By Sarah Phillips.
Traffic. Flight Delays. Added Stress. Just some of the many reasons why you should head to your cruise port the day before you cruise. What a difference a day can make to both your vacation experience and your stress level. As someone who’s done both flying in the morning of and stayed the night before, here’s why I always recommend flying in the night before:
Peace of Mind. While traveling to my second cruise ever, I decided that I would never fly in the morning of a cruise again. I had a connecting flight in Atlanta and minutes after we all boarded, they announced a mechanical delay. That’s never a warm and fuzzy feeling anyway, but to add the stress and worry of possibly not making it to the port on time wasn’t really how I wanted to start my vacation. I did make it to the port on time, but I really didn’t enjoy the extra stress and I was exhausted by the time I boarded the ship.
Relaxation. Your vacation is a chance to get away and get a break from the hectic speed we live life these days. Any chance to extend and increase those feelings of relaxation is winning. You’ll be able to leisurely get ready the morning of the cruise – you don’t have to worry about anymore responsibilities like cleaning and making the bed. You’re giving yourself extra time to get ready for the fun, adventure, and relaxation of your cruise!
Extend your Vacation. Why wait to start your vacation? By heading into port early, you can get up to a whole extra day of vacation. Spend some time exploring your port city or just relaxing at the hotel pool. You’ve earned this vacation; now enjoy an unplanned extra day. Think of all the extra fun things you could add – a side trip to Disney, exploring South Beach, a trip to Ellis Island, a bowl of Clam Chowder in Boston ; the list of possibilities is endless.
Save Money. Even though it seems strange, you can actually save money by flying in the night before your cruise. Lots of cruises leave on Sunday, by flying in a night early, you actually get an extra Saturday night stay in your flight plans and airlines generally give lower rates with Saturday night stays. Plus, you have LOTS more flexibility with flight times if you fly in the day before to give you more price options; you don’t have to take the sometimes pricey early morning flight the day of the cruise. Also, several hotels in major ports offer free parking or free shuttles. If you’re driving to the port, a week of free parking can save you tons of extra cash.
Do you have any other reasons why flying in ahead of time is such a great, relaxing, money saving plan? What are some of your favorite ports to spend extra time in before a cruise?
