Red-Eye Night Before the Cruise?

[preedymtnwest]

We (Me, DH, DS(13), DS(10)) will be flying from Seattle for the 11/21 3-day Wonder and want to take the Alaska non-stop. Cheapest flight is to leave SEA at 10:45 pm on the 20th and arrive MCO at 7:15 am on the 21st. We've never done a red-eye - any thoughts, pro or con?

The red-eye (if on-time) would put us at the port right around 10:00 am, ready to check in and get onboard (and take a nap before the drill? ).

Our other option is to leave SEA at 8:45 am on the 20th and get to MCO at 5:15 pm on the 20th, then stay near the port. This would cost $400-$550 more (for all four), depending on our return flight, plus hotel on Saturday night.

Any experience or input would be appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[szubieta]

We did the red-eye once and I didn't sleep at all. I had DH on one side and a stranger (man) on the other. They both snored as did a lot of other people. Granted I have insomia anyway and have never been able to sleep in an airplane. DH slept the whole way but took a nap as soon as we got on-board the ship. He didn't care for it either. We vowed never to do that again.

 

[Grammy4Lizzy]

I have done the red eye twice and will never do again. We fly into MCO and then book a room at the Hyatt through priceline. Then we actually sleep (except for the time they gave us a 3:00 am wake up call)
We are relaxed and rested then.

 

[kcashner]

Is there any way you could do the red eye a day earlier? That way you could get a hotel room (either near MCO or near the port) and catch up on your sleep before the cruise. My concern is that you will be tired and will basically lose one day of what's already a 2 1/2 day cruise catching up on your sleep.

The other thought...late dinner would work great as "late" EST is probably close to "normal" for west coast guests.

 

[nzdisneymom]

We've red-eyed several times and are just beat the day we arrive. I can doze but never fully sleep because my children are too entertained by the inflight entertainment systems and don't sleep, and DH can't sleep because generally he's across the aisle with strangers on him. We are red-eyeing to London next week but have a two-two configuration for the trip so we will be sitting only with each other, so I hope we'll find it easier to rest / sleep. When we red-eyed and cruised in 2007, it took us three days before we felt "normal" again. This time we'll have the three days in London before sailing. But if we were red-eyeing for a 3 night cruise, we'd feel like we lost the whole trip just adjusting.

The other thing is that we don't like to arrive day-of the cruise because if there are flight delays or cancellations, that could make you miss the whole cruise. Like someone else mentioned, see if you can red-eye the day before for the lower fare and then just get a room near the port... even at $100 for the room or transportation to the port from the airport, it's less than the $400 extra you'd take for the other flight

 

[preedymtnwest]

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions! Looks like it's running pretty unanimous for no red-eye, or at least an earlier one. Yes, the time change always throws me anyway - much easier to go west than east! That's why I'm so excited that the Wonder is coming to our coast soon - booked a KSF MR for next February! A quick 2.5 hour flight to LA and right onto the boat. Ahhhhh....

 

[cats mom]

I have one DD who begs to take the red eye whenever we fly from the West Coast to FL (several times that's actually been the only option because she's so over scheduled) Whenever I do book her on a red eye, I send DH with her since he sleeps the entire flight anyway, no matter when it is. Personally I take a daytime flight with the sensible members of my family.

You don't want to cut flight times too close though. One trip I scheduled DD on a red eye from Las Vegas. Weather shouldn't be a concern Vegas to Orlando... right? Wrong! The pilot got delayed in a snow storm back east somewhere and the flight that was supposed to get in at 7am didn't land until about 10:30am. We made the cruise, but it was a rather stressful morning.

Good luck with your decision and your planning.

 

[Caropooh]

Hey neighbor! We'll normally do a red-eye if we are going to WDW only because we don't want to lose a whole day flying. Taking the red-eye and flying in the morning of the cruise is just too risky IMO, especially in November. There's always that chance of weather delays! Also, it's going to take your bodies awhile to adjust. Your DH won't be able to take a nap until you get into your cabin around 1:30. I would fly in the day before and get a hotel room.

 

[poohluv2u]

We have done that same flight almost exclusively when flying to Orlando and plan on using it again on our upcoming cruise. However we are doing it to arrive the day before cruising, it lands around 7am and by the time we take ME to our hotel it is around 9am, we've always been lucky enough to not have long of a wait to get into our room. We take a nap for a couple of hours and then head out to the park by noon, sometimes it is hard to wake up, but after moving around for a while we feel rested. We are usually ready to hit the sack by midnight which brings us right in line with east coast time. (On day flights we've sometimes been awake till 4 in the morning after arriving in Orlando) Next day we head out early to our cruise fully rested.

DH usually sleeps on the plane, and I have been known to doze off but generally speaking I can't sleep on a plane. I just don't think I am geared to sleep sitting up. This flight time works for us .. and we don't even drink caffeine

 

[Tower]

I don't mind a red-eye flight as I already work really strange hours in my home office. I can usually sleep anywhere I lay my hat. The challenge, of course, is the kiddies and DW. Always remember if Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.

The other thing is that we don't like to arrive day-of the cruise because if there are flight delays or cancellations, that could make you miss the whole cruise.

Very true. I'd rather be early than late. Would not want to arrive at port only to see the ship sailing away without us. (When we were departing from St. Thomas, other passengers saw a couple or trio in a panicked run to make it to the ship, but it had already cast off! It's already uncomfortable in the middle of the cruise, but to miss it before you even start it is really crappy!

 

[pluto1979]

If I were you I would want to make sure that I got there a full day prior to the cruise so that in case of inclement weather or other unseen problems that may jump up, you will have time to get there. I would rather get there early instead of being to late and running around to make the cruise or not getting there at all.

Good luck and have a WONDERful cruise!

 

[preedymtnwest]

We have done that same flight almost exclusively when flying to Orlando and plan on using it again on our upcoming cruise. However we are doing it to arrive the day before cruising, it lands around 7am and by the time we take ME to our hotel it is around 9am, we've always been lucky enough to not have long of a wait to get into our room. We take a nap for a couple of hours and then head out to the park by noon, sometimes it is hard to wake up, but after moving around for a while we feel rested. We are usually ready to hit the sack by midnight which brings us right in line with east coast time. (On day flights we've sometimes been awake till 4 in the morning after arriving in Orlando) Next day we head out early to our cruise fully rested.

DH usually sleeps on the plane, and I have been known to doze off but generally speaking I can't sleep on a plane. I just don't think I am geared to sleep sitting up. This flight time works for us .. and we don't even drink caffeine

Great info - thanks! I've been trying to figure out how to fit in some park time (we're going to VB afterwards - parks will be crowded) and we'd save a little using DVC points to stay onsite rather than at the port. Nice to know it's doable to have a few hours in the park if we took the red-eye a day early. And yes, getting there later if there were any delays would be stressful! The non-stop is nice for that, but we have been known to get fogged in here in Seattle in the winter...

I definitely think I would have a hard time sleeping, and couldn't count on the kids even trying. But kind of forcing the time change adjustment by going a day ahead sounds great.

Thanks again to everyone who weighed in!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Is there any way you could do the red eye a day earlier? That way you could get a hotel room (either near MCO or near the port) and catch up on your sleep before the cruise. My concern is that you will be tired and will basically lose one day of what's already a 2 1/2 day cruise catching up on your sleep.

The other thought...late dinner would work great as "late" EST is probably close to "normal" for west coast guests.

This would be my vote too. Vacations are not so fun when you're sleep-deprived.