to pay for transfers or not

[christy23]

So I am new to this whole cruise thing and I have a few questions. We are looking at a western caribbean cruise next june on the valor.

 

While I was looking at the prices (I pretend to book the cruise to find out final prices) there is tons of stuff to add like transfers to and from the ship and insurance etc. How much of this is necessary and what can we find a better deal on?

 

I am inclined to say that we could get from the airport in miami to the dock cheaper than when CC wants to charge us but I don't know anything about this.

 

Also is insurance really necessary and what all does that cover?

 

TIA

[WinnieinWA]

I always ge the cruise line's transfers just because they make getting from airport to ship so easy especially if you are not familiar with the area. Some experienced travelers know how to do it on their own but I prefer to play it safe.

 

I always get insurance also. I had a cruise planned last April and got pneumonia a week prior to sailing and had to cancel. I got back all of my cruise fare and my air fare. I was only out the insurance premium of about 150 bucks. A great deal in my case. You never know what may happen to interrupt your cruise.

 

Hope this helped. Enjoy your cruise.:)

[Sheffie]

We always take a taxi. It has always been cheaper than the ship's transfers, and you don't have to wait for a bus to fill up. Taxis are readily available, and we cruisers are a big part of their income.

 

We take out cruise insurance, but do it through a company other than the cruise line's. We have friends who had to cancel 10 days before their cruise due to their daughter's getting ill. Thank goodness they had insurance, or they would have been out about $3000! As with any insurance, you pay for it hoping to never use it, but you never know what may happen. Different policies cover different things. You would have to choose what one you wanted. I think that "insure my trip dot com" is a place to compare them.

[alcpa1]

Welcome to the wonderful world of cruising.

 

When you book your cruise inquire about air and transfers. You do not have to commit to these until final payment is due. This gives you the freedom to search for less expensive flights which are arranged to fit your schedule. If you have been reading these boards you know that many of us fly to our embarkation port at least one day prior to our cruise. Cruise air arranged by the cruise line will not provide the best flights at the most convenient times. If you have no choice be certain that your flight and transportation from the airport to the port will arrive at least three hours before departure. At the present time you must be on board at 1 1/2 to 2 hours before sailing.

 

Check Insuremytrip.com for comparative rates for travel insurance and be sure to include your airfare when you are booking air. If you have a pre-existing condition or aging parents you should consider it a necessity.

 

Ask all of the questions you wish and we hope to have an answer.

[ab0si]

I avoid the cruise lines' transfers for several reasons:

 

1) almost always more expensive than doing it on your own.

 

2) I have buses. I hate waiting for the bus to leave.

 

3) You are guaranteed to arrive with lots of other passengers which will do nothing to reduce the time it takes to board.

 

So, particularly for a port like Miami which is rather close to the airport, I would see no reason to use the ship's transfer.

 

Insurance is a complex subject. Travel "insurance" is even more complex because much of the benefits are NOT insurance (and,hence, covered by different laws and having different -- and more limited remedies.

 

From a purely financial point of of view, if you assume the insurance is priced correctly, you should only buy insurance for losses you can not afford. It is important to be very careful when buying the insurance, as the benefits differ considerably.. for example medical evacuation (one type of travel insurance which often does make sense) means something completely different from one plan to another.

 

Lots of threads on insurance on this site.. well worth the time to search for them.

[cb at sea]

Alot depends on the airport and port!

If you're flying into MIA and going to the port of Miami, taxis are fast, cheap and plentiful. There is no need to buy transfers. This goes for both directions--to and from the ship.

[Sweetest Sin]

We book transfers. They've always worked out great for us.

 

On our last cruise we took the transfer bus, the people that were sitting in front of us on the flight took a taxi. We arrived at the port at about the same time. But, because we took the transfer all of our luggage was taken directly from the airport to the ship, so we didn't have to deal with it at the port, and we didn't have to wait in line with everyone who had to have their luggage scanned. It made check in much faster and easier. That in itself is worth the extra.

[silentbob007]

In Miami, I'd definitely do a taxi ... set price from the airport to the pier ... probably about the price of one person's transfer and you don't have to wait until the bus fills. I once circled the airport for about 2 hours on a bus waiting for it to fill before taking us to the ship at the last possible moment (making muster but missing all food opportunities that closed for muster ) ... and vowed ... never again on the transfers.

[Happy ks]

We prefer doing it ourselves rather than the transfers. Taxis are right there waiting, the porters are typically right there to handle your luggage as soon as you get out of the taxi.

 

I'm another one who doesn't care to wait around for the bus. You wait to board, you wait for it to fill up, it drives real slow, then you wait to disembark the bus....all for a lot more than a quick taxi would have taken.

 

There are a few places where it makes sense but Miami isn't one of them.

 

As far as insurance goes, we always buy it, but not from the cruise line. Go to www.insuremytrip.com and compare policies.

 

We really prefer to buy only the cruise from the cruise line. That is what they specialize in, that is what they do. The add-ons they charge more and they are not always as dependable as one would hope. You just ahve to know what you are doing, though. Book flights to arrive early in the morning before the cruise, it's even better the day prior if possible. Add the cushion of time to everything involved, including airport transportation. Read the reviews and experience here on CC and ask all the questions you want. Many times you will get a more accurate answer here than through any cruise lines customer service.

[paul929207]

As to transfers, you can usually save money by arranging your own. However, there is less hassle taking the transfers.

 

Insurance is optional. It covers extra expenses if your flight is late & you miss the ship. It gives you a refund if you have to cancel after final payment for a covered reason. It covers emergency medical treatment if you get sick or have an accident during the cruise. It covers extra expenses if you have to fly home because you or a travel companion are sick or have an accident. It covers expenses if you have to fly home because a family member at home is sick, has an accident or dies. Without insurance, these expenses come out of your pocket.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

We never buy the ship's transfers from the airport to the pier and vise versa.

 

WE never buy the cruise lines insurance.

[BabySis]

We seldom use the transfers, but ALWAYS buy insurance!! Just miss one cruise that you've already paid for and you will never hesitate to spend the $$ for insurance! Remember it is "insurance"..... only worth the $$ if you have to use it.

 

Have the time of your life!!