Included Air Fare

[KatieMcGee]

We are interested in the 7 day  cruise in March 2024 to the Hawaiian islands.  Right now NCL is offering a BOGO airfare for $1398 from Tampa to Honolulu.  We have always made our own airline reservations in the past.  Bus this seems like a good deal.  Has anyone every had NCL book their airline travel.  If so, what was your experience.

[wally4ever]

I've done two cruises with NCL Air.  A few thoughts...

 

Pros: 

-Cheaper

-Airport to ship, ship to airport transportation was included

-Transfers were easy to find

 

Cons: 

-Little margin for error (both flights due after noon on embarkation day)

-Lengthy layovers

-Bad seats (but upgradeable with the airline)

[schmoopie17]

I see you're relatively new to CC. Welcome to the zoo...

 

As for your question, this has been a burning hot topic on this board for several years. A search will pull up more posts than you could ever possibly hope to shake a stick at...or read in a year.

 

Have fun...

[SimplyAlbert]

From reading these boards it looks like if everything goes according to plan, the flights are fine.  Keep in mind that NCL will most likely book you on the cheapest flights, which would mean economy.  Depending on the airline you may or may not be able to pick your own or upgrade your seats.  Cheapest flights also tend to be the most inconvenient, ie early/late departures/arrivals.

 

If things start to go wrong is where the wheels fall off the bus.  Many people have reported that if flights are canceled/delayed the airline will refer you back to NCL and NCL will refer you back to the airline.

 

If you choose to book a flight through NCL I would make sure to book with a two day deviation at the beginning.  Also, check to see what flights are running if you book them on your own.  We're doing this cruise and booked our own flights.  I used a combination of points and companion certificates so flights were one of the least expensive things for us.  However, if I didn't have points/companion pass, I could have booked on my own and only paid a couple hundred more than what NCL was charging, with the ability to book my preferred airline and seats.

 

The only way I would consider letting NCL book my flights would be if the savings were substantial.  Even then I would make sure to do a 2 day deviation to give us some wiggle room.

[RocketMan275]

32 minutes ago, SimplyAlbert said:

The only way I would consider letting NCL book my flights would be if the savings were substantial.  Even then I would make sure to do a 2 day deviation to give us some wiggle room.

If  you plan on asking NCL for a two day deviaton, don't you need to factor in the cost of two days hotels, rooms, etc. in Hawaii.  How does that affect the cost comparison with NCL fares vs. on  your own?

[hallux]

1 hour ago, RocketMan275 said:

If  you plan on asking NCL for a two day deviaton, don't you need to factor in the cost of two days hotels, rooms, etc. in Hawaii.  How does that affect the cost comparison with NCL fares vs. on  your own?

if it were me I'd be taking a 2 day deviation regardless of NCL booking my airfare or booking it on my own.

[julig22]

1 hour ago, RocketMan275 said:

If  you plan on asking NCL for a two day deviaton, don't you need to factor in the cost of two days hotels, rooms, etc. in Hawaii.  How does that affect the cost comparison with NCL fares vs. on  your own?

Just because you book your flights on your own doesn't mean that your trip will go smoothly, without a single hiccup.  So best to go a day or two early, regardless of how you make your flight arrangements.

[All-ready2cruise]

2 day deviation is what I have now booked for my next cruise...  I'd think about it... 

[MCMC100]

Absolutely ask for the deviation and arrive at least one (I’d do two) days before cruise. A scheduled arrival within hours of departure, with no margin for error, would be nerve wracking for me.
 

March is still a winter month in the northeast. Although you’re in Tampa, a winter storm impacting Detroit, Chicago, NYC or Philadelphia could cause cascading cancellations/delays thru the airline system. I can’t count the number of hours I’ve wasted in airports in the winter because of weather. I’m a big believer in “hope for the best, plan for the worst.”

 

NCL does not hold the ship if you’re delayed nor guarantee you will make the cruise just because they purchased your tickets (a frequent misconception discussed often on CC). Read the terms and conditions thoroughly before using NCL air. You may save money and have wonderful flights; you may be purchasing a nightmare. 
 

Enjoy Hawaii. 

[cc-riderslc]

5 hours ago, KatieMcGee said:

We are interested in the 7 day  cruise in March 2024 to the Hawaiian islands.  Right now NCL is offering a BOGO airfare for $1398 from Tampa to Honolulu.  We have always made our own airline reservations in the past.  Bus this seems like a good deal.  Has anyone every had NCL book their airline travel.  If so, what was your experience.

I have used NCL air twice. Once from Salt Lake City to Seattle last year for Alaska. All flights were on Delta. All non-stop. All good times. Seats were not a problem to get from Delta once it was ticketed. So an "A" for that one. In a week we are going SLC to Heathrow non-stop on Delta. Once again we were able to get seats (upgraded on this long flight with no problems). The return isn't the best but knowing there are not that many flights out of Iceland it is understandable. Reykjavik to JFK, then to Atlanta, then SLC. We had no trouble getting seats on all segments online. I would give this one a B+ because of the non-stop being so good. But I think it does make a difference where you live and which carriers service your airport. SLC is a big hub for Delta so we know most likely that will be our carrier. I wouldn't say NCL used the worst flight schedule at all, at least for our 2 trips. Imcidently we saved $400 on just the short flight to Seattle and saved $1400 on the Europe trip. Really I am happy with how it worked for us. 

[BirdTravels]

I think that from most places in the continental US, you would want to do a 1 or 2 day deviation when traveling to Hawaii regardless of whether NCL or I book the air. So, you'll pay for a hotel one way or the other. Or you could book the NCL cruisetour (very expensive, but does the things you would want to do on Oahu). 

 

It is a 6 hour time difference (and 13 hour flight) from the east coast during the summer months and you want some opportunity to get over some of the jet lag.

[Cruisestlouis]

I would proceed with caution with regards to them booking your flights. Last year our experience was fine on a cruise out of New York ( although I had to call them and be on an endless hold numerous times after receiving our flight itinerary.  ( The return segment was one hour after docking!) They fixed the issue but the leg work was very time consuming. I will say the NCL flight department employees are certainly friendly!  We just took our entire family on a cruise in June and ABSOLUTELY  took advantage of the flight offering. Had there not been 12 of us we would have booked our own flights. The flights were at horrible times…( 10:00 at night returning home etc) so it really is best to book your own in my opinion. I tried to call and change the flights but NCL said I had to contact the airline and the airline said I had to go through NCL so at that point I decided to forget it. Needless to say there was a lot of “quality time” spent in the airport lol! That’s a very long day after disembarking at 8:30. Luckily some of our family members were on earlier flights….which we also didn’t understand since the reservation was made for all of us and we were flying to one destination etc.  Since the flights were through NCL the change fees for earlier flights were exorbitant when we inquired prior to the cruise and also at the airport. It really is easier to book your own flights if possible. 

[hallux]

5 minutes ago, Cruisestlouis said:

Luckily some of our family members were on earlier flights….which we also didn’t understand since the reservation was made for all of us and we were flying to one destination etc.

This is covered in the T&C's.  Each room is its own reservation number, only passengers on the same reservation number are guaranteed to be on the same flight.

 

6 minutes ago, Cruisestlouis said:

The flights were at horrible times…( 10:00 at night returning home etc) so it really is best to book your own in my opinion. I tried to call and change the flights but NCL said I had to contact the airline and the airline said I had to go through NCL so at that point I decided to forget it. Needless to say there was a lot of “quality time” spent in the airport lol!

This is also covered in the T&C's (now, it actually may not have been when you booked).  When the cruise is on the West coast, it's certainly possible you'll be booked on a late-night flight to return to the East coast.

 

When this happened to me in 2019 (it wasn't a BOGO offer then, it was free or reduced airfare) I took the opportunity to rent a car and see a few sights around LA before returning to the airport and waiting for the flight.

[KatieMcGee]

Thank you all for your input.  I has helped make the decision regarding booking our own flights or having NCL do it for us.  I think the best thing is to book the flights on our own.  That way we are more in control. 

 

 

[chiefy_mom]

We used the BOGO for travel between US East Coast and Italy.

 

Pros

saved $3k

 

neutral

we had excellent layovers/ timing

all 3 cabins were on same flights

I put these both as neutral because they are NOT guaranteed

 

CONS

flights were not assigned until 30 days out

 

would I do it again?  Yes, for similar savings.  Probably not for minor savings.

Edited July 30, 2023 by chiefy_mom

[SimplyAlbert]

On 7/29/2023 at 6:37 PM, RocketMan275 said:

If  you plan on asking NCL for a two day deviation, don't you need to factor in the cost of two days hotels, rooms, etc. in Hawaii.  How does that affect the cost comparison with NCL fares vs. on  your own?

 

We almost always fly into a cruise two days before, even if not sailing on NCL.  We like to give ourselves plenty of wiggle room in case of flight delay or cancellation.  I just count it as part of the cost of the vacation.  

[DCGuy64]

On 7/29/2023 at 5:01 PM, KatieMcGee said:

We are interested in the 7 day  cruise in March 2024 to the Hawaiian islands.  Right now NCL is offering a BOGO airfare for $1398 from Tampa to Honolulu.  We have always made our own airline reservations in the past.  Bus this seems like a good deal.  Has anyone every had NCL book their airline travel.  If so, what was your experience.

We've done it once with NCL and it was a great experience. Saved money and excellent itinerary: nonstop from DC to Miami outbound and one short layover on the way back home. Loved being able to pay just one bill and not having to arrange our own air. Most people I've asked on here have been happy. Some people have been very dissatisfied and you'll hear more from them than the satisfied types. It really depends on two factors: whether you like to have "control" over your flights, and whether the savings are worth it to you. Some people are very controlling and don't want to relinquish that control to NCL, and they don't mind spending extra money. We were able to upgrade our seats thanks to our loyalty program with American Airlines. We would definitely do it again.

[zmmrzm]

On 7/29/2023 at 11:49 PM, BirdTravels said:

I think that from most places in the continental US, you would want to do a 1 or 2 day deviation when traveling to Hawaii regardless of whether NCL or I book the air. So, you'll pay for a hotel one way or the other. Or you could book the NCL cruisetour (very expensive, but does the things you would want to do on Oahu). 

 

It is a 6 hour time difference (and 13 hour flight) from the east coast during the summer months and you want some opportunity to get over some of the jet lag.

Will NCL do 3 day deviation or is 2 max?

 

[schmoopie17]

48 minutes ago, zmmrzm said:

Will NCL do 3 day deviation or is 2 max?

 

Two is the max...either on the front end or back end. The additional perk for the deviation is a $25 credit.

[SimplyAlbert]

2 hours ago, zmmrzm said:

Will NCL do 3 day deviation or is 2 max?

 

2 max on either end.  Another reason I like to book my own airfare.  We generally come in 2 days early and depending on the port may stay up to a week on the back end.  For Hawaii we're going to Kauai for a week after the cruise and, technically, we're flying three days before (we're coming from the east coast so we're leaving on a Wednesday, spending the night in LA, then continuing on to Honolulu on Thursday.  Doing the same in reverse when we leave Kauai.)

[insidecabin]

For those reading from the UK.

 

The UK flight program is different.

You can pick you flights do deviations and there is a credit applied to reduce/eliminate the cost.

 

 

[BCSites]

has anyone used NCL air if you need to use a wheelchair and need extra room in the seat or do not have a way of making sure you have special seating?

[julig22]

18 minutes ago, BCSites said:

has anyone used NCL air if you need to use a wheelchair and need extra room in the seat or do not have a way of making sure you have special seating?

No special requests if you take advantage of the BOGO offers.  Basic economy seats, anything else is between you and the airline - and you won't know which airline until your flights are actually booked.  For some flights you might be able to pay an additional fee to the airline to choose more legroom but most will not allow you to choose a seat outside economy, which would usually mean standard seats only.

[DCGuy64]

3 minutes ago, julig22 said:

but most will not allow you to choose a seat outside economy, which would usually mean standard seats only.

Not that I doubt you, but why do you say "most" will not allow you? I haven't found that to be true. In my experience (which might differ from yours), airlines are happy to take my money 💰 in exchange for better seats. 😊

[julig22]

8 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Not that I doubt you, but why do you say "most" will not allow you? I haven't found that to be true. In my experience (which might differ from yours), airlines are happy to take my money 💰 in exchange for better seats. 😊

Better location, more legroom WITHIN economy is often possible. Moving outside of economy where the seats are bigger is where there is an issue.  Never actually tried myself but that is one of the more common complaints from people who booked using BOGO.