|
|
What documents do I need
to travel?
For Alaska cruises,
all U.S. and Canadian citizens must travel
with proof of citizenship, which is a valid
passport, or birth certificate (complete
with raised seal, not a photocopy) with a
picture identification, or a certified
naturalization certificate with picture
identification. Any state government issued
drivers’ license or other form of picture
identification should be acceptable.
Non-U.S. citizens who are residing in the
United States are required to travel with
their Alien Registration Card (Green Card)
and valid passports. All others must have
valid passports and necessary visas at
embarkation. For cruises to Europe, Africa,
Middle East and Asia, if you have any
concerns about visa requirements, and we
will assist you with the documentation
required to travel. We care very deeply
about pleasing our guests!ack
to top
What should I pack?
This will depend on
what cruise you are taking and also what
cruiseline and ship you are on. Princess
Cruise Line and Holland America tend to lean
more on the formal side whereas Carnival
will tend to be more informal and casual.
The Caribbean, Hawaiian and Alaskan cruises
are less formal than a Transatlantic,
Mediterranean or a European cruise.
Generally speaking, it is very casual during
the day and casual to formal in the evening.
For men, a dark suit will be fine, even for
the ‘formal night’. If you wish to wear a
tuxedo, we would recommend you rent one on
board the ship. Most ships offer this
service. Tuxedos are generally not a must
but many guests who have one, like to carry
their own.
Ladies can take cocktail dresses or a long
formal dress. On a 7 night cruise, there are
usually one to two formal nights and on 3 to
4 night cruises, there is just one formal
night. The rest of the evenings are pretty
casual and men should wear a collared shirt
to dinner and ladies should wear slacks or
skirts. No jeans or shorts in the dining
room!
ack to
top
Can I call home from the
ship?
Most of the ships
today provide Ship to Shore telephone
service. It is also possible to call from
your stateroom but you may want to check
before hand what the prices are as, Ship to
Shore rates apply and it may come out very
expensive. You may also want to limit your
conversations if you have to use the
telephone on board the ship.
to top
What is included in the
price of the cruise?
Everything on board is free, that is your
meals, your accommodation, all shipboard
entertainment, all taxes and depending on
what type of a cruise you have paid for,
your airfare and ground transportation to
and from the port is also included. You will
have to pay for liquor, shore excursions,
photos, gratuities, gambling and
incidentals.
back to top
Is there a doctor or a
nurse on board?
Every major ship will
have a medical centre to handle an
emergency. If you know of a medical
condition that you have, please ask us when
you are booking your cruise so that we can
make sure that the ship you are cruising on
can handle your needs.ack
to top
How can we arrange for
sightseeing when in port?
You can book shore
excursions on line. You will need your
reservation number, ship name and sailing
date. Up to 10 days prior to your sail date,
you can purchase shore excursions on line.
After that, you will need to do that on
board the ship.
Your ship will typically arrive in port
early in the morning at which time you are
free to go ashore. In most cases, you will
be back on board the ship by 4pm. This gives
you more than enough time to enjoy one of
the cruise lines' shore excursions. Many
guests like to do their own thing! They like
to walk to the market or pick up a taxi to
the nearest beach, or go scuba diving. Upon
debarkation, you will find locals waiting to
sell their own tours. While these tours may
be quite good and safe, sometimes a little
cheaper too, we would highly recommend that
you take the cruise ship sponsored tours and
excursions. This way you will not have to
worry if you will make it back to the ship
on time for departure.back
to top
Is there Internet access
on board?
Most of the newer
ships will have computers connected to the
Internet. You will have to pay for computer
time and you can access your e-mail using
Hotmail or Yahoo. It is always wise to check
with us if this service is available on
board the ship you have chosen. Laptops can
also be used but you will have to pay quite
a hefty sum (approximately US$8-10) per
minute to make a ship to shore call to dial
into your Internet provider.
At most ports of call, however, you will
find Internet Cafes in the city centre. For
a minimal charge, you will be able to access
the Internet.back
to top
Will there be enough for our
children and us to do on board?
There is ample to do
and a lot of cool stuff for the children on
most of the ships. For example, Holland
Americas Club HAL is a special, fully
supervised program for guests 5 to 17. For
little ones ages 5 to 8, there’s story time,
arts and crafts, ice cream sundae parites,
candy bar bingo etc. For ‘tweens 9 to 12 and
teens 13 to 17, there’s putt-putt golf, pool
and pizza parties and most ships have video
games disco, movies and much more. Some
ships have their own KidZone and WaveRunner
rooms, complete with computer and video game
areas and a dance floor for teen parties.
Cruises are a great way for families to
travel and see a variety of countries and
ports. Some ships also offer baby sitting
services and daycare centers. Ask us for
more details on which ships are best
suitable to your needs.
For adults who are worried about having
enough to do, choose the larger ships
(40,000 tons and above) they will typically
have more activities due to the sheer number
of people on board.
Just to name a few, ships have dozens of
planned and spontaneous activities going
from sunrise to way past midnight. Pool
activities, sports, bingo, casino, wine
tastings, dance lessons, dancing, karoake,
live entertainment, movies, television,
fitness centers, shore excursions, talent
contests, masquerade parties, Captain's
party, country western night, and much more.
ck to
top
Will I get seasick?
It is unlikely that
you will notice any motion on a large cruise
ship, even if you are sensitive to motion in
automobiles or airplanes. All ships today
have stabilizers to smooth the ride. Some
cruises sail calmer waters than others.
Caribbean and Alaska cruises enjoy smoother
sailing than say Bermuda. If seas do get
rough, there are many preventative
medications available on board.
k to top
|
|
