Interested in hearing from people who've used the NCL air offer (2nd person flies free aka BOGO)

[DCGuy64]

Just curious whether people who've availed themselves of the NCL air offer (aka BOGO) have been satisfied or not, and whether they've been able to make it to embarkation on time or not. Also to see how likely people would use it again based on their past experience. Trying to also set up a poll, but this is my first time doing that, so please bear with me.

[bkrickles1]

31 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Just curious whether people who've availed themselves of the NCL air offer (aka BOGO) have been satisfied or not, and whether they've been able to make it to embarkation on time or not. Also to see how likely people would use it again based on their past experience. Trying to also set up a poll, but this is my first time doing that, so please bear with me.

I had a good experience both times I've taken advantage of the perk and would do it again. 

[JennKach]

We just used it and saved so much money that the hassles were worth it.  Connections were just too tight for comfort and airlines were all running late arrivals.  We ran through one airport and no time for food from 11am to 12 midnight.  Two flights there and three back.

[p5woody]

Number 2 - I would answer maybe, depending on how much I think I would save.

 

First time using NCL air:

We flew in the day of the cruise, we were delayed but we made it on the ship.  We knew the risk, they booked us on the correct flights and everything worked as expected.  We had some delays but we made it, we were flying from Pennsylvania to Miami so flights are pretty straight forward.

 

I am currently using them a 2nd time, I am not sure I would use them again after this experience.  We received the flight info early, I think it was around 65 days before the cruise.  However they had us flying out of Chicago instead of Harrisburg PA.  Simple mistake, no big deal, called them and they said they would fix it in 14 days.  Long story short it wasn't fixed in 14 days, it took over 6 weeks and was finally fixed 17 days before we leave.  We kept getting the run around and said it might not be fixed until 3 days before we leave.  I finally raised it as a big issue, threatened to file a complaint, etc and two hours later it was fixed.  Also they didn't pick the best flights but at least we have flights.

 

If everything goes smooth then it is worth the savings, but if something goes wrong they are not the easiest to work with.  Not sure the hassle is worth the savings, so depends on how much we save and how complicated the flights are.

[julig22]

Might be more accurate to ask if people got to their destination on time.  If you fly in 1 or 2 days early, chances are pretty good you'll still make your cruise. Just depends on what info you are trying to find.

[BarnCat1]

We used them for the first time and had a good experience.  Flight out was 6:55am and we arrived at the airport at 9:30am, which was plenty of time to catch the NCL bus and get to the Port for a 4pm departure. Flight home was scheduled at 12:19pm, which had me concerned, but we carried off our own luggage and took the first bus back to the airport with plenty of time to spare.  However, even with it being a good experience, I was worried from the get-go that something would go wrong, We booked at the last minute so couldn't get the air deviation. I would prefer to have come in at least a day early, which is what we have always done on previous cruises.  The airfare was so inexpensive though and was definitely a savings for this trip.  I would not book it again just for the peace of mind. I would like to come in a day early and not have to get to the airport so soon after getting off the ship. 

[PapaGoose]

We used the offer in February. Direct flight down to Panama the day before the cruise. We would never fly in the day of a cruise even if we booked the flights ourself. Too many things could happen. 

We had a connecting flight back home the day of disembarking and everything went fine. The savings were substantial and we got our flight information more than 60 days prior to the cruise. 

 

Overall we were very happy with the flights and the big savings!
 

Edited March 7, 2023 by PapaGoose
Typo

[Karaboudjan]

Am I missing something or should the 2nd response to Question 1 be 'Yes, delayed but still arrived in time to board'?

[Ramblin and Gamblin]

I have taken one cruise with NCL and used the BOGO offer and had no problems.  Flights were close to on time and the connections were long enough that we weren't rushed.  I am using the Free at Sea BOGO again for our cruise in April.  I was a little frustrated at how long it took to get our flight info, but the flights themselves are great, with direct flights in both directions at decent times.

 

My one caveat to my experience is that for both cruises I requested a 2 day deviation on the front end.  That takes so much risk out of the equation and we use the time to explore the port city a little and extend our vacation.

 

Most of the complaints I see about the BOGO air are from people who tried to fly on their cruise departure date.  There is just too much that can go wrong, regardless of whether NCL books your flights or you do it yourself.  Yes I am paying for extra days food, hotel, and entertainment, but it is small change compared to the price of the cruise.  Why chance weather, mechanical issues, etc, all of which are outside NCL's control.

[cwtravel]

I am part of a group of 12 going to Athens for a sailing on the Jade in May.

I used cash & miles I had to book Air France (Premium Economy to Athens/Business from Athens) while the other 10 all used the BOGO.

 

Air France (the one NCL did not book) has changed the return three times and I now do not see a return connecting flight back to DC Dulles from Atlanta on the return. Communicating with a live person @ Air France has been a challenge and because I used Skymiles making changes on their website has also been a challenge.
 

The BOGO flights all came out correctly with a 2 day deviation and the times/flights look very good. Most are departing from either BWI on DC National (their preferred airports) and are on either United thru Newark, American or Delta thru JFK & one is flying on Air Canada thru Toronto. All the record locators worked on the website and I do not believe any were charged for luggage. Picking seats was available, some for a cost some for no cost. And, all except one couple are scheduled to arrive in Athens before 12 Noon.

 

The cost, at $500 per person round trip is 1/3 the cost vs. booking directly. I think a lot of the negative feedback is because people did not/do not understand the terms and conditions for the service.  

 

[sassycruiser]

We used it to go to San Juan.   They flew us on Southwest and flight down was fine.  Flight going home was not until 540 so we spent 6 hours in the airport.  Cost of airfare was a quarter of what we would have paid on our own.   Would just plan better for the late leaving time.  

[vacationut]

Just got our flight info for our May sailing. This is the 3rd time using NCL's discounted air. We always do the 2 day pre-cruise deviation. Flights home are later then I would have picked but we saved over $600 so it's worth it. 

[step78]

What is in ncl air is booked but no bogo or equal (outside the US e. g.) can we vote as well?

[zzdoug]

We used the NCL air promo for the return flight home, and used our own airline points for the flight to the cruise. The return flight is probably the same flight we would have chosen if we had booked ourselves, so we can't complain, although might not be the choice of others. It leaves at 7:30 pm out of fort Lauderdale which gives us about 8 hours to get to the airport from Miami. We live in Utah and the only nonstop flights to here from Miami or Fort Lauderdale leave at 7am, so we would need to change planes in any case. 

 

We will rent a car near the port and return it at the airport so we can visit a friend if he is in town or do something else. My wife lived in Fort Lauderdale before we were married so that gives us the opportunity to check out some of her old haunts that she hasn't been in many years. And maybe relax at the beach for a bit. 

Edited March 8, 2023 by zzdoug

[DCGuy64]

13 hours ago, Karaboudjan said:

Am I missing something or should the 2nd response to Question 1 be 'Yes, delayed but still arrived in time to board'?

Good catch! I probably should have worded the initial question more like "did you arrive on time with little or no delay," since a person could still make the cruise but be delayed to the point of worrying whether or not he/she would. Thank you.

[JillK]

We used NCL air in December 2019 when it was just my husband and I travelling. I can't recall the savings we realized at the time, but I do recall that it was substantial. This was a short "hop" from Toronto to NYC and we felt confident enough that even with delays we wouldn't have issues as there are many flights a day doing this route.

 

We did purchase a day deviation so that we flew in the evening before the cruise which turned out to be a good thing as a storm moved in and we were among the last flights to get out before the delays began. 

 

Fast forward to a month ago when I booked another cruise for just hubby and I (sorry kids) and purchased the BOGO air flying Toronto to NYC and with a return from Miami to Toronto. Even my travel agent was surprised at how little the air cost was.... $313 USD when I booked (paid $416.50 CDN). Although I don't have my flights yet, in Canada we have limited airline options so in pricing possible flights we can anticipate saving in the neighbourhood of $800 (CDN) vs. booking it on our own (and the cost for the flights through NCL has already gone up by $150 USD so glad I booked when I did). 

 

This time I will be flying in the morning of the cruise but as we are cruising in October I am not concerned about a snowstorm delaying our flights. We know this is a risk but it's one we have decided we are willing to take.

 

Everyone is paying into buying flights for those who are getting the BOGO so we figured we would take advantage of it this time around.

[wil e coyote]

We've used NCL Air several times, and also made our own flight arrangements for a cruise several times. We have never had any issues with our NCL flights. The determining factor for us typically has to do with whether we are doing anything else before or after our cruise. If we are, we make our own flights. If not, we tend to use NCL Air.

In general, the NCL pricing is better than we can find on our own, unless we are using points for one/both tickets.

Thanks for setting up this survey - the data so far suggests that most people who use NCL Air actually make it to their ship - that is not the conclusion that you'd arrive at from just looking at the posts on CC...

[DCGuy64]

12 minutes ago, wil e coyote said:

Thanks for setting up this survey - the data so far suggests that most people who use NCL Air actually make it to their ship - that is not the conclusion that you'd arrive at from just looking at the posts on CC...

Thank you very much. 😊 I realize this isn't a scientific survey and won't include people not on CC, but it's definitely been interesting to see the results and comments so far. They've been more positive than I expected, for exactly the reason you mentioned.

[Seminole1975]

Could I also ask about picking out your own seats? Were you pleased with the seats you were able to get? Did you have enough time to get seats together with your party? Or get aisle or window seats? I don't want to get stuck in a middle seat. 

(We are using a BOGO fare for the first time with NCL. We are flying from Atlanta to Lisbon with a one day deviation out and from Rome to Atlanta with a two day deviation coming back) Thanks in advance.

Edited March 8, 2023 by Seminole1975

[sherrihall128]

23 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

Just curious whether people who've availed themselves of the NCL air offer (aka BOGO) have been satisfied or not, and whether they've been able to make it to embarkation on time or not. Also to see how likely people would use it again based on their past experience. Trying to also set up a poll, but this is my first time doing that, so please bear with me.

Ours worked well for only 2 passengers in 1 cruise cabin to and from Italy from Seattle. I don't know if I'd use it for a family or a group unless they can guarantee the same flights.

[sherrihall128]

18 minutes ago, Seminole1975 said:

Could I also ask about picking out your own seats? Were you pleased with the seats you were able to get? Did you have enough time to get seats together with your party? Or get aisle or window seats? I don't want to get stuck in a middle seat. 

(We are using a BOGO fare for the first time with NCL. We are flying from Atlanta to Lisbon with a one day deviation out and from Rome to Atlanta with a two day deviation coming back) Thanks in advance.

It was pretty easy to do so through the airline's app. We also had the option to upgrade most legs of the flights as well (we didn't, but still).

[wil e coyote]

47 minutes ago, Seminole1975 said:

Could I also ask about picking out your own seats? Were you pleased with the seats you were able to get? Did you have enough time to get seats together with your party? Or get aisle or window seats? I don't want to get stuck in a middle seat. 

(We are using a BOGO fare for the first time with NCL. We are flying from Atlanta to Lisbon with a one day deviation out and from Rome to Atlanta with a two day deviation coming back) Thanks in advance.

Seat selection needs to be done on the airline's website or through their app, and it is subject to their rules and fees. Some airlines charge fees for "better" economy class seats, and you would be responsible for those fees if you wanted a choice seat. I've never seen NCL use Southwest, but sassycruiser did experience that. If you're flying SWA seat selection is a whole different thing.

My suggestion would be to jump onto the airline website as soon as you get your flight confirmations from NCL.

[cruiseny4life]

7 minutes ago, wil e coyote said:

Seat selection needs to be done on the airline's website or through their app, and it is subject to their rules and fees. Some airlines charge fees for "better" economy class seats, and you would be responsible for those fees if you wanted a choice seat. I've never seen NCL use Southwest, but sassycruiser did experience that. If you're flying SWA seat selection is a whole different thing.

My suggestion would be to jump onto the airline website as soon as you get your flight confirmations from NCL.

NCL does use Southwest. Four couples (including myself) booked using the BOGO Airfare deal for a cruise in ten days. Three couples received hacker fares, including tickets on Delta and Southwest. Thankfully, my husband and I received tickets with just Delta. 

We were able to select our seats or upgrade.

 

I'll tell you about my experience when the trip is over. 

[Seminole1975]

30 minutes ago, wil e coyote said:

Seat selection needs to be done on the airline's website or through their app, and it is subject to their rules and fees. Some airlines charge fees for "better" economy class seats, and you would be responsible for those fees if you wanted a choice seat. I've never seen NCL use Southwest, but sassycruiser did experience that. If you're flying SWA seat selection is a whole different thing.

My suggestion would be to jump onto the airline website as soon as you get your flight confirmations from NCL.

Thank you for this information. I usually buy my own tickets six months in advance or so. NCL says we will get our tickets 30-60 days before we are to leave which in my case is August 2023.

 

I wonder if anyone has had issues getting decent seats, like seats together with your companion, window or aisle seats. I do not want to get stuck in the middle seat if that is all that is left, for example.

 

Have CC members been pleased with their seats with what they have to choose from?

 

I still have time to buy my own tickets if need be. I have not made my final payment yet.

Edited March 8, 2023 by Seminole1975

[davencl]

1 hour ago, Seminole1975 said:

Thank you for this information. I usually buy my own tickets six months in advance or so. NCL says we will get our tickets 30-60 days before we are to leave which in my case is August 2023.

 

I wonder if anyone has had issues getting decent seats, like seats together with your companion, window or aisle seats. I do not want to get stuck in the middle seat if that is all that is left, for example.

 

Have CC members been pleased with their seats with what they have to choose from?

 

I still have time to buy my own tickets if need be. I have not made my final payment yet.

It depends on the airline.  On our flight to australia this January we had United to Australia and Hawaiian back to US.  United lets you pick seats as soon as ticketed.  Hawaiian wouldn't let us pick seats until 24 hours before.  We were able to pick seats together but no guarantee.  We had good flights but:   When leaving New Zealand they had an epic rainstorm, 10 inches in 24 hours, previous record was 6 inches.  The international terminal flooded to knee deep water. (We were not in the airport at the time so didn't get caught in the flooding thank goodness)  Our flight was canceled.  Fortunately I was able to rebook a flight 2 days later(airport was closed to all air traffic for a couple of days).   Getting it rebooked was not simple.  Hawaiian air did do it but I went back and forth once with NCL.   The bottom line is NCL has no control and you must work with the airline.  The airline will tell you must work with NCL and NCL will tell you must work with the airline.  However it's the airlines responsibility and Hawaiian did make the change but I had to be very insistent.  As a result I've adjusted my "pain point" for savings.   I would have still have booked NCL air in this case as I saved $2800 but upped my saving threshold to 2K (was 1K)..  I.E. I must save at least 2K for the BOGO fare to be worth it for me.

Edited March 8, 2023 by davencl