1.
Is cruising affordable and a good honeymoon value?
Cruising can be considered one of the best
values. There are cruise honeymoons to suit every budget. A cruise
offers the best travel value for your money. Your fare includes all
meals, your cabin accommodations, on board activities, nighttime parties,
entertainment and more. You will know what your honeymoon will end
up costing you before you go. You’re only extra expenses will
be drinks, optional shore excursions, personal services (such as massage
or hairstyling) and gratuities.
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2.
Can you help me select a cruise, or do I need to know what I want?
Choosing the right cruise for just the two
of you, or for also your family and friends, is the most important
step in your honeymoon cruise. Most of our brides do not have the
time to research the hundreds of available cruises themselves so they
choose to work with “Weddings in Jamaica”. Of course, everyone
asks their friends and family members about their personal cruise
experience and knowledge. But be careful asking someone’s opinion
about which is the best cruise line or which is the “best cruise”;
this is a little like asking someone which is the best restaurant.
They might love Italian food, but you might not. So, in doing your
research, remember that any person’s particular cruise experience
is measured against their particular values and ideals. By utilizing
the services of “Weddings in Jamaica/Caribbean Getaways”,
we will only suggest a particular cruise to you only after obtaining
important information about your desires and expectations. We will
use our knowledge and experience to choose what is right just for
YOU!
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3.
Who are the largest / most popular cruise lines?
Before answering, we need to disclaim that
although popularity can be a matter of popular opinion, our answer
to this question is based on passenger counts and profitability. This
is not as clinical as it seems, because in the U.S. democratic marketplace,
customers vote with their dollars. Not every cruise line is for every
type of client, but we are talking overall numbers here.
In North America, Carnival Cruise Lines is the clear popularity winner.
The “Fun Ship” experience has been a resounding success
with the public. Excellent value, children’s programs, gala shows,
new ships, and terrific casinos are some of the attractions that give
Carnival Cruise Lines boasting rights to having an occupancy rate
of greater than 100% (maximum occupancy used to computations based
on two passengers per cabin). In addition to Carnival Cruise Lines,
the Carnival Corporation also owns Holland America Line, Windstar,
Seabourn, Costa Cruises and Cunard Cruise Line.
Besides Carnival, the “Big Three” also includes Royal Caribbean
International/Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruises. Royal Caribbean
International, used to be known as Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, or
RCCL. Today, officially they are RCI. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity
Cruises have merged and operate separate fleets of ships. Princess
Cruises is also a major player in the North American market, but rates
a solid third place in this playing field when measuring passenger
counts and profitability. We might also add that currently the Princess
ships are not sailing to Jamaica.
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4.
Are all ships and cruises fairly similar?
Far from it. Cruise ships can range from
under 200 feet to over 1,000 feet in length. They can range from 13,000
tons to over 140,000 tons. You can sail with anywhere from fewer than
100 fellow passengers to over 3,000. Atmosphere experiences range
from casual to formal, classically simple to ultra-deluxe.
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5.
When is the best time to book a cruise?
This is a complex question, but the answer
comes down to “as early as possible”. It is not unusual
for some cruises to sell out almost a year in advance. The cruise
industry has changed dramatically over the last few years. Experienced
cruisers knew that you could often wait until the last minute to get
a good deal. It was only common sense that the cruise line would rather
get “something” for that unfilled berth. Several years ago,
the cruise lines changed to a system of “early booking discounts”.
In general, the price of a cabin will go up the closer you get to
the sailing date. This typically happens in the $50 or $100 per person
increments. Even if a last minute sale does come up for a cruise that
you have already booked, it is almost always possible to have your
cruise re-priced at the lower cost.
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6.
What is the best strategy to get the best price?
Let “Weddings in Jamaica/Caribbean
Getaways” book your cruise as far in advance as possible. This
will lock in what will most likely be the lowest price ever for the
cabin you choose. With your reservation in our computer system, we
will constantly be on the lookout for “fare sales”. In almost
all cases, the cruise lines will allow a “retroactive fare decrease”
when this occurs. That’s our job, to get you the lowest fare
today and make sure it ends up being the lowest fare you could ever
have received!
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7.
What’s included in the cost of my cruise?
When you get a cruise quote from “Weddings
in Jamaica/Caribbean Getaways”, you will receive a cost per person
breakdown of the base cost of your cruise, applicable port charges
and any air fare charges and taxes. Travel insurance is almost never
included in your quote unless you ask for it, as it is an additional
item. In summary, your mandatory costs are probably:
Mandatory Costs = Cabin Cost + Port Charges, with airfare and transfers
separately stated.
Included in these costs are all of your food, entertainment, use of
facilities, etc. If you would like to partake of some alcoholic beverages
(or even soft drinks on most ships) expect to pay extra for them.
Juices, milk, coffee and tea are available at no charge.
Although not “mandatory”, you should plan on tipping your
waiter, bus boy and cabin steward. As a guideline, most cruise lines
suggest the following:
Dining Room Waiter $3.50 per guest per day
Dining Room Bus Boy $2.50 per guest per day
Cabin Steward $3.50 per guest per day
Generally, a 15% gratuity is automatically added to the bar, beverage,
wine and deck service tabs.
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8. What type of cabin should
I choose?
Where your cabin is located on board ship
can be an important decision. Here are some guidelines you should
consider.
INSIDE CABINS OCEAN VIEW CABINS
*Inside cabins are less expensive than Ocean
Having a view from your cabin of passing View Cabins. Tropical isles
is a special treat.
On newer ships, Inside cabins are usually There is a greater variety
and selection Identical to standard ocean view rooms. Among Ocean
View cabins ranging from Standard
cabins to Deluxe Suites.
Passengers in Inside cabins are afforded all There are categories
of cabins on newer the same ship amenities as in the Ocean View ships
that include your own Veranda or cabins, while taking advantage of
price savings. Balcony affording privacy while passing spectacular
scenery.
Without daylight, one can wake up not knowing Would you like a Butler?
Some Deluxe if it’s morning or the middle of the night or what
Suites include 24-hour Butler Service. the weather is outside.
Is it worth the extra money for an Ocean View cabin? What we often
hear is:
“I’ve been told you don’t spend any time in your cabin
anyway, why waste your money on an Ocean View cabin.”
“I would never stay in an Inside cabin.”
“Once we got a cabin with a balcony and saw how great it was,
we
would never go back to a standard Ocean View cabin!”
Like any other topic, opinions abound. If you are on a budget, and
the choice is either to go or not to go, or to only be able to afford
to go in an Inside cabin, BY ALL MEANS, take the Inside cabin! If
you can afford the extra money to move up to an Ocean View cabin (maybe
$200 total on a 7 night cruise), you will probably feel you got your
money’s worth.
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9. What’s the
difference between a “guaranteed” and an “assigned”
booking?
When
you book a cabin assignment, you are choosing a specific cabin you
will be occupying. You will be able to look in the specific cruise
line (which you have selected) on the deck plan and see exactly where
your cabin is located. If you book a cabin assignment, the odds of
getting a FREE upgrade some time in the future are very slim.
Once way you can get “more than you paid for” is to accept
a guaranteed booking. Simply stated, you pay for one category of cabin
and you could be assigned a more expensive category. The basic rules
go like this: You are guaranteed a cabin on the ship in a specific
category or better at the price specified at time of booking. If you
book far enough in advance, it is likely that you will receive free
upgrades of 1, 2, 3 or maybe more categories. If you book last minute,
odds of being assigned a cabin in exactly the same category as the
guarantee you paid for, are high.
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10. What is an “Air/Sea”
cruise?
An
“air/sea” cruise or a “fly/cruise” honeymoon package
includes either free or reduced airfare along with your cruise ticket.
These money-saving options are available from most major North American
cities and include transfers between the airport and the ship as well
as baggage handling. If you prefer booking your air travel separately
from the cruise line, our full service cruise agency reservations
center can assist you with obtaining low airfare rates.
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11.
How do I pay for my cruise?
There
are three basic ways to pay for your cruise; credit card, money order
or cashier’s check. We find that most of our clients prefer paying
for their Cruise deposit and final payment with a credit card. “Weddings
in Jamaica/Caribbean Getaways” will ask for your signature authorizing
the cruise line to charge your credit card and then we will call in
the billing information directly to the cruise line. The cruise line
charges your credit card, not “Weddings in Jamaica/Caribbean
Getaways”.
If you pay by check, we will accept a cashier’s check or money
order for your deposit and final payment. At the time of your proposal,
we will give you the name of the travel supplier to make your check
payable to. You may forward this check directly to “Weddings
in Jamaica/Caribbean Getaways”.
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12.
When are my cruise payments due?
The
deposit for your cruise is due at the time of booking. For a 5 day
cruise, the deposit required is $100.00 per person. For a 7 day cruise,
the deposit is $250.00 per person.
The balance due, or final payment, is usually due (70) days before
sailing if paying by credit card. “Weddings in Jamaica/Caribbean
Getaways” requests that if you are paying by check, that your
final payment be made at least (85) days prior to your sailing date.
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13.
What are the penalties if I have to cancel my cruise?
The
cruise line assesses penalties if your cruise is canceled too close
to sailing. The cancellation policy does vary by cruise line, so it
is important that you understand exactly what this is. Like other
Terms and Conditions related to your cruise, the cancellation policy
is listed in the back of the cruise line brochure. Make sure you have
a current version of the brochure, as the policy may change.
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14.
What is cruise insurance, and is it worth the cost?
Cruise
insurance is sometimes also called trip cancellation insurance or
travel insurance. Cancellation insurance is not really a good name
for it, since in additional to cancellation protection, the insurance
will usually cover emergency medical treatment, lost or delayed baggage
or trip delay. When you cancel a cruise for a covered reason, the
trip cancellation insurance coverage will reimburse you for the portion
of your funds that the cruise line will not give back. If the cancellation
occurs close to sailing, this is most likely the entire cost of your
trip. Every policy is different, but valid covered reasons almost
always must involve illness, injury, accident, or death. The person
suffering the malady does not always have to be the traveler himself
or herself, but could be a traveling companion or close family member
as defined by the policy terms and conditions. It is important to
understand that no insurance policy will cover cancellation expenses
for business or personal reasons. Proof of covered cause usually requires
producing either a doctor’s letter advising against travel or
a death certificate.
Trip delay insurance most commonly comes into play when you miss the
sailing of the ship due to airline flight delays or cancellations.
Many clients believe (falsely) that if you booked your air through
the cruise line you don’t have anything to worry about. This
is not true. Read your cruise document fine print and you will see
in black and white that the cruise line has no legal responsibility
for the performance, or lack of performance, of any airline. Although
there are other good reasons to book your flight through the cruise
line, missed sailing reimbursement is not one of them. Typically,
the trip delay portion of a cruise insurance policy provides for a
maximum amount of dollars to fly you to the next port where you may
reasonably join the cruise. It is not unusual for this maximum amount
to be $500 for the policy. This especially comes into play if you
decide to purchase a family policy. For a single premium, this type
of policy covers married couples and legal dependents traveling together.
Although the premium may be lower than getting an individual policy
for each passenger, you must weigh this against policy maximum coverage.
For example, if you are taking a Western Caribbean cruise out of Miami
and arrived so late that you missed your ship, the cruise line would
likely have to fly you to Grand Cayman to join the cruise. With a
family policy, you would have a total of about $500 for the two airline
tickets, but with individual policies, you will usually have twice
the maximum coverage of the family policy. Again, please be cautioned
that all policies are different, and you must take the time to read
and understand the coverage that you personally are signing up for.
Lastly, we occasionally meet clients that decline the cruise insurance
based upon the fact that “we never get sick”. Unfortunately,
even if this were true, they fail to appreciate the possibility that
they might be involved in something that is unavoidable. We know a
client that “never got sick” but was involved in an unavoidable
auto accident on the way to the port and, of course, was unable to
make the cruise.
Premiums for cruise insurance are sometimes related to the total cost
of the cruise, and sometimes not. A typical individual policy for
a 7-day cruise has a premium of $89 to $150 depending on the cruise
coverage. For a specific example, see our information on Access America’s
Travel with East Basic Policy.
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15.
Will I need a passport for my cruise?
Effective
December 31, 2005, all persons traveling to the Caribbean will need
a valid US passport to re-enter the United States.*
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16.
Will I get bored on board the ship or feel confined.
Being
a sea gives you a feeling of freedom few places can offer. There’s
plenty of room and it may take you two or three days just to discover
what is on board! You will also get the added adventure of exploring
new and exciting ports of call. Cruise ships are like floating resorts
with all the choices fine resorts have to offer. You can be by yourself
and lie back in a lounge chair, breathe in the sea air, soak up the
sun, read a good book, or watch the ever-changing view. Or perhaps,
you can join in exercise classes, dance classes, sports contests and
other organized deck activities. You can go for a swim, practice your
tennis stroke or golf swim, climb a rock-climbing wall, or shoot some
baskets; stretch out in the sauna, work out in the gym or have a massage.
You can see a feature movie, attend lectures by renowned experts,
play backgammon or bridge . . . and that’s just when you are
on board!
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17.
What is there to do in port?
So
much that you may have a hard time choosing! You can go off on your
own, or take a guided tour. You can go bargain shopping, ride a raft
over river rapids or ride a horse across miles of hills and beaches.
Climb a waterfall or listen to a steel drum. Follow the footsteps
of history or the wake of a water-skiing boat. If there’s still
time, play golf or tennis. Eat native foods. Learn how to windsurf.
Sun and swim on some of the world’s best beaches. Catch a record
marlin. Sail, snorkel or go scuba diving. Go to a nightclub or glittering
Casino. In short, a cruise is the easiest way to see new places and
do all the things you dream of. Cruising is the perfect way to sample
a number of destinations that you may want to return for another vacation.
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18.
What’s there to do at night on board the ship?
At
night, life aboard a cruise ship really comes alive. There’s
dancing; live entertainment in nightclubs, discos and lounges; feature
films; and parties with all your newly made friends. Most ships have
casinos. There are also many special events like the Captain’s
Cocktail Party, Passenger Talent Night, the Masquerade Parade, and
the Late Night Buffet. And the night can go on as long as you want.
Even until the spectacle of sunrise at sea.
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19.
Is there a charge for entertainment?
Never.
On a cruise honeymoon, the entertainment is “on the house”.
There is no cover, no minimum, no charge for an admission ticket.
The shows are live; the movies first rate. The variety is limitless.
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20.
What type of clothes should I bring?
Pack
like you would for any resort. Cruise honeymoon are casual by day,
whether you are on the ship or ashore. In the evenings, ships vary
as to dress. As on shore, attire is dictated by occasion. For the
Captain’s Gala, for example, you’ll probably want to wear
something more formal, such as a dark suite or cocktail dress, perhaps
even a dinner jacket, tuxedo for the men or formal gown for the ladies.
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21.
What are the different meal seatings?
Some
ships’ dining rooms can accommodate all passengers in one seating,
but most ships have two seatings, which differ only by time. To choose,
just decide whether you prefer to dine early or late and then we can
request your preference when you book your cruise. Whichever seating
you choose, remember that one of the best ways to make new friends
is to ask for a large table. In additional some ships offer alternative
dining options. For example, theme restaurants such as Italian, Chinese,
Japanese, or Southwestern dining experience separate form the main
dining room may be available.
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22.
Is cruise ship dining as good as I’ve been told?
Everything
you’ve heard about cruise ship dining is true. You’ll find
a varied selection of entrees (appetizers, salads, soups, vegetables,
and desserts, too) every time you sit down. And there’s virtually
no limit on what or how much you can order. Just because your cruise
ship offers plenty of delicious food doesn’t mean you’ll
come home out of shape. You can choose low-cal, spa or fitness menu
selections that are just as tempting as the regular menu. You can
also jog, do aerobics, work out in the gym, swim, golf, play tennis,
and much more. Burning calories was never so much fun! Best of all,
the one thing you’ll never see on a cruise ship menu is price.
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23.
Can I get a special diet?
Most ships accommodate salt-free, low carbohydrate
or other diet preferences. However, this request must be made in advance,
so be sure to notify us if your requirement when you book your cruise
with us.
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24.
What if I don’t like by tablemates?
Rarely
is this a problem; however, if you wish to move to another table,
speak with the maitre d’. He will make every effort to seat you
with more compatible dining companions . . . discreetly and politely.
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25.
Can we celebrate our wedding on board also?
Absolutely.
Most cruise lines will even treat you to a complimentary cake. You
can even arrange for a special private party with champagne, flowers,
canapés, wine or cheese. All you have to do is advise is when
you book your cruise.
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26.
Is cruising a good choice for honeymooners?
Without
a doubt. Cruising offers an atmosphere that’s just right for
romance…cozy dinners for two, strolling on deck at sunset, dancing
the night away (even under the stars) and so much more to remember
forever. Most lines provide special services on their Sunday or Monday
departures featuring from welcome champagne and breakfast in bed.
(And speaking of beds, most ships have them in double, queen or king
sizes!).
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27.
Can we stay in touch with the outside?
Quite
easily. Most ships have a daily newsletter with news, headlines, selected
stock quotes and sports scores. Staterooms on many ships are equipped
with televisions. While most ships now have telephones in passenger
cabins, you can also call someone on shore through the ship’s
radio operator while at sea. And, you can make phone calls from most
ports. In addition, many ships have fax and Internet capabilities.
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28.
Are there medical services on board?
Virtually
every cruise ship (except for smaller vessels operating in coastal
waters) has a fully equipped medical facility and staff to handle
almost any emergency.
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29.
Are there laundry services on board?
Almost
all cruise ships have laundry facilities and a great many provide
dry-cleaning services. There is, however, an additional charge for
professional laundry and dry-cleaning services. Many ships also have
self-service launderettes.
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30.
Is motion-discomfort a problem?
Not
really. The most popular cruise areas boast some of the calmest waters
in the world. In addition, stabilizers on modern ships, advance availability
of accurate weather information, and development of effective preventative
medications have, for the most part, eliminated the incidence of motion
discomfort. If you should feel seasick while on board, the purser
will probably provide you with over-the-counter medication. If you
anticipate feeling sick while on your cruise, you may want to bring
your own medication or look into using sea bands.
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31.
It sounds too good to be true! Is it?
The
major complaint we hear over and over again is that cruises end far
too soon! Beyond that, it’s hard to find any negatives. After
all, you don’t have to run to make plane connections to get from
one port to the next. You don’t have the hassles of making dinner
or nightclub reservations. You don’t have the bother of packing
or unpacking as you move from place to place. You don’t get unexpected,
expensive surprises at restaurants or nightclubs. You have a wealth
of options of shopping, adventure, sightseeing, exploring, entertaining
and sports activities. All you have to worry about is relaxing and
enjoying your vacation. Most importantly, every crew and staff member
on board is dedicated to making your cruise vacation the best vacation
of your life!
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32.
How can your prices be so reasonable?
We
are able to price our cruises so low for several reasons:
Our cruise sales volume has allowed us to obtain Preferred Supplier
status with all of the major cruise lines in the US market. Our Preferred
Supplier relationship with the cruise lines allow us to obtain cruise
cabin space at costs significantly below most other travel agencies.
Our use of computer and telecommunications technology provides us
a significant cost and time competitive advantage over most travel
agencies.
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33.
Don’t all travel agencies get the same prices from the cruise
lines?
No,
our participation with difference travel suppliers earns us “preferred”
list prices from many of the cruise lines.
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34.
Can I expect good customer service from your company?
Yes,
we feel because you have made the decision to be married in Jamaica
and have selected our company, you will be able to work with just
ONE person to accomplish everything needed for a wonderful honeymoon
cruise and a FABULOUS wedding in Jamaica. We would like to keep you
as a customer for life, after your wedding. A highly satisfied client
will return to us for their future cruise vacations and recommend
“Weddings in Jamaica/Caribbean Getaways” to all of their
family and friends.
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