Celebrity Air vs. Booking on Own

[harrowgirl]

Can someone explain to me the benefits of Custom Air through Celebrity vs. Booking your own airfare?

 

Is it just that is something happens with your cruise (i.e. it gets cancelled) your flight can be cancelled w/o penalty? There are 4 of us travelling, and $300 seems like a lot if that is the only benefit.

 

We were thinking that cruises don't get cancelled TOO often, and if they do, we could just tour around Italy for the time. I suppose though that you can't get your actual cruise refunded, so you would need to pay for airfare again to take your cruise?

 

Thanks!

Pam

[greeneg]

The only experience that I have to go on is the first Celebrity Cruise that we took: Galaxy hit an obstruction leaving Amsterdam on the first night and the cruise had to be cancelled due to the damage to the port propeller. We had not purchased our air transport to and from Amsterdam from Celebrity, just the cruise.

 

Celebrity refunded our cruise fare, re-imbursed us for our air expenses, and gave us a free cruise voucher with two years to use it. We actually stayed on the ship for four days in Amsterdam ( lot's of worse places to be than that) with full room and board while they made air arrangements for everyone.

We did have to buy our own air fare for the free cruise but that certainly wasn't unfair and we certainly had nothing about which to complain.

 

Cruises are, I think, infrequently cancelled, and I also think that it is only good buisness to treat inconvenienced customers as valued ones; that was certainly our experience and I think that's the norm rather than the exception. We were well treated and have only cruised Celebrity since.

 

Wouldn't be too concerned if I were you, the odds should be well in your favor.

 

On the other hand, I do always compare Custom Air with what I can book; last January, it was considerably cheaper via Celebrity than USAirways and for the same flight schedule.

 

Hope that helps,

[hajekfam]

There are a few advantages to cruise air.

Unlike the previous poster whose cruise was cancelled at the last minute, if the cruise is cancelled early enough Celebrity would not refund your air or pay for air changes if you booked air on your own.

Secondly, if the flight is delayed and you miss the ship, Celebrity is responsible for getting you to the ship.

If you got your own flights and your own insurance, both of these circumstances would be covered by trip insurance.

The one advantage I see to cruise air is on one way cruises - for example a transatlantic. The cruise air is usually cheaper than you can do on your own since you need one way flights for going and coming.

We usually book all our cruises with air. Then we look for cheaper flights. If we find one, we cancel the cruise air. If we don't, well at least we have a flight. You can cancel the cruise air without penalty anytime up to final payment.

[Fang]

I have never booked my airfare through the cruise line. Yes, there are some risks, but in the whole sceme of things I do not think it is that big of risks at all.

 

The ability to fly in and out as I want and the MUCH lower price makes up for the small amount of risk.

[FAR_girl]

I've got X air for the first time ever for a Fall Repo cruise. I booked it that was and then wasn't able to get decent one-way flights on my own for less. Here's my concern. I usually book onboard and then transfer to my online TA who communicates via email only. I've put off transferring this booking becuase I'm a little worried about how I get in touch with the TA if something goes wrong with the flights. Do I have to call the TA or do I work with Celebrity directly (okay, probably the Captain's Club) to get me too the ship if something goes wrong with their air?

[JORAY]

If you have Celebrity air you would work with Celebrity.

 

Don't forget Celebrity has a custome air group and you can arrange you own flights via TA to Celebrity. They will tell you if the custom air cost more money and you can pick if you want it or make your own.

 

We have found trans-ocean and the open end fares are very good. By open end flights I mean something like leaving FL and cruise around to CA. The airlines do not consider this a round trips and price them as one way flights.

 

So unless we are doing a round trip from the same city we always look at Celebrity prices.

[JORAY]

If you have Celebrity air you would work with Celebrity.

 

Don't forget Celebrity has a custom air group and you can arrange you own flights via TA to Celebrity. They will tell you if the custom air cost more money and you can pick if you want it or make your own.

 

We have found trans-ocean and the open end fares are very good. By open end flights I mean something like leaving FL and cruise around to CA. The airlines do not consider this a round trip and price them as one way flights.

 

So unless we are doing a round trip from the same city we always look at Celebrity prices.

[C 2 C]

It depends on where the trip is.

 

If you are on a M-class ship... they have engine problems.

Three years ago we had an Infinity cruise cancelled with just over a week to go. I had arranged my own air and I was not reimbursed. I did get a free cruise out of it though.

If you arrange your own air to Europe that could be costly.

Millennium had these problems in Europe several years ago, Sumit this year.

 

Several years ago our ship was late arriving in New York because we circled around an hurricane. Princess cancelled our flights, booked a room and arranged for our flights the next day. People who did their own had to do all that on board.

Ten years ago, Pacific Pricess was impounded in Athens because crew members were selling drugs dock-side. All arriving pax had their cruise cancelled. These are not insurable risks.

 

If your flight is cheap and easy to book there is no problem in doing your own.

Celebrity air includes transfers. Check out the cost of doing your own connection. It can be quite expensive in some ports.