Ngaire can answer this, I'm sure, but I thought it might be of general interest.

I like to let Radisson do our air arrangements. I don't travel enough to be able to do it on FF points, so I would rather not incur the aggravation and the risk.

So far on our cruises we have done deviations, but only involving early arrival, late departure, i.e., only involving the same gateway cities as the cruise ports.

But thinking about my next cruise (the soon to be named, WAVE). Don't really want to spend time in Monte Carlo (although Nice and Provence is a possibility). I am guessing that rssc would route us through Paris, so can I deviate and stay in Paris for a few days before M-C? Could I deviate further and get them to fly me into Rome instead, and then fly me to Nice the day of the cruise?

Or if I want to do this kind of jumping around, will I have to do my own air?

A deviation in Paris sounds very nice to me, although a few days in Rome would be better.

Sorry Wandra they wont do that.

Will only fly you into and out of the ports of embarkation and debarkation.

A few years ago we were able to make a stop "on the way" such as you describe in Paris. However, now the contracts they have the airlines wont allow stopovers unless an overnight is "forced" and necessary to make the connection.

So I am afraid it is "do your own air" if you want that schedule.

Wendy,

Join in in Provence for the pre-cruise. I wull work on a group rate when I am done with Oz.
Maybe someone else will join us too.

Hi Kathy,

Well, I had thought of doing Provence. Normally we just rent a car and follow our noses on such a trip. Not much into guided tours.

But open to all possibilities. So let me know what you have in mind, and we can talk about it, as you say, after Oz.

I guess this says to me, "brush up on your French"!

Ngaire, I was afraid of that. Seems silly though. Will think on this--I doubt if I can do air myself for anything like $1K pp, which is the discount if you do your own.

But we can go as early as we like I guess. In that case I guess we could just fly to Rome and back from Nice on our own?

Wendy,
Some of the low-cost airlines may have changed by now but I flew from Rome to Nice for a cruise a few years ago. I took virgin express. We had to change airplane in Brussels but it was a breeze. More importanly, they didn't charge us anything extra for our luggage. On the same trip we then flew from Nice to London on Easyjet without problems. Next we flew from London to Glasgow on Ryanair and they tried to charge us eighty pounds each for our one suitcase each being over the limit. We negoitiated down to forty pounds each. Considering we got the tickets for one pence each on a sale on their website, it wasn't the end of the world.

Julie, wow, routing you through Brussels between Rome and Nice, how strange!

Land arrangements, I am happy to cope with, don't know why I hesitate to do my own air. Maybe we'll just take a train to somewhere like Avignon and have done with it.

I know I posted this once before but a reminder when you're looking for flights within Europe, I think this is an excellent website. Europe has so many airlines we've never even heard of!
http://www.whichbudget.com/

This site has sure worked for us before.

Barcelona is closer than Rome .. if you want to go somewhere wonderful.. only about 4 hours train from the Monte Carlo areas ( so France)..

Just a thought.. Paris by TGV about 3 hrs from there.. another thought
We will be playing in Avignon for a few days if you decide on that will be at the Hotel d'europe
which sounds to be fabulous..
if you decide on Avignon look us up!

Thanks Claudia, we're talking next summer here, so probably won't bump into you :rolleyes:

But I will be definitely reading your trip report when you get back.

Claudia, this hotel looks very nice! Looking forward to hearing about it!