Airfare

[pisces0318]

Do you book on your own or through NCL? I always see the option to include airfare when I do my search and wondered if the prices we better through them.

[Cubechick]

Do you book on your own or through NCL? I always see the option to include airfare when I do my search and wondered if the prices we better through them.

 

Generally the prices are better booking the airfare on your own.

 

But it doesn't hurt to see what NCL offers!

[Music City]

Do you book on your own or through NCL? I always see the option to include airfare when I do my search and wondered if the prices we better through them.

 

No, never. It's just too easy to use Internet search engines to watch and find decent airfares. If you are planning in advance you can go to yapta.com, download their software and then tag flights you want them to watch. Whenever the price goes down you will get an email alert. You will be amazed how airfares fluctuate wildly on a daily basis.

 

I can watch Southwest fares and book them too easily to pay way too much through the cruise lines. I will book other airlines if they have some speical pricing, but only if they have some really good deals.

[NMLady]

We've done it both ways, depending on the cost of the cruise line airfare and the cost we can find by using Orbitz, Travelocity, etc.

For our coming cruise in September, when we booked the cruise last January airfare through NCL was about the same price as what we found online so we booked air through NCL since it included transfers (one of which is from London to Dover). We later paid an air deviation fee and difference in airfare so that air is from our closest airport rather than from a gateway 300 miles away. It was still a good price.

After the volcano in Iceland we're happy we booked air through NCL since at that time those who booked air through the cruiseline were helped by the cruiseline in getting hotel and getting new flights.

 

The downside to booking through any cruise line is that you don't get to choose carriers, connecting times, etc. unless you pay extra for air deviation.

[Sauer-kraut]

I agree with NMLady, usually if I'm flying to/from a domestic port I'll just book my own air. I have miles I can use and sometimes might be able to use a friend's buddy pass. However, international is a bit of a problem. I am on the same cruise as NMLady and I sat down and figured out how much the ground tranpsortation from Heathrow to Dover would be via train, bus and hired car. I figured at the cheapest that the bus would work, but it is about a 4 hour trip. The train was about 1.5 hours and of course the hired car would have been nice because we could stop and load up on sodas to bring on board, but the cost was prohibitive.

 

After searching for lower airfares the prices that NCL was quoting INCLUDING all ground transfers to Dover and from Port Canavaral to Orlando it worked out almost cheaper than what I could get on line at that time. Also, I thought the hassle of having to drag luggage to either the tube or train or the bus stop after 8 hours of flying with 2 others that have never flown internationally and get them all straight it just wasn't worth the trouble. At least there should be some meeting point (I hope) and we will have luggage on the bus and hopefully loaded by the driver instead of stowing things ourselves.

 

It pays to look around but you have to factor in the convenience points as well.

[Wingtips56]

It's a moot point for me, as none of the inclusive cruise/air packages include my little podunk airport, or then next nearest (1hr40min drive). But we usually use FQTV miles, buy Business (if out of miles and with a bad back) or use my airline employee/retiree passes anyway.

 

But I do know that in some markets, cruise lines do negotiate some really cheap fares with the bigger airlines... those that you don't see the price tag on. So do your homework, pricing the cruise with and without air, and then see what you can work up on your own air.

 

For my upcoming cruise, I booked the stand-alone cruise without air, and booked an air/hotel package through one of the big internet sites. The air is from my local podunk airport, 360 miles northwest of San Francisco and I have an ocean view room on Waikiki for less than the cruise company's air from SFO and no hotel.

 

Of course you all know better than to book a flight that, if on-time gets you there barely in time to make the ship, ri-i-i-i-ght?? .... go at least a day early.

[garycarla]

There might be times where it makes sense, but in the vast majority based on input here, book your own.

[Dipsylee]

We ususally do our own, but if you were doing a cruise that would leave from L.A. and end in Miami, like a Panama Canal cruise, you may do better with the cruiseline's airfare. It's usually worth checking out all the options. Just be sure you are aware of the cruiseline's recommendations for flight schedules before you book your own flights.

[RuthlessBunny]

I'm with those who book their own. There is a downside and that's if your flight gets messed up, if you book through the cruise line, then they are responsible for you. This issue was huge during the volcano ash thingy. Folks who booked through the cruise line, who were stranded, were accomodated, those who didn't weren't.

 

Also, if you buy the trip insurance, it won't cover separately purchased air.

 

Even so, I got super-cheap flights and I'm coming in two days prior to my cruise, so I know I've got wiggle room.

 

If I were doing Europe though, I'd probably suck it up and book through the cruise line, for the protections and the "having one throat to choke" issue.

[Zeno]

I always book my own (and usually get a better fare) BUT I can see where booking through NCL might be more advantageous when for example - one is starting at one port and ending at another.

[WhenIsOurNextCruise]

Last year we flew business/first class (Houston to NYC and Barcelona to Houston) and NCL's deviated airfare was about half of the lowest ticket we could find. And we got to see the flights in advance of booking. We had one stop each direction and we had a long layover in Atlanta for the return, but when you're flying 1st class and in the 1st class lounge, none of that matters too much. It was quite nice......

[yukongold]

We always ask for a quote on the ship's air and then compare it to what we can get online. The only times that we have found ship air to be better (or at least competitive) is on open jaw flights - e.g. flying into Barcelona and flying home out of Rome. Open jaw flights can get very expensive.

[NayRN]

I'm with those who book their own. There is a downside and that's if your flight gets messed up, if you book through the cruise line, then they are responsible for you. This issue was huge during the volcano ash thingy. Folks who booked through the cruise line, who were stranded, were accomodated, those who didn't weren't.

 

Also, if you buy the trip insurance, it won't cover separately purchased air.

 

Even so, I got super-cheap flights and I'm coming in two days prior to my cruise, so I know I've got wiggle room.

 

If I were doing Europe though, I'd probably suck it up and book through the cruise line, for the protections and the "having one throat to choke" issue.

 

That doesn't make any sense. Why would travel insurance NOT cover airfare that I booked vs. what the cruise line booked? I just pulled out my insurance information and......yeppers, ALL airfare is covered. Also called my TA because this put me in a panic and she also stated that, when she had to cancel her cruise due to illness, her travel insurance covered everything, including the airfare that was booked by her husband (not even by her thru her agency).

[NMLady]

That doesn't make any sense. Why would travel insurance NOT cover airfare that I booked vs. what the cruise line booked? I just pulled out my insurance information and......yeppers, ALL airfare is covered. Also called my TA because this put me in a panic and she also stated that, when she had to cancel her cruise due to illness, her travel insurance covered everything, including the airfare that was booked by her husband (not even by her thru her agency).

 

A lot of people do not think to add airfare to their cruise insurance, so for a lot of people the airfare isn't included.

[NMLady]

The Jan 8th, 15th and 22nd cruises on the Sun have been cancelled due to the ship now being scheduled for drydock during those dates. If people had already booked their own airfare and had not added it to their cruise insurance, then they're in for a problem with the cruise being cancelled.

If people did air through the cruise line, no problem.

[Globaliser]

There's a lot of advice on this topic in the Cruise Air forum, particularly in the sticky thread Cruise Air and Air Deviation Explanation.

[C Cruise Dude]

Do you book on your own or through NCL? I always see the option to include airfare when I do my search and wondered if the prices we better through them.

 

I book on my own and fly in a day early in case there is a problem and I have to make other plans. A recent airline strike was a good example as well as canceled flights. :)

[C Cruise Dude]

The Jan 8th, 15th and 22nd cruises on the Sun have been cancelled due to the ship now being scheduled for drydock during those dates. If people had already booked their own airfare and had not added it to their cruise insurance, then they're in for a problem with the cruise being cancelled.

If people did air through the cruise line, no problem.

 

When I booked my flights for the Sky in August, I was offered insurance for $18. I didn't take it, worst scenario, I will stay in Miami for a couple days. Or reschedule the flight for another time. :)

[GigCrusier]

That doesn't make any sense. Why would travel insurance NOT cover airfare that I booked vs. what the cruise line booked? I just pulled out my insurance information and......yeppers, ALL airfare is covered. Also called my TA because this put me in a panic and she also stated that, when she had to cancel her cruise due to illness, her travel insurance covered everything, including the airfare that was booked by her husband (not even by her thru her agency).

I am typing what the policy States:

 

NOTE:As repects air cancellation penalties, you will be covered only for air arrangements booked through NCL and flights connecting to such air arrangements book through NCL. We will not pay benefits for cancellation charges imposed on any other air arangements you may book on your own.

 

It seems pretty clear that if you book your own flight - any problems, cancellations or delays are NOT covered.

 

I would look at the policy again. If you don't have the policy, it is online at NCL site. The carrier is the same carrier that provides insurance for Princess too. Here is a link to the policy.

 

http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/cruiser/cmsPages.html?pageId=TravelProtection

[mitsugirly]

If you are planning in advance you can go to yapta.com, download their software and then tag flights you want them to watch. Whenever the price goes down you will get an email alert. You will be amazed how airfares fluctuate wildly on a daily basis.

 

 

 

I've always booked my own air. I used a TA for this cruise and he told me it's cheaper to find your own than to use him or anyone else in most cases.

 

Thanks for that yapta link. I just signed up for it. Do I have to pick an airline to watch? Or will it just send me any of them? I'm still not sure how it all works.

[billie5]

I think RuthlessBunny's (love the name) and GigCrusier's misunderstanding is that the referred quote applies only to the trip insurance sold by NCL -- in which case the air policy is not surprising. There are any number of companies selling trip insurance, and many threads have discussed how to shop for the best, how to deal with pre-existing conditions, etc. IMO, experienced cruisers are least likely to buy the cruise company insurance, and most likely to shop around, especially as these other issues, pre-existing conditions, cancellation for a wider variety of causes, or no cause at all, etc., are so important.

 

Bill