60 replies to this topic

[DandyDon]

I have always arrived the night before for cruises, but Windjammer has a cheap deal for doing so. For this liveaboard - especially for winter travel, I would not want to be arriving on the last flight in before departure, so I guess arriving Exuma on Friday would be prudent.

I did consider arriving FLL as late as possible on Friday, then on to Exuma early Saturday, as I'd be out of the reach of winter travel problems, but that adds $129 to the current fare as Stop-Overs so often do. I might talk the airline out of that with the "Last flight in, first flight out" rule I used on my previous preferred airline, but I don't know Continental's policies?

Yeah, I guess arriving Exuma on Friday would be wise, and I have no idea what this Dallas overnight talk is about?

HELLO LADIES...?? What do y'all think about arriving there Friday, a special at a local hotel, etc...??

[WreckWench]

HELLO LADIES...?? What do y'all think about arriving there Friday, a special at a local hotel, etc...??

If everyone wanted to arrive early I'm sure we could have a ball!

Anyone else up for getting in early??

[DandyDon]

HELLO LADIES...?? What do y'all think about arriving there Friday, a special at a local hotel, etc...??

If everyone wanted to arrive early I'm sure we could have a ball!

Anyone else up for getting in early??

Yeah, it's looking more and more like the thing to do. If one missed the last flight in on Saturday, then came in Sunday, the boat will be gone, and it'd be tough to catch up to it. Cruises stop at the next port, liveaboards normally do not.

Looks foolish to try to arrive on the last flight Saturday in winter. For a Blackbeards the same week once, some ppl tried to do that, and they made it, but their gear did not.

Edited by DandyDon, 14 March 2007 - 02:52 PM.

[shadragon]

Having had my share of delays and lost bags over the years, arriving in the Bahamas a day early is a no-brainer. I can sleep in Saturday, have a nice breakfast, go for a dip in the pool and do a bit of souvenir shopping. Then have a late lunch and make my way over to the boat at a leisurely pace. That is why they call it vacation.

Just need to find a decent hotel with King beds and we are good to go...

[finGrabber]

anyway, I, of course, can help with any arrangements you may need

Excellent! I really enjoy the slight scent of lavender on my bed linen with an extra pillow. Breakfast in bed each day, of course. Two poached eggs (medium) with toast, sausage and bacon along with the stock section of the Financial Post. Latte with extra foam and gentle shake of cinnamon on top, two sugars. Having a pressed T-shirt and swim suit ready each day at the foot of the bunk would be great. Pre-warmed, soft fluffy towel waiting for me after each dive. Tall glass of freshly squeezed orange juice after I strip off the gear with a jug of ice water waiting in the shade. Chocolate chip cookies for an afternoon snack, but if you want to substitute a Danish instead on occasion... Well, I am only human...

No need to string the hammock until after dinner. Then the gentle melodic strains of a Brahms symphony as I swing back and forth for sunset during the week. On weekends Pink Floyd - Pulse...

Oh, and I will PM you later about the flight.

Must you have Pink Floyd? I"m pretty sure I don't have that particular album/CD in my collection

[DandyDon]

Having had my share of delays and lost bags over the years, arriving in the Bahamas a day early is a no-brainer. I can sleep in Saturday, have a nice breakfast, go for a dip in the pool and do a bit of souvenir shopping. Then have a late lunch and make my way over to the boat at a leisurely pace. That is why they call it vacation.

Just need to find a decent hotel with King beds and we are good to go...

Yeah, you'll still have those who say I caaaaaan't be there Friday but it is a no brainer. Nonetheless, I have seen diving professionals who did it, without carry on luggage. Arriving at the liveaboard just before departure, nothing in hand, no time to shop, borrowing whatever they could find onboard.

And with ppl coming from all over, there will be a storm somewhere that delays somebody even tho not everyone. Just good insurance to arrive the day before. We'll have to refer to those who refuse as the No Brainers

Kamala, get us a Friday night hotel and party please...??

[shadragon]

Must you have Pink Floyd? I'm pretty sure I don't have that particular album/CD in my collection

Darn... I guess we will have to go with something you do have... Something with a beat you can dance too perhaps...?

Glad the rest is 'doable'...

[ScubaTex]

Arriving a day early would be the prudent thing to do. It would allow time for shopping and getting Comfortably Numb.

Maybe Fingrabber can come up with accomodations for Fri. night.

[WreckWench]

Sounds like we will need to add the Friday in advance for those who can get the extra day off. We'll work on it for people as this meshes out.

Keep letting us know who is interested! Thanks! -ww

[DandyDon]

Arriving a day early would be the prudent thing to do. It would allow time for shopping and getting Comfortably Numb.

Maybe Fingrabber can come up with accomodations for Fri. night.

Yeah, totally. It didn't hit me when I first looked at the flights, altho that has always been my stand: "If you gotta be there today, you shoulda flown in yesterday" and I've done it that way for the rare cruises and liveaboads since 20 yrs ago that I can remember. For anyone in the Fort Lauderdale area who will not be affected by winter storms and could book on an earlier flight - ok, that'd probly work. But for anyone who would be flying in from anywhere that does have winter weather, don't try arriving on Saturday. Further, for anyone who would have to arrive on the last flight in for any reason, replan - as it's just too iffy.

The side conversation did throw me. WreckWench likes to say that I'm not into dating and prefer being single, regardless of how many times I've told her that is not true at all - but I am kinda focus minded I guess.

Edited by DandyDon, 14 March 2007 - 08:13 PM.

[ScubaHawk]

I'm in, but I really should work Friday night and head out early Sat morning. Plus you know I have any tunes needed.

[DandyDon]

I'm in, but I really should work Friday night and head out early Sat morning. Plus you know I have any tunes needed.

Have you looked at the flights yet? Expeida.com lists a few airlines serving Omaha to GGT, but I don't completely trust those shopping sites, so I also went to the airlines...

Continental.com: A couple of the fares for the 4pm arrival thru Miami are absurd, but they could get you there by way of FLL cheaper by 7:15pm. They have an earlier flight FLL to GTT that arrives at 2pm, but you can't get to FLL early enough.

Delta.com seems to have one itinerary a day that arrives at 1.30pm, for $150 more than Continental at 7.15pm.

American, Northwest, Frontier and United don't really fly the route, but Expedia was going to get you out on them, then in on Continental - but with an overnight along the way - pretty lame.

So, if you shoot for the 7.15pm arrival with the more prudent fare, and winter weather delays you much at all, neither of those airlines could get you there until the Sunday afternoon. They might ask Bahamaair to take you over at noon the next day. I can just see Kamala delaying the boat and divers for 8, 10, even 12 hours.

While I appreciate your ambition of wanting to work Friday night, based on this information - that would be a big risk for December travel, unless y'all can find a better back-up plan? And since this is a discussion thread, I wanted to offer those details for you and any others who may think they want to chance it.

I'm certainly not going to try it, but I would neither want to hold the boat and miss a whole day, nor leave anyone behind. All that said, looking forward to finally meeting you and all.

[shadragon]

Arriving a day early would be the prudent thing to do. It would allow time for shopping and getting Comfortably Numb.

Maybe Fingrabber can come up with accomodations for Fri. night.

Well, I don't drink so I suspect I will just sit on the patio with you guys and Breathe in the Air.

Edited by shadragon, 15 March 2007 - 05:00 AM.

[ScubaHawk]

I'm in, but I really should work Friday night and head out early Sat morning. Plus you know I have any tunes needed.

Have you looked at the flights yet? Expeida.com lists a few airlines serving Omaha to GGT, but I don't completely trust those shopping sites, so I also went to the airlines...

Continental.com: A couple of the fares for the 4pm arrival thru Miami are absurd, but they could get you there by way of FLL cheaper by 7:15pm. They have an earlier flight FLL to GTT that arrives at 2pm, but you can't get to FLL early enough.

Delta.com seems to have one itinerary a day that arrives at 1.30pm, for $150 more than Continental at 7.15pm.

American, Northwest, Frontier and United don't really fly the route, but Expedia was going to get you out on them, then in on Continental - but with an overnight along the way - pretty lame.

So, if you shoot for the 7.15pm arrival with the more prudent fare, and winter weather delays you much at all, neither of those airlines could get you there until the Sunday afternoon. They might ask Bahamaair to take you over at noon the next day. I can just see Kamala delaying the boat and divers for 8, 10, even 12 hours.

While I appreciate your ambition of wanting to work Friday night, based on this information - that would be a big risk for December travel, unless y'all can find a better back-up plan? And since this is a discussion thread, I wanted to offer those details for you and any others who may think they want to chance it.

I'm certainly not going to try it, but I would neither want to hold the boat and miss a whole day, nor leave anyone behind. All that said, looking forward to finally meeting you and all.

I do appreciate it - and haven't started to look into things yet. I don't HAVE to work Friday, but it is my biggest money night. For air travel, I have this hot travel agent I always use.

[DandyDon]

I do appreciate it - and haven't started to look into things yet. I don't HAVE to work Friday, but it is my biggest money night. For air travel, I have this hot travel agent I always use.

Great, I'd be interested in any other itineraries s/he may find after I tried. Amazing how much of my computer time is inspired from curiosity.

I think there will be a common desire among us to fly in on Saturday. I've been stuck and delayed by storms, rerouted thru various airports, tracked lost luggage for days, altho my bed experiences have been minimized by planning for what-ifs and back-up plans. I have seen people affected more, some severely.

And WreckWench may present alternatives once she has time to work with the Operator. The Op may have a standard procedure for meeting late arrivals at Long Island LGI airport? With 5-1/2 days of diving, tho - hate to see anyone miss one.

Glad to see the Explorer does have Nitrox - not all boats do.