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INFORMATION ABOUT CRUISING
What's
included in a cruise?
- Shipboard transportation
- Shipboard accommodation
- Meals
- Entertainment
What's usually not included in
advertised prices?
- Alcohol - Most luxury lines
include alcohol, though Crystal does
not. Some other lines, such as
Celebrity, have aloholic beverage
plans for purchase.
- Soft drinks - Only covered by most
luxury lines, including Oceania, Regent Seven Seas,
Uniworld, Yachts of
Seabourn and Silversea.
- Gratuities - Most cruise lines
suggest $10 - $12 per person per
day. AMAWaterways, Azamara,
Regent Seven Seas, Silversea, Yachts
of Seabourn and the Celebrity
Xpedition (Galapagos) include tips
in their pricing. Crystal has
been offering to cover gratuities in
their special pricing.
- Shore Excursions - Luxury cruises
such as Crystal, Uniworld and also the Celebrity
Xpedition include these.
- Medical Facilities
- Taxes
- Surcharges for the price of fuel.
Currently cruise lines are not
charging a fuel surcharge as these are
very unpopular with cruisers.
What about sea sickness?
- most major cruise ships have stabilizers to reduce
motion.
- cabins near the center of the ship experience less motion
- most major cruise lines can provide patches or medications to reduce sea
sickness
Do I need to know other languages than English in foreign ports?
- No, cruise excursions are provided in English and you will also find
that most vendors near foreign ports speak English and several other
languages too.
Do I Need to Arrange for Visas?
- No, cruise lines handle your visas for ports of call, even for
places like Egypt and Turkey.
How Much Cash Will I Need On Board?
- None. All major cruise lines use your room cards for charging
extra services and these are linked to your charge card.
Cruise Ship Branding
- Azamara - You'll Love Where We Take You
- Carnival - Fun for All, All for Fun
- Celebrity - Designed for You - sophistication, anchored in
excellence
- Cunard - Intimate Luxury on a Grand Scale
- Holland America - A Signature of Excellence - traditional
- Norwegian - Free Style Cruising - no set dining or disembarkation
times
- Oceania - Your World. Your Way
- Princess - Escape Completely - relaxation
- Royal Caribbean International - Nation of Why Not - adventure
- Uniworld - Boutique River Cruising- small, interesting and diverse
Cruise
Lines - If you're new to cruising, start with a contemporary line.
- Contemporary (Carnival, Costa, MSC,
Norwegian, Royal
Caribbean)
- Premium (Princess,
Disney,
Celebrity,
Holland America,)
- Deluxe (Oceania, Azamara
Club)
- Luxury (Crystal, Regent, Yachts of Seabourn,
Silver Seas, Cunard Line)
- River Cruises (AmaWaterways,
Avalon Waterways, Scenic Tours, Uniworld,
Viking River Cruises)
What Destinations are Best for First Time Cruisers?
- Most 1st Time Cruisers start with a 7 day cruise in the Caribbean
(November - April) or
Alaska inside passage (May - September).
Alaska cruises start from Vancouver or Seattle. Most Caribbean
cruises start from Miami or Fort Lauderdale, but San Juan, Puerto Rico
also has a significant port for embarkation. The Caribbean is broken
down into Western, Eastern and Southern for itineraries.
Do I Need Insurance? We highly recommend travel insurance for
several reasons:
- Trip Cancellation can save you the cost of your entire vacation if
you get sick, a family member becomes ill and you can't travel or something like a volcanic eruption prevents you from reaching your
embarkation port.
- Trip Interruption can save you the expense of flight delays, illness
during travel or returning from your
vacation early due to an emergency.
- Extended Medical benefits cover the additional costs of medical
treatment and hospitalization. Provincial medical plans cover about
$75 a day for a stay in hospital and you would owe the difference
directly to the hospital. Physician costs can be extremely costly
in foreign countries.
Cruise Lines provide their own insurance but travel agents can also
provide the same coverage plus coverage for travel before and after the
cruise at very competitive rates through RBC
Insurance.
Cruise lines are also beginning to offer Cancel For Any Reason
insurance which is more flexible than commercial policies. Under
CFAR you could cancel simply because you don't feel like going any more.
What's Special About Suites? Most cruise lines provide
additional amenities to guests in suites, such as
- services of a butler and concierge
- first-tender priority in tender ports
- private breakfast in à la carte restaurants
- priority embarkation and disembarkation
Cruise Ship Info
Which cruise lines are owned by other cruise lines?
- Carnival - owns Princess, Holland America, Costa, Cunard and
Seabourn. Carnival owns over 50% of the world cruise market
- Royal Caribbean International - owns Celebrity Cruises and Azamara
Club Cruises
- Apollo Management owns Prestige Cruise Holdings, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas
Cruises and 50% of NCL.
Do cruise lines offer discounts to past passengers?
- Yes, many cruise lines track past passengers and offer discounts based
on the number of voyages taken. Keep track of your passenger number
to help ensure you receive booking discounts.
Are there different classes of service?
- Facilities, buffets and entertainment are generally open to all guests
regardless of the type of room booked. On some luxury lines
dining and seating areas may be restricted. Cunard lines
promotes 3 passenger classes with separate dining for each. Celebrity Aqua Class
and NCL Suite & Villa accommodation have separate dining for these
passengers.
What else can a cruise consultant
arrange for your cruise?
- Airfare, charter flights, package vacations
- Accommodation pre and post departure. It's a good idea to
arrive a day early for your cruise. You can see the departure
city and also ensure an airline delay doesn't also delay your cruise.
- Tours of the departure port
- Transfers to and from the airport
- Private shore excursions during the cruise
- Travel and Medical Insurance - Exedia
CruiseShipCenters is affiliated with RBC
Insurance. Cruise lines also offer insurance, but only
cover portions of the vacation arranged by them. If you travel
before or after the cruise, on a non cruise itinerary, additional
coverage is recommended.
- Advice on passports and visas
Reasons to Book With A Cruise Consultant
- Only travel agencies in BC pay into the provincial BC Travel Assurance Fund, so your funds are protected only when you book your travel arrangements with a BC registered travel agency.
-
Most cruises can be booked and held by travel agents for at least a day, sometimes weeks, until payment and ticketing
are required. You can arrange and check other details while an option on
the cruise is held for you.
-
Major agencies, like Expedia, can get group discounts and free amenities
with the cruise line.
-
If there's a problem with the itinerary, you have an additional familiar
contact to assist you.
-
An agent's familiarity with destinations and the industry can be
invaluable. You don't pay anything extra for this service. Why
not take advantage of it?
The Jones Act
Cruise ship passengers may be surprised by the importance of the
Merchant Marine Act of 1920 on their North American cruising. The
legislation is more commonly known as the Jones Act, after the Senator
from Washington who sponsored the bill. It states that all goods transported by water between U.S. ports be carried in U.S.-flag ships, constructed in the United States, owned by U.S. citizens, and crewed by U.S. citizens. The purpose of the law is to support the U.S. Maritime
industry. Since 99% of cruise ships do not meet these conditions,
their travel between US ports of embarkation and debarkation is
impacted. For example:
- Cruises from Seattle to Alaska must stop at a Canadian port en
route. The boom in cruise ship visits to Victoria is a direct
result of US legislation intended to help their country. Cruises
starting from Vancouver are not impacted by the legislation, which has
increased their traffic as well.
- Cruise ships repositioning from Seattle to California must stop at a
foreign port en route, so they stop in Vancouver on the way.
- Cruises starting in Hawaii must also visit a foreign port.
Most cruise ships therefore visit Mexico or Vancouver on their
Hawaiian Island itineraries. The Norwegian Cruise Lines Pride of
America has met the conditions of the Jones Act and is the only major
cruise line to start and end its cruises in Hawaii.
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