Newark to Europe flights using BOGO air

[LGinPA]

Hi!

 

1. Has anyone who requested Newark (EWR) as their departing airport to Europe, been booked from another NYC airport (JFK)?   

 

    I'm concerned about this clause in the Terms & Conditions:  “Norwegian Cruise Line reserves the right to select an alternate airport within 60 miles based on itinerary, choose the air carrier, routing and city airport from each gateway city and  reserves the right to substitute commuter service and/or charter air service for scheduled air carriers without prior notice.”

 

  Since NYC has 2 international airports I'm concerned that NCL may book us out of JFK when we asked for EWR. 😆

 

2. Has anyone been booked into non-stop flights from EWR to FCO (Rome) or other non-stop to your Europe port city when using the BOGO air? If no,  how many connections and what was your connecting airport?

There's always non-stops to Rome from Newark and I'm wondering how often NCL uses or doesn't use it. 

 

Thank you in advance for your help. 🙂 

Edited August 24, 2022 by LGinPA
changed from 3 to 2 international airports :)

[shof515]

2 minutes ago, LGinPA said:

Hi!

1. Has anyone who requested Newark (EWR) as their departing airport to Europe, been booked from another NYC airport (JFK, LGA)?   

 

    I'm concerned about this clause in the Terms & Conditions:  “Norwegian Cruise Line reserves the right to select an alternate airport within 60 miles based on itinerary, choose the air carrier, routing and city airport from each gateway city and  reserves the right to substitute commuter service and/or charter air service for scheduled air carriers without prior notice.”

 

  Since NYC has 3 international airport I'm concerned that NCL may book us out of JFK when we asked for EWR. 😆

 

 

 

LGA airport is not an international airport. There is only 2 international airports in the NYC area, that is EWR and JFK

[LGinPA]

5 minutes ago, shof515 said:

 

LGA airport is not an international airport. There is only 2 international airports in the NYC area, that is EWR and JFK

 

Thanks, corrected it to 2. 🙂

[JIMESOPUS]

2 minutes ago, shof515 said:

 

LGA airport is not an international airport. There is only 2 international airports in the NYC area, that is EWR and JFK

Port Authority also runs SWF ( Stewart International ) which is just 60 miles north of NYC. I thought that they might used PLAY airlines, a low cost carrier out of SWF for our up coming flight to Southampton.

[LGinPA]

Isn't there anyone out there who's used Newark (EWR) and the NCL BOGO air, who can answer my questions?  Please! 🙂

 

 

[julig22]

Probably not going to help you whatsoever but I flew (BOGO) from Rome to JFK last fall on the first leg of my return trip; flew to Rome out of Toronto.  But I was coming from a small regional airport in Oregon, so normally have at least 1, but usually 2 legs just to get me to an international airport for Europe.  However, when my cruise was leaving from NY, they flew me into Newark, out of JFK.

 

Bottom line is that they can book you from either JFK or Newark and they can book up to 3 legs, really no way to know and it will be different every time. 

 

Heard a number of complaints from people in Toronto who did not get booked on a direct flight to Rome.  My theory is that priority for "direct" overseas flights go to people who can't fly direct to begin with.

[LGinPA]

1 hour ago, julig22 said:

 

Bottom line is that they can book you from either JFK or Newark and they can book up to 3 legs, really no way to know and it will be different every time. 

 

Ugh. That's what I'm afraid of. 

 

1 hour ago, julig22 said:

Heard a number of complaints from people in Toronto who did not get booked on a direct flight to Rome.  My theory is that priority for "direct" overseas flights go to people who can't fly direct to begin with.

 

This makes sense. If someone's traveling father, NCL needs to get them there with no more than 2 connections.  So after their 1 or 2 flights to get to my EWR, they'll get the EWR to FCO flight, the only flight I'd need!   But NCL can take me from EWR to Toronto, Lisbon or Munich first, then from there to FCO. 😞

 

Well, we're leaning toward buying our own flights. We have a lot of time, so I'll wait to see if anyone gets booked from a NYC airport they did not request. 

[cruiserchris613]

On 8/25/2022 at 9:12 PM, LGinPA said:

Isn't there anyone out there who's used Newark (EWR) and the NCL BOGO air, who can answer my questions?  Please! 🙂

 

 

I'll be using NCL BOGO for the first time in a few weeks. 

Flying out of EWR to BCN to catch the Epic, with a +2 day deviation pre-cruise. 

We requested EWR as our home airport.

 

I thought that NCL was going to book us on the direct United EWR-BCN departing in the evening around 6PM and landing in the morning in BCN. This flight still has quite a few seats available last I checked.

 

When I got the tickets a few weeks ago, a bit surprised that they booked us on SAS with a layover in Copenhagen, the departure from EWR at 11:30 PM, landing in CPH around 1:30 PM local, and then connecting to BCN, arriving early evening. By no means am I disappointed, just treating this as part of the adventure. Plus side is I get to squeeze in a few more flight segments and miles, since I'm a MileagePlus Silver member. We still get a full day of sightseeing in BCN before we board the ship as well. 

 

The return flight home is a direct UA from BCN-EWR. 

 

Hope this helps!

[LGinPA]

On 8/25/2022 at 10:17 PM, julig22 said:

Probably not going to help you whatsoever but I flew (BOGO) from Rome to JFK last fall on the first leg of my return trip; flew to Rome out of Toronto.  But I was coming from a small regional airport in Oregon, so normally have at least 1, but usually 2 legs just to get me to an international airport for Europe.  However, when my cruise was leaving from NY, they flew me into Newark, out of JFK.

 

Bottom line is that they can book you from either JFK or Newark and they can book up to 3 legs, really no way to know and it will be different every time. 

 

Heard a number of complaints from people in Toronto who did not get booked on a direct flight to Rome.  My theory is that priority for "direct" overseas flights go to people who can't fly direct to begin with.

 

juli,

I forgot to thank you.  Your post was helpful in theorizing NCL's BOGO air booking.  Thanks! 

[LGinPA]

10 hours ago, cruiserchris613 said:

I'll be using NCL BOGO for the first time in a few weeks. 

Flying out of EWR to BCN to catch the Epic, with a +2 day deviation pre-cruise. 

We requested EWR as our home airport.

 

I thought that NCL was going to book us on the direct United EWR-BCN departing in the evening around 6PM and landing in the morning in BCN. This flight still has quite a few seats available last I checked.

 

When I got the tickets a few weeks ago, a bit surprised that they booked us on SAS with a layover in Copenhagen, the departure from EWR at 11:30 PM, landing in CPH around 1:30 PM local, and then connecting to BCN, arriving early evening. By no means am I disappointed, just treating this as part of the adventure. Plus side is I get to squeeze in a few more flight segments and miles, since I'm a MileagePlus Silver member. We still get a full day of sightseeing in BCN before we board the ship as well. 

 

The return flight home is a direct UA from BCN-EWR. 

 

Hope this helps!

 

Thank you cruiserchris.  This did help. 

 

It tells me that NCL will not prioritize non-stop flights from the east coast.  But it's NICE TO KNOW they booked you from your requested EWR and not JFK. 🙂

 

We are also considering a deviation, pre-or post.  Your reply helped me decide not to use BOGO air on a pre-cruise deviation since I NEED the arrival afternoon for a nap in a bed, not on a plane or in an airport.  

 

Thanks again, and enjoy your cruise! 

 

[njkate]

36 minutes ago, LGinPA said:

 

Thank you cruiserchris.  This did help. 

 

It tells me that NCL will not prioritize non-stop flights from the east coast.  But it's NICE TO KNOW they booked you from your requested EWR and not JFK. 🙂

 

We are also considering a deviation, pre-or post.  Your reply helped me decide not to use BOGO air on a pre-cruise deviation since I NEED the arrival afternoon for a nap in a bed, not on a plane or in an airport.  

 

Thanks again, and enjoy your cruise! 

 

It doesn't answer your question BUT for a Greece cruise they booked me Savannah/Chicago/Ewr/Munich/Athens

on United when United has non stops to EWR all day long, needless to say I canceled, just too many connections for my comfort level

[CILCIANRQTS]

We opted out of BOGO for just that reason - absolutely no say in routing, regardless of convenience, request or common sense. They go with whatever costs them less.

Have our eye on some direct flights and just waiting to pull the trigger.

Life is too short to chase every “bargain”.

[ontheweb]

On 8/23/2022 at 9:04 PM, JIMESOPUS said:

Port Authority also runs SWF ( Stewart International ) which is just 60 miles north of NYC. I thought that they might used PLAY airlines, a low cost carrier out of SWF for our up coming flight to Southampton.

I doubt this will happen, but we are really much closer to Stewart than either JFK or Newark. And the traffic situation is much better going there.

[LGinPA]

3 hours ago, njkate said:

It doesn't answer your question BUT for a Greece cruise they booked me Savannah/Chicago/Ewr/Munich/Athens

on United when United has non stops to EWR all day long, needless to say I canceled, just too many connections for my comfort level

 

Wow, that's more than "two connections, when possible"!   Besides Newark (EWR), there are also non-stops from Chicago (ORD) to Athens. 

 

And yes it is helpful if only in the fact that NCL will book using this many connections! So thanks for posting. 

 

Was this flight for a pre-cruise deviation to arrive a day or two early?  Otherwise, with this number of flights it would seem unlikely you'd arrive on time to make the ship, 

[LGinPA]

3 hours ago, CILCIANRQTS said:

Life is too short to chase every “bargain”.

 

This is a great philosophy. Thanks! 

[Empehi]

I feel you should consider the cost savings. I have a $998 for two ORD to ATH BOGO rate. So far, the best I can do is around $2750 for two. The non-stop is even more. So, I am all in with a potential savings of $1750. Plus, NCL will get you there at their cost if the flights are delayed.

 

e

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, Empehi said:

Plus, NCL will get you there at their cost if the flights are delayed.

Where does it say that?

 

While NCL will attempt to assist you they certainly don't promise anything of the sort.

 

https://www.ncl.com/cruise-deals/free-at-sea/free-airfare

A dedicated team is available to assist you every step of the way and provide guidance in the event of irregular operations when travelling to and from your destination.

 

In fact the Guest Ticket Contract specifically states that NCL has no responsibility:

https://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/NCL-Guest-Ticket-Contract-04-28-2021.pdf

 

9. Independent Contractors: (a) Off-Vessel Transport and Activities: The Guest recognizes and agrees that, if and when the Carrier makes arrangements for the Guest for air transportation, hotel accommodations, ground transfers, shore excursions, medical care and/or for other transportation, activities, services, facilities or amusements occurring off of the vessel, the Carrier does so solely for the convenience of the Guest, the Carrier does not act on behalf of or supervise the parties or persons who own, furnish, or operate such conveyances, services or facilities, and the same are provided by independent contractors who work directly for the Guest and Guest is subject to such terms, if any, appearing in the tickets, vouchers or notices of such party or parties. Therefore, the Guest agrees that the Carrier assumes no responsibility for, nor guarantees the performance of, any such person, party, contractor, service or facility, and that the Carrier shall not be liable for losses or injuries arising from the acts or omissions of such person, party, contractor, service or facility

[Empehi]

Thanks for the heads-up. Oh well, I guess it winds up being a matter of cost over the convenience of picking your own flights ( which of coarse could also be a mess as many are these days).

 

I may have to rethink!

 

e

[njkate]

18 hours ago, LGinPA said:

 

Wow, that's more than "two connections, when possible"!   Besides Newark (EWR), there are also non-stops from Chicago (ORD) to Athens. 

 

And yes it is helpful if only in the fact that NCL will book using this many connections! So thanks for posting. 

 

Was this flight for a pre-cruise deviation to arrive a day or two early?  Otherwise, with this number of flights it would seem unlikely you'd arrive on time to make the ship, 

Yes I was deviating coming back wasn’t as bad. I could not fathom this many connections when they were using United it made no sense as Chicago and Newark are hubs for United

[njkate]

16 hours ago, Empehi said:

I feel you should consider the cost savings. I have a $998 for two ORD to ATH BOGO rate. So far, the best I can do is around $2750 for two. The non-stop is even more. So, I am all in with a potential savings of $1750. Plus, NCL will get you there at their cost if the flights are delayed.

 

e

NCl will NOT get you there. The only benefit besides cheap air is if for some reason NCL cancels the cruise you’re not holding the bag on airfare.

[Sailing12Away]

Considering how EWR is cheaper than JFK 95% of the time, my guess is that unless there's something odd going on, or flights are packed - they won't choose JFK over EWR if you didn't request them to.

 

As for the flights - there's 2 different types of air packages that NCL offers. One is the free at sea, and there's another that's more flexible called Premium Air Service. For folks that want a little more control, the second option (although more expensive) may be the way to go.

 

For an international trip, I personally would never fly in the day of the cruise. Way too many moving parts between a red eye flight, time zone changes, jet lag, customs, etc. It's one thing to go EWR to Miami for a short 3 hour hop, but an 8hr flight overnight to a foreign country... nah. 

[LGinPA]

1 hour ago, njkate said:

Yes I was deviating coming back wasn’t as bad. I could not fathom this many connections when they were using United it made no sense as Chicago and Newark are hubs for United

 

njkate, Thanks for the input. 🙂   I realize you canceled, but if you do remember I have 2 questions: 

 

Do you recall what time of day your arrival in Athens would have been? 

 

Also, what were the flights/connections on the return deviation, and time of day departure/arrival home? 

 

Edited August 28, 2022 by LGinPA

[LGinPA]

16 hours ago, njhorseman said:

Where does it say that?

 

While NCL will attempt to assist you they certainly don't promise anything of the sort.

 

https://www.ncl.com/cruise-deals/free-at-sea/free-airfare

A dedicated team is available to assist you every step of the way and provide guidance in the event of irregular operations when travelling to and from your destination.

 

In fact the Guest Ticket Contract specifically states that NCL has no responsibility:

https://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/NCL-Guest-Ticket-Contract-04-28-2021.pdf

 

9. Independent Contractors: (a) Off-Vessel Transport and Activities: The Guest recognizes and agrees that, if and when the Carrier makes arrangements for the Guest for air transportation, hotel accommodations, ground transfers, shore excursions, medical care and/or for other transportation, activities, services, facilities or amusements occurring off of the vessel, the Carrier does so solely for the convenience of the Guest, the Carrier does not act on behalf of or supervise the parties or persons who own, furnish, or operate such conveyances, services or facilities, and the same are provided by independent contractors who work directly for the Guest and Guest is subject to such terms, if any, appearing in the tickets, vouchers or notices of such party or parties. Therefore, the Guest agrees that the Carrier assumes no responsibility for, nor guarantees the performance of, any such person, party, contractor, service or facility, and that the Carrier shall not be liable for losses or injuries arising from the acts or omissions of such person, party, contractor, service or facility

 

j horseman,

Some in my cruise group are saying that NCL is responsible for getting us to the ship.  I see now this is not true. 

 

Many thanks for clearing this up. 👋

[njhorseman]

45 minutes ago, LGinPA said:

 

j horseman,

Some in my cruise group are saying that NCL is responsible for getting us to the ship.  I see now this is not true. 

 

Many thanks for clearing this up. 👋

Unfortunately it's a widely held misconception that cruise lines do little to disavow because they want you to think they will take care of everything.

 

If you're on these boards long enough you'll read stories of passengers who were forced to make their own new flight arrangements when things went sideways and the cruise line was unable to help them. Sometimes the help line phone number they give you doesn't even get answered, or has you on hold for so long that it forces you to start making your own arrangements in order to have a chance of getting to your ship on time.

 

Sometimes the flight situation is so bad....airports closed or many flights cancelled by weather conditions is a frequent example...that there's nothing the cruise line, or you for that matter, can do about it.

Edited August 28, 2022 by njhorseman

[julig22]

3 hours ago, njkate said:

NCl will NOT get you there. The only benefit besides cheap air is if for some reason NCL cancels the cruise you’re not holding the bag on airfare.

As with most things, it depends.  NCL has no control over flights and airline policies but in my experience they will do what they can.

I had a flight cancelled 2 days before I was scheduled to leave and NCL rescheduled the flights - and quickly corrected a logistics error once I called. They have much better access for scheduling and aren't as limited to rebooking with the same airline.

Realize that once tickets are issued NCL may no longer be in the loop so to speak - they might not even be notified if the airline makes a change.  Why it's very important to register with the airline as soon as you get your flight info so the airline notifies you, as the ticket holder.

My flight home on that same trip was delayed and I called the emergency number- they were more than willing to rebook my flights, although I ultimately opted to let the airline take care of it.

I have been on cruises where we waited for passengers - so they will wait if they can, but obviously that's not always possible.

Do I use NCL for short, domestic flights - no, I can usually meet prices and use points for those.  But so far NCL has been quite good for arranging my international flights.