Should I book my flight through my cruise line?

When you book a Royal Caribbean cruise, you have the option to book your flight directly through the cruise line, but should you?

Air2Sea is the name of Royal Caribbean’s flight booking system, and through Air2Sea you can purchase airfare that links with your cruise reservation.

Booking airfare through the cruise line comes with added perks, such as special promotions and 24/7 support in case of travel emergencies. It can come with cons too, including fewer airline options and added difficulty when making changes.

Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of booking your flight through Air2Sea versus booking on your own to help you determine which is the better option for your cruise vacation.

Pro: Booking your flight through the cruise line can result in cheaper fares

One perk of booking airfare through Air2Sea is that you may come across special fares and promotions.

Cruise lines will sometimes work with airlines to reserve seats on a flight in advance. By doing so, you can often find cheaper flights compared to booking the same itinerary on your own.

This past summer, for example, Air2Sea offered special deals for select flights to Seattle, resulting in cheaper flights than you could have found directly on the airlines’ websites.

Finding cheaper flights when booking through Air2Sea is not always guaranteed, though. More often than not, in fact, booking flights directly through the cruise line results in the same flight prices. If you can snag a special promotional deal, however, it can lead to nice savings.

Another money-saving perk of booking through Air2Sea is the program’s price guarantee. If you notice a lower airfare price on a major US travel website within 24 hours of booking a flight on Air2Sea, you will be credited the difference plus another 10% as onboard credit during your cruise.

Pro: You don’t have to pay for the flight until final payment date

Another benefit of booking with Air2Sea is that, in most scenarios, you do not have to pay for the flight right away. Instead, the cost of the flight is incorporated into your overall cruise reservation and is due at the time of final payment on your cruise.

With Air2Sea, you can book flights anytime between 330 and 4 days prior to your cruise.

Depending on the length of your cruise, final payment is between 75-90 days before your cruise begins, and this is when all fees are due on the cruise fare, taxes, and airfare.

Up until final payment, you do not need to pay even a penny for your Air2Sea flights, and you will not incur any cancellation or change fees either. This is hugely beneficial for travelers who may need to change plans, or for those who aren’t quite ready to shell out hundreds (or thousands) of dollars for their flights months in advance.

Of course, if you book your flights just a few weeks before your cruise, you will be required to pay for the flights at the time of booking.

Con: There is a small fee

Currently, Air2Sea charges a small fee when booking flights for your Royal Caribbean cruise. For travel within the United States and Canada, each passenger incurs a $15 fee, and for travel outside North America this fee raises to $25 per person.

While minimal, this fee will add to your overall vacation cost, especially when traveling with a larger group. That being said, the benefits of booking through Air2Sea may justify the small fee for many travelers.

Pro: You get help during unexpected travel delays

Almost nothing about air travel is predictable, and if things go haywire, you may be at risk of missing your cruise altogether.

When flying to your cruise port, we always recommend flying to your departure port at least one day before the cruise begins. By doing so, you have enough wiggle room in the case of any unexpected travel delays or cancellations.

If things really go wrong while traveling, or if your flight itinerary did not allocate enough time for delays, you may miss the ship’s departure from port. In this scenario, you’ll be happy you booked a flight directly from the cruise line.

Related: Flight attendant shares 20 tips to minimize air travel fiascos

Booking a flight through Air2Sea offers what is called “assured arrival,” which means Air2Sea will work to get you to the next port of call should you miss the ship’s departure on embarkation day.

Air2Sea has 24/7 support available to help travelers as they fly to their departure port. If your flight gets delayed and will cause you to miss your ship, Air2Sea will work to find alternative options, such as flying you to the next port of call instead.

Con: Assured arrival does not always mean guaranteed arrival

While beneficial, Air2Sea’s assured arrival practice is not perfect.

First, Air2Sea can only bring you to the next port of call where you can legally join the cruise ship. This becomes problematic on Alaska cruises, as passengers are not legally allowed to join the ship at a secondary port of call without being in violation of the Passenger Vessels Services Act.

Plus, there’s no guarantee there will be flight itineraries available within the necessary timeframe to get you to the next port of call, and it means your vacation will be delayed by at least one to several days.

Pro: Booking flights that arrive the day before your cruise should negate any of these issues

Missing your cruise ship’s departure is not, by any means, a good way to start a vacation. Although Air2Sea can usually help navigate this problem by getting you to the cruise ship one way or another, the best solution is to simply book a flight that arrives with ample time to spare.

Regardless of whether you book your flights directly through the cruise line, booking flights that leave a day or two before your cruise should negate the effects of any potential delays.

Even if, as an example, your flight to Miami gets delayed five hours the day before your cruise, you’ll still get there well within your ship’s departure time. If that same delay were to occur on embarkation day, you might miss the ship altogether.

If you book your flights correctly, you don’t necessarily have to book them directly through the cruise line. While Air2Sea’s assured arrival is beneficial, it’s unlikely that you’ll need this service if you have enough wiggle room for delays and cancellations.

Con: It can make changing your flights more complicated

If you book a flight directly through an airline, making changes to your reservation is easy. You simply need your confirmation number and can make most changes—or cancel the flight altogether—via the airline’s website.

When booking flights directly through the cruise line with Air2Sea, most changes must be made through Air2Sea. If you want to change your flight time, for instance, you’ll have to call your travel agent or Air2Sea to make the change.

Related: Top 5 things to look for in a good travel agent for your cruise vacation

Air2Sea acts as a “middle man” between yourself and your airline, and this might make changing your flight cumbersome.

Con: Not all airlines and itineraries are offered with Air2Sea

Unfortunately, not all airlines are offered with Air2Sea, meaning your itinerary options may be more limited compared to booking flights on your own.

Southwest Airlines, most notably, is not available to book on Air2Sea’s website. This major airline serves all major cruise departure cities in the United States. By booking airfare with Air2Sea, you could be missing out on low prices and a wider range of flight itineraries.

Related: What is the earliest flight I should book after the cruise?

Budget carriers such as Frontier and Spirit are not available on Air2Sea, either. While we don’t usually recommend booking flights on a low-cost carrier, these cheap flights can occasionally be the best option, especially if they offer a direct flight.

Additionally, some cruisers find that there are not as many flight options on Air2Sea compared to searching for flights on a website like Google Flights. If you aren’t seeing your preferred itinerary on Air2Sea, you might have to contact your travel agent or Air2Sea directly to ask if you can book a different flight.

Con: Air2Sea does not consider nearby airports

Another con of booking flights directly through the cruise line is that Air2Sea does not consider nearby airports.

When browsing for flights to the inaugural Icon of the Seas sailing in January, Air2Sea populates flights only to Miami International Airport. Although this is the closest airport to the cruise port, it neglects to search for flights to Fort Lauderdale, located just a short ride away.

Even though flying into Fort Lauderdale would not be as convenient, it could result in lower fares and/or more direct flights for some cruisers. Air2Sea does not search for these flights. Theoretically you could probably book a flight to Fort Lauderdale by contacting your travel agent or Air2Sea directly, but this adds an extra step to the process.

Con: You can’t pay with miles

If you’re racking up thousands of frequent flier miles and plan to use them for your vacation, you’ll be out of luck when booking through Air2Sea.

When booking flights through the cruise line, you must pay with a credit or debit card. Using miles to pay for a flight is not allowed, so if you have a stockpile of miles, it may be best to book directly with the airline instead.

The good news is that you will still receive airline benefits by booking through Air2Sea, provided you connect your reservation with your airline loyalty number.

The bottom line: should you book your flight directly through the cruise line?

As you can see, there are several pros and cons to booking your flight directly through Royal Caribbean.

If you’re someone who values convenience and having all travel information in one place, booking through Air2Sea may be beneficial. You won’t have to worry about making multiple payments, navigating several different websites, and searching for the perfect flight yourself: Air2Sea and your travel agent can help you with everything instead.

And, if things go wrong while traveling, having the support of Air2Sea is undoubtedly helpful, especially if you’re flying to your cruise on embarkation day.

That being said, if you’re flying a day or two early to your cruise port, the assistance of Air2Sea may not come in handy anyway. Plus, you might become frustrated if you need to make any changes to your flight schedule, as in most cases you won’t be able to make changes directly with the airline.

When searching for flights for a cruise, it’s helpful to look at the options through Air2Sea and compare the flights with those you can find on Google Flights or on an airline’s website. While sometimes you can find a fantastic deal, other times it may be more efficient to book directly through the airline, especially if it’s an airline not offered by Air2Sea.