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Cruise Answers

Planning a cruise can be complicated - especially if you are a First Time Cruiser. Our list of Frequently Asked Cruise Questions should help you address many aspects of your cruise holiday. If not, please contact us and we will be glad to help you.

Below are some cruise answers for your upcoming cruise trip
Document & Travel Insurance | Luggage & Packing | Special Needs | Onboard Your Ship

Documents & Travel Insurance

My cabin was booked as a Guarantee. When will I know my cabin number?: A "Guaranteed Cabin" means that you will receive your cabin number and deck assignment when you check in for your cruise. You will receive a cabin in the category that you booked and no lower than that category. If your booked category is not available when you check in, then you will receive a complimentary upgrade to a higher category. This process is very similar to booking a hotel room. With a hotel, you book a room type and you're assigned your room number when you check in at the cruise. The same principle applies here. This is a very common practice among all major cruise lines. Once you arrive at the cruise ship passenger terminal, the baggage porters will have the passenger manifest and your stateroom number. They will then help you complete your baggage tags and deliver your luggage to your room later.
Can I add or change a passenger in my cabin?: If your stateroom is equipped to accommodate additional passengers, then you may add another person to your cabin unless the ship has reached it's maximum sailing capacity. The additional passenger is subject to the current costs for the extra guests in your cabin. If you are booked on a specific price program, adding a passenger may also affect your rate. If you need to add a passenger, please contact us for details regarding your booking. Some cruise lines will allow name changes after the reservation is paid in full. All name changes are subject to change fees imposed by the cruise line. No name changes are allowed within 48 hours of departure.
When will I receive my Cruise & Travel Documents?: In general you will receive your documents usually four weeks prior to sailing.
Do I need Travel Insurance?: Lets Cruise highly recommends that you take Travel Insurance out for the duration of your holiday. Your Cruise Specialist will quote you on Travel Insurance in the booking process.
What if I have to cancel?: If you must cancel your cruise please contact us immediately. You will need to provide your name, invoice number, ship and sailing date. We will then contact the cruise line to cancel your cruise.

Each cruise line has cancellation policies and cancellation penalties apply depending on how close to sailing you cancel your cruise. When you booked your cruise, you were advised of your cruise line's cancellation policy and penalties. If you cancel your cruise outside of your final payment period, you may have little or no penalty. If you cancel the week of sailing, you may not receive a refund at all. The amount of the penalty depends upon when you cancel. It is your responsibility, as the passenger, to become familiar with the penalties assessed for cancelling the cruise. An administration fee also applies to all cancelled reservations.

We highly recommend Travel Insurance to protect yourself from penalties assessed for cancelling due to medical reasons for yourself or family members. Every passenger is offered Travel Insurance at the time the reservation is made. If declined, please be advised cancellation penalties will be applied to your reservation.

Luggage & Packing

How much luggage can I bring onboard the ship?: The cruise lines have no limitation on how much luggage you bring. However, there are limitations that the airlines have. Check with your airline to see their restrictions. Airlines may charge a fee for extra baggage.
Do I need Luggage Tags?: You will receive luggage tags with your cruise documents. Please complete them and have them on your bags prior to arriving at the cruise terminal.
If you are booked on a "Guaranteed Cabin" you will get your cabin number from one of the porters at the pier. They have a manifest and will write your name on your tags when you arrive.
What type of clothing should I bring?: When packing, keep your destination in mind. If you are travelling to the South Pacific, cool clothing and sunscreen are a must.

Many cruise lines have formal nights on the cruise. The number of formal nights depends on the length of your cruise.. Longer cruises, 7-10 nights have two or more. Gentleman should bring a dark suit or tuxedo, and women should pack a cocktail dress or formal gown. If you prefer not to dress for formal nights, casual dining alternatives are available on the ship.
In general, resort casual dictates the dress for the dining room onboard the ship. Jeans, shorts and tank tops are not allowed in the dining room, but are allowed in the casual dining alternatives.
Do I need to pack a hairdryer or iron? Do I need an adapter?: Most modern cruise lines have hairdryers in your cabin. Electric razors can be brought with you, as staterooms are equipped with 110 volts AC for American Ships and 220/240 volts for Australian ships. Many ships do not allow you to bring irons onboard. However, laundry facilities are available on cruise ships with iron and ironing boards as well as dry cleaning and laundry services. Adapters are usually available from the Pursers Desk if needed.
When will my luggage be delivered to my cabin?: Your baggage will be delivered to your cabin about two hours after you board the ship. It is highly recommended that each person bring a carry-on bag with a change of clothes, medication, sunscreen, bathing suit, camera etc to hold you over until your bags arrive. Your holiday begins when you step aboard. You shouldn't have to wait for your bags to arrive to start having fun. Come prepared with a carry-on bag.

Special Needs

Can we celebrate a birthday/anniversary onboard?: Absolutely! Most cruise lines will even treat you to a complimentary cake honour the occasion. Your birthday or anniversary can be more festive with champagne, flowers, canap�s, wine or cheese. You can even arrange for a special private party. All you have to do is advise us at the time of booking.
If I have a medical or dietary condition, how do I notify the cruise line?: Please inform us when you make your reservation if you have a medical or dietary condition. Most cruise lines offer handicap accessible cabins, and try to find one for you. The cruise line will require you to fill out a medical advisory form, so that they will be made aware of your situation and can assist you. For dietary conditions special diet meals will be available for you again please advise us at the time of booking.
Are there medical services and facilities available on the ship?: Most modern cruise ships have well-equipped medical facilities and staff to handle every emergency. These facilities are set up to handle small issues (like seasickness) as well as emergencies and have 24-hour nurses and doctors available. Travel Insurance is recommended to cover the expense of any unforeseen trip to the medical centre.
Do they have wheelchairs onboard?: Wheelchairs are only available to help passengers on and off the cruise ship during embarkation and disembarkation. Generally, they are not available for use throughout your cruise. If you or a family member requires a wheelchair during your entire cruise, you should bring your own. Some cruise lines can offer wheelchairs but are very limited.

Onboard Your Ship

What time can I board the ship?: General boarding begins approximately four hours prior to departure. Passengers should be on board not later than an hour prior to sailing.
Can I bring visitors onboard the ship?: We're sorry. Due to heightened security, visitors are not allowed on board cruise ships.
Are my meals included onboard the ship?: Most meals are included in the price of your cruise package. These meals include eating in the main dining room as well as buffets. Some cruise lines offer specialty restaurants that do charge a per person fee. These restaurants may require advanced reservations that you can make when you board the ship. Most ships offer free room service with limited menu 24-hours a day.
Are there drinks included? How much do they cost?: Coffee, tea, water, milk and juices are included as part of your cruise fare. Soft drinks, bottled water, beer, wine and alcohol are additional unless you are sailing on select Luxury Cruise Lines, in which case it would be included. Prices for drinks are comparable to what you would pay in a hotel or restaurant.
What is the drinking age on a cruise ship?: American currency ships the legal age of drinking is 21, however for Australian & British currency ships the legal age is 18.
How much do I need to tip the staff?: You should budget a minimum of A$7.50 per guest per day total for gratuities onboard P&O Australia, A$10.00 per day onboard Princess Cruises Australia, US$10.00 on American ships. This would recognize your waiter, cabin steward, bus boy, headwaiter and maitre d'. The cruise lines have made it easy for you in regards to tipping the staff. Many cruise lines offer the convenience of automatically charging your onboard account for your onboard account. All bar bills have a 15% service charge added on American ships only.
Realizing tipping is a personal matter; you can alter the tipping at the purser's desk according to the level of service you received.
How do I pay for my purchases onboard the ship?: All financial transactions on a cruise ship are done through and onboard account you set up when you board the ship. You will provide a credit card or a cash deposit and then all purchases will be applied to your stateroom by your cruise card. You can conveniently charge all of your onboard purchases (beverages, spa services, ship souvenirs, pictures and shore excursions) to your cabin. On the last night of the cruise, a statement of all of your charges will be delivered to you and charged to your credit card.
If you do not have a credit card, you can leave cash deposit upon embarkation to open your onboard account. You may need to replenish this cash throughout the week if the purser's desk notifies you. Any unused cash will be refunded to you at the end of the cruise. Cash is accepted in the casino.
How do I find out about the ship's daily activities?: Every evening during your cruise, a daily bulletin will be delivered to your cabin with a complete agenda of all activities, events, movie schedules and special programs. This agenda will list the offered activities, hours of restaurants and shops as well as casino hours. Children's activities are listed on a separate sheet, so check with the purser's desk or your cabin steward for a copy.
Are there activities for my children?: Several cruise lines offer extraordinary programs for children and teens. Many cruise ships have children's play centres and teen facilities. The Children's Programs are organized by age groups, so your child will feel right at home with similarly aged children. These group programs are supervised by certified cruise personnel and included in the cost of your cruise.
How can I be contacted while I am onboard the ship? Can I check my e-mail?: All modern cruise ships have satellite telephones in the staterooms. You can dial directly from room to room and internationally from these phones. Instructions and prices are listed in your room.
Your family can also contact you directly onboard by calling your stateroom. Your telephone will likely have voice mail so they can leave you a message. They can also try you on your cell phone if you have international roaming.
Most ships also have Internet Cafes so you can access your e-mail from the ship. The cost of the Internet service ranges from 50-75 cents per minute. Some cruise lines offer unlimited Internet packages for your cruise duration at one special price. Check with the Internet caf� when you board for these special rates.
What time will I be off the ship on the day of disembarkation?: Cruise ships generally arrive in their final port of disembarkation by 7:00 am on the last day of the cruise. Upon arrival, Customs Officials will board and inspect the vessel, Once this is complete, the ship will be cleared for passengers to disembark. If all goes smoothly, disembarkation can be as early as 9:30 am. However, there can be delays.
If you are making your own flight arrangements, please be advised to schedule your flights home no early than noon on your day of arrival. If the airport is more than one hour from the cruise ship terminal, you should book even later flights home.
Does the ship serve breakfast the last day of the cruise?: Breakfast is served earlier than usual on the last day of your cruise. Breakfast buffets and the dining rooms will be open for you to enjoy one last meal before you have to disembark. Check with your cruise information sheet in your cabin for the full details on the times and places breakfast is served.