Airfare

Be sure to check whether the price of your cruise includes air transportation to and from the ship. If it does not, you can purchase your airline tickets and transfers from the cruise line. This is known as an air-sea package. Air-sea packages generally are convenient and reasonably priced, and include ground transportation and luggage handling to the ship. However, the cruise line controls which airline and flight you will be on. For an additional fee, many lines will allow passengers to customize their own airline and flight itineraries (sometimes called an "air deviation" or "custom air" program).

Lines also offer cruise-only fares, which allow passengers to purchase air transportation on their own. By arranging your own airfare, you may get a lower fare and a more convenient routing, and if you have frequent-flier miles, you may be able to get a free ticket. You will also be responsible for ground transportation and luggage handling to the ship. In this case, you can purchase an "air supplement" (usually a nominal fee) from the cruise line, which will provide transfers to the ship and baggage handling. In some cases, though not often, cruise lines will offer an international air credit for customers who book their own international air transportation.

Airline competition is fierce within the United States, and if your flights involve major U.S. hub cities -- say in and out of Miami and your home city -- you may be able to beat the cruise line's price, especially if you book far enough in advance.