Flight through NCL to HNL from DC?

[vacacountdown]

Hi. My mom and I will be going to Hawaii in May for a POH cruise. We will be flying from Washington DC and since the flight is so long I don't know what to expect. We bought the flight through the cruise and we don't know when and how we are getting there. Is there anyone who has flown from DC through the cruise line on the day of the cruise and can give me an idea of what to expect? I'm wondering if they are going to send us the night before or not. Thanks!

[CruisinMK]

If you have the time and money you might ask to come out a couple days early.

They have good rates with a hotel here.

I think people who come early enjoy their cruise more, so they don't board crosseyed with exhaustion and jet lag. :)

[vacacountdown]

Thanks. But unfortunately it doesn't work out that way for us. We have a wedding to go to that Saturday so we wouldn't be able to leave earlier. That's why I'm wondering what is in store for us. A 5 hour time difference plus a long flight could be challenging!

[CruisinMK]

Long flights really suck the water out of you, I think that's part of the exhaustion involved. If you can drink enough water you'll survive the flight better.

[bug_dan]

Flight time for Dulles to Honlulu is about 13-14 hours, including layovers. I looked at Delta and several flights from Dulles got to Honolulu around 3-4 pm, drawback is they left around 6-7 am, meaning you should be at the airport 2 hours before. I don't expect they'll send you the night before. Add on to the flight time, time for transferring to the ship and checking in etc. it makes for a very long day. BTW the time difference in May is 6 hours as Hawaii does not observe DST.

[hcs81m]

I am also on the POH in May, traveling with my mother, and flying from DC. We are flying out of Dulles the day before the cruise, and connecting in Newark( I used FF miles). I decided to go a day earlier so we can get a good nights sleep before the cruise.

[beachchick]

Thanks. But unfortunately it doesn't work out that way for us. We have a wedding to go to that Saturday so we wouldn't be able to leave earlier. That's why I'm wondering what is in store for us. A 5 hour time difference plus a long flight could be challenging!

 

I know it might be difficult with a wedding on Saturday, but is it at all possible that you could leave on Sunday? That would give you Sunday night to get some sleep and recover from your flights. If you have everything basically packed and ready to go Friday, then you might be able to take an early flight Sunday (maybe even catch up on some sleep on the plane?) and give yourself that extra little cushion, not just so you can get some rest Sunday night but also because there's always the chance that you would have a delayed flight on Monday, and that's a stress you wouldn't need.

 

beachchick

[DanL]

We are leaving 2 days early. The jet lag can be bad & we are using "no jet lag" pills. They have worked for us before to Europe.

 

Don't understand why you would fly 13-14 hours and expect to get right on cruise ship. Many have missed the cruise by not flying the day before. Although May may be safer in weather regard than Feb. Go early.

We leave in 2 days.

[DanL]

Further to above, here is a quote from a cruise review on POA. These folks flew in day of cruise and Hilo is first stop.

"Hilo: We did not get off the ship… we were all exhausted and just needed a day to sit on the ship and relax." see review at http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=25809

 

They missed the volcano because of jet lag!!

[vacacountdown]

We were just discussing the possibility of leaving Sunday. The problem is that the wedding is in Albany so I would have to drive back to DC before flying out. Also, we already booked the package and the flight is through NCL. We booked everything through travelocity because that was the best price. Does anyone know if I can go ahead and change what I booked and add an extra day by leaving on Sunday without them charging any extra? I plan on calling but I was curious if anyone has had experience with that before. Thanks!

[S'WELL]

Doubt it very much. We booked NCLA air and when we tried to change the add on costs were not pretty.

[bug_dan]

Cruise lines seem to be pretty narrow minded when it comes to flight arrangements. Usually only if you book a pre or post cruise stay at one of their hotels do they seem to waive any deviation fees. If you deviate from their standard of flying in on the day of the cruise and home the day of disembarkation, there is a pretty hefty charge. Possibly they block out so many seats on each flight the day of the cruise that they don't want you upsetting the apple cart.

[maja651]

When we first made our reservations for the PoAM (we are cruising April 28) we booked through NCL with air. That was last September. In October, we decided we really wanted to go a couple of days early to avoid jet lag and see some of Oahu. We called our TA and asked to change the air and add a hotel for a couple of nights. If you can believe this, the cost went up $1500! We found that RIDICULOUS so we cancelled the air completely. The fare of the cruise went up when we did that, but only by about $75 pp. (Later, the fare went down again, and we actually paid about $500 total less than we originally had booked for.) Anyway, in the end, we are very happy we made the change. Not only will we not have to suffer the jet lag, but we found flights cheaper than NCL had priced out anyway, and WE CONTROL our destiny.

 

Michelle

[vacacountdown]

I just spoke with them and they said we wouldn't have to pay the deviation fee if we booked our pre-cruise hotel through NCL. They are quoting me $318 for a room at the Marriot. That is more expensive than booking the room on its own by about $45. I am still considering it though because it would save us the hassle of flying in the same day as the cruise and hopefully give us a little time to deal with the jet lag. Its just another expense that we weren't planning on though. I have to run it by my mom. :) The reason why I booked our flight through NCL is because it was cheaper than booking it separately. Plus the cost of the cruise went down considerably when we booked the two together by about $300 per person plus an upgrade. I looked everywhere and couldn't find a deal like that. Now I just have to pay the price by not knowing when and who I am going to fly and dealing with the potential hassle of switching flights.

[S'WELL]

They offer other Hotel packages. Ask if any other choices are available.

[beachchick]

Also remember that the NCL hotel price includes taxes, fees, bell person services, and shuttle from the hotel to the ship the next day. Plus, by booking through NCL, you can check in Monday morning at the hotel (that hotel only, and only if you book the hotel through NCL). That can save you time and energy at port check in.

 

I think if you can do it, then going a day early is really the only way to go. Consider it $318 well spent for peace of mind and a relaxing beginning to your cruise adventures.

 

beachchick

[ewl]

FYI, we're flying DCA to HNL this week for our PofAm cruise on 3/3 (we're going a few days early though) and the flights we got from NCL have us leaving on United from DCA at 6AM, connecting in Chicago to another United flight (9-1/2 hours), and arriving HNL around 3:30pm. Return flights for some reason are on Delta leaving HNL around 4pm nonstop to Atlanta (9-1/2 hours), then to DCA arriving around 11am the next day. In retrospect, wish we had paid the $50/pp for NCL's "premium" air service so we could have picked our own flights, etc. Hope that helps!