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Fanmail Friday: April 24th Edition

Written by T.I. Cruiser on April 24, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Swapping Partners Before We Cruise

We have a group of 6 going on a cruise this summer, but one of us now isn’t sure if she will be able to make it. The cruise contract is structured in a way that if she cancels she will forfeit a significant portion of her payment. Is there any way she can sell her spot to someone else so that she will not be out of her money?

Honestly, it all depends on the cruise line. The first step is for your friend to actually decide if she is going to go. If the answer is no, you need to find a replacement ASAP. Once that is done contact the cruise line and ask them to do a name change. Please be mindful that there is a fee associated with this that will need to be paid. Assuming that the cruise line allows name changes the new passenger will need to provide all of their information to the line. Of course, any transferring of funds to your friend will need to be worked out between her and the new passenger. Just make sure you get this sorted out right now since the longer you wait the more rigid the cruise line is likely to become.

A Hold On My Sail and Sign Card

I am going to be sailing with my two daughters on the Carnival Glory and have a question about sail and sign accounts. How much of a hold will the Carnival place on my credit card?

The amount placed on hold depends upon the length of your cruise. Since you stated you are sailing on the Glory I am going to assume you are going on a seven day cruise. Here is the section that answers your question taken directly from the Carnival website

Important Note: A hold will be placed on the credit card or checking account debit card at the beginning of the cruise as a deposit for an onboard purchases. This will reduce the amount of available credit on the credit card or restrict the availability of cash in the checking account. The hold will be released and actual charges will be billed at the end of the cruise.

The following dollar amounts, per guest, are used as a deposit when the Sail & Sign Account is opened:
2-4 day cruises: $100 deposit pp
5-8 day cruises: $200 deposit pp
9 + day cruises: $350 deposit pp

So as you can see the amount that will be frozen on your credit card is 200.00 per person. You can have it so the kids don’t have charging privileges if you are not sure if they can behave responsibly but the hold will still be placed on the card. While I am not if this will effect the amount that will be put on hold it will definitely ensure that you don’t have any surprise charges.

All-Inclusive Cruises

Are there any Cruise lines that are all-inclusive. Normally we vacation at Sandals but we have friends that have convinced us to try a cruise. I don’t want to be hassled with a pay as you go vacation but would most likely cruise if I can find an all-inclusive.

While most cruise lines typically only charge you for certain beverages and upgraded options there are some that are all-inclusive. Crystal Cruises, Regent Seven Seas and Silver Seas are some of the cruise lines that fit into the all-inclusive category. However, I must tell you that the prices for these cruises are a lot more expensive than main stream cruise lines. Now, I will admit that these ships are much more luxurious than anything the main stream cruise lines offer. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that if luxury is not your priority you could probably save a lot of money by prepaying a hefty deposit on an account with a main stream cruise line. They would still have to swipe your boarding pass every time you ordered a drink but the financial aspects would already be covered (any money not used would be refunded to you).

Fanmail Friday: April 3rd Edition

Written by T.I. Cruiser on April 3, 2009 · Leave a Comment

I booked a summer cruise about one month ago. At the time my finances dictated me getting an inside cabin however things are now better for me and I can afford to get a cabin in another category. I was wondering if the cruise line will contact me about an up sell even if I booked through an online agency?

First let me say its great that your financial situation has gotten better in times when many people are experiencing increasing hardship, congratulations. Now, to answer your question the short answer is no the cruise line will not call to offer an up sell. Once you book through a travel agency, all communication is routed through the agency. However, you could always call the cruise agency you booked with to inform them you would be interested in an up sell. In many cases this can be much more effective than the wait and see approach many (including those who booked direct) take concerning up sells.

I will be traveling with my 14-year-old daughter and two of her friends the week of July 4th. We will all be staying in the same inside cabin, which has two pull down bunks. Do you have any helpful tips on how to deal with this living situation?

The most useful piece of advice I can offer you on that sleeping arrangement is to pray and pray often. In addition to copious amounts of prayer I would make probably:
o Make sure the girls packed very light and shared as many items as humanly possible including a hairdryer, toothpaste, hair products and anything else shareable
o Figure out some sort of shower schedule, if it gets really out of hand you can always use the gym shower while the girls use the room shower
o Prepare to do laundry you all won’t have room to stand in the room if each of you brings enough clothes for the entire week. If the girls mix and match their outfits they can have enough different outfits for the whole week without bringing a ton of luggage
o Spend as little time in the room as possible. Get out and enjoy the ship. There is so much to do onboard cruise ships, that you probably won’t spend much time in the cabin.

When on a cruise how does the mini-bar work? Is the first batch of drinks free with only refills incurring a charge?

I wish that were the case but sadly, you will be charged for every can of pop and bottle of water you open. There will be a price list provided clearly detailing the charges for the various items. On most cruise ships you can request the mini-bar be emptied which comes in handy when traveling with children. Those refrigerated snickers bars can be pretty tempting.

Fanmail Friday: March 6th Edition

Written by T.I. Cruiser on March 6, 2009 · Leave a Comment

This question is about shore excursions. Can you tell me if you need to pay for them when you book the cruise or do you pay when you actually take the cruise? We are planning to take a Princess cruise this summer but I need to know the answer to this question before booking.

It’s a good thing you specified the cruise line because different lines have different rules. The way it works on Princess is you book your excursions at any time before arriving at the port of call. The night before you are scheduled for that port, you will receive your tickets. The price of the excursion is added to your onboard account and the balance is paid at the end of the cruise with your other expenses. In other words, they aren’t actually paid for until the very end of your cruise. As a side note remember that some shore excursions do have limited space so if there is something you really would like to do, book early, you can always cancel if you change your mind. You can also book a private excursion in which case you would pay the excursion provider directly, based on their particular preference.

I was wondering, when ships dock, do the ships switch to the local time or will it stay with the time zone of the original port of embarkation?

To be perfectly honest, some do and some don’t. I have been on cruises that stay on the same time as the port of embarkation and cruises that have changed to local time; it’s at the Captain’s discretion. The good news is you don’t have to guess as to what the policy of your ship may be. Every night you will receive a newsletter outlining the events for the following day. These newsletters will also give information on what time schedules should be observed. Just be sure to make note of the time and set your watch accordingly. I have never had it happen, but I am sure missing the boat is one of the worst cruising experiences one can endure.

How far in advance should I book a cruise? We were thinking of going on a cruise in either April or May of this year. Do I have to go with the May cruise or is there still time to book a cruise for April?

While I always advise cruisers to book as soon as you possibly can, other than the cruise mandates there is no concrete date where it becomes too late to book a cruise vacation. I usually try to book at least six months in advance but that isn’t always possible. I booked the cruise I am taking on March 15^th just two months ago. In fact, I have booked a cruise as close to the sail date as one month out, without any problems. I also have a friend who lives within driving distance of the port of Miami who books his cruises just one week out, for maximum savings. So, I would say you would be safe for either of those cruises. To read more of my thoughts on when to plan a cruise check this post out, it may help you plan your next cruise.