Pricing Cruise pricing is complicated. There
can be a dozen different catagories of cabins, each with its own price, on a given
ship. Availability greatly affects the price. If a sailing is not selling well, prices
will be less; if it is selling well, prices will be closer to brochure price as the
sailing date nears. This is why it usually pays to book early. We will always strive
to get you the lowest price for the type of accommodations you want. However, if
you don' t know what you want, and many people don't, tell us what your budget is.
This will allow us to make an intelligent choice.
Most cruise lines have
early booking discounts. Get the biggest discount by booking at least 6 months in
advance of departure date.
Payments Generally, a small deposit is required
at the time you book the cruise, usually $250 per person. Final payments are usually
due 60 to 75 days before departure. Each cruise line makes their own rules, so this
may not always be true, but it is in most cases. If you prefer a payment plan, that
may be arranged through our agency.
Payments may be made with any major credit
card or a personal check. Credit card payments are processed directly by the cruise
line, they do not accept personal checks. Our agency will, however, accept your check.
The day following the payment being made, we will send out a receipt to you confirming
the booking.
Trip Insurance We also offer Trip Insurance at an additional
cost. The coverages may vary, but the primary purpose is to protect your investment
in case you, your traveling companion or a family member suffers an injury, sickness
or death, forcing you to cancel the cruise. It may also cover cancellations if your
home is made uninhabitable by a natural disaster, or you or your traveling companion
are directly involved in a traffic accident while enroute to departure. It also covers
a variety of other potential problems, such as trip interruption, trip delay, baggage
protection, medical protection and emergency assistance.
All cruise lines
impose cancellation penalties as the departure dates nears. Again, they set their
own rules, so the time periods and amounts may vary, but generally the penalties
begin 60 days from departure. If you have purchased the insurance, and the insurance
company determines your reason for cancelling is covered by the policy, their will
be no cancellation penalty.
The following example illustrates typical
penalties: Within 59 - 30 days of departure - $250 per person Within 29 - 7
days of departure - 50% of price Within 6 days of departure - NO REFUND
We
are also members in good standing of International Airlines Travel Agent Network
(IATAN). Please feel free to contact them regarding our credentials at 800 Victoria
Place, Suite 800, P.O. Box 123, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H4Z 1C3; phone 514-868-8800.
We
are members in good standing of the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA).
Please feel free to contact them regarding our credentials at 500 Fifth Avenue, Suite
1407, New York, NY 10110; phone 212-921-0066.
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