Someone happy with Cruise Air?!

[shelleymp]

I know there are plenty of bad experiences with cruise air so I thought I'd share a positive one!

 

We have a family of 4 cruising on the NCL Jewel leaving April 9 out of Miami (we're flying from Philadelphia) and returning April 17. Because it's spring break/Easter, the flight prices have been VERY high since I started checking almost 5 months ago and the departure times available were lousy. I'm on the internet daily and am familiar with ITA, kayak etc. and couldn't find the flights cheaper so I went with the cruise air but kept checking. Prices/availability continued to get worse so I stuck with the cruise air but I've been reading the boards and stressing ever since!!!

 

I started calling NCL a week ago to see if our air was booked and today (42 days before our cruise) they confirmed it was. (I did book directly with NCL so I didn't need to rely on a travel agent to follow up). They gave me the airline (USAIR) and flight numbers and I immediately called USAIR and got seat assignments (we're all sitting together). We have non-stop flights with good departure times. They must hold some of the flights back specifically for the cruiselines because I have not seen these flights for the price we're paying. I'm VERY HAPPY and relieved it worked out.

 

THANK YOU to CC members who recommended calling vs. waiting for the tickets to arrive. If I'd waited I may not have been so lucky getting the seats together.

[Daycare Provider]

We had great luck with Carnival Cruise Line. Our flights left S.F. at 7:00 a.m. and were in N.O by 2:00 p.m. The transfers worked out really well too. I will only book through the cruise line.

[CanuckCFAN]

We too had a GREAT experience with Cruise Air...

 

Booked Toronto to San Juan!

 

First of all, we got our flight itinerary about 75 days before our cruise. We did specify at the time of booking that we wanted to fly to San Juan a day early however we were not charged a "deviation" because we choose our hotel through Princess!

 

Coming from Toronto we knew we were going to have to make a connection, as it turns out we only have one connection each way with only about 1 to 1.5 hours wait time in between!

 

We will be arriving in San Juan by 1:00 pm and arriving home by 8:00 pm (Good timing both way), and best of all, we found the flight cost completely reasonable (we could not find anything cheaper)...

 

I don't know, when I read this board and see all the problems people have with booking their own flights, It really makes me wonder why so many people advocate booking their own transportation!

 

If you can find cheaper great, however with the luck we Canadians have with Airlines (Canada 3000, Jetsgo), I think I will leave the stress up to somebody else!

 

Cheers!

 

CCfan

[PaulMedik]

 

I don't know, when I read this board and see all the problems people have with booking their own flights, It really makes me wonder why so many people advocate booking their own transportation!

 

 

 

I definately had problems booking my own airfare this time around, but even the lousy price I paid was cheaper than booking through the cruiseline and I didn't have to pay a fee to fly in early. I don't know that I have advocated for people booking their own in the past, but I do advocate it. ;)

[Bill S]

We have used cruise-air 5 times and have never had a problem with it. We have flown twice to FLL, twice to Vancouver and once to Paris with return from Copenhagen. We have chosen to use cruise-air again for a September cruise (Rome to NYC) the arrangments are fine.

We have used our own air arrangements 5 times, and also, have been lucky to have had no problems.

Maybe we are due for a disruption/problem, but with only one exception, we have flown in at least one day prior to embarkation.

[lagbunch8]

Thank you all for your positive stories! Keep them coming.

[greatam]

We have used cruise-air 5 times and have never had a problem with it. We have flown twice to FLL, twice to Vancouver and once to Paris with return from Copenhagen. We have chosen to use cruise-air again for a September cruise (Rome to NYC) the arrangments are fine.

We have used our own air arrangements 5 times, and also, have been lucky to have had no problems.

Maybe we are due for a disruption/problem, but with only one exception, we have flown in at least one day prior to embarkation.

 

Since you flew in a day early, didn't you use deviation or a package?

 

Not truly the same as "cruise air", as you or a TA actually picked the flights you took, correct?

 

Cruise air usually arrives just in time to make the ship, NOT the day before. And you have NO input into what flights you take-it is truly WHATEVER the cruise line books, through whatever cities are available, at WHATEVER time the airline has available. Not a good thing in a lot of cases.

[Bill S]

greatam: except for our forthcoming September cruise, we have had input into our cruise-air arrangements only once (when our TA sailed with us) and have never had to pay a deviation fee. Except for that one time, HAL made all the arrangements. HAL included the hotel in 3 of those trips. For the other two, we paid for the hotel in one instance and for the it was included in a pre-cruise package we purchased. Our TA had no involvement the air arrangements except for that one time, when she was going on the same cruise with our small group of friends and she made sure that we had good air arrangements.

For our forthcoming cruise, HAL has an optional service, where for a extra fee, you have input into your air carrier, itinerary, flight times and seat assignments. We opted for it and are very pleased with the results so far.

Sorry to get so detailed! :)

[MichTraveler]

We have never done cruise air before -- we usually use FF miles and always want to control the choices. But when we booked the Tahiti Cruise for next month, Princess air from LAX to PPT beat everything I could find. We still are doing our own to LAX as their rates were much too high for that portion. Since they use ATN, we knew when we booked that we would be on one of two flights -- so not much risk.

[greatam]

greatam: except for our forthcoming September cruise, we have had input into our cruise-air arrangements only once (when our TA sailed with us) and have never had to pay a deviation fee. Except for that one time, HAL made all the arrangements. HAL included the hotel in 3 of those trips. For the other two, we paid for the hotel in one instance and for the it was included in a pre-cruise package we purchased. Our TA had no involvement the air arrangements except for that one time, when she was going on the same cruise with our small group of friends and she made sure that we had good air arrangements.

For our forthcoming cruise, HAL has an optional service, where for a extra fee, you have input into your air carrier, itinerary, flight times and seat assignments. We opted for it and are very pleased with the results so far.

Sorry to get so detailed! :)

 

So HAL does it differently???? Puts you up in hotels, etc??? Please explain. Are you sure your TA does not have some kind of interface with HAL, since you fly a few days early AND book hotels through the cruiseline???

[life is good]

I know there are plenty of bad experiences with cruise air so I thought I'd share a positive one!

 

We have a family of 4 cruising on the NCL Jewel leaving April 9 out of Miami (we're flying from Philadelphia) and returning April 17. Because it's spring break/Easter, the flight prices have been VERY high since I started checking almost 5 months ago and the departure times available were lousy. I'm on the internet daily and am familiar with ITA, kayak etc. and couldn't find the flights cheaper so I went with the cruise air but kept checking. Prices/availability continued to get worse so I stuck with the cruise air but I've been reading the boards and stressing ever since!!!

 

I started calling NCL a week ago to see if our air was booked and today (42 days before our cruise) they confirmed it was. (I did book directly with NCL so I didn't need to rely on a travel agent to follow up). They gave me the airline (USAIR) and flight numbers and I immediately called USAIR and got seat assignments (we're all sitting together). We have non-stop flights with good departure times. They must hold some of the flights back specifically for the cruiselines because I have not seen these flights for the price we're paying. I'm VERY HAPPY and relieved it worked out.

 

THANK YOU to CC members who recommended calling vs. waiting for the tickets to arrive. If I'd waited I may not have been so lucky getting the seats together.

I had a great experience with NCL too. Booked our April 2nd Jewel cruise directly through NCL in early January and after researching online airfares (before booking cruise) opted to take the cruise air as well. Docs arrived, non-stop flights both ways at very desireable times, called American Airlines (knew to call due to advise from CC boards)and got seats together. Yes we may have paid more than if we booked air separately, but it was done didn't have to go hunting for airfare and we got sooo lucky with the flights we got!!

Happy sails to all!!!!

[ocngypz]

So HAL does it differently???? Puts you up in hotels, etc??? Please explain. Are you sure your TA does not have some kind of interface with HAL, since you fly a few days early AND book hotels through the cruiseline???

 

 

HAL does charge air deviation fees. Many agents just don't mention them. Purchasing hotels through the cruiselines..............argh....clients pay more than rack rate per night per room. The agent made a hefty commission and had lots of wiggle room.

 

And then there are some other pre-stay packages where the deviation fees are not delineated. Just part of the package.

 

Even good old Cunard who used to give one free deviation if you deviated at the time of deposit now charges deviation fees!

 

Cruiseline air is an agent's number one client complaint.

[Bill S]

greatam: as posted above, HAL does cherge deviation fees-but we have not been charged them because we have not sought a deviation. Also, I am given to understand that HAL no longer supplies hotel stays for "free".

I'll break down our experiences some more:

We have sailed out of FLL twice-we used the same TA for both. She was very assertive and price conscious as an independent TA. Both times, the air arrangements that HAL gave her were flying to FLL from LAS the day before and hotel was provided at no extra charge to us--Sheraton Suites, some distance from Port Everglades, but nice just the same. It is very hard to make it from LAS to FLL in time to make embarkation on the same day. HAL could have put us on a red-eye, but did not. Whether HAL does the same these days, I don't know-our last FLL cruise was in 2000.

In 2001 we took a HAL pre-cruise excursion to Paris and London using the same TA. HAL booked us on Delta going over and with KLM/NWA on the return. We had great itineraries and flight times both ways.

In 2002, we booked Vancouver to Anchorage cruise. We opted to fly in day early and to my knowledge, we did not have to pay a deviation--perhaps our TA ate the cost--- we paid for the hotel ourselves. Once again, the air arrangements made by HAL were fine. (Unfortunately, the ship caught fire 2hours into the cruise and died--cruise was cancelled. For anyone who had booked their air through HAL, HAL made return flight reservations for them and refunded all air fare---a definite plus for having cruise-air in that instance. Those who made their own air arrangements had to fend for themselves pretty much-HAL's resources were prioritized to helping guests who had booked their air arrangements through HAL, and a lot of those folks took it in the shorts financially. Those who had used FF miles had no recourse-they could not get FF miles refunded.)

In 2003, we tried the Alaska cruise again, on the same ship with pretty much the same group as in 2002 but with 11 couples, including the TA and her hubby. It was an early MAY cruise, and the cruise lines were still trying to attract cruisers after 9/11 and our TA got us a great group rate and an even better hotel deal through HAL and custom air arrangeements, again, with no deviation fee to my knowledge.

There you have it! :) I guess we have been lucky with respect to timing and having a good TA.

[jaxon41]

We have had good and bad luck -- always have done deviation, however. The one bad experience was with RCCL. We did a deviation and then American Airlines decided not to fly direct to Vancouver, but RCCL failed to notify us or our travel agent in a window when a change could be easily made to another airline. I learned about the horrible change in arrangements when I got my cruise docs and a battle royal ensued. I mean 11 1/2 hrs of arguing, but in the end the cruise supplied non-stop air at the same price I had paid, sans transfers, and I had a great trip. I'm a shopper so I do price out differences -- figure in transfer values and a pre-night if booking on my own, and cost of deviation if not on X. I would NEVER book without using deviation -- have heard way too many horror stories.

[Costest]

Somehow I just knew X would book that 6:00 am Sea/Lax flight but you know what...... I don't care, I'm going on a cruise!!!!!!!:D :D :D

[senior lady]

I think that most cruise/ air from the west coast include the 1st nights hotel. It's impossible to fly and sail on the same day out of Florida if flying from the west coase. Unless you catch the "red eye":eek:

 

We've always been lucky when our flights have come in. For our cruise in May and only needing oneway air we elected to use Princess. Got our flights a couple of weeks ago. Leave Vancouver on Continental at 8am and get into Ft Lauderale at 7pm. Only one stop in Houston and only for 45 min. So no complaining about this flight.

Then a great 19 day cruise on the Coral Princess back to Vancouver:D Can hardly wait. Only 6 weeks to go.

 

Now just have to wait and see what hotel Princess puts us up in???

[senior lady]

oops, meant "coast" Teach me to proof read before hitting the send button;)