What should I pay attention to when traveling on a cruise ship?

Today Xiaobian brings you answers to some questions about cruise travel.

1. Q: How does the weather affect cruise travel?

a: the weather is force majeure, and any vessel sailing in the ocean, rivers and lakes can't resist the change of the weather. Cruise companies also understand that they have tried their best to avoid ports and routes that may have bad weather when designing their itinerary. However, the weather is unpredictable, and there are always some unexpected situations, and this cruise company cannot avoid it.

The most common strategy for cruise ships in typhoon season is to change the route or skip the port of call to avoid possible dangers. In some seasons, there will be heavy fog or typhoon. In severe cases, the cruise terminal will be closed to ensure safety, which will have a great impact on the port docking of cruise ships, which may delay the arrival time and departure time of cruise ships, and even cancel the trip if it is serious. There are also some ports that need boats to ferry (such as Grand Cayman, Belize City, santorini Island, etc.), which are also greatly affected by the weather and will be cancelled. However, inland cruise ships, because of their relatively small passenger capacity, often have to transfer all tourists to land and to the next port by bus to avoid danger.

In case of bad weather, you may cancel your previously scheduled helicopter trip on shore or snorkeling and other sea activities. It's a pity, but safety comes first, which is understandable.

q: if I think there is a typhoon, can I cancel the cruise reservation?

a: you can cancel at will, but in most cases, you can only get back the amount of port taxes and fees, and the amount of the ticket will be completely lost. In some very severe bad weather, some cruise companies will allow passengers to cancel without charging any fees, or only charge a small fee. It is recommended to buy some weather interruption travel insurance to reduce losses.

third, q: will the cruise company cancel its trip because of bad weather?

a: it is very rare for a cruise company to cancel its trip completely because of bad weather. Before making this decision, the cruise company will use the backup plan as much as possible to let passengers travel. If there is only cancellation, the cruise company will provide compensation? It is usually a full refund of the cruise fare, and an additional 25% or more transportation subsidy may be required. Or a voucher for a future voyage. For example, in the super typhoon Sandy in 212, Carnival Cruise cancelled two voyages, and the tourists of these two cruises got full refunds.

q: what will happen if the cruise ship changes its itinerary or cancels its stop?

a: first of all, you may not know whether the docking will be cancelled. In some cases, such as a typhoon, you may be notified one day in advance. The captain tries his best to ensure that he will dock on time, and if he can't, he will cancel the dock. Or the dock itself does not allow cruise ships to dock.

if the captain thinks it is too dangerous to follow the original itinerary, then he may think it is necessary to change the route to ensure safety. Then you may have more sea cruises, or visit an unplanned port, and sometimes just change the order of port calls. In some extreme weather, the cruise ship may change its destination direction. For example, your scheduled trip to the Caribbean may go to Canada. Some time ago, there were also examples that the Royal Caribbean cruise ship originally scheduled to travel to Japan and South Korea was changed to Sanya and Vietnam.

q: if the cruise ship cancels its port call, do I have the right to ask for a refund or other compensation?

a: if a port cancels its call, the only compensation you are entitled to is the port fee. This is usually a small amount (think $7 to $2) and will be returned to you in the form of coupons on board the cruise ship. Sometimes, the cruise company will provide some extra compensation, especially when multiple ports cancel the call or the whole itinerary has to be changed, but this is not the norm, and you are not entitled to ask for more.

q: if the port doesn't call, can I get a refund for the shore tour I booked?

a: if you have booked a cruise and you have sailed for shore sightseeing, you will get a full refund due to the cancellation or delay of the cruise. If you booked the shore tour separately through other channels, the cruise will not be returned to you. However, there are also many independent shore trip operators that offer full refund policy when the port of call is cancelled, but not all of them, so you'd better know the refund policy before booking.

q: if the outdoor activities on the cruise ship are cancelled due to the weather, do I have the right to ask for a refund or other compensation?

a: no. Cruise companies can't control the weather. It is possible to reduce or cancel outdoor leisure in bad weather, and cruise ships will increase their indoor activities to make up for it.

8. Q: Will the cruise ship sail into the storm?

a: the advantage of a cruise ship is that it can move when storm weather comes. Cruise ships have excellent weather monitoring equipment, and cruise companies will also work with weather assessment companies to predict the trend of storms. In most cases, although there are storms, cruise ships can always find safe routes or take shelter in safe harbors.