Going on cruise in Oct, 05 and need air for 2 persons from California(oak or sfo) to Venice and return from Barcelona,Spain
Today I found oak to sea to ams to vce with return basically same from bcn for total of $1773.60 ticket price is $782 each, the rest is fees and tax, etc. Wondering if this is a good deal? or should I wait?

If its in October I would wait a while, I paid around $450 to ams in oct last year flying from sfo. It should be around the same for london as well. You can always get a cheap air on easyjet/ryanair from ams/london to and from the cities mentioned.

TAW - But if you travel with the regional carriers in Europe, you'll have weight limits to deal with your luggage. Not a good idea for people traveling to/from a cruise.

Doesn't the cruise line offer options for flights? Most do.

I would also arrange to arrive in Venice a day ahead of the cruise departure. And with les connections, the less the likelihood for luggage to go astray. Don't chance any delays for body or luggage getting to this destination (VCE). And while there might be lower fares, how long can you wait to catch one of those; also remember that September/October are still high season for Italy (and Europe), so that price doesn't seem that out of line.

Oh my goodness that is a lot of $$!!

It is MUCH TO EARLY to buy tickets now. Start keeping an eye out for travel deals starting 4 months prior to your trip.

I am a cruise travel agent and I think that is a great price. This is still busy season in Europe. Recent years have seen the fall being even more popular than the summer. I have seen prices double that by waiting. You are not flying to Amsterdam, where there is many flights/competition - you are flying an open jaw to which includes Venice - not many options there. You will be on flight weight regulations from your US carrier. You will not have to pay more for excess weight, unless you break the trip apart (buy a separate leg). Cruise lines can no longer come close to matching the low air fares being offered by going direct. They are not in bankruptcy and cannot count on getting a rate so low. I buy these for my clients all of the time and that is very reasonable. And, if you can fly in one or two days early - please do. Venice is wonderful and even though you probably arrive early a.m. - I have had clients miss an evening, same day, departure due to delays. Stuff happens.

I can't believe this slipped my mind on my earlier post. Last time we went to Venice we had a mechanical problem and ended up missing our whole first day there. Got stuck overnight in NYC - it was a Dallas to Paris flight with an emergency landing in NYC. And, we made a Barcelona sailing by less than an hour - it was a 7 p.m. sailing and we were supposed to arrive at 7 a.m. Delays due to rain if you can believe it. That was booked before I was an agent and I was supposed to fly in a day early and had a hotel and everything. The agent I used made a mistake. I soon became an agent myself.

Just as a wild and crazy idea, if you have the time, late Fall is when the ships that cruise European waters reposition to the Carribean. Usually, the fares on these voyages are pretty good, since they have to move the ship anyway. I think sometimes the crossing can take as long as two weeks, though. If you are interested, you might post an inquiry in the cruising forum.

thanks for all of your responses. I did purchase those tickets because they were in the range of what I was willing to pay. Also, the itinerary is good for us and we get into Venice 11:45 a.m.
I've read here that going thru AMS is easier than Paris or London. Trying to avoid as much hassle as possible to keep spouse calm!
We are going 2 days ahead of cruise and staying in Venice. We're also staying on in Barcelona after the cruise. When I booked my air the agent told me that if the ticket prices drop, I can get an adjustment...too good to be true? I hope not!
Again, thanks for the replies.