Airfare question for Alaskan cruises

[Reenwad]

I'm trying to plan an Alaskan cruise with my mom with RCCL so I can use by "Next Cruise" voucher, but alot of RCCL cruises start at one point and end at another.

 

San Diego to Vancouver, or Seattle to Vancouver, etc.

 

I would think it's expensive to just book two, one-way flights. One out to San Diego and then one back home (to Michigan)from Vancouver. Am I wrong?

 

Is is less expensive to book it through the cruiseline?

[AkSusan]

We're doing the Radiance repositioning cruise Vancouver to San Diego and I did a multicity (some people call it an open jaw). Check that option out. Though I do find that when I fly with Alaska Airlines that their mulit city Anchorage to Vancouver, San Diego to Anchorage is the same price as each one way.

 

Have never booked cruise line air so can't answer on that one.

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[kenish]

Go to the Cruise Air message board and read the sticky on buying air through the cruiseline. Then browse and search the boards for firsthand accounts of what can go wrong. I'm not saying you should NOT do it, just be fully aware of what you're buying.

 

It is no longer true that one-ways are a lot more expensive than roundtrips. Since the "open" SAN-SEA segment is the shortest leg in the triangle, it will be an open jaw itenerary and fares are very reasonable.

[lovebug33]

Try the multi-city approach. We tried to one-ways to go from Vegas to Anchorage and Vancouver to Vegas. It was going to cost us 1400 dollars :eek:! Using the multi-city brought it down to 1018. I did this on Orbitz.

[Rosieo]

I'm trying to plan an Alaskan cruise with my mom with RCCL so I can use by "Next Cruise" voucher, but alot of RCCL cruises start at one point and end at another.

 

San Diego to Vancouver, or Seattle to Vancouver, etc.

 

I would think it's expensive to just book two, one-way flights. One out to San Diego and then one back home (to Michigan)from Vancouver. Am I wrong?

 

Is is less expensive to book it through the cruiseline?

 

We are from Michigan and booked a mulit-city flight directly through Northwest. We leave Detroit and fly to Seattle then on to Vancouver. We are coming into Vancouver 2 days early just in case there are any delays. We have a direct flight home from Anchorage. $600. It was the best flight I could find and I checked all the online discount airfare sites.

[cw2go]

We are from Michigan and booked a mulit-city flight directly through Northwest. We leave Detroit and fly to Seattle then on to Vancouver. We are coming into Vancouver 2 days early just in case there are any delays. We have a direct flight home from Anchorage. $600. It was the best flight I could find and I checked all the online discount airfare sites.

 

 

This seem's realistic to me I am also watching DTW and they can be as high as 900 per-person. Direct Home will be nice as well.

 

smiles

[6fan]

I am flying from Fresno Calif and was watching hoping for a price decrease. Needless to say Alaska Air went up significantly. Anyway I booked two one way trips on Expedia. They ended up the same price but the depature times were not as good. The 2 one way tickets werre about $ 50 cheaper the booking the open jaw flight.

[texkan]

I have booked air along with cruise thru Princess. I am looking at prices on air if I were to

purchase direct with airlines.

 

I still have not been able to do much better on prices by purchasing thru airline vs.

price thru cruise line.

 

I have until end of May to make decision on purchase of air.

 

We will be flying from DFW and need to be in Fairbanks to start cruise tour.

 

I am going at Multi cities to arrive at final cost.

[teefleur]

I checked booking for air via Carnival when I booked our cruise for September and air fare was about the same price as our balcony cabin! Dug around on the net and found good prices on Delta out of New Orleans, RT to Seattle for both DH and me for $480 - one stop in Salt Lake City. We are also coming in a day early and leaving a day after... you never know...

[CruiseCATnMACK]

I checked booking air on my own and found that it was only about $145 cheaper than what Carnival quoted me. Considering I get my transfers and they guarantee arrival at the port it really was a savings to me to book directly with Carnival. I also get to go out of my preferred airport.

 

For those that have booked with Carnival did they fly you in the day before?

[greatam]

I checked booking air on my own and found that it was only about $145 cheaper than what Carnival quoted me. Considering I get my transfers and they guarantee arrival at the port it really was a savings to me to book directly with Carnival. I also get to go out of my preferred airport.

 

For those that have booked with Carnival did they fly you in the day before?

 

PLEASE read the fine print in your cruise contract. The cruise line DOES NOT GUARANTEE arrival at the port. In fact, wording in the cruise contract SPECIFICALLY denies any type of liability. You will see wording similar to this "hotels, shore excursions, ground transportation AND AIR are booked as a CONVENIENCE for our passengers. We accept NO liability for the actions of third party vendors".

 

You also need to read the sticky on the Cruise Air forum-Cruise Air and Air Deviation-to learn exactly what you bought and realize that IF there is a problem with the flights, the cruise line has NO responsibility to get you to the cruise. In fact, it is also in the cruise contract that the only thing they have to do is REFUND your money.

 

And no, they won't fly you in the day before. In fact, you may be the LAST pax to board the ship. Last year, there were a couple of groups that were left at the airport as the ship pulled away. Transfer buses were there, but not enough time to get to the ship before it departed. Those groups joined the cruise on Day 4 (of a 7 day cruise). They were provided hotels and food vouchers-some in Vancouver, some in Juneau.

 

Cruise air is NOT a good option for a lot of reasons.

[oldmama]

Depending on how far out you are planning on the next cruise, why not look into some of the credit cards offering FF miles. Alaska Air offers 25000 miles to start, plus a $50 companion ticket every year. I saved over $400 over Princess cruise air using this option, & I am traveling when I want, & on the airlines I want. I have seen other credit cards also offering miles, too. Just something you might want to consider.