Free Air & 2 for 1 fares: What's the catch??

[herb]

While surfing the internet for possible Mediterranean cruises I came upon Oceania Cruises and was enticed by their website ad "free air & 2 for 1 fares".

We have always been very interested in the Mediterranean area of the world but have shyed away from these cruises due to the fact that in some cases the airfare from New York would end up costing us more than the cost of the actual cruise.

Our main focus on cruises is no longer on ships that have all the bells and whistles (soaring atriums; ice skating etc.) rather ports of call.

I have visited the Oceania website and have looked up some possible cruises to get an idea of prices but it doesn't seem clear what the price they list as "per person" includes or not... and what other "hidden" charges to add to that price.

At this time I really didn't want to bother with an emailed cruise quote; I was hoping to get the information without dealing with emails from the cruise company but it isn't only from the Oceania website, but other cruise booking sites as well where it always says "call for more information"... Why so secretive, with other cruiselines you can get TOTAL price online :confused:

thanks.. :)

[digby]

We never take the 'free air' when cruising. We get that part of the cruise price refunded and then make our own air plans using FF points to upgrade.The fact that they will refund this part of the total cruise price indicates that it is not free in the first place but rather just included in the total price.

[jfalco]

I also took the "free air" deal for an upcoming cruise. After thinking about our travel plans, we decided we didn't want the free air as we wanted to come and go as we pleased and not be tied down to their arrangments.

Our cruise fare came down over $1000/pp after removing the free air! I wonder what type of math they use at Oceania? ummmmmm

I then purchased my own airfare at $675/pp.

Let the buyer beware.


Renee

[LHT28]

You might find this thread interesting
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=366591

[Miata6]

Herb: Suggest you get a travel agent who is familiar with Oceania (the latter's web site can suggest some). Be advised that in our latest catalog, much of the '2 for 1' and 'Free Air' goes away 8/31/06. There are tangible benefits to planning ahead.
We are going to the Med this Oct on a 'Free Air'/40% off deal. It works, whether you take the air as a credit or fly thru them. We are doing 12 days for about the same price we did 7 last year on another cruise line.

[Joe and Ivan]

From our location, the "free air fare" is a good deal, even paying a little extra for an air deviation. From your city, it might not be especially good.

You may also want to check on the fees and other costs associated with your cruise.

Ivan

[CJcruzer]

Herb, we usually cruise with HAL, and our next cruise planned is for the Baltic/Scandinavian region - Oceania had the 2 for 1 air (I fly out of toronto - air fares are atrocious!) and I got a balcony (first time) on a 14 day which cost me less than the 14 day HAL Prinsendam with an outside...Also my TA is prepaying the gratuities AND although HAL did 3 days in St. Petersburg this year, next year's itinerary is only for 2 - whereas Oceania is the 3 day....

My choice was really made with the itinerary and the fact that it overnights in Stockholm -

BTW- I am originally from NYC - Washington Heights!!!

CJcruzer

[Bruin Steve]

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!!!"
"No hay banda. No hay orquestra!"
"There is no Free lunch"
There is no free air...

It is what it is...
They can package it up however they want, but the bottom line is that you are buying a cruise that includes, in the price, the airfare...
And, whether you initially see it or not, they will make a deduction in that price if you "pass" on the included air...in other words, there IS a charge for the air...It's all semantics...

Same with the "2 for 1", or later, the "40% off"...

It is what it is...that's the price you pay for what it is you get...

So, get the price...either with air or without air (depending on whether you think you can do better)...

Then ask yourself if you are willing to pay that for this cruise...
Or compare it, apples for apples, for what you'd pay for a similar cruise on another cruise line...(Chances are, you''ll be paying 10-15% more than on Celebrity and FAR less than you'd be paying on Crystal or Seabourne...

Of course, the products will all be slightly different...big ships vs. smaller ships, some stuff "included" some not, slight differences in food or service or entertainment...but, pretty much, you have to make all those choices anyway--anytime you book a cruise...

So, compare pricewise...or pick a cruise for the itinerary...Don't worry about the rhetoric of the ads...the bottom line is "how much am I paying as a total package and is that what I'm willing to spend for this cruise?"

Oh...and DON'T try to figure it out from the website...there are other fees, taxes and costs not listed--like they charge extra for transfers...

I would call a reputable travel agent and ask for a quote...or quotes--maybe one for oceania and a couple of others on similar itineraries on other lines...Like price the Nautica and the Muillennium on similar cabins, both with and without air...Most good TAs will get you this quickly and with no problem...

Personally, I just did Oceania in the Med and thought it was a very nice cruise, on the whole...I've also done the Med on Celebrity and REALLy like them...But, I can actually recommend BOTH...Either is a good experience...both are value for the money, both have excellent itineraries--it just matters which ports you want to visit, for the most part (and yes, of course, there are differences in ship size, quality and amount of entertainment, late night food availability, payments for specialty restaurants, prices on hotel package add-ons--stuff like that--which may or may not be of material importance to you, but, on the whole, both will give you an enjoyable cruise experience...)...

Good luck...

[Apex Cruiser]

If the cruise is what you want and the price what you are willing to pay book it with the airfare. Make sure what your air credit is and what other charges can be removed if you do your own air. Then look around at airfare deals you can get.

We ended up booking our own simply because we saved over $900 when Jet Blue entered our market and American put fares on sale for a few days. We had started with Oceania's air and knew we'd wait to do the deviation. It gives you a target price to get under.

Advantages of using Oceania. No payment until the final cruise payment.
If you have a good agent let them handle any problems.
It's O's problem if your flights go astray and you miss the ship.

Disadvantages are you are at O's whim on flights unless you pay for a deviation.
If you are like most of us you will want to fly in early, stay later or both. These are all deviations on Oceania.
Oceania's fares were very competative from major hubs but ours was a secondary and we were finding $200 per person savings before the airfare sale we got lucky on.

So decide if the Oceania cruise is the one you want and consider the Oceania air as a target price to get under. It at least locks in a price for you and given how airfares have gone lately one can never know if you'll beat that price.

[shedevil]

There is no simple answer for your question. For some passengers, especially those who live in or near airline hubs, it will be cheaper to book the cruise and flight separately. For others, the cruise/airfare deal is cheaper or a break even proposition.

You should ask your travel agent how much of a credit (reduction in the cost of the cruise/airfare price) you would get and then check around to see if you can find airfare that is cheaper. If you were planning to use miles, see if the air credit amount makes cashing in those miles worth it.

Flying from LAX to LHR (and returning from Stockholm to LAX) in July 2006, it was about $400+ less per person to book the cruise/airfare package with Oceania including the deviation charge rather than booking them separately. Our friend looked into using FF miles but it was cheaper to just use the cruise/airfare package and save the miles for another trip.

Some tips about the air deviation & dealing with O booked tickets-

1. If taking the free air option and you are planning on arriving early to the departure city or spending a couple of days longer in the destination city, you will need to buy the air deviation. The air deviation lets your travel agent book you on flights other than just those flying within 24 hours of your ship sailing.

2. The air deviation lets your travel agent book your flight sooner. If you buy the cruise/airfare package without the deviation, the travel agent has to wait until about 2 months before your cruise departure date to book the flights. If you are sailing during a peak season, that can leave you with seats only in the middle of rows or right by the lavatory. Yikes!

3. When doing air through O with or without a deviation, do a little research and find the flights you want and give those to your travel agent. The travel agent will be able to better know what flights, schedule and seats you want.

4. The cruise lines reservations begin with a Q. It will signify that it is one of their block of seats. The travel agent can only book within that block of seats.

5. Have your travel agent book the seats as soon as they can. With your confirmation number in hand, you can call the airline directly and have them upgrade or find better seats. Being a frequent flyer with that airline or on one of their partner airlines will give you more seat options when getting reseated but isn't necessary.

6. The Q will also prevent you from being able to change seats on-line with some airlines.

7. The "Q" tickets are also not upgradable on some airlines. They will let you pay for an upgrade but if they are overbooked and are bumping people into business or first class - those with the Q tickets are usually not bumped up for free.

8. It seems that O gives the same amount of "air credit" for passengers on a specific cruise. You don't get extra $$ if you have booked a more expensive cabin/category.

9. Whether tickets are booked by O, your TA or you....check them a month before the trip, a week before the trip, 48 hours before the trip, and the day of the trip. It's amazing how quickly things change but if you keep an eye on it, you will be prepared.


After all of that - I guess the real answer is ..... it depends. It depends on how much credit the cruise line with give you, where you are flying out of, and how lucky you are at finding cheap flights. A little research might just save you time and aggravation.

Sharon

[Joe and Ivan]

Sharon:

I'm impressed by your wonderful answer! Very complete!

Ivan

[Leonid]

If anyone has an American Express Platinum card, that's usually the best way to fly internationally, especially if one flies business class. It's "buy one and get the second one for just the taxes".We have done it several times to Europe (Barcelona, London, Venice and Copenhagen) and have saved quite a lot of money. The one major drawback is that AmEx uses specific airlines to Europe , the FAr East and destinations south, and requires flying out of "gateway" cities. For us, it's San Francisco or Los Angeles, although we did use Chicago once.
If you like to fly business class, it's the way to go.

[digby]

If anyone has an American Express Platinum card, that's usually the best way to fly internationally, especially if one flies business class. It's "buy one and get the second one for just the taxes".We have done it several times to Europe (Barcelona, London, Venice and Copenhagen) and have saved quite a lot of money. The one major drawback is that AmEx uses specific airlines to Europe , the FAr East and destinations south, and requires flying out of "gateway" cities. For us, it's San Francisco or Los Angeles, although we did use Chicago once.
If you like to fly business class, it's the way to go.

But you still have to buy a full fare Business Class ticket unless I am mistaken. I think that runs around $8800. from SFO to FRA. Plus what does that CC cost a year? I have paid around $1200. for an economy ticket on that route and then used FF miles to upgrade to Business. My UAL VISA card costs about $65./year and I use it for everything to gain points. I have done this for trips to Europe, Asia, and South America during the last 3 years.