Many first-time cruisers wonder when the best time to fly in for a cruise is. After all, cruising is different from land trips when you book your flight for the same day as your hotel reservation.
With cruises, it’s smart to fly in at least one day before embarkation. Flights can be delayed or canceled due to inclement weather, mechanical issues, or crew issues, and cruise ships won’t wait for stragglers.
By arriving the night before, you give yourself a safety buffer in case your initial flight gets disrupted, rather than scrambling to find a last-minute alternative or missing the ship.
Of course, this means you might need to take an extra day of PTO and pay for a pre-cruise hotel. However, it's safer than risking your entire vacation because of circumstances outside your control.
Once the ship sets sail, you're responsible for catching up with it in a foreign port. This can be logistically challenging and expensive. Sometimes, it's not possible, such as if you're sailing on an Alaskan cruise from Seattle.
Only once have I flown on the same morning as my cruise, and the anxiety wasn't worth it. I was flying from Raleigh, North Carolina, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, just hours before boarding Allure of the Seas. To make matters even more stressful, my friend was also set to fly in that morning from New York City.
Thankfully, neither of us had any issues, but the stress and possibility of something going wrong loomed over us the entire morning. I couldn't shake the feeling that one of us wouldn't make it to Florida on time.
Now, I always plan to arrive at least one day before embarkation. If I'm sailing internationally (like on a cruise from the Netherlands or Greece), I give myself at least two days.
You can't avoid travel nightmares by flying the day before your cruise, but you can get a little peace of mind by not booking flights the day of your ship's departure
Earlier this year, my partner and I embarked on an amazing voyage on Celebrity Eclipse to Norway from the Netherlands. However, living in the United States meant that we had a long travel day to arrive in our embarkation city.
Flying from Charlotte also meant that we didn't have any direct options. As such, we booked a flight from CLT to JFK and JFK to Amsterdam. Unfortunately, our flight from Charlotte was delayed so much that we missed our connection to Europe.
Delta rebooked us on a new itinerary for the next day, but we arrived later than planned. Had we not given ourselves a buffer, we would have missed the ship and our bucket-list vacation to Norway.
Even with our smart planning, the travel mishap was exhausting. We landed in Amsterdam after two relatively sleepless nights and made our way to our hotel to rest before exploring the city. Although we were tired, we were thankful to be in the Netherlands, rather than racing through airport terminals to try and find alternative flights.
Flying in a little early might cost more money and an extra day of PTO, but it's a small price to pay compared to losing out on your entire cruise vacation.
Flying in before your cruise means you can explore your embarkation city
Instead of seeing the extra travel day as an expensive logistical burden, use it to take in the sights.
Arriving early means that you have time to appreciate the local culture, whether that's enjoying fresh seafood in Seattle before an Alaska cruise, exploring ancient ruins in Athens before a Greek Isles cruise, or strolling through Miami's Wynwood neighborhood and admiring the colorful murals before a Bahamian getaway.
Recently, my partner and I traveled to Orlando, Florida, two nights before our weeklong cruise aboard Wonder of the Seas to the Western Caribbean. Since the ship was leaving from Port Canaveral, Florida, and we were going to have to fly into Orlando, we tacked on a pre-cruise visit to Universal Studios.
Similarly, we flew into Fort Lauderdale the afternoon before our 5-night sailing on Celebrity Reflection to splurge on a beachfront anniversary dinner at Steak 954.
If you have to fly on the same day as embarkation, use these tips to minimize the risk of missing your cruise ship
Same-day flights are always a gamble. However, there are a few tips that can help reduce your chances of arriving too late.
First, book the earliest nonstop flight available. This gives you time to possibly catch a later flight if your first one is cancelled or delayed.
Second, avoid tight connections. If you are flying from a small airport with no direct flights, allow at least 90 minutes between legs. This way, you'll have a small buffer if your first flight is delayed.
It's also smart to pack carry-on luggage, rather than check your bags through to your final destination. Instead of having to wait by baggage claim, you can immediately deplane and make your way to your cruise ship.
Carrying your bags also eliminates the chances of your airline losing your bags. I've heard horror stories of cruisers having to embark on their vacation without their luggage because it was lost in transit!
Pre-cruise hotels don't have to be expensive
As a full-time travel writer, I have to be savvy in how I spend my travel budget. As much as I'd love to always fly first class and stay in 5-star hotels, it isn't realistic.
I have stayed in everything from budget-friendly chains near the airport to boutique hotels in the heart of South Beach in Miami and 5-star hotels situated along picturesque canals in Amsterdam. If I'm arriving later at night, I'll find something clean and affordable near the airport. However, if I have more time in my embarkation city, I'll typically see how I can utilize my credit card reward points for a nicer pre-cruise stay.
For example, thanks to my Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, I saved nearly $1,000 on a pre-cruise hotel in Amsterdam. Instead of paying the nightly cash rate at the Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht, my partner and I redeemed 58,000 points, allowing us to stay at the 5-star hotel for "free!"
Read more: Frequent cruiser shares go-to tips for saving time and money while traveling
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she traveled frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas during her freshman year of high school. Having sailed on over 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
