Q: What are the dates of the NACBA Summit at Sea 2016 cruise?
A: The embarkation for the cruise is October 7, 2016. Debarkation is October 10, 2016.
Q: Are children invited to attend?
A: Yes, children are allowed to attend the cruise.
Q: what time should I arrive on the day of sail?
A: The boarding time for your ship and sailing date is specified in your Guest Vacation Documents. Please do not plan on arriving at the pier prior to the specified time as the ship will not be ready to board guests.
Due to new government regulations requiring cruise lines to submit final departure manifests earier, guests are requested to complete Online Check-in no later than 3 days prior to their cruise. If you do not complete Online Check-in 3 days prior, you will be required to complete this process at the pier at least two hours prior to the published sailing time. Please note: All guests must be checked-in and onboard the ship no later than 90 minutes prior to the published sailing time or you will not be permitted to sail.Q: What time should i depart on the day disembarkment?
A: It is recommended that you do not book any flights departing Miami International Airport (MIA) before 1:00pm on Monday, October 10, 2016.
Q: What if I don’t register my attendance by the designated deadline?
A: If you do not register your attendance by the designated deadline, your registration may be revoked and you will not be able to attend the trip.
Q: Who can I bring as my guest?
A: You can bring anyone you would like.
Q: If I registered for the trip but cannot attend, can I transfer the trip to someone else?
A: The NACBA Summit at Sea 2016 cruise is non-transferrable. If you cannot attend, you forfeit your cruise.
Q: Do I need a valid passport to attend the trip?
A: Yes, it is very important that you have a valid passport to attend the trip. You will not be allowed to board the cruise ship without a valid passport. In the event of an emergency and you are unable to provide a valid passport, United States citizens on cruises that begin and end at the same port in the United States can use an original government-issued picture ID (i.e. driver's license) AND an original government-issued birth certificate or original Naturalization Certificate. For complete list of accepted travel document information click here.
Note: Baptismal papers and hospital certificates of birth are NOT acceptable. Military identification cards, voter registration cards or Social Security cards are NOT considered proof of citizenship.
GENERAL CRUISING FAQ’S
Q: WHAT SHIP ARE WE SAILING ON?
A: The 2016 NACBA cruise will be onboard the Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas! To learn more about the ship, click here.
Q: What can't I bring onboard?
A: Weapons, illegal drugs, and other items that could interfere with the safe operation of the ship or the safe and secure environment of our guests and crew are prohibited. The following are examples of items that guests are not allowed to bring onboard. These and other similar items will be confiscated upon being found. Alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs, flammable liquids, explosives, and dangerous chemicals will not be returned. For a full list of prohibited items click here.
Q: What time do I board the ship on embarkation day?
A: The boarding time for your ship and sailing date is specified in your Guest Vacation Documents. Please do not plan on arriving at the pier prior to the specified time as the ship will not be ready to board guests.
Due to new government regulations requiring cruise lines to submit final departure manifests at least 60 minutes prior to sailing, guests are requested to complete Online Check-in no later than 3 days prior to their cruise. If you do not complete Online Check-in 3 days prior, you will be required to complete this process at the pier at least two hours prior to the published sailing time. Please note: All guests must be checked-in and onboard the ship no later than 90 minutes prior to the published sailing time or you will not be permitted to sail.
Q: What port does the cruise sail from?
A: The cruise ship will depart from Port of Miami located about 25 minutes from Miami International Airport. For more information about Port of Miami including driving directions, maps, and airport information click here.
Q: What about Documentation, Visas and Passports?
A: CRUISES FROM A UNITED STATES PORT
The following requirements are for sailings from a United States port to the Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada/New England, Hawaii, Alaska, Panama Canal and Mexico.
United States and Canadian Citizens:
You MUST have one of the following:
A valid United States or Canadian passport. For additional United States passport information visit the United States Department of State travel information website or the Passport Canada website. You may also contact VisaCentral (a CIBT Company), a fast and easy solution for all your U.S. passport needs. VisaCentral can obtain passports in as little as one day. Visit VisaCentral, email at rci@visacentral.com or call 800-858-8579. Be sure to reference Royal Caribbean account 44988 for reduced service fees.
- OR -
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) or Trusted Travel Documents. Click here for a list of all approved documents.
Exceptions:
United States citizens on cruises that begin and end at the same port in the United States can use an original government-issued picture ID (i.e. driver's license) AND an original government-issued birth certificate or original Naturalization Certificate.
Minors under the age of 16 will be able to present either an original government-issued, original or certified copy of his or her birth certificate; a Consular Report of Birth Abroad Issued by DOA; or Certificate of Naturalization issued by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Note: Baptismal papers and hospital certificates of birth are NOT acceptable. Military identification cards, voter registration cards or Social Security cards are NOT considered proof of citizenship.
United States Permanent Residents:
You MUST have the following:
United States Permanent Resident Card. Click here for additional information.
- AND -
A passport from your home country is strongly recommended.
Canadian Legal Residents:
You MUST have the following:
Passport from your home country.
- AND -
Original copy of your Permanent Resident Card (PR Card), formerly the IMM 1000.
- AND -
Multiple entry United States visa (if applicable).
All Other Nationalities:
You MUST have the following:
Passport from your home country.
- AND -
Multiple entry United States visa (if applicable).
All non U.S. or Canadian passport holders should contact the Embassy (Consular Services) of each country on your cruise or VisaCentral for specific visa requirements, information, forms and fees for your nationality. Visit VisaCentral at www.visacentral.com/royalcaribbean or call 800-858-8579. Be sure to reference Royal Caribbean account 44988 for reduced service fees.
You may also contact your travel agent or local Royal Caribbean International office for further assistance.
It is the responsibility of the guest to identify, obtain and present necessary visas before the start of their cruise vacation. Requirements vary based on the guest’s nationality and countries visiting during the cruise. The following resources may be of assistance to guests in determining if a visa is required:
Please note the most recent visa requirements for non-United States guests sailing on an Alaskan itinerary require a Canadian visa to participate in the cruise. Click here to get more details.
Q: Do you provide wheelchairs or scooters?
A: We provide complimentary wheelchairs for getting on and off the ship. If you would like to have a wheelchair or scooter during the cruise, you are welcome to bring your own or rent one from a company that provides wheelchairs and scooter rentals for cruises.
CareVacationsPhone: 877-478-7827Fax: 800-648-1116E-mail: res@carevacations.com
Special Needs at SeaPhone: 800-513-4515Fax: 800-513-4516E-mail: info@specialneedsgroup.com
Q: How many suitcases can I bring?
A: Each guest is permitted to carry a reasonable amount of personal property (including luggage) aboard the vessel; however, for your comfort and convenience, it is recommended that you limit the number of pieces you take. Keep in mind that airlines may charge for excess or oversize luggage. Charges incurred for excess or oversize baggage are the sole responsibility of the passenger. Each airline has a different limit on the amount of luggage they allow. Check with your air carrier for specific restrictions, such as allowance of pounds and any additional charges.
For more information click here.
Q: Is there a doctor on board?A: A physician and nurse are on each ship to provide medical care and services at customary charges. Commonly used medications are kept on board and may be prescribed by the ship's doctor.
Q: What if I'm pregnant?
A: Royal Caribbean International cannot accept guests who will have entered their 24th week of pregnancy by the beginning of, or at any time during the cruise or cruise tour. All guests are required to sign a health questionnaire at check-in to ensure they are aware of our pregnancy policy. If you have already booked a cruise or cruise tour and do not meet this requirement, please call us at (866) 562-7625 and request a Resolution Agent.
Q: How do I pay for onboard expenses?A: All of Royal Caribbean International ships operate on a "cashless" system, meaning your boarding card, (also known as your SeaPass card), will be used as a charge card to make all onboard purchases. Normally to activate this SeaPass® account, most guests provide a credit card, (American Express, Optima, MasterCard, Visa, Discover and Diner's Club), to have these purchases charged to at the end of their cruise. Additionally, the SeaPass system may be activated with traveler's checks, debit cards with a Visa or MasterCard logo, or cash.
A running tab of all your purchases will be kept under separate folio numbers for each guest and an itemized statement left in your stateroom the night before disembarkation. If you provided a credit card and there are no discrepancies, the amount will be charged to your account on the morning of disembarkation. If you have used traveler's checks or cash to activate the account, you will need to settle the account at the Guest Relations desk, (to either receive a reimbursement of the unused amount you originally left or to pay the balance of what you have charged over the amount of what you originally left).
Please note:
We require guests to place a deposit if they are paying for their SeaPass account with cash. There is a $500 daily limit on cash accounts for 7+ night sailings and $300 for 2/3/4/5 night sailings. Once the daily cash limit is reached, we will call the guest and inform the guest that the limit has been reached.
Q: What about currency?
A: You may cash travelers checks at the Guest Services Desk. Currency exchange, at prevailing rates, is available on some cruises. Travelers checks and most major credit cards are accepted in the ports we visit. Proper ID is required when cashing travelers checks. We recommend you carry a small amount of local currency when visiting foreign ports, although credit cards are commonly accepted in shops and restaurants
Q: What are the customs allowances?
A: You can also obtain information before you sail by contacting the nearest U.S. Customs office (look under United States Government, Department of Treasury in your local phone book). You can also visit the U.S. Customs website - www.customs.ustreas.gov - or call 1.202.927.6724 and ask for the brochure "Know Before You Go."
Q: Can I bring liquor or non-alcoholic beverages (from home or from a port) onboard?
A: Guests are not allowed to bring beer, hard liquor, fortified wines or non-alcoholic beverages onboard for consumption or any other use on boarding day or while in port. Alcoholic beverages seized on boarding day will not be returned.
Guests wishing to bring personal wine and champagne onboard may do so only on boarding day, limited to two (2) 750 ml bottles per stateroom. Additional bottles of wine beyond two (2) bottles that are brought onboard or any alcoholic beverages purchased in ports of call or from Shops On Board will be stored by the ship and delivered to your stateroom on the last day of the sailing.
Security may inspect containers (water bottles, soda bottles, mouthwash, luggage etc.) and will dispose of containers holding alcohol. Guests who violate any alcohol policies, (over consume, provide alcohol to people under age 21, demonstrate irresponsible behavior, or attempt to conceal alcoholic items at security and or luggage check points or any other time), may be disembarked or not allowed to board, at their own expense, in accordance with our Guest Conduct Policy. Guests who are under the permitted drinking age will not have alcohol returned to them.
Please Note: All guests must comply with TSA guidelines for transporting liquids.
Q: What is the Age Policy
A: Please see our Age Policy
Royal Caribbean International's minimum age to sail unaccompanied on sailings originating in North America is twenty-one (21). The minimum age to sail unaccompanied on sailings from South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand is eighteen (18).
For voyages originating in North America:
No Guest younger than the age twenty-one (21) will be assigned to a stateroom unless accompanied in the same stateroom by an adult twenty-one (21) years old or older. A guest's age is established upon the first date of sailing.
Certain other restrictions and conditions will apply; such as compliance with the age twenty-one (21) alcohol policy, and proof of marriage for underage couples or proof of active duty military status required.
Royal Caribbean International reserves the right to ask for proof of age. Royal Caribbean International's age policy for gambling and consumption of alcoholic beverages is as follows: Please note: An individual's age on the date of sailing determines his or her status for their cruise vacation. However, if a guest celebrates their 21st birthday during the cruise, the guest may thereafter ask the Guest Services Manager to modify ship's records to permit their consumption of alcohol during the remainder of the cruise. The guest will be required to appear at Guest Services with his or her parent or guardian and to present a government issued form of identification to establish that the guest's 21st birthday was celebrated during the cruise.
Q: What is the Infant Policy?
A: Infants sailing on a cruise must be at least 6 months old as of the first day of the cruise and/or Cruise Tour. HOWEVER: For transatlantic, transpacific, Hawaii, select South American and other selected cruises and/or Cruise Tours, the infant must be at least 12 months old as of the first day of the cruise/Cruise Tour. For the purposes of this policy, any cruise that has 3 or more days consecutive at sea will require infants to be 12 months old on the first day of the cruise/Cruise Tour.
Please be aware that guests travelling with a young infant that does not meet the infant policy will be denied boarding. No refunds or other compensation shall be due from the cruise line to anyone as a result of the denial of boarding to an underage infant or other accompanying guests
For more information click here.
Q: Will I need an electrical converter?
A: All of our Royal Caribbean ships are equipped with North American standard, 110 volts AC and standard European 220/230 volts AC outlets.
Q: What about smoking on the ship?
A: Guests are allowed to smoke cigarettes and cigars in designated areas of the ship. There is visible signage guiding guests as to where they can smoke within the indoor and outdoor areas of the ship. Smoking is not allowed near food venues and kid's pool or play areas. All of our staterooms are non-smoking. A guest must be at least 18 years of age to purchase, possess or use tobacco onboard.
