AK CruiseTour: Hotel and Air Booking Experience

[a1chemist]

I booked a Princess Alaska CruiseTour last January with a large cruise agency that I believe advertises on cruiscritic web site. The package included hotel at Fairbanks and air from FAI to SEA. Our personal itinerary for the entire trip shows all details except for the hotel at Fairbanks and air flight from Fairbanks to Seattle. Surprising since this cruisetour starts this coming Saturday, only a few days to go.

 

I called the large cruise agency and found that they did not have hotel/air info in their records so they used computer system and found air but not hotel. So they called Princess and finally Princess gave them information about hotel. We are staying at Fairbanks Princess Lodge and booked on Alaska Air flight 122, but there were no seat reservations.

 

I looked at the Web site for Alaska Air and it showed only four seats available, all middle seats. Sometimes you can call reservations and get better seats so I did. I was able to reserve one aisle and one middle, two rows apart, so there is some improvement since I have long legs.

 

I was disappointed that Princess did not show this information in the personal itinerary. I should have checked on air a lot earlier and probably would now have better seats.

 

The cruisetour package includes a doubletree hotel near SEA on the evening of the day we fly. I was wondering why Princess did this and now I know. The flight leaves at 4:40 p.m. and arrives at 9:18 p.m.

 

I learned from this that in the future I will be earlier and more aggressive in pursuing hotel and air information if these are included in a cruise package.

[greatam]

I learned from this that in the future I will be earlier and more aggressive in pursuing hotel and air information if these are included in a cruise package.

 

Cruise air information is generally NOT even available to the cruise line more than 60 days pre cruise. Often it is only 30 days pre cruise. The cruise line CANNOT get the info to you any earlier.

 

Please read the sticky at the top of the Cruise Air forum-Cruise Air and Air Deviation. It will explain how cruise air is put together. Please read the fine print in your cruise contract. Section 15, Paragraph F. And be aware that the cruise line had NO liability or responsibility for shore excursions, ground transportation, hotels or cruise air. Cruise air and hotels are booked as a CONVENIENCE for passengers.

 

http://www.princess.com/legal/passage_contract/index.jsp

[can786]

Just FYI, if you are able to check in online for your Alaska airlines flight 24 hours in advance there may well be additional seats available at that time. We were given seats, middle and window and wanted an aisle seat. When I called Alaska Air about two weeks ahead of time I was told that there was nothing available at that time but they often open up more seats at the 24 hour mark. Sure enough, when we checked in online the day before our flight I was able to get an aisle/middle combination. Also, when you check in at the airport ask if there are any exit row seats available. We were able to get two exit row seats at the airport.