On your own, or not?
 

Do you enjoy the process of finding your own air for a cruise..you know the hunt for the best price, or...do you let the cruiselines find it for you,and maybe send you through Timbuktu at midnight, to get you to the port, for your cruise?

Does knowing what happen to the RCI passengers in San Juan, not booking cruise air, change your mind at all?

We mainly cruise with P&O UK & the air is included...so "included'' if you want your own they don't knock anything off.

You need another option Triplet.

We "usually" book our own air but sometimes International Cruise Air can actually be less expensive.

I look at both and see which is the best buy and best schedule. I do like the Choice Air programs where you can choose your own flights and the cruise line will actually do what people thought they did and help you out if there is a problem.

Take care,
Mike

Another option you ask? Done:)

We always book our own flights

I learned after a cruise or two with cruise/air....They seem to rarely get you direct flights and the times/stops were taking a simple 3 hour flight into much more, so I learned that I could actually save some bucks and have much better timed flights by booking them myself....

There are some instances where you may have an open jaw flight, then a good idea to check with what the cruiseline can get if for...

I usually check the cruise air price but have ended up booking my own air. Deviations for flying in a day or two early add up. The only time we booked cruise air was to San Juan and we booked on a somewhat short time frame so cruise air was cheaper and the free transfers were handy.

It depends on many factors.
1 if I want to fly from the US to my cruise (ie:Seattle WA) the cruise line won't book us with airfare.
2 If cruise air is cheaper then scheduled
3 If we are going a few days earlier or staying later
4 If it's one way
5 The biggy a seat sale

I always book my own flights because.

a) I live in Houston and I can get direct flights pretty much anywhere in the US.
b) I have elite status on Continental.
c) see b and chose my own seats. (no middle seats)
d) see b and no checked bag fee
e) see b and shorter security lines at the bigger airports
f) see b and early boarding (over head bin space)
g) see b and good chance for a free upgrade to the big comfy seats in the front of the plane
f) I can decide which flight and or airport works best for me.

Since I have Platinum status with Delta we fly with them or their partners, but our TA usually and makes reservations for us.
It's great not to have baggage fees.

We will Flying on Air France to Paris/Pisa this coming sunday, the two weeks later we are flying back on Delta.

TM

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