How do I book my cruise tickets?
You can buy an Air / Sea "package directly from the shipping company, which includes airfare, or you can arrange flights on your own - with a travel agent or online. We recommend either a TA or the "on your own" option - as well as almost always result in greater choice and lower prices. In this article you will learn how to:
* Find the Best Deals
* Plan for contingencies
* Work with a TravelAgent
* Book with Frequent Flyer Miles
* Drive to the Port of Departure
* Plus Learn the background story of Cruise & Air
Finding the Best Deals Online --
* Kayak.com
* Tripfinder.com
* Orbitz.com
* Fly.com
* Hotwire.com
* Vayama.com
Kayak.com
The fare pros display is extremely flexible and user friendly. With Kayak.com it is very easy to restrict search results to a particular airline, the specific departure and arrival timesTime frame to several days, or scan back to the original entry form for the change.
Cons - Kayak.com is a data aggregator and do not really sell tickets - if even the flight you want - you will be directed to another site - and often the airline's own proprietary site - to decide to sell - you do not know Who will deal with you until you are ready to buy.
Tripfinder.com
Pros - such as Travelocity and Expedia, Tripfinder is a true on-line agency -- book and well suited for all fringe benefits Cruise - flight, pre / post cruise hotels, cars, etc. deeply discounted hotel packages are automatically available as an option in the air routes - a real convenience and time savings offered if you are already looking for a hotel often. The user interface is so friendly - or more - than any other online reservation service. Plus offers Tripfinder a hotel "Best Rate Guarantee.
Cons - While ideal for domestic> Travel-and trans-Atlantic flights Tripfinder is weak, if a multiple destination route is required.
Orbitz.com, Hotwire.com Fly.com &
We are still accumulating data on these systems, however, we know that Orbitz.com tend to receive high marks from consumers for consistently low prices - seems at Hotwire.com the leader in the "user friendly" category. The youngest of the three Fly.com kayak is like, is an aggregator of information from other sitesbut has the added convenience Ad premium rate (first and business class) next to the economy. This is a real time saver for people want to see at a glance how much it would cost to drive an extra forward in comfort.
Vayama.com
Pros - focused on international flights and is particularly suitable for the visually oriented looking for - you can just click on a location on a map does not give city name or airport code. Nice.
Cons - No advantage over other locations, unlessYou are only seeing you a map with flight paths superimposed enthusiastic. Additionally, you can not buy a last minute ticket on Vayama.com. The trip must be made in five days or more.
Plan for unexpected expenses --
If yours is a very short flight time, said Tampa to Miami, it is almost always best to schedule arrival at the port of departure, one or two days prior to the ship. Why? If the port is running late for any reason, the ship does not wait. You are on your own for allCost of catching up with the ship at the first stop in the port are related. And the cruise line is not for you for a day, not to compensate you on board.
The best strategy is to get a flight arriving the day before the ship sails book, a hote near the pier or into an area, make the joke, would apply to explore for a half day. Then just sleep with the peace that you are not likely to miss your ship.
When you return to disembark allow unforeseen events,started as a customs or immigration delay in the progress of the ship for one reason or another-or weather-related delay in the arrival of the ship in port, etc. A good rule of thumb - if you get a flight home the same day increases the ship a You plan your departure, all earlier than the afternoon, even if the ship should arrive by 7 clock and the airport is just a stone's throw away - as in Ft. Lauderdale.
Work with a traditional travel agent --
Pros- Agents have the experience and resources to 'get-ur-dun "quickly and often can save money - even after paying their service charge.
Cons - You will pay is still the standard-service agency - usually $ 30 to $ 50 per ticket.
Using frequent flyer miles --
Pros - travel to a distant port of departure can be a very effective way to get maximum value from your miles can - especially if you get hold of them first class seats at the lowest level of redemption. The bestTo use your stash value on mileage driven to achieve an international port in the first or business class. In this case, you may return the value per mile is very high, even if you redeem at a higher level of the seats.
Personal example - for a recent cruise from Amsterdam, we redeemed 175,000 miles for each business class seats. There was a possibility, the availability in the lower class, but we had to a higher level for the return jump, in order totwo seats on the same flight.
Allowed The Math - Airline policies for allocating the difference - half the standard dose (lower level) round-trip business-class level of 100.000 (50K) and half of the "Sky Choice" round-trip on the 250,000 ( 125k), in the amount of 175,000 per person. We ended up parking behind us ends for two eight-hour flights in the seats, for approximately $ 6000 per person during the trip sold at retail - what new meaning to the term "bottom line".
In the exampleabout our redemption value ratio was pimped 3.2 cents per mile. (It's not rocket surgery ... just to share the approximate dollar value of the ticket by the number of unredeemed miles.)
After messing with miles over 25 years, tells us the experience, 3.2 cents per mile is an excellent return on investment. In fact, little more than 2 cents per mile well.
Cons - See the above computations. The tragically uninformed, are known to spend $ 1,000 worth of miles for a ticket they couldbought for $ 200 cash. Go figure - literally.
Find mileage seats with Expertflyer.com
Pros - Here's a hot little opportunity for the infernal / eternal calls with customer service frequent flyer pass on availability and options for mileage tickets must be verified. Expertflyer.com has done an excellent job of determining the inventory code for most of the free seats and upgrades for all types of service and for most airlines (some better than others). For example, if you are looking forFirst and Business Class seats, the search for flights that show their availability in the "D" or "I" category of the seat inventory.
Expertfyer The basic service is $ 4.99 per month - with the premium service level option for a monthly fee of $ 9.99. We often use the site only for the control of the timing or carrier service to determine what a particular target.
This unique service is still valuable for the future, people gain more flexibility and choiceabout the frequent flyer account they want to fatten up for the harvest - that is, if you're a stash of American Express points entitles you to move it into each one of about 14 different airline programs. You only need a first account with the airline, which can be done to create online and for free, then connect it to your AMX Rewards account.
Yes, you heard right! Now you can find out which airline availability - THEN build the mileage in this airlineproprietary program - all in a few minutes.
And here's a tip if you are a hoarder AMX point - you can point your AMX Rewards account transferred Anyone's account - has everything you need to do to link that person's account with you - all online and free. What a great way to Aunt Martha, by her account, and start going forward in long-distance travel, the trip to Athens for the Mediterranean Cruise-of-a-lifetime. Or, for them to sell for upwardsFor the same reason.
Cons - To the maximum benefit from the Expertflyer.com program you need to know which of the various codes are looking to get - and they vary from one service class to another and not always the same from one airline to another. But this is a short and painless learning curve, it is worth the time and effort if you regularly Savior of frequent flyer miles. On those days when you mention the frequent flyer desk to ask the habit of the customer service agentprovide the "stock code" and the availability of seats. We have never refused, as that request was accepted. They are usually glad to that decision.
Way to the port of departure --
Pros - most secure, fenced parking lot is from the cruise lines at the national departure - sometimes even a covered parking available. The fee is usually reasonable - $ 10 to $ 15 per day. Plus, by driving instead of flying, you not only save on ticket costs, you can put it all! Think would like polyester Nehru jacket for formal night? So they throw in the suitcase. No need to worry too much drag bags, excess baggage charges, etc. Once at the pier, you can always make several trips out of the car to your cabin. Identify the dock to give you the stink eye, that your spouse has packed on.
Cons - None that we can think. To leave anything valuable in your car. Burglaries happen. Even in "secure" parking.
Background & History> Cruising routes --
It used to be that the best value for the "Air / Sea" package from the shipping company was for sale. This option led to a typically low - if not the lowest - price for the ticket - with the not to have the comfort that was added to the trip on your own shop.
The cruise line has to sell these packages, because they sunk a part, if not all, of the Commission are provided by the airlines at the time. However, since 2000,airlines began reducing commissions to eventually eliminating them all together. Under marching orders to the profitability of their air-receiving departments, the sparkling eyes Cruise Line Revenue Manager responded with honors from the base price of each ticket sold.
Apparently the cruise lines have now decided that they would rather not at all in the airline ticketing business. Their markups are gone so far beyond the typical travel agent $ 30 to $ 50 perTicket Service Fee - well, it's embarrassing. Today, you are almost always a better deal on your own - or by paying a fee travel agency, so you have it all handled for you. However, there is a value in the marked up Air / Sea-ticket is not at first glance. Transfers from the airport (or hotel) and return ship are included in general - plus there's a little insurance factor is that the cruise line will support, and costs you will if the vesselCheck you are missing because of late arrival of the flight. This is not something they do when you bought your ticket online or through your favorite travel agent.
But all in all, we feel that there is a better value and greater choice in the booking of the air on your own.
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