Planning a cruise, Part Three
Ok, so you now have the cruise on deposit. What sort of things should you be doing as you are counting down towards embarkation day (the day you leave). Here are some tips until your final payment is due:
6 months – 3 months
- Shop for required wardrobe. Is your trip high adventure, cold climate, formal cruising, casual Caribbean, etc.?
- Check electric currency.
- Check monetary currency.
- Check U.S. Customs allowance.
- Book your flights. Start early to get the best possible rates.
- Make final arrangements (if you have not already done so) for your pre or post hotel stay. Try to arrive at your port city the day before the cruise leaves, since a cancelled flight can cause you to miss your cruise departure.
- The cruise line will send you information about special requirements for visas and any necessary immunizations.
- Advise Your Personal Cruise Experts of any dietary needs. Advanced notice must be given to the cruise line for any special meal requests (Kosher, Low Sodium, Vegan etc.)
- If you are traveling with a baby take advantage of the cruise lines ability to help procure baby food, booster seats, cribs, etc.
3 Months – 70 Days before Departure (depending on length of cruise)
- Make final payment for your cruise before the due date.
- Go over final documents (see tips in the back of this booklet).
- Choose your excursions or research day trips on your own at your ports of call. You can book excursions that are run by the cruise line on their websites or ask Your Personal Cruise Experts about more personal excursions offered through other travel companies.
- Make your spa and salon appointments in advance to secure the most popular times. The most popular times in the salon are on days when the evening’s dinner is formal. You will find the best value on spa and salon appointments are during the days when the ship is in port so plan ahead!
- Make dinner reservations in specialty restaurants. Some cruise lines will allow you to pre-book your specialty restaurant reservations.
- Special celebration? Your cruise document package will often include information on how to book gifts or special packages.
- Get a start on inputting your boarding and immigration information on your cruise line’s website. Ask for help if you are not computer literate.
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