Happy Halloween & last day of October! It also happens to be the last day of #ChooseCruise month, and today I’m sharing a very important reminder when cruising.
Just like heading to the airport, we must plan ahead for cruise departures. But when our cruise is leaving from a far-off destination, it takes a little more time effort to prepare. What do I mean? Well, I’m talking why you should arrive for your cruise at least one day ahead of sailing! Why? So, so many reasons why! That’s what I want to talk about today. 

I’ve put together a list of a few of the most important reasons why you should fly in a day or two before your cruise. If you’re planning to cruise soon, you’ll definitely want to keep reading!

Delayed Flights
I was recently on a flight to Miami sitting next to a very sweet, yet frantic lady. Our flight was due to depart from Dallas by 7:15am and arrive in Miami around 11am. However, it was 11am Texas time, and our flight was just taking off. That meant we wouldn’t land in Miami until 3pm. So why was this woman freaking out? Well, she was catching a cruise to the Caribbean set to sail at 4pm—the same day! I’ll never know if she made it or not, but if I were betting, I’d bet not. Unfortunately for her, she didn’t take flight delays into account when planning for her cruise departure, something I am always very adamant that my clients should plan for. Don’t take the chance on a flight delay—you will NOT want to watch your ship sailing away while you’re coming in for landing!
 
Delayed Luggage
Almost as bad as missing your ship all together due to flight delays is delayed luggage! Flying in the same day as your cruise departs adds in another stressor—if your bags are delayed, how will you get them if you are in the middle of the high seas?! You won’t. Or you won’t until a later port, IF you book flights with the cruise line. 
 
More Sightseeing
Arriving a day or two ahead of embarkation gives you time to explore your departure port. If you’re flying in, chances are you haven’t been to the departure port area before, and this would be a great chance to get in some extra sightseeing. Departure ports such as Seattle, LA, Miami, and more are chockfull of sights to see that could take up a whole vacation but mark a few musts off your list by arriving a couple of days ahead.
 
Less Stress
No one wants to start their cruise by actually missing it. All in all, arriving to your departure port at least one day ahead of sailing eliminates so much stress! Without having to worry about delayed flights, rushing the day of your cruise, or other travel mishaps, you’ll be able to take your time, breathe easier, and state your vacation on a stress-free note! Which is the whole point to a vacation, right? To relieve stress!
 
These are great and very important reasons to arrive for your cruise vacation early, and I truly hope you’ll take my advice! Don’t be that lady sitting next to me on the plane! Are there any other reasons you’d add to the list? Or do you have your own horror story to share that we can all learn from? I’d love to hear!