PAYMENTS

Deposit payments must reach our office by the cruise option due date in order to confirm your reservation.  Final payments must also be received before the final payment due date to avoid cancellations and penalties.  It is your responsibility to make sure that payment is received in our office in time for processing.  Until payment is confirmed on a reservation, price, cabin, and availability can change at the discretion of the cruise line.  For your protection, we recommend that you use your credit card when making payment.  Cashier’s checks, money orders, and personal checks are also acceptable forms of payment to The Cruise Agency.  It is your responsibility to make sure final payment is received on time. The cruise lines reserve the right to cancel and penalize you if your payment is late.  If mailing your payment, please send the check payable to The Cruise Agency at the address above.  The Cruise Agency will not be responsible for any booking cancelled when credit or debit card payments are declined.  If you pay for any portion of your trip by check, and your check does not clear for any reason, you will be responsible for any bank fees incurred, and we will then require payment to be made by cash or money order.  The Cruise Agency also imposes a $6.95 per address mail fee which has been added to your booking.  This fee will be waived if you choose to pickup your tickets. Let your agent know if this is the case.

CANCELLATION, CHANGE, AND TRIP INSURANCE

A $75.00 per person cancellation fee will be charged for cancellations received anytime after
48 hours from the time of booking.  Fees will be charged to your credit card or will be deducted from the cruise line’s refund.  A $25.00 or $50.00 per person Cruise Agency credit certificate will be issued towards a future 3-night or longer cruise booked with The Cruise Agency within one year of the cancellation date.

The Cruise Agency reserves the right to charge cancellation penalties should you cancel your trip at any time; the maximum cancellation penalty is 100%.  The cruise line may also impose penalties up to 100% of the cruise amount for cancellations and changes (for the complete cancellation policy of the cruise line, please refer to the cruise line’s brochure).  Longer cruises might have higher penalties; shorter cruises might have lower penalties.  The cruise line and airlines may assess service charges for changes to your reservation.  Reservations are subject to the tariff rules of each airline on your itinerary.  Those rules may require advance payment and change fees, which are in addition to the cancellation fees.  Refunds require a minimum of six to eight weeks for processing and are subject to the policies of the individual cruise line or travel provider.  Travel insurance is strongly recommended to insure against the maximum loss. 

The Cruise Agency strongly recommends the purchase of vacation protection insurance before taking a cruise.  Travel insurance packages provide coverage in most cases against losses caused by the cancellation or interruption of your trip due to injury, sickness, or death involving yourself, a traveling companion, or immediate family member.  Travel insurance may also guard against damages caused by trip delays, missed travel connections, and lost or misrouted baggage.  Certain pre-existing conditions may be excluded.  The exact coverage provided is specific to the cruise line or insurance carrier selected.  If you choose to decline vacation protection insurance, The Cruise Agency will be unable to assist you with any refund. 

PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP

The Cruise Agency accepts no responsibility or liability for name errors that occur during the reservation process.  It is the responsibility of the client to make sure that the name/names on the reservation are an exact match to proof of citizenship as follows.
As of June 1, 2009, the U.S. government requires all travelers to and from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda to present a valid passport of other approved document that establishes the bearer’s identity and citizenship in order to enter or reenter the United States.  For international travel, a valid passport is required and visas are required where they apply.  This includes Europe, Asia, Central and South America. 

This agency strongly recommends that all guests travel with a valid passport during their cruise.  This greatly assists guests who may need to fly out of the United States to meet their ship at the next available port should they miss their scheduled embarkation in a U.S. port; guests entering the U.S. at the end of their cruise; and guests needing to fly to the U.S. before their cruise ends because of medical, family, business, or personal emergencies, missing a ship’s departure from a port of call, involuntary disembarkation from a ship due to misconduct, or other reasons. 
Non-U.S. citizens who have previously been admitted to the United States for permanent residence must carry their passport and Alien Registration Receipt Card.
 
All other non-U.S./ non-Canadian citizens must have valid passports and any necessary visas.  Such guests should verify carefully the existing identification requirements for their particular travel situation, as these requirements may change.  ALL guests, regardless of nationality, should carefully verify the existing identification requirements for their particular travel situation DIRECTLY WITH CRUISE LINE OR THEIR LOCAL CONSULATES OR EMBASSIES, as these requirements may change.  Guests arriving for embarkation without proper documentation may be denied boarding and will not be entitled to a refund.  The Cruise Agency is not responsible for any denied boarding situations based on problems with visas or passports.  Occasionally additional travel documentation may be required to enter certain ports.  For example, anyone wishing to stay in Mexico for more than 24 hours must have a Mexican Tourist Card prior to departure.  A notarized affidavit from any parent indicating permission to travel with the accompanying adult is required if disembarking with children in Mexico. 

CRUISE ONLY AND AIR/SEA PROGRAMS

While customers are always permitted the option of purchasing and arranging their own transportation, neither The Cruise Agency nor the cruise line can be held liable for any cancellation, trip interruption, difficulties with connecting flights, delay or costs caused by transportation not arranged or purchased through the cruise line.  Furthermore, The Cruise Agency has no control over the air flight schedules, carriers selected, or whether your flight will be non-stop.  We can assist you with deviations from the Air/Sea package but we cannot guarantee that the cruise line will honor your request.  Some cruise lines will not allow air deviations requests under any circumstances.  Cruise-only packages do not include ground transfers.  Be aware that not all Air/Sea packages include transfers.  

RESPONSIBILITY

The Cruise Agency and its affiliates act as an independent broker for the cruise lines and other suppliers.  The Cruise Agency guarantees that the cruise price you pay for your cruise will not change after your deposit has been paid.  The exception to this would be government taxes and fuel surcharges, which rarely change once you have already booked.  If taxes do change or fuel surcharges are imposed, you will be responsible for the increase.  We do not control, operate, or assume responsibility for the actions of cruise lines, airlines, railroad companies, ground transporters, or tour operators.  The information and descriptions given about the travel suppliers are based on the inquiries made by The Cruise Agency and are believed to be accurate, but The Cruise Agency makes no warranty or representation in respect thereof.  We are not responsible for the late arrival of your flight, train, cruise, or any illness, injury, damage, loss of cruise time, or any other irregularities resulting there from.  The transportation and services provided by the disclosed principal travel suppliers are offered subject to terms and conditions contained in the tickets and other documents issued by them.  The Cruise Agency is not liable for the failure, defaults, bankruptcy, negligence, or intentional misconduct of any travel suppliers providing services on your vacation.  We have no special knowledge regarding the suitability for disabled persons of any portion of the cruise.  We also have no special knowledge regarding unsafe conditions, health hazards, weather hazards, or climate extremes at locations to which you may travel.  For information concerning possible dangers at international destinations, we recommend contacting the Travel Advisory Section of the U.S. State Department at 202-647-5225.  For medical information, we recommend contacting the Centers for Disease Control at 404-332-4559.