Fly cruises to Caribbean and Tenerife

[Megabear2]

I have been looking into these for a last minute February trip and noticed that most are now showing cruise only on the website.  I have as a matter of interest clicked into some of these to see how much it costs for one person.  Strangely on a few of these flight only deals if you click choose flights it gives you the option to add a flight from xyz.  I've tried it on a couple of Arvia cruises and it told me it had added a flight from London which was included and also a couple of Azura cruises did the same adding flights from Manchester.  Is this a false flag, ie if I went on to complete the booking would the flights be removed? 

 

It all seems very confusing and I wonder if anyone has experience of this.  I'd be worried someone might just book if the flight is removed at the final stage and there isn't a warning.

 

As there are such a large number of these Caribbean cruises showing no flight availability does it mean they aren't going to be able to sell all the cabins or do travel agents put together packages in conjunction with P&O to fill them?

[NavyPanda]

I wouldn't risk it, however I would double check if the cruise you are booking is actually listed as 'cruise only' or flight included. 

 

Currently in the Caribbean on Arvia I can see the following in Feb with 'Flights included'

 

4 Feb, 7 nights K303B

18 Feb, 14 nights K304A

25 Feb, 14 nights K304D

 

And the following, again with Arvia, which are 'cruise only'

 

3 Feb, 14 nights K303

4 Feb, 14 nights K303A

11 Feb, 14 nights K303D

11 Feb, 7 nights K303C

17 Feb, 14 nights K304

25 Feb, 7 nights K304C

 

The pricing doesn't seem that different whether or not you book with flights included or cruise only, or indeed whether you book 7 or 14 nights!

 

In the Canaries, on Azura for February with flights included

 

3 Feb, 14 nights    A305A

4 Feb  14 nights A305C

10 Feb 14 nights A306A

17 Feb 7 nights A307

17 Feb 14 nights A307A

24 Feb 7 nights A308

24 Feb 14 nights A308A

25 Feb 7 nights A308B

25 Feb 14 nights A308C

 

And 'cruise only' on Azura

 

4 Feb, 7 nights A305B

11 Feb, 7 nights A306B

11 Feb, 14 nights A306C

18 Feb, 7 nights  A307B

18 Feb, 14 nights A307C

 

With Azura, it is certainly cheaper to go for 7 nights rather than 14 nights unlike Arvia! 

 

I'm not able to replicate your apparent ability to add flights to a cruise only booking. Are you sure you're not trying to book one with Flight included?  There are departures with very similar / same dates which differ whether flights are included or not.

 

Finally, if you're looking for a cruise for one person (or one person per cabin), you may find this page useful. 

 

Solo Travellers | P&O Cruises (pocruises.com)

 

There is a list on there of all fly cruises and cruise from Southampton which currently have no single supplement.  At the moment most Azura fly cruises to the Canaries over the next couple of months and the 18 Feb departure on Iona from Southampton have no supplement for singles. The pricing is utterly excellent for singles on those at the moment. 

[Megabear2]

2 hours ago, NavyPanda said:

I wouldn't risk it, however I would double check if the cruise you are booking is actually listed as 'cruise only' or flight included. 

 

Currently in the Caribbean on Arvia I can see the following in Feb with 'Flights included'

 

4 Feb, 7 nights K303B

18 Feb, 14 nights K304A

25 Feb, 14 nights K304D

 

And the following, again with Arvia, which are 'cruise only'

 

3 Feb, 14 nights K303

4 Feb, 14 nights K303A

11 Feb, 14 nights K303D

11 Feb, 7 nights K303C

17 Feb, 14 nights K304

25 Feb, 7 nights K304C

 

The pricing doesn't seem that different whether or not you book with flights included or cruise only, or indeed whether you book 7 or 14 nights!

 

In the Canaries, on Azura for February with flights included

 

3 Feb, 14 nights    A305A

4 Feb  14 nights A305C

10 Feb 14 nights A306A

17 Feb 7 nights A307

17 Feb 14 nights A307A

24 Feb 7 nights A308

24 Feb 14 nights A308A

25 Feb 7 nights A308B

25 Feb 14 nights A308C

 

And 'cruise only' on Azura

 

4 Feb, 7 nights A305B

11 Feb, 7 nights A306B

11 Feb, 14 nights A306C

18 Feb, 7 nights  A307B

18 Feb, 14 nights A307C

 

With Azura, it is certainly cheaper to go for 7 nights rather than 14 nights unlike Arvia! 

 

I'm not able to replicate your apparent ability to add flights to a cruise only booking. Are you sure you're not trying to book one with Flight included?  There are departures with very similar / same dates which differ whether flights are included or not.

 

Finally, if you're looking for a cruise for one person (or one person per cabin), you may find this page useful. 

 

Solo Travellers | P&O Cruises (pocruises.com)

 

There is a list on there of all fly cruises and cruise from Southampton which currently have no single supplement.  At the moment most Azura fly cruises to the Canaries over the next couple of months and the 18 Feb departure on Iona from Southampton have no supplement for singles. The pricing is utterly excellent for singles on those at the moment. 

Thank you for your research, much obliged! I hadn't seen the singles page which was very helpful.

 

Just so I'm not going insane I used the 305A Asian example and did a dummy booking. Results attached.

[NavyPanda]

5 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

Thank you for your research, much obliged! I hadn't seen the singles page which was very helpful.

 

Just so I'm not going insane I used the 305A Asian example and did a dummy booking. Results attached.

 

 

You may have found (another) bug in the P&O website! Out of curiosity,  I looked at that cruise through a well known travel agent website, it initially showed as Cruise + Flight, but when I went to add the flight it showed as 'Sold Out'.  I would suggest if you're seriously interested in the cruise with flight that you phone P&O and confirm that flights are indeed included (or not).  

[Megabear2]

1 hour ago, NavyPanda said:

 

You may have found (another) bug in the P&O website! Out of curiosity,  I looked at that cruise through a well known travel agent website, it initially showed as Cruise + Flight, but when I went to add the flight it showed as 'Sold Out'.  I would suggest if you're seriously interested in the cruise with flight that you phone P&O and confirm that flights are indeed included (or not).  

I probably have.  I called P&O who told me flights are fluctuating in the same way as prices!  Basically what's sold out may change through the day if someone can't travel apparently.  Seemed total nonsense.  Anyway the operator used the 22 night trip back to UK in March as an example.  Apparently sold out with flights for a couple of weeks and then on Sunday flights opened up from Manchester and London but it only lasted a couple of hours according to her records.  She was bemused I had a mock booking showing cruise only and flight from London on 3 February as she couldn't sell me that option.  However bizarrely she had a Cardiff flight showing (CDX) but as far as she knew no Cardiff flights existed for that date.  I passed at that point!

 

All seems most weird.  I have rechosen accordingly based on one with flights definitely available.   It appears there are charters from both Gatwick and Heathrow on 18 February, one on TUI and one on Virgin.  No idea if it's correct - nothing else is - but I was told there is a shortage of aircraft in the period of half term and hence the amount of cruise only trips.