Has anyone used Carnival booked Airline service?

[gdurha99]

My family and I will be sailing aboard the Carnival Triumph June 16,2007. Our air is schedule through Carnival. We were wondering if we will get a direct flight from TN to Miami. We are hoping that it will not be a connecting flight. Please help, anyone that has flown aboard a Carnival scheduled flight. Thanks

[VolzCruiser]

I used Carnival for my flight to San Juan last year. I was lucky in the fact that it was cost effective for them to put me on a non stop from Memphis. Carnival will put on you cheapest flight that they can for the time window they have. If you don't like your flight when you get the information you can pay $50 per person plus the difference in the cost of the flights. That is how it was explained to me last year when I worried about my flight.

[bubbles1209]

we had our air through carnival, ours did have a connection in Atlanta, from Augusta Georgia, but after we connected in Atlanta, it was straight to Miami. On the way back, we had to connect in Atlanta from Lauderdale, once the weather finally broke where we could. The storms had us so delayed both in Lauderdale and Atlanta, that we didn't get home until almost mid-night, where going to the port it only took around 4 hours. No one could help the weather, but yes we did have connections.

[CRUZFOOLS]

Book your own if the price is right. You will be able to see all schedules and most of the time you get there quicker.

[klfrodo]

My family and I will be sailing aboard the Carnival Triumph June 16,2007. Our air is schedule through Carnival. We were wondering if we will get a direct flight from TN to Miami. We are hoping that it will not be a connecting flight. Please help, anyone that has flown aboard a Carnival scheduled flight. Thanks

 

The first time I ever cruised I also booked my air thru Carnival. It was OK, but we also paid the "Deviation Fee" to have the option of selecting our flights.

 

A couple of words of caution. Carnival does not book your flight until around 30 days out from the cruise. (Why? probably because they don't REALLY know your going until then. People cancelling cruises and stuff last minutel.)

Also, they only book your flight, they do not get seating assignments for you. If you went thru a TA, they might select your seats for you when they get flight notification but Carnival does not.

 

Having said all this, Every cruise after my first, I've always booked my own flights.

[jcanino]

My family and I will be sailing aboard the Carnival Triumph June 16,2007. Our air is schedule through Carnival. We were wondering if we will get a direct flight from TN to Miami. We are hoping that it will not be a connecting flight. Please help, anyone that has flown aboard a Carnival scheduled flight. Thanks

 

Every Carnival cruise I have taken, I have booked air through Carnival. Every time, their air was less expensive except for one cruise. We were taking 37 people and the air stayed with Carnival for convenience; and yes we were all on the same flight.

 

Based on the times of the year we have travelled, their air was the best option. I have never been on a non stop flight to south Florida from CT with their air, but then again, the non stop flights arrive, for the most part, as others are still getting off the ship. I really don't want to arrive at 9:00 AM and worry what I am going to do or hang around in a cruise terminal for hours. I have arrived in Miami at 4:00 PM when the ship departs at 5:00 but it really doesn't matter. To me, my vacation begins when I leave home for the airport. I don't mind making a connection as I like to see the airport and check out how construction or renovations are going. It is all part of the adventure of a vacation.

[da_cruisin_bears]

We have booked our air through Carnival when our schedules did not permit extra days of vacation and was actually a blessing that we did.

 

Two of our cruises, our flights were delayed for one reason or another. If you book through Carnival it is their responsibility to make sure you make it to the ship and their expense for any changes.

 

We had to switch airlines at our layover city due to the flight delays. It was not a hassle at all. We were paged in the airport and went directly to the ticket counter and was given our new flight itinerary.

 

IMHO it was less stressful this way and well worth the slight extra cost of the Carnival airfare.

 

On our last cruise we flew to FL 2 days before departure and flew home the day after the cruise so we booked our own air since we had the extra time.

[LizaMM]

I booked my air through Carnival on my first cruise. The price was actually the best I could find for the dates I needed....also....flying in a day before was simply not possible and I felt more comfortable this way.

 

I was lucky I suppose as I did have a nonstop flight from JFK to FLL for a cruise out of Miami. My friend who booked with me wound up on a different flight out of EWR which had one stop and also landed in FLL. However, She and I were booked on the same flight home from FLL to JFK. For me the flight was OK but she wound up with a connection AND flying OUT of one airport but returning to another which certainly could have been a problem if she were wanting to drive and park.

 

Not having the seats selected was somewhat of an issue for me as well. I was travelling as the solo adult with my 4 children, two of whom were 5 and 6 at the time and had never flown before. I called the airline myself as soon as I received my flight info and they had had us placed all over the plane. I explained the situation and they managed to get the 5 of us near eachother.

 

I much prefer to book my own non-stop flights from the airport and time that work for me, pick my seats and fly in a day before the cruise. There would have to be a very compelling reason for me to book air through the cruiseline again but I'm sure I would if it meant to cruise or not to cruise!!

[tantalos60]

We have booked our air through Carnival when our schedules did not permit extra days of vacation and was actually a blessing that we did.

 

Two of our cruises, our flights were delayed for one reason or another. If you book through Carnival it is their responsibility to make sure you make it to the ship and their expense for any changes.

 

We had to switch airlines at our layover city due to the flight delays. It was not a hassle at all. We were paged in the airport and went directly to the ticket counter and was given our new flight itinerary.

 

IMHO it was less stressful this way and well worth the slight extra cost of the Carnival airfare.

 

 

On our last cruise we flew to FL 2 days before departure and flew home the day after the cruise so we booked our own air since we had the extra time.

 

Hi!, Was that the airline's idea to switch you (through some agreement with Carnival)-or-did you contact Carnival and tell them your problem? Our flight was booked through Carnival -for the same reasons. J

[big_duck]

I would say that your chances of flying direct is directly proportional to the number of direct flights from your location to the port city.

 

If there are only one or two flights a day your chances are pretty slim, especially if it is a busy time of year.

[teaach]

My family booked a cruise on the Triumph last February. The cruise was booked through my TA about 9 months earlier. About a month before the cruise we knew our flights. Only my husband and I were able to get assigned seats before hand. Most flights are overbooked and we found out ours was overbooked by 17 people. We arrived three hours befor the flight and still were not able to get seats for my DD and my DSIL. We finally got seats for them at the gate about ten seconds before we boarded the plane. This was extremely nerve wracking! This time I booked our own flight the day before the cruise and will try to avoid that crazy day last year. We are on the Valor on 4/22/07. The cruise was great but I will definitely book my own airfare from now on! Also this year's price was $212pp instead of Carnival's $350pp. Both flights are nonstop from Newark to Miami.

[Tamara]

We are a family of 6 and I have booked air 2 times with CCL directly. Once, was our first cruise and the second was the inaugural voyage on the Liberty. We booked that so far in advance I was assuring myself that if some reason the ship would not sail we would not be stuck with non-refundable air r/t to Rome. On the Liberty CCL air fare was very combatible with what my TA could find. Since our first cruise CCL air has always been at least $150pp higher than I could do on my own. Times that by 6 and I'll make the call myself. However, since we cruise as a Christmas tradition the weather can be a real factor, so we have always in the past gone down 1 day early. (Except this year couldn't get the 2 oldest daughters out of college early, and we used FF miles to get our tickets free). Da cruisin Bears made an Excellent point ....if CCL books your air & the flight is delayed or cancelled, they will accept responsibility to either hold the ship or get you on another flight to catch up to the ship. That piece of mind must be worth a little extra cost. If you really need a non-stop flight to be happy, I'd say book it yourself. If you can live with whatever they give you and you are comfortable with their price I'd say go that route. -Tamara

[mabgab]

We have booked with Carnival in the past , flights were okay...delays in Atlanta...Unfortunately we have ended up getting to the ship at 3:45pm. This time we are going a day ahead and have booked dirrect flights on our own.

Personally, the same day flights start our day at 4:30am which makes for exhausted cruisers before we get on the ship.