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If we purchase airfare through cruise line, will RC help us if the flight is delayed?


Artemis908
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Hi! So, I would typically never consider leaving for a flight the same day of a cruise, however, we are planning our wedding and would like to be able to not have to work a week before going on our honeymoon. The problem is our wedding is on a Saturday evening and so getting to Florida that night would be impossible (we live in Philly). So if I book our flight through Royal Caribbean (and get an early flight) if there are delays, would Royal Caribbean help us if something unforeseeable happened?

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Unless the airlines changes their schedule, RCI neglects to tell you and then you are on your own or left with a horrible alternative with impossible 1 hour connections in places like Chicago or Atlanta..My personal experience.

 

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With Air2Sea by Royal's Assured Arrival Program, should there be a disruption to your flights on travel day, Royal Caribbean's Emergency Travel Team will work with our airline partners to find you a seat on the next-available scheduled flights, in the same class of service. If there are no viable options to the embarkation port, we will attempt to get you to the next available port of call.

 

Many caveats to the Assured Arrival program. Notice all the will work with, will attempt, etc,etc. Never do they say guarantee.

Passports would be required if they need to send you to the next foreign port.

Edited by klfrodo
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There are so many anecdotal reports about this, and they run the gamut from "Royal was wonderful and proactive and fixed everything just perfectly" to "they never answered the phone on a weekend" or "the best they could do was book us on a flight the next day."   As another poster mentioned, read the fine print of their "assured arrival."  It's not an actual guarantee of any sort.

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We are in the UK so may be slightly different rules but here is what happened to us last Nov. 

 

We were flying to Rome on the morning of the Jewel TA, we had a 7.15 am flight from Heathrow booked through RCL with transfers to the port. They started boarding the flight and then stopped because the plane had a fuel leak. They ended up cancelling the flight, it was a BA flight and they said they would get another plane but could not tell us when that would be. We called the RCL helpline and they already knew about the flight (said they monitor them) and told us not to worry, they would hold the ship within reason otherwise they would get us to the first port of call (3 days later in Gran Canaria!). 

 

Our flight ended up leaving 3 and a half hours late, when we got to Rome an RCL rep met us as we came off the plane and stayed with us through the luggage pick up and took us out to a waiting mini van. We ended up boarding as muster drill was taking place.

 

I don't know what exactly what would have happened if the flight had been further delayed but we did feel confident that RCL would do right by us.

We would always prefer to fly in the day before but if we can't do this we would make sure we have booked the flight through the cruise line.

 

Julie

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12 hours ago, annie99 said:

Unless the airlines changes their schedule, RCI neglects to tell you and then you are on your own or left with a horrible alternative with impossible 1 hour connections in places like Chicago or Atlanta..My personal experience.

 

 

Not RCI fault if airline has issues such as mechanical, pilots out of time, airplane didn't arrive and overnight, weather and on and on.  Have a plan B in place.  DH was in maintenance management with a major airline for 20+ years and things happen.  Hope lady luck is on OP's side and have an awesome honeymoon.

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I know that problems happen with airlines, however, when an airline changes their schedule over 4 months prior to departure, RCI air department should send a notice that the flight has been changed.I only noticed the flight change when I got my air tickets less than a month prior to departure.RCI said they had contacted me- they did not.

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42 minutes ago, annie99 said:

I know that problems happen with airlines, however, when an airline changes their schedule over 4 months prior to departure, RCI air department should send a notice that the flight has been changed.I only noticed the flight change when I got my air tickets less than a month prior to departure.RCI said they had contacted me- they did not.

 

I have a platinum card with American Airlines - I am wondering if I could add the flight to my AAdvantage account so I could monitor it myself.

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1 hour ago, Artemis908 said:

 

I have a platinum card with American Airlines - I am wondering if I could add the flight to my AAdvantage account so I could monitor it myself.

Cruise Air programs buy their tickets a year in advance and negotiate restrictions (fare codes) to lower the price. IAW they are Consolidator type tickets. One of the special restrictions some consolidator tickets have is that you may or may not be able to accrue mileage.

The ticket you buy from Royal will not be the same as a ticket you buy direct from AA. Yes, the flight number will be the same, yes, the airports will be the same, the boarding pass will be the same, the plane will be the same,,,, but the little gottchas in the fine print will be different.

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10 minutes ago, klfrodo said:

Cruise Air programs buy their tickets a year in advance and negotiate restrictions (fare codes) to lower the price. IAW they are Consolidator type tickets. One of the special restrictions some consolidator tickets have is that you may or may not be able to accrue mileage.

The ticket you buy from Royal will not be the same as a ticket you buy direct from AA. Yes, the flight number will be the same, yes, the airports will be the same, the boarding pass will be the same, the plane will be the same,,,, but the little gottchas in the fine print will be different.

 

 

 

Crap, I get free checked bags with my credit card, so now I am wondering if I will have issues with that. Makes the flight super expensive if we have to pay to check bags.

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2 hours ago, Artemis908 said:

 

I have a platinum card with American Airlines - I am wondering if I could add the flight to my AAdvantage account so I could monitor it myself.

 

You can add your AAdvantage number. I get the record locator number to use on the airline website and add it myself if the RC air people fail to. I also make sure my TSA number is added. Change my seat too. Some airlines RC can do it, on other you need to do it yourself with the record locator. 

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2 hours ago, Artemis908 said:

 

I have a platinum card with American Airlines - I am wondering if I could add the flight to my AAdvantage account so I could monitor it myself.

 

Just a reminder that there's no guarantee that you will get airline miles when you purchase air from Royal.  We have purchased air from Royal something like 8 or 9 times, and have gotten miles each time.  However, you cannot know ahead of time what kind of fare Royal will buy from the airline, and it is possible that they could buy a fare that does not give miles.  I think it's a low probability, but it could happen.

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I don’t usually go the same day either but a year ago December the hotel I booked in San Juan canceled my room and we could not find a room. The emergency responders took them. United also canceled our flights. So I used RC air since if the flight was delayed they would get us to the next port if they could not hold the ship. That didn’t happen but was good to have that back up. With their air you can do some interesting things, so I booked one way with RC and booked my own return. Actually paid less than my original air and did not have to pay for a hotel.


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1 hour ago, Artemis908 said:

 

 

 

Crap, I get free checked bags with my credit card, so now I am wondering if I will have issues with that. Makes the flight super expensive if we have to pay to check bags.

 

Some programs give you checked bags merely by having the credit card and having it attached to the frequent flyer program.  Others you have to buy something, like better seats.  We have had both.

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1 hour ago, Artemis908 said:

 

 

 

Crap, I get free checked bags with my credit card, so now I am wondering if I will have issues with that. Makes the flight super expensive if we have to pay to check bags.

 

There is space on the Luggage Valet form for you to enter info that would modify/eliminate checked bags fees.

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Some programs give you checked bags merely by having the credit card and having it attached to the frequent flyer program.  Others you have to buy something, like better seats.  We have had both.


Yes, with American you don’t have to use their credit card. Just have the Advantage number on the reservation. United you have to use the credit card.


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1 hour ago, Charles4515 said:

 

You can add your AAdvantage number. I get the record locator number to use on the airline website and add it myself if the RC air people fail to. I also make sure my TSA number is added. Change my seat too. Some airlines RC can do it, on other you need to do it yourself with the record locator. 

I do exactly the same thing and I get notifications when the flight times change.  I also select my seats as soon as possible.

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22 hours ago, Artemis908 said:

 

I have a platinum card with American Airlines - I am wondering if I could add the flight to my AAdvantage account so I could monitor it myself.

 

Whether you link the flight to your AAdvantage account or not, if you get the AA 6 digit record locator number from Royal, you can log in to AA to monitor your flights.

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