It's not a horrible plan. It's just not the preferable way to do things. How far away are you coming from? Are you going to have a lot of jetlag, or just an hour or two difference? While it's not ideal, just accept the fact that you *might* miss the welcome dinner if you have travel issues. The main thing is, you don't want to arrive stressed! It's not like you're taking a cruise that will leave without you, or flying to Europe where a missed flight could mean arriving a day later. If this is really the date that works for you, go for it. Again, for me, the deciding factor would be how stressed it would make me. That's not the best way to start a fabulous vacation! That said, we had a father/son who didn't arrive in Greece until the very end of the welcome dinner. It didn't seem to affect their enjoyment of the trip.
