Why Arriving A Day Early To Your Cruise Port Could Save Your Entire Vacation

Taking a cruise involves some planning, like deciding what to pack, whether to choose an inside cabin or one with a balcony, and getting to your departure city on time. That last one might seem straightforward, but you may want to consider getting there at least a day early if you don't want to have your cruise vacation potentially ruined. Sure, there is an extra cost involved if you stay overnight, but there are some really good reasons to do it anyway. Many cruises depart from their port in the afternoon, so if you're trying to save money, you may choose to drive or fly in early in the morning, even taking a red eye to do so. However, if there are any delays, whether it's because of weather, or you miss the flight, you're out of luck. The ship isn't going to wait for you, and the boarding cut off time may be more than an hour before the actual departure time. 

Another issue that may come up is your luggage not arriving at the same time you do. If you have an extra day, you have time to report it missing and to get back to the airport when it shows up. If it doesn't make it, you also have time to replace your items before the ship leaves if you have an extra day in the port city so you don't have to do so on the ship where prices may be higher. 

It's a good idea to look into weather conditions across the country before you book your port city flight. If you're flying in the winter, for instance, a snow storm in the middle of the country can affect you even if you're flying from Los Angeles to Florida.

If you're flying overseas or taking a really long flight, you may even want to give yourself another day. First, you can spend a little time exploring the city your ship is leaving from and make that part of your vacation. Second, it can give you some time to get over your jet lag. You can actually use jet lag to your advantage before the cruise by tiring yourself out all day if you land early for a good night's sleep, or sleep in as much as you can the next morning if you land at night. 

Of course, the extra cost may be prohibitive, but you can save money while actually on the cruise by planning your own excursions on shore. Even things like booking a spa treatment on shore rather than doing it on the ship itself can help. Typically, a cruise ship isn't going to give you a refund if you miss the departure, so the extra money you spend on a hotel for the night is cheaper than being out the cost of the cruise when you're left on the dock.