A few years ago, I moved from New York City to Charlotte, North Carolina. As a travel writer, I knew I needed access to a major airport, and I thought Charlotte Douglas would be a good fit. Although it has solid regional connections, it doesn't compare to the nonstop flights available from New York City's two international airports.
On a recent trip to Europe, my partner and I experienced just how frustrating it can be to rely on itineraries with connections when our initial flight from Charlotte to JFK was delayed so much that we missed our overnight flight to Amsterdam.
Not only did the mishap disrupt our plans in the Netherlands, but we were worried we might miss our cruise's departure. Thankfully, Delta rebooked us on a flight for the next day, and we managed to make it just in time, even if we were stuck with the last available seats in the back of the plane for 7 hours.
However, the incident serves as a stark warning to those who don't leave wiggle room in their schedules. With our initial flight itinerary having a 3-hour layover, we didn't think we would face any issues.
Delays happen, though. That's why it's important to never fly to your cruise embarkation city on the same day your ship sets sail, especially if you can't fly direct.
Read more: The costly cruising mistake newbies make when planning their first cruise
We received an email that our flight time to New York had been changed five hours before its scheduled departure
Delayed flights out of Charlotte aren't uncommon. However, we've had better luck with Delta than American.
So, when we got the email that our flight was delayed by 40 minutes, we weren't too worried and made our way to the airport as planned. In fact, less than an hour after receiving the email about the delay, we got another saying the departure time was pushed up.
Nothing seemed too concerning as we sipped champagne in the brand-new Delta Sky Club in Concourse A. However, we began to slightly panic when we got another notification saying our departure time was delayed until 9:50pm. That's when we realized our connection might be in jeopardy.
We remained in high, albeit anxious, spirits, even when we were notified that our new arrival time was minutes before our connecting flight's 12:50am departure. The Delta agents reassured us that we'd make the flight because the arrival gate was conveniently close to the departure gate.
Once we started boarding, we let out a huge sigh of relief, only to be told we'd be delayed even further because of a minor maintenance issue. Then, the crew timed out.
We deplaned and were rebooked the following day
Our new itinerary had us flying from Charlotte to Detroit and Detroit to Amsterdam. It felt surreal to recheck our bags at the Delta counter less than 12 hours after we'd finally made it home for the night.
However, we were glad to finally be on our way, even if it was hours later than expected. And because we were still within the same 24-hour window, we didn't need to use a second Sky Club visit!
The flight from Charlotte to Detroit was quick, and before we knew it, we were standing beside gate A46, waiting for our boarding group to be called.
Although we initially had extra-legroom seats, we were reassigned to standard seats in the second-to-last row due to unexpected changes. It wasn’t ideal, but we were grateful to be on the flight and heading to Amsterdam for our cruise.
The mishap caused us to have one less afternoon in Amsterdam, leaving us to battle jet lag as we tried to make the most of our one-day visit
My partner can't sleep on planes, which is why I had booked a late-night flight that arrived in the afternoon. That way, we could grab a bite to eat and call it an early night.
Unfortunately, Delta could only rebook us on a flight arriving at 6:00am. Between the lack of sleep we got the night before and the cramped overnight flight, we arrived feeling completely exhausted.
What was supposed to be a two-hour nap turned into seven hours of deep sleep. Thankfully, we set an alarm and woke up an hour before our pre-booked canal cruise. Groggy but grateful, we rallied and set out to make the most of our afternoon in the Netherlands.
Read more: I never beat jet lag on my Mediterranean cruise because of this mistake
Had there been any other flight complications, we may have missed our cruise ship
Having a strong Type A personality means I don't like leaving much up to chance. Before any vacation, I'll create a detailed Google Doc with our itinerary, reservations, packing lists, and more.
Mapping out every step, from airport transfers to excursions, helps give us reassurance that if something unexpected happens, we aren't scrambling to make backup arrangements.
When we missed our initial flight to Europe, there wasn't much I could do except place my faith in Delta's gate agents and hope that the next attempt went smoother.
Without an extra buffer day between our scheduled arrival and ship departure, we could have easily missed our cruise if anything else went astray.
This is why I always recommend flying in at least a day before your cruise, or two if you have to travel internationally.
Delays and cancellations can throw your whole trip off course, and cruise lines aren't obligated to wait for stragglers or issue refunds.
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!
