Mark your final payment date on your calendar and ensure you give yourself a little buffer. Unexpected things can happen so don’t wait until the last day to call in your payment. If you miss your final payment date, the cruise line has the right to cancel your booking and make your deposit non-refundable.
Ensure that you purchase insurance in advance. Insurance is important especially if you have elderly family members or young children. Usually, if you purchase insurance within a week of your deposit, you will be covered for preexisting conditions.
Book your shore excursions in advance. Many excursions, especially those with limited capacity, sell out early. You can book excursions either with the cruise line or with us.
Check that all of your travel documents (passport, visa, etc) are in order long before you depart. Ensure that your passport is valid and that all of the names accurately match the names on your reservation. Getting a passport renewed can take up to 90 days or more. Arriving at the pier without a valid passport or with a passport that does not match the name on your cruise documents can result in denied boarding without a refund.
Ensure that you have received a confirmation for your cruise and carefully read the dates, ship and sail date, category and cabin and the names on the confirmation. If there is a discrepancy, contact us as soon as possible. Making changes can be costly especially as you get closer to your departure date.
If you plan on using your cell phone while you are away, you can save money by contacting your cell phone carrier to see what types of calling and data plans are available.
Fine dining and relaxing spa days are one of the highlights of a cruise. Dinner reservations and spa treatments can be booked in advance after completing your pre-cruise registration. Dinner reservations and spa appointments can get booked up even before the cruise departs.
Ensure that you contact your doctor or pharmacist to fill any prescriptions that you might need. It is also important to have a copy of your prescription when you travel and to keep your prescriptions in your carry-on bag.
It is important that you let people know how to get in touch with you in an emergency. When you receive your cruise documents, they will include an emergency contact phone number where they can reach you on the ship.
Purchasing batteries on the ship or at port is more expensive than purchasing them at your local pharmacy or grocery store. Make a list and stock up before you leave.
Nothing is worse than going for that incredible photo to find that you are out of disk space. Memory cards are pretty inexpensive now so make sure you have a back up that you can quickly swap out.
If you are planning to use a credit or debit card, call your bank before you leave and let them know what countries you will be visiting. Many credit card companies will decline your transaction if you are making purchases outside of your normal purchasing pattern. A simple phone call before you leave can avoid that inconvenience.
Get cash ahead of time. While you won’t need cash on board the ship, you may need some cash at ports for purchases, taxis and incidentals. Remember, you can use your debit card when travelling, so you won’t need to take huge amounts of cash with you.
Get ready for your cruise and pack your bags! A little bit of preparation and planning before you leave can make your cruise experience relaxed and enjoyable without any surprises. Bon voyage!
