Anyone ever miss their cruise because their flight got cancelled?

Question

My boyfriend and I were booked on a Carnival cruise that left Monday (feb 19th). Our flight was cancelled as soon as we checked in our luggage. We were able to get on another flight but that ended up being cancelled! We had everyone checking flights for us, but there were none available that would get us to New Orleans on time to catch the ship.

Answer 1

I would call the customer care center of Carnival Cruises and explain the situation.  They may have a refund policy (with processing fee) that is not listed in their terms and conditions when it comes to flight cancellations. If they do have a provision like that, you may need to provided documentation of the flight cancellations.

Answer 2

Yes, it happens all of the time.  There was a news story this week about people who missed their cruise because Jet Blue stopped flying.  I have been on cruises that had people show up late, i.e., at the first port stop, because they had plane/flight problems.  Also heard about people  not getting their luggage until the first port stop.

If you booked your air through the cruise line they will probably give you a full refund.  If not, you did your own air travel, its on you unless you bought travel insurance.

My rule of thumb is I will buy travel insurance for a cruise if the departure port is outside the US, I.e., Puerto Rica, Spain, England.  In those cases there are many chances to miss a connection, lose luggage, etc.  For US departures I generally plan on getting to the departure city the day before the cruise.  That gives me plenty of time for other travel options.  Since I live on the East coast I can usually drive to the ports, including NO and Houston, and I have done that about 7 or 8 times.  The port parking garages are secure, they cost about $12-$14 a day.

I use TRAVELEX.COM to buy travel insuranace.  It covers everything, including health problems, and is much cheaper than going through the cruise line.  They also pay off with no hassles too; I got my check in a week.

Answer 3

If you book your flight with the cruise line, the ship will wait for you.  alternatively, I usually book my flight for the day before that way you can get to the ship as early as you want and you spend that extra night in florida.  Or wherever as long as its warm.

Answer 4

You just found out the main reason for arriving at the port city on the day BEFORE the cruise.  If you had arrived early, you would have been on the cruise instead of writing to Yahoo.

It is a heck of a lot cheaper to rent a hotel room for one night than to miss the entire cruise - well, you found that out firsthand.

I cannot feel sorry for people who do not plan ahead.

Answer 5

no never always drove to catch ship but if you had travel insurance you should have a full refund . that's what i have been told. it covers any form of public transportation . hope this helps sorry you missed your cruise.

Answer 6

A Cruise will not wait for anyone for any reason. They have a schedule plus alot of other people on board. Travelers insurance is your best bet or try to meet ship at first port.

Answer 7

you should always take the flight the day before your cruise starts that way theirs is a nearly 0% chance that you will miss your cruise

Answer 8

I've been very lucky with my flights for cruises and so far have not missed a one (I did miss a trip to Paris a few years ago because of flights) When flying commercial, it is so nerve wracking and risky, it can be really bad. So many people miss out on a wonderful vacation because of this.

This is one of the benefits to booking your air with the cruise line. Even though they charge more, if your flight comes in late, and is still reasonable, they will wait for you to arrive before departing. I've been on several cruises where this happened, so we waited, sometimes not very long but a few times it was over two hours. I'm not sure if the cruise line will fly you to the first port if you aren't able to make it the first day, or how that would work, all I know is that they work with you to try and take care of it. But, if you book on your own, you a kind of out of luck with the cruise line.

As the other answers said, insurance is the best thing to do. Cruising is risky, missing the boat because of flights it just one of the problems, medical reasons, lost  luggage, if you have to be airlifted off of the ship ($25,000) it is all covered. It gives you peace of mind and covers a lot. So, even if something were to happen to you during the vacation, while it would still be very upsetting, at least you would lose all your money as well. I've just got into the habit of putting insurance on every trip I take, it just seems a lot better that way.

I also always try to do a prenight stay. Most of the ports have some place near by that I don't mind spending some time in. For example, if I am leaving Port Canaveral, a lot of times I will spend a few nights at Disney or Universal before the trip, then I just have a short drive to the ship and don't have to worry so much. If I am flying commercial, I never go without doing a prenight first. Even though the cruise lines give you the guidelines for when to fly, not everything always works out the way it should.

Sorry to hear about your experience. Hopefully you are able to get some of your money back.

Answer 9

I ALWAYS book flights through the cruise line.  They will become responsible to see that you get there in time.  I also go one day ahead of schedue, just so I can relax and not worry about plane cancellations and catching the ship at the next port.

As for travel insurance through the cruise line, I have had to put in a claim and they refused to pay, so I don't take it!