Carnival Air for Med Cruise

[shellysh]

Has anyone used Carnival air to Rome for med cruise? We are going on the Aug. 11,2006 cruise and I am wondering what airlines Carnival uses and do they ever go non-stop. Also what is air deviation? and how does it work? We will be flying out of Newark. Would it be better to get our own air? How do I check prices? Is now the time to book the air or should I wait ? I am very confused. I would like to get the best price but want to be sure of connections. We plan to fly to Rome two days before the cruise to do a little sightseeing. What about transfers to hotel from airport and then back to the ship? Any help would be great.

Shelly

[dennisl]

Shelly,

 

I've used Carnival's air for domestic trips, but not to Europe. For me, cruise air is usually not a good deal because they control everything: schedule, carrier, connections, (usually) seat assignments, and (sometimes) airports. You won't find out what the arrangements are until just before you leave.

 

I did check out Carnival's air for our Med cruise next September, though, and I can share that experience.

 

Carnival told me to expect to fly out to arrive on the morning of embarkation, and fly back on the day of debarkation (that's a typical schedule for most cruises). Like you we wanted to arrive a couple of days early. They said they would charge a deviation fee ($50-$100/person, I think) to change the schedule, but would not charge the fee if we booked a pre or post-cruise package with them. They wanted $1,270/person for air from SFO including all transfers. They also wanted $360/night for the hotel, either the airport Hilton or a hotel in central Rome (again, we wouldn't know which until just before we left).

 

That all sounded very high to us. And full of uncertainty. But I booked the air and hotel with Carnival anyway, just to lock something in, knowing that I could cancel w/o penalty anytime before the final payment was due.

 

I watched air fares for a few weeks and found one with a schedule and price that suited us. We booked that and a hotel near the Spanish Steps, all for quite a bit less than Carnival was asking. And then canceled the air/hotel with Carnival. I haven't booked transfers yet, but I expect the final totals to still be much better than Carnival's.

 

And (for us, the best part), we've got our travel arrangements set now, with selections we, not someone else, made.

 

I don't know if making your own air/hotel arrangements is the best for you, but it was for us. My advice is to book your air/hotel with Carnival now to set a benchmark price. And then go looking on your own to find something else. You'll probably find a better deal. And, sometimes, half the fun of a trip is planning it.

 

How do you find a better deal? Start by soaking up all the advice on these forums for air, hotels, transfers, etc. Read it all, there's a ton of valuable information and recommendations for folks who have done it before. Check out sites like sidestep.com and bookingbuddy.com for the best air fares. And sites like tripadvisor.com, hotels.com, and venere.com for the best hotels. Take your time. Ask a lot of questions.

 

And, most of all, enjoy your cruise.

 

Dennis

[shellysh]

Dennis,

Thanks so much for all of your valuable information. I have been looking online for airfares for Aug. but they still seem high to me. Most are over $1000. Maybe I am doing something wrong. Do you think they will go down at all? Which hotel are you staying in? There are so many to choose from and I am getting very confused. Can you do transfers through Carnival even if you book your own air and hotel?

Shelly

[hazeof3dd]

in case you weren't aware, Alitalia flies non-stop Newark and JFK to Rome. I believe Delta also flies non-stop JFK-Rome. http://www.alitalia.com or http://www.delta.com for both of those.

 

edit: duh, forgot about Continental, seeing as how they have a hub in Newark, they also fly Newark-Rome nonstop, so you have plenty of options. if you give me some dates I'll just take a quick look and see what I can find.

[dennisl]

Dennis,

Thanks so much for all of your valuable information ...

You're welcome.

 

Fares to Rome from Newark do look high now, not much better than fares I'm seeing from the west coast. I forgot to mention, if you use sites like sidestep to find a fare, check the airline's web site directly for the same flights - you'll usually save a little because the online ta's add a handling charge that the airline doesn't.

 

I think that transatlantic fares for summer travel typically drop beginning in January, but there's no guarantee of that. One thing you can do is to book a fare now that allows you to re-ticket if the price drops later. But there's sometimes a charge to do this, check with the airline to be sure.

 

I just took a quick look and it looks like Continental has fares for less than $1,000 now that can be re-ticketed without a charge as long as you don't change the outbound flight.

 

You can also find some pretty decent fares with online consolidators like 1800flyeurope.com. I personally haven't used them, but they've been mentioned favorably on these boards. You might have to sacrifice some flexibility in schedule, connections, etc, with these flights, but the deals can be pretty good.

 

We're staying at the Hotel Concordia, found after many recommendations from members here.

 

You can purchase transfers from Carnival if you book your own air/hotel, but (I think) only from the airport to the ship and back, not to/from central Rome. But you'll usually find a better deal with local limo companies, especially if you can share the cost with fellow travelers. Expect typical prices for up to 4 passengers of €40 from the airport to Rome and €120 from Rome to the ship. Check the boards here for recommendations.

 

One other thing I suggest is that you find or start a roll call for your cruise (http://www.cruisecritic.com/rollcall/index.cfm?Ship=360). You'll get to meet other passengers on your cruise, share recommendations, and find others who want to share the cost of private tours and transfers.

 

Hope this information helps.

 

Dennis

[shellysh]

Thanks, Dennis for all of your suggestions. I have posted a roll call but don't think anyone is out there yet. I am waiting. I didn't think it was too early.

[shellysh]

Hi hazeof3dd,

That would be great if you could check on some of those flights from new york/newark to Rome for me. The dates would be 8/8/06 and the return on 8/23/06 which is the last day of the cruise. Thanks so much,

Shelly

[hazeof3dd]

as far as EWR nonstops go:

Continental is $920 non-stop round trip per person. Keep in mind if you leave on August 8th you'll arrive in Rome on August 9th, no matter who you fly. Almost all Europe flights depart in the evening and arrive in the early morning. For Continental this is the schedule:

EWR=Newark FCO=Rome

CO40 Dep EWR 5:25 PM Arr FCO 7:45 AM (Next Day) Boeing 767

CO41 Dep FCO 10:10 AM Arr EWR 1:45 PM (Same Day) Boeing 767

Prices appear to be the same no matter if you depart a day early or return a day after.

 

Alitalia is also non-stop and a little cheaper @ $860 round trip per person. The schedule is as follows:

AZ645 Dep EWR 5:45 PM Arr FCO 7:45 AM (Next Day) Boeing 777

AZ644 Dep FCO 9:45 AM Arr EWR 12:50 PM (Same Day) Boeing 777

 

Obviously Alitalia makes more sense in this case. Probably a higher level of service as well. Although Continental is a personal favorite of mine. The Boeing 777 also tends to be nicer than the 767.

 

You can go even cheaper from EWR, but it requires 1 stop on the way back and an overnight in Berlin, which for $794 per person round trip probably isn't worth it.

There is also 1-stop service on British Airways from EWR for $780. The stop is in London Heathrow. If you want I'll get that schedule for you as well.

 

Now for JFK:

Alitalia is the exact same price from JFK ($860) but the schedule may be more to your liking:

AZ611 Dep JFK 9:20 PM Arr FCO 11:20 AM (Next Day) Boeing 777

AZ610 Dep FCO 1:50 PM Arr JFKO 5:10 PM (Same Day) Boeing 777

 

An interesting option from JFK for $742 round trip per person:

CMN=Casablanca, Morocco

Royal Air Maroc 201 Dep JFK 7:40 PM Arr CMN 6:40 AM Boeing 767

Royal Air Maroc 940 Dep CMN 2:45 PM Arr FCO 7:45 PM (Next Day) Boeing 737

Royal Air Maroc 941 Dep FCO 8:45 PM Arr CMN 9:55 PM Boeing 737

Royal Air Maroc 200 Dep CMN 12:20 PM Arr JFK 4:30 PM (Day After FCO Departure Boeing 767)

 

Nothing wrong with Royal Air Maroc, I've actually heard good things about them, not sure if you want to overnight in Casablanca though... But I don't know, I know its certainly one of the more civilized of the western African countries, its up to you whether its worth saving some extra cash.

 

British Airways is also cheap with 1-stop from JFK via LHR for $750 (there goes the Royal Air Maroc option lol)

BA176 Dep JFK 7:30 PM Arr LHR 7:30 AM (Next Day) Boeing 747

BA548 Dep LHR 9:20 AM Arr FCO 12:35 PM Airbus A320

BA549 Dep FCO 1:35 PM Arr LHR 3:15 PM Airbus A320

BA113 Dep LHR 5:15 PM Arr JFK 7:45 PM (Same Day) Boeing 777

 

Looks like overall your best option is probably British Airways. Connection times are very low, top-class airlines, decent departure times, and for the most part its the lowest price.

 

Hope this helps!

[dennisl]

Thanks, Dennis for all of your suggestions. I have posted a roll call but don't think anyone is out there yet. I am waiting. I didn't think it was too early.

Great. Not to worry, they'll find you soon enough. Sounds like you've got some good air options. Wish I could go non-stop.

 

Dennis

[dennisl]

Hi hazeof3dd,

That would be great if you could check on some of those flights from new york/newark to Rome for me. The dates would be 8/8/06 and the return on 8/23/06 which is the last day of the cruise. Thanks so much,

Shelly

Shelly, if you're booking return air on the same day as debarkation, make sure to allow for transportation time to the airport. Carnival recommends no flights earlier than 10:30AM. I've heard others have been able to make earlier flights, but I wouldn't cut it too close.

 

Dennis

[shellysh]

Thanks Jesse for all of your help. I am going to check them out. Do these fares include all taxes and charges or is that more? Now where did you go to check on these fares? How do I go about it?

Shelly

[hazeof3dd]

Thanks Jesse for all of your help. I am going to check them out. Do these fares include all taxes and charges or is that more? Now where did you go to check on these fares? How do I go about it?

Shelly

i believe these are NOT including taxes and charges. I got these at Orbitz.com but I would highly recommend you go to the airline websites that interest you.

Continental:

http://www.continental.com

Alitalia:

http://www.alitalia.com

British Airways:

http://www.ba.com

[PaperSniper4]

Dennis,

.... Most are over $1000. Maybe I am doing something wrong. ....

 

Newark to Rome RT for $1000? Maybe through the cruise line. I'm planning under $850 from Memphis to Rome RT. Check through this forum (Cruise Air) and you'll find many places to check for air fare.

 

I'm assuming you're booked on the Liberty? We're sailing about month after you, so don't litter.;)

[shellysh]

Thanks, I am checking on the air now, but I seem to come up with over $1000 for nonstop from Newark to Rome on 8/8/06 and return on 8/23. I will keep checking.