Really want to book a Southern Carib...

[frayedend]

We booked Jetblue to San Juan from Boston for July. The earlier you book the better the prices. We paid $290 each for getting there. It was more like $330 on the way back but that was because our times were more strict coming home. They had a flight that got to San Juan at 3 AM that was $260, maybe even a little lower. Overall we paid 2200 for 4 of us.

 

They increase prices as the flight fills up. As a matter of fact we booked the 4 of us, then our 3 friends booked right after and the price went up before they booked. After they booked it went up again.

 

Also Jetblue was the only airline I found non-stops. So that may be a factor for you.

[Georgie562]

I know this is the Carnival forum but if your able to get two weeks off I'd suggest you do a B2B on the Summit or RCL Jewel of the Seas as you will pretty much get to visit most of the Southern. You already know airfare to SJU is high so mine as well make it worth your time and money and book a B2B

[jmcancruise]

That is what we did, booked a b2b to help make it worth it. One good thing is valor cruises tend to be not too expensive.

[richstowe]

I know this is the Carnival forum but if your able to get two weeks off I'd suggest you do a B2B on the Summit or RCL Jewel of the Seas as you will pretty much get to visit most of the Southern. You already know airfare to SJU is high so mine as well make it worth your time and money and book a B2B

Summit was amazing! It was a combination of a fantastic itinerary with a great shipboard experience.

Not wishing to start a smoking thread but if you don't like smoke, Celebrity is the way to go :)

[gemsm]

But the airfare...OMG. For those of you who have booked or have gone on a southern caribbean cruise do you have any tips or tricks for the airfare. Or do you just suck it up and pay the high prices. Im looking into a Southern in January but the airfare for 2 people would be well over $1,100. Is that average for flying into San Juan. I've never flown anything but domestic so I really have no idea what to expect.

 

Southwest flies from Midway to San Juan...January fares aren't out yet though

[JAGR]

I'm from Columbus, too, but we aren't sailing on Valor until March 2015. American just opened that month an r/t is $425. I'm using miles, though, since She who must be obeyed won't fly coach!

[tropicthunder]

I'm flying to San Juan for my upcoming Southern Caribbean cruise from Pittsburgh on US Airways(with a connection in Charlotte) and the price per person round trip was maybe a little over $400? Personally, I just stalked dozens of websites for days till I found a good deal on expedia.:)

[LilMissScareAll]

I would look around for airfare. We pay about $400 each to fly from LAX to SJU. Check Jetblue & Southwest. Free luggage. I wouldn't buy until airfare until fall, I think prices are supposed to be best about 3 months out.

 

PR is part of the US so no customs, but going back you do have to go through a agricultural check. No big deal but it might take a little extra time.

 

We did that cruise on the Victory for our honeymoon. Lots of fun but very port intensive. We were exhausted and just stayed on the ship at St Kitts.

[hockeyluver]

But the airfare...OMG. For those of you who have booked or have gone on a southern caribbean cruise do you have any tips or tricks for the airfare. Or do you just suck it up and pay the high prices. Im looking into a Southern in January but the airfare for 2 people would be well over $1,100. Is that average for flying into San Juan. I've never flown anything but domestic so I really have no idea what to expect.

 

We flew into San Juan from Detroit for our cruise Jan 2014, we only paid $260 pp round trip. Booked with Airtran/Soutwest. We had a connecting flight both ways. I believe i booked our flights the June before.

[chill6x6]

When I went on my Valor cruise in November 2013, airfare was less expensive to San Juan than to Miami for me! After just completing the Breeze southern itinerary, I'd have to give the nod to the Valor….

[BettyGiggles]

Going on the Valor April 27th :D

 

Booked airfare with SW from KC the morning they released the dates needed, literally was up 5:30am the time and day the dates were released and was booked & paid 3 minutes later.

 

Our price:$703 for two r/t, a week or two later I checked as I did a mock booking and price had gone up to $940!

 

We booked our cruise in Jan -13 and it has been a very long time waiting but in just a little over 2 weeks we will be on our way. :)

Edited April 11, 2014 by BettyGiggles

[kteachcruiser52]

But the airfare...OMG. For those of you who have booked or have gone on a southern caribbean cruise do you have any tips or tricks for the airfare. Or do you just suck it up and pay the high prices. Im looking into a Southern in January but the airfare for 2 people would be well over $1,100. Is that average for flying into San Juan. I've never flown anything but domestic so I really have no idea what to expect.

 

it depends where you are flying from. WE flew from San Juan to Chicago in March of this year for $134 pp one way. Were are flying Chicago to San Juan in Oxt. Of this year for $159 pp. This is on Jet Blue where your first bag flies free. The flights from Chicago to San Juan are cheaper than out flight from Chicago to Fort Lauderdale. You might also check southwest. I have herd they have good prices to San Juan; however, they cost more than jet Blue from Chicago.

[msolberg]

Wow you are all pretty spoiled. We pay approximately 1200 from the U.P. of Michigan just to get to Miami. For us the airfare is almost the same as a 7 day. :/

[AK Wife]

We are booked on the Liberty June 20 - 8-day cruise out of Port Canaveral. We have 2 days @ sea before we hit Aruba, Curacao, sea day, Grand Turk, & sea day! Soooo excited that we have 4 full days @ sea!

[titanic27]

For our Jan 5th this year from Burlington Vt we paid 640 pp, on jetblue when they came out the prices never went down for this week. They celebrate the Epiphany (The tree wise men) so lots of air trafic on the first and second week of January.

The Valor Cruise is worth the extra cost of air fare if you can leave on the monday or tuesday it Will be cheaper, in our case we could not tale the extra Time off.

 

 

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[Swampbaby]

The Liberty will be running Southern Caribbean once it's in Port Canaveral, 8 days with stops in Grand Turk, Curacao, and Aruba. 4 sea days, which is what I was looking for, I like my ports but I really like the sea days.

 

Sunshine will run same ports. We are booked for next FEB.

[Normal 1]

I booked the valor last fall for mid-May cruise ending memorial weekend. Grabbed airfare from O'Hare quickly as I found pricing for $329 for direct flights. I did play with the dates a bit. Fly down on Friday and return on Monday. Using American.

 

My experience has been that the best sales are on Tuesdays and if you see a price you like...book fast.

 

Good luck!

[TPFKAH]

But the airfare...OMG. For those of you who have booked or have gone on a southern caribbean cruise do you have any tips or tricks for the airfare. Or do you just suck it up and pay the high prices. Im looking into a Southern in January but the airfare for 2 people would be well over $1,100. Is that average for flying into San Juan. I've never flown anything but domestic so I really have no idea what to expect.

 

I've just always considered it a wash. Low cruise fare, high air fare.

Miami is avg cruise fare, avg air fare.

New York is high cruise fare, no air fair.

[fishtaco]

But the airfare...OMG. For those of you who have booked or have gone on a southern caribbean cruise do you have any tips or tricks for the airfare. Or do you just suck it up and pay the high prices. Im looking into a Southern in January but the airfare for 2 people would be well over $1,100. Is that average for flying into San Juan. I've never flown anything but domestic so I really have no idea what to expect.

 

Tip, grin and bare it:D

 

We are flying from Australia for a Southern Caribbean cruise,$4000 in airfares:)

[winddawn]

But the airfare...OMG. For those of you who have booked or have gone on a southern caribbean cruise do you have any tips or tricks for the airfare. Or do you just suck it up and pay the high prices. Im looking into a Southern in January but the airfare for 2 people would be well over $1,100. Is that average for flying into San Juan. I've never flown anything but domestic so I really have no idea what to expect.

FWIW, I noticed RCCL Vision of the Seas has a couple of Southern Caribbean 10 day cruises in November 2015 and January 2016 out of Tampa at really good prices, starting at $699 per person.

[kelkel2]

Thank you all so much for all the help and suggestions!!! I think for sure I am going to look at flying out of Chicago, and although I really don't want to I may have to consider flying out of O'hare. It's difficult to consider O'hare when my sister lives literally 5 minutes away from Midway, but I just may have to. Usually the prices aren't that much different but this time they may be.

Also I think I will check out that Vision of the Seas cruise too!!

[zqvol]

But the airfare...OMG. For those of you who have booked or have gone on a southern caribbean cruise do you have any tips or tricks for the airfare. Or do you just suck it up and pay the high prices. Im looking into a Southern in January but the airfare for 2 people would be well over $1,100. Is that average for flying into San Juan. I've never flown anything but domestic so I really have no idea what to expect.

 

First $550 pp is not that expensive to fly to the islands, but you can always check Southwest whihc flies to San Juan.

[mum2bradley]

For us it all came out even.

 

The price of the cruise out of San Juan was $600 less than the one we took the year before out of Cape Canaveral.

 

The Southern is fantastic we did it on the Victory. But the 8 day on the Breeze is pretty fantastic too!

[Nick55]

If traveling to SJU, look at coming in a few days early. We saved the price on the airafe and paid for the hotel with the savings. There is so much to do in San Juan that a few days early is well spent. We also just got off the Valor and the ship and crew are great. The trip is pretty port intensive but we had a great time. The Valor is very highly rated by cruisers.

[lyndilouwho]

We were on this cruise in October 2013, and fly from Nashville to San Juan on Southwest for 899 and some change round trip. We didn't book our flights til April/May and the price fluctuated alot.

 

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