Book your own air travel?

[eaj15]

Hi all!! I'm a rookie and my husband and I are looking into taking our first cruise ever with our 2 1/2 year old in October. Have you traditionally booked your own airfare or done it through your booking source? What should I consider? What about airport transfers?

 

So many questions!!

 

Thanks for any help!

[TheWog]

I suggest you book your own airfare. Do not go through the cruiseline. The cost is historically much cheaper. But check around. You book through the source if you are using TA or you can just do it on your own. A majority of people on the boards, me included, will say you should go the day before. Nothing like having a bad air conditioner or something prevent your plane from leaving and you being delayed and stressing about not making the ship. For the cost of a hotel room the night before it is certainly worth it for the piece of mind of not missing the ship.

 

Having said that Disney does a great job with transfers. If you arrive the day of your cruise you will receive luggage tags you put on your suitcases. This will notify airport personnell to give it to DCL and it will arrive at your stateroom later that day. You don't have to claim it at the airport, you just need to check your bags at your departure airport and not worry again until you are settling in.

 

You can use the DCL transfers even if you arrive the day early. You will get the bus at MCO and they will bring you right to the ship (if you stay at Disney they will pick you up there as well - I just don't know which hotels). They wait for a bus to fill up and then leave. You can also do it on the reverse (and purchase onboard if you wish) and some airlines accept your luggage at the pier if you use DCL transfers. If you are staying in the Port Canaveral area the night before you won't need to worry about it and you will have found your own way out there (about 45 mins or so). Florida has inexpensive one way car rentals - just a thought or limo service.

 

So I guess the short answer is book your own flights, decide when you go down, where you stay if you go early and then that helps with transfer decisions.

[vossjemi]

I'm with the Wog....book your own flights! When you book through them, you have no choice on flight times or airlines. And, you'll more than likely pay more than you could get yourself. I love the search engine www.bookingbuddy.com! Check it out!

 

p.s. Wog...how's the new house? Got everything in order? We're tent camping this weekend. Kids can't wait!

[TheWog]

 

p.s. Wog...how's the new house? Got everything in order? We're tent camping this weekend. Kids can't wait!

 

Where the H$#L have you been. This whole banned at work thing isn't working out. I pm'd you you know where.....

[Worfiedoodles]

Definitely book your own airfare! I made the mistake of booking through Disney for our upcoming land/sea, then I decided to add a pre-night (but not visit the parks). They could not accommodate me unless I purchased park tickets, which I did not want to do. So, I made a one-night reservation separately, and booked my own airfare. Even with paying for an extra night onsight at a deluxe hotel, I still saved over $200!

[Rence]

The down side to booking it yourself, is if you fly in same day and there are flight delays (weather, mechanical etc.) you will be on your own if you miss the boat. DCL will sometimes delay departure if passengers on a flight they booked are running late, but they won't delay if it is for folks that booked their own.

 

A lot of folks recommend flying down the day before. This helps avoid flight delay problems and then you are rested and not rushed the day of the cruise. It is quite possible that the money you save booking yourself will more than cover the cost of the hotel.

[dkjretired]

I am not familiar with Disneys airfare program but in general you will do better on your own unless dealing with a repositioning cruise or something odd. I would however stress one thing to you that most experienced cruisers will do and that is make every attempt to go in a day earlier. This is very important in areas where you may have bad weather such as Wisconsin but it also makes for a much more relaxing first day on the cruise.

[slineberry528]

I would say book your own air, but get transfers. That way the ship knows you are coming. Try and go a day early if possible. I am going in October, booked my own air and getting Disney transfers. Flying in a day early wasn't an option for us.

Susan