As everyone has said thus far regarding BOGO airfare I can agree with. My husband & I went on a 15 day Med cruise April/May 2023. A few other helpful hints not yet mentioned:
Make sure when you book your cruise that your name on the booking is exactly as it is on your passport. Some people have had issues with airlines or at airport screening. (We did not and our reservation did not have our middle name while our passports do)
Understand when looking at posts about airfare (especially about upgrading seats/paying for seats/luggage) that when booked on non-familiar airlines (Azores Air for us) or non commonly used airlines from the US (ITA for us) that these things vary. ITA had 1 free checked bag per person, but we had to pay for a seat assignment and could not upgrade classes. On Azores Air, we had to pay for seat assignment AND a checked bag. Even with these fees, we still saved money with the BOGO fares.
I would echo the 1 or 2 day variation if you can. You don't want to miss the ship with a delayed or missed flight. And remember, the last port (when you disembark) does not allow for time to tour that city, so if no deviation, you would be heading directly to the airport!
Most of all - enjoy the planning! I had lots of luck with googling "What to do in [fill in the blank] for a day" - There are lots of blogs out there that are great resources!
