Topic: Cruise Flights

As a newby to cruising, i found it difficult to choose to include cruise flights or not, because flights are not confirmed until just before departure. I t would be great if past cruisers could add simple details like below, then it would at least give an idea of carrier and times.


Cruise Line From Dep Date Stop Dep Arrive Carrier

Princess LHR 1145 19/3/10 Aruba 1620 2015 Thomson Fly

Acapulco to Ft Lauderdale

Comments : Total time 17hrs 1.5hrs stop at Aruba on the plane

Obviously this is just an example

QUOTE:

Comments : Total time 17hrs
1.5hrs stop at Aruba on the plane

I specially like the bit
where they keep you on the plane, on the ground, not going anywhere
for a further 1.5 hrs.

Isn't that nice?
Where can I book this flight? :D
.

Take a look at this site
http://www.traveltruth.com/turenontravel.html
and scroll down to Rating the cruise line Air-Sea programs. Some of the info is old news although the site says it was updated on 1st Sept. It makes interesting reading

This is becoming a joke with now with a number of lines, something I suffered once on a long haul cruise package & vowed never again. That was 10 years ago, by choosing my Airport, Airline, time of flight & private transfers, wild horses wouldn't get me on a package deal. I've just enquired about a Fred Olsen cruise purely for the itinerary, but 'cruise only' only saves about a hundred quid which puts me off. The idea of being herded around like sheep horrifies me plus I like a day or two at my port of departure, so Fred might be on a loser with me.........Wilba

I am afraid that I cannot really answer this question because, like Wilba, we do our own flights plus the whole fly/cruise package has changed quite a lot over the last couple of years with cruise lines using the cheapest method of getting passengers to ship's rather than the most expeditious. This so often means a split flight as opposed to the direct flight and airlines that would not normally be considered the top end of the market like Ryan Air.

I could no longer stand the lottery of flights when a cruise line package was used and much prefer our own selection.

Having said all that there are still thousands who rely on cruise line arranged flights and even though there will be constant changes the general routes and air lines used would be useful to many. .......Neil

QUOTE:

I am afraid that I cannot really answer this question because, like Wilba, we do our own flights plus the whole fly/cruise package has changed quite a lot over the last couple of years with cruise lines using the cheapest method of getting passengers to ship's rather than the most expeditious. This so often means a split flight as opposed to the direct flight and airlines that would not normally be considered the top end of the market like Ryan Air.

I could no longer stand the lottery of flights when a cruise line package was used and much prefer our own selection.

Having said all that there are still thousands who rely on cruise line arranged flights and even though there will be constant changes the general routes and air lines used would be useful to many. .......Neil

I totally agree with you on this one flying around the USA changing flights at Dallas to get to Miami is beyond a joke :mad:especially the return flight you get home exhausted and then need a holiday to get over it.

QUOTE:

I totally agree with you on this one flying around the USA changing flights at Dallas to get to Miami is beyond a joke :mad:especially the return flight you get home exhausted and then need a holiday to get over it.

Well I can only say that on our first and only cruise, it was a cruise/ coach to southampton then flying home from Barbados, with upgrade for an extra £99, the cases taken from the ship and next time i saw the cases was back in Manchester,Excellent, this year will be a flight to Malaga. then from Miami to Manchester but yes we have to change at New york, but the price we paid for the flights, well I looked for hours and there was no way I could get the price that RCI is doing it for, so at the moment i think cruise packages are great, the cases are taken from your ship then never see them again till you get home, no trying to find where can I put them for a few hours,

I was interested to read somewhere on the forum recently that Princess don't use scheduled flights, as the last time we flew with them they certainly were doing so - we flew to San Francisco from LHR on BA and a splendid flight it was, too. We're now forced to do cruise only in most cases since we moved to Greece, though our last transatlantic repositioning cruise was bought as a package as we flew one-way to San Juan. This was a bit of a nightmare as we had a stop-over at JFK which turned out to be extended by 3 hours as we waited for late flights from other UK airports AND there was no mandatory food on the plane, despite the fact that we were then on the plane for a total of 6 hours. Some of us were lucky enough to be nearer the front and could buy a sandwich, but others at the back found that even this food had run out when the trolley reached them.

QUOTE:

..........Excellent, this year will be a flight to Malaga. then from Miami to Manchester but yes we have to change at New york, but the price we paid for the flights, well I looked for hours and there was no way I could get the price that RCI is doing it for, so at the moment i think cruise packages are great, the cases are taken from your ship then never see them again till you get home, no trying to find where can I put them for a few hours,

Can't agree with you there Brian. One of the bonuses of doing your own thing is the cost saving over cruise flights. Not once anywhere in the world have we not saved considerably by going DIY, as it happens our next cruise is probably the lowest cost saving for a few years, only about £100 pp, BUT we do fly from our local airport 15/20 mins taxi ride, no car parking charges & we actually fly to Fort Lauderdale as opposed to all the cruise flights going to Miami & then bussed to Ft.L.........The bonus on top Brian is we will be at the checkin desk & boarded long before the coach parties turn up...That alone is worth another hundred quid!!.........Regards Wilba

Hi Wilba how much did you pay from FL to uk just interested, ours was from Manchester to Malaga. then Miami to manchester £325 ea,and all transfers included, I couldnt even find a flight back for that price, please I'd love to know for future ref,,,Thanks Brian