Charlie's Cruise Tips
Charlie’s Cruise Tips!
Welcome aboard! My name is Charlie Wahlberg and I am your Senior Group Account Executive.
It’s my pleasure to help make this a cruise to remember!
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Shown below is important information that will be of great help in your cruise planning. Please read it carefully and save this letter for future reference.
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PAYMENTS The due dates for deposits and final payments are on the invoice you receive. When making your payments, please be sure to put the group order number on your check or money order and mail it to the address on the invoice. Please mark your calendar, as missed payments can result in penalties, or your cabin being cancelled. Credit card payments may be made by phone between the hours of 9am-6pm Eastern time by calling 954-636-5885 or 866-376-6066.
INSURANCE Everyone expects to sail, but some will not due to unexpected emergencies. I highly recommend travel insurance to protect you and your vacation investment. To assist you in making your decision I have enclosed a Leisure Care booklet for you to read. I urge you to read the cancellation penalties and the pamphlet on insurance coverage before deciding not to insure your vacation. It is designed to protect you for certain cancellations, trip interruption, health coverage and baggage protection. Just give us a call for pricing, and we will be happy to add the insurance protection to your booking. When you purchase our Leisure Care, your tickets from the cruise line may read “insurance declined”, but don’t worry, your insurance has been placed with Berkley Leisure Care – an international travel insurance company providing excellent coverage independent of the cruise line.
IDENTIFICATION…All departures starting December 31, 2006 and later will require passports for all passengers. If your cruise begins in December 2006 and ends is January 2007 you will also need a passport. It’s very important that names on bookings are legal names and not nicknames. Names must match identification. It’s also very important that when you receive your invoices, the spelling of each name is correct. A name change fee will be assessed by the cruise line for any changes made after final payment. Passports for U.S. citizens can be obtained at your local main post office. Please keep in mind that you will need to allow 6-8 weeks for your passport to be processed. For further details regarding up-to-date proof of citizenship requirements, as well as further information regarding obtaining a passport, please consult We recommend the following website for non U.S. citizens which supplies embassy and consulate phone numbers as a resource to help you find the necessary information: www.travel.state.gov/travel/warnings_consular.html.
CANCELLATION POLICY AND PENALTIES FOR THE CRUISE LINE….This will vary according to the number of days for your sailing. Please refer to your invoice for your cancellation policy and penalty. ALL CANCELLATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED IN WRITING. Once your reservation has been cancelled, we will begin the refund process with the cruise line, which can take up to eight weeks.
TICKETS…You should receive your documents about 7 - 14 days prior to sail date. Again, if you have moved, make sure we have your new address so documents will be received in a timely manner. Please supply a street address…we cannot ship to a P.O. box.
PRE-REGISTRATION WITH CRUISE LINES…This is required by Homeland Security, and can be done online by going to the cruise line website. You will need your ship name, sail date, and cruise line reservation number which can be found on your invoice.
DRESS CODE….Dress for fun! Casual sports wear is great for daytime activities. Evening dress is elegantly casual (pantsuits, sun dresses, sport shirts & slacks). On 3-5 night cruises there will be 1 formal evening, 7 night and longer cruises there will be 2 formal evenings. For formal evenings ladies might wear After Five cocktail type dresses or pantsuits etc. Men can wear suits, sport coats with tie, or a tuxedo. Jeans and shorts are not allowed in the dining room in the evenings. Some cruise lines offer free-style dining where formal dress is optional.
TIPPING….Of all the questions we receive, this one is the most common. Generally speaking, tipping is a great way to show the ship’s staff how much you have appreciated their service. As with many service industries, these ladies and gentlemen are paid a salary far below what we, as Americans, consider a decent wage. You only need to tip your Cabin Steward, Dining Room head waiter and assistant waiter. The rule of thumb is a total of $10.00 per cruise guest, per day: $3.50 a day per person for the Dining Room head waiter and room steward, and $3.00 per day per person for the Assistant Waiter in dining room. For example, a seven day cruise will have total tips of $70.00. Most cruise lines will automatically add this to your shipboard account. Others will leave envelopes in your cabin for you to personally give the tip to the appropriate person.
TRANSPORTATION…..For those driving to the port, there is ample parking which needs to be paid at the time of arrival, usually by cash. The fee will depend on which port you will be leaving from and the length of the cruise, but usually runs around $10-$15 per day. If you have purchased airfare through the cruise line, round trip airport to pier transfers by motor coach or van are usually included. Look for a cruise line representative in the baggage claim area who will direct everyone to the waiting vehicle. If you choose to make your own air arrangements and wish to have ground transfers, let us know as they can be purchased separately up to 14 days prior to departure. If you are arranging your own airfare, it is very important to arrive at least four hours prior to the time of embarkation. Flights home should be scheduled for five or more hours after your scheduled arrival into port. If you elect to make your own air/ground transfer arrangements, the cruise line will not be responsible for anyone not on the ship at the time of sailing, regardless of the reason, and will not refund any portion of the cruise fare. It is always wise to be covered by insurance which can be of help in this situation.
ON BOARD PURCHASES….With the exception of the ship’s casino, the cruise lines have created a “Cash Free Society” on board. Before purchasing anything on the ship, you will need to set up an account. You can start it with either a credit card or cash/travelers checks. On the last day of the cruise no one will be allowed to leave the ship until all accounts are settled. You will be required to sign for all purchases, will be provided with receipts and can request statements, or check your balance whenever you wish. Each passenger can have their own account, or a cabin or family may share an account. On the day before the cruise ends, a statement will be put in each cabin showing the total spent onboard. If you agree with the charges, they will show up on your next credit card statement. For cash accounts on board, this can be settled at the end of the cruise, and you will receive a refund for any unused money left in the account.
MEDICAL, PHYSICAL or DIETARY NEEDS…. Please let us know of any as soon as possible. Most situations can be accommodated when the cruise line knows in advance. Make sure bring enough of your prescription medicine in the prescription bottle or packaging, as the ship’s infirmary is limited as far as what they can supply. If refrigeration is needed for medication, some staterooms will have a small refrigerator. If not, the cabin steward can keep it refrigerated for you, or it can be stored in the infirmary. If you are pregnant, you are welcome to travel provided you have not reached your 24th week by the end of the cruise. If you are visibly pregnant, please bring a doctor’s note indicating permission for you to travel and your expected due date. Most cruise lines can make arrangements for special dietary needs with advance notification.
SHORE EXCURSIONS…Most of the cruise lines have their shore excursions listed on their websites and you can, in most cases, purchase them ahead of time. Some of the shore excursions will sell out early, so we recommend booking them as soon as you can – usually 60-70 days before your cruise. You are not required to book any of the cruise line’s shore excursion offerings, but booking your excursions through the cruise line is a safe and reliable way to visit your port-of-call, especially if it’s your first visit to the destination.
EMERGENCY…If a family member or friend needs to reach you for an emergency situation, they can call the High Seas Operator at 1-800-SEACALL. (But beware, high seas calls are VERY expensive and should only be made in cases of extreme emergency. For “less than emergency” messages, we suggest using email since all ships have internet access.) There will be more information on this in your documents. Cell phones will not be useable while out to sea. Service may be available in some ports of call depending on your service provider.
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