NCL Airfare

[rfs7306]

Has anyone done airfare to Europe with NCL ? What was your experience, seats with travel companion? Ex: window and isle. Able to upgrade if wanted?  Please advise have never done this before and I am a little concerned about doing it. BTW leaving from Boston if that makes a difference . What airline did NCL arrange for you? Thank You in advance for your help.

[complawyer]

i tried using the airfare package,we called our very lovely and knowledgeable cruise consultant and were advised that it's basic economy ( the lowest fare possible, and usually sit at the extreme rear of the plane.) when asked about upgrading the seats, she gave us an ncl number to call.

 

we checked with a few airlines, and when we called ncl, turns out their upgrade fare was higher than what we would be paying if we booked ourselves, we are booked on the spirit to athens next april, and the round trip from los angeles to athens is $866 per person, on delta (delta comfort) 

 

i think if you check around, you'll probably find fares, seats, and times to your liking.  

 

just like their current big offer of 30% off cabins, the jacked u p the prices and the 30% off just brings them down to where they were before.  while i always go with ncl, i have often said they dont give away ice cubes in winter, and i live by the very wise adage "if it sounds to good to be true etc...

 

things  may have changed, but this was our one experience, and the opinions are strictly my own

[Toledosfinest]

My wife and I were booked to cruise May 2020,with the Air provided by NCL. We chanced it and it would of worked out beautifully if not for the Covid Crap. The flights that NCL arraigned for us were Main cabin seats, and NOT economy. We got notified of the flights about 90 days before the trip. NCL booked us the lowest fare available, but it would of been the best flights also. We were flying non-stop from Detroit to Rome on Delta. Our return flights were from Rome to Paris on Air France, then non-stop from Paris to Detroit on Delta again. we were able to reserve our seats the entire trip right when NCL notified that we were ticketed with Delta.  Not sure , but I think we could of upgraded to Comfort + , but there were none of those seats available.  We rebooked the 11 night trip again for next May, and paid the $599 to NCL for them to pick the airfare. Right now the cheapest flights to Rome are in the $1300 range round trip. 

[Indyopie]

We have a Baltic trip set for this July but not sure that's going to happen.  The new promo that started today is offering buy 1 get 1 airfare. Wondering if there are any others that would share their experience with using NCL for flights to Europe.  We would be flying into Copenhagen, more than likely after a connect in Chicago.

[DwayneG]

I looked at taking advantage of the buy one get one from St. Louis to Europe in October.  For me the cost of first passenger plus upgrade to one day early for both paid and free passenger was about the same as two booked direct with the airline, and booking with airline allows me to choose the flights I like.

[Nola26]

We used the perk and service back in 2019 for a Barcelona cruise and have booked it again for a cruise from Athens. We were quite pleased and I wouldn't hesitate to book them again, especially Europe.

 

NCL books Economy Main cabin fares with no more than one connection

- Seat selection is made directly with the airline, NCL clearly states this(people seem to ignore that),

call or use the airline website to select and pay any fees for upgrades to the airline per their policies 

- Baggage policy and fees are also handled directly with the airline, most seem to provide at least one complimentary checked bag from US to Europe

-"For International flights, Norwegian Cruise Line will book guests' airfare with a maximum of two connections when possible; air schedules permitting."  from NCL.com T&Cs

 

Barcelona

- We were booked nonstop on United Newark to Barcelona, flew overnight

- I had status with United and was able to get complimentary Premium Economy seats, not a huge difference but it was nice to have, especially for Mom's first trip to Europe

 

Athens

- Sailing in September and now final payment isn't until July, so no clue how we'll be booked

- My guess is it will be United (nonstop) or American(connect in London Heathrow)

- We've never been to London, so I'll treat it as a half full scenario if we have to connect

- Honestly, with COVID protocols that are likely to still be in place I suspect NCL will try to book more nonstop flights to minimize the possibility that their passengers get hung up pre cruise

[Nola26]

5 hours ago, DwayneG said:

I looked at taking advantage of the buy one get one from St. Louis to Europe in October.  For me the cost of first passenger plus upgrade to one day early for both paid and free passenger was about the same as two booked direct with the airline, and booking with airline allows me to choose the flights I like.

Shocked to know the NCL airfare for one is less than your price for two, but glad you found a good deal! My NCL price is under $700 for the two of us to fly to Athens. By the way note the deviation "fee":

Deviation requests up to 2 days pre/post cruise will be credited $25 USD per person per deviation for guests 1 and 3-8 on the reservation.

[Indyopie]

13 hours ago, Nola26 said:

We used the perk and service back in 2019 for a Barcelona cruise and have booked it again for a cruise from Athens. We were quite pleased and I wouldn't hesitate to book them again, especially Europe.

 

NCL books Economy Main cabin fares with no more than one connection

- Seat selection is made directly with the airline, NCL clearly states this(people seem to ignore that),

call or use the airline website to select and pay any fees for upgrades to the airline per their policies 

- Baggage policy and fees are also handled directly with the airline, most seem to provide at least one complimentary checked bag from US to Europe

-"For International flights, Norwegian Cruise Line will book guests' airfare with a maximum of two connections when possible; air schedules permitting."  from NCL.com T&Cs

 

Barcelona

- We were booked nonstop on United Newark to Barcelona, flew overnight

- I had status with United and was able to get complimentary Premium Economy seats, not a huge difference but it was nice to have, especially for Mom's first trip to Europe

 

Athens

- Sailing in September and now final payment isn't until July, so no clue how we'll be booked

- My guess is it will be United (nonstop) or American(connect in London Heathrow)

- We've never been to London, so I'll treat it as a half full scenario if we have to connect

- Honestly, with COVID protocols that are likely to still be in place I suspect NCL will try to book more nonstop flights to minimize the possibility that their passengers get hung up pre cruise

Thanks @Nola26 makes me feel better about trying it.  I did a mock booking and it could save us around $1400.  I assume I can always change my mind (before ticketing) and remove it like any other perk if we see direct booking prices are cheaper next year.

[zerooveride]

I know everyone is asking about Europe, but what about domestic flights?

We just booked the 12/26/21 NCL Encore and opted for the 2 for 1 Air ($249ea). It is alot cheaper than booking my own flight ($500+ea roundtrip from Albany, NY). 

 

Interesting my itinerary already shows flights (not times or flight numbers, but each leg of the flight). Doing some research it looks like American Flights based on the layovers.

 

Has anyone had any problems while using NCL Air? Miss the ship, etc? Just curious. I usually book my own but couldn't pass up the price. 

[catinhat]

Following. Curious about WA to Florida.  With the whole covid thing, the air included sounds interesting. Normally I book my own airfare for many reasons.  1.  I enjoy it and 2.  Sometimes we like to fly in earlier than normal to a port 3.  SW sometimes is cheaper for us than booking with NCL.   I am wondering how far in advance they fly you into the port?

[zerooveride]

16 hours ago, catinhat said:

Following. Curious about WA to Florida.  With the whole covid thing, the air included sounds interesting. Normally I book my own airfare for many reasons.  1.  I enjoy it and 2.  Sometimes we like to fly in earlier than normal to a port 3.  SW sometimes is cheaper for us than booking with NCL.   I am wondering how far in advance they fly you into the port?

 

I know for us they had a 2-for-1 air promo which put the airfare at $500 for both of us. The best I can find (right now) is almost $600 per person for airfare. $700 is a no brainer to me. 

 

Whats funny it shows what flights I have without the flight numbers (Albany--->Philly then Philly--->Miami; Return: Ft. Lauderdale--->Charlotte then Charlotte--->Albany). The only airline that does this out of my airport that I can find is American Airlines. 

[Named-Tawny]

1 hour ago, zerooveride said:

 

I know for us they had a 2-for-1 air promo which put the airfare at $500 for both of us. The best I can find (right now) is almost $600 per person for airfare. $700 is a no brainer to me. 

 

Whats funny it shows what flights I have without the flight numbers (Albany--->Philly then Philly--->Miami; Return: Ft. Lauderdale--->Charlotte then Charlotte--->Albany). The only airline that does this out of my airport that I can find is American Airlines. 

Those may not end up as your actual flights.

NCL puts 'placeholder' flights fairly early on, so that the system doesn't throw errors/warnings at them, but then puts in actual flights closer to travel date (when they've purchased your airfare).  They are not always the same.

[zerooveride]

2 hours ago, Named-Tawny said:

Those may not end up as your actual flights.

NCL puts 'placeholder' flights fairly early on, so that the system doesn't throw errors/warnings at them, but then puts in actual flights closer to travel date (when they've purchased your airfare).  They are not always the same.

Well that would be nice, I hate flying American

[julig22]

On 2/14/2021 at 4:48 PM, catinhat said:

Following. Curious about WA to Florida.  With the whole covid thing, the air included sounds interesting. Normally I book my own airfare for many reasons.  1.  I enjoy it and 2.  Sometimes we like to fly in earlier than normal to a port 3.  SW sometimes is cheaper for us than booking with NCL.   I am wondering how far in advance they fly you into the port?

Don't expect them to fly you in early enough to have a lot of time in port before you leave, although it depends on the port and your departure location.  The one exception would have been Papeete when the charters were scheduled to arrive super early.

If you want a port day you can request a 1 or 2 day deviation on either end.

[Nola26]

On 12/3/2020 at 2:01 PM, complawyer said:

i tried using the airfare package,we called our very lovely and knowledgeable cruise consultant and were advised that it's basic economy ( the lowest fare possible, and usually sit at the extreme rear of the plane.) when asked about upgrading the seats, she gave us an ncl number to call.

 

we checked with a few airlines, and when we called ncl, turns out their upgrade fare was higher than what we would be paying if we booked ourselves, we are booked on the spirit to athens next april, and the round trip from los angeles to athens is $866 per person, on delta (delta comfort) 

 

i think if you check around, you'll probably find fares, seats, and times to your liking.  

 

just like their current big offer of 30% off cabins, the jacked u p the prices and the 30% off just brings them down to where they were before.  while i always go with ncl, i have often said they dont give away ice cubes in winter, and i live by the very wise adage "if it sounds to good to be true etc...

 

things  may have changed, but this was our one experience, and the opinions are strictly my own

PCC didn't provide accurate information. NCL books Main cabin, not Basic Economy seats. Yes, we earned miles with NCL tickets. You can upgrade with the airline per their policies, not through NCL Air.

 

With the air perks we pay $350-400pp RT to Europe (Barcelona and Athens). We Upgraded to Premium Economy during seat selection with the airline. With my status it was complimentary for us both, but friends paid to upgrade and it was reasonable. We flew United nonstop from Newark for Barcelona. Too soon for tickets to Athens, cruise is in September. 

 

Financially for us the NCL deal is best. However, if you cannot give up control then, yes save your nerves and pay out of pocket. 

[Diann24]

I live near Philadelphia and I am cruising (Barcelona) with my mother in law who lives near Tampa.  I am trying to figure out if we should use NCL for our airfare.  They have the 2nd person flies free deal for $1098 total for both of us.  If appears that Tampa does not have direct flights to Barcelona, so it is possible that I might fly down to Tampa and then NCL might end up giving us a flight that connects with Philadelphia and I would have to fly right back to Philly.  Ugh.  I am trying to figure out the best way to book our flights.  I have never flown out of the country.  I could use any suggestions please.  I feel like it would be best if she could get a connecting flight that stops at Philly and then I could get the direct flight that she will be on ?  What airlines should I look at?  Any websites that you recommend for shopping for airfare when going to Barcelona?  (I always fly Southwest, so I am totally not used to even looking at other airlines websites.)  Should I go to each website separately or is their one website that I should use to find our flights?

[hallux]

1 hour ago, Diann24 said:

Should I go to each website separately or is their one website that I should use to find our flights?

For this, or even for booking with NCL and trying to sort the flight situation out a travel agent may be your best option.  See if you can find one that does a lot of cruise booking and has a relationship with the cruise line and you are likely to get some extra perks.  Sorry, we can't name TA's on the forum.

[julig22]

1 hour ago, Diann24 said:

I live near Philadelphia and I am cruising (Barcelona) with my mother in law who lives near Tampa.  I am trying to figure out if we should use NCL for our airfare.  They have the 2nd person flies free deal for $1098 total for both of us.  If appears that Tampa does not have direct flights to Barcelona, so it is possible that I might fly down to Tampa and then NCL might end up giving us a flight that connects with Philadelphia and I would have to fly right back to Philly.  Ugh.  I am trying to figure out the best way to book our flights.  I have never flown out of the country.  I could use any suggestions please.  I feel like it would be best if she could get a connecting flight that stops at Philly and then I could get the direct flight that she will be on ?  What airlines should I look at?  Any websites that you recommend for shopping for airfare when going to Barcelona?  (I always fly Southwest, so I am totally not used to even looking at other airlines websites.)  Should I go to each website separately or is their one website that I should use to find our flights?

Your best bet (assuming you are on the same reservation) is to plan to leave from the same location if you want to take advantage of the bogo airfare. There is no way to guarantee you'd be on the same flights otherwise.

If there are no direct flights from Tampa, then book your MIL to Philly but keep in mind that just because there are direct flights doesn't mean that's what you will get.

I use Google for basic flight info. If you have a credit card with travel benefits (Chase for example) that can be easy.

[Diann24]

1 hour ago, hallux said:

For this, or even for booking with NCL and trying to sort the flight situation out a travel agent may be your best option.  See if you can find one that does a lot of cruise booking and has a relationship with the cruise line and you are likely to get some extra perks.  Sorry, we can't name TA's on the forum.

So you are saying that we have our Cruise Travel Agent book our airfare?  I didn't think about that!  Thank you!

[hallux]

3 minutes ago, Diann24 said:

So you are saying that we have our Cruise Travel Agent book our airfare?  I didn't think about that!  Thank you!

I would think any travel agent could assist you in booking airfare, even if they primarily book cruises.

[Diann24]

1 hour ago, julig22 said:

Your best bet (assuming you are on the same reservation) is to plan to leave from the same location if you want to take advantage of the bogo airfare. There is no way to guarantee you'd be on the same flights otherwise.

If there are no direct flights from Tampa, then book your MIL to Philly but keep in mind that just because there are direct flights doesn't mean that's what you will get.

I use Google for basic flight info. If you have a credit card with travel benefits (Chase for example) that can be easy.

 

Thank you!  I have a chase credit card, but it is just Southwest and they only fly domestically.  I am on hold right now waiting to talk to NCL's airfare department to see it I can pay a little more to have my MIL's flight connect in Philly and have my flight be the same one she is on from PHL to Barcelona.  I am hoping that this is one of their "premium" options.  (Even if it is a few hundred dollars, it will likely be cheaper than me flying down to Tampa and back before and after the cruise.) 🙂

 

 

[hallux]

1 minute ago, Diann24 said:

Southwest and they only fly domestically.

Pedantic, but that's not technically true.  Southwest DOES have destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean/Bahamas.  For the purposes of your cruise, Southwest is not a viable option.

 

To expand on my previous comments about having your TA book or assist with the airfare - when I did my Spring 2019 cruise my TA booked my flights for me, and when I booked my Fall 2019 cruise the TA I used quoted me prices with airfare to compare to using NCL's flight promo and if I had wanted to self-book the flights she could have done that for me.

[julig22]

9 minutes ago, Diann24 said:

 

Thank you!  I have a chase credit card, but it is just Southwest and they only fly domestically.  I am on hold right now waiting to talk to NCL's airfare department to see it I can pay a little more to have my MIL's flight connect in Philly and have my flight be the same one she is on from PHL to Barcelona.  I am hoping that this is one of their "premium" options.  (Even if it is a few hundred dollars, it will likely be cheaper than me flying down to Tampa and back before and after the cruise.) 🙂

 

 

NCL premium air is not the same as using the BOGO promotion.  They will handle your airfare but you won't get a discount. You could use a travel agency and accomplish the same goal.

[ellaryan]

Booked the BOGO flight from DFW to BOS for our October cruise... First time cruising NCL and super nervous about the flights!💀

[victory2020]

Just got my flight assignment for my September cruise & couldn't be happier. Perfect non stop flight from LHR on Virgin. I chose seats for free & can check a bag if I want