I am writing from the American Airlines Admirals Club at the Chicago International Airport. Got here at noon to catch a 2:15 flight to Miami. Unfortunately, due to mechanical problems the flight was cancelled and we are now booked on a 6:15 flight – a full four hours after our original departure time.

We are just heading home after a short weekend in the Windy City to celebrate a 40th birthday with some friends. But this exact same experience happens every week for cruise passengers flying to their cruise departure cities.  I can’t imagine the stress and anxiety I would feel if I knew I would be late for my cruise because of situations beyond my control.

When planning your flights for a cruise, always plan for the unexpected.  Book the earliest flights you can and even consider coming in a day early just to reduce the risk of missing your ship due to flight delays caused by inclement weather and mechanical problems. 

If flying internationally or coast to coast, go in 2 days early to acclamate to time differences from jet lag, sight seeing in your departure port, and give you a chance you collect any delayed luggage.

Finally, always buy travel insurance.  Travel insurance covers trip delay, trip interruption, and lost baggage.  This means that if you do miss your ship due to a flight delay, your insurance will help cover the cost of your additional travel expenses.

I’ll go into a lot more detail in a future blog about what I learned from this particular trip. Hopefully, my next blog will be from the comfort of my home or office and not from this lounge again in 3 hours.