Cruise Line Air Deviation

[derbycitymom]

My family of 5 is taking our first cruise in April 2006 on the Triumph. I am schedule through Carnival to fly from Louisville, KY to Miami on April 1 - day of cruise. After talking with several friends, I tried to change it to March 31st departure and Carnival told me they had no deviation flights available that day. Has this happened to anyone?

 

So, I am now looking for a good price on airfare and am having a hard time finding anything less than $400pp (my Carnival flight is about $380pp). I am looking for any suggestion you might have.

 

Should I wait for Carnival? Will they have a flight for that day - it is just too soon now? Please help, I want to get in a day early, but don't want to pay a fortune.

 

Thanks

[ahoymatey3]

Is that $380 for a carnival flight, including the deviation fee?

[derbycitymom]

I don't have the deviation, they said there is not a flight available for Mar 31. The cost for the flight through Carnival is $331 plus taxes pp.

[ahoymatey3]

I just did a quick search on orbitz (can I say that?) And found numerous flights, priced from 320 - 885 arriving 3/31/06 and departing 4/6/6. You might want to check them out.

 

Then this window popped up and it went down to 286/pp.

[derbycitymom]

I did also searched Orbitz, Expedia and CheapTickets. The trouble comes from the return flight on the 8th. The only available I could find were before 9am.

 

I am just about at the point of staying with my April 1 flights through Carnival. How bad is it to fly out the day of the cruise? Our ship sails at 4pm.

 

Also, my travel agent told me that if we go through Carnival there is a possiblity that since we have two cabins, we might not all fly together. Has this happened to anyone?

 

Looking for any words of wisdom.

Thanks!

[juliew]

I did also searched Orbitz, Expedia and CheapTickets. The trouble comes from the return flight on the 8th. The only available I could find were before 9am.

 

I am just about at the point of staying with my April 1 flights through Carnival. How bad is it to fly out the day of the cruise? Our ship sails at 4pm.

 

Also, my travel agent told me that if we go through Carnival there is a possiblity that since we have two cabins, we might not all fly together. Has this happened to anyone?

 

Looking for any words of wisdom.

Thanks!

 

If your cabins are cross-referenced you should be on the same flights, but unless you do an air deviation from the beginning, it is not guaranteed.

 

That's spring break timeperiod so I'm sure that's part of the reason as to why everything is booked. How about trying one of their hotel pre-stays - the deviation is included with that as well as the transfers?

[wrp96]

Actually with cruise line air, no matter how your cabins are, it is possible for members of the same party, even the same cabin, to be booked on different flights depending on the seats available to the airlines when they book. Unless you do the cruiseline deviation and choose your own flights.

[wrp96]

With flights on 3/31/06 and returning on 4/8/06, I'm currently finding a $382 pp fare in Delta from SDF to FLL on Delta.com. You might try searching through an engine like Kayak.com or Sidestep.com to see if you can find something better.

 

Here's the flight information.

 

Leaving Flight Information - Fri., Mar. 31, 2006 Delta Flight 956 Departs: 10:40a

Standiford Field (SDF) Arrives: 12:02p

Hartsfield- Jackson (ATL) Layover at Hartsfield- Jackson (ATL) for 0h 45m Delta

Flight 735 Departs: 12:47p

Hartsfield- Jackson (ATL) Arrives: 1:46p

Tallahassee (TLH) Layover at Tallahassee (TLH) for 0h 54m Delta

Flight 6260

Operated by Chautauqua Air</SPAN> Departs: 2:40p

Tallahassee (TLH) Arrives: 4:00p

Fort Lauderdale (FLL)

Returning Flight Information - Sat., Apr. 8, 2006 Delta

Flight 991 Departs: 8:10p

Fort Lauderdale (FLL) Arrives: 10:00p

Hartsfield- Jackson (ATL) Layover at Hartsfield- Jackson (ATL) for 0h 50m Delta

Flight 1418 Departs: 10:50p

Hartsfield- Jackson (ATL) Arrives: 12:03a

Standiford Field (SDF)

[ahoymatey3]

This far ahead of times, availability seems to change by the hour. I found flight on orbitz leaving at 5 PM and later.

 

As for cruiseline air, much to my chagrin, I found out nothing is guaranteed. It was a pain in the necy even with custom air. The main problem was the TA and Cruiseline and Airline had to be involved any time something changed. Maybe I'm just a control freak and want to do it myself.

[cruisintwinsmom]

Hey, Derbycitymom, I'm from Louisville, too. I know it can be a pain, but sometimes I have found cheaper flights out of Cincinnatti. Of course, the savings may be wiped out by parking fees, but since you have 5 flying..... Also, you are probably going out spring break, maybe it's not spring break in N. Ky or Ohio, so flights may be easier to get.

 

Happy Sailing.

[derbycitymom]

Thanks for all the great feedback. Right now I am just planning on leaving the day of the cruise. I will keep looking for reasonable flights and maybe I can find one. It is usual for someone who is leaving from Miami to fly into Ft. Lauderdale? Does this usually work out okay?

[tpeanut]

I know that it has been awhile since you posted about changing your flight to go the day before. We are on the cruise May 6 2006,booked threw Carnival. We also wanted to go the day before, called our travel agent with Carnval and I asked if we booked our hotel threw them would they charge me the deviation fee? Said no they would not so we booked everything threw them, we are staying in the MIami Hilton, and it is just as cheap for us to do everything threw them as to do it ourselves, not sure if this is any help to you let me know if it is.

[MichTraveler]

Flying on the day of the cruise is risky, but not as risky as doing it on your own. With cruise air, they will help you get to the ship if anything happens. Some passengers fly into Ft.Lauderdale (FLL) and transport up to Miami as flights into FLL can sometimes cost less than Miami or have better times.