Risking it with Day of Flights: Lesson Learned!

[t4jes]

Fingers crossed, I will be on the Norwegian Sun tomorrow enjoying a scenic and relaxing week up and down the Inside Passage.

 

I've read many people who have suggested flying in the night before due to travel snafus, and just to make it more relaxing before a cruise. We were trying to save money, and figured it would be safe for us to fly day of, since we're flying out of SFO to Vancouver. Short 2 hour flight in summer. 7:30 am flight gave us plenty of time even if it got delayed. I had it all figured out.

 

Long story short, I found out a few hours ago that our flight got cancelled. We had been rescheduled for a 2 pm flight that would have brought us into Vancouver at 4:30 pm. Thoughts of missing our cruise was in my head. Definitely not good. After being on hold for 2 hours, finally reached a reservation agent. Found out that thunderstorms in Vancouver prevented the plane from making it to SF, thus the cancellation and the delays in reaching an agent.

 

Fortunately, we were able to rebook our flight for the 6 am flight. So now, I've had a stressful evening, been on the phone for about 2 hours, need to leave for the airport in about an hour, and have gotten no sleep. The only shining light is that we're <hopefully> still going to be on the Norwegian Sun in less than 12 hours.

 

Lesson learned: listen to people on Cruise Critic! I hope for better for all of you who travel day of, but I could've saved myself a lot of stress and headache. :-).

[terrymtex01]

Fingers crossed, I will be on the Norwegian Sun tomorrow enjoying a scenic and relaxing week up and down the Inside Passage.

 

I've read many people who have suggested flying in the night before due to travel snafus, and just to make it more relaxing before a cruise. We were trying to save money, and figured it would be safe for us to fly day of, since we're flying out of SFO to Vancouver. Short 2 hour flight in summer. 7:30 am flight gave us plenty of time even if it got delayed. I had it all figured out.

 

Long story short, I found out a few hours ago that our flight got cancelled. We had been rescheduled for a 2 pm flight that would have brought us into Vancouver at 4:30 pm. Thoughts of missing our cruise was in my head. Definitely not good. After being on hold for 2 hours, finally reached a reservation agent. Found out that thunderstorms in Vancouver prevented the plane from making it to SF, thus the cancellation and the delays in reaching an agent.

 

Fortunately, we were able to rebook our flight for the 6 am flight. So now, I've had a stressful evening, been on the phone for about 2 hours, need to leave for the airport in about an hour, and have gotten no sleep. The only shining light is that we're <hopefully> still going to be on the Norwegian Sun in less than 12 hours.

 

Lesson learned: listen to people on Cruise Critic! I hope for better for all of you who travel day of, but I could've saved myself a lot of stress and headache. :-).

 

Thank you for posting this and I do hope you make it to the Sun. She is a wonderful ship. I practically beg people not to fly in the day of, now maybe seeing your post some folks will understand why.

[sparks1093]

Excellant lesson learned, thanks for sharing. Have a great cruise, with no further problems!

[JohnIreland]

Been there done that.

 

Listening to the radio on the 4 hour drive to airport to see if it they could clear the snow from the runway and open the airport.

 

Made it in the end after a 3 hour delay , but last time I am flying in the day of a cruise.

[uppitycats]

Thanks for the reminder! I hope you do indeed make it to your ship and the rest of your cruise goes well! Alaska is lovely. We really need to go there again some time...

[Markanddonna]

The airline was sending me weekly emails indicating that it was changing my flight for the cruise. I finally called direct and told them I didn't want to spend 5 hours in a Detroit layover and I'd like them to book me on an early flight to Seattle without a fee or penalty. They did it and everything went like clockwork. This was still day before the cruise travel, though. Airlines are cutting back, reworking routes and making it more scary to book same day flights for cruises.

[NayRN]

The airline was sending me weekly emails indicating that it was changing my flight for the cruise. I finally called direct and told them I didn't want to spend 5 hours in a Detroit layover and I'd like them to book me on an early flight to Seattle without a fee or penalty. They did it and everything went like clockwork. This was still day before the cruise travel, though. Airlines are cutting back, reworking routes and making it more scary to book same day flights for cruises.

 

Hey! What's wrong with 5 hours in Detroit?!:rolleyes:

 

Seriously, I have my airline sending me emails also. It's amazing how often they change the flight time by 4 minutes (and I'm not kidding)! Thanks to the good folks here, I always fly out at least one day prior to the cruise....a hotel room is cheap when it comes to cutting down the stress of worries about a missed cruise and it just makes your vacation a little bit longer. :D

 

NayRN

[t4jes]

I made it to Vancouver! I can't even imagine all those cruisers who showed up at the airport not knowing their flight got cancelled!

On our way to the pier very soon.

[NayRN]

WAHOO!!!:D

Enjoy your cruise! I was leaving this time last year for the same cruise! It was the best cruise I have ever been on!

 

NayRN

[WinnieinWA]

Whew! So glad you made it. :)

 

When I fly from Seattle to LA I usually fly same day but I don't think I'll be doing that again!

 

Enjoy Alaska and the great cruise.

[Ms belp]

You had me sweating bullets for you! I'm so glad to hear you made it.:)

 

Our most stressful pre-cruise was when we stayed overnight in the hotel near the airport and awoke the morning of the flight to find that the passports had been left on the copier back home. Quite a drive to retrieve them but Chris managed. My blood pressure goes up just thinking about how stressed I was!:eek:

[CC Help Michell]

I am so glad you made it, and that you posted your story here. Every time this question comes up you have those (few) people who consistently advise others "oh go for it, fly day of cruise -- I've never had any problems, and you save a night's hotel," and then folks think "yeah, I'll save money, and what are the odds of that happening to me anyway?" :rolleyes: It only has to happen to you once for it to be a "lesson learned," so thanks for sharing!

[Sally Forth]

Fingers crossed, I will be on the Norwegian Sun tomorrow enjoying a scenic and relaxing week up and down the Inside Passage.

 

I've read many people who have suggested flying in the night before due to travel snafus, and just to make it more relaxing before a cruise. We were trying to save money, and figured it would be safe for us to fly day of, since we're flying out of SFO to Vancouver. Short 2 hour flight in summer. 7:30 am flight gave us plenty of time even if it got delayed. I had it all figured out.

 

Long story short, I found out a few hours ago that our flight got cancelled. We had been rescheduled for a 2 pm flight that would have brought us into Vancouver at 4:30 pm. Thoughts of missing our cruise was in my head. Definitely not good. After being on hold for 2 hours, finally reached a reservation agent. Found out that thunderstorms in Vancouver prevented the plane from making it to SF, thus the cancellation and the delays in reaching an agent.

 

Fortunately, we were able to rebook our flight for the 6 am flight. So now, I've had a stressful evening, been on the phone for about 2 hours, need to leave for the airport in about an hour, and have gotten no sleep. The only shining light is that we're <hopefully> still going to be on the Norwegian Sun in less than 12 hours.

 

Lesson learned: listen to people on Cruise Critic! I hope for better for all of you who travel day of, but I could've saved myself a lot of stress and headache. :-).

 

If you were to aks me last week if thunderstorms could possibly delay you in Vancouver, I'd say it was a very minor risk. After last night, where the thunderstorms and "Atlanta is Burning" sunset overshadowed the fireworks, I'd give a different opinion. It went on for hours and hours.

 

Viv

[lyndyb]

Thanks so much for taking the time to let us all know you reached Vancouver! I feel badly for you that you had all that panic and stress and can only hope the last minute excitement will result in a huge relief and enjoyment now that you've made it. May the cruise be as good as the last minute upheaval was stressful.

 

Thanks also for the reminder that we all need to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. We live but an hour from the port for our cruise, but you can bet that we'll be leaving for Philly pretty darn early that morning, especially afer hearing your story.

 

Happy Vacation!

[rjm1cc]

Same type of delay happened to my daughter. Fortunatley my flight problems have also been on my return trip and a late arrival at home is not a problem.

[DMH15]

Thanks for sharing your story and the happy ending too.

 

I always try to go a day early. My last cruise, coincidentally also on the Sun, I could not arrive a day early, and I was nervous. Actually, I do not exhale until I pull into port and see that recognizable hull art NCL is famous for.

 

Luckily my next cruise will allow me to arrive in Barcelona a day early.

 

Enjoy the Sun and have a wonderful cruise!!!

[lambs2]

A year ago May our poor DIL had a precruise nightmare. She had a free award flight that she had been given as an audience participant on the Rachel Ray show in NYC and she and our son had scheduled their first cruise ever - to Alaska - for their 1 year wedding anniversary. Our son couldn't find a good price on a ticket with her so was flying another airline the same day, but they were to meet up within an hour of each other in the Vancouver airport. Our son's flight left a couple hours earlier so they kissed goodbye at the airport gate area in Philly (near their PA home) and she then went on to her gate. When she got there and had sat about an hour, the announcement was made that her flight had been cancelled due to a snowstorm at a connecting airport!! Our son was already in flight and so she could not get in touch with him for help. She called us and her parents and was in tears because the folks at Delta were not being very helpful and doubted they could get her to Vancouver in time for their cruise the next day! As it turned out they did get her to Salt Lake City that day, but the flight out to Vancouver was not going to be until the next morning. She was going to be stuck in the airport all night or have to pay for an airport hotel room at an exhorbitant rate. In the meantime we all got hold of our son who had a hotel room waiting for them both in Vancouver. Delta did finally agree to pay 1/3 of the night's charges for her Salt Lake City sleepover, but they really were not obligated to do so as it was a weather delay. The next day she DID make the flight to Vancouver and our son met her at the airport and they were on their way to their first cruise, which was marvelous! FORTUNATLY, they were not sailing the same day as their flights!!

[flashdog_1]

Fortunately, we were able to rebook our flight for the 6 am flight. So now, I've had a stressful evening, been on the phone for about 2 hours, need to leave for the airport in about an hour, and have gotten no sleep. The only shining light is that we're <hopefully> still going to be on the Norwegian Sun in less than 12 hours.

 

Lesson learned: listen to people on Cruise Critic! I hope for better for all of you who travel day of, but I could've saved myself a lot of stress and headache. :-).

 

Glad it worked out for you. Want a review!

 

Did you find out about the canceled flight from Delta by phone, email or were you just printing your boarding pass? Thanks

[sue402001]

This is the reason why my hubby, sister & I are flying to Miami in December 2 days early. You never know what December will be like in MI.

[Spike in FL]

IMO, if at all possible, you should try for a night in a hotel at BOTH ends of a cruise. I always end up repacking either way cuz I buy stuff before the cruise and the souvenirs have to be redistributed before the flight home. It sure makes life easier for me, and I can usually choose flights that are at more convenient times that way.

 

Spike in FL

[Nelie]

Personally i am paranoid about being late!!!

 

We could get a flight the day before our cruise but i wasnt happy with that, i didnt want to be tired for our cruise due to the time difference.

 

im flying into hawaii on a wednesday and our cruise leaves sat, gives us time to sleep off the jet lag, see some of the island and buy any forgotten items

[VABeach]

Fingers crossed, I will be on the Norwegian Sun tomorrow enjoying a scenic and relaxing week up and down the Inside Passage.

 

I've read many people who have suggested flying in the night before due to travel snafus, and just to make it more relaxing before a cruise. We were trying to save money, and figured it would be safe for us to fly day of, since we're flying out of SFO to Vancouver. Short 2 hour flight in summer. 7:30 am flight gave us plenty of time even if it got delayed. I had it all figured out.

 

Long story short, I found out a few hours ago that our flight got cancelled. We had been rescheduled for a 2 pm flight that would have brought us into Vancouver at 4:30 pm. Thoughts of missing our cruise was in my head. Definitely not good. After being on hold for 2 hours, finally reached a reservation agent. Found out that thunderstorms in Vancouver prevented the plane from making it to SF, thus the cancellation and the delays in reaching an agent.

 

Fortunately, we were able to rebook our flight for the 6 am flight. So now, I've had a stressful evening, been on the phone for about 2 hours, need to leave for the airport in about an hour, and have gotten no sleep. The only shining light is that we're <hopefully> still going to be on the Norwegian Sun in less than 12 hours.

 

Lesson learned: listen to people on Cruise Critic! I hope for better for all of you who travel day of, but I could've saved myself a lot of stress and headache. :-).

 

You just described my first cruise!!!! That's why I fly in a day early now. I learned the hard way too.....

 

Good thing I take my own advice now as on my last cruise, our luggage was lost by the airline and I was very happy we had arrived a day early. ;)

[M&D]

As an airline employee I beg you not to fly in the same day as your cruise. There are sooooooo many thing that could cause a flight to be delayed, canceled or diverted to another city. It's just not worth gambling a $2000 cruise to save $100 pre-cruise hotel stay.

[SuzanneH]

As an airline employee I beg you not to fly in the same day as your cruise. There are sooooooo many thing that could cause a flight to be delayed, canceled or diverted to another city. It's just not worth gambling a $2000 cruise to save $100 pre-cruise hotel stay.

 

Well said, M&D!! :D I, too, am an airline employee and I cringe every time this subject comes up and people say not to worry, they can do it in one day. UGH! I am sure that 99% of the time it works, but why stress over it? :eek:

[Cubechick]

As my DH says, a $150 hotel room is the best cruise insurance there is!

 

Glad all went well for you.

 

FWIW, my airline changed my flight home from Seattle w/o any notice. I kept checking my reservation and found that my 2:30 pm flight had been cancelled and I'd been booked on a 8:00 am flight the day the ship docked in Seattle. I was able to straighten it out (stayed an extra day), but my advice to everyone is to check their bookings themselves. Don't rely on the airline to tell you!