As Christmas celebrations wind down and Brits are left facing the harsh light of a cold and wintry January, nothing is more tempting than hopping on a last-minute cruise for a dose of much-needed sunshine.
It doesn’t take much to turn a relaxing escape into a nightmare, however – especially if keenness to escape the UK is such that customers forgo a travel agent and book tickets themselves without reading the fine print.
Tiffany Parie, a digital creator and self-described “cruise addict” who shares tips and tricks with her followers for sticking to a budget while treating yourself to a holiday, described not fully understanding what your tickets entitle you to as one of the “major mistakes” to avoid before setting sail.
As well as finding out the amenities included in your initial payment, reading the fine print can help to prevent holiday-ruining mistakes – like not being aware of the conduct policy agreed to by most passengers before setting sail with cruise lines, which can forbid certain behaviour and limit the items – including alcohol – that can be brought onboard.
Each cruise line has a list of things not permitted inside checked luggage, potentially including bottled water, knives, scissors and some electrical devices.
The fine print can also shed light on the details of cancellation policies, such as whether they include land packages and airfare, and clarify uncertainties around ticket pricing. Cruise lines often don’t include taxes, fees and port charges in their initial holiday quotes, so it’s worth double checking the total amount you’ll be expected to shell out.
Ms Parie described reading through the terms and conditions of cruise tickets as “very important”, adding: “You need to know about cancellation policies, travel insurance requirements, payment plans, amenities included – all of these.”
“A great way to avoid all of this and make sure you’re aware of everything is to … use a travel agent. They can help you with any of these things as well. But if you don’t use a travel agent, make sure you understand your cruise contract completely, in case anything comes up.”
TripAdvisor offshoot the Cruise Critic has also highlighted particular areas of concern in some cruise line contracts – including very strict time windows for filing complaints about the journey and the surrendering of rights to take photos and videos onboard.
“Once you step onboard a cruise ship, you give up some rights,” the publication warned. “You are in a floating place of business and that business has the right to restrict your photography onboard.
“In most cases, enforcement is likely limited to use of the ship’s photography studio props or entertainment venues, but if crew members ask you not to photograph something, be clear that they have the right to do so.
“They can also make you take down your social media posts if they want.”
