quality of airplane arrangements made by tour company

Hi

We're taking a Celebrity, Australian/New Zealand tour booked with online tours and the airfare and the pre and post hotels are included. We won't find out the itinerary until 30 to 45 days before sailing in January, 2016.

If anyone has taken one of these tours, how were the arrangements. Good location of hotels, How many legs on the flight and how long were the layovers? By the time we find out what itinerary has been selected it's too late for us to arrange "custom air"

Please tell me how happy you were with the assigned arrangements on your tours.

Thanks, Pat

We used an online tour company for a transatlantic tour with transportation to the airport, flight, and pre-cruise hotel. Then after the cruise back to FLL, they were supposed to transport us back home. It was an unmitigated disaster. They had us fly out of Miami and dropped us off at the airport 7 hours before our flight. The layover in Madrid was only 45 minutes before our flight to Rome. Needless to say we didn't make that. Then their transport in Rome abandoned us so we had to find our own. Getting back to FLL, their bus to take us home was 5 hrs late, so we ended up renting a car to get home. Needless to say, we'll never do that again. I'll stick to planning our own transportation and hotels, etc.

Yep, I've never really understood why people do those packages. For one thing, in general you are paying per person for hotels and transport, whereas you pay per room for your hotel and per cab for your transport when doing it on your own.

For me, a big pleasure of cruising is making my arrangements. Finding the best deal for airfare with the best possible connections, finding a great hotel in my destination city at also a great deal, these are the things that get me excited for my trip. Besides the obvious extra expense, I also prefer to be the master of my own destiny and not be locked into something I have no control over.

Sorry, my info is second hand from a couple we met on a recent cruise. Like you they booked Celebrity add on flights and hotels. They had no issue with the flights. There were acceptable down times......

What they were less happy with was their hotel choices. There was nothing wrong with the rooms, perfectly clean and reasonable location, but after chatting with us and other couples they felt that they could have done better themselves. For example, we had a harbour view suite with club access for the same price they had paid. Another couple were booked into the hotel Celebrity were using at reportedly half the cost.

I do not usually report second hand info but I think it does answer your question about acceptable locations and room quality. I am also mindful that transfers to hotels, boats... are met by Celebrity whereas those of us who are traveling independently need to add them onto our costings.

We have tended to have a few days at least pre and post cruise meaning we are fairly secure if transport issues arise. If I was on a tight schedule I would book a Celebrity package for the security it gives, even if it costs more and I had no hotel choice.

I do not think Celebrity will give you messed up flights or poor hotels, they want you to take the package again! What I would suggest is when you get your schedule if there is anything in it you do not like, phone up and talk to them.

We always do our own air. Our first time to the Caribbean we used their hotel because because transfers were included. The hotel was very nice and the location beautiful, however it was quite a distance to the dock. Later doing research (after I found CC) showed we could have gotten the same hotel for half the cost, with breakfast included. Now I book all transportation and hotels.

Judy

I've done air both ways. Often I can get the same flights at the same price, but if I have the trip insurance, if I book with cruise line it covers the air and flight. I actually made some money on lost luggage once. But hotels and tours I always do myself. Like another poster said - I looked into a hotel in Miami for my November cruise and it seemed like a good deal until I realized it was pp not per room.

I've done air both ways. Often I can get the same flights at the same price, but if I have the trip insurance, if I book with cruise line it covers the air and flight. I actually made some money on lost luggage once. But hotels and tours I always do myself. Like another poster said - I looked into a hotel in Miami for my November cruise and it seemed like a good deal until I realized it was pp not per room.

Celebrity has changed their insurance deal -- it no longer covers the air even if you buy it from Celebrity.

Celebrity has changed their insurance deal -- it no longer covers the air even if you buy it from Celebrity.

Thanks. Great information.

We booked the airline through Choice Air for our upcoming trip. I watched airfares for more than a year and the Choice Air gave us a direct Air France flight in premium economy for less than the price I would have booked on my own with an economy rate and stops. We are not using their hotels because I did much better booking the hotel directly for the same reasons others have posted.

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Absolutely! Choice Air is not the same as booking a package. I use Choice Air a lot, but I do it on my own, choose my dates, pick my airline, connections, etc

Absolutely! Choice Air is not the same as booking a package. I use Choice Air a lot, but I do it on my own, choose my dates, pick my airline, connections, etc[/Quote]Totally agree with Cathy...a much better way to book flights.

 

Celebrity has changed their insurance deal -- it no longer covers the air even if you buy it from Celebrity.

Are you saying it no longer covers Choice Air flights? That's the main reason I use Celebrity's insurance over others. This is not good.:(

 

We're taking a Celebrity, Australian/New Zealand tour booked with online tours and the airfare and the pre and post hotels are included. We won't find out the itinerary until 30 to 45 days before sailing in January, 2016...

 

 

Please tell me how happy you were with the assigned arrangements on your tours.

 

Thanks, Pat

I assume you are looking for some comforting words here to support your decision since you have already made this purchase. But few posters here have had any recent experiences with these packages since experienced cruisers/posters seem to prefer making our own arrangements; I hope someone will come along with Australia cruise package experiences and be able to reassure you. For future reference your question is better asked prior to purchase, and posters would be able to provide some helpful hints about booking airfare & hotels to your best advantage. Your cruise sounds wonderful.

Totally agree with Cathy...a much better way to book flights.

 

Are you saying it no longer covers Choice Air flights? That's the main reason I use Celebrity's insurance over others. This is not good.:(

I booked our air about 3 weeks ago and called Choice Air to ask them if the airfare would be covered with the cruise insurance and they told me that it would be.

I booked our air about 3 weeks ago and called Choice Air to ask them if the airfare would be covered with the cruise insurance and they told me that it would be.

Do you have it in writing? Wouldn't be the first time a phone rep said something that was completely untrue, whether it was intentional or not.

Do you have it in writing? Wouldn't be the first time a phone rep said something that was completely untrue, whether it was intentional or not.

I also called the insurance company and their answer was the same - it is covered.

I booked our air about 3 weeks ago and called Choice Air to ask them if the airfare would be covered with the cruise insurance and they told me that it would be.

I also called the insurance company and their answer was the same - it is covered.

Ask them to show you where this is stated in the contract. Prior to 2014, the contract included the following terms:

In the current contract this section only includes the $500 Trip Delay coverage -- and there is no mention (that I could find) of coverage for ChoiceAir anywhere in the contract.