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Air Reservations

If you plan to fly to your port of embarkation, you must decide whether to arrange airline tickets on your own or use the AIR/SEA program offered by Norwegian. Here are the main considerations to help you with your decision.

Advantages of Arranging Your Own Airline Tickets The main advantages of securing your own airline tickets are that you will be able to select the airline you fly and you will have some control over the timing and routing of your flights. You may wish to fly a particular airline to use frequent flier rewards, or to earn frequent flier miles, or because that carrier has nonstop service to your port city. If you arrange your own airline tickets you will have more control over these variables. If you utilize Norwegian's AIR/SEA program, you may be given an air schedule with an overnight flight, multiple connections, and in some cases, a forced overnight stay at your expense.

Advantages of Using the AIR/SEA Program The main reasons to let us book your air at the same time you reserve your cruise -- through Norwegian's AIR/SEA department -- are convenience, better access to flights that make easy connections to your ship, and added protection in the event of a flight or sailing delay or cancellation.

Norwegian meets their AIR/SEA passengers at the airport and transports them to the pier. These transfers are frequently free of charge, but even if a charge is levied it is typically less than what you would pay if you arranged your own transfers.

Norwegian monitors the status of flights carrying their AIR/SEA passengers, and will sometimes hold a ship past its scheduled departure time to wait for guests arriving on a delayed flight, but only if that flight was booked through Norwegian.

Norwegian reserves large blocks of seats on flights that make easy connections to their departing and returning cruise ships. These flights traditionally experience high load factors and you could have difficulty getting a low fare -- or a seat at any price -- as an individual, particularly for departure ports like Anchorage, Barcelona, Rome, Tahiti and Vancouver. On busy days like Saturday and Sunday, you might have to fly into your port of embarkation a day early if you book your own tickets, adding a day's meals and lodging to your cost.

And finally, sometimes unexpected things occur that affect travel plans. Flight delays or cancellations, changes in cruise ship arrival or departure times, and cancellation of sailings altogether, are some of the things that can force you to rebook at a later time or date or seek a refund for your airline tickets. If any of these things should happen before or during your vacation, you will not be eligible for assistance from the cruise line if you arranged your own airline tickets. However, if we secure your tickets through the cruise line's AIR/SEA program, some cruise lines will assist you in working with the airline to make alternate flight plans, help you catch up with your ship at the next port, or apply for a refund. Your cruise counselor will verify the details of each cruise line’s AIR/SEA program at the time of booking.

The bottom line : Ask your Vacations To Go cruise counselor to quote air from the cruise line and compare that rate to the best rate you can find calling airlines directly. If the rates are close, you're probably better off letting us book your airline tickets through the AIR/SEA program.

Should I book my flight through my cruise line?

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here .

Choose a cruise deal with airfare included, or book an air-cruise package, and your cruise purchase can really be one-stop shopping. You always get transportation, food and lodging all in one price with a cruise, but book your airfare through your cruise line, and you'll take care of the majority of your travel plans in one transaction.

But should you book your flights through your cruise line? While doing so can offer various benefits, you will want to consider whether the pros outweigh any cons. The answer will depend on your particular travel situation, and whether you're contemplating a cruise with flights included in the deal or simply paying for flights through your cruise line.

Learn more about the benefits and drawbacks of cruise and flight packages to determine whether it's a smart move to book your flights via your cruise line.

For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

5 reasons why you should book your flight through your cruise line

The airfare can be a good deal.

Some high-end cruise lines include flights as a booking perk. Oceania Cruises offers economy airfare with the most inclusive (and expensive) of its three OLife Choice promotion tiers, while Regent Seven Seas Cruises lures travelers with free business-class flights to Europe. It's hard to find a better deal than free, even if you might not have as much control over your booking as you'd like.

Even cruise lines selling you flights claim to have low rates. Royal Caribbean claims that its airfares are so competitive that it will refund you 110% of the difference in onboard credit if you can find a cheaper flight. It makes sense that cruise lines' in-house travel agencies can get access to the lowest rates or bulk fares not available to the general public.

You'll still earn points and miles

Buying a cruise line air package is similar to purchasing flights through a travel agent. You can add your frequent flyer number to the reservation to earn miles and access your elite perks — but watch out for extremely discounted fares that might not qualify. Plus, if you pay with a rewards-earning credit card, you'll also get points or miles for your purchase.

TPG pro tip: Look for credit cards that earn extra points on travel purchases , so your cruise-and-flight purchase can earn you free travel faster. Among our top-rated credit cards for travel are the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, which gives you 2 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on travel purchases, and the Chase Sapphire Reserve, which offers 3 points per dollar on travel.

Related: These are the credit cards to use to maximize your next cruise vacation

The cruise line will assist you with travel disruptions

The cruise line's travel department has the back of all cruisers who purchased flights through them. If your flight is delayed due to weather or a mechanical problem, agents will assist you with rebooking. Should the flight issues lead to you missing your ship, the line will make arrangements to get you to the next port of call.

The same is true if your cruise ends unexpectedly early due to weather, mechanical issues or an illness outbreak. The cruise line's air department will rebook cruise passengers who booked their flights through the cruise line, but independent travelers will be left to fend for themselves.

You can book now and pay later

Are you a planner and book your cruise a year in advance? With airline change fees, you might not want to pay for airfare months in advance, in case your plans change. Some cruise lines' air-cruise packages, such as Carnival Cruise Line 's Fly2Fun Air Program and Holland America 's Flight Ease, allow you to pay for your flights when your final cruise payment is due (typically about 90 days prior to sailing) rather than at the time of booking.

Related: 15 ways that cruising newbies waste money on their first cruise

Cruise lines don't charge booking fees

Cruise lines will not charge you service or convenience fees to book your flights through their air departments. You only have to pay the airfare and the applicable airline taxes and fees.

5 reasons not to book your flight through your cruise line

You can't pay with miles.

If you'd love to book your flights with credit card points or airline miles, you'll need to do that through the airline, not the cruise line.

You might also want to watch out if you hope to pay for coach airfare through your cruise line and then upgrade with miles. As cruise lines often negotiate special low rates with the airlines, these fare classes are often ineligible for mileage or elite upgrades.

Cruise lines charge deviation fees for custom itineraries

Some cruise line air bookings come with restrictions around when you can fly. Should you wish to arrive several days early or spend a week in the area after your cruise, perhaps even flying home from a nearby city, you might need to pay the cruise line a deviation fee of a few hundred dollars.

Related: 11 extra charges on cruise ships that will drive you nuts — and what you can do about them

You can't always pick your airline, schedule or flight routing

Many cruise lines now offer choice and flexibility with airline arrangements, letting you pick your airline, travel time and routing. However, some of the cheaper, more restrictive options leave the booking exclusively to the cruise line's air department, allowing you no say in your flight route — unless you pay the aforementioned deviation fee or pay more for a flexible booking option. For example, with Viking , you'd need to upgrade from their base Inclusive Air option to the pricier Viking Air Plus fares in order to choose your specific flights.

Free airfare isn't free

Remember that free airfare perk? It's not actually free. The cruise lines increase the base cruise fare to cover the extra perks. Decline the airfare, and they will reimburse you with an air credit or charge you a cruise-only rate. If you can find fares cheaper than the credit, you'll save money by not booking your flights through your cruise line.

This advice especially applies to travelers flying from smaller airports that aren't among the major ones covered by the free airfare deal. Most cruise line airfare fine print states that passengers flying out of other airports will pay an additional fee. If you can book flights that are cheaper than the fee plus the air credit, you should do that and skip the not-actually-free airfare.

The cruise lines can charge service fees for changes

Cruise lines can add their own fees and surcharges on top of the typical airline charges. Some lines, such as Carnival, charge a flat fee for flight changes, in addition to the fees and fines imposed by airlines. If saving money is the most important consideration, you might want to book independently to avoid any extra surcharges.

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Can I change my existing flight booking?

If you'd like to upgrade or change your flight dates we are happy to help. Premium Economy, Business, and First-Class supplements are available on request, depending on airline and destination. Upgrades are subject to availability and prices are subject to change. Contact our dedicated flight Helpdesk on 0208 834 9028 for more information.

Please note, no changes to bookings are permitted within 30 days of travel.

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Can you upgrade NCL airfare offer?

By TimbersfanOR , March 28, 2020 in Norwegian Cruise Line

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TimbersfanOR

My wife and I are traveling on NCL later this year (until it’s cancelled) and our booking includes reduced airfare through NCL.  Does anyone know if we can pay the difference to upgrade to economy plus?

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I believe once you have the reservation number for the flights you should be able to go to the airline website, pick your seats and pay whatever upgrade costs might be associated with those seats.

You can definitely pick seats, I was able to.

All-ready2cruise

Exactly what hallux has stated.  Once you've got the info for your flights you can contact the airline and upgrade to whatever you want.  I had done this for my flight which would have been today  😢 Oh well... life goes on. 

I should add that you can also pre-pay for baggage if the airline charges for such and allows you to do that.  I believe I did that for my cruise in October.

NCL books your airfare but not your seats. You can upgrade your seats as per the policy of the selected airline. This is listed in the T&Cs or FAQs for the program. 

Last summer on United friends paid for the upgrade to Premium Economy. I had status with United so we were automatically offered Premium Economy seats to select from as complimentary upgrades. I booked seats live with an agent. 

smileyjannie

7 hours ago, TimbersfanOR said: My wife and I are traveling on NCL later this year (until it’s cancelled) and our booking includes reduced airfare through NCL.  Does anyone know if we can pay the difference to upgrade to economy plus?

We were able to on Delta.  Now that said, I don't know if we will get our money back of the cruise gets cancelled.

33 minutes ago, smileyjannie said: We were able to on Delta.  Now that said, I don't know if we will get our money back of the cruise gets cancelled.

Delta has a pretty lenient policy at the moment. You can probably get it as a Delta credit depending on the timeline. 

Nebr.cruiser

On our (cancelled) cruise we were supposed to take in March, we bought the NCL air--$149 RT to Tahiti and back from Hawaii!

A few weeks later NCL sent emails offering upgrades; lt was $249pp for premium economy and $499 for

business for just the LA to Tahiti portion.  I seem to remember that there was an earlier offer that was higher.  

2 hours ago, Nebr.cruiser said: On our (cancelled) cruise we were supposed to take in March, we bought the NCL air--$149 RT to Tahiti and back from Hawaii!   A few weeks later NCL sent emails offering upgrades; lt was $249pp for premium economy and $499 for business for just the LA to Tahiti portion.  I seem to remember that there was an earlier offer that was higher.    

In this particular instance, it was a chartered flight, so NCL handled the upgrade for the charter portion.

Normally you would upgrade through the airline once the flight is actually ticketed - you can pick your seats, upgrade, pay luggage fees. I've upgraded before, usually just to get additional legroom.  In that case, the upgrade also included the checked luggage fees, so the upgrade wasn't much of an additional cost, so it definitely pays to check.  Also, the upgrade fees seem to change the closer to your flight day (went down for me) but of course if you wait, there are no guarantees.

Thank you all!

4 hours ago, julig22 said: In this particular instance, it was a chartered flight, so NCL handled the upgrade for the charter portion. Normally you would upgrade through the airline once the flight is actually ticketed - you can pick your seats, upgrade, pay luggage fees. I've upgraded before, usually just to get additional legroom.  In that case, the upgrade also included the checked luggage fees, so the upgrade wasn't much of an additional cost, so it definitely pays to check.  Also, the upgrade fees seem to change the closer to your flight day (went down for me) but of course if you wait, there are no guarantees.

Very true, that was a chartered flight.  We have upgraded before, using Princess air, on our own after the flights were ticketed.  I am sure it would be the same with NCL.

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What’s the Earliest You Should Schedule a Flight After a Cruise?

What time should you book your flight home after a cruise? Our rule of thumb is to schedule your flight home no earlier than five hours after your ship docks at its homeport . But there are cases where you can make a flight that departs much earlier.

Why so much time? Truth is, there’s a dramatic difference between the day you get on the ship and the day you get off.

On cruise day, everyone is excited to board. Lots of passengers arrive early, standing in line for the opportunity to board early and be among the first on the ship. Show up early and it might take some time to get aboard. But show up later in the day and the boarding process can take just minutes and you’ll hardly see another person in the terminal.

Debarkation day is completely different.

At that point, people can’t wait to get off the ship. They wake up early and stand in line for hours to get off the ship first and head back home. The result can be long lines and waits in some cases, meaning if you are in a rush to catch a flight, the stress can be high.

The Process of Getting Off a Cruise Ship 

In our experience, getting off the ship once a cruise has ended is much more time-consuming than boarding.

That’s because before the ship can let passengers off, it has to be cleared by authorities to start debarking. And even then, once you depart the ship you now have to go through customs and immigration to declare anything you bought while you were abroad and be checked back into the country. Combine this delay with thousands of people trying to leave at once and you’ve got a recipe for long waits.

The good news is that many ports are speeding up the debarkation process .

First, ships have “self-assist” debarkation. This allows passengers who can carry all their luggage with them to depart first. So if you have an early flight and can carry all your bags, then you can be among the first to get off the ship.

The major issue is that most people seem to opt for this method, instead of waiting to leave later in the morning and not carry their luggage. We’ve seen lines around the ship first thing in the morning that took 1.5 hours to get off the ship and out of the terminal.

Other passengers wait for their selected debarkation time (the ship will assign a time to all passengers the day before the ship arrives home). While this means you won’t get off the ship first, the process of actually leaving is usually faster since the lines are shorter by that time.

Second, most ports have switched to a facial recognition technology that dramatically speeds up getting through the terminal. It used to be you had to wait in line to meet with a border agent who would check your citizenship documents. 

These days, you can often just take a photo that documents you leaving the ship and then walk right off. Note that if you are traveling with a birth certificate instead of a passport, this option isn’t always available.

When to Schedule Your Flight Home

What this all means is that getting off the ship can sometimes take literally minutes. Other times, if can take hours. The good news is that debarking these days tends to be relatively quick.

In any case, given that it can take a considerable amount of time to get off the ship, what time should you book your departing flight?

We recommend scheduling a flight no earlier than five hours after your ship arrives back at home for most cruise ports . However, the absolute bare minimum should be no more than three hours before the ship returns (though we definitely suggest more time).

So if your ship is scheduled to get back home at 7:00 a.m., your flight shouldn’t leave any earlier than 12:00 p.m. to give you plenty of time. There will be times that this five hours gives you a ton of extra time at the airport. However, it’s important that you leave yourself a cushion should anything go wrong.

If your ship returns at 7:00 a.m., the absolute earliest we think you can make your flight is 10:00 a.m., but that will be tight. 

For some ports, we think you need to allow more time given the distance from the cruise port to the closest major airport.

Things That Could Delay You Getting To Your Flight

Unfortunately, getting off the ship isn’t just as simple of having it dock and then rolling your suitcase off. There are a number of factors that can delay things, which is why we recommend an ample cushion before your flight.

Weather Delays One of the biggest headaches for a cruise ship is fog. Early morning arrivals in humid port cities are a perfect recipe for delays due to fog. It’s not unheard of for a ship to have to wait off the coast for several hours while the fog lifts before making it to port — especially spots like Galveston, which is notorious for fog in the winter months.

Debarkation Delays We mentioned earlier how there can be huge lines to get off the ship first. With such a rush of people trying to debark at once, it can take up to two hours to make your way off the ship and collect your luggage. Thankfully, that’s a rare occurrence. 

If you don’t want to physically wait in line, you can debark later in the day. While that saves you the hassle of just standing around, it doesn’t get you off the ship any earlier.

Customs & Immigration Anything to declare? Even if you don’t, you’ll have to go through customs and immigration. This is another reason why it can take so long to get off the ship.

We’ve seen ports where it’s a breeze to go through, taking almost no time at all. In fact, you literally take a picture as you leave the ship and walk right out. We’ve also seen ports where it’s a major delay that forces you to stand in line for an eternity. Sometimes it seems there are too few agents working, leading to longer delays to get off the ship.

One tip: Many ports have now implemented facial recognition technology for passengers. You simply take a photo, and you are on your way within seconds. Meanwhile, we’ve noticed those with birth certificates sometimes (not always) still have to stand in line and meet with an officer, which takes much longer. Having your passport could save you considerable time .

Getting to the Airport Getting to the airport after your cruise can take 15 minutes or more than an hour. It really depends on the cruise port you are sailing from and traffic.

Cruise ports such as Port Canaveral and Galveston are far away (about an hour drive) from the closest airports. Others like Miami are right near the airport.

If you are flying out of a distant port, remember to add drive time to your schedule. You should also factor in time to get picked up if you are taking a shuttle or other transportation to the airport. This can add an extra 10-15 minutes to your trip.

Airport Security We don’t have to remind you of the potential for long security lines in airports these days. You’ll want to be sure to add in plenty of buffer time to your trip to account for potential delays getting through security and to your flight. This is where services like TSA Pre-Check can save you a lot of time .

You Might Have Plenty of Time at the Airport, But Why Stress?

Ultimately, we think the best thing you can do is pick a flight time that you are comfortable with making. You don’t want to be stressed as you try to make it to the airport. The five-hour cushion should be good if you plan to get off the ship right when it arrives.

If you’d like to plan to have lunch before your flight or take your time arriving at the airport, then plan a little more time.

Passengers sailing from ports with airports close by (meaning a short commute) could likely catch a flight that’s earlier, but keep in mind that adds more risk to catching your plane.

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Great info! I’m wondering if there is any other reason to book a later flight – in terms of how you feel physically. I’ve never been on a cruise before but I imagine I might feel happy to be on land for a beat before flying. Does that make sense? I’m trying to determine if I should stay overnight in my disembarkation city or if that’s overkill 🙂

Definite overkill. Most cruises you don’t even feel the ocean. If you do feel it, then it’s only occasional.

I actually find I feel the motion of an airplane much more than a cruise ship afterward.

Thank you for the quick reply! I failed to mention I’m going on an Antarctic cruise lol! So there is a good chance of feeling it. But even so, the more I think about it, I’d prefer to just get home rather than wait around that long.

Thanks for the info, Tanner. We are arriving back in Orlando at 6am on the Wonder of the Seas and have an 11am flight scheduled out of MCO. Do you think this will be enough time? Thanks!

If you have TSA Pre-check, I’d think you’re alright. If not, do your best to be the first off, be first on the shuttle, and first off. I think you should be able to do it, but hopefully there are no delays. MCO is actually the airport that convinced me to get pre-check because the regular lines there always seemed long.

If everything goes smoothly, you’ll likely be off the ship and out of security by 8/8:30 a.m., and to the airport by 9:30/10, assuming no delays. That would be plenty of time to get through security and to the plane.

Perfect. Thank you for the quick reply and info!

The cruise ll end its journey on Saturday 6am at Miami and the flight back to Europe is at 11.35am. Do you think it is doable without stress? And what is the best way to go to Miami airport form Miami port?

Thanks in advance Keith

Flying international should be doable at that time, but obviously it will take a touch longer. You’ll likely be off the ship at 8-9 a.m. and then can catch a taxi or Uber/Lyft to the airport and be there by 9:30.

Our HAL cruise docks at 7:00 am in Fort Lauderdale on a Sunday. Do you think an 11:35 am flight from MIA doable?

I think that should be possible.

I think you have already covered this, but to be sure. We get in to Fort Lauderdale Port at 7am and we have a 10:50am flight. Do you think that gives us enough time? The next flight isn’t until 6:20pm and I don’t really want to wait around that long

If flying from Fort Lauderdale, that’s plenty of time. If flying from Miami, it’s tighter, but I think still doable.

Awesome, thank you. We have quite a few in our group and I planned the flight schedule, I don’t want to have a mob on my hands if I chose poorly 🙂

We are going on a closed loop cruise from FLL to the Bahamas. Will we go through customs upon arrival back in Fort Lauderdale?

Well, it’s customs but it’s not like you might find in an airport. Typically you just walk off the ship, take a photo at the kiosk and you are on your way.

Does this apply for Barcelona cruises, where all ports of calls (Spain, France & Italy) are Schengen countries and EU members as well?

Honestly, we’re not familiar with ports in that region. However, if anything getting to the airport should be easier there where public transportation is more widely available.

Getting a lot of information from your comments. Question: We are returning from an Alaskan Cruise into Seattle on July 22nd (6:00 AM) We are thinking of taking an 11:50 AM flight. Doable? Thanks for the info!

I think that should be plenty of time.

Our airline has changed our flights 3 times. We are currently booked for an 11:35 out of Miami on Saturday of Labor Day Weekend. Carnival has us arriving back at 8 am. We will be taking our luggage off ourselves. Is this doable?

I think so. I’d be sure to be up early on the morning of disembarkation and start making your way down. Still, should be enough time.

Thanks for the information. I read this yesterday and booked our flights for 6:15 pm on the day we disembark. (Which is at 7 am). The latest flights besides this was 10:50 am and it is Port Canaveral so I was worried we wouldn’t make our flight. Anyway, now I’ve realize that we have another problem. What are we going to do with all of our luggage for 8 plus hours? We could explore the area but with luggage for 8 people and Ubering, I can’t see how that will work. Any ideas? Thanks so much!!

You mighhhht be able to make a 10:50 a.m. flight, but that’s cutting it very close in my opinion. Do you have a plan for what you want to do on the day you get back? Many large attractions (theme parks, etc.) should have a spot where you can keep your bags.

So this will be an “odd” one – we plan on taking the TRAIN down from Richmond Virginia (or Newport News – haven’t 100% decided yet) to Miami, the departure from Miami will be 11:40am – we are sailing on Virgin their arrival is at 6:30. We are sailing as Mega Rockstars so transportation to/from train station isn’t an issue. Do you think the 11:40 departure is cutting it too close on our arrival back to port day? Also WHERE is the train station IRT the port? I’ve already looked into the hotel for the day before sailing, I’m just curious how far it will be from the hotel (near the port – NOT booked yet) we don’t sail until October this year (2023).

This is our FIRST time cruising – so yeah nerves gaLORE

Thank you for your help

Yep, never heard that one! Google shows the Miami Amtrak station about 10 miles northwest from the cruise port in Hialeah. As for the departure time, I think that would be no issue whatsoever since trains don’t have the same security process & long boarding as planes do. If you already have tickets, I assume it would be as long as you’re there at 11:39, you’re good to go, right?

Yeah, I think you are right – hubs and I did the train from Newport News to NYC (and back) and it was a “hurry and and wait” at the train station (unlike European trains that tend to run “on time”) – I’ll just ensure we are in once of the first groups to depart the ship when we pull in.

Thanks for the map help too.

Hi Tanner. Thanks for all of the great information. Our cruise iteniary states arriving in Miami at 6AM on a Sunday morning (Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas). We will be flying out of Fort Lauderdale. We will self disembark and also have “my key”, not sure if that allows us to get off faster or not.

Do you think a 10:30AM flight is doable? They have a 12PM, but it’s a lot more expensive for my family. I definitely don’t want to miss a flight.

10:30 a.m. from Fort Lauderdale would be doable IF everything goes right, but it’s cutting it extremely close in my opinion. Even with a 6 a.m. arrival, disembarkation beginning at 7:30 is more realistic (it takes time to clear the ship before people can get off). Say you get through quickly, that means you are out the terminal by 8 a.m. Then you’ll need a ride (45-60 minutes), plus adding in time to wait for the ride.

So I would think the earliest you could be at FLL would be 9 a.m. That’s plenty of time to catch the flight, but if there are delays anywhere in that process then it could cause trouble.

Honestly, I’d likely keep the 10:30 flight simply because you say there is a 12 p.m. flight after it that you could maybe be re-booked onto if you miss the earlier time. Most times things go off without a hitch. It’s when there’s an issue that having a little extra time is nice.

We come back to New Orleans on a Sunday and right now NCL has us on 6pm flight is it worth time to see if NCL would move us to a 3pm flight ?

Yes, unless you plan to go explore New Orleans. That’s a pretty late flight.

HI, WE WILL BE ARRIVING TO MIAMI PORT AT 6AM AND MY PLANE DEPARTURES TIME IS 10AM IN FORT LAUDERDALE. SHOULD I CHANGE MY FLIGHT?

Yes, I would suggest a flight time of 11 a.m. at the absolute earliest. Noon would be better.

If I am traveling from Port Canaveral, Fl to the Orlando airport, would it be too early to schedule a flight at 10:25? Carnival stated on the itinerary that we would be arriving at port at 8 AM.

Yes, I think that would be too early. Even if you got off the ship at 8:30, it’s about an hour to the airport and then you still have to get through security.

Hello: I plan on booking a flight out of Tampa that leaves at 10:20. The RCCL ship docks at 7:00. Do you think I can make it? This would happen in April.

Oh, that is borderline. I would lean yes, but it would be very tight.

We are cruising Royal Caribbean out of Fort Lauradel , we come back on 11/11 and says boat will arrrive at 6am to FLL, our flight leaves at 11:10 a.m. are we cutting ourselves too close to make our flight?

If sailing out of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale and flying out of Fort Lauderdale, that should be plenty of time.

We are cruising Carnival out of New Orleans, we come back on the 16 our flight leaves out of MSY at 11:45 a.m. are we cutting ourselves too close to make our flight?

That should be perfectly fine.

NCL has scheduled flight from seattle at 11:35 am (Aug 24) going to Toronto via Vancouver. Do you think this is feasible given today’s airport issues.

So you are flying from Seattle at 11:35 a.m. after a cruise? I think that should be fine. If you got off the ship at 9 a.m. and it took 45 minutes to get to the airport (usually shorter), then you’d still have more than 1.5 hours.

Our flight from Miami to Toronto, canada has been changed to 11:10am. Do I have enough time.

Should be plenty, although dealing with international travel can sometimes take a little longer. I think you should be fine, however

Our flight home from Seattle got pushed back an hour, from 2pm to 3pm PDT, so now with the time change coming home, we’ll be arriving at 10pm EDT. There is an earlier flight that leaves at noon PDT in Seattle. Is that cutting it too close?

You should be able to do noon. I think you’re good.

We are getting off our Alaskan cruise in Vancouver at 7:00AM . Our flight from Vancouver is at 4: 15 PM. That is a lot of time. Any suggestions what we can do?

Are you sure that you’re getting off at 7 AM or the ship returns then? Normally ships return around 7 AM and then it’s a couple of hours to get off the ship. With the port right downtown, you can explore that area if you like. Near the airport is River Rock Casino. Stanley Park is beautiful and right near the cruise ship.

Our MSC cruise arrives in Miami at 7:00am on a Saturday morning and we fly out of Ft. Lauderdale. The airline just changed my flights and we’re now scheduled to fly out at 12:50pm. Is that enough time, or should I try to reschedule our flights? Thanks for the help!

I think that should be fine. Definitely use the option to carry your bags off unassisted to be among the first off the ship.

What airport should we fly home from on Disney Cruise NY (Manhattan cruise terminal)? With a 7:30 arrival, what is the earliest flight?

The Newark and LaGuardia airports are both about half an hour away. JFK is about an hour. We’d suggest making your flight no earlier than noon.

Thanks, I also didn’t tell you it is also a Monday (probably more commuters too).

how do you get from southampton england to gatwick airport. we do not have time problems because we fly out the next day. we are staying at the gatwick hilton close to tbe south terminal.

Unfortunately, we are focused on North American ports. Not sure about sailing in Europe.

You can get the train from the airport,and it takes about 2 hours to S/hampton,then a cheap taxi/uber to your terminal..its A LOT cheaper to book in advance..www.thetrainline.com

We will only fly out the next day. Our ship was fogged in at Galveston and instead of arriving at the port at 8:00 a.m. we arrived at 4:00 p.m. Hence, we were unable to make our 5:00 p.m. flight. It cost us $370 a person to rebook our flight. Lesson learned.

I want to fly from Houston to Seattle for an Alaskan cruise. Should I book a hotel room so I won’t be stressed when returning?

Flying back from Seattle after your cruise? We think that any flight after noon on the day you get back home would be fine. We do suggest coming in a day early for departure.

Our cruise is schedule to port at 5am. I want to book a flight that departs at 2:50pm. I don’t want the stress, but I don’t want another hotel stay either. I know we want to get home. I’m nervous though.

What port are you sailing from and what airport? A flight at 3 p.m. should be plenty of time to make your plane.

We’ll be taking a Europe river cruise in May. At the end of the cruise we arrive in Mainz Germany by 8:30am and fly out of Frankfurt, about 15 minutes by train to reach the airport. What time should we book a flight out on the same day?

We’d suggest nothing earlier than noon.

I am in total agreement that flights should not be scheduled soon after cruises. In fact, I actually prefer scheduling the flight for the day after I debark from the cruise ship. This way I have some time to relax and don’t have to worry about the lines on the cruise ship. It also means that I don’t often have to worry about the ship being delayed. All of this translates to less stress and an easier time arranging transportation to the airport.

That what a friend and I are doing. We are flying into Miami so that we have one full day in miami beach to sitesee and stay until the next day after our cruise. Just less stress.

That’s a great idea. We’ve done the same — a day/night at South Beach and then head to the cruise port the next day. It’s a fun way to start the trip!

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Eight passengers stranded on African island after Norwegian cruise ship left without them

A dream cruise vacation has turned into a nightmare for eight passengers left stranded on the African island of São Tomé and Príncipe after their ship left without them because they were late to return from a private tour.

The tourists — six from the U.S. and two from Australia — were aboard the Norwegian Dawn, a Norwegian cruise line ship , which departed from Cape Town, South Africa, on March 20 for a 21-day voyage up the coast of Africa set to end in Barcelona, Spain, on April 10.

But on Wednesday, the group of eight tourists was late to return to the ship by more than an hour for the all-aboard time of 3 p.m. from a private excursion on the island, which was not organized by the cruise line.

Jay and Jill Campbell of South Carolina were part of the group that was left behind.

They said that their tour’s operator notified the cruise captain that they were going to be late to rejoin the ship and that the local Coast Guard tried to get them on the vessel but that they weren’t allowed to board.

As a result, the couple and the rest of the group have been stranded for days on the island off Nigeria, grappling with language, currency issues and complicated travel to catch up with the ship.

“The lovely people of São Tomé were very gracious, very hospitable. They had reached out as much as they could to help us find hotels,” Jay Campbell said on NBC's "TODAY" show Tuesday morning.

“We were able to get to a tour agency there to arrange flights to the next port of call. ... Very difficult process — you’re dealing with multiple languages, language barriers, you’re dealing with different currencies ... finding someone that even has dollars ... trying to get an agent to understand where we need to get to.

"It’s one of those ‘You can’t get there from here,’" he added.

A Norwegian spokesperson called the incident a “very unfortunate situation” and said, “Guests are responsible for ensuring they return to the ship at the published time.”

The cruise line said that after the guests failed to return, their passports were delivered to local port agents, in line with protocol. The company said it was working with local authorities to understand “the requirements and visas needed for the guests to reboard the ship at the next available port of call.”

On Monday, the guests had made arrangements to rejoin the ship in Banjul, Gambia, but the ship was unable to safely dock there because of “adverse weather conditions” and “tidal restrictions,” Norwegian said. The guests were then contacted and provided with information to rejoin the ship at Dakar, Senegal, on Tuesday. 

Jill Campbell said they traveled through seven countries in 48 hours to arrive in Senegal on Monday night.

But the couple was reconsidering whether they even wanted to return to the cruise.

"We are considering whether or not we are going to board the ship. It is in dock here in Senegal," she said. "We believe there was a basic duty of care that they had forgotten about, so it does concern us."

"After what we witnessed, we truly believe that although there’s a set of rules or policies that the ship may have followed, they followed those rules too rigidly. I believe that they really forgot that they are people working in the hospitality industry and really the safety and well-being of the customers should be their first priority," she added.

Ultimately, the eight passengers did rejoin the cruise before 8:30 a.m. ET Tuesday in Dakar, Senegal, Norwegian told NBC News in an e-mail Tuesday evening, after this story originally published.

Norwegian said the passengers were responsible for making their own travel arrangements to rejoin the ship.

"Despite the series of unfortunate events outside of our control, we will be reimbursing these eight guests for their travel costs from Banjur, Gambia to Dakar, Senegal," a cruise line spokesperson said in a statement. "We remain in communication with the guests and are providing additional information as it becomes available."

A silver lining of the catastrophe was that the Campbells were able to connect with another Norwegian Dawn passenger — Julia Lenkoff, 80 — who was also left on the island, but for a medical reason.

Lenkoff was on a different day tour Wednesday. She had "medically disembarked" from the cruise to seek local treatment on that day, Norwegian said.

Norwegian said that its care team tried to call Lenkoff several times and was unable to reach her and that it worked with its port agent in São Tomé and Príncipe for updates on her health.

The Campbells met Lenkoff and were able to put her in contact with her family in California, who flew her home — a move Lenkoff's daughter said "saved her life."

"She's a world traveler. She travels all the time. So this was going to be one of her bucket list trips, because she's been to 120 countries so far, and she wanted to get to 130," her daughter, Lana Lenkoff Geis, said in an interview that aired Tuesday on "TODAY."

Norwegian said Lenkoff was escorted on a flight to Lisbon, Portugal, then put in the care of airport staff members to continue her journey back to the U.S., where she has safely returned.

Breaking News Reporter

This major cruise line operator just announced its biggest ship order ever

One of the world’s leading cruise operators unveiled its biggest ship order ever on Monday.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. will take delivery of eight ships between 2026 and 2036 across its three brands. 

Norwegian Cruise Line will welcome four ships in 2030, 2032, 2034 and 2036, each with a capacity of close to 5,000 guests. The additions are subject to financing.

The vessels will follow the line’s previously announced Prima-Plus class vessels.

The upscale Oceania Cruises will take delivery of two 1,450-guest ships in 2027 and 2029, and luxury line Regent Seven Seas Cruises will add two ships in 2026 and 2029, each accommodating 850 passengers.

"This strategic new-ship order across all three of our award-winning brands provides for the steady introduction of cutting-edge vessels into our fleet and solidifies our long-term growth,” Harry Sommer, the company’s president and CEO, said in a news release . “It also allows us to significantly leverage our operating scale, strengthen our commitment to innovation and enhance our ability to offer our guests new products and experiences, all while providing opportunities to enhance the efficiency of our fleet.”

Specifics about the ships’ accommodations and amenities will be announced “in the coming months,” according to the release.

The company will also add a new multi-ship pier at its private Bahamas island, Great Stirrup Cay, scheduled for completion by late 2025. The pier will be able to accommodate two large ships at once.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

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Subscriber only, travel | 8 new ships coming to norwegian cruise line, sister brands plus dock at great stirrup cay.

The parent company to Norwegian Cruise Line announced Monday a major order for eight new ships among its three brands as well as the construction of a pier to allow its cruise ships to dock instead of tender to its private Bahamas island for the first time.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings said it was planning to bring on four new ships for NCL, two new ships for upper premium brand Oceania Cruises and two ships for luxury brand Regent Seven Seas, all to be built at Fincantieri shipyard in Italy and debut during a 10-year run from 2026-2036.

The NCL ships would be the largest ever built for the line at around 200,000 gross tons and capacity of about 5,000 guests. They won’t arrive until after the final delivery of its Prima-Plus class ships expected between 2025-2028, the larger sister ships to the Norwegian Prima and Viva that debuted in the last couple of years. The four ships from the unnamed class of vessel would arrive in 2030, 2032, 2034 and 2036.

The new class for Oceania Cruises, which in 2023 debuted its first new ship in more than a decade — the Oceania Allura — will also be the largest ever built for the line at 86,000 gross tons and a capacity of 1,450 guests. They’re expected in 2027 and 2029.

And the Regent Seven Seas fleet’s new vessels will also be larger coming in at 77,000 gross tons with a capacity of 850 guests. They’re expected in 2026 and 2029. Regent just debuted the third of its Explorer class ships in December 2023.

“This strategic new-ship order across all three of our award-winning brands provides for the steady introduction of cutting-edge vessels into our fleet and solidifies our long-term growth,” said NCLH president and CEO Harry Sommer in a press release. “It also allows us to significantly leverage our operating scale, strengthen our commitment to innovation and enhance our ability to offer our guests new products and experiences, all while providing opportunities to enhance the efficiency of our fleet.”

No other details about the ships were released. Financing is already in place to fund 80% of the cost for the four ships among the Oceania and Regent orders, but financing for the four NCL ships is not finalized.

The eight ships expects to add 25,000 more to the three cruise lines’ passenger capacity.

In addition, the line is set to construct a multi-ship pier at Great Stirrup Cay, the popular Bahamas private destination visited by all three brands. The move follows the introduction of a dock that can support two Oasis-class vessels at neighboring Perfect Day at Coco Cay for Royal Caribbean while other private Bahamas destinations including Disney’s Castaway Cay and its new Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point feature tenderless docks for easy access.

“We are likewise excited with the addition of a new pier at Great Stirrup Cay to support our increased capacity in the Caribbean and multiple ships to call on the island, enhancing our guest experience and bringing seamless and reliable access to our private island year-round,” Sommer said.

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Norwegian Cruise Line Cancels Over a Dozen Voyages in 2025 — What to Know

Guests impacted by the cancellations will receive a full refund and a 10% discount in the form of a Future Cruise Credit towards any sailing through Dec. 31, 2025.

Courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line is canceling over a dozen cruises 2025.  The cruise line is nixing multiple voyages throughout next year, Norwegian confirmed to Travel + Leisure on Friday. "The recent 2025 itinerary cancelations are a result of varied events including the ongoing situation in the Red Sea and Israel, modified dry dock schedules for ship enhancements, a full ship charter, and lastly, to accommodate the demand for shorter close-to-home voyages to the Bahamas," a spokesperson for the cruise line told T+L.

The affected itineraries are as follows:

• Norwegian Epic - , Feb. 20, 2025, Nov. 1, 2025, Nov. 11, 2025
• Norwegian Jade - Mar. 4, 2025, Mar. 13, 2025, Mar. 24, 2025
• Norwegian Pearl - Apr. 19, 2025, May 5, 2025, May 16, 2025, Oct. 15, 2025
• Norwegian Sky - May 27, 2025, Jun. 5, 2025
• Norwegian Spirit - Jan. 1, 2025, May 17, 2025
• Norwegian Star - May 18, 2025, May 29, 2025, Jun. 9, 2025,
• Norwegian Viva - May 27, 2025, Sep. 20, 2025, Sep. 29, 2025

The spokesperson also shared with T+L that guests impacted by the cancellations will receive a full refund and a 10% percent discount in the form of a Future Cruise Credit towards any sailing through Dec. 31, 2025. "In addition, we understand the inconvenience and frustration this disruption may cause affected guests, so we have shared alternative sailings similar to their original booking," the spokesperson added, encouraging impacted guests to head to contact the company at 1-800-327-7030 for more information.  

In February 2024, NCL also announced it would no longer dock in Venice, Italy, due to restrictions of the waterways.  “While we have made every effort possible to maintain these calls to Venice, the tender operation and overall experience this provides our guests has fallen short of the standard we aim to deliver,” a spokesperson from NCL told T+L at the time.  Despite the cancellations, the cruise industry continues to rebound since COVID-19 closures. The industry is expected to grow to 130 million global passengers in 2026, which is up from 73 million global passengers in 2022, according to a 2023 report from the Cruise Lines International Association. 

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8 Norwegian Cruise Passengers Stranded on African Island Catch Up to Ship After Traversing 7 Countries

The group of stranded American and Australian passengers included four elderly people, one with a heart condition and a pregnant woman

Natalia Senanayake is an Editorial Assistant, Lifestyle at PEOPLE. She covers all things travel and home, from celebrities' luxury mansions to breaking travel news.

Sipa via AP

• Nine Norwegian Cruise Line passengers were reportedly left behind on the African island of São Tomé and Príncipe on March 27 
• The group was on a guided excursion that got delayed, leading them to miss the ship’s "all aboard" call 
• A statement from Norwegian Cruise Lines noted that all guests are responsible for returning to the docked ship at the designated call time 
• Eight people were able to catch up to the ship on Tuesday morning after reportedly traversing seven countries.
• One, who had fallen ill before the incident, has safely returned to the U.S.

Multiple passengers were stranded on an island in Africa after their Norwegian Cruise Line ship reportedly left them behind. After several days of uncertainty and a trek across seven countries, they're now back on board the vessel.

On Wednesday, March 27, South Carolina couple Jill and Jay Campbell were enjoying a guided tour on the island of São Tomé and Príncipe located off the continent's western coast, ABC15 News reported at the time. The pair was with six other American and Australian passengers when they realized they wouldn’t make it back to the ship on time due to their tour taking longer than planned.

Though the tour operator contacted the cruise ship’s captain to inform them of the delay, the captain refused to let them back on the still-anchored ship when they arrived at the port because it was after the "all aboard" call, per the outlet. 

The São Tomé and Príncipe Coast Guard allegedly then took them by boat directly to the ship where the captain again did not permit them to board. 

The group later encountered another stranded passenger, an 80-year-old woman, who was hospitalized on the island after a cruise line tour, the outlet stated. The woman reportedly experienced memory and vision loss due to a medical emergency. 

In addition to the ill passenger, the group also includes one person who is pregnant, one with a heart condition and four elderly travelers. 

The majority of the group left their medications and credit cards on the ship except for the Campbells, who have reportedly paid over $5,000 for food, accommodations, and other necessities for their fellow passengers. 

On Sunday, the U.S. Embassy in Angola allegedly arranged for the group to fly to the West African country of Gambia, the ship's next planned port of call, so they could reboard. 

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Unfortunately, the group discovered the cruise ship wasn’t docked at the port in Gambia as planned because it had to spend another day at sea due to low tides. ABC News 4 reports the passengers spent fifteen hours traveling through six countries to make it to the port on Sunday. 

“We have to cross the ferry to get into Senegal,” Campbell told the outlet on Monday, marking their seventh country. “We just learned from the gentleman that the ferry hadn’t been working, but he said no problem, if the ferry is not working we will get another little boat and then pick up a car on the other side. And then once we get on the other side of Senegal, it’s another four-hour drive.” 

In a statement to PEOPLE, Norwegian Cruise Line said, “On the afternoon of March 27, 2024, while the ship was in São Tomé and Príncipe, an African island nation, eight guests who were on the island on a private tour not organized through us missed the last tender back to the vessel, therefore not meeting the all aboard time of 3 p.m. local time."

The statement continued, “While this is a very unfortunate situation, guests are responsible for ensuring they return to the ship at the published time, which is communicated broadly over the ship’s intercom, in the daily print communication and posted just before exiting the vessel.”

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The cruise line added that guests are “responsible for any necessary travel arrangements” to meet the ship at the next port and that they had each of their passports “delivered to the local port agents to retrieve” when they missed their all aboard call.

The group was finally able to catch up to the vessel. They reached Dakar, Senegal, its next port, on Monday night, PEOPLE confirmed.

After what they'd been through, Jill told NBC News in a story published on Tuesday, "We are considering whether or not we are going to board the ship. We believe there was a basic duty of care that they had forgotten about, so it does concern us." While she allowed that Norwegian technically followed protocol, she says, "I believe that they really forgot that they are people working in the hospitality industry and really the safety and well-being of the customers should be their first priority."

On Tuesday morning, the eight passengers, less the person who had fallen ill and later safely returned home to the United States, chose to board the cruise. Norwegian confirmed the news to PEOPLE in a statement.

"Despite the series of unfortunate events outside of our control, we will be reimbursing these eight guests for their travel costs from Banjur, Gambia to Dakar, Senegal. We remain in communication with the guests and are providing additional information as it becomes available,"

The Norwegian Dawn departed from Cape Town, South Africa, on March 20 for a 21-day trip that will end in Barcelona on April 10.

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