What About Air/Sea Cruise Packages?

An air/sea cruise is when your cruise has been booked with airline tickets to get you to the ship’s port and back home again. The cruise line buys its tickets in bulk from the airlines. They find out where you are coming from and book you passage from a nearby airport to one close to the ship’s home port. Each cruise line has its own policy on how they deal with the sale of airline tickets, so you’ll want to ask some important questions.

What is the cost of the tickets if I book them with my cruise?

If I need to cancel, are the refund policies different for the plane tickets than for the cruise?

Is there a service fee charged to have the Cruise Line issue my Airline tickets?

Do I have any choice in which Airline is used?

Can I get credit for my frequent flyer mileage membership?

Can I fly nonstop or have any control over the route that is taken, or do I just get what ever they find?

How do I get from the Airport to the ship’s port?

Is there a shuttle service available from the airport where you’ll be arriving? Is there a charge for this service or is it included? Is the service included if you don’t book your flight through the Cruise Line?

How and when do I meet up with Cruise Line personnel?

How is my luggage handled, do I have to pick it up at the airport or is it automatically sent to the ship?

What accommodations, if any, are made if the Airline they use causes me to miss the ship?