NCL airfare promotion

[OhioJourneys]

We will be sailing on NCL Jade from Athens next year and are booked with the "free" second passenger airfare.  We would like to go into Athens a few days early (I understand there is a 2 night maximum deferral on air?) but can find no way to do that in our reservation.  Also, would love to upgrade airfare to include baggage and seat assignment.  Does anyone know if that is possible?  This is long flight to possibly be seated separately.  Any experience with using this promotion appreciated.

 

[agrimm01]

My wife and I did the Greece cruise out of Athens on the Jade in October.  We used the BOGO airfare and it worked out great.  We upgraded seat assignments on the long haul legs (PHY-ATH) and it couldn't have worked out any better.

[icedearth15324]

Upgrading and seat changes can usually be done directly via the airline. As for the airfare deferral part, I'd reach out to NCL directly.

[julig22]

You have to call NCL to add the deviation request, 75 days or more from your sail date.

Seat choices are made directly with the airline once your tickets are issued, about 45 days prior to sail date. Every airline/flight is different - you could have to pay to choose seats if you don't want to wait until check-in time.  You might also be able to pay for upgraded/preferred seating.

You can pre-pay baggage directly to the airline, again subject to each airline policy.  For a flight to Athens you will probably be allowed 1 checked bag per person, depending on the airline.

 

https://www.ncl.com/air-service-standards

[Crazy planning mom]

We paid $25 a person to be able to deviate and fly in 2 nights early.

[Ken the cruiser]

We're also booked on a NCL Jade cruise out of Athens next November and are trying to figure out how to book the air through NCL. However, when looking at our booking I can't find a link to making the airline reservations. When we book air via other cruise line accounts, it's pretty obvious. Does the NCL air reservation link only appear in the NCL online booking when flights are available for the specific cruise date or am I just looking in the wrong place?

[hallux]

@Ken the cruiser if you're using the air promo there's nothing for you to do except to tell NCL during your booking that you want to arrive a day or 2 early.  NCL does the booking.

 

If you're using the NCL Premium Air service, see this page - https://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/premium-air

[Ken the cruiser]

10 minutes ago, hallux said:

@Ken the cruiser if you're using the air promo there's nothing for you to do except to tell NCL during your booking that you want to arrive a day or 2 early.  NCL does the booking.

 

If you're using the NCL Premium Air service, see this page - https://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/premium-air

Thanks! We also just find this one.

 

Air Sea Program | Cruise Line Transfers, Air Ticketing, Charges & Cruise Documentation | Norwegian Cruise Line (ncl.com)

 

Edited January 13, 2022 by Ken the cruiser

[Ken the cruiser]

I have to admit, though, it is kind of weird that we can't book flights to/from our NCL cruise online like we can with Celebrity, Princess as well as the other lines we cruise with. Has that always been the case with NCL?

[hallux]

@Ken the cruiser ah, but it seems you CAN.  NCL has several programs in addition to the promo.

Premium Air - https://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/premium-air

Air Sea program - https://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/airsea

 

Your ability to book exactly what you want will vary by program.  Premium Air seems to allow the most flexibility.

[Ken the cruiser]

1 minute ago, hallux said:

@Ken the cruiser ah, but it seems you CAN.  NCL has several programs in addition to the promo.

Premium Air - https://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/premium-air

Air Sea program - https://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/airsea

 

Your ability to book exactly what you want will vary by program.  Premium Air seems to allow the most flexibility.

But if I log onto our NCL account and select our booking, there is no option to book the flights online. Correct?

[hallux]

5 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

But if I log onto our NCL account and select our booking, there is no option to book the flights online. Correct?

I can't say for certain, both of my previous NCL cruises were booked through TA's and I don't have a current booking but I don't believe it can be done through your MyNCL account directly.  The pages I linked have info on how to initiate the process.

[Ken the cruiser]

2 minutes ago, hallux said:

I can't say for certain, both of my previous NCL cruises were booked through TA's and I don't have a current booking but I don't believe it can be done through your MyNCL account directly.  The pages I linked have info on how to initiate the process.

Thanks! That's probably what we'll do when the time comes. Let me ask another question if I might. When we call one of the numbers provided in either of the links or decide to book through our TA as you do, I assume the flights are being booked through NCL. If this is true and we subsequently cancel the cruise prior to final payment, are the air reservations also cancelled with no penalties since I'm assuming we won't be paying for the flights until after final payment?

 

The reason I ask is that we have a 38 day B2B booked to leave Athens in Nov 2022 and eventually disembark in Cape Town, South Africa. A very cool cruise, but with this pandemic and considering a lot of our ports are in Africa, we're going to have to make a final decision if it's a go/no go before our final payment is due in July.

 

[Ken the cruiser]

1 hour ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Thanks! That's probably what we'll do when the time comes. Let me ask another question if I might. When we call one of the numbers provided in either of the links or decide to book through our TA as you do, I assume the flights are being booked through NCL. If this is true and we subsequently cancel the cruise prior to final payment, are the air reservations also cancelled with no penalties since I'm assuming we won't be paying for the flights until after final payment?

 

The reason I ask is that we have a 38 day B2B booked to leave Athens in Nov 2022 and eventually disembark in Cape Town, South Africa. A very cool cruise, but with this pandemic and considering a lot of our ports are in Africa, we're going to have to make a final decision if it's a go/no go before our final payment is due in July.

 

@halluxI contacted one of the NCL numbers was able to get the answers I was looking for. Thanks for helping me find my way with booking a flight through NCL! 😎

[julig22]

1 hour ago, Ken the cruiser said:

The reason I ask is that we have a 38 day B2B booked to leave Athens in Nov 2022 and eventually disembark in Cape Town, South Africa. A very cool cruise, but with this pandemic and considering a lot of our ports are in Africa, we're going to have to make a final decision if it's a go/no go before our final payment is due in July.

 

something to consider if you are using NCL airfare promo for a B2B.  Book each leg with the airfare for now, cancel the middle reservations later based on cancellation schedules.  I booked a b2b with airfare and NCL cancelled one leg - and because the airfare promo was no longer in effect they wouldn't let me add the airfare to get to the remaining cruise.

[Ken the cruiser]

1 minute ago, julig22 said:

something to consider if you are using NCL airfare promo for a B2B.  Book each leg with the airfare for now, cancel the middle reservations later based on cancellation schedules.  I booked a b2b with airfare and NCL cancelled one leg - and because the airfare promo was no longer in effect they wouldn't let me add the airfare to get to the remaining cruise.

Thanks, but we booked our Nov 2022 Africa B2B well before their air promotion became available with our category being sold out for quite some time since then. Unless I’m missing something and there is a stand-alone air promotion going on now. I’m all ears!

[julig22]

41 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Thanks, but we booked our Nov 2022 Africa B2B well before their air promotion became available with our category being sold out for quite some time since then. Unless I’m missing something and there is a stand-alone air promotion going on now. I’m all ears!

I have airfare included on my Dec Africa cruise.  It never hurts to call and ask, but it is harder if your category is sold out since there isn't anything to use as comparison.

[Ken the cruiser]

We called and found out a few details. First, we can request the air reservations now, but we won’t be notified what the specific itineraries entail and they won’t actually be booked/paid for until 55 days prior to the cruise.
 

On the bright side, we’ll be able to cancel them if we need to prior to final payment. But on the downside, we won’t find out what the actual itineraries are, to include any layover time spans the flights will entail, until after FP.
 

My question is can we get the flights modified, if necessary, if there is say only a 30 minute layover in Paris to catch a connecting flight to Athens? I’m sure they will be fine, but we’ve had that happen before.

Edited January 16, 2022 by Ken the cruiser

[hallux]

6 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

My question is can we get the flights modified, if necessary, if there is say only a 30 minute layover in Paris to catch a connecting flight to Athens? I’m sure they will be fine, but we’ve had that happen before.

Usually layovers need to be approved by the airlines, and are usually dictated by them.  If a 30 minute connection time is acceptable in that airport then it could happen.  I doubt it is, especially for international flights.  NCL should only book connections with layovers that can be made by most.

 

That said - on an NCL-booked flight I had a domestic connection in Atlanta that was only booked for an hour on the ground in ATL.  We pushed late at home (well, on time but as the engines were spinning up they stopped them and stopped the push due to the weather in ATL) AND were slowed enroute due to weather and only ended up with 20-30 minutes on the ground which I was still able to make.

 

Funny enough - I've connected in ATL twice and I've spent a total of about 40 minutes in that airport.  The other time was a connection to Mexico City, they held the departing plane for me and I was the last to board.

 

The airlines DO sometimes get it wrong.  Coming home from a cruise that disembarked in Vancouver I was on United through ORD.  The airline allowed a connection to be booked but by the time I had disembarked the cruise I had a text that my second leg had been re-booked.  Construction at ORD had made the original connection too short by the rules needed for the construction because I had to go through customs/immigration.  As it turns out, we landed at ORD early and I was able to get back on my original flight.

[Tangibelle]

Is there a "usual" carrier that NCL books flights with for this promotion? I assume it will economy class tickets, is that correct? When flying to London from the U.S., is it usually Heathrow or Gatwick or do they just fly you to whatever airport the cheapest ticket is going too? Almost forgot to ask about bags? Is any amount of checked baggage included or will we have to pay for each bag? Thanks!

 

~T

Edited January 20, 2022 by Tangibelle
almost forgot about luggage question!

[julig22]

10 minutes ago, Tangibelle said:

Is there a "usual" carrier that NCL books flights with for this promotion? I assume it will economy class tickets, is that correct? When flying to London from the U.S., is it usually Heathrow or Gatwick or do they just fly you to whatever airport the cheapest ticket is going too? Almost forgot to ask about bags? Is any amount of checked baggage included or will we have to pay for each bag? Thanks!

 

~T

United, American, Delta are common, but it depends on where/when you are flying, available flights, etc.  Yes to economy, sometimes you can upgrade directly with the airline.  Always Heathrow for me but that doesn't mean they wouldn't use Gatwick.  Cost is a factor but they also factor schedules, plus 2 layovers max, no overnight layovers.

You pay for checked luggage for domestic destinations, usually 1 or more checked bags included for international (London was 1 if I recall correctly).  But that's determined by the airline, not NCL.

[Tangibelle]

42 minutes ago, julig22 said:

United, American, Delta are common, but it depends on where/when you are flying, available flights, etc.  Yes to economy, sometimes you can upgrade directly with the airline.  Always Heathrow for me but that doesn't mean they wouldn't use Gatwick.  Cost is a factor but they also factor schedules, plus 2 layovers max, no overnight layovers.

You pay for checked luggage for domestic destinations, usually 1 or more checked bags included for international (London was 1 if I recall correctly).  But that's determined by the airline, not NCL.

Thank you so much! I am a ways out but like to have some kind of idea what to expect. This helps A LOT!

 

~T

[Ken the cruiser]

Thanks @halluxfor all your insights. Just an update on our booking experiences when we called the NCL number when we were actually ready to book the two flights for next Nov/Dec. NCL said since we were booked through a TA, our agent had to make the call to them to book the reservations. We then contacted out TA who was subsequently able to book coach from Birmingham to Athens for $549 pp with the return from Cape Town back to Birmingham AL for $599 pp. When we asked about Comfort+ or something similar, the price went up to around $1,500 pp/flight, so we passed on that option.

 

Bottom line, we're not sure if we got the current flight promotion, but we felt those coach prices were pretty fair. If we were to book them ourselves directly with the airlines, they would have been about $300 pp/flight more and we would have had to pay the nonrefundable fares upfront versus at final payment. 

[hallux]

59 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Bottom line, we're not sure if we got the current flight promotion,

The free-at-sea one?  No, that's different as you have ZERO control over the flight times...

[Ken the cruiser]

3 minutes ago, hallux said:

The free-at-sea one?  No, that's different as you have ZERO control over the flight times...

I believe we also have zero control as we won’t find out what our flight itineraries, let alone flight line(s) are until around 45-55 days before the cruise.