Should I change my flight?

[Minuet888]

Should I change my flight?

So I booked my flight with Royal's Air2Sea.  It is a redeye flight leaving LA at 11:15 and arriving in Newark at 7am on cruise day.  Plenty of time to get there.  I booked it through Royal so in case anything happened they could get me there.  (It was also the cheapest flight).

When I mentioned this on another topic people were saying NO NO NO fly in the day before and stay in a hotel!

Soooooo, will they charge me to change my flight?  Is there a hotel close to the pier?  Does Royal book hotels too?

I should have plenty of time doing the red eye right?

I have anxiety and now people have put me in a perpetual state of panic and my cruise isn't for another 130 days (May 31st)

 

[Ampurp85]

I often fly in the day of cruising and don't use air2sea. This is not for everyone but I fly direct often on the first flight out and I can usually catch 2 or 3 more flights after mine to make my destination. I have insurance.

That being said you have air2sea guarantee. If you want to pay more for a hotel,  you can. The issue would be if you can catch another flight to make your cruise.

[WAYNO]

The one and only time we booked a red eye to catch a cruise on the day we landed, the flight was cancelled.  We lost that cruise. 

And in fairness, it must be said we were flying West Coast to East Coast, against the clock.

That could have been the one time in a hundred that such a cancellation would happen, but it did happen, and I will never take that same chance again. 

There are mitigating circumstances  where such a flight is less chancy.  For example, short flight with no transfers, and with only one time zone involved, or when racing with the clock, gaining time, such as East to West.  Then there could be time to get another flight. 

In the same time zone scenario, for example, PDX to LAX, that's a short flight.  Leaving PDX at 6 AM, we get to LAX in plenty of time, and if the flight is delayed or cancelled, there are other flights to LAX one after another. 

[Traveling Mike]

If you live in LA it is easier for you because you have direct flights to most places you wan to go.

I always fly in the day before but I am traveling out of Fresno where I have to drive to LA or San Francisco or fly with connecting flights.  I book a lot on Air2Sea and know they will help if I miss my flight or connection.  The problem I have is they will get you to the next port if you miss your cruise;  where is that next port and how many sea days are you missing.  I just find it easier for me to fly in the day before get a good night sleep and make my way to the ship rested.

Notes:

1. You can move or cancel your air2sea flight anytime before your finial cruise payment.  You will have to pay difference or you can get the lower price. 
2. RCL sells hotel rooms but they are no bargain.  You are better off finding your own hotel.
3. Most of the time the hotels near the port are expensive.  You are better off finding a hotel a short uber dive away.

[smokeybandit]

Air2Sea may guarantee you get on the ship, but they can't guarantee when. The cruise may be half over by the time you board.

[Zacharius]

First of all, unless you think you can get some good sleep on a redeye (which is tough even in business/first), be prepared for at least your first day of vacation to be pretty miserable. So, not only are you at risk with the same day arrival, but you're almost guaranteed to be in bad shape physically. 

Will you be okay? Probably. But what if you aren't? When is the next port, and how many days would you lose? 

Plenty of hotels in the area between Newark Airport, Hoboken, Jersey City. Book directly with the hotel. 

[CanHardlyWait]

Also, a red eye flight and lack of sleep with a special needs child/young adult just seems too stressful.

Fly day before and get a hotel in Downtown Jersey City/Hoboken area. No hotels in Bayonne. JC is right on the boarder. In the downtown JC/Hoboken area there are restaurants. Check in, get a meal, good night's sleep, then uber/taxi etc to port. 

[Cruisegirl1976]

I would def change my flights and fly in a day earlier, it will give you time to relax, and is less stressful than flying in the day of.