NCL Free Air - Flights and flight delays?

[stevex]

Has anyone had this happen?  I'm wondering how NCL would handle it.

 

I just got our air tickets, and they have us leaving Toronto at 7:25am and arriving in Miami for 11:45am.  Cruise departs at 4pm.  That seems tight to me.

 

Does NCL take care of the transfer from the airport to the pier?  The material I have isn't clear - it talks about being able to purchase a transfer, but then mentions meeting an NCL rep at the airport.  Is the NCL rep going to tell me to go get a cab to the pier?

 

If we do miss the sailing, the first two days are sea days and the first port is San Juan so it would no fun to have to try to catch up to it.

 

Is this usually fine or do most people alter the reservation to fly in the day before?  Would seem like a bit of a stealth fee to set everyone up with arrangements they're not going to like and then charge to change them.

 

Just curious to hear the experiences from other people.

 

Thanks!

Edited October 9, 2019 by stevex

[Pduaime]

Not sure you can do much about coming in a day early now since your tickets have already been issued, but it might be worth asking. I believe it is a $25 air deviation fee to come in up to two days early.  Then you would be responsible for your own transfer and hotel arrangements.    If you have not already booked airport to pier transfers directly with NCL, you should.  Then they are responsible for getting you to the ship.  One our very first cruise on Carnival  about 20 years ago, we had delays on our flights.  Had we not had our transfers booked with the cruise line, we definitely would have missed the ship.   Their representative met us,  helped make the claim for our luggage which did not make it, and got us to the ship about 30 minutes before sailaway.  the Rep was on the phone with the ship the entire time keeping them updated on where we were.  I have no first hand experience with NCL in this situation, but I would hope they would handle it similarly.  

[CP3o]

I could use some guidance too since I booked a cruise out of NY with the Air and assumed they will book me in very early and if something happens, since they book the airfare, would help out getting to ship.

 

I normally do get in a day early but normally book myself.  Transfers are included on my confirmation.  NY would be expensive to stay a random night and just seemed easier to leave reservation alone and take the air they give but now I'm concerned.

 

If I add NCL insurance to the reservation before final payment (I assume this happens before flights assigned) does that protect me?  I.e. if miss sailing, they would get me to next port, Portland Maine? I normally buy insurance but not thru the cruiseline.

[stevex]

Thanks -

 

I checked with NCL and it's $421 to arrive 24 hours earlier, including hotel.

 

Tough call.

 

NCL's BookSafe insurance costs $716 ($179/person) and says, of a missed cruise due to a flight delay, that they will give you up to $500 to cover a transfer to the next port of call. Doesn't really make sense here.

Edited October 9, 2019 by stevex

[hallux]

2 hours ago, stevex said:

I checked with NCL and it's $421 to arrive 24 hours earlier, including hotel.

You don't have to take their hotel, they usually charge per person for that rather than per room, even in one room.  You should be able to pay the $25 deviation fee per person then book your own hotel.

 

If you come in a day early you CAN get the NCL transfer from the airport to the port, you just have to get back to the airport to get on it.

[julig22]

If you are using the free air promo, they include (for a fee of course) transportation to and from the airport to the pier.  In your edocs or on your confirmation you should see a charge - for Miami, it's $16pp, each way.  According to their info, your flight needs to arrive 3hrs prior to cruise departure, so your timing is OK.  Assuming you are using NCL to get to the pier, there will be a representative at baggage claim - look for the person with a NCL clipboard.  Sometimes they are obvious, sometimes you have to hunt them down.  They should already have your information and will direct you from there.

 

Within reason, NCL will wait if your flight and/or transportation is late, assuming that NCL has made the arrangements - I've talked to people who had it happen.  You are on your own if you booked transportation on your own.

[julig22]

5 hours ago, CP3o said:

If I add NCL insurance to the reservation before final payment (I assume this happens before flights assigned) does that protect me?  I.e. if miss sailing, they would get me to next port, Portland Maine? I normally buy insurance but not thru the cruiseline.

Not sure about NCL insurance - but you should be able to find a carrier that would cover you in the event of a missed flight.  You get better coverage if you buy at the same time you book, but that is generally with respect to missing your cruise because of pre-existing conditions.  As a fyi, some credit cards have travel protection that might cover you if you pay for your trip with them - not sure of all the details but I know Costco Visa covers up to $2500 if you have to cancel.

[smplybcause]

5 hours ago, CP3o said:

I could use some guidance too since I booked a cruise out of NY with the Air and assumed they will book me in very early and if something happens, since they book the airfare, would help out getting to ship.

 

I normally do get in a day early but normally book myself.  Transfers are included on my confirmation.  NY would be expensive to stay a random night and just seemed easier to leave reservation alone and take the air they give but now I'm concerned.

 

If I add NCL insurance to the reservation before final payment (I assume this happens before flights assigned) does that protect me?  I.e. if miss sailing, they would get me to next port, Portland Maine? I normally buy insurance but not thru the cruiseline.

 

Is it a round trip back to NY cruise or a one-way to Canada? If it's round trip you would only be able to board the ship in a Canadian port. 

[DaCruiseBug]

I think it's extremely careless of NCL to book flights in the same day of the sailing. Why not automatically have it so you fly in the day before and if you want to fly in the day of then you can pay $25 per person? Seems like that would make a lot more sense to me.

[stevex]

We arranged to fly in the day before.

 

We're staying at the hotel they're choosing (not sure which one yet but we're not picky), and it's costing us $336 (Canadian). This includes removing the transfer from the hotel to the ship from the reservation, which I assume isn't a problem since we'll be in Miami already and getting a cab to the pier shouldn't cost anywhere near that, and we won't need the assurance of knowing it's an NCL transfer. 

 

I'm much more comfortable with this arrangement.

 

I'd suggest anyone taking NCL up on their free air offers make the arrangement to fly in the day before, and be sure to do it before ticketing!  (Our ticketing happened 54 days in advance of the cruise date). It may involve a significant extra charge if the tickets have already been issued.

[smplybcause]

42 minutes ago, DaCruiseBug said:

I think it's extremely careless of NCL to book flights in the same day of the sailing. Why not automatically have it so you fly in the day before and if you want to fly in the day of then you can pay $25 per person? Seems like that would make a lot more sense to me.

 

Because the airfare wouldn't look as cheap if they included a nights stay at a hotel. They'd also likely have plenty pissed about no transfer from hotel to port. 

[DaCruiseBug]

26 minutes ago, smplybcause said:

 

Because the airfare wouldn't look as cheap if they included a nights stay at a hotel. They'd also likely have plenty pissed about no transfer from hotel to port. 

 

Nobody said anything about a hotel...that's for people to figure out. You can get a hotel by the airport for under $100. It sure beats having to wake up at the crack of dawn to catch a flight and risk missing the cruise because you're flying in on the same day.

 

Btw: The transfer is also not included now...you have to pay extra for it.

Edited October 9, 2019 by DaCruiseBug

[CP3o]

2 hours ago, smplybcause said:

 

Is it a round trip back to NY cruise or a one-way to Canada? If it's round trip you would only be able to board the ship in a Canadian port. 

Wait, I was thinking it wouldn't be too hard to get to Portland Maine in the worse case scenario.  It is a round trip Canada cruise out of NY that has a day at sea and then stops in Portland Maine. 

 

I didn't think about weird cruise rules, you are saying I couldn't join the ship in Portland? I'd have to wait to join at Saint John?  I'm rapidly losing interest in this cruise.

[smplybcause]

7 minutes ago, CP3o said:

Wait, I was thinking it wouldn't be too hard to get to Portland Maine in the worse case scenario.  It is a round trip Canada cruise out of NY that has a day at sea and then stops in Portland Maine. 

 

I didn't think about weird cruise rules, you are saying I couldn't join the ship in Portland? I'd have to wait to join at Saint John?  I'm rapidly losing interest in this cruise.

 

Yup - it all has to do with the PVSA. The only ship NCL has (actually the only ship any major cruise line has) that can take passengers between two US ports without stopping at a distance foreign port is the Pride of America (since its US flagged). Canada is not considered a distant foreign port.

 

There's an exception for closed loop cruises (cruises that start and end in the same port), but it's no long a closed loop cruise if you embark in another US port. 

 

And of course cruises that start or end in a foreign port don't  violate it. Which is why you could join it at a Canadian port. 

[kdmbluerzr]

3 hours ago, julig22 said:

Not sure about NCL insurance - but you should be able to find a carrier that would cover you in the event of a missed flight.  You get better coverage if you buy at the same time you book, but that is generally with respect to missing your cruise because of pre-existing conditions.  As a fyi, some credit cards have travel protection that might cover you if you pay for your trip with them - not sure of all the details but I know Costco Visa covers up to $2500 if you have to cancel.

The Costco Anywhere Visa card no longer has the travel protection benefit included. Unfortunately. That went away Sept. 22, 2019. I have the Costco Visa card, so disappointed they dropped this benefit! For those that have this card might want to take a minute and review the card benefits info, if you access your account via online there is a memo posted. 

[julig22]

15 minutes ago, kdmbluerzr said:

The Costco Anywhere Visa card no longer has the travel protection benefit included. Unfortunately. That went away Sept. 22, 2019. I have the Costco Visa card, so disappointed they dropped this benefit! For those that have this card might want to take a minute and review the card benefits info, if you access your account via online there is a memo posted. 

Wow - thanks for that.  I guess I will re-evaluate my insurance choices!  Upcoming December cruise is covered, since it's paid for but after that, nothing since my deposits were CruiseNext.  Darn - that was a good deal, especially with the 3% rebate.

[kdmbluerzr]

Just now, julig22 said:

Wow - thanks for that.  I guess I will re-evaluate my insurance choices!  Upcoming December cruise is covered, since it's paid for but after that, nothing since my deposits were CruiseNext.  Darn - that was a good deal, especially with the 3% rebate.

Oh for sure! Yes it was a great deal.  I have 3 cruises booked and ended up having to add the travel protection via NCL. Don't realize what a savings that was till you have to start paying for it.