Cruise line air from Toronto, anyone?

[Crystalcat]

For our first cruise, I made my own arrangements and flew in the day before and found my own discount hotel for the night. This time since it's March break, it looks like RCI's pricing for the cruise and air is better than I can arrange on my own from Toronto to Ft. Lauderdale.

 

Has anyone let RCI do their air from Toronto to Ft. Lauderdale? How many connections did you have, and how long before the cruise departure did you arrive?

 

Thanks!

Cathy

[ckrobyn]

For our first cruise, I made my own arrangements and flew in the day before and found my own discount hotel for the night. This time since it's March break, it looks like RCI's pricing for the cruise and air is better than I can arrange on my own from Toronto to Ft. Lauderdale.

 

Has anyone let RCI do their air from Toronto to Ft. Lauderdale? How many connections did you have, and how long before the cruise departure did you arrive?

 

Thanks!

Cathy

 

Cathy -

I haven't personally done it, but a good friend of mine that is sailing with us on the Radiance in a few weeks booked her air through RCI. Guess what? The rest of us booked on our own and she ended up on the same flight as us! We arrive in FLL at 9:50am on the day of the cruise. It is a direct flight with Air Canada - I believe it is AC 938 if you want to look it up.

Have a great cruise!

[Crystalcat]

Thanks for letting me know your flight number in your post. I found the flight on AC's direct website. It wasn't even coming up as an option when I searched on the general travel sites.

 

Cathy

[Racefan04]

WE had a similar situation when we when fimalizing our cruise in February. We ended up going with cruise air with the Travel group that we used(Transat Holidays) The price of the air and the transfers from FLL to Miami we far cheaper that even flying West Jet into FLL and doing our own transfers from there.

[Pisti]

We did it with Celebrity (same owners) from Montreal in March, it was much cheaper and we were routed through Toronto from Montreal. Since you are from To.,I'd go for it....Joan

[RickT]

I've booked air with RCCL in the past and getting on the direct flight is NOT guaranteed (flew out of montreal, 2 direct flights, didn't get either). I now know better... CUSTOM AIR.

 

You can take you chances and with Toronto and the many AC flights it might be OK but if you don't want to roll the dice, go for custom air.

 

My next cruise includes air with RCCL (as you mention, much better price than directly with AC) and to ensure I get on the direct flight from Ottawa I've been in contact with custom air and am on the flights I want.

[cds2423]

It's kind of the luck of the draw I think. I'm flying out of Montreal on Monday, i got wonderful flights booking through RCCL, leave at 9:10 am arrive at 12::35 and coming home on Oct 28, i've got the return of the same flight departing FLL at 1:25, direct again back to Mtl. I've always booked through my TA with RCCL and have normally made out well. In March we flew from Mtl. & had to go through Atlanta, our friends flew from To. & had a direct flight, you just never know. Regardless, whenever i've costed it out it's ALWAYS been cheaper booking through RCCL than if we were to do it ourselves. Bon voyage!:)

[Iwantsun]

We are booked on the Radiance in March and I am nowhere close to meeting the price RCCL is giving on Montreal - FLL if I book on my own. We're a party of 4 so the difference becomes expensive. There are direct flights to/from Montreal so I am hoping to be lucky and get one of those. If we don't get a direct flight, I hope the connection is in the US as opposed to Canada; it just means I go thru customs at the end of the journey and not in the middle.

 

Custom air is an option, just hope I don't need to use it...;)

[BobBeaSea]

Cathy, what makes your situation a little different is flying out of TO at March break. I flew out with RCI air 16 years ago at March break, same day as the cruise. Let's see, it was Toronto to Memphis, Memphis to Atlanta, Atlanta to Miami...kind of a long day. Since then I've booked my own flights and flown in a day early. I think RCI finalises the air booking with the airlines at a date close to sailing date. For that reason, at March break, you may want to see if there is any advantage to using their "custom air" or whatever they call it.

 

I too have looked at some of the "air included packages" out of Toronto...their air prices aren't bad, I was a little surprised.

[Fran Harp]

For our first cruise, I made my own arrangements and flew in the day before and found my own discount hotel for the night. This time since it's March break, it looks like RCI's pricing for the cruise and air is better than I can arrange on my own from Toronto to Ft. Lauderdale.

 

Has anyone let RCI do their air from Toronto to Ft. Lauderdale? How many connections did you have, and how long before the cruise departure did you arrive?

 

Thanks!

Cathy

 

Cathy, we've done it through our travel agent twice now, and are doing it again on the cruise we have booked for December 2007. Both times were Air Canada, no idea what airline we will get for the upcoming one.

 

The advantages are that often 'cruise air' will be less expensive if they book it. Plus if the plane is late it's their responsibility to get you to the ship. (If you book your own, and you're late, that's your problem.) Since we live in Toronto there was only one flight....here to Miami, and then one transfer from the airport to the ship (unless you fly in a day early and get a hotel).....from the airport to the ship is about 25-30 minutes. We were met at the airport, and given instructions for how to put on the luggage tags, etc., what the embarkation process would entail. We were off the bus and on to the ship in a matter of 15 minutes. I couldn't believe how fast it was.

 

For the upcoming cruise I asked the TA if it would be cheaper for us to book our own airfare, he said probably not, but if better deals come along we can always book those and cancel the cruise air. However, we are flying from here to Barcelona, and then Miami to Toronto. Those are technically two one-way fares, but the overall airfare is $900. I don't think we could find cheaper than that.

 

Fran in Toronto

[Sirknight]

Another thought--have you checked into air from Buffalo?

[flyingandcruising]

I also am goin on a cruise with RCL March 5th. Right now the airfare that came with the cruise is cheaper than anywhere else. But Im deffinetaly not keeping that flight, cause i want to go in 2 days earlier. (my grandmother has a place in FLL). Anyway, If you wait till after the new year, all the airlines will start to put out seat sales for march.

 

If you arent going to fly on the same day as the cruise do not go with a TA, the costs are more cause they charge an extra convenience fee. and you will get charged that extra fee, usually about 10-15 bucks extra. reserve a flight on that airlines website instead, and get a flight that way, the webfares are usually cheaper Cause your not dealing with an actual person. also, with the 'eticket' you usually will bypass the long lines at the airport, cause you can check in at an electronic kiosk.

 

For reference........Westjet only flies to FLL (direct) there fares arent as cheap as they used to be, American flies to MIA (direct) you will probably get the best deal with AA, Air Canada flies to FLL and MIA (direct), Air Transat (I call them sardine air) flies to FLL (Direct), Skyservice does have direct flights that are charted out to companies like sunwing, and conquest. But im not sure what airport they fly to.

 

Another option is Buffalo, since Americans dont have the same March break as us, their flight are sometimes 100-200 dollars cheaper, however I do not believe any airlines fly direct, but i could be wrong.

[Ju1es]

Another thought--have you checked into air from Buffalo?

 

This is probably a good option. On our last cruise we saved a lot by flying out of Buffalo. I don't know why Toronto flights are so expensive but it isn't much further to Buffalo so it might be a good idea.

[cricketgal]

If you really want to save some money, try flying from Buffalo NY, which is only a couple of hours from Toronto. We got flights to Fort Lauderdale for $77.00 US (incl all fees and taxes) in Jan. We go the day before, do some shopping pre-cruise, stay over at a park and fly hotel for under $100 and don't have the hassle of Toronto airport and customs, since we go through customs in the car, which is faster and less hassle. Less crowded airport with MUCH less wait times too. We now avoid flying from Toronto and fly from Buffalo whenever possible.

[flyingandcruising]

I don't know why Toronto flights are so expensive but it isn't much further to Buffalo so it might be a good idea.

 

Because the landing fees in toronto are the most expensive in the world.