While everyone hopes their cruise vacation will go as planned, unforeseeable circumstances may arise that could threaten you from even getting to the cruise port.
If you live close to the cruise port, like in southern Florida, you will likely have fewer issues getting to the port via car or train. However, if you live far away and need to take an airplane to the port city, you may run into more complications, such as a flight delay or cancellation.
For my recent cruise on Carnival’s Mardi Gras, I followed the golden rule of cruising: always fly in the day before your cruise leaves…and I still almost missed my cruise!
Since I live in South Dakota, I had to book a flight to Orlando, Florida, so I would be close to the embarkation port: Port Canaveral. My trip had a connection in Dallas, Texas, but I had a long enough layover (an hour and a half) that I didn't have to worry about making my connecting flight.
I was scheduled to land at 9 p.m. the evening before my cruise; this gave me plenty of time to get a decent night's rest before my seven-day voyage.
Well, that all changed when I woke up to a text from American Airlines that my flight was delayed. It was the dreaded message no one wants to see while traveling.
As I opened the American Airlines app, it notified me that I will most likely not make my connection in Dallas to Orlando. At this moment, I had to quickly rearrange my plans, so I could make my cruise in Port Canaveral the following day. It was stressful and hectic, but I learned a few strategies and lessons along the way.
Below are the steps I took to make sure I got on a flight the day before my cruise. If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, these steps may come in handy for you, too.
1. Act quickly
As soon as I saw that my flight was delayed, I sprung into action. Although it was only 9 a.m. and my flight wasn't until the late afternoon, I knew it was essential to start making a new plan.
On the American Airlines app, it said I could change my flight without any penalties or fees. I looked at this option, but all the alternative flights they offered were just plain awful. In fact, none of the options were for the same day and nothing had an arrival time that would allow me to make my cruise.
Every option was around 20+ hours of travel with long layovers. I asked myself, “Was there really nothing better they could offer me?”
When the app wasn't much help, I decided to call American Airlines directly and ask for more alternative flight options. Since I was traveling from South Dakota, I didn’t have many options to begin with. The only other flight to Dallas had already taken off at 7 a.m., so I needed to find another plan quickly.
2. Research alternative flight options
When the American Airlines app failed to offer anything useful, I immediately called the airline. On the phone, I was initially told they couldn’t get me to Orlando that same day, confirming the app’s availability. This was when I started to panic.
I decided to call my sister (a well-seasoned traveler) to help and look up alternative flight options from Dallas to Orlando for the same day. If you are working with a travel agent, you should call them first to have them help you.
To my surprise, there were three flights later than my original flight (the one I likely wouldn’t make with my short connection due to my delayed flight). I wrote down each flight number and time, which proved to be extremely helpful throughout the day.
My sister and I looked at alternative flights on other airlines, such as Southwest, Allegiant, Frontier, Spirit, etc. Since Dallas is a major hub, I was hopeful that getting to this airport would give me more options to make my cruise in Orlando.
3. Find nearby airports close to the cruise port
Realizing that I might not be able to get to the Orlando airport in time for my cruise, we started to look for alternative airports that could be an option. I wasn’t able to travel to any nearby airports in time, but this could be an option for you to consider if you live by multiple airports.
Again, the American Airlines agent confirmed that I couldn’t fly into Orlando, as all the later flights from Dallas were full. I was definitely growing frustrated at this point!
Luckily, Florida has many airports throughout the state. As long as I could get within driving distance of the port, I would be able to make my cruise.
Since I wasn’t able to fly to Orlando that day, I tried to find the next nearest airport. After talking through my options, I decided to get a flight to Tampa, which was supposedly the last available seat on the flight. This would suffice since Tampa is two hours from Port Canaveral.
Here are the other airports I considered flying to so I could get close to Port Canaveral:
Port Canaveral (Orlando)
Orlando International Airport (MCO)
Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB)
Melbourne Orlando International Airport (MLB)
Daytona Beach International Airport (KDAB)
Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale), Port Miami (Miami), Port of Palm Beach (West Palm Beach)
Miami International Airport (MIA)
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL)
West Palm Beach International (PBI)
Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW)
Port Tampa Bay (Tampa)
Tampa International Airport (TPA)
Saint Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE)
Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ)
4. Have a plan B in place
From the start, American Airlines didn’t give me much hope that I would get to Orlando in time. The app only had horrible options, and all of the flights that day from Dallas were apparently completely booked.
My sister, being the seasoned traveler that she is, found two one-way flights on Delta that would get me to Orlando on time. Most other flight options were costing thousands of dollars, but this was only $700. This option with Delta departed in a few hours, so I had a small sense of relief knowing this could work in a worst-case scenario.
If nothing else, I wanted to know I could get to Orlando on any airline. My strategy was to get to the cruise and figure out the financial reimbursement from the airlines later.
It is always smart to have a backup plan. After buying your airline ticket, look at other options for getting to your cruise port that same day and map out potential routes you could book. Acting fast will save you time and money!
5. Travel insurance documentation
While on the phone with American Airlines, I asked for documentation from the airline that I could use for travel insurance reimbursement. This is why it is essential to have travel insurance for cruises, and I was so grateful in this instance that I did.
Because I had to fly to Tampa, I had to get a new hotel and book transportation to the cruise port. This was an unexpected cost due to the airline’s delay. Since there were supposedly no seats for flights to Orlando that day, I asked the airline to provide that statement in writing, so I could have it for documentation.
Of course, flying to Orlando was preferred, but I was prepared to spend money out of pocket to ensure I could get to the cruise, even if it meant traveling to another city.
6. Try to get on the standby list
Before heading to the airport, I asked American Airlines if I could get on a standby list for the upcoming Orlando flights. Since these were large planes with many people traveling, I knew there was a chance that someone could miss their flight and a spot would open up for me.
Again, Dallas had three other flight options to Orlando! I was hopeful that getting on the standby list could get me to my intended location, even if it meant patiently waiting at each flight gate for an open seat. Since I was traveling alone and only with a carry-on, snagging a seat was more likely an option for me. If I was traveling with checked bags or in a large group, getting on the standby list would be very difficult.
The agent on the phone told me to ask at the Sioux Falls airport about getting on a standby list for the Orlando flights, so I had this intention when arriving at the airport.
7. Pursue options at the airport
(Pictured above is me enthusiastically waiting in line at the airport)
Throughout this ordeal, I found that I continually needed to advocate for myself in a kind and respectful manner. If I had just accepted my fate from the airline, I would have missed my cruise. It was only because I took action, did research, and advocated for myself that I (spoiler alert!) was able to get to the port on time.
I went to the Sioux Falls airport early, so I had plenty of time to figure out a plan and wait in line if needed. Once there, I asked the American Airlines agent if I could get on the standby list for the upcoming Orlando flights. The agent suggested waiting until I land in Dallas to get this sorted; however, I felt more confident getting this sorted out at a smaller airport like the Sioux Falls Regional Airport where they could dedicate more time to my situation.
Another agent was willing to help look for empty seats and standby options for me to get to Orlando. I whipped out my list of flight numbers, times, and options that I wanted. Being organized allowed the agent to work quickly, and it paid off.
The agent was able to swap between all of my options as he looked for an open seat. For about 30 minutes, he worked diligently to view all of the options that I had researched earlier. Thanks to this great employee, a spot miraculously opened on the last flight of the day to Orlando! Shout-out to Bruce for being so patient and going above and beyond to help me get to my cruise as planned!
With the new, printed tickets in my hand, I breathed a sigh of relief. What an ordeal!
In conclusion, I recommend you follow these tips when booking a flight for your cruise:
- Book directly with the airline and avoid third-party sites. In case of a flight delay or cancellation, you will want to contact and work directly with the airline. You could also consider booking a flight through the cruise line.
- Book direct flights if possible. If you have to have a layover, try to limit how many you have. Also, make sure each layover is an ample amount of time (more than an hour). If the layover time is too short, you may miss your connecting flight.
- Purchase travel insurance to cover unexpected costs with flight delays or cancelations.
- Avoid booking flights on airlines that only operate once or twice a week. If your flight is delayed or canceled, you will have to wait a few days until the next flight.
- Book the earliest flight of the day. This way if something goes wrong, you will have more flight options to get to your destination.
Angie Vognild
Angie Vognild has a love for cruising, with her first cruise at just one year old. Since then, she has traveled to nearly 40 countries and been on over 30 cruises. Her favorite cruises were to the Holy Land on Odyssey of the Seas in 2022 and Japan on Spectrum of the Seas in 2019.
