CRUISE NEWS

 

 

Carnival’s New Policies for Minimum Age and Pregnancy – Effective January 1, 2008 on new bookings only are minimum age and pregnancy polices changed.  Infants must be at least six (6) months of age at the beginning of the cruise to be eligible to travel.  For Trans-Atlantic, Hawaii and South America cruises only, infants must be at least twelve (12) months of age at the beginning of the cruise to travel.  Guest who will be 25 weeks or more into their pregnancy by the end of the cruise will not be permitted to sail.

 

 

 

This new policy comes as a result of a new rule mandated by the US Customs and Border Protection. Beginning February 19, 2008, they are requiring all cruise lines to send an electronic transmission of their passenger and crew manifests no later than 60 minutes prior to departure.  So if we are scheduled to sail at 5:00 pm, then all guests who are sailing need to be checked in by 4:00 pm so we can send the manifest.  At that point check-in would close.  In order for us to get everyone checked in by the 60-minute mark, we are asking guests to arrive two hours before departure so that they have time to deal with luggage, go through security and check-in.  It’s like the airlines telling you to arrive two hours before a flight so you have enough time to go through the entire process before boarding the plane.  If everyone shows up at an hour and 10 minutes before hand, it will be impossible to get everyone processed in 10 minutes and meet the 60-minute deadline.

 

 

The way it works is that the clock starts ticking as soon as the manifest is transmitted…all guests that are checked-in at the 60 minute mark are on the manifest and the manifest is transmitted to US Customs and Border Protection.  If a couple of guests show up 20 minutes before sailing and expect to get on and if we let them on, the manifest needs to be re-transmitted and the 60-minute clock starts ticking all over again.  This is why the decision has been made to deny boarding once check-in has closed. 

 

 

Now the example I just gave was of two guests arriving extremely late.  What if we learn that a flight has been delayed and there is a large group that will be arriving late?  Well the Captain at that point will make the decision on whether to hold the transmission of the manifest and delay the ship until those guests arrive.  And again, once those guests are checked-in and the manifest transmitted, the 60 minutes starts at that point. 

 

 

NCL is implementing the policy a little early, but all cruise lines will need to comply by February 19…so I wouldn’t be surprised if all of the other cruise lines come out with revised policies shortly.

 

 To specifically answer some questions:

 

1.         Clients won’t be denied boarding if they don’t arrive two hours ahead of time.  The policy doesn’t say that.  They may be denied boarding once check-in has closed. 

2.         They don’t need to prove they were at the terminal 2 hours before.  They just need to get there and check-in…that’s what matters.

3.         All cruise lines will be required to comply with the new rule mandated by the US Customs and Border Protection.  We’re not doing it to save money.

4.         We’re not trying to cause guests to stress and worry about getting there on time.  But we do expect them to allow enough time to check-in so that we’re not holding up the entire ship.

5.         Agencies were not consulted as this new rule will apply to all cruise lines. 

 

 

ROYAL CARIBBEAN/CELEBRITY/AZAMARA...

 

Due to new government regulations requiring cruise lines to submit final departure manifests at least 60 minutes prior to sailing, guests are requested to complete Online Check-in no later than 3 days prior to their cruise. If you do not complete Online Check-in 3 days prior, you will be required to complete this process at the pier at least two hours prior to the published sailing time. Please note: All guests must be checked-in and onboard the ship no later than 90 minutes prior to the published sailing time or you will not be permitted to sail.

 

 

In January 2008, Royal Caribbean will implement a new smoking policy that will include the following key changes:

• No smoking within the staterooms, not including the balconies.
• No smoking in any dining area of any ship, both indoors and outdoors.
• Champagne Bar will be added as a nonsmoking bar on every Freedom, Voyager and Vision-class ship.
• Viking Crown will be added as a nonsmoking bar on every Sovereign-class ship.

This policy will go into effect for the entire fleet with the exception of Legend, Rhapsody and Splendour on the first full sailing of January 2008. The policy will go into effect for the remaining ships on the transition sailing to their Summer 2008 itinerary.

 

 

It is with pleasure that we share with you a new, guest-inspired development specific to the dining program on Azamara Cruises. As you may know, in shaping our new deluxe brand, we worked diligently to create a dining experience and ambience comparable to some of the best on land, and we hope our guests will find that to be true, in our main dining room, Discoveries, our casual dining restaurant, Breeza, and our two specialty restaurants: the contemporary steakhouse, Prime C, and the Mediterranean-influenced Aqualina. And to ensure that all of our guests have the opportunity to experience these two intimate restaurants on both Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest, we are discontinuing the surcharge previously associated with dining in these venues.

Now, all suite guests are invited to enjoy three evenings of dining in either Aqualina or Prime C, on a complimentary basis, and all stateroom guests are welcome to enjoy two evenings in either venue, with no surcharge. Additional complimentary reservations will be accommodated on a space-available basis. Surcharges for the premium cuts in Prime C, as well as the wine pairing menu offering in Aqualina will remain in place. As with any intimate restaurant, we will ask that guests kindly book their reservations through their butler, or by visiting Prime C or Aqualina, or our main restaurant, Discoveries. Because the former specialty restaurant surcharge included gratuities for the dedicated staff, we also are asking guests onboard to consider a recommended gratuity of $5 per person for each evening of dining in Prime C and Aqualina.

 

 

 

Princess Debuts 37 New Shore Excursions for 2008 Alaska Season

Passengers Can Learn to Blow Glass, Experience the Life of a Commercial Fisherman or
Feast at an Alaskan Chef's Table

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (January 10 2008) - Whale watching, a five-course Alaska feast, and the art of glass making may not seem to have anything in common at first glance, but on a Princess Alaska cruise these are just some of the unique "Great Land" experiences available through the line's shore excursion program in 2008.  

A total of 37 new tour options join Princess' extensive Adventures Ashore program, which presents passengers with a total of 224 Alaska excursions in 2008.  New tours include an opportunity to go behind the scenes on a commercial fishing vessel featured on TV's Deadliest Catch, a ziplining tour designed for families, a walking tour with a Skagway "madam," an opportunity to learn the art of glassblowing, and an Alaskan chef's table that will delight food lovers.

"Each year we're delighted to find new ways for our passengers to experience the many facets of Alaska," said Charlie Ball, president of Princess Tours.  "We've worked closely with many local tour providers to showcase the wide array of rich culture, wildlife and natural beauty that can be experienced by our passengers."

All Alaska Adventures Ashore(r) are currently available for pre-reservation.  Passengers who are already booked on an Alaska cruise can reserve their tours by logging on the Cruise Personalizer on princess.com, to ensure they get the excursions of their choice.  As many tours fill up quickly, passengers are encouraged to make selections as early as possible.

These new excursion options are offered as part of Princess' 2008 Alaska season, featuring eight ships sailing through the scenic waters of the "Great Land" on a total of 136 departures aboard a diverse lineup of vessels that range from 670 passengers to 2,670 passengers.  In addition to Tahitian Princess' new Connoisseur itinerary, Princess offers Gulf of Alaska cruises and cruisetours plus round-trip Inside Passage sailings from Seattle and San Francisco.   All of the line's 2008 Gulf of Alaska cruises include visits to Glacier Bay, and Princess ships will carry more passengers to this spectacle of ice and sea life than any other cruise line