Frequently Asked Questions

The advantage of booking air through the cruise lines is that the cruise lines know your flight and take responsibility for late arrivals (even if the delay causes you to miss the ship) or a ship delay coming back into port. The major disadvantage is the fares can be slightly higher, depending on the flight schedule and sale fares are not always available with the cruise line.

All cruise lines have cancellation penalties that are dependent on when you cancel - the closer to departure date the higher the penalty. Cancellation penalties are the amount not refunded if you cancel the cruise. Each cruise line has these penalties listed on your cruise application. Please read these carefully. You will receive a quote for cancellation/medical insurance with your cruise statement upon booking.

Travel insurance is offered to protect you from unforeseen situations which would prevent you from traveling or which occur while on your trip. The policy is composed of 2 parts - Cancellation coverage and Medical coverage. The Cancellation feature is designed to protect your travel investment should you need to cancel prior to departure for an emergency illness or injury. It applies not only to you and your travel companion, but to anyone in your immediate family - parents, siblings, children, etc... whether they are traveling or not. In addition, coverage is provided for events such as job layoff or termination, natural disasters, jury duty, medical quarantine, or terrorist incidents. You also receive travel delay, loss to baggage and baggage delay benefits. The Emergency Medical benefit provides coverage should accident or illness strike while traveling, which may require an emergency air ambulance to return home. Note that many health insurance policies do not provide coverage outside the U.S. Some guests state that they never take out insurance. We caution them to reconsider as it is always difficult to forego all of the money paid for a trip when an unfortunate incident occurs which prevents you from going. Cruise lines will not offer any financial consideration or date change options for emergency situations, and will not refund any funds beyond the penalty schedule. We have worked with iTravelInsured for six years, and know them as a respected provider in the industry. We have found them fair, honest and quick to pay claims without undue issues. Please see the Custom Travel Protection terms for details. Should you have any questions regarding travel insurance, or any issue with this cruise, please do not hesitate to contact our group department. Please see the page relating to Cancellation/Medical insurance.

Your ship accepts credit cards, cash, and travelers checks for payment of on-board extras such as alcohol, shore excursions, gift shop and boutique purchases. The ship is "cashless" aboard, where an imprint of your credit card or a cash deposit is taken at the beginning of your cruise. The last night you will receive a bill outlining your charges. If you are using a credit card your charges will be automatically billed to the card. If you are paying in cash, you must clear your account at the end of the cruise. This can be time consuming, so if possible, use a credit card as it is most convenient. *US Dollars are the only onboard currency accepted.

With visions of seascapes and sunsets and days spent in exciting ports-of-call, you may wonder if you will need a new wardrobe for your cruise. Cruise clothes are resort clothes, and you'll need the same basic outfits that you wear at home when casual by day and off to cocktails and dinner in the evening. For this cruise, you will want very casual and comfortable wear during the day. This means slacks, shorts, T-shirts, and sweatshirts as well as comfortable walking/hiking shoes. In general, you should dress moderately on shore and save the dressy clothes for the ship. Your clothing should be of the type that requires little care. The ship offers dry-cleaning service and laundry facilities; however, these can be somewhat expensive. No matter what part of the world you are sailing to, always pack a light sweater or wrap for the air conditioning on board, breezy evenings on deck, or early arrivals in port. Light rain gear is also a good idea. There are two types of attire required for evening functions aboard ship: Dressy nights - Recommend slacks, skirts, dresses, blouses, collared shirts, and jackets. Casual nights - Most evenings, smart casual attire is appropriate. Shorts, pool and beachwear, distressed jeans, and tank tops are not permitted in table service restaurants. Jeans, shorts, and T-shirts are only allowed in the casual dining restaurants. Please consult the cruise agenda you will receive about three months before sailing for specific dates and guidelines on evening attire.

All future correspondence will go to the address on your confirmation. Address changes must be received in writing. There is a booking number (99-xx) on your confirmation. Please write this number on all checks. It is helpful to include your ship and sail date on any correspondence. A good daytime phone number and email address is important if we need to reach you about your booking. Any changes in your reservation including category, number of people in cabin, names in cabin, additions & deletions to cabin, etc, MUST be received in WRITING.

Cabins that can accommodate third and fourth guests are subject to availability, and require a deposit for each person in the cabin. Triple and quad rates are for third and fourth passengers in the cabin traveling with two full-fare paying passengers.

Handicapped cabins are subject to availability, and are very limited in number. These cabins should only be utilized by those individuals who are confined to a wheelchair.

You will receive your Customized Itinerary and Know Before You Go booklet approximately 30 days prior to sailing. Packets will be sent to the address indicated on your cruise application. If you prefer to have your packet delivered elsewhere please contact The Cruise & Vacation Authority, no less than 45 days prior to departure. ** Important Note - Holland America no longer issues cruise documents, instead guests will need to complete online registration in order to print the Signature Preferred Boarding Pass. Detailed instructions will be provided with your Customized Itinerary.

This has become less of a problem during the past several years as all cruise ships are now equipped with stabilizers to lessen the roll of the ship. Once the ship is underway, these "wings" swing out into place and allow the ship to move smoothly through the ocean. If you do have problems, try one of the following: Dramamine or Bonine - These medications tend to make you drowsy. It is not a good idea to combine them with alcohol. Consult a physician about these medications and about other potential side effects. Shots - Available from the ship doctor. These are for extreme cases of motion sickness and take effect very quickly. There is typically a $15 charge. TransDerm Scop Patches - See your doctor for a prescription for this product. Note that there are some side effects. Sea Bands - A non-medicated method to alleviate motion sickness. The bands work under the principle of accupressure. Relief Bands - Brand new technology, which relieves all forms of nausea. A unit which resembles a watch, sends a slight electrical charge through your system.

ABBREVIATIONS MS - Motor Ship MTS - Motor Turbine Ship MV - - Motor Vessel TSS - Turbine Steamship SS - Steamship USS - United States Ship HMS - Her Majesty's Ship (England) RMS - Royal Mail Ship (England) ABEAM - anything perpendicular to the structure of the ship; off the side. AFT - toward the rear of the vessel or to the stern. AMIDSHIPS - in the middle of the vessel. BALLAST - weight placed in the ship to keep her on an even keel when empty. BEAM - width of ship at the widest point. BEARING - compass direction expressed in degrees. BERTH - nautical term for bed in your cabin or where vessel docks in port. BOW - the forward part of the ship. BRIDGE - ship's command center located above and forward of the passenger areas. Passengers are sometimes admitted with special invitation. BULKHEAD - wall-like construction inside a vessel for subdividing space. DECK - each floor of a ship. DISEMBARK or DEBARK - to get off a ship. DRILL - any exercise ordered by the captain, like the lifeboat drill on the first evening out. EMBARK - to board a ship. FATHOM - a measure of six feet; used in determining the depth of water by soundings. FLAGS - ships talk to each other with flags in an international code of signals that all nations understand. While the flag hoisted on a private yacht might say "Come over for a drink," the signals on a large ship leaving port will show if a pilot is on board and what type of cargo is carried. Signal flags are never flown at sea, except when a vessel is in distress. The ship's country of registry is flown from the stern, and her country of destination appears from the yardarms of the foremast. FREE PORT - a port not included in customs territory, or one that is free from import taxes. St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands is a free port GALLEY - the kitchen. GANGWAY - the bridge between ship and shore. Also called the gangplank as historically it was nothing more than a plank of wood. GROSS REGISTERED TON - a measure of the size of a ship in terms of displacement. One hundred cubic feet equals one gross registered ton. HELM - the entire steering apparatus of the ship. KNOT - a unit of speed. One knot equals one nautical mile (6080.2 feet), or approximately 1.15 land miles per hour. The speed of a vessel is measured in knots. LEAGUE - a unit of distance. In English-speaking countries, a league is 3.45 nautical miles. LEEWARD - the direction toward which the wind blows. PILOT - a representative of the local port authority who comes aboard ship to aid in the final arrival. PITCH - the rise and fall of the ship in the water. PORT - the left side of the ship (when looking forward) also indicated by the red navigational light. PORTHOLE - the round window on a ship. REGISTRY - certificate of ownership. ROLL - the sideways motion of the ship. SHE - ships are always considered members of the female gender. STABILIZER - a retractable fin extending into the water on either side of the vessel to ensure smooth sailing. STARBOARD - the right side of the ship (while looking forward), also indicated by a green navigational light. STERN - the rear section of the vessel. TENDER - a small vessel, sometimes a lifeboat, use to carry passengers from ship to shore and vice versa. THRUSTERS - many new vessels have propellers mounted in the hull sideways so that the ship can pull away from the dock under its own power. WAKE - the trail a ship leaves in the water. WEIGH ANCHOR - to raise anchor and prepare to get underway.