Time to purchase flights for AK cruise?

[Mooguy]

Going on Alaskan N. bound cruise 7/29/06-8/5/06 on the Sapphire Princess and started looking for air travel. We will fly out of Orlando to Vancouver on the day before the cruise departs but fly home the same day as the cruise returns. I did not purchase airfare with the cruise booking as it was then about $200.00 per person more the I found doing a quick search on Orbitz.

 

I was thinking that a flight out of Anchorage after 2:00PM would allow plenty of time to get from the port to the airport. This makes for a very long night as most of the flights have you arriving in Orlando at 6AM the next day.

 

How do others plan and schedule their before and after flights for the Alaska cruises? I guess it is a little more costly since you are not flying in and out of the same airports.

[Budget Queen]

Anchorage to Florida is going to be a long flight, no way around it. Your timing is very doable from your cruise disembarkment out of Whittier. Go ahead with this time frame if that is your preference.

 

I always take overnight flights leaving in the evening.

 

Be certain to research and book under the "multi city" option on web sites. Factor in costs of transfers.

[LEtue]

Mooguy,

Have you looked at Seattle and Anchorage for your flights? We're sailing NB on May 29 and I purchased airfare from TPA to SEA, then return ANC to TPA for $396 (back in August). The train between SEA and Vancouver is an additional $24 for business class seats but we're looking forward to that too.

 

I know that we saved about $260 pp by using Seattle so just another option for you.

 

Have a great cruise!

[Mooguy]

LEtue

 

Could you please post a link for information on the train? I have found a flight from Orlando to SEA for $163.60 and I would arrive in SEA at 11:33AM. Southwest airlines maybe even less but they do not allow booking pat June.

 

 

Budget Queen

Thanks I will try the multi city option. I was doing the one way option for each part of the trip.

[Budget Queen]

LEtue

 

Could you please post a link for information on the train? I have found a flight from Orlando to SEA for $163.60 and I would arrive in SEA at 11:33AM. Southwest airlines maybe even less but they do not allow booking pat June.

 

 

Budget Queen

Thanks I will try the multi city option. I was doing the one way option for each part of the trip.

 

 

http://www.amtrak.com with a Seattle arrival then, you will be cutting it too close if you are considering sailing out the same day. You need an overnight then the train the next am.

[Mooguy]

http://www.amtrak.com with a Seattle arrival then, you will be cutting it too close if you are considering sailing out the same day. You need an overnight then the train the next am.

 

Yes as fun as the train does sound I do not think it will work for me this time. I would have to leave 2 days before the cuise and spend the night in Seatle (train departs 7:45AM) and I rather stay in Vancouver close to the port. Right now the flight from MCO to YVR is $293. on 7/28 and the times work out good.

 

Still searching on a way to get home they have one flight with a layover in SF for some 16 hours.Yyyaaawwnn!

 

Thanks

[Budget Queen]

Yes as fun as the train does sound I do not think it will work for me this time. I would have to leave 2 days before the cuise and spend the night in Seatle (train departs 7:45AM) and I rather stay in Vancouver close to the port. Right now the flight from MCO to YVR is $293. on 7/28 and the times work out good.

 

Still searching on a way to get home they have one flight with a layover in SF for some 16 hours.Yyyaaawwnn!

 

Thanks

 

 

Keep looking!!! :) There are plenty of options for you, you'll find one that works for you.

[LEtue]

Yes as fun as the train does sound I do not think it will work for me this time. I would have to leave 2 days before the cuise and spend the night in Seatle (train departs 7:45AM) and I rather stay in Vancouver close to the port. Right now the flight from MCO to YVR is $293. on 7/28 and the times work out good.

 

Mooguy, sorry it didn't work out for you. We are sailing on a Monday (Memorial Day) and with an overnight stay on Friday in Seattle we will still have two days pre-cruise in Vancouver.

[bbuchanan]

 

I was thinking that a flight out of Anchorage after 2:00PM would allow plenty of time to get from the port to the airport. This makes for a very long night as most of the flights have you arriving in Orlando at 6AM the next day.

 

Budget Queen is correct. On Orbitz select Expand Search Options then Multi City. You might consider doing one night post in Anchorage? That would enable you to get an early AM flight out the following morning, eliminating the redeye! We enjoyed Anchorage and if I were thirty years younger could even consider living there. The heritage museum was informative and enjoyable and it's a great city to just walk around. Beautiful city and, while lots colder than Orlando, not as cold as some think it gets.

 

Also, try quickcoach.com for regular shuttle service between Seattle and Vancouver.

[Chenega]

Nearly all flights from Anchorage to the east coast are "red eyes" with departures between 5pm and 2am (there are a few exceptions). Just a fact of life up here but the summer schedules do give you connections through Seattle, Chicago, Minneapolis, Detroit, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, LA, Dallas, and Houston depending on what carrier you select.

 

The late afternoon/early evening departures from Anchorage usually get you to Florida by midday. The after midnight flights put you into Florida between 4:30 and 6pm. No matter how you do it, it's l-o-n-g.

[Mooguy]

Nearly all flights from Anchorage to the east coast are "red eyes" with departures between 5pm and 2am (there are a few exceptions). Just a fact of life up here but the summer schedules do give you connections through Seattle, Chicago, Minneapolis, Detroit, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, LA, Dallas, and Houston depending on what carrier you select.

 

The late afternoon/early evening departures from Anchorage usually get you to Florida by midday. The after midnight flights put you into Florida between 4:30 and 6pm. No matter how you do it, it's l-o-n-g.

 

 

 

Seems like even the flights that left early on 8/6 had long layovers at connecting airports that either got you into Orlando late PM or next morning.

[bbuchanan]

Perhaps I misunderstood.............:confused:

 

I see both DL and UA have morning flights leaving Anchorage arriving in Orlando in the evening; and, IMHO, preferrable over a redeye.

 

I looked for your specific schedule; leaving MCO on July 28th and a morning return from Anchorage on August 6th. Orbitz shows an America West flight from Orlando to Vancouver. And, a return flight schedule from Anchorage on Delta. The return is not bad, leaves Anchorage at 9AM and arrives back in Orlando at 11PM. With a four hour time difference, not bad!!

[Mooguy]

Perhaps I misunderstood.............:confused:

 

I see both DL and UA have morning flights leaving Anchorage arriving in Orlando in the evening; and, IMHO, preferrable over a redeye.

 

I looked for your specific schedule; leaving MCO on July 28th and a morning return from Anchorage on August 6th. Orbitz shows an America West flight from Orlando to Vancouver. And, a return flight schedule from Anchorage on Delta. The return is not bad, leaves Anchorage at 9AM and arrives back in Orlando at 11PM. With a four hour time difference, not bad!!

 

I saw the MCO-YVR American West flight I think for $293. Right now I am looking at an Alaska airlines shedule. MCO 7:25AM-YVR 12:27PM.

Return on 8/5 Anc 4:30PM -MCO 6:23AM. 9Hr. 53Min.

Total cost $614

 

Either way it's long and I dtill have about a 2 hour drive home from Orlando and will need to be at work Monday morning so the redeye is going to probably be my best bet. I will have allday Sunday and Sunday night to catch up on any lost sleep. I have never been one to get confortable enough on the plane to sleep.