Do not book air through NCL!!

[kwcrnp]

9 times out of 10 I've booked my own air when cruising. But for our Hawaiian cruise this week, I booked through NCL. I knew we would need a connection and wanted some protection since flying from PA to HI in Dec. We got great flights with 2 hr lay-overs - thus not sitting all day waiting and also enough wiggle room.

 

At the time of booking, the NCL airfare was $150/pp more then what I could find. But when I looked at the airfare when I would have bought it myself, it had gone up so much that I had actually saved $400/pp by booking with NCL!!

 

I still will do my own bookings when I can do diect flights or extend my stay a day before. We just couldn't do it this time and it benefited us!

[Flick]

On our South America cruise with NCL our travel agent booked our air and it was great. However, this time I am using NCL air because we are flying to London then transferring 100 miles to Southampton to the ship. The air fare is right in line for high tourist season (July) and I needed to pay for the transfers anyway so let them be responsible for getting me to the ship AND back to London at the end of the cruise!!

[packman266]

My wife and I booked thru RCCL this spring going home (Miami) from a transatlantic to Southampton. One-way tickets very $$. Only problem was we could not book our seats in advance on BA since we had not purchased it from them and we got seperate seats in the middle between two too fat ladies.Fortunately we were moved to other seats not assigned because the TV was broken. We booked thru NCL to Hawaii and the flight on AA was cancelled, but AA put us on a different flight first class and thru a different AA hub.That flight was over sold so we opted to change to a later flight (first class again) and got a $400@ voucher. Our luggage went all overthe map, tut it got to Honolulu befor we sailed. This time we booked our own Miami to BA and Santiago to Miami for $500 less than NCL wanted. Just keep shopping and make a game out of it.packman266:)

[LAURAMC]

i dont know about you guys but I book my cruise on where I can find a decent air ticket. I live in Rhode island and I found a r/t from providence to LA for $271 pp. That to me is fantastic right now I cant even think of flying to florida for that price from providence. Once I found the airfare then I look for the cruise that will coincide with the air. I am coming in 2 days before the cruise and staying 2 days after. get to see all the sights on the west coast

[Harley-Davidson_Family]

it might not be difficult for you because you don't care who sits next to you - we are like some of the posters above - and we do care who we sit with, and where. We've had some issues where our seats were re-arranged without our approval to accomodate someone who booked late and didn't get seats for their children together and I went off on the gate agent. We specifically book and pay MONTHES in advance and lose out on deals because it is so important for us to be where we want, and together. I know how to checkin and change seats for all the major airlines and take the day off before flying so that I can be sitting online at the 24 hour mark - I check us in, make sure we're where we want to be and print our boarding passes. I feel that that should be enough to give me my seat - but apparently it isn't. Anyway, It then took her almost 30 minutes to try to switch us back and she couldn't do it, because no one else would agree to switching seats. When I asked her why she separated us, she said it was because our last names were different! I told her since our record locator was the same she should have known better - and she was floored that I knew that. We ended up being placed on a different flight so we could fly together - so it can be IMPOSSIBLE to switch your seats.

 

I am with you on this one. I would be livid if somone booked at the last minute and then expect everyone else to switch seats with them and their kids. I want my kids and DH to be right where I booked them, period. I wouldn't dream of booking late and asking someone to move. Unless of course it was an emergency. If you took the time to reserve the seats you reserved then who am I to ask you to switch with me. So, yes it is a big deal to be seated next to my travel party.

[KarmaElectra]

Most cruise lines will let you do "premium air" or "custom air." For an extra fee of $50 or $75, you can make stipulations, such as non-stop flight, certain carrier, fly the night before, etc. If you don't choose the custom air, you get what you get.

 

Also, keep in mind that airlines will usually hold a certain percentage of seat assignments for check-in only. So as long as you check in early (or do it online) you can usually switch seat assignments. Besides, seat assignments are never set in stone and guaranteed; the airlines can change them if they need to change the aircraft type, or seat a large group, or bump an unqualified person from the exit/bulkhead row, etc. (I used to work for an airline.)