Airfare Prices As Much as Cruise Fare

[leslierx]

Just started to check into Summer 2009 Med Cruises. RCI has reasonable cruise fares, but checking into airfare from US to Barcelona is as much or more than the entire cruise! Is this the norm, or I'm I totally looking in the wrong places?

[Travel to Ports]

Just started to check into Summer 2009 Med Cruises. RCI has reasonable cruise fares, but checking into airfare from US to Barcelona is as much or more than the entire cruise! Is this the norm, or I'm I totally looking in the wrong places?

 

Had worked through Princess last year and thought, because cruiseline had been able to negotiate volume rates, the prices were favorable. This year, as we had to cancel last year due to family illness, we went one better and traded in 100,000 FF points instead (seems like Houston/Barcelona; Venice/Houston represents $1,500 per ticket?).

 

Depending where you live, maybe you have access to a discount airlines or check with a TA for other options (perhaps easier if you select a cruise that starts and ends at the same location (Barcelona or Rome)? In addition, time of the year may make a significant difference, especially if you can consider April/May or September/October.

 

If you have any success, please report back. Considering how the economy is going, cruise prices may yet be on "sale" for next summer.

 

Hope your efforts are successful,

David

[Screwbit]

Just started to check into Summer 2009 Med Cruises. RCI has reasonable cruise fares, but checking into airfare from US to Barcelona is as much or more than the entire cruise! Is this the norm, or I'm I totally looking in the wrong places?

 

We're booked on the Voyager for W.Med in Oct.09. Too early to book air, but I do check using bogus earlier dates. We have an E1 balcony at rear of ship(usually do JS, but figured we'd use money elsewhere on this cruise), plus it's port-intensive, so don't really need all the extras. We got an excellent deal on the stateroom, and good OBC from our TA. That said, ALL the air options I've looked at are going to cost us, in total for two, about $500. more than cruise itself(as of now). Plus, we are doing two day pre-cruise in Barcelona. They are saying we'll see airfares dip a bit on domestic flights in '09, but not on trans-atlantic. Lucky us ! All I know is that I'll jump on the first reasonable deal I see when bookings for us become available in late-November.Just hope Euro continues to dip a bit, so we can save a little in Europe.

[RosieRoo]

We are sailing in May of 09 rt Barcelona. There are 4 of us. When I first booked my cruise over a year in advance the airfares were not even out. I kept checking using bogus dates until my dates actually came out. I watched the fares go up and up from around $750 pp for dates in March of 09 to almost $1300 pp when May actually came up. Thank goodness I had some FF miles from college tuition payments as I was able to get 2 of my tickets for free and only have to pay for 2. Even so, rt Barcelona ended up costing $1250. pp. I have not seen a lower fare for the routes I picked since I booked in July. Maybe if you are flexible about routes and stops you will have better luck. I was a little picky about my flights. Good Luck.

[sulolilo]

We are flying from the US to Barcelona in November '08 and the air fare was about $1000 pp.

 

Susan

[CathyCruises]

We are flying in 12 days and an open jaw, into Barcelona and out of Venice, was $881/pp. Cruise line was charging $1200-$1300! Prices have dropped a bunch since I first started looking.

 

FYI I know Delta at least will rebate you the diff. if fares drop--at least they used to! I have actually gotten the credit.

 

Good luck! cp

[texancruzer]

Had worked through Princess last year and thought, because cruiseline had been able to negotiate volume rates, the prices were favorable.

 

I can ALWAYS get a better price booking my own airfare !!!! Also get to choose what airline AND MORE IMPORTANT what flights. It is not uncommon for the cruiselines to use flights with more connections than is reasonable.....

 

Depending where you live, maybe you have access to a discount airlines or check with a TA for other options (perhaps easier if you select a cruise that starts and ends at the same location (Barcelona or Rome)? In addition, time of the year may make a significant difference, especially if you can consider April/May or September/October. David

 

We found that flying into Rome and out of Barcelona last year had no significant cost difference. We find travelling in November to be a very good time as far as prices are concerned not only for the cruise but also airfare wise.