It will certainly be a vacation to remember. I hope the fun outweighs the flight.

I don't like airports and flying anyway, even without all that.

That's too bad but hopefully they'll leave it behind, mentally and emotionally. Weather-caused delays and problems are to be expected this time of year, the airlines can only do so much. Atlanta seems to have freeze and snow events most years so that was just the bad luck of timing, not a freak event so much. Direct flights are always best when available.

A trouble free trip is never to be expected. Some things can be done to reduce the likelihood of problems (like leaving a day early, not enough in this case). No matter what happens, no hassles and inconveniences (and I've had many) have ever made me think that it's better to stay home than take a trip. It's always worth it.

Ha ha they were getting on that ship!

Well, I happily wear clothes from WALMART. Gasp! Shudder! How HORRIBLE to have to wear WALMART clothes!!!

Seriously - how condescending. I guarantee you a LOT of KTers shop at, and wear clothing from Walmart. There's NOTHING wrong with their clothes!

What an awful experience, being trapped on a plane on the ground. No room to stretch your legs, and all the other discomforts of being squished in a small space with lots of other people. Sure would have been easier if the airline had just let them off the first time they returned to the terminal. I admire their resilience, determined to enjoy the rest of their trip!

Oh the Walmart thing -- the way I took it, a shopping trip for all new clothes sounded so spontaneous, carefree and luxurious! but then it was to an ordinary store. Not a 'bad' store, just an 'everyday' ordinary store. So I LOL'd.

What an adventure! I sure hope they`re having great weather and a fun time.

Wow! I hope their vacation is extra special to make up for the hassle of getting there.

For being such a big Airport, Atlanta has a lot of problems. My husband was stuck there, too on Friday. They actually let people go off the plane to go to the food court. He made it home with 5 hours delay. His flight was about the last one in Greenville, SC though. They closed the airport after he arrived. Just a little snow is a big deal around here. I hope your daughter and her husband really get their belongings in Jamaica.

Did the cruise wear they'd chosen for the trip make it to Jamaica?

I don't know who would choose a whole wardrobe from Walmart for a nice cruise.

I’m glad they made it to the ship on time! What a headache.

Imstillchloecat - I'm not knocking WM clothes. What I meant was that they were frugal with their purchases -- spending perhaps $100 total rather than $100 an outfit if they shopped at, say, Nordstroms -- and for what they spent, hopefullyl they can be reimbursed that $100 or so. Some people WOULD have taken advantage of the airline by buying clothes that they would not normally purchase. Hey, I wear WM clothes too -- I like their jeans and all of my underwear comes from there.

Chisue -- with the hope that their stuff will get there, they didn't purchase a whole other wardrobe but just things to get them by for a few days until hopefully they get their luggage!

What a pain! Unfortunately, that's part of traveling. Fortunately, reaching the destination is the reward!

Luckily, they can buy essentials (undies, toiletries) and even clothing on the cruise ship if what they bought at Walmart isn't enough or for some reason their luggage doesn't meet up with them. They could also buy some cute things in port and call them souvenirs of the trip. I'm weird that way; if I had to go shopping and buy all new stuff I'd be in hog heaven. But, I like to shop - not everyone does. :-)

Martha, a few years ago friends of mine were taking one of the coastal Meditteranean cruises with another couple. There happened to be a freak and crippling snowstorm over much of Europe that day. They knew before leaving Seattle it would be iffy but decided to risk it - then wished they hadn't. I don't remember all the details but with flights and changing planes delays, they missed their ship. They caught up with it in another port city and boarded but their luggage did not. It was a smaller Italian cruise line with not much shopping on board, and she had no makeup, no hair care products, casual shoes, one change of underwear in her carryon. One of her traveling companions had packed a medication in his luggage the ships doctor couldn't duplicate. I'm sure she handled the inconveniences with a lot more grace than I would have, but I've never heard her say she'd like to go again.

I'm really glad to read your daughter appears to be having fun.

Winter travel can be dicey. One year our flight was changed to later in the morning the next day. All night we received robocalls on our phones explaining the change.

I was thrilled that we did get out. We did miss a scheduled domestic plane at our destination, but luckily we worked around it. An adventure for sure.

All is well, that ends well. They are there now enjoying themselves.

Well, anything can happen when there you mix bad weather and air travel. I’m happy they made the best of it and got to their ship in time (and to shop) and to make the cruise.

Bravo for their shopping frugally! When you don’t know for sure if the airlines will reimburse you, that was wise IMO. Why worry about spending hundreds of dollars when it doesn’t matter in the long run. I don’t understand the negative comments.

With their attitude, I feel that this will be one of those stories that they will enjoy telling . . . I admire their solution to their problem rather than sit in the airport and moan and groan and wonder if and when they would get out the next day, they took the matter in their own hands and got to the ship in time.

Years ago when we were still just dating, my now wife and I were traveling to a family reunion for her family in Rhode Island, we flew into Boston, where she had gone to college, and met up with a college friend of hers, and went to some of their old hangout spots in Boston. We got back to the car to go to her sister's place for the night and found that the car trunk had been jimmied open and all of our luggage was gone.

Since it wasn't just matter of waiting for the airline to deliver the bags, we had to get everything we'd need for the entire week on Block Island. The next morning her sister took us to a local store named "Spags" that made Walmart, K-mart, or even Odd Lots seem upscale by comparison.

The only good thing that came from it is since it was the first time I was meeting any of her family which would normally make me very nervous, I instantly had something to talk about with them.

I often find that when things go slightly wrong with travel, it can make for the best stories, I'm glad they found a way to make it end up working.