Preparing For Your Cruise

It’s official!!!  You are set to sail out within the next 30 days.  In order to make your trip even more spectacular, we will provide you with some tips and things to do before you depart.

Check Your Insurance Coverage

If you haven’t previously purchased trip insurance (that includes medical coverage), contact your medical insurance provider to ensure you have medical coverage during your cruise.  There is a possibility that your medical coverage is only for use within the United States.  If you find that you indeed need some coverage, we can surely get trip insurance for you asap!!  They normally offer policies up to 48 hrs. before departure.  

Complete Your Registration Online

With this being the age of technology, it would only be fitting that your cruise registration will be completed online!  Well yes, it’s entirely online!  Your boarding pass*, luggage tags, and health form** (if needed at the time) must be completed, printed and brought to the cruise terminal with you. 

Also, during registration, you will choose a boarding time, confirm dinner times, bed preferences, list emergency contacts and set up your sign and sail accounts.  

You will also have the option to choose shore excursions, order drink packages, and order water for your room (no—you can no longer bring water onboard) if you need it.

Navigating the Online App

Once you download the app, or access it via the cruise supplier online platform, you will have complete access to manage your on-board experience including available drink packages, internet packages, shore excursions and more!

 Make sure you have Birth Certificates/Passports/Identification

When traveling on a cruise leaving and departing from a U.S. Port, you have the option of traveling with a birth certificate or passport.  It is a great idea to leave copies of your birth certificate(s) and or passport(s) with a trusted family member that will be readily available while you are traveling.  Just in case your papers get lost, or packed in luggage, a copy can be faxed or emailed to the cruise line in a pinch.  

FYI, kids 16 and older DO need picture identification.  Last checked, school identification with picture and name WILL work.

Double Check All Travel Arrangements

• Airline
• Hotel
• Ground transportation
• Kids Club Registration (if traveling with children)

 Make Arrangements for Travel Transfers

If you would like, we would be more than happy to book your travel transfers from the airport to the cruise ship via your cruise line supplier.  If getting transfers from the cruise supplier, your pick-up and drop-off locations will be the airport. 

We also use GoPort for transfer services.  If you are in need of transfer services, please let us know specifically the transfers you want, and we will arrange them for you!

If it is a venture you would prefer to DIY, please check rates for several suppliers for ground transportation (transfers) at your destination airport to make arrangements to be picked up before you leave home.  We would be happy to give you some preferred vendors.

Call your transportation supplier the morning you leave to make sure they remember to pick you up on arrival!!  Actually, this is very important—nothing is worse than getting left at the airport!

Traveling with Medical Conditions

If you have food allergies, asthma, ambulatory issues, need oxygen, medical supplies or another medical condition or disability? Please let us know so we can inform the cruise line know so they can make accommodations for you and your family ahead of time.  Giving the cruise line prior warning of any conditions you face will allow them the opportunity to properly prepare for your needs before you get on board!  Don’t be shy about it, they LOVE to accommodate their guests!

Boarding Material and Luggage Tags

All the boarding material (contract documents, health assessment, terms and conditions, contract) and boarding passes will be available to you online starting from 30 – 14 days prior to departure.  You will need to create an online account with the supplier to review your cruise contract, select dining and bedding preferences, review on-board purchase funding options and view boarding passes.  Online you will be able to sign your cruise contract and be ready for boarding.  You can print your boarding pass, or you can use the electronic boarding pass available on your supplier app. 

Even though the boarding pass process is available online, our agency is more than happy to print your documents and boarding passes and mail them to you.  If you would like to receive your boarding passes, cruise documents, cruise contract, and luggage tags in the mail, please let us know via email!  Please be sure to include your full address and the number of copies you are requesting at least 2 (two) weeks before sailing.

If you will be printing your own documents, the only necessary documents you really need to print are your luggage tags and your boarding pass (if you are not doing an electronic check-in).

Cruise ports are busy, busy places.  There is a continuous flow of passengers boarding and un-boarding until departure.  Let’s make yours as uneventful as possible!

To make sure your check-in is as simple as possible, make sure you have already tagged your luggage with the luggage tags the cruise line has provided for you.  If you forget your luggage tags, you will have the opportunity to tag your luggage once you get into the port check-in but you will have to stand in line and hand write your tags. 

Checking-in at the port is very similar to checking in at the airport.  When you get off of your ground transportation, you will have the opportunity to check your luggage at the curb, or you can carry your luggage inside the building for check-in.  If you check-in at the curb, expect to tip—they don’t get pay checks, only tip money (well at least that’s what they say)!

When Boarding, Take Everything You Need in Your Carry-on

 It is possible that you will not see your luggage until later in the day.  So it is important that you take everything you need for check-in process and things you might need before you are reunited with your

luggage.  This includes Identification, passports/birth certificates, medication, phone, camera, swimsuits, a change of clothes or whatever else you deem important!  There is no specific time, it is usually delivered by ship departure time but sometimes it might come later—so be prepared.

This Includes Alcohol…

Alcohol can be taken onboard in your carry-on luggage..  The alcohol is limited to 1 bottle of wine or champagne of 750 ml per adult 21 and over. Circumvent this rule at your own risk. While boarding they will physically inspect your bottles for original seal and bubble content. If not legit, they will confiscate your wine and throw it away.  Also, take a wine bottle opener (put that in your checked luggage)—they charge a 15.00 corkage fee to open your wine!!

Sign and Sail Cards

Upon boarding the ship everyone will be given sign and sail cards.  Sign and sail cards will be used for everything on the ship including purchasing items from the ship stores and vendors, getting in and out of the room, checking kids in and out of daycare, getting on and off the ship at ports.  

Tips and gratuity will also be added to the sign and sail cards by the 2^nd day of your cruise, if not the first.  The daily rate varies per cruise line and by room types (normally suites have higher gratuity).   The cruise line will automatically add the gratuity to each sign and sail card but you CAN alter how much you want to pay.  If you want to change you gratuity amount up or down, simply go to guest services and tell them you want to change the amount.  They will alter the amount immediately and give you a new print out.  

It is a common practice for some families to only pay gratuity for adults and remove the gratuity from their kid’s accounts.  It is totally up to you what you pay.  The main point here is DON’T FEEL OBLIGATED to pay what the cruise line has assigned.

Also, remember to set a limit on your kids sign and sail cards.  If no limit is set, they WILL have the option of buying the entire ship!  And you will simply receive a bill at the end of your cruise.  Good luck arguing those purchases with the cruise lines as they will tell you after the fact that you had the option of placing a limit on their spending.  However, those cards WILL STOP your kids from ordering alcohol.  The cards are automatically loaded with birth dates and pictures—so don’t worry, there will be no sneaking alcohol.  They can order a margarita if they want—but it will be virgin!

Take Your Own Over the Counter Medication

Tylenol, Dramamine, Advil, Pepto Bismol—whatever you think your family will need.  There is a clinic onboard but a dose of Tylenol from the clinic can cost you $20.00 (really one dose-yes!).   There is also a store on the ship; however, you will pay handsomely for those items. 

Bring Drink Containers

The ship will have drink stations on the Lido deck.  You can drink all you want, however the cups hold approximately 8 oz of liquid.  It is more than a notion to have to carry multiple cups all the way back to your room.  The better option is to bring large drink containers to fill them up and keep with you.  There are mini refrigerators in the rooms (balcony) for storage.  Also, it is nice to take a drink with you to the islands.  Please know that the islands are HOT, HOT, HOT!  You will need a drink—because your body would have thought that you had ventured into the dessert.  You will be able to buy drinks on the islands; however, you can save yourself some cash by bringing your own drink.  Of course you will buy food and drinks on the Island, but it is nice to have something to sip on without having to pay outrageous prices.  Please understand ports are money makers for the islands and they charge what they want!  

What Are You Going To Do?

In short, EVERYTHING!  Cruising is such an awesome experience.  Just about everything you can do on land, you can do on the ship.  To name a few…

Well and then there is the relaxing part too!

And then there are the port stops.  There are so many things to do at the ports that I couldn’t possibly name them all.  But the one thing I will mention is booking shore excursions with the cruise supplier or without the cruise supplier; it’s such a difficult decision. J

Booking shore excursions with the cruise line will ensure that you don’t miss the boat.  If booked through them, with their suppliers, they WILL hold the ship for you if you are late getting back.

If you book with an outside company, or dare to venture out on your own….you will have no such luck.   

I do not have any recommendations for how or what to do.  I have done both!!  However, I would advise you to make sure you are back on the ship at least 45 minutes prior to departure.  There are clocks everywhere on the ship so you don’t have to be confused as to what is actual ship time.

My friend, please don’t let me be watching the news and catch footage of you running on the pier to catch the ship!!

When In Doubt, Take Flip-Flops

Cruising is THE best FUN.  There are so many activities on the ship that you won’t be able to do it all!  However, please bring comfortable clothes and comfortable shoes.  Your clothing and shoes should be something you don’t mind getting dirty and wet!  There will be splashing from the pools, spray from the water parks, water from the beaches and possible rain.  You don’t want to be mad because you got the best of your best messed up!!  The best clothing advice EVER—bring plenty of swimsuits and flip-flops– and Hawaiian shirts.

One exception—Captain Night or Elegant Night (whatever you would like to call it).  `

Generally it is : 2-4 day cruises = 1 Captain Night               5 + day cruises = 2 Captain nights

You will get dressed up for at least 2 hours on Captain night.  On that night there will be drinking, dancing, picture taking, and the opportunity to meet the crew (and ship Captain).  Dress is suggested to be “after 5” attire.  However, any dress or suit could work, so whatever floats your boat!

What to do During an Emergency

If you run into an emergency before, during, or after your cruise, this is what you should do!

We are your travel partner and will assist you through your travel emergencies!  The first phone call you should make during an emergency is to us at Bonne Vacances!  We can be reached via text or phone call at 816-786-1633 or by email at bonnevacancestravel@gmail.com.

Cruising is an expensive investment, and all cruise suppliers have a $0 (zero) refund policy after final payment.  However, cruise suppliers offer travel insurance, or we can obtain you travel insurance from an outside insurance company.  If for any reason you must cancel your cruise, you want to be covered! 

BEFORE

If the emergency occurs before final payoff, we will inform the cruise line of the emergency and request a refund (refund amount depends on rate codes rules and the cancellation policy) or move your credits to a new cruise.  Please see cancellation policy on cruise ticket for more details on cruise cancellation.

If there are no rebook or refund options, we are going to immediately contact the insurance company to file a claim. 

If you did not purchase insurance, I am going to call the cruise supplier, beg for your money back….and then we are going to cry together, because they are NOT giving it back.

DURING

If you are enroute to your cruise, and you run into a delay, we are going to contact the supplier emergency line and alert them of the emergency. 

We will work with the supplier to keep them updated on your arrival time or lack of arrival time.  If you miss your cruise, we will work with the insurance company to start the claim process. 

Medical Issue

If you have a medical emergency on board, you will be charged for services rendered on board as it will be charged to your room.  If you purchased insurance, we will assist with contacting your insurance company to start your claim if you request!

If you did not purchase insurance, our only options will be to cry together, because they are NOT forgiving the cost.

AFTER

If you experience an emergency after the cruise on your way home, please give us a call so we can assist with alternate travel arrangements.  If you purchased travel insurance, your insurer may cover your additional emergency expenses via an insurance payout.  We will help you navigate the claim process as much as we can!

If you did not purchase insurance, our only options will be to sit on the phone and cry together. 

The bottom line to all of this is, if you don’t properly secure your cruise investment with insurance, you will be crying….and we will be more than happy to sit and cry with you.  Please let us book travel insurance for you before you leave!  We won’t be refunding any money, because the cruise supplier will keep your money without remorse.  You have been warned!  

Asterisk Key

 *If you are electing to use an online/ electronic check-in, you don’t have to print.

**Based on the time you travel, there may or may not be a health assessment.  The health assessment will ask general questions regarding possible exposures to communicable diseases, and possibly international travel that could have high incidences of a communicable disease.

Did I forget something that you really need to know?  Please ask me so I can get you an answer!

We appreciate your business!

Have a Fantastic Cruise!