Air booked through the cuise line to Europe

[HarpHarp]

Until our upcoming Med. cruise on the Breeze, I have never booked air through any cruise line, but the rate for air fare, pre cruise night at a very nice hotel and transfers was so good I booked.

 

Now I'm second guessing.

Anybody done this. Was the flight schedule & itinerary acceptable??

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[FlyerTalker]

Given that other peoples' experiences have absolutely NO bearing on what a cruiseline has given you....

 

And that absolutely no details on your arrangements have been provided....

 

I'll let you draw your own conclusion.

[Keith1010]

Honestly, this is going to range by person, by specific booking, by specific flight, by cruise line and all of this varies all the time.

 

When I book air with the cruise line I always request specific flights. If I can't get what I ask I don't want it.

 

Even when I book with the airline I look very closely a the flights and if I have to change planes factors such as layover time.

 

In the end, you'll have to be the judge of all of this.

 

Keith

[Zach1213]

It doesn't really matter if John Doe's itinerary was OK...it's not going to be the same as yours. Do you have a 30 minute layover in London? Not going to be OK. Do you have a 4 hour layover in Munich? That's much longer than you need. It really depends on YOUR itinerary, and nobody else's.

 

But if you've already booked...what does it matter? Your money is paid.

[iancal]

Our experience has been that return air to Europe has not been a good price...we have always done better on our own. And we selected our own routing which is important to us as we like to avoid certain hubs. One way cruise air depends on where you are going. Several airlines have good one way fares to Europe depending on your destination and when you are traveling. Otherwise the cruise line air might be the best deal.

 

We have yet to find a cruise line provided hotel and transfer that is close to what we can do on our own for similar accomodation. We have found the cruise lines to be 40 percent or more expensive. Same with transfers-particularly in Europe. I think they take advantage of people's concern about a foreign country. It is really a question of your comfort level and how much you value the cruise line white glove service.

 

Just our experience....maybe you have a great deal. The only way to know is to shop it on the web. You will have your answer very quickly.

[HarpHarp]

Folks, I am aware of all the raminfications of booking air through the cruise lines. I shopped around and right now am saving $200 each for us this way. If it was cheaper to book it myself I would have done so, having booked our last several trips to Europe on my own.

I realize every experience is different, but just as if I was getting work done on my house, I would want references from other customers and I would check the BBB rating of the conpany. If I was undergoing surgery I would want to know my surgeons and the hospital's complication rate for that surgery.

None of this tells me what my outcome will be, but it is useful information for decision making.

I am not yet at final payment and can of course cancel the air etc. with no penalty and book it myself, which is what I am contemplating.

 

That is why I am asking IF you booked air to Europe, especially Barcelona, with a cuise line, especially Carnival, what was your experience with itinerary & schedule, good bad or indifferent.

 

Just the facts. That is all I am interested in!

[waterbug123]

Folks, I am aware of all the raminfications of booking air through the cruise lines. I shopped around and right now am saving $200 each for us this way.......

 

 

Just the facts. That is all I am interested in!

 

Since you are aware of all the ramifications of booking air through the cruise line, I will say this not for your benefit but for that of other readers/lurkers who may not be aware of those ramifications:

$400 ($200 each way) savings may pale in comparison to what one could end up paying for a last minute airline ticket (think thousands) IF the ticket one gets from the cruise line's air program is a consolidator ticket (which is likely, if it's significantly cheaper.) Such a restricted ticket may not provide any rebooking options that would actually get the pax to his/her destination in time for the cruise. There are plenty of threads that explain how that could be the case so I won't go into it here.

As always, everyone has to weigh the risks against the cost savings and decide how much risk they're willing to take.

[HarpHarp]

Since you are aware of all the ramifications of booking air through the cruise line, I will say this not for your benefit but for that of other readers/lurkers who may not be aware of those ramifications:

$400 ($200 each way) savings may pale in comparison to what one could end up paying for a last minute airline ticket (think thousands) IF the ticket one gets from the cruise line's air program is a consolidator ticket (which is likely, if it's significantly cheaper.) Such a restricted ticket may not provide any rebooking options that would actually get the pax to his/her destination in time for the cruise. There are plenty of threads that explain how that could be the case so I won't go into it here.

As always, everyone has to weigh the risks against the cost savings and decide how much risk they're willing to take.

 

This is EXACTLY the information I am seeking. Since we are flying in the day before the cruise, this shouldn't be a problem, BUT I would like to know, has anyone on this board who booked air to Europe through the cruise line miss the start of the cruise because of scheduling, not weather or mechanical problems but because the cuise line screwed up by booking a you on a flight too late to make their ship? Was the routing or flight times unacceptable. If there was a problem, did you get help from Carnival?

I've asked this question on two different boards and have yet to recieve an answer to my question.

[greatam]

Folks, I am aware of all the raminfications of booking air through the cruise lines. I shopped around and right now am saving $200 each for us this way. If it was cheaper to book it myself I would have done so, having booked our last several trips to Europe on my own.

I realize every experience is different, but just as if I was getting work done on my house, I would want references from other customers and I would check the BBB rating of the conpany. If I was undergoing surgery I would want to know my surgeons and the hospital's complication rate for that surgery.

None of this tells me what my outcome will be, but it is useful information for decision making.

I am not yet at final payment and can of course cancel the air etc. with no penalty and book it myself, which is what I am contemplating.

 

That is why I am asking IF you booked air to Europe, especially Barcelona, with a cuise line, especially Carnival, what was your experience with itinerary & schedule, good bad or indifferent.

 

Just the facts. That is all I am interested in!

 

1. What dates, what times, what airports, etc. etc.??? Details are important for more help.

 

2. What someone else got in the way of cruise air and hotels has ABSOLUTELY NO impact on what you may receive. Please read the sticky at the top of this forum-Cruise Air and Air Deviation-for what you MAY or MAY NOT receive.

 

But I will guarantee that you paid more for a hotel room than you should have. Cruise line hotels are booked on a PER PERSON price. So if the hotel booked off any booking agency is $150-175 for the night and you paid $150 PER PERSON with transfers, you got ripped. You can certainly hire a car service/private transfer for less than $125 to the port from a hotel in Barcelona.

[HarpHarp]

1. What dates, what times, what airports, etc. etc.??? Details are important for more help.

 

2. What someone else got in the way of cruise air and hotels has ABSOLUTELY NO impact on what you may receive. Please read the sticky at the top of this forum-Cruise Air and Air Deviation-for what you MAY or MAY NOT receive.

 

But I will guarantee that you paid more for a hotel room than you should have. Cruise line hotels are booked on a PER PERSON price. So if the hotel booked off any booking agency is $150-175 for the night and you paid $150 PER PERSON with transfers, you got ripped. You can certainly hire a car service/private transfer for less than $125 to the port from a hotel in Barcelona.

 

I read 3 pages of the sticky and found one comment from a travel agent that was positive, but seconhand.

I am not interested with help in booking, have an option of 3 airports & don't have any flight times yet from the cruise line which is WHY I am here looking for input from people who have gone to Europe with cruiseline air .

Yes I am saving about $200 a person with the airline rates as they are today. That is my bottom line and I checked this out with my trusty calculator app.

At this point I am thinking nobody here has booked air to Europe with any cruise line.

That is why I am asking IF you booked air to Europe, especially Barcelona, with a cuise line, especially Carnival, what was your experience with itinerary & schedule, good bad or indifferent

[FlyerTalker]

Well, after round and round we go, we find out that the OP wants to know this:

Has anyone on this board who booked air to Europe through the cruise line miss the start of the cruise because of scheduling, not weather or mechanical problems but because the cuise line screwed up by booking a you on a flight too late to make their ship?

Dear OP,

 

A cruiseline booking too tight a connection is the least of your issues with a cruiseline issued ticket. It is precisely what you are wanting ignnored, weather and mechanical, that's the concern. Cruiseline tickets may have wacky routings and very tight connections, but they almost always conform to published minimum connect times.

 

But what happens when that connection becomes impossible because your first flight is delayed 20 minutes on departure and there is ATC delay on arrival. You have missed your onward flight. But you don't want to talk about weather or mechanicals.

 

OP then wants to know:

Was the routing or flight times unacceptable. If there was a problem, did you get help from Carnival?

You are trying to determine if tickets are "unacceptable" (whatever that means) by the experiences of others. Which, as has been pointed out, has absolutely NO bearing on what you may or may not receive. And further, you then restrict your question to help from Carnival? Go and look at the terms and conditions for cruiseline provided air. Cruiselines have no responsibility towards getting you to your cruise.

 

I have a big suspicion that you want to "prove" that you are OK to save the $200.

[Keith1010]

I read 3 pages of the sticky and found one comment from a travel agent that was positive, but seconhand.

I am not interested with help in booking, have an option of 3 airports & don't have any flight times yet from the cruise line which is WHY I am here looking for input from people who have gone to Europe with cruiseline air .

Yes I am saving about $200 a person with the airline rates as they are today. That is my bottom line and I checked this out with my trusty calculator app.

At this point I am thinking nobody here has booked air to Europe with any cruise line.

That is why I am asking IF you booked air to Europe, especially Barcelona, with a cuise line, especially Carnival, what was your experience with itinerary & schedule, good bad or indifferent

 

If you are interested in experiences of those who sailed on Carnival I would post this on the Carnival Cruise Line Board.

 

Be specific in your post where you are flying to.

 

Again, remember that just because one was routed one way or had a positive experience doesn't mean you will.

 

And do remember that if you do not specify flights you are taking a risk anytime any cruise line books your air with the potential of short connection times. It happens and on all cruise lines. I do use cruise line air from time to time (not Carnival) and do pay extra to specify my flights and I have friends who don't and they have ended up with some poor flights and some have missed connections and even missed the ship.

 

Keith

[FlyerTalker]

Oops....right after posting, I see that the OP now has a different question:

IF you booked air to Europe, especially Barcelona, with a cuise line, especially Carnival, what was your experience with itinerary & schedule, good bad or indifferent

 

First, did anyone have a problem. Now, did anyone book to BCN.

 

I guess the part about past experiences having NO bearing on what might be assigned in the future didn't register.

 

I'm outa here.

[greatam]

I read 3 pages of the sticky and found one comment from a travel agent that was positive, but seconhand.

I am not interested with help in booking, have an option of 3 airports & don't have any flight times yet from the cruise line which is WHY I am here looking for input from people who have gone to Europe with cruiseline air .

Yes I am saving about $200 a person with the airline rates as they are today. That is my bottom line and I checked this out with my trusty calculator app.

At this point I am thinking nobody here has booked air to Europe with any cruise line.

That is why I am asking IF you booked air to Europe, especially Barcelona, with a cuise line, especially Carnival, what was your experience with itinerary & schedule, good bad or indifferent

 

 

I wouldn't book air with a cruise line PERIOD. May be good or may be bad. Who knows until you get the flights.

 

Your choice-miss your cruise, it will cost you mega dollars to catch up. Worth putting your vacation in someone else's hands?????

 

Your choice. Just know that buying STRICTLY on price can very often lead to BAD results, particularly with your hotel rooms and transfers. It is almost GUARANTEED you are getting RIPPED.

 

Suit yourself. As has been posted over and over, NO ONE ELSE'S experience will equal yours.

Why are you trying to kid yourself???

[HarpHarp]

If you are interested in experiences of those who sailed on Carnival I would post this on the Carnival Cruise Line Board.

 

Be specific in your post where you are flying to.

 

Again, remember that just because one was routed one way or had a positive experience doesn't mean you will.

 

And do remember that if you do not specify flights you are taking a risk anytime any cruise line books your air with the potential of short connection times. It happens and on all cruise lines. I do use cruise line air from time to time (not Carnival) and do pay extra to specify my flights and I have friends who don't and they have ended up with some poor flights and some have missed connections and even missed the ship.

 

Keith

 

Thank You I have posted this on the Carnival board. I am going to fly in the day before the cruise, and have checked the bottom line carefully .

 

I am not trying to prove it's OK for me to save $200 as another poster said, but looking to gather & evaluate information, which is how I made my living for many years.

As I said in my previous post:

I realize every experience is different, but just as if I was getting work done on my house, I would want references from other customers and I would check the BBB rating of the conpany. If I was undergoing surgery I would want to know my surgeons and the hospital's complication rate for that surgery.

None of this tells me what my outcome will be, but it is useful information for decision making.

I am not yet at final payment and can of course cancel the air etc. with no penalty and book it myself, which is what I am contemplating.

 

That is why I am asking IF you booked air to Europe, especially Barcelona, with a cuise line, especially Carnival, what was your experience with itinerary & schedule, good bad or indifferent.

 

Just the facts. That is all I am interested in!

[greatam]

Thank You I have posted this on the Carnival board. I am going to fly in the day before the cruise, and have checked the bottom line carefully .

 

I am not trying to prove it's OK for me to save $200 as another poster said, but looking to gather & evaluate information, which is how I made my living for many years.

As I said in my previous post:

I realize every experience is different, but just as if I was getting work done on my house, I would want references from other customers and I would check the BBB rating of the conpany. If I was undergoing surgery I would want to know my surgeons and the hospital's complication rate for that surgery.

None of this tells me what my outcome will be, but it is useful information for decision making.

I am not yet at final payment and can of course cancel the air etc. with no penalty and book it myself, which is what I am contemplating.

 

That is why I am asking IF you booked air to Europe, especially Barcelona, with a cuise line, especially Carnival, what was your experience with itinerary & schedule, good bad or indifferent.

 

Just the facts. That is all I am interested in!

 

You want something NO ONE can give you. What you may get in the way of flights and hotels and transfers very well could be TOTALLY different than what someone else gets, even on the same cruise. They are flying from LA, you are flying from wherever. There is no BBB to validate your air, hotel and transfer arrangements. Pie in the sky.

 

Obviously, you did not understand the Cruise Air and Air Deviation Sticky. You are again looking for pie in the sky.

 

It really appears that you are looking for VALIDATION for your choices. If that is correct, you could have done better in most instances.

[HarpHarp]

You want something NO ONE can give you. What you may get in the way of flights and hotels and transfers very well could be TOTALLY different than what someone else gets, even on the same cruise. They are flying from LA, you are flying from wherever. There is no BBB to validate your air, hotel and transfer arrangements. Pie in the sky.

 

Obviously, you did not understand the Cruise Air and Air Deviation Sticky. You are again looking for pie in the sky.

 

Obviously, You did not read or understand my statement which I repeat here for the third time

I realize every experience is different, but just as if I was getting work done on my house, I would want references from other customers and I would check the BBB rating of the conpany. If I was undergoing surgery I would want to know my surgeons and the hospital's complication rate for that surgery.

None of this tells me what my outcome will be, but it is useful information for decision making.

I am not yet at final payment and can of course cancel the air etc. with no penalty and book it myself, which is what I am contemplating.

It is because there is so little or should I say no hard & fast information on cruise air, I came here looking for cruisers personal experiences with cruise air booked to Europe.

I thought we were here to share our cruise experiences. We critique the food & the cabin steward, why is asking about fellow cruisers experiences with cruiseline booked air different? We put our vacation in the hands of the cruise line every time we cruise. Most of the time it works out. Some times it doesn't (Costa Concordia) You say you would never book air with a cruise line and I must be getting ripped off.

Why assume that. Believe me I can run numbers.

 

I'm off to get some information about other facets of our cruise

 

 

 

[greatam]

Obviously, You did not read or understand my statement which I repeat here for the third time

I realize every experience is different, but just as if I was getting work done on my house, I would want references from other customers and I would check the BBB rating of the conpany. If I was undergoing surgery I would want to know my surgeons and the hospital's complication rate for that surgery.

None of this tells me what my outcome will be, but it is useful information for decision making.

I am not yet at final payment and can of course cancel the air etc. with no penalty and book it myself, which is what I am contemplating.

It is because there is so little or should I say no hard & fast information on cruise air, I came here looking for cruisers personal experiences with cruise air booked to Europe.

I thought we were here to share our cruise experiences. We critique the food & the cabin steward, why is asking about fellow cruisers experiences with cruiseline booked air different? We put our vacation in the hands of the cruise line every time we cruise. Most of the time it works out. Some times it doesn't (Costa Concordia) You say you would never book air with a cruise line and I must be getting ripped off.

Why assume that. Believe me I can run numbers.

 

I'm off to get some information about other facets of our cruise

 

 

 

 

You just seem to miss the point. What others have received is NO INDICATION of what you receive for flights, hotels or transfers. Different airlines, different airports different schedules, different timings all together. What did you mean a TA posted a "second hand" experience in the sticky? Seems like you are holding on for dear life to YOUR choices and looking for validation that they are correct. Do you NOT believe the RULES of cruise air and info from those who fly 75-100,000 miles per year for business and pleasure?? Obviously not-you are simply looking for validation that your choice is correct.

 

You seem to overlook the reality of the sticky for Cruise Air and Air Deviation. SOME get absolutely fantastic flights, non stop, et al. Some go on a mileage run with multiple connections, chances of missing your luggage, chances of missing your cruise. YOU have no idea what you will get and neither does anyone else UNLESS they fly from the SAME airport on the SAME day to the SAME cruise.

 

What in the H*** can we tell you if you are so mind bent on taking the cruise line air, hotel package and transfers? That you made a good decision??? NOT on my life.

[epixx]

That is why I am asking IF you booked air to Europe, especially Barcelona, with a cuise line, especially Carnival, what was your experience with itinerary & schedule, good bad or indifferent.

 

 

OK; since no one answered the question, I will. We flew Carnival air in 2005 and 2006 to FCO. We made it to the ship both times. The schedule was "indifferent." We had one potential problem with a thunderstorm in ATL potentially leading to a late arrival and missed connection, but Delta changed our flights (had nothing to do with Carnival) to a connection at JFK so that we would not miss cruise embarkation.

 

I agree with other posters who wonder how our experience from 6-7 years ago could possibly help you, but I am just answering your question because you asked. We would not, and have not, flown on cruise air since then.

[Gonzo70]

I personally would never book air through a cruise without being able to choose my flights. Way too risky of getting a tight connection (and then having less flexibility to work around it if something goes awry). On the other hand you may receive real long connections or fly an indirect (i.e. lengthy) route. While saving $200 per/person is nice, playing Russian Roulette with making my cruise is not.

 

I did read your posts and understand you are trying to seek firsthand experience, but sometimes firsthand experience is simply not helpful. While it is good to vet doctor's and contractors - asking what other people's experience were with cruise line air is akin to asking someone whether they had better luck betting on black or red while playing roulette. Does not matter how many opinions you receive, it will have no bearing on your situation.

[dundeene]

april 2012 cruise ship booked air (Oceania)

rural midwest to ATL

ATL TO BCN

Delta airlines

Yes cheaper than we could do ourselves flying rural into BCN and returning from FCO

We flew in 8am the day before the cruise departed to allow plenty of time, asked for 2 plus hr connections when we changed planes

Everything was fine.

A good TA can help convey your needs to the cruiseline. If you don't like the flights they arrange, make your own arrangements.

[HarpHarp]

april 2012 cruise ship booked air (Oceania)

rural midwest to ATL

ATL TO BCN

Delta airlines

Yes cheaper than we could do ourselves flying rural into BCN and returning from FCO

We flew in 8am the day before the cruise departed to allow plenty of time, asked for 2 plus hr connections when we changed planes

Everything was fine.

A good TA can help convey your needs to the cruiseline. If you don't like the flights they arrange, make your own arrangements.

 

Thank you for your reply. We are planning to arrive the day before the cruise as you did. Air fares are falling, and it may not be what we do, but I liked to be prepared with alternatives if we run into problems.

[terryinal]

Thank you for your reply. We are planning to arrive the day before the cruise as you did. Air fares are falling, and it may not be what we do, but I liked to be prepared with alternatives if we run into problems.

 

Getting a one way ticket BCN almost had me ready to cancel my TA next yr.After some help here I'm going to try and do it. My trip isn't till next Nov. so I have plenty of time. I think I'm going to just buy a oneway ticket and toss the return.

[Michidoeme]

Try one-way on Choice Air for intercontinental flights. You will get different, good and not so good options with various airlines. These are regular tickets, of course with the restrictions and limitations valid for the rate you are booking - but exact same as if you book them thru other engines or airline direct. Also reserving seats and check-in on-line are possible once you get your booking codes. Difference I have found is that they sometimes also offer half of very discounted fares for one way tickets whereas same airline direct might not.

Disregard a lot of critism and opinions about Choice Air here. Most are speaking of their experiences with Cruise Air, where you kind of book blind.

[greatam]

These are regular tickets, of course with the restrictions and limitations valid for the rate you are booking - but exact same as if you book them thru other engines or airline direct.

 

And this is where you are WRONG and keep posting mis-information. A LOT of the Choice are tickets are "specially negotiated fares". They DO NOT have the same rules and regulations as published fare, airline direct tickets. But how do you know??? You CANNOT read the entire fare rules for most of the Choice Air tickets.

 

 

Disregard a lot of critism and opinions about Choice Air here. Most are speaking of their experiences with Cruise Air, where you kind of book blind.

 

Again, you are posting mis-information.