I am really worried now as our flight is due in to EWR at 12.30 (on a Tuesday)and our cruise leaves the New York passenger terminal at 4pm. Will we make it on time? We can't change our flights as they are non-refundable. Does anyone have any good advice?

I wish I had good advice - if flight is on time, you are OK. But there is not much room for error in this schedule - if the flight is as little as an hour late, you may very well have a problem.

Non-refundable does not always mean non-refundable. Check with the airline. Depending on code, airline, etc it could mean pay $100 to change it or it could mean get a credit which must be used within a year.

No one credible is going to promise you that you will make the cruise on time - too many things could go wrong.

With the least bit of weather or air traffic jams, you are cutting it close -- too close.

If your flight gets in at 12:30, it will be at least 1:15 before you get your luggage. Getting to the cruise ship by 2:15 -- best case scenario.

I would fly in the night before, stay at a hotel near the airport (not that expensive) -- there are free shuttles from the airport to many hotels in the area.

Quite often you can pay $50-$100 and change the flight. I would definitely look into that if I were you. Just last month my daughter's flight was delayed by nine hours because one of the airport along the way had to be evacuated for two hours for terrorist threat. If the US Immigration is slow which is the most of the time, and as you know the lines for non-residents are long, or if there's one serious accident on a highway, you've had it. Pay the fee and come in one day early. Then you can start your cruise relaxed.

As eveyone has pointed out you simply don't have enough time - too many chances for a delay that will cause you to miss your cruise. Take Budman's advice and fly in the night before or at the very least change your flight to an early morning arrival. Although your tickets are non-refundable you can change them for a fee (usually $100 Per ticket). People do that all the time.

Another reason to go the night before -- I like to board at the very beginning of the embarkation period. That way, you don't have to wait for all the crowds at the last minute. You get on board, get situated in your stateroom, get your bearings, get something to eat, grab a drink, tour the ship, and go up on deck, relax, and watch it sail away!!

Have a fun, relaxing cruise, and report back and share your experiences.

Show up at the airport early. Like before the previous flight if there is one and ask to be put on standby. Then there will be no penalty. Of course if there isn't one or its full you may have a problem. Hope you make it.

Just a recommendation for the future. We always fly in the day before. It avoids all that wory.

alih:
Did Celebrity book these flights for you? If so, they WILL make sure you get to the ship.

Just wondering and hoping for your sake that they did.

Good luck and enjoy your cruise.

I think she is going on Carnival.

OOPS!
Did Carnival book your air, ALIH?
(Guess my own cruise is on my mind, Budman...)

You picked a great cruise line, Cruiser.

There might not be a charge to change to an earlier flight as long as space is available. Last year for our Alaskan cruise we flew round trip to Seattle. Our ship disembarked in Vancouver and we arranged to take the NCL chartered bus back to Seattle for our return flight. Not knowing how long all this would take, I booked a late evening flight out of Seattle months ahead when I found a great rate on the AA website.


When I realized how long the bus ride would be, PLUS the fact that we would be one of the first off the ship that morning, I began to think about the long wait in the Seattle terminal for our flight home.

I called AA the morning we docked (from the ship...our cell phone worked great!) and asked 1) if there was an earlier flight and 2) could we switch. The answer was, yes, yes, but we would have to arrange it when we actually got to Seattle. We did and left Seattle about 1:30. The only thing they couldn't promise was the connecting flight out of Dallas (to Little Rock). We lucked out and found seats on that flight too and so we got to LR before we were even supposed to leave Seattle originally!! We bought the cheapest seats we could find but there was no charge for the changes.

You 'can but try'! Good luck!!!

The issue of getting an earlier flight may not be possible - if I remember from your other posts, you are coming from Ireland. Does this mean you also have to clear customs and immigration?

However, it is correct that almost all the time an airline will let you on an earlier flight on a standby basis without extra charge.

All this said, as others have said to you here and in response to your other posts - DO NOT DO THIS - you have to find a way to come on an earlier flight/day.

Coming from Ireland, you clear immigration at the airport in Ireland, so in Newark you head straight for the luggage, but then you have to clear Customs.

I would still try to come in the day before, if at all possible.

Thanks for all the info. I am desperately trying to change our flights with no luck so far. I will let you know how I get on. Thanks again.
Alison

One more thing. If there is absolutely no chance of changing, I would 1) try to carry everything in the maximum carry-on(s) allowed (we always pack too much anyway and you can always buy something on the ship or in port) and 2) I would canvas the plane on the way over, explaining my dilemma, and try to be the first one(s) off when the door opened! The time saved might make the difference!!
Good luck to you!!

I live in Europe and fly into Newark two or three times a year. In my experience, even with a long line at immigration, it never takes longer than an hour to get through immigration, get your baggage and get through customs. It generally takes less than an hour. I am a US citizen and so go through the US citizen line at immigration, you may have a longer wait as I believe you are Irish citizens, but even if it does, I believe you will easily make your sailing.

Even if you get in the taxi as late as 3 pm (i.e., it takes you 2.5 hours to get through customs and immigration, IMO, highly unlikely), you can make it to the pier in Manhattan from Newark in less than 30 minutes, baring an accident on the roadways.

If you want to give yourself the maximum time, I would arrange for the car service. That way, you won't have to wait in any line for a taxi, and the driver will know your destination ahead of time and won't be guessing on how to get to the pier.

IMO people are being a bit alarmist. I believe their experienced is also based on flying into Newark on a domestic flight, and possibly a domestic flight with a connection. Domestic US flights, esp those with connections, can be delayed. That is not the case with international flights, where your plane only makes one trip a day and is waiting for you.

Cicerone - I actually agree with your calculations, etc. But missing a cruise is obviously not being late for dinner - they don't wait. It could work just fine, and percentages say it would - but too much to lose and too many steps along the way that things could go wrong - even a random thunderstorm could screw up NY roads in a major way.