Q: Just booked our first Caribbean cruise and need to settle an argument. We live near San Diego on the West Coast and the ship sails from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. My spouse says we should fly there the same morning, because departure isn’t until 4 pm.

I disagree, because anything can happen to delay our flight, and we could get there too late. What do you think?  BLR, San Diego CA

A: You’re absolutely right! If you try to fly the same day as boarding, there are too many stressful possibilities, including cancellations, weather delays and other problems. Also, realize that if you miss the sailing, you may not recover the non-refundable prepayment for the cruise.

Keep in mind that the time zone difference between California and Florida is three hours, so you’d probably have to get a very early a.m. flight out of San Diego on a same-day arrival in port schedule.

We recommend you fly in a day early and book a hotel room near the departure port. Consider the money well spent for peace of mind, so you may then fully enjoy your cruise.