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Travel Agents can help with cruise decisions

Decisions. Decisions. Decisions. Like everything else in life, planning a cruise vacation requires consumers to make lots of decisions. Which cruise line. Which ship. Which itinerary. Inside cabin. Outside cabin. Veranda, or no veranda. Which seating for dinner. And that's before you even get to the ship. And speaking of the ship, you have to decide how you're getting to the port to board the vessel.

The vast majority of cruise passengers fly to their ports, although since Sept. 11, some have chosen to drive. Those who plan to fly have options. They can go with the cruise line's air/sea program, whereby the line books your air transportation and charges you its rate. Or you can make your own flight arrangements, using frequent-flier miles or searching out a bargain fare that beats the cruise line.

Air/sea programs appear simple, but they are not. You'd think that passengers on a regular air/sea package might get preferred flights, but that's not the case unless they're willing to pay extra.

Cruise lines negotiate air fares from scores of gateways to ports with all the major airlines perhaps a year ahead of time. It is not inconceivable that someone flying out of Pittsburgh to catch a ship in Vancouver might be routed through New York at inconvenient times because that's the cheapest way for the cruise line to get them there. The fact that the routing is ridiculous is beside the point.

So, people who opt for an air/sea package have yet another option. If they want, for example, a non-stop or direct flight on their preferred airline, they can pay an air deviation fee to get what they want.

When it comes to cruise lines' air/sea packages, the most important advice is to ask for guidance from a knowledgeable travel agent. Travelers need to acknowledge what they don't know and ask for help.

People must share with a travel counselor what they want, or what they think they want, so they get the information they need to make an informed decision.

Since cruise lines have negotiated air fares a year or so ahead, they can't get you in on the current fare war rates. The lines can't lower their negotiated fares to compete with the war du jour.

If the prospective traveler is a shopper, he or she might beat the cruise line's air add-on by locking in a lower fare with a carrier or via the Internet.

But there are pitfalls no matter what.
One agent from the mid-west coordinated a cruise out of San Juan aboard the Dawn Princess for 18 family members traveling from three different cities. They jointly decided they could beat Princess Cruises' air/sea package. "We all got on the Internet, and we were able to find better air fares. One brother traveling out of Cleveland bid for and got a Priceline.com fare, which beat the Princess fare significantly. The only problem was Priceline sent him a ticket on US Airways that put him and his family of five in San Juan at 11:30 p.m. The ship sailed at 11 p.m. No one could get Priceline to budge on changing the ticket, even for a fee. So the Cleveland contingent missed the sailing, was forced to get hotel rooms for two nights in San Juan and pay about $200 a person to fly to Barbados to catch the ship at its next port."

(In fairness to Priceline, it clearly tells buyers when they bid that flights can be at any time on the date they request and that tickets are not changeable.)

Here's a tip: Allow yourself plenty of time to get to the ship--at least four or five hours before sailing is prudent. You might consider arriving the night before and staying in a hotel just to decompress from the flight.

A Chicago accountant, swears by air/sea programs, especially the air deviation option, having used them on some 24 cruises. "I am not a flier. I like to get up and down, so I pay the air deviation fee. No. 1, if the cruise line screws up, it has to accommodate you. No. 2, the cruise line transfers you to the ship. It's a complete package. If you're going on your own, you're on your own if you have a problem."

Advised cruise experts say: "If you're going to use the cruise line's air package and you are a fussy flier, you're going to be upset if the cruise line puts you on connecting flights, so you should be willing to pay the extra money and let them give you the best possible flights. It's really the smart thing to do."

If you choose to go with an air deviation to the regular air/sea package, you can expect to pay a fee of $35 to $75 a person, depending on the cruise line and the destination, to get the best possible flights.

Cruise experts note that if you're taking a luxury cruise on such lines as Crystal Cruises, Radisson Seven Seas and Silversea, especially sailing from more exotic destinations, it's best to take their air/sea package because their air departments spend a lot more time catering to their passengers' needs and wants.

Service at the mass market cruise lines, is a whole other situation. But all the cruise lines have air and air deviation departments that look after those passengers to one degree or another.

On Crystal, we book our guests on airlines with whom we have contracted fares," a spokeswoman said. "We always try for the most direct route possible, with connecting times or layovers that adhere to the airline's requirements. Guests can make special air requests, and we try to accommodate them. Of course, if there is no direct flight, say, from Buffalo to Manaus, well then we can't."

But, to arrive at the right decision for whether to take an air/sea package or not, you've got to ask questions of your travel agent to ferret out the information you need to be well-informed. And you have to carefully read about the air/sea conditions and restrictions in the cruise line brochure, this is just another place where your travel agent will be of help. If there's something you don't understand, ask.

- If you're unfamiliar with your travel agent, ask how many cruises the agent books a year.

- Ask what lines the agency books the most, because top producers generally get special deals from cruise lines that the agent can pass on to you.

- Ask where you can get the best value for the cruise destination you're thinking about.

- Ask if the air/sea package will be your best value, what it does and does not provide.

- And, by all means, ask about travel insurance to protect your vacation investment.

- In the end, you have to make decisions that give you the best value for your budget and leave you feeling comfortable with your choice.

You know you can rely on your Travel Agent because this is where they have been trained for years. Use thier knowledge!

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