Cruise & Freighter Travel Association
P.O. Box 580188 - Flushing, New York 11358
Toll Free in U.S. & Canada: 800-872-8584
E-mail: info@travltips.com

The term "guarantee" is an assurance that you are confirmed in cabin accommodations in the price category you paid, with the understanding you will be assigned a specific cabin by the line at a later date. The cabin assigned will be in the category paid or higher, at no additional cost.

Of course, the categories on different ships can vary greatly in both location, size and configuration. Fares for specific categories are determined accordingly, with the least expensive cabins usually having an inside location on a lower deck. Since demand for certain categories always exceeds the supply of cabins available in those categories, cruise lines employ the "guarantee" technique to control their inventory of cabins throughout the ship. Many cruise passengers are willing to accept a "guarantee" for a certain category knowing they will not have the opportunity to select a specific cabin, but pleased they are protected at the fare with which they were comfortable.

The obvious advantage of a "guarantee" is that an upgrade of one or more categories may result. However, it should be understood that an upgrade is not a guaranteed part of a "guarantee." The assignment could very well be within the category paid, which in the case of lower priced categories, may result in a less desirable cabin than the passenger was hoping for. While your travel consultant may be able to advise you of a cruise lines' general upgrade tendencies with respect to "guaranteed" cabin reservations, the passenger must understand that final berthing of your "guaranteed" stateroom reservation, which may occur from two months to two weeks prior to departure, is at the sole discretion of the cruise line.

We have always striven to promote value to our members, be it on a freighter, cruiseliner or specialty cruise ship. "Value," of course, is a relative term and should be understood in the context of that old adage, "you get what you pay for." As with other goods and services, there is nearly always a direct relationship between price and the caliber of accommodations when it comes to cruise ships.

Because TravLtips frequently promotes reasonably priced positioning cruises such as transatlantic and transcanal voyages, we feel it is in your best interest to familiarize yourself with the "value" vessels that routinely provide these routings. There are idiosyncrasies found on many of them, due in part to their age.

Examples of older ships in this category are Orient Lines' Marco Polo (offering Europe cruises during the summer and more exotic destinations for the remainder of the year), and Cunard's Caronia (European cruise from Southampton) both of which date back to the early 70's. Other vintage vessels routinely promoted by TravLtips featuring longer, unusual and value-priced cruise itineraries include Cunard's storied Queen Elizabeth 2 and the smaller-sized MS Discovery of Discovery Cruises Cruises. These two ships began service in 1969 and 1971, respectively, and enjoy a loyal following of TravLtips members.

While most have been refurbished within the last decade and are periodically upgraded, these value ships feature irregular cabin configurations. You won't find the uniform, "cloned" cabins typical of modern ships; variations are often found within the same cabin category. Cabin appointments and decor can be spartan, sometimes outdated and slightly worn. Bathrooms, while functional, may be basic with dated fixtures.

The operational systems--air conditioning, heating and plumbing-- aboard vintage ships may be taxed from time to time resulting in isolated problems. But to be fair, these malfunctions can and do occur on any ship, including new ones. These maintenance dilemmas give an indication of officer and crew efficiency and professionalism when dealing with them. By and large, the officers and staff respond favorably in these situations.

Food and service aboard "value" ships tend to be every bit as good as that found on popularly priced ships. While the food would not be in the gourmet category, a varied menu is prepared with consistency. Multi-national dining and cabin staffs will serve you and generally are eager to please... after all, a good portion of their wages come from passenger gratuities!

"Value" cruise ships offer reasonably priced travel for those not overly preoccupied with contemporary furnishings or an overabundance of amenities. Veteran TravLtips members--the majority of whom appreciate these ships for what they are--find the true "value" in the itineraries they provide, the classic character of a vintage vessel, and the day-to-day experiences and camaraderie of fellow passengers. Based on their response, we will continue to offer a variety of "value" cruise products from which to choose.

The diversity of cruise products available in the '90s is as extensive as today's selection of ice cream. The "vanilla" and "chocolate" of traditional passenger ships have been joined by a gourmet variety of high-tech vessels powered by computerized sails or held afloat by twin catamaran hulls. The "strawberry" and "butter pecan" cruises with slightly more interesting itineraries are now available with exotic "mix-ins:" extensive lecture programs, zodiac landings at inaccessible areas, or wine and cuisine themes. The cruise menu is also complicated by the sundry size and type of ships on the market.

Recognizing our membership as mature and experienced cruise travelers, we have attempted to categorize this plethora of products into four classifications that hold appeal to the majority of members. We hope that ascertaining your interest in these areas will allow us to select the cruise offerings that most meet your needs.

We ask you to characterize your interest in ship travel on the questionnaire sent to all new members and with renewal acknowledgments. I would like to clarify and define the four categories listed and encourage you to send in your questionnaire if you have not already done so, or let us know that you would like us to update or change your profile.

The first category is our original specialty, freighter travel. By checking this box you are telling us not only that you have the flexibility to tolerate departure and arrival delays (or advances!) and adaptable expectations to deal with variable levels of service and itinerary changes, but that you are comfortable with a small group of fellow voyagers...12 or less. There is a certain mind-set necessary to truly enjoy a freighter: independent, flexible, self-reliant, adaptable, tolerant. It is definitely not for everyone, but rewards advocates with very special travel experiences.

Expedition cruises, our second category, is a segment of the cruise industry that is growing every year. These voyages feature ships with relatively small passenger complements, usually under 200, and out-of-the-ordinary destinations. Typically, on-board experts highlight the cultures and natural history encountered on the trip. While casual in atmosphere and unpretentious in shipboard accommodations, expedition vessels feature all the amenities one requires for destination-oriented travel. These cruises tend to be expensive and the value must be perceived in the overall experience this type of travel affords: the opportunity to explore and learn about remote regions of the globe with the ease and comfort of a well-appointed small ship.

The third category we list is conventional cruise liners. With new tonnage coming on-line almost constantly, the choices can be overwhelming. Therefore, our selection of cruise programs is contingent on an interesting itinerary or unusual value rather than the ship itself. We feel an attractively priced, longer cruise on an older ship has more appeal to the TravLtips member than the latest seven-day bargain on a new mega-liner. If you check this category, expect to receive details on cruises of two to four weeks with comprehensive itineraries.

Unique and unusual ships could be a catch-all for any cruise product that doesn't fit the first three categories. But again, we limit our offerings to cruises that would seem to appeal to the mature, seasoned traveler. Checking this box could bring you information on steamboat cruises on North American rivers, real tall ships in the Caribbean and barge trips on the canals and rivers of Europe. The key here is that your cruise interests are not restricted to the typical passenger ship but you may not always have the time or flexibility for a freighter or desire for the in-depth experience of an expedition.

I hope you will find the selection of TravLtips cruise offerings tempting. Feel free to suggest a type of cruise you would like but haven't seen from us.

Reviewing questionnaires from TravLtips members recently brought several complaints to our attention. Some of those most often mentioned were the air programs offered by cruise lines in conjunction with their cruises. Whether they are termed "air/sea cruise," "complimentary air" or "low-cost air add-ons," these programs are often misunderstood by the consumer.

It might be helpful to explain the cruise lines' procedure in arranging air programs. In order to offer compleimentary or low-cost air transportation, cruise lines negotiate bulk fare contracts with certain carriers whereby the cruise line agrees to utilize that carrier's air routes from selected gateways. Because the airline can now count on an increased volume of traffic, they can extend the cruise line special fares from those gateways. This reduces the amount of the cruise fare the line must apply as a subsidy towards their air program. The consequence is that the cruise line becomes dependent on the schedule and fleet of the particular airline with which it has contracted.

That schedule is usually where the problems arise. Due to their relationship with certain carriers, the cruise lines stipulate that they reserve the right to select the airline and flight routing of their choice. This often results in connecting flights from many cities and flight times earlier or later than passengers would prefer. It also often results in passengers being ticketed on airlines other than those they would use if they were arranging their own air and, hence, aren't able to add to frequent flier mileage or use accumulated upgrade credits.

TravLtips and other cruise retailers are in the position of a middleman. Our role is to secure the best available air/sea fares from the cruise lines and present the entire package to our clients. Part of this package is the understanding that the passengers benefiting from discounted fares--fares offering free or low cost air--will not have their choice of airline or schedule. With the steady decline in the number of airlines during recent years and the resulting decreased airline capacity, this seems a reasonable concession.

We feel it is equally reasonable for passengers to expect information regarding their air routing from the cruise line in a timely and accurate fashion. After all, passengers must request seat assignments and any necessary connecting flights from cities not included in the air/sea program. Many times this seems needlessly delayed by the cruise line.

Those using cruise lines' air programs can expect to sacrifice the choice of flights they would normally have from their home gateways, but will secure air transportation at a fare they could not ordinarily match. An optional air credit can sometimes be deducted from the package price for passengers who prefer to arrange their own air, but they will find this seldom matches the cost of securing an air routing of their choice. Most cruise lines will also allow passengers to customize their air flights (to a point) for a deviation charge of $50 - $75 per passenger plus any additional air fare increases incurred. It's important to know you do have options available to you when air transportation is part of your cruise vacation.

You've selected your ship, itinerary, sailing date and are ready to mail the deposit. But an important decision still awaits: whether or not to purchase travel insurance. Cancellation penalties imposed by all cruise lines can be considerable and are always enforced. Many of the cruise programs featured by TravLtips are fairly long trips and can represent a substantial investment of your leisure dollars. Consequently, we recommend protecting this investment against unforeseen circumstances that could cause you to cancel or interrupt your voyage by purchasing travel insurance.

There are various travel insurance programs for the traveling passenger available independently, through travel agents and through cruise lines themselves. First, independent coverage may be extended by certain credit cards or personal insurance policies the passenger may have. Second, travel agents will generally offer a recommended retail travel insurance coverage such as Access America or Travel Guard, two of the biggest travel insurance companies in the industry. Other specialized or nationally-based travel agents including TravLtips, may offer reasonably priced group insurance coverage, affording retail insurance coverage features that are customized to fit the needs of the group passenger (in our case the TravLtips passenger) and at reduced premium rates. Third, almost all of the major cruise lines offer travel insurance to the passenger similar in coverage to most retail insurance programs.

The most important part of any travel insurance program is trip cancellation/interruption coverage, a feature that will reimburse you for all non-refundable monies paid the cruise line in the event you have to cancel your trip prior to departure, or interrupt your trip while en route. Cancellation/interruption must be for illness-related reasons for yourself or immediate family or those expressly stated in the insurance program's description of coverages.

Other components of most travel insurance programs include coverage for various combinations of lost baggage & travel documents, baggage & trip delay, medical expense/emergency assistance, emergency evacuation & repatriation and accidental death & dismemberment. These features are listed along with their benefit amounts on the program's schedule of coverages. The premium for comprehensive travel insurance plans are determined by the length of the trip. Understandably, the longer the cruise, the higher the insurance premium is for any insurance coverage offered through any source. TravLtips customized group insurance coverage is currently presented in a three-tier trip duration format: Trips up to 30 days carry a premium of 6% of the total cost, trips of 31-60 days are 7% and trips of 61-90 days in length are 8% of the travel cost. TravLtips group coverage is available only to members arranging their cruise through the TravLtips reservation department - it is a very comprehensive insurance program offered at very competitive premiums. All travelers, especially those on longer trips, should always make travel insurance part of their overall travel investment.

No matter which insurance plan you purchase, remember: there are certain restrictions as to when the coverage can be purchased, usually with deposit or final payment, but no later. There are also exclusions on all policies for pre-existing conditions for which you may have received treatment within a defined period prior to the purchase of insurance. Finally, be aware that travel insurance premiums are non-refundable under almost all circumstances.

As with most other products, travel has become specialized. Certain organizations have developed certain niches, become adept at the intricacies involved in that area, and base their business on this expertise. As a result, the best service is generally rendered to the consumer who recognizes a company's specialty and chooses it for that specific purpose. Similarly, cruise lines frequently hire specialists-outside vendors and independent contractors-to handle certain aspects of their cruise package.

Shore excursions are generally regarded as an integral part of the cruise experience, helping passengers to better understand the destination visited. However, few of the large cruise lines actually research, organize and sell the tours to their passengers. Tour operators, functioning as independent contractors, are retained by the line to offer this service. These companies are familiar with the idiosyncrasies of doing business in the various foreign ports, including local customs and personnel and are able to offer a better program than a cruise line operating on strange turf. In many cases, even the staff at a ship's shore excursion desk are such outside suppliers.

The resulting layers of this marketing structure consequently affect the cost of the shore excursion. Besides the actual cost of the land-side tour, the local company's profit margin and the cruise line's expenses to make it available to its passengers are factored in. The most common complaint we hear about shore excursions centers on the cost. Usually, shore tours as a whole are rated lower on questionnaires than other areas of a cruise. No doubt, a premium is paid for an organized tour so conveniently offered to the passenger-especially if available in advance of the cruise-vis-a-vis what might be available locally and independently.

The consumer's perceived value of the tour should include the ease of purchase that the organized tour offers compared to what the passenger could arrange independently. We recommend obtaining as much information regarding the respective shore excursion features and content directly from the shore excursion personnel on board. This will help ensure an informed decision and provide realistic expectations.

Those passengers whose main travel goal is to acquire as much knowledge and first-hand experience of a destination as possible would do well to choose one of the specialty cruise products that markets itself as destination-oriented. These cruises are generally on smaller capacity ships, and often include many or all shore excursions in the cruise rate itself. The smaller passenger complement allows a much more controlled group when visiting a port. The tour can concentrate on the location rather than on logistics. Again, a premium will be paid for such an inclusive cruise, but passengers should consider the value such a voyage presents.

In today's market, it is unrealistic to expect one cruise line to offer the best of everything. Those seeking a traditional cruise experience with basic introductory tours of an area will do fine on most cruise ships, as long as their expectations are realistic. Those seeking more in-depth exposure to the culture and natural history of a destination will in the long run be more satisfied by one of the expedition or adventure cruise products that emphasize that type of experience.

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9/23/03