Using HAL's Air package to Rome

[localady]

We are considering using HAL's air package to Rome for a possible transatlantic flight. The air package is quite reasonable and we'd like to purchase it. We would like to spend at least one night in Rome and HAL quotes a price of 495$pp for one night hotel in Rome.:eek:

 

My question is, when you get air from the US, has HAL put you up for a night in Italy prior to departure?? To request a air deviation for both of us it's $200, but almost $1000 for one night at a hotel is too steep for my blood.

Any advice would be so appreciated!:cool:

[mrskmirolla]

We went to Venice - Rome last May and I booked my own air and hotels. I researched all the air and hotels for Venice and Rome and got really good deals. We went on the Rotterdam for 10 days had 3 days in Venice and 3 days in Rome and the cost was really low. If you have any questions email me at mrskmirolla@aol.com.

 

Kathy

[localady]

Kathy-

Thanks for your response. The air would be far more for us to book rather than HAL because it's a transatlantic- we'd fly from here to Rome and then New York to home. HAL quotes $1100 appx pp far airfare, which according to my calculations is much lower than what I can do. Would love the name of any hotels you stayed in. Thank you!:cool:

[ekerr19]

localady -

 

I'm surprised you haven't found anything cheaper... I am also looking for air to Rome, but from Denver (for us). I have other family who are coming from Northern California, do we're not sure the best way to go either.

 

We are also spending 2 days pre-cruise in Rome, but are staying the same hotel we stayed in last year, Santa Maria Inn - which was not only very nice, but very reasonably priced...

 

We can fly direct from Denver to London on British Air, then from London to Rome on BA, butwould like to avoid Heathrow, if at all possible.

 

I think $1000 per night is very pricey too - you can book the Hassler for less than that! Also, last year when my TA checked with HAL, the hotel they wanted to put us in was the Airport Hilton, which is not even close to the city - $700 for both of us - and Hilton's website had the price at about $200 for both of us.... that kind of left me wondering about HAL's arrangements. :confused:

 

I am doing research right now and will let you know if I come across any good air deals... are you flying from SFO?

[localady]

localady -

 

I'm surprised you haven't found anything cheaper... I am also looking for air to Rome, but from Denver (for us). I have other family who are coming from Northern California, do we're not sure the best way to go either.

 

We are also spending 2 days pre-cruise in Rome, but are staying the same hotel we stayed in last year, Santa Maria Inn - which was not only very nice, but very reasonably priced...

 

We can fly direct from Denver to London on British Air, then from London to Rome on BA, butwould like to avoid Heathrow, if at all possible.

 

I think $1000 per night is very pricey too - you can book the Hassler for less than that! Also, last year when my TA checked with HAL, the hotel they wanted to put us in was the Airport Hilton, which is not even close to the city - $700 for both of us - and Hilton's website had the price at about $200 for both of us.... that kind of left me wondering about HAL's arrangements. :confused:

 

I am doing research right now and will let you know if I come across any good air deals... are you flying from SFO?

 

EKerr-

We are flying from either SFO or from Sacramento. I will look into flying BA, as I like their flights. I promise to let you know what we decide also. Do you know, if we do't take the air when we book initially, can we still get HAL air at a later time?

[ekerr19]

EKerr-

We are flying from either SFO or from Sacramento. I will look into flying BA, as I like their flights. I promise to let you know what we decide also. Do you know, if we do't take the air when we book initially, can we still get HAL air at a later time?

 

I'm almost pretty certain you can add it later... I think we did that when we went through the Panama Canal - we ended up using HAL's air because we embarked in Costa Rica and disembarked in FLL. I know I checked for flights, but maybe we included it and then cancelled it, but I can find out from my TA pretty quickly.

 

Does Sacramento have international flights? I've only been to the United terminal there (always the same gate too!) so I wasn't sure. It would be much closer for my sister.

[mrskmirolla]

Well I booked on Ex---a and took Swiss Air from LAX to Zurich and then a short flight to Venice. My neice is going to Rome next month for her daughters Baptism in the Vatican and I was checking fare from here to Rome and got air for $399, $416 and $485 each round trip and the hotels ran about $100 to $150 a night nice and clean with breakfast each morning.

 

Kathy

[dakrewser]

EKerr-

We are flying from either SFO or from Sacramento. I will look into flying BA, as I like their flights. I promise to let you know what we decide also. Do you know, if we do't take the air when we book initially, can we still get HAL air at a later time?

 

I know you can drop HAL's air anytime up to last payment date (we just dropped their air from SFO to Amsterdam. I could do a few hundred dollars better on my own). Whenever we've let the cruise line book air, they've always brought us in the morning of departure. Anything else would reuire either a deviation or booking a pre-cruise stay from HAL.

[TedC]

Hi Sher,

 

Yes, you can add HAL air after you've booked the cruise - and you can also cancel it.

 

We used HAL air from Barcelona to FLL in Nov. 2004. For an "Open Jaw" flight that "open," United would have made us buy two one-way tickets - which is always very expensive. So HAL air was more reasonable in that case. (And those archaic policy's may be why United's still in bankruptcy.)

 

Usually we book our own air so we can get schedules to our liking and use miles to upgrade - of course schedules can, and do, change, but we still have more control.

 

You might want to book HAL air and then try to find a better deal . If you do, cancel HAL air before final payment.

 

Good luck

[localady]

Dak and TedC-

Thanks so much for the information. I was amazed to find that a RT airline ticket to Rome is appx 850$, but one way is 1800$......we might have to buy a rt and fly only one way....how absurd!!!:rolleyes:

[mushroom]

Localady, I agree - it's a lot to pay for one night in a hotel. However, remember that this price also includes the transfers from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to Civitavecchia plus hotel taxes. Usually, the hotel is the Visconti Palace which is classified as "first class". If transfers were included in your original reservation, they are "adjusted" when you book the hotel package so your original rate reflects only the transfer at the end of the cruise. Worldwide Shore Services normally charges $95.00 per person for the transfer from the airport to the hotel and another $95.00 from the hotel to the pier. I hope this helps to explain the high cost of the "hotel package".

[Bill S]

Sher: interesting reading! We are struggling with the exact same issue-haven't decided which way to go w/respect to air travel.

We have booked the Noordam, Sept 28, Rome to NYC cruise---are you looking at that one, too?

We are also looking at HAL's 4-day pre-cruise package but haven't made a decision yet. Looking at the Europe sub-forum in the Ports of Call Forum and on tripadvisor.com, Rome hotels are very expensive for the most part.

Wiil you and Bob be joining us???? :)

[localady]

BillS-

Yes we are thinking about this cruise. Would Mr. Prinsendam and DW mind some company??;)

[Bill S]

No, we wouldn't mind; in fact, we'd kinda like it!! :)

That would be fun if you all wind up with us! Dinner in Rome, perhaps??

As someone once said: "It's like deja vu, all over again!" :cool:

[localady]

Sounds like great fun to us too!!:)

Will have to compare notes as plans progress!

Please send our best to your DW also.:D

[betonic]

We are also considering booking the Noordam Sept 28th. For kicks I was checking one way Miami to Rome yesterday and Luftansa had coach at $397 and Business at $1200 one way. Didn't seem too bad to me. I was shocked to see no direct flights from Miami or Mexico City so I guess I'll have to make a connection somewhere.

 

I did a European cruise last year and some of the stops are the same so I might be able to offer some suggestions.

 

I'll let you all know when we book.

[TedC]

Dak and TedC-

Thanks so much for the information. I was amazed to find that a RT airline ticket to Rome is appx 850$, but one way is 1800$......we might have to buy a rt and fly only one way....how absurd!!!:rolleyes:

 

 

Sher, be careful buying a RT ticket and using only one segment. If you don't fly the first segment, many airlines, if not all, will automatically cancel the second segment. If that's the one you wanted to use, it could be a problem.

 

But Betonic's experience (above) sounds very encouraging, even though Lufthansa's not one of our favorites.

[localady]

TedC-

The good news is we'd be flying the first segment to Rome and just miss the return trip. Can't see the airlines logic around the difference in price for one way vs. roundtrip.:rolleyes:

I checked Lufthansa one way and again they wanted 1800$ one way from the Left coast.

Thanks for you help!!!

[rnewste]

Just booked the August 9 Noordam cruise. HAL airfare from SFO was $1400. Was able to use my American FF miles for a Business class RT using 90K miles PP. Am starting to research Rome hotels as we will be staying 3 nights after the cruise.

 

Ray