Are Windstar good for booking flights?

Hi, we just booked a repositioning cruise with Windstar and forgot to ask them about the cost for air, we are used to arranging our own since we often cruise on Princess and their EZAir is generally not that wonderful.

It may be cheaper sometimes but you find the flight can have multiple connections and what should be a 9 hour flight becomes 32 hours traveling and a zig zag back and forth.

And unrealistically tight connection times or long layovers as well.

So my questions are these -

Are Windstar arranged flights cheaper than booking your own?

Are Windstar arranged flights direct?

Do Windstar guarantee you will catch the ship if they arrange the flight and it goes wrong not due to passengers fault?

By holding the ship or arranging a flight at their cost to the next port if necessary?

Any other helpful comments please?

We have always booked our own flights and have used a TA to book our Windstar cruises. The Windstar website states the following:

Windstar Cruises is pleased to offer air/sea packages featuring round trip economy-class airline transportation between many U.S. and Canadian cities and your cruise. Optional transfers from the airport to yacht are available on sailing day and return after the cruise. To take advantage of this package, which is offered at an additional charge to your cruise fare, simply ask your travel professional to request it when you reserve your stateroom or suite. Current add-on costs are available from Windstar Cruises Vacation Planners and are subject to change. All gateways may not be available for each itinerary. Please call for a rate quote and 855-389-4226.

Windstar Cruises will provide an airline ticket between major cities and the nearest airport to the cruise port using the carriers, routing, and structure of our choice. We reserve the right to utilize commuter and/or charter air service without prior notice. The airfares we use are based on capacity controlled, promotional, and group fares. The cost of the basic add-on quoted does not include confirmation of requests for specific carriers, routing, or en route stopovers. Air schedules are generally available approximately 60 days prior to departure. Windstar Cruises reserves the right to withdraw air/sea availability without prior notice for any product at any time.

Thanks for that but what I really need is passengers own real experience with airline booking through Windstar.

Thanks for that but what I really need is passengers own real experience with airline booking through Windstar.

There aren't many active posters on this board, and even fewer will have used the Windstar air program, so you may not receive many reports. I've given some general advise below. Also, here is a more exhaustive page about their program:

http://windstar.cruiselines.com/cruise_info/airline_reservations.cfm

They lay out the advantages of both options in a clear fashion. If you book with them you are going to be stuck with what they decide to book you on, and will almost certainly not earn any credit in frequent flyer programs as they're using bulk fares. The page does outline the advantages in terms of what happens if there are travel interruptions, and that advantage may be worth it to you - that's the only one I see except for included airport transfers (although the site says "most locations"). They are also clear that while they'll help you find alternate transport if things go wrong that isn't a given and you could be stuck for things like paying for overnight hotels on your own (the same is true if you book yourself, of course.) So, this isn't 100% perfect and you will be stuck with how they decide to book you. If you want to arrive early or stay after the cruise that's something you will want to ask them about as I can't tell if they only book for arrival and departure immediate before and after the cruise.

This statement alone would make me flee:

If you utilize Windstar's AIR/SEA program, you may be given an air schedule with an overnight flight, multiple connections, and in some cases, a forced overnight stay at your expense.

As a very experienced traveler I would never go that route. But also as an experienced traveled I'd advise that you ask Windstar for a quote - I suspect you will get a price only and not specific routing until later. Take that quote and check the price against what you can get yourself, I find flights.google to be a good place for that.

If the only thing you care about is price go with what's cheaper (adding something to you airline to account for transfers).

If you care about certain airlines, wanting the fastest route with fewest connections, earning miles, etc. Book it yourself.

No cruise air guarantees they will get you to the cruise on time, though many people believe that.

If you are willing to post arrival/departure cities and dates and your requirements (must have nonstop), go to the cruise air forum here.

There are many helpful posters who will help you.

I would never book cruise air, but that’s just me,

We have many cruises with Windstar and have always booked our flights with them. I do compare prices but there has never been much of a difference. If fact we cruise in July and Windstars flights for that cruise were actually a few hundred dollars cheaper than anything I could find.

In addition we always arrive a couple days early and leave a couple days after the cruise so there has never been an issue with flight/cruise times.

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We have many cruises with Windstar and have always booked our flights with them. I do compare prices but there has never been much of a difference. If fact we cruise in July and Windstars flights for that cruise were actually a few hundred dollars cheaper than anything I could find.

 

In addition we always arrive a couple days early and leave a couple days after the cruise so there has never been an issue with flight/cruise times.

 

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Thanks. Did you find their routings and airlines used reasonable? Also curious if you even had to deal with any isssues enroute, cancellations or delays and how were they dealt with. Did you earn frequent flier miles on any of them?

The routes were one stop. This year to Barcelona we are on Air Canada.

The only flight issue we have had in the past was on a return flight the second flight in NJ was cancelled. But they put us up in a hotel for the night. We didn’t have our luggage do that was a pain. But it all worked out at no extra charge and we received a voucher for the airline. Yes we also use our frequent flyer number to get the points.

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We couldn't get hold of the guy we booked with at Windstar as he doesn't work weekends so in the end we just booked online with TAP this morning from Newark to Lisbon one way for $248 which seemed a good deal. Also its a direct flight, 6 hours 45 minutes, not too long at all. November 10th.

The major airlines are not usually good value for one way intercontinental flights but TAP seems to be an exception.

We couldn't get hold of the guy we booked with at Windstar as he doesn't work weekends so in the end we just booked online with TAP this morning from Newark to Lisbon one way for $248 which seemed a good deal. Also its a direct flight, 6 hours 45 minutes, not too long at all. November 10th.

The major airlines are not usually good value for one way intercontinental flights but TAP seems to be an exception.

That's a fabulous deal/price. You did good, but you are lucky to live in a gateway city that provides you with many options. I live in Kansas City and never can get a good price on airfare. For my upcoming december Wind Surf cruise from St. Maarten I will book my own air, which will cost me over $850 each in coach.

That's a fabulous deal/price. You did good, but you are lucky to live in a gateway city that provides you with many options. I live in Kansas City and never can get a good price on airfare. For my upcoming december Wind Surf cruise from St. Maarten I will book my own air, which will cost me over $850 each in coach.

We don't live in Newark it going to cost another $152 each one way from our airport to Newark. So that makes it about $400 one way each.

Although Newark as a city is a good place to visit I couldn't live there. Too cold and too citified.

Thanks for that but what I really need is passengers own real experience with airline booking through Windstar.

Book your own flights! Windstar Does not do anything for you - the prices are not discounted you can actually get them cheaper yourself, and you do not have any seat choice ! And if you want to change your dates you pay Windstar on top of the airline change fees.

I could bore you with horror stories but no point in that! Otherwise I really enjoy W.S.