21st October 2018 Travel from Eugene to Orlando and transfer to Cocoa Beach.

We arrived at Eugene Airport to checkin for our flight having got our seats for both flights last night.  It was an easy drive of 25 minutes from the hotel. 

The airlines representative began to book us in but said despite the tickets which we held she couldn’t check our luggage through, we would need to collect at Phoenix and then pass through security and re check and with short changeover, we may not make our flight from Phoenix to  Orlando and should contact our travel agent/ Expedia.  She said there was nothing she could do despite us having seat passes for both flights. 

we were angry and in a quandary but checked on line. There were no suitable American that Airlines flights so booked United from Phoenix to San Francisco and then the red-eye from SanFrancisco departing late and arriving in Orlando at 6.15am on morning of 22nd October , the day of the cruise. 

Not ideal but assuming all goes well then we get to Orlando, having changed our transfer arrangements  , arrive at Cocoa Beach at 8.00am.

We enjoy the first 2 hour flight from Eugene to Phoenix, then go to collect our luggage.  Our flight from Phoenix to Orlando was delayed but we wouldn’t have made it.  So we catch the train from Terminal 4 to terminal 2/3 and then get a lift.

Subsequently we find out that we could have made the American Airlines flight as it was delayed ( we wonder why?).  But United worked well, we slept a little but arrived in Orlando our driver was there at the luggage carousel And we had a quick uneventful transfer to our hotel.

Relieved to be in a Cocoa Beach and excited as to the cruise with boarding due at 12.30pm.

We contact the family, they come to us at 10.45am.  All very exciting.