Question about Packaged Air

[carspg]

Hello,

 

I did a search and it looks like most of the posts were related to UK passengers.

 

Has any one booked Packaged Air to fly to SJU? My flight is from Chicago (ORD) - to San Juan (SJU). The Packaged Air is cheaper than booking the air by myself.

 

However since I won't know the flights till we book the cruise I'm a little apprehensive.

 

Do they typically fly you in on the same day or earlier? If they fly you in a day earlier do they pay for the hotel? Depending on the time of day it may be difficult for me to leave a day earlier due to work. Any chance they will give me the flight details before I book the cruise?

 

The cruise I am interested in is in late November.

 

Thank you!

[carspg]

Missed the 20 minute editing window! If any one has flown ORD - SJU using the Packaged Air option I would love to hear what flights they gave you.

 

 

The following information is from http://www.celebritycruises.com/plancruise/transportation/heroSingleTxtSub.do?pagename=air

 

Packaged Air

Our Packaged Air program includes:

•Reserving scheduled air service or chartered flights for same-day arrival to meet your cruise vacation.*

•Arranging transportation from your arrival airport to the pier.

•Common flight arrangements for guests staying in the same stateroom, as long as all guests are booked at the same time, for travel from the same gateway city (based on airline availability in our class of service).

•Attempting to arrange no more than one connection from your gateway city.

 

Please note: Due to limited air space, the use of co-terminals may be required (e.g. flying into Seattle while sailing out of Vancouver).

 

*Guests from some cities may be required to travel on "red-eye" flights or arrive the day before sailing.

 

We reserve the right to choose the air carrier, routing and city airport from each gateway city and further reserve the right to substitute charter or commuter flights for scheduled air service without notice. Airline tickets we issue are highly restrictive and you may find that your ticket cannot be exchanged, reissued or revalidated for another carrier or routing. Once your ticket has been issued, any changes to the ticket you request us to make shall be at our discretion and a fee may apply for each such change. You may be able to make changes by contacting the airline directly and any changes or fees imposed shall be borne by you. If you cancel your cruise after air tickets have been issued, you may be subject to airline cancellation fees.

[Chicago Boy]

Hello,

 

I did a search and it looks like most of the posts were related to UK passengers.

 

Has any one booked Packaged Air to fly to SJU? My flight is from Chicago (ORD) - to San Juan (SJU). The Packaged Air is cheaper than booking the air by myself.

 

However since I won't know the flights till we book the cruise I'm a little apprehensive.

 

Do they typically fly you in on the same day or earlier? If they fly you in a day earlier do they pay for the hotel? Depending on the time of day it may be difficult for me to leave a day earlier due to work. Any chance they will give me the flight details before I book the cruise?

 

The cruise I am interested in is in late November.

 

Thank you!

 

 

We always fly in a day early no matter where our cruise leaves from because we want to allow extra time in case there is a delay or flight cancellation. Our air and hotel are booked through Celebrity. Once you have booked the cruise they will take care of the rest of the arrangements for you.

[mrshark]

in the past we have had poor luck with cruise line airfare both in terms of price and flight schedule. Before moving to CT we used to fly from one of the NY city area airports, and the straw that broke the camel's back for us was a cruise leaving from Ft. Lauderdale.

 

Going they made us change flights in Philly, when there were many direct flights from NY to FLL.

 

Coming home, they booked us on a flight from Miami, so we got off the ship in FLL, took a bus down to Miami, then made us change planes in BOSTON. So, we flew past NY, to Boston, then back down to NY, didn't get home till 11PM or so. That was in 2003 I think.

 

After that we've always booked our own air, and always go down the day before, own hotel booking as well through Priceline.

 

For example, we're going on Solstice this winter, found a direct flight a few months ago to FLL from Hartford, direct, both ways, $262 a person. No way the cruise line would beat that, and I bet they would make us change in Charlotte or ATlanta.

[Chicago Boy]

in the past we have had poor luck with cruise line airfare both in terms of price and flight schedule. Before moving to CT we used to fly from one of the NY city area airports, and the straw that broke the camel's back for us was a cruise leaving from Ft. Lauderdale.

 

Going they made us change flights in Philly, when there were many direct flights from NY to FLL.

 

Coming home, they booked us on a flight from Miami, so we got off the ship in FLL, took a bus down to Miami, then made us change planes in BOSTON. So, we flew past NY, to Boston, then back down to NY, didn't get home till 11PM or so. That was in 2003 I think.

 

After that we've always booked our own air, and always go down the day before, own hotel booking as well through Priceline.

 

For example, we're going on Solstice this winter, found a direct flight a few months ago to FLL from Hartford, direct, both ways, $262 a person. No way the cruise line would beat that, and I bet they would make us change in Charlotte or ATlanta.

 

Celebrity's air package has always worked well for us. Sorry you have not had the same experience. If you have Captain's Club status then they should be able to arrange a non stop flight for you from your point of origin assuming non stop flights are available. We have also found Celebrity's prices to be better than what we can do on our own.

[mrshark]

we are Captain's club members, and the price I was quoted was $349.00. Definitely better on our own, this time anyway.

 

Hotel prices for sure better on our own.

[wrk2cruise]

We tend to book way in advance and if it's not just a Florida departure we will add the cruise air. All but one time to Alaska we have dropped the cruise air before final payment and done our own arrangements.

 

I always had the understanding that you could do "custom air" also known as an "air deviation" to get a specific routing or to add days pre or post cruise booking your own hotels.

 

Just last week I had my travel agent try this for a spring TA. She was told they no longer do custom air. We had to choices use choice air+ which was 3-4 times what we paid for cruise air OR to use their pre-cruise hotel and still have no choice over the flights (routes or times).

[biker1972]

For anyone thinking about using the cruise line to book air, go to the Cruise Air board and read the sticky about cruise air and consolidators. Then read some of the various posts about booking through the cruise line and what is really promised through the contract and what is implied through the advertising. Once you have knowledge about what is really going on, make decisions about booking air. Most likely you will choose to book on your own because you will find out that there is more to getting an airline ticket than just a low price. When X says that "the airline tickets acquired by Celebrity are, in most cases, highly restrictive" they mean that you will be at the mercy of the airline that issued the ticket. If things go south, you might be buying a new ticket!

[RKD]

We are flying out of Chicago to San Juan on Nov. 22. Our trip was a package which was to include free air from Florida(I think). It only cost us $175 apiece round trip to add air from Chicago direct to San Juan, which we figured was cheaper than having to do it ourselves.

We fly out at 8:15 a.m. and arrive at 2:45 p.m. in San Juan. Our cruise sails at 8:30 that night. We hope everything goes smoothly and we get there without any delays.

[Allis154]

We have done it both ways, depending on price.

 

When booking packaged air, we always specify what flights, and when. We mostly fly in a day or more early. We always book our hotels ourselves.

[wrk2cruise]

We have done it both ways, depending on price.

 

When booking packaged air, we always specify what flights, and when. We mostly fly in a day or more early. We always book our hotels ourselves.

 

 

When was the last time you were able to do this? It seems with "advances" in the choice air program you can no longer do the air deviation without using the prevailing prices on choice air.

[Allis154]

November, last year...

 

Had TA (always use one) can X with the flights/dates. Got the ones we asked for, for the price that was less than booking on our own...If not the same or less, we book on our own.