Cruise Line Air - East Coast to Europe

[QueensChick]

We will be using RCI cruise air for our Mediterranean cruise next year, flying from JFK to Barcelona. Has anyone done this route or a similar one? If so, I'm wondering what sorts of flights the cruise line assigned. Did you have to leave the night before on a red eye flight, landing early in the morning? Or, did you fly out the day before? Did you take charter flights or regular flights? Any information you can give me on this would be great. Thanks in advance for your help.



"Very little is needed to make a happy ;ife; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking."
-Marcus Aurelius Antonius

[cruisintwinsmom]

We used cruise air for our trip on Millie this past June. We flew out of Cincinnati on Air France with a stop in Paris, then on to Barcelona. We left about 4:45pm and arrived the next am. This worked out well for us. We had a precruise stay. On the way home we had a charter, World Airways from Venice to JFK then Delta home.

[LEtue]

I would definitely check into buying airfare independently. RCI wanted $1099pp and we booked from ATL to BCN for $463pp. We had a non-stop Delta flight over and a 1 stop Air France on our return. You can save a lot of $ by shopping for your own airfare and from JFK you should have a lot of options.

Once you arrive in Barcelona you can exit easily to the curb where they have a taxi line. We found the curb attendents very helpful.

We are returning to the Med in October 2005 and can't wait :D

[Beckbaby]

Just did it. Celebrity put us on Delta from JFK to Barcelona. It left about 6pm and arrived the next am. Advice: Carry on luggage. Our luggage and many others were left at JFK intentionally by Delta. They claimed the plane was too heavy. Sounds strange since many seats were empty. Anyway, we got to Barcelona. Our luggage caught up to us 5 days later and some of our stuff was misssing. Cruiseline gave us 2 teeshirts and toothbrushes. Their shipstore was the pits - no ladies shorts, bras or bathingsuits. Celebrity did offer us free cleaning and a bottle of champagne. There wasn't much to celebrate. Also, beware the pickpockets. Many people were victims in Barcelona, Nice , Livorno and Rome.

[greatam]

Check out the prices for air yourself. I usually book RT, and only use the first half. Not what the airlines want and certainly not in their terms of service (TOS), and I don't do it with an airline I have a lot of FF miles with (AA). But for some of the carriers I will only fly once in a great while, I book RT and throw the 2nd half away. Usually saves me at least 40%. NOT WHAT the AIRLINES want to hear.

The price on one way tickets is OUTRAGEOUS and you are also subjecting yourself to increased security.