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When flying interstate or internationally, the usual advice is to arrive the day before your cruise. But with hotel costs rising, many travellers choose to fly on embarkation day instead, hoping there are no delays, cancellations or lost luggage.

Let me share two stories that show how trying to save money can end up costing more, and why two days is sensible in some situations.

In Spain, I had just completed a week-long walk of the Camino de Santiago, arriving in Bilbao before I was due in Scotland for a cruise on Friday. My Thursday flight would get me there the night before, but it was cancelled while I was standing in the check-in line. The staff vanished, and EasyJet's helpline went unanswered, leaving me no choice but to buy another ticket at last-minute prices.

The problem was no other airlines serviced Edinburgh. I had to fly to London, pay for a hotel, and catch a five-hour train at 6am the next morning. I made it to the port, but the stress wasn't worth it, and I never even saw my Edinburgh hotel.

On the way to my last cruise, my flight to Bali arrived late at 1am. I got to my hotel at 2am, and the transfer to the ship in Sorong was at 5am. It was a grumpy start to the trip. I would've loved an extra day to explore and get a good sleep.

Last week, I started planning a cruise in Europe. Because of the recent aviation chaos, I wanted to arrive several days early, so I turned to the People Like Us home-exchange site. For a membership fee of $248, accommodation is effectively free, staying in beautiful houses, houseboats, converted churches and castles.