We are planning a New England & Canada cruise in Oct and was wondering if anyone has experience with same day flight and embarking. We have two choices: New York (Princess) or Boston (Royal Caribbean). At LaGuardia,our flight would arrive around 11:00 am. The distance to the port is 12 miles. At Boston, the flight would arrive around 10:50 am. I do not have information as to how far it is from Logan Intnl to the port. These arrivals are assuming the flights are on time. I believe both ships leave the port around 5pm. We will be flying from Milwaukee on a nonstop flight. Has anyone had experience with arriving on the same day as the ship leaves. Is this a big gamble?? Would appreciate any advise you could give.

LGA can be notorious for delays into NYC. What airline are you flying ?? What are the later flight options if the one you are planning to take is delayed or cancelled. That should be a consideration.

In my cruising experience, I always try to arrive into embarkation city the day / night before. Too many quirks in air travel these days and flights tend to be full so finding an alternative in case of problems may be hard to do.

12 miles in NYC doesn't mean very much. How long it takes is what counts and I don't have a guess as to current traffic situations around LaGuardia. It could be easy or be a mess.
I've always hated arriving in Logan, and you never know how it will be there either.

So, first advice is choose the cruise with the best ports and longest times in ports, rather than making a choice based on airport.

Second, and most important (as Nygvic said), arrive in NYC or Boston the day before departure. Relax and be rested so you can enjoy the cruise from the minute you board.

We have cruised only three times. Once, we arrived the day before the cruise, and once we arrived several days before to do some sightseeing. We were rested, and ready to enjoy the ship, which was really great. Once we did the same day thing. Nothing went wrong, and we made it, but the whole day before and day of, we were filled with anxiety about the flight being delayed. It was exhausting. We promised ourselves that, no matter what, we will not do that again.

Third, if everything else is equal, and figuring you will be there the night before, consider which you would enjoy more: an evening in NYC or an evening in Boston. Consider it a bonus part of the trip.

Lorilynn,

If you have to fly in on the same day,(as I must this December to LAX) Boston has a better delay record than LGA.

When last I was in Boston, there was a cross harbor ferry that would get you to very near the cruise port. I you select Boston, you should check that on the air travel forum.

When I lived in Boston for 14 years, I always thought that traffic from Logan Airport was a good cure for fear of flying. One trip to or from the airport with the fierce drivers of New England would be enough to convince the most anxious flyer that driving to the plane was the far more dangerous part of the trip.

Let me second Logan to the Black Falcon Pier....it's right over the bridge which has to be less than 15 minutes. I beg you do not fly in the same day...it just isn't worth the aggravation and stress.I'm a Bostonian and with the new bridges and overpasses from Downtown Boston you will have a chance to catch your breath..and see all the wonderful positive changes that are now in the Port Area. Don't remember the name of the hotel, but there is one near the Kennedy Center that will take you right to the ship.

Thank you all for your great advise. Our travel agent advised against flying the same day and my gut feeling was that it was not a good idea but I was wondering what other people's experiences were.

After reading your responses, I think flying in a day or two ahead of the sailing is the better way to go. We've never been to Boston and this might be a good time to explore that city. Thanks again for all your input!

Always try to come in the day B4 or more to adjust but

Boston Logan is closest airport of 2 ports you mention

ships do not leave till late PM

most do fly in day of... insuremytrip.com always

wise in case u miss...

http://www.bostoncruiseguide.com/air...portation.html

Westin great value at the port betterbidding.com

www.spg.com join up for upgrades free perks upgrades.

October is a very popular time with "leaf peepers" in Boston so don't wait to make reservations.. Boston is a "walkable' city and you MUST, MUST take the Original Boston Duck Tour...Enjoy our city...whether it's theatre one night or our fabulous seafood

I would always plan to fly in at least one day before any cruise; on our Alaska cruise a few summers back there was a couple who had chosen day of flights, got stuck due to fog, missed a connection and literally flew into Vancouver as the ship was leaving. It took two days before they could connect, at their own expense and while trip insurance may have paid them back, they lost two days of a seven day vacation. That has become my measure for cruises.