Included Airfare - how does it work?

[seraphim24]

Hello! We are new to NCL and booking air fare through the cruise line. There's a special for the cruise we want that includes airfare. How much flexibility is there for us to choose dates and times? We'd like to explore the port for a few days before we embark so we're hoping to be able  to choose that.

Thanks for your help!

[Russiamomm]

14 minutes ago, seraphim24 said:

Hello! We are new to NCL and booking air fare through the cruise line. There's a special for the cruise we want that includes airfare. How much flexibility is there for us to choose dates and times? We'd like to explore the port for a few days before we embark so we're hoping to be able  to choose that.

Thanks for your help!

The BOGO airfare can be a good deal, but you get zero control over the flights.  The flights could be great, and they could be horrible.  You will not get your flight info until 30-60 days before the sailing.  There’s a lot of discussion in these boards about it.  
 

You can make a deviation in dates.  I believe it’s up to two days on either end.  If you want the air package you also have to book at least 110 days before sailing.  

[schmoopie17]

How does it work?

 

Most people will tell you it doesn't work. However, every once in a while, people will report success stories with the BOGO...but they are few and far between. It's a gamble, that's for sure. Getting acceptable flights, acceptable seats, etc., is a challenge. The bad thing is, you don't know your flights until a short time before your cruise. Ar that time it's too late to cancel them.

 

Search the board and you can entertain yourself until the end of the year reading BOGO threads.

 

Edited November 19, 2023 by schmoopie17

[hernando52]

It is a gamble, but the two of us were able to travel last month R/T Florida to Rome for less than $900.  Flights were 1 stop each way and we had 2 day deviations on each end of the trip.  We had no control over the flight other than to pick our departure airport.  Close to trip time, we were able to pick (& upgrade) our seats, and we had to pay for luggage.  I originally moaned about the long layover times in Frankfurt and Toronto, but because of FL weather delays and dual (Canadian & US) passport controls, it ended up working out.  Some people lucked out and got direct flights.  

[RaiderFaninNM]

Hit and miss, I have some time to remove it, if need be, will be looking at airfare and see how it turns out as I really dislike not control over our ability to pick and change times...

[armwinder]

We have used it many times, always good flights and the occasional time we get premium seats as part of the deal.  

[ontheweb]

One other thing, they will include a charge for transfers, though you can have them removed. Also, transfers are only from the airport even if you have a one or two day deviation.

 

For instance, we sailed this summer from Southampton flying into Heathrow. Even with our one day deviation, the only place they transferred from was the airport. It did not really affect us as we did not intend to schlep our luggage from the airport to London, so we intended anyway to stay at a hotel by the airport.

 

Note, not sure but I believe if you book a hotel through them, the above does not apply.

[RaiderFaninNM]

3 hours ago, ontheweb said:

One other thing, they will include a charge for transfers, though you can have them removed. Also, transfers are only from the airport even if you have a one or two day deviation.

 

For instance, we sailed this summer from Southampton flying into Heathrow. Even with our one day deviation, the only place they transferred from was the airport. It did not really affect us as we did not intend to schlep our luggage from the airport to London, so we intended anyway to stay at a hotel by the airport.

 

Note, not sure but I believe if you book a hotel through them, the above does not apply.

Ahhh, thanks for clearing that up as we fly in 2 days before to enjoy the city beforehand and the ease of knowing we are already there...

Is the cost minimal??

 

Just wondering as we plan on using them at the end of the cruise....

 

Also curious on what airline NCL uses or is it random??

Edited November 20, 2023 by RaiderFaninNM

[Liljo22]

18 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

How does it work?

 

Most people will tell you it doesn't work. However, every once in a while, people will report success stories with the BOGO...but they are few and far between. It's a gamble, that's for sure. Getting acceptable flights, acceptable seats, etc., is a challenge. The bad thing is, you don't know your flights until a short time before your cruise. Ar that time it's too late to cancel them.

 

Search the board and you can entertain yourself until the end of the year reading BOGO threads.

 

I guarantee that the success stories are the majority but its the failures that are the loudest.  

[OctoP]

We used it on our recent cruise and everything went smoothly. We gave our cruise consultant the day we wanted to arrive and the day we wanted to depart. This way, we had time in the embarkation and debarkation cities. You don’t get to choose your specific flights. They pick and notify you of the itinerary. 
 

You will fly economy the whole way, unless you want to pay the airlines directly for an upgrade. You will also have to pay the airlines for assigned seats if you want to have any control over that. 
 

The flights selected by NCL were scheduled well enough, with enough time to switch flights on layovers, but not too much time. Overall I consider it a win. 

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, RaiderFaninNM said:

Ahhh, thanks for clearing that up as we fly in 2 days before to enjoy the city beforehand and the ease of knowing we are already there...

Is the cost minimal??

 

Just wondering as we plan on using them at the end of the cruise....

 

Also curious on what airline NCL uses or is it random??

On our cruise transfers were $75. I don't know if they are always the same for every port. Our embarkation port was a transfer from Heathrow to Southampton. Our disembarkation was from the port in Reykjavik to the airport in Reykjavik.

 

DW decided we were going to spend too much time in the airport before our flights home, so she bought for us an excursion with a stop on the way to the airport. We asked and were told the charge for our BOGO transfers to the airport would automatically come off when we bought the excursion, but they did not. We had to go to guest services to have that done. (Luckily, I kept checking our account on the television.) And then our flight home was delayed, so we did spend too much time at the airport, though not as much as we would have.

[julig22]

2 hours ago, Liljo22 said:

I guarantee that the success stories are the majority but its the failures that are the loudest.  

You are correct.  People who are unhappy are more apt to complain than someone who had a successful experience. And also factor in the number of "failures" that have nothing to do with NCL in the first place. NCL has no control over flight schedules, cancellations, delays, etc.

 

The BOGO promo isn't for everyone and it is important to manage your expectations if you are using it.  I usually travel solo, so many of the complaints I see wouldn't affect me - if you're a family, there are other considerations. It may save you money, it might not - that depends on your location and destination.

 

And it pays to know your options/rights if things go south - I've had a few close calls making connecting flights - because of the airlines, not NCL.  Getting home has been more of an issue than getting to my cruise, I've rarely gotten home when planned!  An overnight hotel stay in Reykjavik, overnight hotel stay in Capetown (which could have been 6 days, fully paid, If I wanted) +$200 airline credit, overnight stay in Seattle (no hotel, ugh) but $750 rebate.  And SW gave me a $100 credit for a delayed flight, even though I still made my connection. So if things do go wrong, make sure you work with the airline ASAP to make it right. Ask for vouchers for food/hotels and have the airline rebook your flight if at all possible.  If you ask for a refund, I believe that goes back to NCL and you'll never see it.

 

 

 

[carohs]

Look at flights from your airport to your destination for about that time of year and decide if the cheapest flights would work for you. Some people have reported a two day deviation hoping to have a full two days in the arrival city, only to arrive well into the evening hours and really only getting one day to explore. Or on the return flight being stuck in the city til the evening for a red eye return flight resulting in an extra day off work. Decide how flexible you're willing to be and if you're okay with less than ideal flights.