Paying for purchases on board.

One of the main questions that a lot of first time cruisers ask us is
"How do I pay for things on board?"

Most cruise liners have a "cashless system" established for all on board purchases and services. Upon checking in at the wharf every single passenger will be issued with a cruise card.

When paying for something on board all you will need to do is hand over your cruise card to the cruise staff, your card will be debited/charged and you will be issued with a paper receipt for each purchase.
Make sure to keep all your paper receipts so that when your final bill is given to you, you can double check your bill against your receipts and make sure that you have not been overcharged.

If travelling with Princess or P&O Cruises as per their terms and conditions your on board account can be set up by providing them with a credit card (Visa, MasterCard or AMEX) or debit card (Visa or MasterCard), your final bill will be charged to your nominated card at the end of your cruise.

If you do not have a credit or debit card, you can activate your on board account by paying a minimum deposit of AUD300 per person (cash or traveller’s cheques are accepted) when checking in at the wharf. Pre-paid credit cards and Travelex Visa cash passports are not accepted on board.

With Royal Caribbean cruises you can also set up your on board account with a credit card (American Express, Optima, MasterCard, Visa, Discover and Diner's Club or traveller's cheques, debit cards or cash.

A running tab of all your purchases will be kept under separate folio numbers for each guest, and an itemised statement left in your stateroom the night before disembarkation. If you provided them with a credit card, and there are no discrepancies, the amount will be charged to your account on the morning of disembarkation.

They require you to place a minimum cash deposit if you decide to set up your on board account with cash. They have a daily limit on cash accounts of US$500.00 for 7+ night sailings and US$300.00 for 2-5 night sailings.
If you have used traveller's cheques or cash to activate the account, you will need to settle the account at the Guest Relations desk (either to receive a reimbursement of the unused amount you originally left or to pay the balance of what you have charged in excess of the amount that you originally left).


As per the Holland America Cruises' terms and conditions you can set up your on board account with them with a credit or debit card (Visa®, Mastercard®, American Express, and Discover) Upon embarkation, they will seek an initial authorization on your card for USD $60 per person for each day of your cruise. For cruises longer than 25 days, the hold is USD$30.00 per person, per day.

The other option is to set up your cruise account with them via a cash deposit at time of boarding of (USD $60/person/day). ***Note - With the cash option, you MUST bring enough cash to cover the $60/person/day account deposit. Failure to do so may forfeit your right to board. Any excess deposit will be refunded to you at the end of the cruise. Traveler's checks may be cashed at the front office to make your deposit. Personal checks are not accepted on board.

Just remember that when you board the ship, your account will have be activated and you may make purchases immediately by showing your cruise card and signing a paper receipt.

Short Excursions-The new kids on the block for shore excursions

We are all very excited to now be able to offer our clients and alternative for booking their land tours.

There is now a new company called Short Excursions that has been created to focus entirely on cruise passengers shore-side experience.

They provide a range of short excursions that reflect great value for money and choice for cruise passengers of all interest and ages.
They also work closely with the tour operators to ensure the tour start and finish times work within the cruise ship schedule.

To check out their website and the different tours offered click on the link below
http://www.shortexcursions.com.au/?ref=cruiserepublic

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is not compulsory but highly recommended.

We have had many calls lately from passengers who are not able to sail on their cruise due to circumstances beyond their control these cancellation have incurred cancellation fees which some cruise liners have not been able to waiver due to the proximity of the sailing date. If these passengers had purchased travel insurance as soon as they paid their deposit they would have been refunded the amount lost as cancellation fees from their travel insurer.

If you purchase travel insurance on the day you pay your deposit you are covered from that instant until the time you return to your house from your cruise holiday.

We all hope for the best but need to prepare ourselves in case all does not according to planned.

For customers in Australia-
We recommend Cover-More Travel Insurance and benefit from top quality cover, affordable rates, professional service and fair claims handling.
https://www.securecruisebooking.com/r/346317534412

For customers in New Zealand-
We recommend Travelsure Insurance, New Zealand's leading travel insurance provider. https://www.securecruisebooking.com/r/144078313941

Walkie talkies-A great way to stay connected on your cruise!

While as sea we sometimes find ourselves frustrated at our lack of independence and not being able to do our own thing with out having to plan a meeting spot or searching the whole ship for the people we are traveling with.

The international roaming rates for mobiles can get very pricey so we have thought of an easy and cost effective way to stay connected whilst cruising.

WALKIE TALKIES!

You can purchase decent ones for around $30-50 AUD. Most of them have a 5km range and are very user friendly.

These handy little gadgets can be very helpful if travelling with a group or even if you are travelling with one other person and want to enjoy a little bit of alone time with out having to worry about loosing one another.

So next time you plan your cruise, try to bring walkie talkies with you and have the peace of mind of always being reachable. Roger that. Over and Out!

Cruise Holidays- Best Value for Money!!

Even though we are expericing a financial crunch we have noticed a slight boom in the cruising industry.

Do you want to know why?


The answer to this is simple, all inclusive holiday!

Your one low cruise fare includes:

• All port charges and taxes


• Private en suite with air-conditioner


• All meals in the silver service main restaurants including magnificent 4 course dinners, food courts and daytime grills


• Day time activities, performances, competitions, including the sports court, whirlpool spas, pools and a fully equipped gym


• Evening entertainment featuring live comedy, theater productions,bars, lounges, nightclubs and cinema with the latest movies


• Luxurious pamper packs


• Dedicated age specific kid's clubs


• Personal cabin steward

All this as you travel to stunning destinations of your choice.

The best way to figure out how much bang for your buck you are getting is to divide your individual fare by the amount of days you are going on.

Let's say your cruise fare is $1075.00 and you are going on a 10 night cruise which is visiting 6 dazzling islands in the South Pacific, you are in sense paying $107.50 per day.

Now think of all the money you would pay on international flights, all your meals, travel between the islands, entertainment, and accommodation if you were to arrange the same trip on your own. This can cost you double the amount of what you pay on your cruise fare.

So what are you waiting for? Book an all inclusive Cruising holiday with us today and get the best value for your money!! http://www.cruisesalefinder.com.au/