Frequently
Asked Questions
| For
cruise information, pricing and to make your
reservation, simply call us toll free at 1-800-821-0536.
You may also browse our website for cruise deals
and ideas. |
| Typically,
you will need to pay a nominal refundable deposit
at the time you reserve your cruise. On behalf
of the cruise lines, we can accept all major
credit cards plus checks for cruise payments.
Keep in mind that most cruises must be paid
in full within 75 days prior to the date of
sailing.
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| Most
cruise lines and ships offer the following stateroom
choices: Penthouse Suite; Suite; Mini- Suite,
Balcony, Ocean View, Inside. (Please ask us
for more details.) |
| A
category/stateroom guaranty means that your
reservation guarantees that your stateroom or
category will be at least as high as you have
paid for and often times it may be upgraded
for free prior to the sailing. (Please ask us
for more details.) |
| It
is your vacation and the choice is always yours.
However, air purchased from the cruise line,
with the cruise package, will include transfers
to/from the ship and this air may be less restrictive
than purchasing air online. (Please ask us for
more details.)
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| You
may always purchase your own air transportation.
However, you will need to allow plenty of time
to arrive at the cruise terminal prior to the
cruise and you will also need to make sure to
allow enough time for you to be able to make
your flight home. Unfortunately, we cant
be responsible for any air arrangements that
arent made through us or the cruise line.
(Please ask us for more details.)
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| The
cruise lines do offer several great choices
of pre/post hotel packages that will include
transfers to/from the ship. It is your vacation
to decide where and for how long you may want
to stay. Depending on where you are traveling
from, you may also need to allow for a one night
pre cruise hotel stay since you might not be
able to get to the port prior to the ships
sailing. (Please ask us for more details.)
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| Cruise/travel
insurance isnt required, but we do recommend
that you purchase it for your piece of mind.
As with most insurance coverage, you never know
when or if you will need to use it. However,
cruise/travel insurance is an affordable way
to protect your vacation investment. (Please
ask us for more details.)
|
| You
should receive your cruise reservation/confirmation
package within a few days of making your reservation.
Your final cruise documents (cruise/air tickets)
should arrive after your cruise has been paid
for in full and at least two weeks before your
sailing date.
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| Most
cruise itineraries visit ports out of the USA
so many cruise vacations will require a passport
for you to sail. However, on some sailings you
will only need to show proof of citizenship
(passport or an official birth certificate along
with a government issued ID) for you to be able
to sail. Click
here to see the current US passport requirements
(PDF). All non US residents should always check
with their consulate before purchasing a cruise.
(Please ask us for more details.)
|
| You
may cancel your cruise reservation at anytime.
We will not charge you a penalty or fee. However,
the cruise line may impose cancellation penalties
on your cruise booking. Typically, they will
not charge you a penalty if you cancel your
cruise prior to the final payment date. If you
do cancel your cruise after that date the cruise
line can charge you from $100 to 100% depending
on how many days before the cruise that you
cancel. Cruise/travel insurance may cover you
for these charges. (Please ask us for more details.) |
| Each
evening you will receive a complete agenda of
the following days activities. This agenda will
be delivered to your cabin. |
| While
it varies from cruise line to cruise line, most
ships will give you several dining choices. Breakfast
and lunch are usually served in a main dining
room at a scheduled time as well as buffet style
at your leisure. Dinner may also be served at
a specific assigned time. However many ships have
changed to a more flexible evening dining schedule
offering various choices including specialty restaurants
(usually at a additional nominal charge $20-$30),
as well as more casual dining options. Room service
is usually available 24 hours a day with a limited
menu at no charge, |
| There
is a variety of evening entertainment on most
larger ships ranging from Las Vegas style reviews
to various variety, magic and comedy shows. There
are usually several events going on simultaneously
in an attempt to offer something entertaining
for every guest. |
| Most
ships have nightclubs with a D.J. until the early
hours of the morning. Minimum age ranges from
18 to 21. There are no cover charges to enter
the night club. |
| Most
ships will have a number of activities geared
toward their single guests giving them the opportunity
to meet and mingle with other singles. |
| Most
ships have a full casino on board featuring Las
Vegas style gambling. Games include Black Jack,
Craps, Roulette plenty of slots as well as other
gambling opportunities. Minimum gambling age is
21 years. Casinos are closed when in ports or
when sailing in US waters (normally within 12
miles of land). |
| All
of the major cruise lines staterooms are
equipped with color televisions playing various
programming, including movies, 24 hours a day.
Many ships also have onboard cinemas and recently
some ships have even added large outdoor poolside
screens.
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| All
of the major cruise lines ships have large
fully equipped fitness centers in addition to
their luxurious spas and beauty salons. There
is generally no charge for using the fitness center
with the exception of a personal training session
or a specific aerobics class. |
| We
do recommend that you make spa appointments on
the first day of the sailing since space is limited
and the best times and days may fill up quickly. |
| All
of the major cruise lines ships have one
or more outdoor pools while some ships even offer
indoor pools and a kids pool. In addition
to the pools, you will find one or more Jacuzzis
on the pool deck.
|
| All
of the major cruise lines ships have sundry
shops and duty free shops while some ships may
even have large mall type areas onboard with several
shops to chose from. (Please ask us for more details.) |
| The
ships all have shore excursion booking and information
centers onboard. Depending on the cruise line
and your itinerary, you may be able to book your
shore excursions in advance via the Internet,
fax or mail. (Please ask us for more details.) |
| It
is your vacation to relax and be comfortable.
Resort casual wear is acceptable throughout the
day on most cruise lines and ships. However, during
dinner most cruise lines request for no shorts
or T-shirts and some ships do have a few formal
nights where you may need to dress up if you will
be dining in the main dining rooms. (Please ask
us for more details.) |
| Most
ships offer several different bars, lounges and
pubs onboard for your drinking pleasure. The cruise
lines typically don't allow for you to bring your
own liquor aboard for consumption on the ship.
The minimum drinking age on most ships will vary
from 18-21 years of age. (Please ask us for more
details.)
|
| The
cruise line will issue you an onboard charge account
so that you simply can sign for any purchases
while onboard the ship therefore you won't have
the need to carry cash with you everywhere. Prior
to boarding the ship, the cruise line will request
for you to post a credit card, debit card or cash
that will be used to pay for all of your charges
that you incur during the sailing. (Please ask
us for more details.) |
| Gratuities
are required onboard most cruise ships. Typically
the charge for gratuities is only about $10 per
person per day of the sailing (gratuities on a
7-day sailing would be about $70 per passenger.)
This amount will cover cost of the tips for the
cabin stewards, waiters & assistant waiters
In addition, 15% in gratuities will be added automatically
to any bar, lounge or beverage charge. |
| The
ships all offer a well equipped medical facility
staffed by doctors and nurses. There is a cost
for these services and they may not be covered
through your personal health insurance. Typically,
many of these costs will be covered through a
cruise/travel insurance policy. (Please ask us
for more details.) |
| All
of todays larger ships are handicap accessible
throughout most of the ship including several
elevators and specially equipped staterooms/bathrooms.
Typically, the newer the ship the better equipped
it is. (Please ask us for more details.) |
Bringing your Family
| Most
cruise lines have plenty of things for families
to do onboard since cruising has become more family
friendly in recent years. Typically, each ship
will host organized family activities and events
throughout the day. (Please ask us for more details.) |
| Most
cruise ships have organized kids/teen clubs and
programs with special designated areas just for
them including play areas, game rooms and teen
discos. These programs are fully staffed with
trained counselors and are normally free of charge
during their normal operating hours. (Please ask
us for more details.)
|
| Most
cruise ships will offer some type of onboard baby-sitting
services for a nominal fee. These services are
typically available during the hours that the
kids clubs are closed and may vary from
cruise line to cruise line. (Please ask us for
more details.) |
Keeping in Contact
| The
cruise lines all have ship to shore telephone
services available so that you can make and receive
phone calls directly from your stateroom. However,
we suggest that you keep these calls to a minimum
(incoming & outgoing) as they are typically
very expensive and will be charged to your room.
Your cruise documents will include the ships
contact phone number so that people may be able
to call you on the ship. (Please ask for more
details.) |
| Most
cruise ships now have onboard Internet Cafes fully
equipped with computers, printers and online service
all available for you to use for a nominal fee. |
| Most
cruise ships are now specially equipped with live
cellular signals for your personal cell phone
use. This service works with most carriers as
long as your phone is set up for international
roaming. The costs of the calls will vary from
cruise line to cruise line and it will also depend
on your own cellular companys roaming charges.
We suggest that you contact your cellular company
directly to check the rates and roaming status
of your phone before the day of sailing. (Please
ask us for more details.) |
Getting to/from the Ship
| Boarding
will typically begin several hours before the
ship actually sets sail as the cruise line expects
everyone to be on board at least one hour prior
to sailing. We suggest that you try to arrive
at the port at least 4 hours before your cruise
is scheduled to depart. (Please ask us for more
details.) |
| You
will not be able to disembark from the ship until
the ship has been cleared from the local Customs
bureau. Typically it can take a couple of hours
for Customs to clear a ship after it arrives into
the port so we do suggest that you take this into
consideration prior to making any pickup arrangements.
When making your flight arrangements, you will
want to leave plenty of time for you get off of
the ship after it has been cleared and also allow
enough time for you to get to the airport and
go through their boarding process. (Please ask
us for more details.) |
| On
our web site, you can access directions/maps for
most US ports. (Please contact us if you don't
see the map or directions that you need for your
sailing.) |
| In
most ports you can either take a local taxi (rates
will vary) or you may purchase cruise line transfers
with your cruise vacation package. (Please ask
us for more details.) |
When
you arrive at the cruise terminal, you will leave
your luggage with a porter so that they can forward
your bags onto the ship and deliver them to your
stateroom. Most cruise lines don't restrict the
amount of luggage that you may bring aboard the
ship. However, you may have some restrictions
if you are flying to or from the port. (Please
ask us for more details.)
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Our
experienced counsellors can find the right cruise for your needs,
desires and budget
Call
us now!
800 300-1007
or
we will call you!
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