Two more "cruise air" questions....

[luvtravel]

I read through the recent discussion on cruise air with Oceania - and since we are considering a cruise in Oct., possibly using them to book the air..... I still have a couple of questions I didn't see an answer to and would appreciate any help.

 

1. I thought the reason to use the cruise line's 'cruise air' program, even though more expensive and/or less convenient (unless you pay other fees, eg. deviation) - was that if there was a glitch with the airlines and you arrived after the ship had left...they'd be responsible to get you to the ship. I think I read in the discussion that this is not the case..so wondered what is the advantage of using the cruiseline's air program...especially if it costs more? Maybe because it also includes transfers to/from the ship/hotel??

 

2. For those who have used Oceania's or another cruiselines' program....were you able to get miles credit on those airlines for your flights...or were they 'consolidator' tickets...and no airline miles were given?

 

I know I started off by saying there would be 2 questions, but a 3rd has come to mind: why are the cruiselines getting into the air transport business?

 

Thanks in advance to anyone taking time to look at this thread and post an answer....your efforts will be much appreciated!!

[6rugrats]

For a good explanation of cruise air and how it works, you can read this sticky that's at the top of the cruise air forum:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=530322

 

1. No reason that I've ever seen to book cruise air, except if people do not want to figure it out on their own.

 

2. You would have to check the fare code on your particular ticket.

[thunderbird56]

1. No reason that I've ever seen to book cruise air, except if people do not want to figure it out on their own.

 

 

I'm a bit confused by comments that cruise air is more expensive. I guess if you have a large airline milage account that would be true, or if you live in and around NYC where you can get lots of good transatlantic air deals.

We are booked on a Marina TA next year and I have checked for the best deals I can get from Phoenix. The best I could find (not the best or most convenient routing) was $1697 pp. That compares to the $400 pp credit I could get from Oceania. I found the best, most direct routing I could and the tickets were a liittle over $2000 pp. I proposed that routing to Oceania and they arranged it for 200 deviation and 300 differential. I can see no way I should do that on my own.

 

We did a flight to London in 2009 for a Princess Cruise and flights just last month for a river cruise that included air from Phoenix. I checked both trips to book on my own and I couldn't come anywhere close to using their air.

 

I would say it's best to check both ways and take the deal that works best for you.

[JimandStan]

I read through the recent discussion on cruise air with Oceania - and since we are considering a cruise in Oct., possibly using them to book the air..... I still have a couple of questions I didn't see an answer to and would appreciate any help.

 

1. I thought the reason to use the cruise line's 'cruise air' program, even though more expensive and/or less convenient (unless you pay other fees, eg. deviation) - was that if there was a glitch with the airlines and you arrived after the ship had left...they'd be responsible to get you to the ship. I think I read in the discussion that this is not the case..so wondered what is the advantage of using the cruiseline's air program...especially if it costs more? Maybe because it also includes transfers to/from the ship/hotel??

 

2. For those who have used Oceania's or another cruiselines' program....were you able to get miles credit on those airlines for your flights...or were they 'consolidator' tickets...and no airline miles were given?

 

I know I started off by saying there would be 2 questions, but a 3rd has come to mind: why are the cruiselines getting into the air transport business?

 

Thanks in advance to anyone taking time to look at this thread and post an answer....your efforts will be much appreciated!!

 

 

If you use Oxeania Air arrangements and there is a glitch they will absolutely get you to the ship at their expense; however, this should not be read as a guarantee that the ship will WAIT for you (I believe that is what you must have read).

 

About 90% of the airline tickets issued through Oceania Air DO qualify to be used in frequent flier programs, but there ARE exceptions. You (or your TA) should specify to your Air counselor that you are interested in using the miles in a program, before you agree on an itinerary.

 

The cruise lines have air programs to get the people to their ships.

[Paulchili]

luvtravel,

I'll try my best to answer some of your questions:

1 Actually cruise line's air is usually not more expensive, just usually more inconvenient (frequently with overnights, multiple connections, etc); in other words, you have no control over picking your flights without paying the deviation fee.

Especially now, when air credit is less than it used to be, more people tend to use cruise line's air as they cannot match cruise line's airfare.

Notable exception is when you have FF miles to fly for "free". Sometimes you get lucky and for the mere $100 deviation they will be able to give you the flights you want in the first place without additional fees (this is not very often the case)

 

2 While I have never used the program, there is no simple answer to this as it varies from airline to airline. You can be sure that the fare will be at or near the lowest bucket category and you may get little or no credit - would have to check with the individual airline itself.

[hondorner]

I read through the recent discussion on cruise air with Oceania - and since we are considering a cruise in Oct., possibly using them to book the air..... I still have a couple of questions I didn't see an answer to and would appreciate any help.

 

1. I thought the reason to use the cruise line's 'cruise air' program, even though more expensive and/or less convenient (unless you pay other fees, eg. deviation) - was that if there was a glitch with the airlines and you arrived after the ship had left...they'd be responsible to get you to the ship. I think I read in the discussion that this is not the case..so wondered what is the advantage of using the cruiseline's air program...especially if it costs more? Maybe because it also includes transfers to/from the ship/hotel??

 

 

Your basic premise -- that it may be more expensive and less convenient -- may be true of other cruise lines. It certainly was the case when I took a Celebrity cruise, so I booked my own air.

 

I have found, however, that on Oceania it is less expensive than booking my own, and certainly more convenient. I have saved money on Oceania even after paying $100 per person deviation fee (an administrative expense to Oceania for special handling of your air itinerary), and in one case, even after paying Oceania an additional $225 per person for the flights I wanted, it was cheaper than booking it on my own -- and I got the best possible flights.

 

If you do book your own air, Oceania will give you a credit of the amount you would have spent with them -- but that credit is now so small that you will most likely never be able to match it on your own, considering the monetary value of any points you may have accumulated.

 

As far as transfers, they are only available from Oceania if you book their standard air arriving the day of embarkation and leaving the day of disembarkation -- and they are never included, they are extra cost -- and the cost is considerably higher than arranging for your own transportation, so most Oceania cruisers decline the transfers and arrange their own transportation to and from the ship. The transfers are not available under any circumstances if you book your own air or take a deviation.

 

The one time that transfers ARE included is when you book an Oceania pre-cruise or post-cruise package, but they are generally per person and very expensive. One possible exception to this are the pre- and post-cruise tour packages for Alaska next summer; we are looking hard at an Oceania pre-cruise package out of Anchorage, and the prices seem in line with other package tours.

 

2. For those who have used Oceania's or another cruiselines' program....were you able to get miles credit on those airlines for your flights...or were they 'consolidator' tickets...and no airline miles were given?

Yes, we have been credited with airline miles for every mile we flew on the Oceania-arranged flights.

 

I know I started off by saying there would be 2 questions, but a 3rd has come to mind: why are the cruiselines getting into the air transport business?

I don't know about other cruise lines, but having take a look at the air programs offered by several, I think their prices are so high that it indicates they see the air arrangements as a profit center, and judge correctly that there are some people who are willing to pay that much just to have the cruise line handle it. I don't think any cruise line will hold the ship more than a couple of hours for late arrivals, and in some cases it is impractical to get the passengers on the ship at the next port.

[Paulchili]

 

Yes, we have been credited with airline miles for every mile we flew on the Oceania-arranged flights.

 

 

You were very fortunate indeed, but this is not the case every time.

If, for example, you fly on BA TA you will not get AA miles* (if you belong to AAdvantage); even if you are a BA EC member, you will get very few miles as their level of rewards depend on class booked.

This is just one such example.

If miles are important to someone, you have to make sure you fly an airline (and a fare) that will reward you 100%.

*Hopefully this will change soon with the ATI approval :)

[6rugrats]

I'm a bit confused by comments that cruise air is more expensive. I guess if you have a large airline milage account that would be true, or if you live in and around NYC where you can get lots of good transatlantic air deals.

We are booked on a Marina TA next year and I have checked for the best deals I can get from Phoenix. The best I could find (not the best or most convenient routing) was $1697 pp. That compares to the $400 pp credit I could get from Oceania. I found the best, most direct routing I could and the tickets were a liittle over $2000 pp. I proposed that routing to Oceania and they arranged it for 200 deviation and 300 differential. I can see no way I should do that on my own.

 

We did a flight to London in 2009 for a Princess Cruise and flights just last month for a river cruise that included air from Phoenix. I checked both trips to book on my own and I couldn't come anywhere close to using their air.

 

I would say it's best to check both ways and take the deal that works best for you.

I am not sure what you ended up paying for your airfare.

 

A flight from PHX-MIA is cheap, around $149 pp on AA on 28 MAR. If you want to purchase a roundtrip ticket, BCN-PHX (and just not use the return) departing BCN on 16 APR, you could fly BA for $1112 pp, with one stop. If you were willing to make two stops, you could get it down to $1039 pp. Your airfare for this trip would then cost you $1261 pp.

 

If you prefer a one way ticket, I can find BCN-PHX 16 APR for $1290 pp on SAS. If you prefer an American carrier, it's $1471 on DL. That would be a total of $1439 pp for airfare for this cruise (this includes PHX-MIA and BCN-PHX), if you chose the cheapest options.

 

There is probably a way to get this even lower; I just don't have time to check all the possibilities right now.

 

Everyone does make their own choices, and people should do what works for them.

[thunderbird56]

I am not sure what you ended up paying for your airfare.

 

That would be a total of $1439 pp for airfare for this cruise (this includes PHX-MIA and BCN-PHX), if you chose the cheapest options.

 

Everyone does make their own choices, and people should do what works for them.

 

6rugrats: Thanks for going to the trouble of checking airfares. You were able to do somewhat better than I could find; however, you still proved my point. At $1439 pp you would spend $2878, but I figure my cost through Oceania is $800 (400 pp air credit I could be refunded) + 200 deviation and 300 differential for a total cost of $1300. A nice $1500 saving and I have optimum routing and minimum stops. ( none from phx to mia and 1 from bcn to phx). Win-win.

[PaulMCO]

A good rule of thumb if you have an open jaw -- take the cruise line air fare as it will be definitely cheaper (example -- Miami to Rio and then Santiago back to Miami). Some airlines (like UA) now issue one way FF tickets which helps solve this problem.

 

As far a FF miles, it depends on the fare basis and the airline and how they treat this. Most European carriers don;t give credits on low fares to their own and partner plans. Most US carriers will give credit on W and higher fares. Some give credit to L, S and T fares (the lowest).

[6rugrats]

A good rule of thumb if you have an open jaw -- take the cruise line air fare as it will be definitely cheaper (example -- Miami to Rio and then Santiago back to Miami). Some airlines (like UA) now issue one way FF tickets which helps solve this problem.

 

As far a FF miles, it depends on the fare basis and the airline and how they treat this. Most European carriers don;t give credits on low fares to their own and partner plans. Most US carriers will give credit on W and higher fares. Some give credit to L, S and T fares (the lowest).

Very untrue.

 

thunderbird56 did not have an "open jaw ticket" - it's merely a multicity ticket. See below:

 

PHX-MIA 1972 miles

MIA-BCN 4697 miles (unflown leg)

BCN-PHX 5804

 

To be eligible as an open jaw itinerary, the unflown portion of the trip needs to be the shortest of the three distances. Merely having an open segment does not make your ticket an open jaw ticket and this can have a big influence on the pricing.

 

All the legacies uses somewhat different fare codes, so you cannot generalize and state "most US carriers will give you credit on W and higher fares." W is actually a pretty high fare class for many of them.

 

Usually, on the legacy carriers, you earn full mileage for every fare class, but award tickets, unpublished charter flights, or industry reduced rate tickets. Fare classes and the miles they earn are easily checked on each airline's webpage; usually under a heading like "earning miles".

[Bruin Steve]

I've got to chime in on the cruise line air cheaper or not question...

 

Now, over the years of my many cruises--with Oceania and with several other lines--we've sometimes used the cruise air, other times not...We most recently used Celebrity's Air for our March Summit cruise, we did our own air arrangements for our July Eclipse cruise...

 

We used Oceania's air for our 2006 Nautica cruise, we did it on our own for our 2009 Nautica cruise...

 

There is NO rule of thumb for any cruise line air being more or less expensive...here is why:

 

Cruise lines tend to come up with one number--a single standardized price for all of their air add-ons regardless of date or airport of origin...At best, they adjust it once or twice over the course of the year...and, some might standardize it for certain gateway cities with an add-on for minor airports...

 

But, as we all know, airfares vary by time of year, even by day of week...a round trip from Los Angeles to London does not cost the same as one from New York to London...and certainly not the same as one from Boise, Idaho to London...And airfares may vary depending on WHEN you purchase the airfare...

 

So, depending on all sorts of variables, sometimes you can easily beat the cruise line's air deal, other times you cannot match it on your own...

 

If you are within a shorter distance or route with many flights, you might do better...If you are cruising prior to, say, March 31, you may do better...If you are flying from some distant or remote location or you are cruising during the Summer Vacation "high" season or during a "Holiday" period, the Cruise line air may actually work out to your favor...

 

In 2006, we found that Oceania's Air--even with a deviation fee and a surcharged--no worse than equalled the best fare we could find...and Oceania got us BETTER flights than we could find...The low fare we found on our own included multiple stops and an overnight AT Heathrow on the way home from Venice...Oceania got us a short hop from Venice to Frankfurt and a nonstop home from there on Lufthansa...Lufthansa on our own would have cost us $200 pp MORE than we got through Oceania...(We took the deviation on Oceania only to get different dates to accommodate our pre- and post-cruise stays and left the actual scheduling to them).

 

AND, on Europe cruises, cruising with both Celebrity and Oceania, we have never been assigned flights that we considered bad...I guess I have more faith in the air folks at the cruise lines than some people...

 

Now, Oceania's hotel packages--that's another story, you can always do WAY better than those...

 

Oh, and yes, we've always been able to grab the FF miles...

[ClaudiaF]

You wrote in part...........

" I thought the reason to use the cruise line's 'cruise air' program, even though more expensive and/or less convenient (unless you pay other fees, eg. deviation) - was that if there was a glitch with the airlines and you arrived after the ship had left...they'd be responsible to get you to the ship. "]quote

 

 

Whether using ship air or booking your own this is why most would agree it's a good reason to get to your embarcation city at least a day in advance....:D

[wripro]

Where I think Oceania's air program falls short is on business class upgrades. They are quite expensive and when added to the air allowance, cost much more than one could find on one's own. Unfortunately, (or fortunately,) I will not cross the pond in coach any more so this is a big consideration and I always take the allowance. Some of the luxury lines offer much cheaper business class upgrades on certain cruises and/or have promotions with lower fares as well. This is something Oceania should consider doing, especially with Marina as they are trying to lure luxury cruisers, many of whom prefer to fly business.

[JimandStan]

Where I think Oceania's air program falls short is on business class upgrades. They are quite expensive and when added to the air allowance, cost much more than one could find on one's own. Unfortunately, (or fortunately,) I will not cross the pond in coach any more so this is a big consideration and I always take the allowance. Some of the luxury lines offer much cheaper business class upgrades on certain cruises and/or have promotions with lower fares as well. This is something Oceania should consider doing, especially with Marina as they are trying to lure luxury cruisers, many of whom prefer to fly business.

 

That is an excellent point, Wripro. We would also like to see the Business Class options opened up.......or at least redefined.

Second on our wishlist is a luggage shipping option that costs less than a week at the Ritz Carlton.

[caribbeansun]

I trust you've seen the following comparison chart on seatguru, but in case you haven't I've provided a link. Unfortunately, this solution is more helpful for sending luggage to a hotel rather than the ship itself but might be of assistance in the situation of add on days either at the front or back end of a cruise.

 

T

Second on our wishlist is a luggage shipping option that costs less than a week at the Ritz Carlton.