Puzzled about Air Fare?

[sobore]

It seems the air fare purchased with the cruise is much more than if you booked the air travel on your own. Being a newbie at this, do people book their air travel with the cruise and what is the advantage? Thanks!

[OBX Bill]

It seems the air fare purchased with the cruise is much more than if you booked the air travel on your own. Being a newbie at this, do people book their air travel with the cruise and what is the advantage? Thanks!

 

 

You'll find most folks book their own air. why ?

 

less $$

you pick the flights you want

 

Book your own

[doone]

I agree with the above poster. If you do book your own air fare, please, please be sure to fly a day ahead. If you fly the day of your cruise and for whatever reason are delayed in reaching your destination, you could miss the ship. I have always found that booking my own airfare and getting a hotel in Ft. Lauderdale is still cheaper than booking with the airline. Plus, I have found getting airfare with the cruise line, they are always the worst schedules imaginable.

 

Cruise lines say if you book your own air fare, don't book a flight home before 1 pm, although I have made flights at noon time, but I wouldn't suggest any earlier than 12 noon.

 

Hope this helps, any further questions, please ask away.

[sobore]

Thanks for the tips! Booking your own air with a hotel a day early saves you hundreds of dollars. I'm surprised that anyone books their air with the cruise line.

[almitra]

I have only ever used cruiseline air once........and that was because it was over $200 less PP than anything I could find in my exhaustive searches. It was a trans-oceanic flight from LAX to Honolulu smack dab during peak Christmas and New Year's time...ugh.

[parody]

Another reason some book their own flights is so that they can use Frequent Flier miles and thus travel to the port of debarkation for nothing or only fees and taxes. Some may have an odd, one-way, international itinerary and find that cruise air, possibly with an air deviation charge, is less than what they could do on their own. But, for most trips, doing it on your own is the preferred way as others have noted.

[wrp96]

Thanks for the tips! Booking your own air with a hotel a day early saves you hundreds of dollars. I'm surprised that anyone books their air with the cruise line.

 

It is a fallacy to say that cruise air is ALWAYS more expensive than booking on your own. For my upcoming Rhapsody cruise, I was able to get airfare on my own for much less than the cruise air. But for my 2 upcoming cruises out of San Juan, cruise air knocks the socks off of anything I've been able to find since I booked back in March. It's best to look around and see and not just assume that one is less expensive than the other.

[lagbunch8]

It is a fallacy to say that cruise air is ALWAYS more expensive than booking on your own. For my upcoming Rhapsody cruise, I was able to get airfare on my own for much less than the cruise air. But for my 2 upcoming cruises out of San Juan, cruise air knocks the socks off of anything I've been able to find since I booked back in March. It's best to look around and see and not just assume that one is less expensive than the other.

 

I agree. As I have stated before I am paying $879 pp for air from Orlando to Rome in June through Carnival. It is not always cheaper or wiser to book air on your own. I booked my own air for Orlando to Miami. Look at all of your options.

[DiveCruiser]

We have always booked airfare on our own. We always fly the sameday (out of pittsburgh, Pa) and make sure we get in to the port early as possible ( usually before 11am). The best has been a flight with no connections. Also going down the day before lowers the stress level for alot of people..

 

Bob

[Dihead]

i booked the cruise air for $900 (for 2 people) as compared to major airlines at $1200 (for 2 people)...so, cruise air saved me approx. $500.

[shellysh]

was that nonstop direct or with stops? just wondering.

[vivian02]

Here is something to consider when booking your own airfare to Europe. I booked our airfare in October for the Middle of May 2006. I'll be flying out of Albuquerque and locked in on $822. (Only one stop). I had signed up for automatic pricing from Orbitz flying out of PHX and ABQ for anything under $675. This morning I got an alert on the PHX flight with travel dates of May 23 departure and June 6th return for $629. I checked it out and the price is now $618. Yes it is to your advantage to sign up for travel alerts. I hope this helps. Tim

[folashade]

It seems the air fare purchased with the cruise is much more than if you booked the air travel on your own. Being a newbie at this, do people book their air travel with the cruise and what is the advantage? Thanks!

 

As others have posted there are advantages to buying your own air.

• Choose your own flights and airline (I am VERY picky about who and when I will fly)
  
• In most cases you will pay much less than the going with the cruise line

Some exceptions

Depending on where you live it can be a challenge to find reasonable airfare. I live in NYC so for the most part I can usually find reasonable airfare. Out of Raleigh for example is a whole different ballgame One way european cruises can also be a challenge to find reasonable airfare