Cruise FAQ

1. Do I need a passport?
You do not need a passport.  Because of the millions of requests for passports, the government was not able to process them for this summer.  Therefore a passport for a cruise will not be needed until after September. 

2. What clothes do I need?
During the day you will need a bathing suit and shorts. It will be hot. For exercising, you will need tennis shoes and active wear. People dress up for dinner. You can wear a nice pants suit, nice slacks and a top or a dress for dinner. Men wear trousers (no jeans) and sports shirts and (most often) sports jackets for dinner. There will be two formal evenings when men wear suits and ties (some wears tuxedoes) and women wear fancy dresses or gowns.

3. Can I bring family members? Do they pay extra?
Yes, yes, please bring family and friends of all ages. They pay the same price as anyone else.

4. What will the schedule be like?

On the days at sea, we will have a two-hour session in the morning and another 2-hour session in the afternoon.  Sessions will cover emotional eating, nutrition and exercise. These sessions are completely voluntary.

4. How soon can we board the ship on Saturday?
You can board as early as 12:00 PM. We sail at 4:00 PM so you must be on board by then.

5. What can I expect when I get on the ship?
You will go through a check-in process in a large warehouse sort of building and immediately board the ship. As you check in, your luggage will be collected and will be delivered to your cabin just after we sail.  So if there is anything that you need in the afternoon, take it as carry-on luggage.

6. How do I check-in for our group?
From 1:00 to 3:00 PM, there will be a check-in table for our group.  There you will get material for our group and meet with Barbara as well as Dan our Cruise Director. 

7. What happens next?
Just after we sail, there will be a mandatory emergency drill procedure.  You will be assigned a spot on deck where you will go in case of emergency. You will need to go there when called and take your life jacket with you.  This is mandatory on every ship and is quite important. Your name will be called on deck and you will be expected to be there to answer. This drill is called a “muster.”

Following the muster, you will be invited to a cocktail party. This is by invitation, and our group has been invited.  There will be free alcoholic beverages as well as non-alcoholic ones.

8. What is the ship like?
Click here for all of the ship details. The ship is the Imagination.
http://www.carnival.com/CMS/Static_Templates/Virtual_Tours_Imagination.aspx

9. Can we eat anytime?
For dinner we will be seated together. There are 2 seatings. We will eat at the 1^st seating which is 6:15 PM.  Every evening you will be given a menu and you will make your choices from that just like in a restaurant. All food on the menu is included in your price. The only thing extra is alcoholic beverages and soft drinks.  Coffee and tea are included.

10. How about tipping?
When you board, the cruise line will bill you $50 for tips. This includes tips for the waiter, head waiter, cooks and your cabin steward. This amount is not mandatory.  You are free to go to the bursar’s office and make that amount more or less as you judge the service. All cruise lines are trying to simplify tipping this way because people get very confused about how to do this. This amount does not include tips for our Cruise Director, Dan. After you see how much he is doing fore us, you will probably want to tip him.

10. When we are at port, what do we do?
You may go ashore and see the sights or you may want to book an excursion. You are charged extra for excursions. You also can stay aboard the ship. Meals are served just as they would be on an “At Sea” day. To find out what excursions are available click here http://www.carnival.com/CMS/Shore_Excursions/ShoreExcursions.aspx . Under Shore Excursions on the left, for Select Destination, enter Western Caribbean. Then under Select Port of Call, enter either Grand Cayman or Ocho Rios.

11. If I find this cruise at a cheaper price, can I book it on my own?
No, not if you want to be part of my cruise. You can be on the ship, but you won’t be part of our group. This means you won’t attend our initial party, you won’t sit with us at dinner, you won’t have the advantage of the conference when we are at sea, you won’t have the security of a cruise director right on board ship with us to handle anything that may come up, you won’t receive the onboard credit or any of the other gifts that we have for attendees. You won’t be with us.

12. What kind of entertainment is there onboard?
There is top notch entertainment every night from extravagant stage shows and comedians to romantic and mellow lounge bands to dance music. There is something for everyone.

13. What if I am traveling alone and don’t have a cabin mate?
Dan our Cruise Director is happy to coordinate that.  He has a list of people who are booked for the cruise and are looking for someone to share a cabin with.

Have more questions? Check with Dan, our Cruise Director, 800-818-3739
or email him at AllStarTrv@aol.com