Any Canadians get flights to the U.S. through Carnival ??

[Ykgorbie]

We are planning our second cruise for March 2009 (Southern Carribean from Ft Lauderdale) and when I checked cruise AND air pricing through Carnival's website, the airfare amount came to only $529.00 from Calgary to Ft Lauderdale. Seems really reasonable (since I checked other airlines) and I was wondering if they would have us flying all over the place to get there rather than a Calgary-Toronto-Ft Lauderdale itinerary.....also, when do you find out your air itinerary??

[LuvTheGoodLife]

No guarantee on the most direct or convenient air routing unless you pay the air deviation fee and any associated extra charges to pick your preferred flights. Carnival does not book your air until final payment has been made (around 70 days out) and then it books what it can find. You will find out your flights after final payment - probably 45-60 days before you leave. If Carnival finds cheaper options out of Calgary on a US carrier connecting through a US hub (like Chicago on UA, Minneapolis on NWA, Dallas on AA etc), it will route you through US on way to FLL instead of Calgary-Toronto-FLL on Air Canada or WestJet.

 

If you are picky on your flights or travel times, either book your own air independently or investigate the air deviations options and pricing through Carnival.

 

Hope this helps. Enjoy your cruise!

 

Hope this helps. Enjoy your cruise!

[DanJ]

Odds are they will have you taking a circuitous route, and probably not through Toronto on Air Canada. Usually you find out your flight info a few weeks before the cruise if you don't book custom air or deviations. You have until final payment to decide whether to go with cruise air, so when flights open up next spring, start checking different airlines.

 

When comparing fares, check the day before your cruise, and factor in the cost of an air deviation being added onto your cruise fare to fly in a day early. You really need to from that far away (in looking at Westjet, they can get you into FLL by 130pm, and that's leaving YYC at midnight, so expect similar long days from other carriers)

[Ykgorbie]

Thanks both of you for your help! So, am I correct in thinking that with the deviation fee added on, the airfare price will likely be in line with Westjet or Air Canada anyway?

[DanJ]

Thanks both of you for your help! So, am I correct in thinking that with the deviation fee added on, the airfare price will likely be in line with Westjet or Air Canada anyway?

 

No, the deviation is for taking flights that are on different days than when your cruise leaves and returns. I don't know what those fees are off the top of my head (it was about $70 CDN per person a few years ago on Carnival). If you want to book a custom air package, where you specify the flights, they will charge you the difference in airfare as well.

 

Also make sure you price the cruise in US dollars, since most cruise lines are still charging a premium for CDN dollar exchange.

[justme75]

I've booked two flights with Carnival's program.... granted it was a few years ago.

 

It was Edmonton to Toronto to Miami..... and the same coming back. The connections were simple. The timing was good. You do run the risk of being put on a red eye flight but I've always lucked out with being flown in the day before and being put up at a hotel.

 

I personally prefer to book my flights with the cruise line. The only downfall is they seem to book Air Canada commonly - which is my least favorite air carrier!:rolleyes:

[2sons]

Our cruise is in May and orignally I had booked my flights with Carnival. After learning that my children may not be on the same flight as my husband and I (we have a connecting room therefore two booking numbers associated with our itinerary), I cancelled my flights with Carnival and booked my own. I got a really good deal with the flights - direct Tor to Miami with American Airlines and we are flying in one day early. You will probably find cheaper flights on your own and again as the other posters said, you will have to pay a deviation fee if you are not satisfied with your flights with Carnival. That's what Carnival told me too $50 pp to change the flights in order to have all four of us together. So I cancelled with them and they refunded my credit card and I booked my own three weeks ago and payed $1700 taxes in for the four us. Air Canada was roughly $2800 and so was West Jet. I found my flights on expedia.ca and now when I look at them they went up to about $2200. So I think I did okay. Try and see if you can find your own and fly out a day early in case their is a delay (just never know). Find yourself a hotel close to the peir and you will be alright. Hotels close to the peir or by the airport can go anywhere from $95 and up. If you are sailing in 2009 you still have lots of time, not sure if the flight schedules are out yet. Just book your cabins. Are you travelling alone? Next time I will fly out of Buffalo - about $600 cheaper in total.

[DanJ]

It's also important to check airline websites often before just grabbing some flights. They change prices many times through the week, and if you follow it, you might notice a trend. The flights I booked for January I got at $460pp and 2 days prior were over $600. This was at about 130am on a Thursday, which was fine since I had just got home from work LOL.

Princess wanted $479pp out of Toronto, and I know from several friends that the non-deviation trend with them is to fly you to Montreal and then to Ft Lauderdale if they use Air Canada. I had been checking AC prices on my own direct from Toronto and there are no cheap seats left, so my guess is Princess wouldn't have put me on a direct flight either. So I booked on Northwest right from London (connect in Detroit), and won't have to pay for parking or pre-flight hotel in Toronto and actually saved money for the convenience of flying from home.