new to Oceania Questions about "free air"

[stipmom]

I am thinking of taking Oceania from Istanbul to Athens in 2010. They have a free air promotion. Is it a charter flight or do they put you on a regular scheduled airline ?I will be traveling from Newark.Also, the airline is "free" but if you don't take the air do they offer a credit? Thanks

[StanandJim]

Stipmom-

 

Some highlights:

 

They don't use charter flights.

 

The airfare is "free" to the extent that the airline ticket is included in the fare that you pay for the cruise, but you will be asked to pay taxes and fees associated with the airfare.

 

If you don't use the Oceania airline arrangements, you will be entitled to a credit.

 

If you choose to pay a $75 fee PP (called the Air Deviation Fee), you will have the option of choosing the flights that are most convenient to you and Oceania will book them for you.

 

This is not the whole story, naturally, but it should get you started. :o

 

Hope it helped-

[Bruin Steve]

I am thinking of taking Oceania from Istanbul to Athens in 2010. They have a free air promotion. Is it a charter flight or do they put you on a regular scheduled airline ?I will be traveling from Newark.Also, the airline is "free" but if you don't take the air do they offer a credit? Thanks

 

The air, like most cruise line air is in the form of regular commercial flights...Cruise lines all have special deals with the airlines to fill certain seats in certain flights...Typically, the flights are not that bad...there are only so many choices to Istanbul or Athens...but, unless you take the "deviation" path, yopu won't know the exact flight schedule until late into your planning...

 

Also, for many of us, we'd like to spend at least a couple of extra nights in places like Istanbul and Athens...and the "standard" cruise air only promises to get you in on embarkation day and leave on disembarkation day...To get those extra days, you either need to...

1) Book hotel packages through the cruise line--which, with Oceania, may seem outlandishly expensive

2) Pay for a deviation to get the dates you'd prefer, or

3) Take the credit and book your own air.

 

As to "Free Air", remember...NOTHING is ever really FREE...In Oceania's case, it's really marketing rhetoric...There is really a price "with air" and another one "without air"...and they ARE different...There is an "Air Credit" and also "Air Fees and Taxes"...Both drop off the price if you waive the air and book your own...In the case of our upcoming cruise, the Air Credit was $950 pp and Air taxes and fees were $479...IOW, the cost of the Free Air was $1429 per person...You may or may not be able to do better on your own--especially be wary of what the actual cost may be if you add those likely wanted deviation fees and costs--$75 per person fee PLUS any additional cost to the cruise line...In our case on our last Oceania cruise, there was an additional $150 per person above the deviation fee...but, it could vary...

 

So, my advice is to initially book WITH the air, then do the research to see if you can materially beat the cost...You can always drop the air portion and take the credits later--but before final payment...

 

Good luck...

[Veronica13]

I am booked on my first O from Athens to Venice late October. I am traveling alone, and my air if declined, was only $980.00

 

I WAS able to find better deals with very short travel times on Exepedia but they are non-refundable, so I'm still tapping my fingers deciding.

 

For me, I don't wish to stay before or after the cruise, I just want transportation that won't go beyond 12 hours.

 

I'm not sure why Steve's opt out air is so much higher than mine, but the only way to know is to call O and find out. The $980 I was quoted with total, including air taxes.

[candlewick]

Hi I don't know where you are flying from I'm on the same cruise and booked my own air from Chicago for $700.00 per person RT including all taxes and fees. We are leaving about 4pm and getting to Athens about 4 pm Athen's time. We have a change of planes in Medrid We are flying back from Venice.

[Bruin Steve]

I am booked on my first O from Athens to Venice late October. I am traveling alone, and my air if declined, was only $980.00

 

I WAS able to find better deals with very short travel times on Exepedia but they are non-refundable, so I'm still tapping my fingers deciding.

 

For me, I don't wish to stay before or after the cruise, I just want transportation that won't go beyond 12 hours.

 

I'm not sure why Steve's opt out air is so much higher than mine, but the only way to know is to call O and find out. The $980 I was quoted with total, including air taxes.

 

Not that sure about differences when traveling alone...but I just went to the Oceania website and punched in your cruise...October 22 Insignia...entered a dummy reservation for an A3 cabin---$4999 pp WITH air, $3979 pp WITHOUT AIR...Difference of $1020...PLUS, there are $464 pp in AIR RELATED taxes and fees...

 

So, the actual air price is $1484!!!

[katz]

We are on the Venice to Athens cruise in October. Our "free" air would have cost $474. per person. We decided to use FF's instead.

 

What you will have to pay for is air-related taxes, surcharges and ticketing fees.

 

We chose land transfers as a convienence and those will cost $343. for two tranfers, from Venice airport to the ship and ship to Athens airport.

[CintiPam]

We chose land transfers as a convienence and those will cost $343. for two tranfers, from Venice airport to the ship and ship to Athens airport.

 

katz, it's up to you, but you easily can do both transfers much, much cheaper on your own.

[Demerara]

:)Yes, they usually offer a credit, even though the air is "free".