Getting there one day early makes sense. Have a great time!

I agree with the concensus...book your own flights and arrive one day early. However, there is one exception....when you start at one port and end at another. In that case, we have found that it is always significantly cheaper to book flights with the cruise line. Booking 2 one way flights on your own is very expensive.

Book your own airfare! You can probably get it cheaper than paying the amount the cruise line wants. Our first cruise with Carnival was great. We had American Airlines flight. Our next cruise with Carnival was a disaster with airfare. We had booked a year in advance and got Spirit Airlines. The planes were old, the seats uncomfortable. The biggest objection was we were a group of 10 and could not get our seats until we checked in at the airport. We were pretty disgusted since we were all over the plane. We have now booked a cruise on Royal Caribbean and booked our own airfare. We have paid $632 versus the $800 that the cruise line wanted to San Juan.

While in general you will save money booking your own airfare, we have found exceptions so it always pays to check both. Open jaw trips with northbound or southbound Alaska trips were cheaper through the cruise line, as were spring break fares to Puerto Rico. I was able to book St. Louis to Istanbul, and Barcelona to St. Louis cheaper on my own, but this wouldn't always be the case.

We once had five airline tickets booked to Europe for our cruise (much better price than the cruise line offered), but they cancelled our cruise. We had to change to an open jaw itinerary with increases and change penalities on each ticket.

Now a simple round trip to Miami or Ft. Lauderdale, Florida...that's where the cruiselines really make their money! (Not to mention the passenger getting to make all kinds of creative stops along the way (like Memphis, Dallas, or even Tampa.)

I actually was able to do an open jaw in Alaska for $400 less then what the cruise line offered. And by doing a one way (as opposed to RT Alaska) - my cruise was significatnly less then doing a RT.

So always look at all your options.

Theresa - you are right! We have also booked open jaw Alaska cheaper (and even gotten award travel), but our next cruise is over Memorial Day weekend this year and the cheapest airline fares were $250 more. That's the message - always check your options! :)

I too never book cruise air. For clairfication- an open jaw flight is different from 2 one ways- of which you DO NOT WANT. An open jaw is listed under most online sites as mulit city. I have NEVER found Alaska cruise air fares to be a bargain and usually several hundred more. But be aware that transfers are on your own. Anchorage- Seward will add at least $50, Anchorage Whittier at least $30 and Vancouver cab $25+++ ca. So you need to factor and arrange for these yourself. (I never take cruise transfers either)