Any MEA cruisers???

[hlb76]

Hello fellow Minnesotians. We are looking to book a quicky cruise over MEA break. It will be a nice break for us before the winter blues really set in and wet our whistle for our annual winter cruise.

 

I know we are smack dab in hurricane season so prices for cruises have been low!! YAY me

 

But flights have been horride. I think Airlines price guage in MN over MEA. I know the hotels and even the Dells do! :eek:

 

Any suggestions out there for those who have booked over MEA?

[yodii]

One year we drove to Chicago and caught a flight from there. It definitely saved us a lot of money since there are 5 of us. Wasn't my favorite way to go but it saved us about $800 in airfare that year.

[fallingswitch]

I have also booked a cheapie Southwest Airlines flight round trip from MSP to MDW (Midway/Chicago), then a RT flight from MDW to MCO (Orlando). Saved about half the cost of airfare that way. Only issue is that you have to get your own bags in MDW from baggage claim, then recheck them at the other airline check-in at MDW, so plan on at least a 1.5 hour gap between flights.

 

Option #2 would be to look at other airlines, such as Sun Country - they sometimes have cheap fares to FL.

 

Option #3 would be to book a flight out of RCT (Rochester). Many times they are $100 cheaper than out of MSP. Crazy thing with this option is that you immediately fly back to MSP and catch a connection to FL. Don't even get me started on how that works, but it is what it is. Living in a major hub (MSP) hurts you, because the airlines want to protect/save seats on flights leaving hubs for people that are making connections there.

 

Option #4 would be to drive to MKE (Milwaulkee). Like RCT, flights are often cheaper out of there.

 

Option #5 - depending on what part of MN you live in would be to copy #3 or #4 and fly out of Fargo or Sioux Falls/Sioux City.

 

Option #6 - cave in and pay the fares - you can't put a price on a good time!

[Moz]

Hello fellow Minnesotians. We are looking to book a quicky cruise over MEA break. It will be a nice break for us before the winter blues really set in and wet our whistle for our annual winter cruise.

 

I know we are smack dab in hurricane season so prices for cruises have been low!! YAY me

 

But flights have been horride. I think Airlines price guage in MN over MEA. I know the hotels and even the Dells do! :eek:

 

Any suggestions out there for those who have booked over MEA?

 

I don't know what MEA is but we are from a neighboring state and use a MPS TA for booking and I know they have great rates and group them in a air package and think they use Sun for air. Her name is Debbie.travelsource@ymail.com It wouldn't hurt to ask she is very good. Fargo is very expensive.

[Rosefloater]

MPS TA for booking and I know they have great rates and group them in a air package and think they use Sun for air. Her name is Debbie.travelsource@ymail.com

 

You're not allowed to advertise TA names here.

[hlb76]

I have also booked a cheapie Southwest Airlines flight round trip from MSP to MDW (Midway/Chicago), then a RT flight from MDW to MCO (Orlando). Saved about half the cost of airfare that way. Only issue is that you have to get your own bags in MDW from baggage claim, then recheck them at the other airline check-in at MDW, so plan on at least a 1.5 hour gap between flights.

 

Option #2 would be to look at other airlines, such as Sun Country - they sometimes have cheap fares to FL.

 

Option #3 would be to book a flight out of RCT (Rochester). Many times they are $100 cheaper than out of MSP. Crazy thing with this option is that you immediately fly back to MSP and catch a connection to FL. Don't even get me started on how that works, but it is what it is. Living in a major hub (MSP) hurts you, because the airlines want to protect/save seats on flights leaving hubs for people that are making connections there.

 

Option #4 would be to drive to MKE (Milwaulkee). Like RCT, flights are often cheaper out of there.

 

Option #5 - depending on what part of MN you live in would be to copy #3 or #4 and fly out of Fargo or Sioux Falls/Sioux City.

 

Option #6 - cave in and pay the fares - you can't put a price on a good time!

 

We are from the Rochester area and have never found flights out of RST cheaper. We normally take it in the butt for convience of not driving to MSP and most of your flights went to ORD then on to FLA. ANd we only have 2 carriers to choose from:mad:. We did Southwest last Feb and will look at them again. I think in Feb it saved us over $500 plus baggage fees to drive up.

 

I will look into the options of breaking up our flights. Sometimes a little hasle is worth big savings. And now that my kids are older and getting to be seasoned travelers I don't book on conveince alone.

 

THANKS!!

[cravingacruise]

Hello fellow Minnesotians. We are looking to book a quicky cruise over MEA break. It will be a nice break for us before the winter blues really set in and wet our whistle for our annual winter cruise.

 

I know we are smack dab in hurricane season so prices for cruises have been low!! YAY me

 

But flights have been horride. I think Airlines price guage in MN over MEA. I know the hotels and even the Dells do! :eek:

 

Any suggestions out there for those who have booked over MEA?

 

Hey! My husband and I are both teachers, and we are taking our 4 kids on their very first cruise over MEA/Ed. MN Coference week. We are using personal leave days Mon.-Wed. and will be doing the Dream Western itinerary....I hear ya on the airfare...After several weeks of obsessively checking rates, we finally booke w/ AirTran a couple weeks back (flying in a day early). Priceline shows MSP to MCO for $284 right now. When we took the kids to WDW during MEA 2009, we paid only $172 per round trip ticket....Sadly, I think those days of low airfare are gone...Are you considering a shorter cruise (3-5 nights) or a 7-night?

[cravingacruise]

Hib76, Sorry...after I submitted the post above I read back a couple and saw that you are from the Rochester area, so MSP is not the most convenient option for you. We are closest to Duluth, but the prices from there are over $200 more pp. So, w/ 6 of us, the 3-hour drive to MSP is worth it.

 

Also, just wanted to say that this will be my 3rd cruise during MEA (hurricane season), and the weather has always been perfect. We are aware that our itinerary could be altered at any given moment, so we will not be surprised if it does indeed happen. We are very much looking forward to making memories together as a family! :-). Best wishes on your decision!

[hlb76]

I think we decided on the 6 day sailing Freedom. I would love to do a 7 day but most where Sun to Sun and I need a day to recoup before back to work. There where lots to choose from but the 6 day looks to be the one. Believe it or not I was pushing for the 5 day out of Tampa but will gladly do the Freedom. Now to get booked and search for air fare.

[kjunea]

I don't know when your MEA break is, but our break in Tennessee last year (I'm a teacher too) was the week after Columbus day and we cruised. Had really nice weather and an awesome time! Prices were fantastic compared to cruising in the summer. (We got an extended balcony for 3 people for less than 3 of us in an outside room this summer!!) We were prepared to go a different route if there was a hurricane, but it hit the weekend after we were in Belize, so the only issue we had was a huge downpour towards the end of our visit in Roatan.

 

Have a great cruise!