I ended up on 10-day cruise without all of my luggage because of one common travel mistake

• One bad experience taught me to never try to get to my departure city on the day my cruise leaves.
• I now always plan to arrive near the port city at least one day before my cruise's departure. 
• I've experienced many flight delays, and this rule has saved me from missing at least two sailings.

I've gone on more than a dozen cruises in my life, and one of the first trips I took taught me a valuable lesson: Always arrive at your departure port early.

About 25 years ago, my family and I were flying to where our cruise would depart. Our flight was delayed, and by the time we landed in our port city, we were in a panic.

We rushed off the plane and headed to the baggage carousel, but one of our checked bags was taking too long (or maybe it never made it onto the plane). We didn't have time to wait for it if we wanted to make it onto our cruise. So, we left.

Our taxi driver drove as fast as he could and my family made it onto the ship just in time. The suitcase containing every single pair of shoes we packed didn't.

Instead of enjoying a beautiful port, I had to waste time replacing missing items

The only footwear I had for the first several days of the trip were bright-orange Birkenstocks (before they were trendy!). As an awkward preteen, I couldn't believe my luck.

The store on the ship didn't sell shoes in my size, so I had to wait until we arrived in Santorini to finally buy another pair.

I would've loved to spend the day on a shore excursion touring the historic Greek island. Instead, I was on my own personal footwear tour.

I'd never been so happy to see a plain pair of sneakers in my life by the time I'd finally found a pair of shoes that fit,

After this, I was determined never to have to experience the inconvenience of replacing necessary items while at sea again.

Now, I always plan to arrive in my departure city at least one day before embarkation

I'm older and plan my own trips now, so I arrive at least one day early to my cruise's departure city to alleviate any potential stress that flight delays or cancellations can cause.

I spend more on cruises by factoring in an additional night or two of lodging, but the buffer of extra time has made a huge difference in my travel plans over the years.

Recently, my flight to Vancouver, where I was boarding an Alaskan cruise from, was delayed for more than eight hours and finally canceled. I didn't panic while rebooking it because I still had two nights before my cruise's departure. I got a new flight and made it to my ship on time.

This year, I sailed on a cruise leaving from the East Coast. Although some people were planning to drive to the terminal the morning of our departure, I'd opted to fly down the day before.

Shortly after, a winter storm hit — my early arrival saved me from having to try to travel in it and I made it onto my cruise.

Overall, the extra cost of arriving early is well worth the peace of mind for me. Packing shoes in more than one suitcase probably isn't a bad idea, either.