First Time Cruisers - Many Questions: Hurricanes; Insurance; Beaches, etc.

[Figsgrandma]

My son and his girl friend just booked their first cruise. It's the 8/20/2009 Explorer of the Seas 9 day Bermuda and Eastern Caribbean. In addition to Bermuda, they go to Philipsburg, St. Maarten, Charlotte Amalile, St. Thomas, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

 

Although my husband and I have been on a few cruises, they have some questions that neither of us can answer regarding this particular cruise, so I'm hoping that people here can give them some advice.

 

Their first question is concerned with cruising during hurricane season, This really is the only time they can go, and having booked a balcony cabin the cruise is making a significant dent in their vacation budget. So they're wondering what the likelihood is that their cruise will be cut short, ports dropped, etc. They don't want to spend 9 days out at sea.

 

Another question regards trip cancellation/interruption coverage. Does anyone have a particular favorite provider of this coverage? Also, they've noted that certain companies have, for an additional charge, a "cancel for any reason" coverage that allows such cancellation up to 2 days before the cruise leaves. If it was clear that there was one or more hurricane threatening their cruise as much as 2 days before, they could cancel and get back between 70% and 90% of what their non-refundable costs, depending on the company. But, this additional coverage is not inexpensive (about an additional 50% more added to the cost), so I'm not sure it isn't better to skip that option and take the chance that nothing will happen to make them want to voluntarilly cancel.

 

Finally, they're wondering what people do with their valuables when on a beach. They usually go to a beach with a group, and there's usually at least one person who will stay and watch over things while others are in the water. Since it will be just the two of them, unless they hook up with others once on the ship, they're concerned about leaving their thngs (which could include passports, cameras, credit cards/money) unattended.

 

Any hints, comments, etc., on any of these topics, would be appreciated.

[JanineM]

We sail every year during the peak week of hurricane season - mid September. We have never had any interruptions in our ports - but have had them in January and March. It's completely hit or miss. Yes, you're more likely to encounter a tropical system in September than you are in February, but then you can have a cold blast come through in the winter or spring and that will also throw off the plans. And there can be crazy flu bugs that come through & close down whole countries ... So it's a crapshoot. When we sail in September we know we are doing it for the cruise, not for the ports. If they have their hearts set on certain ports or a number of port days, then cruising during hurricane season may not be the best choice for them.

Check out insuremytrip dot com for insurance options. I always think of the "cancel for any reason" insurance if a job is going to get in the way, or you're not sure if your partner will be able to join you. I would strongly suggest they get insurance in the event that there is a bad storm and the ship can't get to their point of embarkation, or planes are grounded and they can't get to the port. And of course there is medical, which can really kill the savings account ...

 

As to valuables on the beach, we tend to leave as much as we can in our cabin, but of course we'll have some money and a camera. We have waterproof pouches that hold all of those items & they fit around the neck on a lanyard (bought at a kayak supply store). Actually, I also have a waist pack that is waterproof & that holds a bit more. We do leave towels, extra clothing, etc. on the beach, but the rest stays with us.

[Figsgrandma]

I don't think they have their hearts set on particular ports, they just don't want to find out that there are no ports, just all sea days. I know that's unlikely (and I also know that some people would be happy with all sea days).

 

They will be getting the regular trip cancellation insurance, and have checked out insuremytrip. I guess they'll decide which company to use.

 

Do you know whether it's necessart to take your passport off the ship with you?

[JanineM]

 

Do you know whether it's necessart to take your passport off the ship with you?

 

 

I carry a photocopy of my passport & leave the original in the ship's safe. I also take my driver's license and one credit card only & leave the rest, again in the safe. But I know some people do carry their passports. I guess I figure that in an emergency, the consulates will help me out with just a photocopy. Maybe I'm wrong there?

[cb at sea]

None of the Caribbean countries require a passport at all. The only reason you need one is to re-enter the US from abroad. It's a US requirement--not the requirement of any of those ports/countries!

You will need some form of ID to get back on the ship in some ports, tho, and a passport is as good as anything!

[shelby_36]

I travel with my husband and kids and what we do onshore is I carry a good size beachbag with sunscreen, snacks, bottled water, a towel or two, and I'll leave in their the guys shirts, sunglasses etc on the beach- if it gets stolen no big loss. I keep the good stuff in a fannypack that never leaves me. I seldom swim in the ocean- b/c I don't like the feel of it in my hair so I usually will wade in the water or sit on the shore so I can hold the important stuff.

[gatour]

A 20 Aug 09 cruise from NJ to Bermuda and points south,correct?

 

Absolute worse case the ship would head to New England/Canada.

 

Medium case they will not make St Thomas, St Marteen, and San Juan

 

If the ship can't make the saints and san juan, then Nassau is an option.

[Figsgrandma]

Water Baby,

 

Do you know whether a copy of the passport is sufficient ID for getting on the ship (if they wanted to leave their actual passport and drivers license in the safe)?

 

Does anyone else have any hints for them about either the specific questions I asked or something else? My husband and I have cruised only to Canada, Alaska, and Bermuda, so we can't really help them out for the ports they're scheduled to visit.

 

Thanks, everyone.

[J & G]

Finally, they're wondering what people do with their valuables when on a beach. They usually go to a beach with a group, and there's usually at least one person who will stay and watch over things while others are in the water. Since it will be just the two of them, unless they hook up with others once on the ship, they're concerned about leaving their thngs (which could include passports, cameras, credit cards/money) unattended.

 

Any hints, comments, etc., on any of these topics, would be appreciated.

 

One thing we have done is photocopy our passports, credit cards, etc. We e-mail a copy of our passports to ourselves before we depart. That way, if we need a copy or the passport number, we can access it from the internet.

 

Also, we purchased an underwater (good for depths up to 30') Olympus camera (after reading about it here on CC). They range in price from about $200 - $500 for the "amateur photographer" grade camera. It is WONDERFUL! It is great for traveling, as it can be used at the beach, in rain, or in many other less-than-camera-friendly conditions.

 

We carry one credit card, our sea pass card (necessary to get on and off the ship), and some cash in a small waterproof case. There are many different kinds of cases out there.....our favorites are ones that strap around the waist like a small fanny pack or hang around the neck. With that, nobody has to worry about guarding the valuables. They are with us at all times....even in the water. Truthfully, you can take money and credit cards in a zipped shorts pocket. Wet money still spends. :D

 

And as far as traveling during hurricane season, we have missed more ports during other times of the year than we have during hurricane season. We always buy cruise insurance and then stop worrying.....worry takes a lot of the fun out of the cruise....more so than missing a port! The captain always tries to find alternatives to staying at sea the whole cruise, if there is a storm. Tell your kids to go and have a great time!

[Sue L]

Water Baby,

 

Do you know whether a copy of the passport is sufficient ID for getting on the ship (if they wanted to leave their actual passport and drivers license in the safe)?

 

Does anyone else have any hints for them about either the specific questions I asked or something else? My husband and I have cruised only to Canada, Alaska, and Bermuda, so we can't really help them out for the ports they're scheduled to visit.

 

Thanks, everyone.

 

Since passports are not even required to sail yes they can reboard without them. They will need their seapass card and a photo id (license) to get back on board and many ports do not even ask for the photo ID but it is always could to have it on you.

 

We never take our passports off the ship unless the cruiseline advises us too for a reason . We use a water proof pouch from Magellans.com that we keep, money, etc while we are swimming, works great. Called the splash caddy. We have the Junior size.

[gatour]

For Caribbean Cruises we leave our passports in the room safe and take our driver's licenses and seapass cards. If we lose our driver's license in a port not as big as a deal as losing a passport. Worse case you have a little more hassle on getting back onboard ship (but you would have that no matter what form of photo ID you lost). However no passport means bigger headaches when you get back to the US.

 

I have never seen anyone attempt to use a photocopy of a driver's license or passport to get back to the ship after visiting a port. Notice how I said "get back to the ship" and not "get back on the ship". Local authorities are the ones that check your photo ID when you get back to the pier. Once you pass their checkpoint, you then can proceed down the pier to the ship. As you enter the ship they scan your seapass card, which is tied to a stored picture they took when you first boarded the ship at your embarkation point.

[Figsgrandma]

Gatour,

 

This was my recollection as well. I can understand why the local authorities would not be happy with a copy of the document. I also seem to remember that in a lot of ports they seemed more interested in making sure that only passengers were entering the cruise ship area, not otherwise checking the nationality/ID of the person. I wouldn't want to take a chance, though, with using a copy.

 

I've passed all this information on to my son.

 

Still curious if anyone has a favorite among the various trip insurance companies. We usually purchased it directly from the cruise company for our various cruises, but I realize that outside companies sometimes offer better coverage or lower cost.

 

I (and my son) appreciate your help.

[insulationbabe]

Hi there: We've been on 9 cruises and always take a photo copy of our Passports and of course carry our Sea Pass Cards - Never had a problem at any port we've been at

We never carry our passports with us on shore - they get to stay on the ship in the safe

Hope this helps:)

[Bases5]

The only advise I would give on the insurance thing is make sure that the insurance is primary. When you visit insuremytrip they will tell you on the right side if it primary or secondary.

Secondary stinks because you have to go through your insurance company's and get denied before the trip insurance kicks in.

It drags the process out and makes for a lot more paper work.

 

I could be wrong but I think its against the rules for us to recommend a certain company.

[Figsgrandma]

Bases5,

 

Now that you mention it, I think your right about the no recommendation rule. It's been some time since I posted on or read these boards (haven't been able to do much thinking about a cruise for a while so I've sort of drifted away from Cruise Critic) but my son's planned cruise has brought me back.