Celebrity Arranged Air - Potential Flight From Hell?

[celem]

For my last cruise (Asia) my wife and I arranged our own airfare when what the cruise line offered was unsuitable. On the cruise before that, I was given “flights from hell†with multiple stops and inconvenient times.

Too simplify things; I have selected Celebrity’s provided airfare for my July 3rd Baltic cruise, even though I can find flights for $342 less. However, my previous negative experiences with cruise carriers providing poor flight selections continues to nag at me, making me wonder if this is the right choice.

This is my first Celebrity cruise, so I am unfamiliar with how they handle their flights or what their history is for providing reasonably convenient flight arrangements.

Questions

Can anyone enlighten me as to what I am likely to encounter with Celebrity? How cooperative are they in adjusting flights to suit the customer’s desires? How do you communicate with the “flight arrangement†people early enough to influence their selections?

[warmwinds]

I'm not sure I understand...you already KNOW you can find flights you like for $350 less...what am I missing?

[MSBYRDY]

If you can find cheaper flights, find what you like and book it, you won't be sorry. They have to be better than what you'll get with the cruise.

Marilyn

[smeyer418]

if it is that much cheaper go the day before and enjoy the area and the less hassle.

[Guest]

The only advantage that I know of in booking the cruise line's air package would be if you embark at one port and disembark at another --- e.g., repositioning cruise.

 

Other than that, you'd be "nuts" (forgive me) to pay more........

[doree]

Book your own!!!!

[celem]

My questions were not about cheaper flights (by the way the $342 was for 2 tickets so the savings pp is only $171). Since this cruise does involve "embark at one port and disembark at another" (into Stockholm,, out of London), I thought that the hassle might be less by letting them handle everything. My concern was simply that their flight selections may be poor and my questions were about how well Celebrity will work with a customer on flight selection. Has anyone worked successfully with Celebrity or am I flying blind if I use them?

[Guest]

Celebrity will not work with you on flight selection. They "buy" a block of flights from various airlines and you get what you get. Usually entailing connections, since those flights are ultimately cheaper for them to purchase.

 

However, if you are willing to pay the air deviation fee (to choose your own flights) and possibly an air differential fee (if those flights you choose cost vastly more than their air package price) of course they will then work with you to secure the specific flights you want.

[E-Reflections]

With Celebrity Air, I believe that they include the airport to ship transfers. These transfers could eat most of your $170 savings.

[Guest]

I think if you belong to the Captain's Club you don't have to pay the air deviation fee. If you haven't joined I'd sure do that.

 

 

[theawesome1]

With our 9/7 Transatlantic & the idea of us purchasing 2 OW tix with the TSA hassles, we felt to let X do it. Very happy with NONSTOP air from CLE-LGW leaving 7:30PM 9/6 arriving 7:30AM at Gatwick, then X transfers us for free to the ship & we board.

 

I checked Orbitz, CO, & other air sites & we are saving over $700 on air doing it with X & I even have my air schedule already for September & EEAS!

 

My logo: When we disembark, I just have to book another!

[Jimsgirl]

I booked with Celebrity, and already have my air schedule for October cruise. As a Captains Club member I did make one request, that on the flight San Diego to Ft Myers I would be routed ONLY using the Southern hubs, and not Chicago or Detroit.

 

No extra cost and I am routed through Fort Worth.

 

On another cruise line during a January cruise, the line booked me from LA to FL. via Chicago, when I complained they altered it to LA to Detroit to FL, another gripe from me and they finally routed me LA to Ft Worth to Tampa.

 

Time between flights was also a problem since they allowed only 30 mins with the Chicago and Detroit flights.!!!!

 

Obviously some booking clerks just punch in a key and do not think what the routing or time means. You have to be your own watch dog.

 

Good luck

 

------

[susan.l.reeves]

Howdy from Texas!

 

My husband & I are Captain's Club members (Founders Category). You can become a Captain's Club member after you have cruised with Celebrity ONE time.

 

A benefit of being a Captain's Club member is you can pretty much select your own routing (which I did). We are on the Sept 7th Constellation sailing and already have our flight itinerary and seat assignments! There was no addit'l charge for us to use this service, and there were no addit'l air fare fees.

 

So, if you are not a member, you may consider joining just for this benefit alone.

 

In addition, when Celebrity books your air it

also includes the transfers from the airport to the cruise terminal in Dover, England. This is a pretty expensive item which you will find out when you attempt to make the arrangments. Our fares are calculated in US dollars, and when you book "over there" it is calculated in Euros.

 

Have a Bon Voyage!

 

P.S. We are on Continental non-stop from Houston, Texas to Newark, New Jersey then connect to another non-stop flight to London

Gatwick arriving the next morning.

[celem]

My reasoning wasn’t about the price, but rather the convenience – much like stated by theawesome1. I talked to my travel agent again and I have decided to let Celebrity do the flights but with a deviation to place me in Stockholm a day earlier. We’ve only discussed it – I’ll book it on Monday once we have decided on whether we should also stay another day in London at the end. We may not since we just vacationed in London last November.

 

I wish that I was a Captain's Club member as mentioned by susan.l.reeves, but it is my understanding that you must be a previous cruiser on Celebrity. While I have been on six other cruises, none were with Celebrity.

 

Thanks for the tips!

[raudacruise]

Warning about Stockholm. Get a fixed price from Arlanda airport to your destination (hotel or port) if you don't use Celebrity transfers. Been bit once and paid well over $100 extra.

 

Most "real" taxi drivers should offer a fixed price and take credit cards as well. If someone approaches inside the airport to arrange a ride its probably not real.

 

George & MaryBeth

[idssms]

We booked the Cruise Ships air one time and we learned fast.

 

My wife and I both sat in the middle seat on each flight from Barcelona and we were 20 rows from each other. It was not a good scene flying in a small center coach seat for 6 + hours. This was years back on our Transatlantic cruise on Royal Caribbean.

 

Based on the lesson learned we now do our own air arrangements and get what we want.

 

Count Down to Galaxy Transatlantic on 9/3/04

 

Galaxy Transatlantic 9/2004

Galaxy 2003

Galaxy 2002

Soverign of the Seas 2002

Century 2001

Grand Princess 2001

Fascination 2000

Sun Princess 1999

Rhapsody of the Seas 1997

Soverign of the Seas 1994

Song of Norway RCL 1994

Monarch of the Seas 1993

Premier Disney Lines 1986

Premier Cruise Lines 1985

[thenewkid]

We have had great flights and seats through Celeb, so we didn't have to make any changes. Three of us all sat together from Seattle to New York, four hour layover then NY to Venice, still all together. Couldn't have been better ( except maybe first class!)

 

Millie Med. Cruise

[theawesome1]

Oh, too bad you were not flying into CLE to then fly nonstop with us to Gatwick. If we can avoid Newark, we will take it........

 

To the other poster complaining of middle seat syndrome, if Celebrity booked your air, you are the one to contact the airline & book the seats you want.

 

My logo: When we disembark, I just have to book another!

[theawesome1]

When we learned our air for Hawaii every year or 9/7 transatlantic, I go to the airline web site to learn about the flight we are on. Type of aircraft, what seats are available, meals, etc. Then I head over to www.seatguru.com click on the airline, then the type of aircraft, then browse the available seats for which is best to book for us. We usually are good at emergency exit aisle seats for all flights, tho the site will tell you which are bad (no recline)

 

My logo: When we disembark, I just have to book another!

[bailey2004]

We had a repositioning cruise about 6 weeks after Sept. 11 2001. Luckily, we booked our air with Celebrity. So many flights were cancelled...However, celebrity booked a charter flight for us home. It turned out to be a great decision - not quite sure what we would have done if our own flights had been cancelled.

[scapel]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by susan.l.reeves:

Howdy from Texas!

 

My husband & I are Captain's Club members (Founders Category). You can become a Captain's Club member after you have cruised with Celebrity ONE time.

 

A benefit of being a Captain's Club member is you can pretty much select your own routing (which I did). We are on the Sept 7th Constellation sailing and already have our flight itinerary and seat assignments! There was no addit'l charge for us to use this service, and there were no addit'l air fare fees.

 

So, if you are not a member, you may consider joining just for this benefit alone.

 

In addition, when Celebrity books your air it

also _includes_ the transfers from the airport to the cruise terminal in Dover, England. This is a pretty expensive item which you will find out when you attempt to make the arrangments. Our fares are calculated in US dollars, and when you book "over there" it is calculated in Euros.

 

Have a Bon Voyage!

 

P.S. We are on Continental non-stop from Houston, Texas to Newark, New Jersey then connect to another non-stop flight to London

Gatwick arriving the next morning.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

We are also on that cruise. We are using Celebrity flights also because I can't find a cheaper flight. I guess the flight out of Newark on the way back is why. Interesting-Your flight will be a round trip Houston to Newark.

Ours is Sept 4New Orleans-Atlanta (Atl-Gatwick-Delta arr. Sept 5) and Newark to New Orleans on the way back.

We are not using Celebrity hotel, but staying in Windsor. I wonder if Celebrity would get me to Windsor. I will have to ask my travel agent to do some bargaining since my package includes transfers. We will use the Heathrow to Dover transfer(included) on Sept 7. Windsor is close to Heathrow.

email jreynolds@mghospital.com

 

Joe Reynolds

[theawesome1]

As I mentioned back in March, X gave me my air arrangements flying us 9/6 non-stop CLE-LGW at 7:30PM arriving 9/7 at 7:45AM. CO even gave us EEAS! COMFORT!

 

My logo: When we disembark, I just have to book another!

[cruise freak]

theawesome1,

 

How did you get your air so early?