Can I save money if I book directly with the cruise line instead of MYGAYWEB.com?
This is a common misconception held by many consumers. The
reality is that only in rare cases would you save money by booking directly
with a cruise line, and in most cases you are likely to end up spending more!
It is true that travel agents are paid a commission by the cruise line when
you book through them. Traditional logic would suggest that if the cruise line
does not have to pay a commission, then they can pass those savings along to
you, the consumer. This is simply not the case.
The money saved by the cruise
line by not paying a commission simply drops to the cruise line's bottom line,
not yours! In fact, a professional travel agent can often get you a better
price than the cruise line offers. Plus, the travel agent can make you aware
of special promotions that might exist on another similar cruise line sailing
to the same destination, something a cruise line salesperson will never do.
Ever since 9/11 cruise lines have beefed up on board security immensely. On
most cruises, every passenger is required to have a valid passport. Every piece
of baggage is scanned by an X-Ray for dangerous items. As passengers and crew
members board, all carry-on items are also scanned, just like at an airport.
Whenever passengers or crew disembark the ship (at any port), they are required
to show proper identification when re-boarding and, on most ships, packages are
scanned.
Cruise ships have their own on board security staff on every sailing as
well. The instances of crime aboard cruise ships is miniscule compared to that
of hotels and resorts. In fact, it is likely that being on a cruise ship is
safer than staying home! On most cruise ships today, every stateroom is
equipped with a safe for your valuables.
Most passengers never experience
sea sickness on today's larger cruise ships. Modern cruise ships have
stabilizers that help to minimize the rocking motion. In the unlikely event that
seas do get rough and motion increases, there are several preventative
medications available on board.
Cruise vacations can range in cost from as little as $40 per person/per day to
as much as $500 per person/per day. Prices will vary based on the cruise
destination, the cruise line, the type of cabin you choose (suites are more
expensive than a regular stateroom and ocean view staterooms are more expensive
than inside staterooms with no window), the services provided for the cruise
fare and the time of year you choose to cruise.
In any case, a cruise vacation
is a great value because whatever you pay, it includes all of your meals,
accommodations, taxes, entertainment, and in some cases your airfare.
There are literally dozens of activities going on all over the ship every day.
You can participate in as many as you like, or none at all. Most activities are
included in your cruise fare, however, a few may require a small additional
charge (i.e. wine tasting).
Typical activities you will find on board are cooking demonstration, napkin
folding lessons, Bingo, bridge tournaments, port lectures, ice carving
demonstrations, casino gaming lessons, internet and computer training, dance
lessons, Yoga/Tai Chi, stretching classes, kickboxing, galley tours, trivia
contests, karaoke, wine tasting and more... Of course, one the best activities
can be "doing nothing at all."
Relaxation is what attracts many people to cruise travel.
Every ship has one or more pools that you can enjoy with a good book, most
have a library and several lounges where you can sit and relax by yourself or
with friends.
Tipping policies can vary from one cruise line to another.
In any case, tipping is always up to you. Some cruise lines now automatically
add $8 to $10 per day/per person to your onboard account to cover all
gratuities. Of course, you can request that these charges be adjusted, or
removed altogether.
Generally speaking, $8.00 to $10.00 per day/per person
should take care of your waiter, assistant waiter, cabin steward(ess).
Gratuities for bar service are typically automatically added to your bar tab
(15%). Other gratuities are at your discretion.
Some cruise lines have adopted a 'no tipping required'
policy.
Many countries require your passport to be valid for six months from the completion of your travel. Check your passport to ensure it will be valid for this period of time. Please ensure the name on the passport matches the name on the booking. Additionally, ensure your passport contains blank pages for entry and exit endorsements and any visas that may be required. If necessary, allow sufficient time to renew your passport and/or obtain additional pages.
A valid passport is required of all non-U.S. and non-Canadian citizens for all itineraries. It is also required of all U.S. and Canadian citizens sailing on non-domestic itineraries including Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Europe, India, Central and South America, South Pacific and Tahiti.
While we strongly recommend that all passengers travel with a valid passport, it is not mandatory for U.S. and Canadian citizens to travel with a passport when sailing domestic itineraries, including Alaska, Caribbean, Hawaii, Bermuda, Mexico, Panama Canal and Canada and New England.* It is your responsibility to know the current requirements and have the proper documents required for your itinerary. Check with your travel agent, or visit the State Department's website at www.travel.state.gov, or the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security's website at www.dhs.gov to verify passport requirements. In addition, a passport is the recommended form of identification and unquestionably proves your citizenship.
For itineraries in which a passport is not required, U.S. and Canadian citizens who do not have a valid passport must provide the following proof of citizenship: A naturalization certificate or an original certified birth certificate from the state of their birth (a hospital certificate will not
suffice) together with a valid, government-issued photo identification, such as a driver's license. Although recommended, photo identification is not required for those 18 years and younger at the time of this writing. U.S.
Resident Aliens are required to present, in addition to a valid passport, a valid Alien Resident card. Canadian permanent residents are required to present a valid Permanent Resident card in addition to a valid passport. On domestic cruises, ensure your travel documents are valid through the completion of travel.
* The U.S. State Department has recently proposed the "Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative". If enacted, U.S. and Canadian citizens will be required to carry a passport for travel to or from certain countries that were previously exempt. If enacted, as of December 31, 2006, all U.S. and Canadian citizens will be required to travel with a valid passport when re-entering the United States from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Mexico, Central and South America, and Panama Canal.
In most cases, no. Most cruise lines do not allow passengers to board the ship
with liquor. If you do bring liquor with you, it will be held for you by the
cruise line onboard the ship until you disembark the ship. The same is true for
liquor you purchase in port.
There are exceptions to this rule, however. Some cruise lines will allow you to
have liquor in your stateroom if you purchase the liquor at the ship's liquor
store. You should check with your travel agent if you need further information
about this.
Virtually every cruise ship today will have a television in your stateroom. The
ship's satellite system will usually offer a few stations like CNN, CNN
International, ESPN and perhaps a movie channel.
There will usually be several channels of ship programming, as well, such as
port information, information about the ship, replay of activities on board,
etc. Some ships even offer the ability to order shore excursions from your
television and check your on board account balance.
Every cruise line will have different policies regarding smoking. However, generally
no smoking is allowed in dining
rooms or restaurants, in the main theatre, in lounges on port
or starboard side only (depending on ship). On the other hand, smoking is permitted in staterooms*,
on the outside deck areas (i.e. pool area), and either the port or starboard
side of the ship.
Note: Carnival Cruise Line does have a "Smoke Free"
cruise ship, the Carnival Paradise. On this ship, there is no smoking allowed at
anytime, anywhere on the ship by passengers or crew. Any guest violating the
non-smoking policy is asked to leave the ship at the next port and is charged a
$250 fine!
* There are generally not any 'non-smoking' cabins available
on a cruise ship (with the exception of Carnival Paradise). However, cabins are
thoroughly cleaned after each cruise to remove any trace of cigarette smoke.
Most ships now offer you the ability to make ship-to-shore phone calls from
within your stateroom. Newer ships also have Internet and email capabilities
which are much more affordable than phone calls. A typical ship-to-shore phone
call can cost from $7.95 per minute to $15.00 per minute.
Many of the newer ships do have an Internet Cafe complete with computers
connected to the Internet. Some charge as little at $16 an hour for computer
time and you can get your e-mail using Microsoft HotMail or Yahoo Mail. Check
with your cruise line for availability of these services.
If you have taken your own laptop onboard, you can make a
ship-to-shore call to dial into your Internet provider, but at $8 to $10 per
minute it can get very expensive.
There are also Internet Cafes in most ports and they are
much more affordable.
Virtually every cruise ship has a licensed doctor on board to handle
emergencies. If you suffer from a medical condition, check with your travel
agent before booking to make sure the ship on which you are cruising can handle
your needs. There are additional charges by the doctor for visits, and/or
medications administered on board the ship.
It is not likely that you will get bored on a cruise. However, if you have
concerns about having enough to do, or enough activity options available, you
should consider one of the larger ships (40,000 tons or higher). Larger ships
will typically have more available activities due to the larger number of
passengers aboard.
Most ships have dozens of planned and spontaneous activities
taking place from sunrise to way past midnight. There are pool activities,
sports, bingo, casino, wine tasting, dance lessons, dancing, karaoke, live
entertainment, movies, television, fitness centers, shore excursions, talent
contests, masquerade parties, Captain's party, country western night, just to
name a few!
Traditionally, cruise travel has been very casual during the
day and casual to formal in the evenings. During the day, you can wander the
ship in your shorts, t-shirts and even your swimsuit.
The dress codes vary from one cruise line to another, and
can also be influenced by destination. A Mediterranean cruise may be more
'formal' than a Caribbean cruise, for example. Even on ships that do have formal
nights, there are usually optional dining venues where you can dress casual and
still feel comfortable.
There is a popular trend away from rigid formal dress on
cruise ships. Cruise ships today are generally more casual than they were just
5 years ago.
Some items you want to be sure to pack are a pair of
comfortable shoes to wear on deck, swimwear and sun lotions, camera and film,
binoculars and any personal medications if you take any.
On most cruises, your accommodations, all shipboard entertainment, all taxes and
port fees, meals and most (if not all) onboard activities are included in your cruise fare.
In some cases, airfare and ground transportation to and from
the ship are also included.
Liquor, soft drinks, shore excursions, gratuities, photos,
gambling incidentals and medical services are additional.
Some ships may offer optional dining venues which charge a
per person cover charge. These are purely optional and are at your discretion.
You are never 'required' to purchase a meal in an alternate dining venue.
Your ship will 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 5:00pm to 7:00pm. This gives you more than enough time to enjoy one of
the cruise line's shore excursions, or, go off on your own to do some shopping,
sightseeing, swimming, scuba diving, etc.
We highly recommend the cruise ship sponsored tours and
excursions. In some ports, when you debark from the ship, local sightseeing
companies (in some cases a local with a van) will be waiting to tempt you with
their own tour. Take our word for it, while these tours may be safe and in some
cases quite good, it is always a safe bet to stick with your cruise ship's
recommendation.
Every cruise line has a different policy regarding cancellations and refunds.
Generally, if you cancel 90 days or more from the sailing date, your cruise fare
is refundable. However, you should check with your travel agent for details.
We highly recommend the purchase of trip insurance when
you book your cruise. You can purchase this insurance from your travel agent
and it will protect you from loss of the money you've paid for the cruise in
the event of an unexpected emergency. For example, assume that you or a member of
your immediate family are hospitalized the week before your cruise. A travel
insurance policy could refund the entire portion of your airfare and cruise
fare! Insurance policies vary from one carrier to another. This is another
reason to use a qualified travel agent who can recommend the proper policy to
protect your vacation investment.
