1st trip/cruise to Europe, Aug 2006 -- is it too early to book air?

[CruiseNut7]

It will be our 18th cruise, but our first visit to Europe. We are sailing on the Golden Princess August 20, 2006 out of Southampton, England (British Isles/Northern Capitals).

 

Is it too early to book air? The roundtrip fares from Atlanta are over $1,000 right now. I was hoping to see them come down in price!

 

Perhaps we should book the air with Princess? There's a possibility that we may have enough frequent flyer miles soon .... that's an option too.

 

Will arriving one day in advance of sailing be sufficient - that's what we always do for cruises here in the States, but maybe an additional day for Europe?

 

Any insight at all will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance! :)

[JLC@SD]

It will be our 18th cruise, but our first visit to Europe. We are sailing on the Golden Princess August 20, 2006 out of Southampton, England (British Isles/Northern Capitals).

 

Is it too early to book air? The roundtrip fares from Atlanta are over $1,000 right now. I was hoping to see them come down in price!

 

Perhaps we should book the air with Princess? There's a possibility that we may have enough frequent flyer miles soon .... that's an option too.

 

Will arriving one day in advance of sailing be sufficient - that's what we always do for cruises here in the States, but maybe an additional day for Europe?

 

Any insight at all will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance! :)

 

$1,000.00 for air Atlanta to London seems high. But airlines are losing money and can't afford big discounts. Check and see what Princess will offer.

 

Your arrival plans will depend on how much you want to see of London. You sail at 5 pm, so flying one day ahead will give you little time in London, considering jet lag and boarding time the next day of 12 - 1.

 

We usually like a couple of days to acclimate and see the city (Rome in our case for the Grand). Have a great trip. :)

[karen2cruz]

I'd wait. Right now they only have specials through Christmas or early spring. Check again after Christmas. Seems I booked 6 months out and got a great deal then

[spongerob]

If you want frequent flyer tickets, you need to look now. They usually are available 11 months in advance and can go quickly.

 

I would recommend going in a couple days early if you want to visit London, but you have to balance that with the cost of staying there for a couple extra days. London is VERY expensive, and you'll still need to get to Southampton. For a rough calculation, figure that one day in London will cost you double what you might expect to pay just about anywhere else, with the exception of perhaps NYC or Tokyo.

 

Sometimes Princess air does have some good prices, and you can purchase deviations to select flights suitable for you. Princess also has hotel and ground transfers available - again, they are expensive and you can often do better on your own.

[5fathom]

We did the British Isles cruise in July. We flew BA for DTW direct. I think I would watch the rates until just after the holidays and then book. We booked about 6 months in advance and the rates actually went up slightly before we left. If you book Princess air they will tell you up front you will not fly direct. They told us we could expect one or even two stops enroute. Most people we talked to said Princess routed them through New York. If you can, take the advice of the previous poster allow for at least two extra days in London. However, as was said, London is VERY VERY expensive. It was the most expensive place we have ever been ! Knowing what we know know we would also spend an additional night in London prior to returning to the USA. You will be up at 5 a.m. and have to be on the Heathrow bus by 7a.m. Combine that with the long flight home it makes for a miserable day. The cruise was fantastic and London was fantastic. You will always remember this trip. Have a great cruise. :)

[DonLou]

I've been tracking our plane flights to Europe for the past two years and it seems the best time frame for a cheap fare is about six months out. Of course there are a lot of variations and conditions that affect this, but we will probably book our September flight in March.

[CruiseNut7]

Thanks for all the great info! I will see how the airfares look after the holidays.

 

I'm reluctant to book the air through Princess as there are several daily direct flights to London from Atlanta, so don't want to deal with changing planes!

 

I didn't realize that London was so expensive. I'm sure I'll be asking more questions as the time gets closer.

 

Is it best to book pre-cruise hotel and transfers through Princess? Guess I'll need to research this one and put a pencil to it!

 

Any additional pointers will be helpful. Thanks so much.

[5fathom]

Because of our age, 60ish, we let Princess handle hotel and transfers. It could not have been better. They met us at Heathrow, put us right in a van, and took us direct to the Millenium Mayfair. The morning we left for Southampton we ate breakfast, boarded one of the five busses waiting and off we went. Our luggage had been loaded in a truck and sent in the early a.m. Sure it cost us more than making our own arrangements but we would do it the same way again. We do not generally use Princess transfer programs for Caribbean, Mexico or C&NE cruises but never having ventured "over the pond" before we felt more secure in our travel.

[Crowsie]

Welcome Aboard..we're on the same cruise with you!

 

We are using frequent flyer miles from Minneapolis and as we're taking our daughters, ages 12 and 10, we really wanted to fly nonstop. We only made our cruise booking after we secured our airfare.

However, we only had enough miles for three of us..so we're still searching for airfare for me.

Hopefully, we'll accumulate another 50,000 miles quickly enough to be able to book another seat.

 

Otherwise, our TA is watching the fares, but so far nothing has been cheap enough to book.

 

We're also going in a day early and renting a car to see Salisbury, Stonehedge etc on the way to Southampton.

 

If you use the Princess air they will charge you $75 per person for the air deviation to request non (or almost non) stop flights, plus any difference in airfare (if any).

 

We did pay this last March when we cruised Sydney to Bangkok as the Princess air was very competitive. Also...the return Princess booked us had us going Bangkok, Tokyo, San Fran to MSP. By going on NW nonstop from Tokyo to MSP we arrived home 12 hours earlier than the original Princess flights.

That was well worth the extra money for us.

But since this cruise goes round trip out of the same port, you should be able to come up decent airfare.

 

We usually take the Princess transfers when cruising overseas as it's so much easier and worry-free. Not this time, though, the transfers from Gatwick were $150 roundtrip per person. I almost fell off my chair when my TA told me that.

We can rent a car and leave it at the port for the entire 10 days for cheaper than that.

 

In any case...looking forward to a spectacular trip!

[negc]

Welcome Aboard..we're on the same cruise with you!

 

We usually take the Princess transfers when cruising overseas as it's so much easier and worry-free. Not this time, though, the transfers from Gatwick were $150 roundtrip per person. I almost fell off my chair when my TA told me that.

We can rent a car and leave it at the port for the entire 10 days for cheaper than that.

I'd double check on the rental car rate and the parking fee before proceeding. If there are four or more of you, however, you might save some money by booking a car and driver, but based on our experience with high costs in London last August, I don't think you will be able to save very much.

[DrivesLikeMario]

For our first trip to Europe, we booked our air on the very first date it became available. I think it was 10 months out.

 

This time, I'm waiting until January to see if the rates come down a bit.

 

Yes, London is expensive. It was recently ranked as the third most expensive city in the world, just after Nagasaki & Tokyo, Japan. But, EVERYTHING is expensive when you travel as a group of 4!! (Believe me, I know!)

 

Just remember with hotels in Europe, that you almost always have to book 2 rooms. Almost all of the hotels don't accept quads. Priceline comes in handy in London, but I don't know about Southampton. The UK Priceline might work for that city.

 

Monitor air at night - around 1 AM - just after the beginning of the year and grab a flight when you see it drop in price.

[chasetf]

It will be our 18th cruise, but our first visit to Europe. We are sailing on the Golden Princess August 20, 2006 out of Southampton, England (British Isles/Northern Capitals).

 

Will arriving one day in advance of sailing be sufficient - that's what we always do for cruises here in the States, but maybe an additional day for Europe?

 

Any insight at all will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance! :)

I would suggest additional time on one of the ends. You are spending a lot of money and for a few pounds more you can add London which I believe would be the highlight for your trip. We just finished the Grand Med / Greek Islands, and flew from Venice after spending extra time there, to London on our way home. We spent three days (which are really two full sight seeing days) and could have spent more time. Lots to see and it is pretty close together.

[K D cruiser]

We're booked on the August 10 Britisih Isles cruise. We've already booked our flights because we wanted to use Delta frequent flyer miles. We only had enough miles for my husband's ticket, so I booked mine at the same time to get the same flights. We wanted non-stop from Atlanta into Gatwick. My ticket was over $1000., but if you don't care which airline or days you fly, you can probably get a much cheaper ticket if you keep watching the fares. Good luck.

[CruiseNut7]

So much great information ... thank you!

 

I'm going to continue watching the airfares. Now, I must decide when to fly to London ... one or two or three days in advance. Don't want to break the bank though!

 

For those who have made this trip, do you enjoy sightseeing pre-cruise or post-cruise.

 

I wondered if I'd want to head to the airport and go directly home after the cruise OR use a few days to sightsee then. OR do the sightseeing in London prior to the cruise.

 

Do you find pros and cons to either?

 

Crowsie ..... we'll have to start a roll call soon!

 

Thanks again .... I sincerely appreciate everyone's help!

[DrivesLikeMario]

IMO, one day is definitely not enough for London. Two days would be really tight. Three or more would be best. There's so much to see there! We had 5 days there and it wasn't enough.

 

Something that helped us was using Priceline. London is the third most expensive city in the world and when you're buying 2 hotel rooms for 5 days, it can get pricey. We had a terrific location (couldn't ask for better) with our Priceline buy. Although I would've preferred a hotel a little more upscale like our Paris hotel, the one in London was dirt cheap for the location.

 

If you go pre-cruise, you'll be more rested for the cruise. If you go post-cruise, you won't have all the other cruise passengers to deal with at the airport. LHR is huge though, so I don't think that would matter too much. For me, pre-cruise is the way to go. It gives me time to get used to the time change, rest, relax and prepare for the cruise. By the time the cruise ends, I'm ready to get home. :)

[DonLou]

We will be going on the Golden in September and will stay pre-cruise in Southampton for two nights. We were in London for 3-1/2 days last year and were constantly on the go. There is plenty to see and do. This time, we plan to stay in Southampton because we wanted a day to get over the jet lag and another to just tour Southampton and relax since the cruise itself will be port intensive. Plus, Southampton accommodations are cheaper than those in London.

 

If you visit London pre-cruise you will have to allow at least one day to get over jet lag. To see the minimum attractions, you need at least three more days. The advantage of a post-cruise tour is that you won't waste one day because of jet lag. In any case, don't miss a chance to visit one of the great cities in the world.

[Fabulous2B50]

Depending on which airline you fly on, you could book now if the price is okay,and then keep checking to see if the price goes down. Some airlines, like American, will give you a full refund on the difference between what you paid and what the lower price is that you may find on INTERNATIONAL flights as long as there are seats available on all of the flight segments of your ticket. I just got over $300 dollars refunded to my credit card as I kept checking on airfare for my daughter's ticket on an open jaw from the US to Rome, then Venice back to US. My ticket was a FF ticket so I had to book early to ensure we would be together. I will continue to check her airfare, and it it drops again, I will call to see if I can save even more money. Check on this policy with the airline you plan to fly on. On American domestic flights, they will charge you $60 per ticket if the price changes to do the adjustment, but they waive this fee on their international routes,luckily for us!:D

[CruiseNut7]

Thanks so much for all the advice. To be very safe, I had our TA add the air and transfers. We have until June 2006 to cancel. So, if I find a better rate or can use my FF miles, I have options. The roundtrip fare is $1,078 without the deviation, and $152 pp for the transfers.

 

The TA also said if we use Princess to book our accommodations in London, they won't charge the deviation fee .... gee, thanks!

 

I never thought about using Priceline in London .... great idea.

 

Any other ideas are appreciated. Thanks again!

[gcsmith]

I second the advice to book now. I have a similar trip booked to the previous poster's. June 2006, Tucson to Rome, Shannon, Ireland to Tucson (open jaw). Original fares were high, but I noticed a $175 per person price drop recently. American had a bit of difficulty finding the new fare, but once I told them some information (from their own web site!) they refunded the money.

 

I will continue looking for price drops. In case anyone is wondering about the weird open jaw, it isn't for a cruise, three week land trip this time, but can't wait for my next cruise.

 

Greg

[land lover]

Depending on which airline you fly on, you could book now if the price is okay,and then keep checking to see if the price goes down. Some airlines, like American, will give you a full refund on the difference between what you paid and what the lower price is that you may find on INTERNATIONAL flights as long as there are seats available on all of the flight segments of your ticket. I just got over $300 dollars refunded to my credit card as I kept checking on airfare for my daughter's ticket on an open jaw from the US to Rome, then Venice back to US. My ticket was a FF ticket so I had to book early to ensure we would be together. I will continue to check her airfare, and it it drops again, I will call to see if I can save even more money. Check on this policy with the airline you plan to fly on. On American domestic flights, they will charge you $60 per ticket if the price changes to do the adjustment, but they waive this fee on their international routes,luckily for us!

 

this is very valuable info, the fact that AA will refund for international flights.....I am doing the same thing in July FF(I am thinking about using) for me/ full fare for my son, O.C., CA to Paris then London to O.C.(land vacation) the air is just out of site this year...(have gone 2 times in the last five years) and globus the tour company is adding a fuel surcharge of 122. per ticket so with them a ticket would be 1365.:eek: of course that does include transfer. But they want the air to be paid up front......rip.....anyway thanks for the info

[SF]

I'm also watching the air to London for this summer's cruise. I didn't know AA will refund you the money for international flights that go down in price, good to know. That's why I love these boards!!!

[shamrock47]

Greetings, We too will be on the 8/20 Golden. We have also booked Princess' air/transfers and 2 nights at the Millenium Mayfair pre cruise. Leaving from Nashville, air is a little more expensive than if we drove to Atlanta, but too much hassle factor. We plan to monitor air as advised on this board, and if all came to be a good deal we would change. Keep in mind that if you keep Princess's air but do other hotel, you have to pay $75 pp deviation fee. The transfers of $76 pp one way still apply. If we keep all Princess, no deviation fee and one way transfers are included. How complicated can you get?? What do you know about individual transfers from hotel to ship? Sounds like this could be expensive on its own. We are still searching for answers and would love to share info with all, especially on this cruise.

 

Rick and Colleen

[JordanF]

Consider going early. Last summer we took a ten-day Baltic cruise out of Copenhagen. We had planned three days in Copenhagen first. Well, we missed our connecting flight and it took us an extra 36 hours to get to Copenhagen. We still had a day in Copenhagen.

 

However, if we had cut it much closer, we would have missed our cruise.

[lkmamom]

Thanks so much for all the advice. To be very safe, I had our TA add the air and transfers. We have until June 2006 to cancel. So, if I find a better rate or can use my FF miles, I have options. The roundtrip fare is $1,078 without the deviation, and $152 pp for the transfers.

 

The TA also said if we use Princess to book our accommodations in London, they won't charge the deviation fee .... gee, thanks!

 

I never thought about using Priceline in London .... great idea.

 

Any other ideas are appreciated. Thanks again!

 

Diane,

Can I go with you........we went on this same cruise last summer. You will enjoy it so much. If you have any port questions please ask away. We stayed in London precruise for two days. I researched it out and we stayed at the Holiday Inn Kensington Forum which was very convenient to everything that we needed ie tube stations and groceries and sites that we wanted to visit. The rooms were small(everything hotel room wise in London is) but very clean and reasonably priced.

We have been trying so hard to talk my husband into doing this trip again. It seems like it all went y so quickly, we would love to go back and catch some of what we missed!

I would also recommend to you and your family Woodford Chauffers for transfers. They were absolutely fantastic and also very reasonably priced. As you go on researching the financial aspects of this trip you will be amazed....but there are some great helpful tips out there from fellow cruise critic members that really helped to make our trip so much easier.

I am so excited for you and sooooooo envious!

Linda