Fly or drive to the cruise?

Here's some snippets from a great article by Lyn Edwin Cathey – Network Travel Services with pros and cons of each.

‘Air/Sea’ packages are available – purchased through the cruise line. Your travel agent will handle this as part of a single transaction – the cruise and airfare combined. Or, your TA can arrange the flights separately. However, the “unbundled” option almost always results in greater choice and lower fares.

Or, how about loading the family the car and driving to the port of departure? With ships sailing out of many regional ports such as Galveston, New Orleans, Mobile, Charleston, New York, etc. – driving is becoming more and more of a viable option.

Always Plan for Contingencies

Unless yours is a very short flight, say Tampa to Miami, it is almost always best to schedule arrival at the port of departure a day or two prior to the ship’s sailing. Why? If you are late to the port for ANY reason, the ship is not going to wait. You will be on your own for all costs related to catching up with the ship at the first port stop. And the cruise line is not going to compensate you for days that you were not on board. The best strategy is to book a flight arriving the day before the ship sails, grab a hotel near the pier or in an area that would be fun to explore for half a day. Then sleep easy with the peace of mind that you are not likely to miss your ship. When returning to port for disembarkation allow for unexpected contingencies, such as a customs or immigration instigated delay in clearing the ship for one reason or another- or a weather related delay to the ship’s arrival in port, etc. A good rule of thumb – if you are catching a flight home on the same day the ship gets in, don’t schedule your departure any earlier than mid-afternoon; even if the ship is scheduled to arrive at 7am and the airport is only a stone’s throw away – such as in Ft. Lauderdale.

Working with a Traditional Travel Agent

Pros – Agents have the experience and resources to get it done quickly and can often save you money – even after paying the service fee. One issue to discuss with your TA – that there is some value in the marked up Air/Sea ticket purchased through the cruise line that is not apparent at first glance. Example: Transfers from the airport to ship (or hotel) and return are usually included – plus there is a minor insurance factor in that the cruise line will assist and cover the cost of getting you to the ship if you miss departure due to delayed flight arrival. This is not something they will do if you bought the airline ticket separately. Still, all things considered, we feel there is better value in booking the air on your own.

Cons – Just one, the standard agency service fee will apply to all non-commissionable purchases such as air tickets – generally from $30 to $50 per. Well worth the money in our estimation since a good TA will save both time and money in the long run.

Driving to the Port of Departure

Pros – Usually secure, fenced in parking is provided by the cruise lines at domestic ports of departure – sometimes even covered parking. The fee is usually reasonable – $10 to $20 per day. Plus, by driving rather than flying you not only save on airfare, you can pack EVERYTHING! Think you might want that polyester Nehru jacket for formal night? Just throw it in the suitcase. No need worry about schlepping too many bags, excess baggage surcharges, etc. Once at the pier you can always make several trips from the car to your cabin. Just tell those longshoremen giving you the Evil Eye that your spouse over-packed.

Cons – None that we can think of. Just don’t leave anything valuable in the car. Break-ins happen. Even in “secure” parking areas.