on that the cloak room can turn a dollar. Most of these pop-up storage places are just using their voids to support their main business.

[MicCanberra]

The ship for my cruise today in Port Canaveral is delayed due to Hurricane Helene by around 6 hours. Boarding will be bedlam, lucky I packed my patience, just hope I packed enough.

[2022cruisey]

We were on Pacific Adventure.  Very bumpy last night, many were ill, including myself.  Got off the boat at around 1.50pm at White Bay.  Had a transfer to Central $15 a head which seemed like decent value.  Got there about 2.40pm. 
Lucky we booked our flight home for Sunday morning.  I planned around the Grand Final and just in case Storm made their Preliminary Final.  

[MicCanberra]

Our ship came in at 11.45am (Port Canaveral) due to Helene but same issues when ships come in late.