Why it's important to arrive atleast a day ahead!

[kdinkus1]

So many people ask about flying in the same day vs the day before and I just have to respond. We just returned from our cruise that went from bad to worse (getting there, NOT the cruise itself!) and we almost missed our cruise! The weather turned horrible the day before, and flights were being canceled left and right. However, we weren't too worried as we weren't to fly out till the next day. Boy were we wrong! The weather was still bad, the runways icy/snowy but some flights were making it out. EXCEPT our flight... 5 gate changes, plane sitting on tarmac for 5 hours, passengers angry, cussing and crying from cruise passengers trying to meet their ships before they sailed. Talk about being nervous!

 

It ended up NOT being the weather as the problem that day. The airlines gave away our flight-crew to another plane. For hours they were looking for another one but 7 hours later, still none to be found! The passengers trying to make it to their cruise couldn't find another flight out, nor would other airlines take them as they had their own customers to re-book. Luckily for us they found another crew (8 hours later) but the cruise passengers missed their cruise. As we were touching down in Ft. Lauderdale, we could see the ships on the water leaving without them. Everyone was very silent and some of us had tears for these poor people... Also we were told that if they couldn't have found this crew for our flight, we would have been totally canceled and none of us could have rebooked in time to find another flight out the next day to make our cruise. (too many rebookings they said!)

 

I am sorry to make this so long but I wanted to share my story with those who think flying out the same day is no big deal. This time the weather may have started our problems, but being forgotten and our flight crew given away was something that none of us thought could happen! Now I hear that with some airlines, this IS NORMAL! So please rethink when booking airline flights out during the winter! :mad:

[sunlover5]

We had that coming home from a cruise last Feb. They were short one flight attendant. She was coming from Denver and they were very very late due to snow. Weather was fine in Newark, but couldn't fly without one. They tried hard to find one, but no luck. We had to wait the 4 hours or so for her to get there. Luckily we were all coming from the south and had already been on the cruise!!!!!!!! This year we are flying a day before, last year we went 3 prior so we could sitesee in San Juan. I'm nervous even a day before, my DH says I wouldn't be fit to travel with if we flew the day of!:eek:

[JAMB]

On our cruise last year they had a huge snow storm in Chicago and numerous flights were delayed or canceled the day of our cruise. A couple of them met up with us in Jamaica but rumors on board said that at least 10 cabins were not checked into do to this storm.

 

We are only 4 hours from Galveston and could easily drive in the morning of the cruise, which we did last year. Never again!! We had to get up so early to get there (but we did want to board the ship as early as possible) and by the time we got done with diner the first night we didn't even want to check out the night life on board.

 

I totally agree with getting there the day before because of weather related issues and a secondary reason would be to just get rested up for your cruise the day before.

[nemo20]

You must have been reading our minds, Thank you so much for answer that we have been talking about ..Travel day of, or travel day before... and now we know the answer, Travel day before. Thank you. This will be our first cruise, so these board are a wealth of information.

[Anni_M]

My husband works for United Airlines, and yes, this situation IS totally normal. For safety reasons, the crew is only allowed "so many" hours (per day/week can't remember) that they are able to fly. The crew used up those hours sitting on the tarmac, etc..etc.. It's the pits I know, but the alternative is flying with an overy tired crew. It doesn't seem like hard work - but imagine flying 1,2,3, or more flights in a day - it's exhausting. (I know - we had to take 3 flights to get home after our last cruise)

We always go in at least a day ahead. We leave Saturday - and if the weather is looking like it could get ugly by Thursday - we'll shoot out of here a day ahead. There's too many things that can go wrong - EXPECIALLY at this time of year!

Anni

[memphislonghorn]

Everyone is correct. I flew to FLL from Memphis for my first cruise 4 years ago, and while there were no weather issues or delays, I remember having to get up at the crack of dawn, being at the airport very early, then spending all day traveling. Then by the time you get through embarkation and the muster drill, you don't care about anything except getting something to eat and hitting the sack. That cruise I went to bed at 7:30!:eek: So my fun didn't start till the next morning. Definitely better to travel the day before.:cool:

[keene state mom]

we are getting an inch of snow an hour as I read this. I also always fly the day before, and have cruise insurance.

[SATXLady]

This is probably a good place for another warning about air travel -- if you book early, check often for flight changes. I booked airfare for a March cruise last May. I've checked it at least once per month since then and have had at least four changes. Some were schedule changes and some were equipment changes. For me, the big deal is that I used enough FF miles to book a first class ticket and everytime they made a change, I ended up in coach. So far, I've been able to call and they've been able to change it to another flight to give me my first class seat. I'm flying day before and day after the cruise so it gives me a little flexibility. But the real bottom line is that if you book early, don't think you are set in stone. Keep checking and call immediately if you are changed to something you don't want or that won't work for you.

 

I'm down to checking weekly now and probably will check daily starting ten days out. The closer you get to flight time, the less leeway the airlines will have to fix anything that gets messed up.

[gail811]

This is probably a good place for another warning about air travel -- if you book early, check often for flight changes. I booked airfare for a March cruise last May. I've checked it at least once per month since then and have had at least four changes. Some were schedule changes and some were equipment changes. For me, the big deal is that I used enough FF miles to book a first class ticket and everytime they made a change, I ended up in coach. So far, I've been able to call and they've been able to change it to another flight to give me my first class seat. I'm flying day before and day after the cruise so it gives me a little flexibility. But the real bottom line is that if you book early, don't think you are set in stone. Keep checking and call immediately if you are changed to something you don't want or that won't work for you.

 

I'm down to checking weekly now and probably will check daily starting ten days out. The closer you get to flight time, the less leeway the airlines will have to fix anything that gets messed up.

 

Very good point! This happened to me on my Alaska cruise. I booked months ahead when fares were lower, and had me and my mom meeting in Seattle before flying into Anchorage. She flew out of Orlando and I flew out of DC. My flight was changed twice before I flew out, but luckily we still arrived within minutes of one another and made our connection. When I originally booked I never knew those kind of changes were a possibility!

[BigDfromTN]

Good info!

We have always traveled the day before. Even when driving in to Mobile and New Orleans. We also buy the insurance now due to almost having to miss the last cruise due to family illness. We had booked and paid for 3 cabins (our kids Christmas present).

 

Im not trying to sell this to anyone. Just my experience and how we doit. I would just hate to be stuck in traffic (be it air or land) while the boat sails away with my DOD!:eek:

[KenMo]

After finding this site, I always fly in the day before.

 

Good thing, too because the first time I flew day before was going to SJU. We had engine trouble and had to divert to MIA. We were stuck there for many hours. We were supposed to arrive in SJU around 2:30pm....got there around midnight. Had it been day of....well....no cruise for us which would have totally sucked.

 

Made a believer out of me!!!

[jiggs]

we usually arrive early as well, but in this case it sounds like the weather could have been a problem the day before. This could just as easily have lead to a passenger missing the boat. If they planned on getting out of town on friday for a saturday departure, and the got grounded, there is a chance that there would be no spot for them early the next day if all the planes were full. As for the crew being a no-show, this does occur. It is more frequent at the end of the year when crews are maxed out on hours for the year and don't need to fly anymore, there are also sick-outs and other problems. The crew that was 'given away' to another flight, hopefully got passengers to their destination. The airline probably thought they could give you a crew from an inbound aircraft that may have had problems arriving due to the weather...

 

There is no 100% way to ensure you're going to make it anywhere on a plane. Personally, I am less worried about it in the winter than I am in the spring...midwest thunderstorms can wreck a day at many airports. You also need to know your rights as passengers, start asking to be put on other airlines (not really an option if you're an Airtran or Southwest Passenger)...ask to connect through other cities pairs (ask for a flight to MIA or WPB), anything to get you moving in the right direction. If you're not on the plane, be on the phone, call and talk to anyone at the airline that will listen and keep calling if the CSR you get the first time won't help. Never, ever stand in a long line at the airport waiting to talk to the gate agent. They're dealing with 200 other irritated passengers and the CSR agent who is in Dallas will likely be in a much better frame of mind to help you.

[dahkota]

Last weekend something made me double check my flights for my Alaska Cruise. We were supposed to fly from DCA to Denver (7AM), then Denver to Seattle (10AM). Somehow, we still had our Denver connection, but our DC flight was at 2:30! I called them up and explained that there was no way possible I would have booked a connecting flight BEFORE my initial flight and that my goal was to be in Seattle by noon. They had canceled the early morning flight and moved everyone to the 2:30 flight, without regard for their connections. I was already flying in a day early so it wasn't a bad problem (now I'm flying in two days early) but I'm left wondering what would have happened if I hadn't checked. I would have been a no-show on the second leg of the flight and I would have had to sit in the airport for 8 hours for my first flight. I might have lost my car rental due to no-show also. The most irritating aspect of the entire thing was that I got no phone call or email letting me know of the change and no apology when talking to anyone for the inconvenience.:(

[louie_jr2005]

Fly out the day before just incase weather is bad....just like "keene state mom" said we are getting snow now....she north of me and geting 1 inch an hour i am getting about 3 inches and hour right now. Weather ins't the only delay, you can have airplane trouble, flight crew, busy air space, ect... fly out a day or two early!!!

[sheri18]

we allways fly in the day before too...i would fly in 2 days before but DH thinks thats crazy............there are 4 cabins booked...8 of us..Christmas present to our 3 DS.....we cant wait........40 days now, but Feb. weather in New England makes me very nervous.....fingers crossed..............

[nybumpkin]

we allways fly in the day before too...i would fly in 2 days before but DH thinks thats crazy

Not crazy at all. In 2005, we planned to fly into NOLA two days early for our Conquest cruise; our connecting flight from O'Hare to NOLA was canceled and the earliest they could rebook us was the next afternoon. If we planned on only one day early, we would have missed the cruise. I was so worried about being canceled again I was ready to rent a car and drive!

[Cruisin' Ron VA]

As I have said before the airlines cant stay on schedule on a sunny day!

 

I always fly in the day before. This allows time for a back up plan that could include driving.

 

Even if you purchase air through the airline it doesnt mean they will hold the ship for you if you are late. If you ship has 2 sea days ahead after departure then by the time you get onboard the cruise could be half over.

 

Please build in an extra day when planning your vacation.

[LHP]

Good info!

We have always traveled the day before. Even when driving in to Mobile and New Orleans. We also buy the insurance now due to almost having to miss the last cruise due to family illness. We had booked and paid for 3 cabins (our kids Christmas present).

 

Im not trying to sell this to anyone. Just my experience and how we doit. I would just hate to be stuck in traffic (be it air or land) while the boat sails away with my DOD!:eek:

 

 

So do we. It just isn't worth the stress of trying to do it all in one day!!

[mjbearit]

A lot of people may think that since they are flying to San Diego, there is never a weather concern. Wrong! It is totally common for our fog to be so bad that planes get rerouted to LAX and then the pax get bussed down here from there. This extra bus trip will add a few hours (if they have their act together, otherwise could take MANY hours!). Never take anything for granted! Fly in a day or two in advance and do some sightseeing! When flying, stuff just happens. I have been in many planes where we had some sort of mechanical failure and have been laid over in various airports for hours, circling DFW for hours on end, FAA grounded, the list goes on (and yes, I still love to fly!). Even if the weather is good at both ends, you just never know what can happen to an airplane that could cause you delays in-flight. We were flying to Maui once and a pax had a heart attack. Luckily he was from HON, so wnted to go home, but we were only an hour out of SAN and had it been a mainland resident, we probably would have turned back. Protect your cruise investment and go early!

[suzy671]

We always fly in the day before, especially in the winter months, you never know with the weather and don't need the added stress. We take the first flight out so we have the whole day to relax by the pool, go out for a nice dinner that night and get up the next day all refreshed and ready to enjoy a nice week on a cruise ship.:)

[asader83]

Just got off the Miracle, and one of our CC members flew the day of and ran on to the ship during the muster drill!! They had various weather delays coming down from the Midwest. WAY TOO MUCH STRESS!!

 

We always fly in the day before. To me, it's an added "insurance" policy. (On top of the cruise insurance we now always buy.)

[dmhtc1]

I will never fly the same day again! We booked a 6:00am flight from BWI to FLL on Jan.5th. Airtran changed it to a 10:50 Departure and a 1:12pm arrival! Needless to say, I went with it thinking it would be ok, NOT! The weather was great at BWI, but not at Fort Lauderdale. 1 hour later we are flying. Between the long time finding are luggage and getting the shuttle it was 3:00pm when we left the airport!. We got a 1/4 mile from the airport the air brakes locked up on the bus, what a mess! 10 minutes later we are roll'n again! We get to the terminal and the bus was pulling in the parking lot and a forklift lift that past by us did not stop for us and ran right in the side of us!...At this point I'm starting to lose it. We finally get threw the terminal and across the gangway, the time....4:00pm! The horn on the ship was sounding! My brother in law turns and says, "maybe next year let's cut it a little closer!":eek:

[okgirl]

I'm obsessive about this kind of thing, but sis and I take many precautions when traveling for a cruise.

 

1st - we always book at least the day before, and book the earliest flight out of Dallas. I know it's kind of a hassle to have to be at the airport so early, but a frequent perk we get for doing this is a check-in upgrade to 1st class for less than $50 each

 

2nd - In my day planner I have every flight for every airline listed, and the number for every airline programmed in my cell phone.

 

3rd - If I'm flying in the winter when weather is more likely to be a problem, I have also researched flights out of more southerly departure points. In the long run I would rather drive down to Houston or Austin to get a direct flight to Florida.

 

And finally, though I've never (knock on wood) had to use it, I always buy trip insurance.

[vacruizer]

Not only will I fly a day early - I will from now on book the earliest possible flight the day before. We thought we were safe in October booking a 6pm flight out the night before our cruise. I'm sure some of you may remember my panic-stricken posts late that night after our flight was delayed to where we couldn't make our connection, all other flights were booked, and US Air changed us to the 6am flight the following morning (day of cruise) in an area often plagued by morning fog after rainstorms like we were having. They originally wanted us to fly north to Philly, spend the night in the airport, and go standby on a morning flight to FLL with confirmed reservations on a flight arriving in FLL at 4pm the day of the cruise. I told them no and I think they finally took pity on me, sent us home and got us on those morning flights - even though they first told us they were booked.

 

I prayed all night for those morning flights to be on time and make the ship. Luckily we made it but next time I will fly much earlier in the day if not two days before.

[Tapi]

So many people ask about flying in the same day vs the day before and I just have to respond. We just returned from our cruise that went from bad to worse (getting there, NOT the cruise itself!) and we almost missed our cruise! The weather turned horrible the day before, and flights were being canceled left and right. However, we weren't too worried as we weren't to fly out till the next day. Boy were we wrong! The weather was still bad, the runways icy/snowy but some flights were making it out. EXCEPT our flight... 5 gate changes, plane sitting on tarmac for 5 hours, passengers angry, cussing and crying from cruise passengers trying to meet their ships before they sailed. Talk about being nervous!

 

It ended up NOT being the weather as the problem that day. The airlines gave away our flight-crew to another plane. For hours they were looking for another one but 7 hours later, still none to be found! The passengers trying to make it to their cruise couldn't find another flight out, nor would other airlines take them as they had their own customers to re-book. Luckily for us they found another crew (8 hours later) but the cruise passengers missed their cruise. As we were touching down in Ft. Lauderdale, we could see the ships on the water leaving without them. Everyone was very silent and some of us had tears for these poor people... Also we were told that if they couldn't have found this crew for our flight, we would have been totally canceled and none of us could have rebooked in time to find another flight out the next day to make our cruise. (too many rebookings they said!)

 

I am sorry to make this so long but I wanted to share my story with those who think flying out the same day is no big deal. This time the weather may have started our problems, but being forgotten and our flight crew given away was something that none of us thought could happen! Now I hear that with some airlines, this IS NORMAL! So please rethink when booking airline flights out during the winter! :mad:

 

I used to work for the airlines and re-scheduling pilots and flight attendants on a weather day is a logistical nightmare. Sometimes, the airlines don't recover from weather events for days, so even if it's nice and sunny on the day of your cruise, your flight might still be cancelled or delayed because the crew that was supposed to take you to Miami is still stuck in Missoula, Montana, all the reserve crewmembers have been used to replace the ones that are stuck, and the remaining ones are timed out and unable to fly per Federal Aviation Regulations.

 

For the trivia fans, 8 hours is the maximum number of hours that pilots can fly in one day (the clock starts ticking the moment that the main cabin door is closed). So even if the plane is stuck on the ground on some taxiway the crew's duty time is being eaten away.

 

ALWAYS, ALWAYS fly out at least the day before. Trying to catch that flight that gets you in at 2pm on the day of departure is calling for trouble, and even though a delay can be blamed to the specific airline you're taking, that won't matter when your cruise has been totally ruined for pushing the envelope too much...