One of the fantastic things about cruising is that you can see many far-flung destinations around the world. However, going on a cruise that begins thousands of miles away usually means flying to your cruise embarkation point.
Fly cruises make these incredible destinations more accessible, but there are a few things you need to bear in mind when booking your pre-cruise flights. Below, we go through some fly cruise best practices, particularly why to fly to your port early when cruising.
Should I fly the day before my cruise?
One of the most critical points when flying to your port for a cruise is choosing a flight that arrives at your embarkation point early.
If you’re wondering why to book early flights for a cruise, the crucial reason is you don’t want to risk missing your cruise holiday. It can be costly and hugely disappointing if you arrive at the port late, as ships, like planes, do not wait!
The best practice for a pre-cruise flight is to arrive at least the day before. Therefore, if there are any fly cruise disruptions, whether a delayed or cancelled flight, prolonged security, luggage or transfer problems, you’ll be giving yourself a suitable buffer to reach your ship in time for departure.
As well as the disaster of potentially missing your cruise ship, there are several other reasons why you should fly to your cruise early.
Other reasons to fly to port the day before your cruise
Avoid frustrating extra costs
If you experience fly cruise issues and do not make your ship in time, you have a decision to make. You can either book a flight or form of land travel that will get you to the first port destination on your cruise ship’s itinerary or miss your cruise holiday completely and arrange transport home. Both options could be costly!
If you decide to meet up with your cruise ship at the next port, you will need to book last-minute flights or travel tickets. These could be expensive at short notice. Furthermore, you’ll face additional accommodation costs if you need to spend a day or two waiting around.
The good news for those who book their flight with their cruise line and then experience fly cruise issues is that most cruise lines will make arrangements for you to meet your ship at the next port, if it’s possible. Nonetheless, it is still frustrating missing the first day or so of your holiday and instead waiting around for connecting transport.
If you booked your flight independently, it is more than likely that the majority, if not all, of the cost will have to come out of your own pocket, as insurance companies usually don’t cover flight issues with cruises such as these.
Alternatively, if you miss your cruise ship’s departure and decide to go home, you’ll face the cost of return travel and potentially additional nights’ stopovers. It is also doubtful that you’ll get a refund for the cruise holiday.
Make your holiday relaxing from the outset
Flights can be a little stressful at the best of times; being short on time elevates these stress levels as you rush from point to point, worry about long queues, and have no time to get a few supplies before stepping on the plane. There are better ways to start your holiday!
Reducing this stress by arriving a day early is an excellent reason in itself for why you should fly to your cruise early.
Take time in your departure city
If you’re flying to a faraway destination to start your cruise, why not make the most of it and have some time there to explore? You can extend your holiday by having a day or more at your embarkation city. Try out the local restaurants, relax in a nice hotel, and check out a few local places of interest; more great reasons to fly to port the day before your cruise!
What to do if I can’t arrive a day early
Although there are many significant reasons to fly to port the day before your cruise, we recognise that sometimes it’s just not possible. If you cannot fly to your cruise this early and have to travel there on the day, then there are a few things you should do:
Get the earliest flight of the day possible. Not only will it get you to your port city sooner, but you’ll also be more likely to avoid the knock-on delays that can build up throughout the day.
Look for flights where the plane arrives at the airport the night before, so there’s no chance of it getting to the airport late, and you can take off at the time scheduled.
Try and book your flight through your cruise line. By booking with them, you’ll have more chance of being covered should you experience any fly cruise disruptions, and they will help you make any alternative arrangements.
There can be flight issues with cruises, just like any other holiday. Therefore, why take a risk and put yourself under stress by arriving too close to the cruise departure time? Instead, by following our best practice, pre-cruise flight advice, you can make the start of your holiday risk-free, more relaxing and enjoyable.
