Night Before or Day of Cruise Flight?

[inkkognito]

I am a compulsive planner, but since 9/11 and all the changes in airport security, my usual routine has been thrown into disarray! We do a LOT of Disney cruises and used to fly out the morning of the cruise. We never had any problems, even with the questionable weather in Chicago. But since 9/11, we have booked our flights the night before the cruise when possible and get a cheap hotel room in Orlando via Hotwire. We have done this a couple of times and have also flown out the day of the cruise a couple of times recently on flights we had already booked prior to 9/11. It has worked out fine for us both ways, but I tend to be paranoid and worry about missing the ship...all it takes is one nut with explosive residue on his shoe to shut down the airport. I am pricing tickets for our May trip (for March and April, we already have night-before arrangements). It is cheaper to go the morning of, and I could get American cheaper than ATA, which is a plus because American has more legroom. The flight is a little later than I would like, but we take Happy Limo rather than the Disney Cruise Line buses, so that will help us get to the port more promptly. I am tempted but paranoid, so I'll pose the question to you all:
Would you flight out the night before to have as much reassurance as possible that you will make it to the ship? Or would you do the morning of, knowing that everything will probably be okay but that you could miss the ship if it's not? (By the way, we don't buy trip insurance).
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[Dopeygirl]

I'd go down the night before. You've had incredible luck so far. But like you said, it only takes one nut to mess things up. If it was a really early morning flight, I'd probably say go the day of since that would give you some built-in cushion. But if something did go wrong and you missed the ship, you'd be kicking yourself for going the night before. So night-before is my vote!

 

[pbhunt]

I would vote for night before, too. When we booked our cruise last July, I never dreamed of all the changes in travel. We are flying into MCO, 3 days before our cruise, but then driving to Ft Lauderdale on the day of our (not Disney) cruise, to board the ship. If I had planned a little better we would have still had 3 days at WDW and then spent the night before near the pier.

 

[Pluto4President]

Well Barb, since you travel frequently...How much of a difference in price? Then add the hotel. I personally would fly in the morning of. May doesn't usually have too many weather delays.