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When you book air through the cruise line, you will be given the cheapest, and often most inconvenient flights possible, because they use what is known as BULK TICKETING. Red-eye flights are now the norm, so they don't have to pay to put you up in a hotel - particularly from the West Coast. They go by your departure airport, and don't care how far away you live from it. Any time you want a more convenient air schedule or preferred airline, you have to pay the air deviation fee PLUS the difference in airfare. Since airlines can pretty freely raise/lower their prices and change their schedules at will, that difference in airfare is what you get stuck with. The same thing can happen if you buy your air separately, although the price will be set, the schedule can change. I'm with the other posters. I always book my air separately..fly in a day early, book my own hotel, and book an evening flight home. (Plus, I always buy trip insurance through a third party). There are only a few cruises I would recommend buying air through the cruiselines. And, Princess is definitely not the only offender in this area. All the cruise lines do this. Can you tell us what ship and departure port? For your "basic" Caribbean cruise (not Southern, necessarily), it's best to book your own air.

<blockquote data-quote="diverdiver" data-source="post: 717038"><p>When you book air through the cruise line, you will be given the cheapest, and often most inconvenient flights possible, because they use what is known as BULK TICKETING.&nbsp; Red-eye flights are now the norm, so they don't have to pay to put you up in a hotel - particularly from the West Coast.&nbsp; They go by your departure airport, and don't care how far away you live from it.&nbsp; Any time you want a more convenient&nbsp; air schedule or preferred airline, you have to pay the air deviation fee PLUS the difference in airfare.&nbsp; Since airlines can pretty freely raise/lower their prices and change their schedules at will, that difference in airfare is what you get stuck with.&nbsp; The same thing can happen if you buy your air separately, although the price will be set, the schedule can change.&nbsp; I'm with the other posters.&nbsp; I always book my air separately..fly in a day early, book my own hotel, and book an evening flight home.&nbsp;&nbsp; (Plus, I always buy trip insurance through a third party).&nbsp; There are only a few cruises I would recommend buying air through the cruiselines.&nbsp; And, Princess is definitely not the only offender in this area.&nbsp; All the cruise lines do this.&nbsp; Can you tell us what ship and departure port?&nbsp; For your &quot;basic&quot; Caribbean cruise (not Southern, necessarily), it's best to book your own air.</p></blockquote><p></p>

[QUOTE="diverdiver, post: 717038"] When you book air through the cruise line, you will be given the cheapest, and often most inconvenient flights possible, because they use what is known as BULK TICKETING. Red-eye flights are now the norm, so they don't have to pay to put you up in a hotel - particularly from the West Coast. They go by your departure airport, and don't care how far away you live from it. Any time you want a more convenient air schedule or preferred airline, you have to pay the air deviation fee PLUS the difference in airfare. Since airlines can pretty freely raise/lower their prices and change their schedules at will, that difference in airfare is what you get stuck with. The same thing can happen if you buy your air separately, although the price will be set, the schedule can change. I'm with the other posters. I always book my air separately..fly in a day early, book my own hotel, and book an evening flight home. (Plus, I always buy trip insurance through a third party). There are only a few cruises I would recommend buying air through the cruiselines. And, Princess is definitely not the only offender in this area. All the cruise lines do this. Can you tell us what ship and departure port? For your "basic" Caribbean cruise (not Southern, necessarily), it's best to book your own air. [/QUOTE]