Should I buy my air thru the cruise line?

Air from cruise lines is one of those things that over time, has really changed.  Years ago, it was usually a good idea because they would get you essentially the same price you could find for your own air. Also, you could pack your bags and check them right thru to the ships at no extra cost.  Times have changed, especially in the post September 11^th days.

These days buying your air thru the cruise line is more, dicey.  You may save money or you may end up paying quite a bit more. Regardless you don’t get to check your bags straight thru to the cruise ship cabin.  You also no longer even get free bags on most airlines unless you happen to be one of their elite flyers.  Buying air thru the cruise line, unless you pay more for specific choices in the air reservation can easily yield you flights on non preferred airlines and at bad times. Also, unless you specifically pay the air portion at the time of booking, the air price may fluctuate up or down.

Paying for what is called an air deviation will allow you to select the airline and specify the time of day you want to fly. This can help at least get you on a preferred airline etc….but does not necessarily help with the airfare.  A new program offered by some airlines allows you to actually pick your own flights. In most cases you also pay a surcharge for this service. It does however offer some protection that just letting the airline pick does not offer.

Buying your air thru the cruise line does not guarantee you will arrive at your ship on time, nor does it guarantee they will get you caught up with the ship if a problem occurs while you are flying in. A common myth is that buying air thru the cruise line will have them holding the ship at departure dock or paying for connections to catch you up with the ship. That is simply not true, unless you also have unlimited travel insurance coverage.

Some of the new air programs, where you pay a fee of as much as $50 per passenger included special protections. They have a center monitoring all flights on which they have customers heading to cruises. When they see problems develop they try to work out rerouting where necessary to ensure you make the ship (your luggage may have to catch up later) on time. They also work with the cruise lines where possible holding ships to ensure slightly late passengers sail from the embarkation port.  When things go terribly wrong, they will reroute you to the next port of call where they can embark passengers. They cover the cost of the reroute also, but other costs such as extra hotel nights are on your own thus the need for travel insurance still exists.

It is worth looking at various factors when you are booking before picking if you will plan the air on your own or if you want to have the cruise line plan it for you.  Be sure you know what the benefits and costs are for choosing cruise line air.  We are here to help you with the entire cruise experience booking process.

Cruise Fares, When is the typically best time to book my cruise?

When to book a cruise to get the best price, that is a question I hear often.  The generally most accurate answer when looking across the board for all cruises is that booking them when the cruise is first released for sale generally gets the best fare. There are some exceptions I will explore here as well.

Generally most cruise lines come out with early booking fares that are as low as you will see for most cabins on most sailings. They do this to encourage folks to put down some money to secure their cabins.  This is also when you have the best shot at securing some of the best cabins on the ship.  Both agencies setting up groups and folks who know they want select cabins book in the first couple days a particular sailing is listed.  If you want one of the prime suites on the ship, such as the Presidential Suite, or Royal Suite on the Freedom of the Seas, typically they need to be booked in the first couple of days they are open for sale.  That is not to say these cabins can’t ever be secured closer to sailing, but it is a rare find.

Some cruise lines regularly sell a lot of their cabins when the sailing is first announced.  Disney is one where when they announce new sailings cabins become short in supply very quickly. Many of the sailings operate on a fully refundable deposit basis, so other than tying up some money in a deposit, it’s in most folks minds not a big deal to grab and later release a cabin.  If you think you want to sail a route and can swing the deposit money being tied up for a while, securing you cabin early is worth locking up some money.  If you consider the increase in cost for the cabin, it often represents a great return on your money having the cabin booked.

A number of luxury cruise lines have pricing programs where as a select number of cabins sell all of the prices for the ship go up at a predetermined percentage level. The number of cabins for the first rate increase is often reached fairly quickly after release of the sailings.  There are some lines that offer a single price from start to finish, but these are rare sailings and typically start out quite expensive anyhow. The reason they don’t change prices is the minimal number of guests makes it nearly impossible to offer different prices among the few cruisers on their small ships.

If you plan to sail a group, it is usually a very good idea to work well in advance so you can secure a block of cabins at the very best prices as the cruises are first put on sale. Over time as the supply of cabins dwindles, the prices for new bookings climb. For those who secured their cabins ahead and the groups they keep their lower prices.

Some folks say, at least on certain lines, it’s best to wait for last minute deals. Although on select sailings it is possible to snag a great deal at the last minute, that is the exception, not the rule.  Some cruise lines will put on sale those cabins they want to move to fill up a ship. Most often when those cabins go on sale they are not the best cabins you may want as your cabin on a given sailing. Often the cabins on sale are in only specific cabin categories, so if you have your heart set on a specific category, you may be disappointed by waiting.

Recently, I booked myself in a junior suite on the Mariner of the Seas and then the next day looked for a client what was available.  The same cabin had gone up $100 per person after I booked my cabin. I see all the time where cabin prices increase and seldom see where cabin prices drop. Most folks I know are in the same boat, usually seeing cabin pricing increase instead of decrease.

The key, if you know you want to sail book early and lock in the best price. Just check the terms of the deposit if you may need to change sailings to ensure you can get the full deposit back if needed.