Expert cruise agents have revealed to Cruise Passenger how Cruise & Fly packages are not only set to become a trend across the industry, but can also be a significant money saver for cruisers.
Rose Febo a Personal Travel Manager at TravelManagers and award winning CLIA Cruise Master says there are two key factors that will lead to a rise in cruise and fly packages.
“Firstly, with the reduction in cruise options from locations like New Zealand, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Perth, more travellers will need to incorporate flights into their cruise planning. This creates a natural demand for bundled packages that simplify the process by offering an integrated solution.
“Secondly, economic factors play a significant role. As the cost of living continues to rise, travellers increasingly look for ways to manage and predict their expenses. All-inclusive holiday pricing, which is a key feature of cruise and fly packages, allows them to lock in a final price that covers multiple aspects of their trip. This helps in budgeting and provides peace of mind, knowing that the major parts of their holiday are paid for upfront.”
Kelly Henderson CLIA Cruise Ambassador & Personal Cruise Specialist at ILoveCruisng says another is that people are looking overseas for their cruises, and want to have everything sorted.
“With the rising cost of cruise from Sydney & Brisbane and the lack of itineraries being offered, clients are going to start to look overseas and to make it all easier, they will need all three cruise, fly and stay to make this a successful holiday for themselves and their family at a more competitive cost.”
Furthermore, expert cruise consultant Jane Fowler points out that a cruise and fly package can also stop cruisers from cancellation disasters.
“When your cruise and flights are booked together, it simplifies the planning process. You don’t have to worry about coordinating arrival and departure times, as it is all taken care of. All your bookings are with the same supplier and therefore if a flight is delayed, the cruiseline knows about this without the client calling.”
Andrea Burgess, head of marketing at Cruiseabout, says their cruise and fly packages are on the rise in popularity.
“Cruise and fly packages are certainly becoming more popular and are more appealing to clients as they offer hassle-free all-inclusive holiday options that offer assurance around the total holiday cost. In fact, 70% of Cruiseabout’s offerings are specially crafted International Fly, Stay & Cruise packages.”
How much can you save with a cruise and fly package?
Febo says you could see savings of up to 25% with a well-booked package. Furthermore, you have the advantage of a price that’s closer to all-inclusive, facilitating easier budgeting of your holiday.
“Yes, cruise and fly packages can often offer significant savings on your holiday overall. These packages are typically negotiated between travel agencies and cruise lines to offer more competitive pricing than booking each component separately.
“The savings can vary widely depending on the specific package, season, and destinations, but travellers can generally expect to save anywhere from 10% to 25% compared to booking the cruise, flights, and accommodation independently. Personally I’m a big fan of the paid upfront all-inclusive fly/cruise options where you literally can holiday and come home without a bill.”
Henderson says that while savings can be significant, the real win is in the convenience.
“Yes, they can save you money overall because they are often put together often through wholesalers rather than direct agents and then the direct agent can sell through the wholesaler. What’s more important about a fly stay cruise package though is the convenience of it and only having to go to one place to get your entire booking made. This is where you might save some money on agent fees or booking fees or administration fees as you’re only doing one booking rather than three different bookings. Some agents do not charge to book through them so it is important to find an agent who has little or no booking fees, when looking at one of these packages.”
Sarah Fenton, an MTA cruise agent, points out the saving time is just as important as anything else.
“Remember that when you are travelling, saving time is as important as saving money when you have limited leave. A fly/cruise package has the potential to save loads of travel time and increase the variety of holiday options on the table. Packaging flights and cruises cuts out middlemen and can offer great savings.”
What to look for in your package?
It’s crucial to have a thorough look through the terms and inclusions of a package before you book it. Henderson says many fly and cruise packages aren’t exactly what they appear to be.
“I have found the most agencies are already allowed to offer these as we can sell through a wholesaler company. One thing to note though is a lot of the companies aren’t selling “flights” exactly they are selling a “flight credit” which doesn’t cover the entire flight.
“Flights are not released until 11 months before the cruise date so if you are booking a cruise two years out you may still get stitched up in terms of having to pay a crazy amount of money for the flight once it is available.
“Another thing I have noticed is when flights are being offered, they are sometimes offering the lowest fare possible on the cheapest carrier, on a route that may have two stops and take 24 hours to get to somewhere that is only 12 hours away.”
Henderson recommends asking these questions before you opt into your package.
- Are they selling the actual flight or just a credit towards the flight?
- Is the flight going to be direct / minimal stops / easy to access?
- Is the accommodation going to be convenient and close to where you need to be?
- Is the accommodation going to be clean and of a decent rating?
- Is the room being offered on a cruise what the client is after in terms of location interior outside balcony suite type room or is it a guarantee room?
- What is the additional cost to upgrade to the room of your choice?
- With paying the additional cost for potentially a better room and a better flight and better accommodation that works for you is the cost of the fly, Stay, cruise package worth it?
Can’t find a package? Here’s how to save anyway
If you can’t find a package that suits the holiday you’re after, you can still be tactical in your holiday preparation to save a few extra dollars in the booking phase.
Febo explains two ways to save.
Get savvy
“Even without a formal package, travellers can still save money by strategically booking their cruise and flights together. Utilising tools like travel rewards programs, booking during sales events, or leveraging credit card points can lead to substantial savings. Generally, savvy travellers can save around 10% to 20%, but this requires more effort in researching and timing the bookings correctly. Savings can also depend on the flexibility of travel dates and the ability to find deals.”
Build your own package with a cruise specialist
“Booking through an experienced cruise specialist can lead to better savings, even if it’s not a formal package. Cruise specialists often have access to exclusive deals, group rates, and promotions that are not available to the general public. They can bundle your cruise, flights, and hotel stays in a way that maximises discounts and enhances value. Typically, travellers might save anywhere from 10% to 20%, depending on the deals available at the time of booking. Additionally, a specialist’s insider knowledge can help you find hidden savings and optimal arrangements tailored to your budget and preferences.”
Check flights with the cruise line
Fenton recommends checking if your cruise line offers flights, which can offer both savings and peace of mind.
“Some cruise lines, for example Princess and Holland America Line, offer flight deals with their cruises, and their buying power negotiates great deals PLUS the guarantee that you will still meet the ship at its next port if your flights are delayed. This is a huge advantage of packaging your holiday.”
What’s hot?
Cruiseabout says that the following three packages are flying off the shelves, as Aussie’s lock in their packaged holidays.
Northern Explorer on Crown Princess from $3799, 18-nights
“From a close to home perspective, our Northern Explorer Fly, Stay & Cruise package with Princess Cruises has taken one of the cruise lines extremely popular sailings from Sydney to Fremantle via Northern Australia and bundled it with a post-cruise stay in Fremantle & a return flight back to Sydney.”
Signature Denali & Glacier Discovery on Noordam from $4999, 10-nights
“A great example of our cruise and stay offering plus bonus airfare credit is our Signature Denali & Glacier Discovery with Holland America Line. An incredible package that ticks all the boxes and includes not just cruise and flights but an ever-popular HAL cruisetour offering. This inclusive package is a fantastic price point with the added benefit of flexibility so our clients can use this as the starting point to specially craft a bespoke Canada & Alaska holiday perfect for them.”
In-depth luxury Croatia on Azamara Quest from $5999, 12-nights
“The Mediterranean is always a popular choice for Cruiseabout’s clients and our all-inclusive, small ship luxury In-depth Croatia with Azamara is a fantastic package. It’s truly all-inclusive with return airfares to Europe, pre-cruise stay in Venice, 8-night luxury voyage sailing the mediterranean onboard Azamar Quest plus exclusive savings and all of the included amenities Azamara has to offer. Plus, with Cruiseabout, like all our packages our client have the option experience Europe their way with the option to extend their stay or fly in/ out of different European cities.”
