January cruisers - flight delays?

[Melrosgirl]

I'm considering a January cruise, but I must admit the fear of getting delayed due to a snowstorm here in PA has me hesitating. (Guess that's one good reason to book in the summer, lol - see my other thread!)

Anyone ever get delayed due to a snowstorm/ice, etc. before a cruise? I know the best bet would be to fly in a day beforehand, but even that doesn't guarantee anything.

(Good reason for trip insurance, too, I guess !)

 

[SuperDisneyDad]

Melrosgirl,
I understand your fear of winter delays. I'm from Mineapolis and travel a lot for business, so I deal with winter delays quite often. We always take our cruise vacations in February and have always flown in the day before. Not only does it give you extra time for delays (sometimes 24 hours of extra time), but it also cuts down on stress levels because you're not in a hurry to get there to catch the ship, and it also allows everyone in the family to be well rested. Also, you can be one of the first to get on the ship and get all your reservations squared away before the big crowds hit. In all my travels, I've never been delayed anywhere close to 24 hours to/from Minneapolis. Before I ramble on too much . . . I say January is a great time to go, but I'd try to pick a time where you can fly in the day before.

 

[Dave in the Frozen North]

Jennifer

We are coming up to our fourth cruise and we have always travelled TWO full days ahead - we fly from northern Canada through Toronto with two flights so there is 2 x the risk of weather grounding/delaying planes. The first year we just just squeezed by on the last flight out from Northern Ontario - and the second cruise we again missed a storm by a day that delayed flights for 12 hours. We fly out two days before the cruise and if weather doesn't delay us we figure we have a day and a half to enjoy WDW before the cruise - (that is SUCH a hardship). If there are delays - that gives us almost 2 1/2 day margin. Overly paranoid? Probably. but where we live I'm not takin a chance of missing a day or more of my cruise. I would always recommend giving yourself a day's advance for sure for a January and February when the winter weather can be so wild anwhere in the northern U.S. or Canada.

Dave in the Frozen North

 

[Melrosgirl]

thanks

I will most likely fly in a day early to be safe. Two cruises ago, I almost missed the ship due to airplane delays. <sigh>

Last month I took a Princess cruise and got there at noon - all ready to board! BUT the ship didn't board until 7 hours later due to custom delays. That was a long afternoon!!

Thanks!