stallings06 Posted January 9, 2020 Report Posted January 9, 2020 Hey guys! We are getting ready to hit BOOK on our first Royal Caribbean cruise. We are flying in from Virginia to Fort Lauderdale and the ship is leaving from Miami. Airfare is half as much to land in Ft Lauderdale and Uber to the Miami port (45 mins). Our flight lands in Ft Lauderdale at 0951, so assuming all runs on time and we grab the Uber without issue and no traffic, we should be to Miami around 11am. Is this okay? Are we leaving too much to chance? THANKS! Quote
Cruisegirl1976 Posted January 9, 2020 Report Posted January 9, 2020 Hello.. and welcome.. 1st of all what time of year are you planning this cruise.. ? If it is in a winter month.. fly in a day early.. otherwise if it is spring/summer month .. you should be fine. Quote
stallings06 Posted January 9, 2020 Author Report Posted January 9, 2020 1 minute ago, Cruisegirl1976 said: Hello.. and welcome.. 1st of all what time of year are you planning this cruise.. ? If it is in a winter month.. fly in a day early.. otherwise if it is spring/summer month .. you should be fine. Thank you! Cruise is April 12-18 on Empress. So sounds like we're OK? Cruisegirl1976 1 Quote
Cruisegirl1976 Posted January 9, 2020 Report Posted January 9, 2020 4 minutes ago, stallings06 said: Thank you! Cruise is April 12-18 on Empress. So sounds like we're OK? yes.. you should be fine Quote
SweetHomeLady Posted January 9, 2020 Report Posted January 9, 2020 I would never fly in on the day of a cruise. Too many chances for things to go wrong. My humble opinion. MikeK and DublinFC 2 Quote
Cruisegirl1976 Posted January 9, 2020 Report Posted January 9, 2020 We did the same thing once in May .. flew into FLL .. and took a shuttle to port of Miami.. we were on the ship after 1pm.. and our ship didn't depart until 430pm.. so we had plenty of time.. enjoy your cruise Quote
stallings06 Posted January 9, 2020 Author Report Posted January 9, 2020 2 minutes ago, Cruisegirl1976 said: We did the same thing once in May .. flew into FLL .. and took a shuttle to port of Miami.. we were on the ship after 1pm.. and our ship didn't depart until 430pm.. so we had plenty of time.. enjoy your cruise What was your experience with the shuttle? Quote
WAAAYTOOO Posted January 9, 2020 Report Posted January 9, 2020 4 minutes ago, stallings06 said: Hey guys! We are getting ready to hit BOOK on our first Royal Caribbean cruise. We are flying in from Virginia to Fort Lauderdale and the ship is leaving from Miami. Airfare is half as much to land in Ft Lauderdale and Uber to the Miami port (45 mins). Our flight lands in Ft Lauderdale at 0951, so assuming all runs on time and we grab the Uber without issue and no traffic, we should be to Miami around 11am. Is this okay? Are we leaving too much to chance? THANKS! YIPPEE !! First cruise....so exciting ! As Cruisegirl1976 said, a great deal depends on the time of year you are traveling/cruising. Also a factor....whether or not you have any connections or if the flights are nonstop. Most regular cruisers will advise that it is BEST to arrive at the port [area] a day in advance of sailing but we all know that it's not always possible to do that. If all goes as scheduled, you will be fine. If, however, you are traveling in the winter months and you have connecting flights somewhere, your risk is significantly increased. Just to show you that I am complete hypocrite, next month (arguably the coldest and most unpredictable month of the year) I am traveling from DCA to Newark via Charlotte on sail day...so I have violated all of the recommendations that I just made to you. ...but I like living on the edge. #notreally teddy, melmar02, Trish D and 7 others 2 6 2 Quote
DublinFC Posted January 9, 2020 Report Posted January 9, 2020 I would not fly in the day of the cruise, at least 1 day before to allow for any potential travel delays. I feel there is too much that gets invested into the vacation to risk missing the ship. MandyMooToo 1 Quote
stallings06 Posted January 9, 2020 Author Report Posted January 9, 2020 4 minutes ago, SweetHomeLady said: I would never fly in on the day of a cruise. Too many chances for things to go wrong. My humble opinion. I agree completely Lol The flights are higher flying in on Saturday plus the cost of a hotel room. Family of 4. But all of that is a moot point if we miss the ship! Quote
SteveinSC Posted January 9, 2020 Report Posted January 9, 2020 In the past, Ive always driven/flown to port on the morning of embarkation, and never had an issue. That being said.....now that Im older, and wiser, and have listened to @Matt harp on it endlessly, if I were flying, im flying in the night before, and getting a hotel. If im driving, im driving all, or most of the way the night before, and getting a hotel. I dont want, even a sliver of a chance of anything going wrong, to keep me off that ship. Example: were leaving out of Tampa on Apr. 11th and were driving down the day before, hotelling (my word) it for a night, and getting on the ship a.s.a.p. the next day. Happy planning, and cruising!!!!! WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote
stallings06 Posted January 9, 2020 Author Report Posted January 9, 2020 1 minute ago, WAAAYTOOO said: YIPPEE !! First cruise....so exciting ! As Cruisegirl1976 said, a great deal depends on the time of year you are traveling/cruising. Also a factor....whether or not you have any connections or if the flights are nonstop. Most regular cruisers will advise that it is BEST to arrive at the port [area] a day in advance of sailing but we all know that it's not always possible to do that. If all goes as scheduled, you will be fine. If, however, you are traveling in the winter months and you have connecting flights somewhere, your risk is significantly increased. Just to show you that I am complete hypocrite, next month (arguably the coldest and most unpredictable month of the year) I am traveling from DCA to Newark via Charlotte on sail day...so I have violated all of the recommendations that I just made to you. ...but I like living on the edge. #notreally Haha Yes I would much much prefer to fly in a day early. However as a family of 4, it added a considerable amount to the flights (plus hotel) to fly in on a Saturday instead of Sunday. I'm certainly not driven entirely by the dollar signs (given what we're spending on the cruise) but it's a factor. WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote
Cruisegirl1976 Posted January 9, 2020 Report Posted January 9, 2020 10 minutes ago, stallings06 said: What was your experience with the shuttle? It was perfect.. we used SAS transportation.. no issues at all.. it was around $15 per person.. and it takes about 45 minutes depending on the traffic to get to POM. Quote
stallings06 Posted January 9, 2020 Author Report Posted January 9, 2020 2 minutes ago, Cruisegirl1976 said: It was perfect.. we used SAS transportation.. no issues at all.. it was around $15 per person.. and it takes about 45 minutes depending on the traffic to get to POM. What time did you land? Quote
KWong Posted January 9, 2020 Report Posted January 9, 2020 7 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said: Just to show you that I am complete hypocrite, next month (arguably the coldest and most unpredictable month of the year) I am traveling from DCA to Newark via Charlotte on sail day...so I have violated all of the recommendations that I just made to you. ...but I like living on the edge. #notreally In 2006 I went from Toronto to Dulles to San Juan on Boxing Day for a departing-the-same-day Princess Cruise. Zero problems but with basically zero slack it's not something I'd try to do again. With that said, Virginia to FLL in April is obviously a shorter trip (and direct) so there is less chance for things to go wrong. It still might not be ideal to fly in the day of, but with that said I think it's an acceptable risk. 11 minutes ago, stallings06 said: I agree completely Lol The flights are higher flying in on Saturday plus the cost of a hotel room. Family of 4. But all of that is a moot point if we miss the ship! What I always think of when I see "moot point": Ogilthorpe, Biff215 and Okgladgal 3 Quote
Cruisegirl1976 Posted January 9, 2020 Report Posted January 9, 2020 15 minutes ago, stallings06 said: What time did you land? It was a little after 11am Quote
WAAAYTOOO Posted January 9, 2020 Report Posted January 9, 2020 8 minutes ago, KWong said: What I always think of when I see "moot point": LOL. I always cringe when I see someone write "mute point" when they mean "moot point". KWong, SpeedNoodles and MandyMooToo 2 1 Quote
stallings06 Posted January 9, 2020 Author Report Posted January 9, 2020 6 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said: LOL. I always cringe when I see someone write "mute point" when they mean "moot point". LOL! So glad I spelled it correctly! WAAAYTOOO and KWong 1 1 Quote
monctonguy Posted January 9, 2020 Report Posted January 9, 2020 My advice...NEVER fly in the day off...connecting flight delayed(even if its not yours but the one coming in to get you).....maintenance issues...security issue......wayyyy to risky...maybe if it was a 5am flight and if you missed that you could catch a later flight and still make it... Could you make it?...Yes and you probably will be fine...but to me its not worth the risk of thousands of dollars......my two cents. MandyMooToo, Flacruiser99 and MikeK 3 Quote
ChessE4 Posted January 9, 2020 Report Posted January 9, 2020 52 minutes ago, stallings06 said: Hey guys! We are getting ready to hit BOOK on our first Royal Caribbean cruise. We are flying in from Virginia to Fort Lauderdale and the ship is leaving from Miami. Airfare is half as much to land in Ft Lauderdale and Uber to the Miami port (45 mins). Our flight lands in Ft Lauderdale at 0951, so assuming all runs on time and we grab the Uber without issue and no traffic, we should be to Miami around 11am. Is this okay? Are we leaving too much to chance? THANKS! Just make sure you have trip insurance (e.g., in case of a travel delay). We successfully flew to and cruised from Europe twice while arriving on the same day as the departure. But we carried insurance, and I had a list of alternative routes in case we were delayed en route. That said, I would normally follow the lead of others and travel a day early. We do this now since we drive. Have a great trip! Quote
Biff215 Posted January 9, 2020 Report Posted January 9, 2020 I won’t disagree that arriving early is safest, but price and work schedules often prevent that. Not much you can do other than to be prepared and hope for the best. SteveinSC and WAAAYTOOO 1 1 Quote
KWong Posted January 9, 2020 Report Posted January 9, 2020 39 minutes ago, stallings06 said: LOL! So glad I spelled it correctly! I would've blamed the autocorrect if it was wrong... WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote
Royal Cruiser Posted January 9, 2020 Report Posted January 9, 2020 This pass September we flew into FLL and took a lyft to Port of Miami. We took the first flight out of Michigan and landed in FLL at 9:40am and got to the Port at 10:34am. Everything went smoothly but I was on edge the whole time worrying about what to do if we hit a delay. With me and wife high demand jobs it's not always easy to get extra days off. If you can fly a day early, then do it. If you can't, take the very first Direct flight to FLL. Traffic can get really heavy going to Miami. SteveinSC, WAAAYTOOO, KWong and 1 other 3 1 Quote
bobroo Posted January 9, 2020 Report Posted January 9, 2020 A first time cruiser might fly-in the day of a cruise. A veteran cruiser would NEVER fly-in the same day. Place yourself wherever you see fit along the continuum. Quote
Lovetocruise2002 Posted January 9, 2020 Report Posted January 9, 2020 As others have already mentioned, flying in the day of is risking. That being said, we regularly fly into Fort Lauderdale when cruising out of Miami. It is also cheaper for us to do so. Quote
GregD Posted January 9, 2020 Report Posted January 9, 2020 I agree with others that its risky, but.......As someone who lives in NY, I have to fly to just about every cruise port, and with kids in tow I understand trying to maintain a budget. Assuming you have direct flights, weather in April is less risky in VA for snow/weather delays, I might be persuaded to chose that option of flying in on the day of. I would get travel insurance, and make sure it covers the what ifs just in case........... Quote
tonyfsu21 Posted January 10, 2020 Report Posted January 10, 2020 23 hours ago, stallings06 said: Hey guys! We are getting ready to hit BOOK on our first Royal Caribbean cruise. We are flying in from Virginia to Fort Lauderdale and the ship is leaving from Miami. Airfare is half as much to land in Ft Lauderdale and Uber to the Miami port (45 mins). Our flight lands in Ft Lauderdale at 0951, so assuming all runs on time and we grab the Uber without issue and no traffic, we should be to Miami around 11am. Is this okay? Are we leaving too much to chance? THANKS! By the time you get to the terminal, grab your luggage and secure a ride share it will be 10:45am. You could probably get to the ship closer to 11:45-noon. With that being said, it’s always a good idea to come in the day before and have a buffer (if possible). Good luck. Quote
MandyMooToo Posted January 10, 2020 Report Posted January 10, 2020 We just considered the same thing and decided to do what we always do, head down the day before. We live in Tennessee and are traveling in March (still a small risk for snow) and really wanted to take the cheaper flight but I would be worried to death the whole time so we didn't. Normally we drive and go out of PC so the drive is 10 hours or less but lately we have been sailing out of FLL and MIA which puts us closer to 13-15 hours with stops and that is a long day my friends! So this time we are paying the extra and flying Quote
Trevor Posted January 10, 2020 Report Posted January 10, 2020 Is Air2Sea worth considering for a day of booking? They may be able to assist in the event of a hiccup. Quote
Ogilthorpe Posted January 10, 2020 Report Posted January 10, 2020 33 minutes ago, Trevor said: Is Air2Sea worth considering for a day of booking? They may be able to assist in the event of a hiccup. I have found that air2sea is a good value price wise and potential benefits should there be a glitch. They have guaranteeds in place to get you to the ship. While my experience is limited, the times I have used it, they had the best price. Additionally, if the price changes, you can reprice up until final payment .. and you pay with final payment not at booking. Quote
packercruising Posted January 11, 2020 Report Posted January 11, 2020 It has probably already been covered, but my advice is to never fly in the day of the cruise. Delays are frequent. Who needs the aggravation? I always recommend 2 days before so you have a chance to relax, take in the port city and be refreshed when you get on the ship. Quote
markm Posted January 11, 2020 Report Posted January 11, 2020 Hope you bought travel insurance. I knew better but yielded to relatives pressure to fly the same day as cruise. Straight flight from Seattle to London ,arriving at 6AM. We arrived at airport early and were in the queue when I received email from airlines our flight was delayed 8hrs. fortunately we had RC insurance and they rescheduled on another airlines. Long story short ,we made it but were one of the last to board. Lucky, panic ,rushed just not worth it Quote
Matt Posted January 11, 2020 Report Posted January 11, 2020 16 hours ago, Trevor said: Is Air2Sea worth considering for a day of booking? I think it makes more sense for international travel Quote
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