Cruise Only or Cruise, Flights & Hotel?

[Newbury newbie]

I'm looking at booking a B2B on Reflection next March embarking Miami. I'm coming from the UK. Are there any advantages in booking the cruise with flights and hotel (night before) through the X website against booking the 'cruise only' and arranging flights/hotel myself. I gather the latter would be cheaper but am I missing any advantages in the former?

[Bobocasey]

Sometimes Celebrity's flights are cheaper sometimes not. As for the hotel Celebrity charges a huge amount per person. Have found that booking Hotels yourself is usually way way cheaper. Check out websites like Tripadvisor. booking.com and several other well know booking engines. Look at the customers reviews and that will help you make a choice. Depending on when you are cruising will definitely effect the prices. If you are cruising in February or March these are prime times and expect the price to reflect it. Since it is for next year I would book the hotel as soon as possible. Some sites let you book with no prepayment or cancellation penalties.

[ladylemondrop]

I have never seen how to book a back to back on the website in one booking, we priced up a back to back whilst onboard reflection, for equinox next july, and it cost nearly double what a straight 13 night did... I was disappointed.

 

Sometimes the flight option with celebrity can work out cheaper, especially when you factor in the transfers etc. other times its a lot more expensive, also, they dont have premium economy as an option for flights on the website, only economy or business.

[Project_gal]

Sorry, it is not more complicated than that these days. A couple of years ago, a second option to booking your cruise in the UK was started by Celebrity - but I only found out about it a couple of years ago. Apparently, most of the staff at Celebrity UK are also unaware of the second option.

 

Option 1: You book by phoning Celebrity UK. You then [later if it is too soon for flights and/or hotels to be available], you book you flight and hotels the traditional way. You are restricted to the airlines and hotels with whom Celebrity have contracts. Flights are usually more expensive [except open jaw and one-way only flights] than the cheapest purchased other ways but you have a certain amount of flexibility and do not have to pay up front. Hotels may or may not be cheaper of more expensive but hotels Celebrity/Royal Caribbean use frequently may well be cheaper or including complimentary extras. The price of flights/hotels include transfers and, depending on times of flights, flights price may include over-night hotel stays or a hotel day room.

 

Option 2: You book you cruise online. This is called something like "Dynamic booking". If flights/hotels are available, you also book these online through third party online booking agencies. You will get a larger selection of airlines and hotels butwill be committed to these from the point of booking and there is no flexibility. It you want transfers, you need to book these separately [also through a third party agency] and pay for them separately. Again, there may be more choice available - I have seen stretch limo options.

 

We both Option 1 and Option 2, you get the Celebrity guarantee of getting you to your cruise. In view of that, I cannot see why you would wish to book flights separately unless you are using air miles. You can get the advantages and the Celebrity guarantee by booking through the Celebrity UK website.

[GLYNAGP]

Over the years we have done both, booked flights hotel independently and also taken a package. To be perfectly honest we enjoy the package more, it's all sorted, transfers etc and in the end I don't think there has been much difference in cost and you have the reassurance that if the flights are cancelled or delayed its the cruise lines problem . Which we had recently with a Mekong River cruise from Siem Reap . The flight from Heathrow to Singapore ran late so we missed our connection to to Siem Reap . One quick phone call and everything was reorganised for us. Just my opinion for what it's worth .