When Should You Fly Into the Port Area Before Your Cruise?

When Should You Fly Into the Port Area Before Your Cruise?

 

You have booked a cruise! Does not matter the port or line. Now you need to fly to the nearest airport to the port to get to your ship. You don’t have to be on the ship until sometime between 3 and 5 pm, your cruise documents will tell you when the latest is you can board. Remember, going on a cruise is not like going to an Amusement or Theme Park or a Resort. If you miss boarding on time you miss the cruise! The ship will not wait for you! Your choices are to pay out of pocket to meet it at the next port or hopefully you have trip insurance and can recover the money spent for the cruise.

 

You have the choice of flying in the day of boarding the cruise if you can get an earlier enough flight. Example you find a flight that comes in at 9 am. The port is a 3-hour drive from the airport. You have a last boarding call of 3pm. Why not fly in early in the morning? You can be at the port by noon or maybe 1 pm. You have 2-hours of slush. That should work, right??? The other choice is to fly in the day before or maybe add another day. Fly in early and stay at a hotel.

 

Pros and Cons of Flying in the same day you board:

Pros:

• Less time away from home/job.
• Less money because you are not paying for a hotel.
• Less money spent on eating out because you are staying at a hotel.
• Many cruise lines have transportation from the airport to the port, so transportation from the airport is easy.

Cons:

• Just the stress alone of trying to get through the airport(s) and making any connecting flights can ruin your attitude for the entire trip, destroying your vacation.
• What happens if there is a flight cancelation or delay of any kind? (Just check the FAA records for the number of flight delays and cancelations that are happening daily right now. It is a scary high number!) You could miss your cruise and lose the money you spent on your vacation!
• What happens if there is a luggage issue? The airline would not have time to possibly find it and get it to you before the cruise.

 

Pros and Cons of flying in a day or 2 before you board the ship:

Pros:

• Less stress.
• You can explore the local area or just relax at the hotel.
• Even if there is a flight delay or cancelation you should have time to catch the next available flight or make other travel arrangements.
• If there is a time zone shift it allows your body a chance to compensate.
• You are already near the port giving you less stress getting to the port.
• You may be able to board earlier than flying in the day of embarkation and therefore start the vacation/cruise early!

Cons:

• You have to pay for a hotel room.
• You have to pay for meals on the days you are there at the hotel.
• You need to find transportation from the hotel to the port.
• What do you do for the extra days? Explore the area or stay at the hotel?

 

Things to look at while making the decision when to fly.

• How far is the Port from the airport? Some ports are 5 minutes away from the airport and some are 3 hours away.
• Can you find a hotel that the cruise line picks up from?
• Can you find a hotel with a low cost or even free shuttle to the port?
• Some hotels have free shuttles from the airport to the hotel and back to the airport. Maybe stay at one of the hotels that has an airport shuttle and take it back to the airport to catch the cruise line transportation to the port.
• Would renting a car be a better option for you and your travel party? Most Cruise Lines charge for their shuttle from the airport. If your party is on the larger side renting a large vehicle to use from the airport to the hotel then turn it in and get another vehicle to ride back to the airport.
• What is the weather like when you are flying? Hurricane Season, Snow Storms?
• What is going on with the Airline industry and TSA. Are there known problems causing delays and cancelations.

 

What if you are driving from 2 or more hours away? Personally, I do believe you should go the day before and stay at a hotel to make embarkation more relaxed. I know where we live traffic can go from bad to complete stand still and stay there for hours! What should be a 1 hour trip can turn into 4 or 5. The only time I think it is ok not to go at least the day before is if you live locally to the port you are sailing from. 2 hours or less. Even at 2 hours I say watch traffic and leave early.

 

In the end it is up to you what you decide. You know what is best for your family/travel party and life situation. It is your vacation and your money. If you MUST fly in the day you board I highly recommend you have trip insurance and make sure it covers flights and other travel related problems keeping you from boarding the ship.