Cruise Affairs, LLC  What you should know about cruising... |
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What you should know about cruising...
WHO CRUISES? Today’s cruiser comes from all walks of life. Every age group, income level, state of residence, marital/family status, sex and race are represented throughout the industry. Simply put, there is a cruise for everyone. Having said that though, not every cruise is for every body. Finding the one that is right for you is as important as making the decision to cruise in the first place. This is one of the areas where a certified expert cruise consultant (like Jim and Nancy at Cruise Affairs) is an invaluable asset. HOW DO I DECIDE WHICH LINE/SHIP IS RIGHT FOR ME? Based on cruise tracking software that we utilize at Cruise Affairs, during the 48 hour period of April 1 and 2, 2006, there are approximately ninety (90) cruises scheduled to depart ports all around the world. That’s just two days!!!! Still think you can just pick one that looks good and get the one for you?? There are a number of situations that can impact your cruise experience. If you are working with a cruise consultant they will go through a process with you that is called “qualifying.” This has nothing to do with the traditional definition of the word, but is a process where you are matched with the product that best meets your intended expectations. You should start thinking about answers to questions such as where did you go on your last vacation, what do you enjoy doing while you are away, are you comfortable in crowds, how long do you want to be away for, are you traveling with children or do you want a more adult oriented experience, when do you want to go, do you have a specific destination in mind, and so on. Here are a few generalizations that hold true throughout the cruise industry…. -The “right cruise for you” is not always based on the price….saving a few dollars is never an equitable trade off if you did not enjoy the overall experience because you either felt out of place or your expectations were not met. -The longer the cruise, the older the average age of the passengers will be. -Cruises during summer months and around holidays will have a greater number of families with children onboard. -Shorter, casual cruises attract more singles. -Hurricane season in the Caribbean, Atlantic and Pacific runs from June 1 to November 30. WHY A CRUISE? Don’t get us wrong, a quality land based vacation is a good thing every now and then. In fact, if our best attempts to covert you to cruising fail, we will be happy to talk to you about a land based resort package. Even the most ardent cruisers, ourselves included, enjoy a resort package every now and then for a change of pace. What we are suggesting is that there are benefits to a cruise that do not exist in a land vacation. Some sites will offer you 100 reasons to cruise. We firmly believe that it should only take a few compelling ones for you to see the advantages that a cruise has to offer, so those are the ones we will cover. It goes without saying that almost all vacations are booked in advance, some as much as a year, due to work schedules, school, monetary concerns and other reasons. The very best weather forecasters in the business are only accurate a small percentage of the time beyond 4 –7 days out. If you plan your week long vacation at one location and it rains for the majority of it, what do you do? Advantage, cruise…..you are in a new location, often a new country, almost every day of a cruise. If the weather is bad on your first stop, chances are good it will be better on the next….a cruise wash out is a rarity. Part of the previous example leads us into another major advantage…you get a taste of multiple islands, countries, or ports depending on the type of cruise you have chosen. In most cases you have enough time in each port to see some of the major attractions and this gives you the opportunity to decide if that is a place you would like to explore further in the future, either on another cruise that stays longer or has multiple stops in the area, or even visit on a land package. The next advantage ties in very nicely to the first two….you get to do all the above yet you have only had to make one set of travel arrangements, and best of all you only have to pack and unpack once! When you try to do a sampler type vacation on land, be it by bus, train, car or plane, your accommodations don’t go with you. You have to pack, unpack, transport yourself or get transported, check in, check out, figure out where to eat your meals, all of which takes up part of your vacation time….a wasted part if you ask us. Almost every stop on a cruise is reached by overnight travel, while you are sleeping, partying, getting reacquainted with each other, or some combination there-of. It is not wasted time. If it takes more than overnight to get there, that is usually called a sea day, which becomes relaxation and recharging by the pool or utilizing the amenities onboard. We could no doubt come up with the other 97 reasons for you, but when you think about these three in relation to your time and money, we think that says more than enough. HOW MUCH DOES A CRUISE COST? Possibly the most often asked question and the hardest to answer. Asking this question without providing at minimum a specific line, ship, cabin category, date, transportation mode and number of people is the same as walking on to a car dealer’s lot, pointing at the 500 cars there and asking how much is a car? As with any product that comes with options the actual cost will depend on which ones you choose. Our goal at Cruise Affairs is to provide you with the best possible cruise experience that falls within your budget. Everyone has to be realistic though. You can no more get a suite on the concierge level of an ultra luxury line for a 10 day Mediterranean cruise for under a $1000 per person than you can get a brand new Lexus for under $1000. If you have a specific budget in mind be truthful with your consultant so that they can provide you with the correct options. If you are not sure how much you are willing to spend then through the above mentioned qualifying process you will be given accurate quotes on products that meet your expectations. A cruise that is sitting on a shelf that someone tries to convince you to buy is one that someone else wouldn’t buy…..ask yourself why not. We cannot emphasize enough that when buying a cruise, cheaper isn’t always better. Having said all this here are the main factors that will affect the final price: Length of cruise – 2 nights to 100 nights Cruise Line – budget, mass market, premium, luxury, ultra-luxury Cruise ship – new, more popular model, older standard model Type of cabin – inside, oceanview, balcony, mini-suite, family suite, luxury suite Date of the cruise – peak season, slow season, holiday, special event Transportation mode – are you flying or driving to the ship, using air miles, buying flights through the cruise line Port charges and taxes – an added amount to the base price of all cruises Pre or post package – do you want to get to the embarkation port or stay at the debarkation port for an extra day or so? Cruise insurance – always a personal choice but highly recommended Shore excursions – rarely included in the price of the cruise but something you should keep in mind as a possible added expense One other point to consider….when you pick up the Sunday newspaper, or look in a cruise magazine and see the ads for a cruise for $299, make sure you read the fine print carefully before getting too excited. You will see phrases like select sailings (they pick the date), capacity controlled (can be as few as one or two cabins at that price), taxes and fees extra, onboard charges extra, subject to cancellation, not combinable with other offers…get the idea? By the way, didn’t see any mention of how you are getting to the ship did you? “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” is a fairly constant truth when selecting a cruise. There are times that cruise lines run specials, some advertised, some not, on specific sailings. Cruise pricing is somewhat like an airline ticket or other commodity….the price can fluctuate from day to day. Some specials are for everyone, some are regional specials where you must live in a specific area or state to qualify, some are senior citizen and so on. A quick note about cruise brochures…they are fun to look at but they can cause more confusion then answer questions. If you read anything, read the fine print in the last couple of pages. This is the information that will have a direct impact on your travel. Use the pricing you see in the brochure as a guide to determine what each category’s price structure is (which are more expensive then others) but don’t pay a lot of attention to the price quoted. Brochures are printed way in advance and remember that this is a commodity market….prices fluctuate based on supply and demand, fuel costs, current world affairs, etc. Look at the brochure price much as you would the sticker price on a car…rarely does anyone pay that price. Even if you see something you like but think the price listed is out of your reach, it is worth checking into to see what the actual final cost will be. There used to be a widely held belief that if you wait until the last minute to book a cruise the lines would virtually give it away. This is not really the case anymore. Cruising has increased in popularity year after year and ships now sail with few if any empty cabins. The lines have made it more attractive, through increased reductions, for people to book early instead of late. It is not unusual anymore to find some of the more popular sailings (especially associated with holidays) completely booked 8 or more months in advance. Just a thought….if the rest of the ship is booked, why didn’t everyone else want the cabin you think you are getting such a deal on? Remember, if it sounds too good……. CAN I CRUISE WHILE PREGNANT OR WITH A BABY? The short answer is yes, with exceptions. Almost all cruise lines and airlines restrict pregnant women to those who have not yet reached the third trimester of pregnancy by the end of their cruise. Their reasoning is that they are not equipped to deal with possible medical emergencies of this nature. Some lines may request a medical clearance at any stage in the pregnancy. You should always advise your agent at the time of booking if you are pregnant, and if you don’t you should not be offended if you are asked. As with the ID issue addressed below you can be denied boarding and neither the cruise line nor the insurance company will be liable for reimbursement. As for babies, most lines will accept them as young a 3 – 4 months, but not newborns. This is an issue that you should weigh carefully. The childcare facilities and children’s programs on all the major lines will not accept babies. You will be responsible for the child’s care for the entire cruise, not to mention the fact that is almost all cases you will have to pay for them to go along. IS THERE ANY OTHER AGE RESTRICTIONS? There definitely is. As mentioned above, infants must be a minimum age as determined by the specific cruise line. Additionally some lines will restrict the number of infants they allow on a particular sailing. In some rare cases a cruise line will declare a particular cruise as an “adults only” theme in which case no passenger under either 18 or 21 will be allowed to book into it. The main age restriction has to do with young adults. In general the rule of thumb is that both main occupants of a cabin must be 21 or older. If someone is under 21 they must be accompanied by someone 25 or older in the same cabin. This is waived by some lines for families where the parents are occupying an adjoining cabin, or for married couples under 21. In the case of the married couples (and depending on the line, domestic partners) a certified marriage certificate must be presented. It is not possible to circumvent these restrictions because everyone is required to present proof of age and citizenship at boarding and it must match identically the information provided to the line when the cruise was booked. If there is a deviation or the cruise line believes that you tried to get around the age issue, you will be left at the dock. There is no maximum age for cruisers. WHERE DO CRUISES GO? Without trying to sound too glib about it, the answer is wherever there is a major body of water. Be it oceans, seas, rivers or fiords, there is probably a cruise ship of some size there. Having said that you should decide what you want to see and/or the type of climate you want to be in (there is that qualifying thing again and not the last time you will see it). With that as a starting point the process of elimination can begin. If you want hot weather and beaches in February, obviously a cruise to Alaska is out. If you want to see glaciers, you won’t be going to St. Thomas. You get the picture but as we said earlier, as long as your requests are reasonable there is in all likelihood a cruise to match, somewhere in the world. WHAT CAN I DO ONBOARD? The answer to that question is a question…what do you want to do? Some of the newer cruise ships are actually self contained destinations unto themselves. You can swim, play golf, climb a rock wall, ice skate, take cooking classes, learn to dance, go to a different club each night, eat at a different style restaurant, get online, go to a spa and get a massage, workout in the gym, and never leave the ship! Conversely you can find a small intimate ship where you can curl up with a good book, or a loved one, and completely decompress. There is as much or as little as you wish. Again the importance of picking the right ship comes into play. You are not going to do a lot of decompressing with 3000 other passengers onboard, and you are not going to party all night on a quiet ship hosting an environmental theme cruise. Regardless of the overall experience you are looking for keep in mind that you are not required to get involved in any activity that does not interest you. In fact there are very few things you are required to do on a cruise ship, namely be onboard whenever the ship leaves the dock, go to the lifeboat drill, and get off at the end of your cruise! There is one other thing they would like you to do, pay your onboard bill, which brings up another topic about life onboard. A cruise ship is for all intents and purposes a cashless society. When you check in you will be asked how you wish to settle your onboard account? This account covers anything you purchase that is not covered in the cruise cost. This list will vary from line to line but can include such things as alcoholic beverages, wine at dinner, photos, souvenirs, shore excursions, spa treatments, a surcharge for some specialty restaurants and the casino. If you elect to do this by credit card, they will swipe it and you are done. Should you partake of any of the above the bill will go directly to the credit card. If you elect to use cash, you will need to put down a deposit at embarkation, and satisfy the remainder of the bill before disembarking. HOW DOES PAYMENT AND CANCELLATIONS WORK? Payments for your cruise are generally split between a deposit that is paid at the time of booking and then a final payment that is made 60 – 90 days prior to your departure date. If you are part of a group booking there may be more than one deposit, like installment payments, prior to the final. Payments can generally be made in cash, by money order, check or credit card. If you are paying for someone else’s cruise and you are not going also (a gift) you will be required to fill out an authorization form and provide a copy of your credit card and ID. Cruise payments are normally fully refundable if you cancel your cruise prior to the final payment date. You may be charged an administrative or cancellation fee by the agency you book with in certain circumstances. (For example at Cruise Affairs we charge a $25 administrative fee for cancellations in a ‘group’ booking, but not on individual bookings. If you go through with your travel plans the $25 is applied to your total price and adds nothing to the cost). After final payment you will be charged a cancellation fee, by the cruise line, based on a sliding scale…..the closer you are to departure, the less you will get back. At some point in the process, usually within 7 to 14 days prior to departure, your entire cost becomes non-refundable. Remember that this is a policy imposed by the cruise lines and not one your agent can impact. This is one of the main reasons that we always recommend travel insurance (more on this below). DO I HAVE TO PURCHASE TRAVEL INSURANCE? We actually wish the answer to this was yes but unlike auto insurance this is not mandatory. This is truly a personal choice and we are almost always asked if we purchase insurance when we travel. The answer is YES. We have only had to file one claim, but a $300 policy saved us almost $8,000….an agreeable trade off! The type of policy we are talking about is commonly referred to as cancellation/interruption insurance. Here is how it works….as mentioned above there comes a time when a portion or all of your payment becomes non-refundable. The only exception to this is if the cruise line itself canceled the cruise. Regardless of your reason for canceling, the cruise lines will not waive the penalty. Insurance will reimburse the non-refundable portion of your payment provided you cancelled for a “covered” reason, which is generally the case. The most common covered reasons are the death or serious illness of a traveling companion or family member, a disaster at home which causes your home to be uninhabitable, such as a fire, you are injured in a traffic accident on your way to the ship, or you get subpoenaed to appear in court or serve on a jury. Some policies will cover additional reasons. The interruption portion comes in to play if you have to cut your cruise short because of one of the above reasons. In that case the insurance will help reimburse you for some traveling expenses to get back to the port of embarkation as well as the unused portion of your cruise. You can purchase insurance from the cruise line or a third party insurer. While the cruise line’s insurance may save you a few dollars over the third party, we question the wisdom of purchasing insurance from the supplier you are attempting to insure yourself against. If that supplier goes bankrupt you have no insurance or recourse short of small claims court. We always recommend insurance and we recommend a third party carrier. At Cruise Affairs we recommend Travel Guard. This is a complex issue and one that should be discussed at length with your agent. It is so important that you should expect to sign a form acknowledging your decision to purchase or decline. WHAT IDENTIFICATION DO I NEED? This is a topic that has taken on new meaning in recent years with the increased security at home and abroad. You MUST have the appropriate type of ID for your particular cruise, or you will not be allowed to depart….no exceptions. The requirements are in the process of being changed. As of right now for cruises to the Caribbean, Mexico, Bermuda and Canada you will need a STATE issued certified birth certificate (must have a raised seal), accompanied by a valid photo ID such as a drivers license. For married women some cruise lines will require a copy of a marriage license if you took your husband’s name. A second option, and the one that we recommend, is a passport. A passport will stand alone, and is going to be the only acceptable ID after December 2006 for all cruises. While some may balk at the cost (approximately $100) remember it is good for 10 years. For foreign cruises to destinations other than those mentioned above a passport is the only acceptable ID right now. For further information on the changing requirements, check with Cruise Affairs and also with the U.S. State Department at http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2225.html. ****Here is a final thought in favor of getting a passport now; when the time comes for the new restrictions to go into effect there will be a rush of new requests. Since a government agency does the processing any idea what will happen at the passport offices? You guessed it…backlogs. Beat the rush, get yours now and put yourself in a position to take advantage of a good, last minute, travel opportunity that could come up at any time, anywhere in the world! DO I HAVE TO DRESS UP AT DINNER? Not necessarily. The standard in cruising used to be that on one or two nights the dress was formal, (tuxes and evening gowns), one or two were informal (jacket & tie, dress) and the rest were casual (Dockers and golf shirts, sun dress). While you can still find this model, some lines have relaxed their recommendations, while others have done away with them entirely. Oceania Cruise Line’s brochures prominently declare that “formal attire not invited.” Their every night standard is ‘country club casual.’ Once again an expert cruise consultant can help you navigate through the sea of choices. Speaking of dinner, the standard used to be assigned seating at the same table in the same restaurant every night at either early or late seating. Again the standard can still be found for those who enjoy this, but you can now also find ships with alternative dining options such as multiple restaurants with themes (Italian, Tex Mex, Steakhouse, etc.) and open seating….eat when you want with whom you want. Even full dinner service in your cabin is available on some lines. HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN FIT IN A CABIN? With the exception of the most expensive suites onboard, cabins are built for functionality rather then roominess. Having said that all standard cabins can comfortably fit two adults. Some of these cabins will accommodate a third or even a fourth person, usually children. In all honesty, four adults in a standard cabin is not practical. You will literally have to climb over each other as the extra beds will be bunk style or may be a rollaway. More importantly there is only one, small, bathroom. Some of the newer ships have ‘family suites’ with extra bedrooms and bathrooms. In some cases it may be more cost effective to get two standard side by side cabins. WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CABINS? In descending order of luxury and cost they are: Owners Suite – may be called different things on different lines but this is the largest cabin onboard. There may be only one or two on the ship. They generally have large sleeping and common areas such as sitting rooms, dining areas, more then one bathroom, a large veranda and more. Some come with a hot tub, a pantry and butler service. Large suites – some of the same amenities as the Owners Suite, but on a smaller scale. Junior Suite – generally a comfortable cabin with a small extra sitting area and a balcony. Veranda cabin – a standard cabin or possibly slightly larger, with a balcony Oceanview – a standard size cabin with some type of window (no balcony). The window can be as large as a picture window or as small as a porthole Inside – a standard size cabin on the interior of the ship with no window. Inside Promenade – this category is offered on the largest Royal Caribbean ships and they are inside cabins with a window overlooking the interior promenade of the ship Inside upper/lower – the smallest of cabins with one upper and one lower berth (not found on some of the newer ships) Cabin pricing follows the same format, with a suite being more than an oceanview, an oceanview being more than an inside cabin, and so on. Also cabins near the middle of the ship are considered more stable and offer a smoother ride then those far forward or rear. For this reason cabins in the middle can be exactly the same size and configuration as those forward and rear, yet cost more. Once again….qualifying. We can work with you and provide the information you need to make the right choice. I CAN’T CRUISE, I GET SEASICK OK, nobody can guarantee you that you won’t get seasick, but make sure you are comparing a cruise fairly with your previous experiences on the water. Chances are you got sick on a small boat. All modern cruise ships have stabilizers which are like wings that when deployed help limit the amount of roll (side to side motion). Some cruise ships are more then one thousand feet long, too wide to fit through the Panama Canal, and 10 or more stories tall. Ships that big don’t move as much as a small boat. Also you can select a cruise in areas known for calmer waters. There used to be only remedies you could take once you get sick and they often put you to sleep. Now your doctor can prescribe medications, to include a patch that can prevent seasickness. Again nobody can make a guarantee but don’t rule out a cruise until you explore the options. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN INDIVIDUAL AND A GROUP BOOKING? An individual booking means that although you may be traveling with some friends, each of your reservations was handled totally separate. A group booking requires a minimum number of people traveling under the same booking, usually 8 or more cabins with 16 or more passengers. The advantages of being part of a group is that there is usually a discounted price available and you get to bring along your own party. Also depending on the number of cabins in the group you may be offered additional amenities such as a group get together. IS IT BETTER TO USE THE CRUISE LINE’S AIR ARRANGEMENTS OR MAKE MY OWN? There are pros and cons to this topic. The pros being if you take the cruise line’s air they take care of all the arrangements with the exception of seat assignment. The price you are quoted will almost always include transfers from the port of embarkation airport to the ship and from the ship to the airport at disembarkation. The cruise line will have a listing of all the flights that the people they made arrangements for are on and will, within reason, delay a ship departure until they arrive. The cons include the fact that as a general rule you can find a less expensive airfare on your own, even if you buy transfers from the cruise line. The cruise line decides on the airline and the routing. While they always use major airlines the route may not be what you consider to be the most expeditious. It may include at least one stop and plane change enroute or on your way home or both. The times of the flight may be very early or very late. You also will not know your air arrangements until sometime between thirty and sixty days prior to departure. You can ask for specific arrangements through the cruise line, which is known as an “air deviation” and will cost you an additional fee. As for your own air arrangements the pro is that you get to pick the carrier, the routing and the times. You may save some money or be able to use frequent flyer miles. The main con is that the cruise line does not have any responsibility for you. If all the passengers they made arrangements for are onboard at the announced departure time the ship is leaving whether you are there or not. Having said all this the best approach is to check your options on each cruise. There is no absolute and at times the cruise line will be the best decision (perhaps they are running a special on air) and other times your own arrangements will be better. In either case we always recommend that you consider arriving at the port of embarkation on the day before the cruise departs. This gives you time to relax, see the port, and above all gives you a safety net should there be bad weather or other factors that would affect your ability to arrive on time if you fly on the day the cruise departs. WHY SHOULD I USE A TRAVEL AGENT AT CRUISE AFFAIRS? The answer to that question is simple ….excellent, consistent service at no additional cost! When you book a cruise through a travel agent it costs you nothing extra. Whether you call us, or call the cruise line directly, you will get the same price. In reality we are paid by the cruise line for selling their product. You save nothing by booking direct. In fact you lose the one on one contact that we specialize in. When you call the cruise line you get the reservations agent that happened to answer that call. They may be in Miami, Wichita, Seattle or Colorado Springs. When you call Cruise Affairs you will talk to Jim or Nancy, every time! You may at times see an advertised price that appears to be lower than what others, including Cruise Affairs, are offering. There are a couple of possibilities why this has occurred. They may be offering leftover group space that has been discounted (as described above); they may have not included all of the charges (taxes, fees, air, etc.) in their advertisement, or they may have cut the price to the point where they are actually making little or nothing from the cruise line for the sale. The group block isn’t always bad, just make sure you know what type of group you are booking into and find out if you will be involved in any way with them (dinner arrangements, activities, etc.). Always ask what is NOT included in an advertised price. Some advertisers are of the opinion that everyone knows that you have to pay taxes and you should not be surprised when they are added at a later time…..at Cruise Affairs we believe that when you ask for the price you have the absolute right to hear the full price…no surprises. The last scenario, known as rebating is the most problematic. First and foremost if someone is essentially working for little or nothing what incentive do you think they have to go out of their way to help you, both during the sale and after, especially if you encounter a problem that requires the assistance of an advocate? Secondly the major cruise lines strongly discourage this practice to the point of refusing to do business with some agencies that continue it. If there is a question or problem don’t you want to be working with an agency that at least has credibility with the line if not clout? ****We hope that you have found this section helpful and have come away from it with two thoughts in mind. First we hope that you are now looking forward to a cruise because you are prepared with accurate information, not myths or someone’s opinion. Secondly we hope that you understand that a cruise purchase is a major decision and that with the proper assistance, provided by Cruise Affairs, we can help to ensure that you receive the highest return possible from your hard-earned vacation dollars. We look forward to speaking with you further and handling all you future….Cruise Affairs!!!! |
