Edmontonians/Albertans: HELP!!!!

[The Sunset Glow]

It is $1900 return Red Deer on clearing house type websites, but $3500 return on the AC site! Yes, it's US airlines at 1300 out of YEG, but only on the cheap flights type websites, not the airlines' own websites - far higher there.

 

As for AI, took my first cruise in 2006 and sadly it's spoiled me for any other vacation style. :(. I'm a monster of my own making, what can I say? First holiday post-retirement - transAtlantic, off peak season! Next step...find a snowbird home close to the port!

 

I'm hoping I can get our family's flights at around $1100 per person, return. Wow, how sad is that, that I'm starting to consider that a bargain?! However, if I don't get out from under Edmonton's 6 months of winter for at least two weeks every year, the cost of curing my depression will be a lot more :rolleyes:. No more complaints from our southern neighbours about the price of air!

 

Sunset Glow, where do you generally fly out of? YYC?

 

We fly out of YEG. But we never go over Christmas - just too much in airfare. The inflated price just rubs me the wrong way.:mad:

 

I'm hooked on cruising too - I hear ya! I would be severely disappointed if I couldn't cruise but an AI would suffice for getting me somewhere warm if the price difference was enough. I know all about having to get out of the long, cold winter every year - it's a must in order to keep our sanity.:D

 

I hate to wish my time away but I really can't wait to become a snowbird and spend half the year near a cruise port. But retirement will elude me for another 17 years yet.:eek:

[The Sunset Glow]

I just checked on a website that is a "network" for "flights";) and found YEG to FLL return departing on Dec 20th returning on Dec 31st (I know that's early) for $1089!! That might work for you.

 

This website also has a price drop guarantee and will credit you the difference if the price drops.:D

[hsaroya]

I just checked on a website that is a "network" for "flights";) and found YEG to FLL return departing on Dec 20th returning on Dec 31st (I know that's early) for $1089!! That might work for you.

 

This website also has a price drop guarantee and will credit you the difference if the price drops.:D

 

Thank you! I'll definitely give it a look.

[jmf123]

Between Dec 20-Jan. 5. Really want to maximize the time in Fort L after the cruise, which is Dec 22-29, but would consider coming back a couple of days earlier if it's a substantial price difference.

 

hsaroya, is it possible to extend your return by a day and fly out of FLL on January 6th? I found this U.S. Airways itinerary from Calgary for $987, including all taxes & fees. (Checked bags are extra).

 

12/20 lv YYC at 3:35 p.m. (flt #606)

4 hr. 13 min. layover in Phoenix (flt #577)

arr FLL at 4:57 a.m. on 12/21

 

1/6/14 lv FLL at 5:10 p.m. (flt #592)

44 min. layover in Phoenix (flt #615)

arr YYC at 12:10 a.m. on 1/7

 

YYC to FLL is $597 and FLL to YYC is $390. The only cheaper flight I found returns on 12/31 from FLL at 8:19 a.m. (w/ two stops), and arrive YYC 6:13 p.m. for $927.

 

It seems that flights have increased over the last couple of years, no matter

where you go, and there are less direct flights. I wish you the best with your warm weather holiday travel plans! :cool:

[hsaroya]

hsaroya, is it possible to extend your return by a day and fly out of FLL on January 6th? I found this U.S. Airways itinerary from Calgary for $987, including all taxes & fees. (Checked bags are extra).

 

12/20 lv YYC at 3:35 p.m. (flt #606)

4 hr. 13 min. layover in Phoenix (flt #577)

arr FLL at 4:57 a.m. on 12/21

 

1/6/14 lv FLL at 5:10 p.m. (flt #592)

44 min. layover in Phoenix (flt #615)

arr YYC at 12:10 a.m. on 1/7

 

YYC to FLL is $597 and FLL to YYC is $390. The only cheaper flight I found returns on 12/31 from FLL at 8:19 a.m. (w/ two stops), and arrive YYC 6:13 p.m. for $927.

 

It seems that flights have increased over the last couple of years, no matter

where you go, and there are less direct flights. I wish you the best with your warm weather holiday travel plans! :cool:

 

Thank you so much, jmf123! I knew the cruise critic community would come through. I'm so gratified at all the help I've received. Unfortunately, I have to back in front of my students on the 6th :( Not that I don't love them all...

[hsaroya]

Hi, everyone. I though I'd come back to give all of you an update on my flight woes. The flights out of Edm never went below $1400 for the dates I needed. Countless times, I'd go onto various sites and find a great deal, would start booking, and a message would pop up that my price was no longer available, but that they could get me a seat on the same flight for $2500 per person! We could have flown out of Calgary for $1200, but anyone who's driven that stretch of Highway 2 in the dead of winter knows that it's a gamble. After five months of checking multiple times a day, we've cancelled our Christmas cruise and have booked the Regal in the Med for August - and flights are about the same as the Christmas ones to Fort L! Go figure. While sad that we don't have a tropical holiday to look forward to, to break up our winter hibernation, we are verrrry excited about the Med. Any and all advice appreciated as we've only cruised to the Caribbean.

[Karysa]

Hi, everyone. I though I'd come back to give all of you an update on my flight woes. The flights out of Edm never went below $1400 for the dates I needed. Countless times, I'd go onto various sites and find a great deal, would start booking, and a message would pop up that my price was no longer available, but that they could get me a seat on the same flight for $2500 per person! We could have flown out of Calgary for $1200, but anyone who's driven that stretch of Highway 2 in the dead of winter knows that it's a gamble. After five months of checking multiple times a day, we've cancelled our Christmas cruise and have booked the Regal in the Med for August - and flights are about the same as the Christmas ones to Fort L! Go figure. While sad that we don't have a tropical holiday to look forward to, to break up our winter hibernation, we are verrrry excited about the Med. Any and all advice appreciated as we've only cruised to the Caribbean.

 

 

I was reading this thread and rooting for you. Sorry to hear that your Christmas cruise will not be happening this year. So happy to read that you booked a med cruise so you have something to look forward to.

[hsaroya]

I was reading this thread and rooting for you. Sorry to hear that your Christmas cruise will not be happening this year. So happy to read that you booked a med cruise so you have something to look forward to.

 

Thank you, Karysa. I had so much help on this issue and so many others silently rooting for us, that I had to come back with an update. I will be spending A LOT of time on Cruise Critic during my Christmas holidays reading about and planning for the Med. - hopefully, it'll keep me from wanting to stick a needle in my eye on the 6th minus 30 day in a row! I absolutely love my hometown, but a two week break in the middle of winter can be a Godsend.

[CowPrincess]

Oh yeah, there is NO WAY I would trust my Christmas vacation to Hwy 2 :eek:

 

For the future, Westjet is now offering limited nonstop service Calgary -> Miami from Nov to April. I'm actually considering another Caribbean cruise :)

[blackmudsal]

Check if it would be worth it to fly into Orlando and then drive in a rental. Sometimes good deals can be found there.

[blackmudsal]

Oops, just saw that you cancelled.

[jmf123]

So sorry that you had to cancel your Christmas cruise, hsaroya, but thoughts of having the brand new Regal waiting for you in the Med will warm you up! I had a friend that lived in Edmonton, and always enjoyed seeing pictures of the snow. :cool:

 

You may want to check with the Princess air program, eZair for ticket pricing to Europe. I know that particularly one-way fares via the cruiselines can typically be a bargain, but it won't hurt to check. Here's a link: http://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/pre_cruise/travel_transportation_faq/popup/eZAir_Information.html. Also, I'm sure you are planning to arrive in port a day or two prior to your sailing, and they can customize your dates of travel.

 

And during your long winter (sorry!), I would suggest ordering a Mediterranean and/or Europe cruise brochure from the Princess website, to brighten up your mailbox! Just go to 'Plan a Cruise' and there is a drop down menu for free brochures.

 

Last but not least, I don't know if you've perused the Europe Ports of Call forum, but there is a lot of info there: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=19.

 

Enjoy all the planning, and I know you will have a very memorable cruise!

[hsaroya]

Check if it would be worth it to fly into Orlando and then drive in a rental. Sometimes good deals can be found there.

 

I love that Orlanda-Fort L drive and we did look into the flights to MCO, but they were just as bad as Fort L. :(

 

The lesson I've learned here is that, since I want to be out of the cold over Christmas break every year, I'll simply book flights for the two weeks as soon as they become available and are a decent price, even if it's a year out. I won't wait to do the cruise booking first. Even if it means I'm stuck in a hole in the wall hotel in Fort L for Christmas, at least it'll be a hole in the wall in the midst of plus 25 weather!

[hsaroya]

Oh yeah, there is NO WAY I would trust my Christmas vacation to Hwy 2 :eek:

 

For the future, Westjet is now offering limited nonstop service Calgary -> Miami from Nov to April. I'm actually considering another Caribbean cruise :)

 

Long ago memories of a flat tire, the worst blizzard in recollection around Red Deer, and my poor brother having to walk blindly through it to the nearest gas station for the right tools still give me nightmares.

 

The nonstop to Miami sounds wonderful. Love the Wetjet nonstop to Vegas from Edmonton!

[hsaroya]

So sorry that you had to cancel your Christmas cruise, hsaroya, but thoughts of having the brand new Regal waiting for you in the Med will warm you up! I had a friend that lived in Edmonton, and always enjoyed seeing pictures of the snow. :cool:

 

You may want to check with the Princess air program, eZair for ticket pricing to Europe. I know that particularly one-way fares via the cruiselines can typically be a bargain, but it won't hurt to check. Here's a link: http://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/pre_cruise/travel_transportation_faq/popup/eZAir_Information.html. Also, I'm sure you are planning to arrive in port a day or two prior to your sailing, and they can customize your dates of travel.

 

And during your long winter (sorry!), I would suggest ordering a Mediterranean and/or Europe cruise brochure from the Princess website, to brighten up your mailbox! Just go to 'Plan a Cruise' and there is a drop down menu for free brochures.

 

Last but not least, I don't know if you've perused the Europe Ports of Call forum, but there is a lot of info there: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=19.

 

Enjoy all the planning, and I know you will have a very memorable cruise!

 

Thank you, jmf123, for all the great tips. Didn't know about being able to order the brochure. Will definitely do that as well as buying a copy of Rick Steve's cruising book. I've never used eZAir, but will definitely look into it for Europe.

 

I am very much looking forward to the Regal in the summer; however, only a northerner can appreciate the smug self satisfaction one gets from leaving everyone else to fend off winter while one flies south. ;) And here's the thing, on the day you leave, it MUST be bitterly cold, or it's just not the same! :D

[boulders]

Sorry you had to cancel. But the Med is sooo much better than a Caribbean cruise. :) And the period between Christmas and New Year's always seems to be a sweet spot to find fares to Europe. Shhh. Don't tell anyone. :cool:

[hsaroya]

Sorry you had to cancel. But the Med is sooo much better than a Caribbean cruise. :) And the period between Christmas and New Year's always seems to be a sweet spot to find fares to Europe. Shhh. Don't tell anyone. :cool:

 

Thank you for the tip;) I'll be doing my homework for the Med over the Christmas break!

[The Sunset Glow]

Hi, everyone. I though I'd come back to give all of you an update on my flight woes. The flights out of Edm never went below $1400 for the dates I needed. Countless times, I'd go onto various sites and find a great deal, would start booking, and a message would pop up that my price was no longer available, but that they could get me a seat on the same flight for $2500 per person! We could have flown out of Calgary for $1200, but anyone who's driven that stretch of Highway 2 in the dead of winter knows that it's a gamble. After five months of checking multiple times a day, we've cancelled our Christmas cruise and have booked the Regal in the Med for August - and flights are about the same as the Christmas ones to Fort L! Go figure. While sad that we don't have a tropical holiday to look forward to, to break up our winter hibernation, we are verrrry excited about the Med. Any and all advice appreciated as we've only cruised to the Caribbean.

 

I was thinking about you last week and wondering if you found anything. Sorry you had to cancel but I understand the not wanting to drive hwy 2 to yyc during the winter!! Just not worth the risk.

 

Enjoy your med cruise!

 

 

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[wassup4565]

hsaroya, I feel your pain. It's almost become a neccessity of life for us to get out of Ottawa at least once during the long, cold, dark winter. However, what a wonderful gift for you and your family - The Med!!!

 

We did a ten-day cruise there last fall, and every day was wonderful. Tremendous experience for your children, to see this part of the world at their ages. Rick Steeves' book is terrific, and I got the digital version so I had it on my cellphone in every port. And BTW, I have Telus and with no special plan, I was able to text home everywhere in the Med for 65 cents a text. Oh wow! I envy you. (Checking budget twice to see if I can get back to the Med next season).

[EdmPair]

Now, now. Wishing us poor folks left behind over Christmas bad weather as you fly out is just not neighbourly.

 

Personally, I would fly to San Diego and not Florida but to each their own. I have a more flexible vacation schedule so escaped to San Diego and its Zoo last February. And your flight costs would not be the same in that time frame but I know it is not an option. We all know some teachers.

 

Some year, a winter escape to San Diego or San Fran or LA, will be to jump a ship to Mx or Hawaii. This is not that year.

[hsaroya]

I love that Orlanda-Fort L drive and we did look into the flights to MCO, but they were just as bad as Fort L. :(

 

The lesson I've learned here is that, since I want to be out of the cold over Christmas break every year, I'll simply book flights for the two weeks as soon as they become available and are a decent price, even if it's a year out. I won't wait to do the cruise booking first. Even if it means I'm stuck in a hole in the wall hotel in Fort L for Christmas, at least it'll be a hole in the wall in the midst of plus 25 weather!

 

Hi, everyone. Not sure if any of you who posted on the original thread will see this update, but after all your sympathy and advice, I thought I'd let you know how things turned out. I took my own advice and booked flights for the family to Fort L for next Christmas break on the very date they became available a few weeks ago, for the full two weeks of the holiday. $471 all tolled per person!!!!!!!! Now, those same dates are over $1000. It was about a three day window of opportunity which I fully took advantage of. Have just booked the Regal Princess for the Christmas cruise. Just had to share as those of you who read my thread know how bitter I was having to cancel, especially since we're having the winter of all winters in Edmonton this year.

[boulders]

Hi, everyone. Not sure if any of you who posted on the original thread will see this update, but after all your sympathy and advice, I thought I'd let you know how things turned out. I took my own advice and booked flights for the family to Fort L for next Christmas break on the very date they became available a few weeks ago, for the full two weeks of the holiday. $471 all tolled per person!!!!!!!! Now, those same dates are over $1000. It was about a three day window of opportunity which I fully took advantage of. Have just booked the Regal Princess for the Christmas cruise. Just had to share as those of you who read my thread know how bitter I was having to cancel, especially since we're having the winter of all winters in Edmonton this year.

 

Excellent score!

Edited March 5, 2014 by boulders

[The Sunset Glow]

Hi, everyone. Not sure if any of you who posted on the original thread will see this update, but after all your sympathy and advice, I thought I'd let you know how things turned out. I took my own advice and booked flights for the family to Fort L for next Christmas break on the very date they became available a few weeks ago, for the full two weeks of the holiday. $471 all tolled per person!!!!!!!! Now, those same dates are over $1000. It was about a three day window of opportunity which I fully took advantage of. Have just booked the Regal Princess for the Christmas cruise. Just had to share as those of you who read my thread know how bitter I was having to cancel, especially since we're having the winter of all winters in Edmonton this year.

 

 

Wow! Awesome flight prices!! No ones messing with your Xmas vacation this year hey?

 

And what a winter from H@$% this has been so far....just awful.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[jmf123]

Hi hsaroya, nice to hear from you! I am so happy for you, finding those awesome ticket prices! What a memorable and warm Christmas it will be! Btw, I had a taste of winter last month, as we had to fly to Pennsylvania. It was a brutal minus 4 degrees upon our arrival into the 'Snowiest City in the US'. And last minute tickets were close to $1000 each.

Your recent booking should warm you up a bit, and then spring is just around the corner. Bon Voyage, and enjoy your family cruise! :cool: