New Requirements for Travelers:

The proposed implementation timeline has two phases:

• Beginning January 23, 2007, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by AIR between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document.
  
• As early as January 1, 2008, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by LAND OR SEA (including ferries), may be required to present a valid passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security. While recent legislative changes permit a later deadline, the Departments of State and Homeland Security are working to meet all requirements as soon as possible. Ample advance notice will be provided to enable the public to obtain passports or passport cards for land/sea entries.

Passport Fees & Information:

Routine Services (Form DS-11)
Non-Refundable

Age 16 and older: The passport application fee is $55. The security surcharge is $12. The execution fee is $30. The total is $97.

Under Age 16: The passport application fee is $40. The security surcharge is $12. The execution fee is $30. The total is $82.

How do I get a passport?

United States citizens can visit the State Department's travel website www.travel.state.gov , or call the U.S. National Passport Information Center: 1-877-4USA-PPT; TDD/TTY: 1-888-874-7793. 

You should allow yourself a sufficient amount of time to apply and receive your passport in advance of travel.  Please allow 6 weeks for processing of your passport application if you apply from inside the U.S.  If you need to travel urgently and require a passport sooner, please visit http://www.travel.state.gov for additional information. Overseas passport processing times vary; you should contact the closest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for specific information.

Peak domestic passport processing is between January and July.  For faster service, we recommend applying between August and December.

United States Resident Aliens must bring their Alien Registration Card along with the passport of their country and any required visa.  Note that residents of countries other than the U.S. require a passport for all sailings, and may require a visa.. Check with the Consulate for each port you will visit for any specific documents you need to obtain prior to your cruise.  It is the responsiblity of the client/passenger to obtain this information.  Anchors Away Cruise Center will not be held responsible for any clients/passengers who are denied boarding due to lack of presenting proper documentation.

Norovirus Concerns:

The recent news stories regarding norovirus incidents aboard cruise ships may cause some of your clients to express concern about vacationing at sea.CLIA has prepared this communication so that you have the latest norovirus information at your finger tips. Included are the procedures that cruise lines are taking, plus preventative measures your clients can take to stay healthy while enjoying their vacation.According to the most recent information, the facts are as follows:

• What is norovirus? Norovirus sounds exotic, but it’s well known as the “24-hour stomach bug” and is the second most prevalent illness in the U.S., after the common cold. Symptoms may include diarrhea, vomiting and stomach cramps that typically last one to two days.

• There are numerous incidents of norovirus across the country, but the reason you hear about it with regard to cruise ships is because they are the only ones required to report gastrointestinal illness to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Hotels don’t have to report it – neither do airlines, universities or hospitals!

• On cruise ships, the illness is typically spread through person-to-person contact by touching surfaces that someone with the virus previously had contact with, not from the food or water. So, clients should heed their mother’s advice and wash their hands! The best way to prevent illness is to wash your hands thoroughly and often with soap and warm water.

• What are the chances of getting norovirus? The CDC estimates that 23 million people in the U.S. – or eight percent of the population – contract norovirus each year; that’s 1 in 12 people. In contrast, far less than one percent of all U.S. cruise guests are affected by norovirus annually; that’s 1 in 3,600 people. The few cruise guests who experience symptoms should follow the guidance of the ship’s medical staff to prevent the spread of the illness to fellow passengers.

• In addition to taking individual precautions, reassure your client that cruise lines are vigilant in keeping a clean ship. Rigorous cleaning procedures are in place to disinfect and sanitize public areas including all door handles, railings, elevator buttons and slot machine levers, to name just a few. In fact, according to the CDC, cruise lines have the highest sanitation standards in the world!

Weather:

Expected high & low temperatures listed for the most popular destinations and their sailing seasons:

Hurricane Season:

Officially, the National Hurricane Service states that hurricane season begins June 1 and ends November 31. This makes up 6 months of the year. The greatest amount of hurricane and tropical storm activity is between late August and mid-October.

Ships are equipped with state of the art weather equipment that keep the Captain and his crew aware of storm position and the latest changes in weather conditions. If the storm poses any danger to the ship, the Captain will reroute the ship to a destination in order to avoid the storm. The passengers safety is of the utmost importance to the Captain & his crew.

Keep an eye on the storm

Special Dining Requests:

The cruise lines are happy to meet your requests with low sodium, low fat, low sugar, vegetarian and kosher meals. Any other special meals must be requested in advance at least 3 weeks prior to sailing with your cruise specialist.

Physically-Challenged Cruisers:

A majority of cruise lines offer staterooms accessible for passengers whether physically challenged or able-bodied. In order to accommodate your special needs, please advise one of our cruise specialists with complete details of your requirements.

Ships are now built to be wheelchair accessible and can provide special seating arrangements to avoid stairs and raised areas in the dining rooms.

If you require the use of a wheelchair, please make your own private arrangements prior to your cruise as the limited number of wheelchairs onboard are for emergency use only. For your convenience, we highly recommend collapsible wheelchairs as the width of stateroom doors varies from ship to ship. Should you require further information on stateroom dimensions, please ask one of our cruise specialists who will be happy to assist you.

In some ports of call ships are required to anchor the ship and transport passengers to the pier via ship's tender. Conditions, even when the ship is docked, may also limit pier accessibility for physically challenged passengers. The decision to permit or prohibit passengers from going ashore will be made on each occasion by the ship's Captain, with your safety and comfort in mind, and his decision is final. Since cruise ships are not staffed with specially trained personnel to assist passengers with physical limitations, we recommend that you be accompanied by someone who is able to assist you both ashore and aboard if necessary.

Celebrating a Special Occasion:

If you are celebrating a birthday, anniversary or honeymoon during your cruise, the cruise lines will be happy to honor the event with a special cake in the dining room. Please notify your cruise specialist no later than 3 weeks prior to sailing.

Golf:

Onboard and offshore, golf programs are growing in popularity among cruise lines. Whether you are an avid golfer or an occasional weekend putter, you can now golf onboard your cruise ship as well as offshore. Below we provide you with 2 guides to the "links on the high seas":

Onboard Facilities

* = Golf Clinics & lessons with PGA Golf Pro/Instructor

Offshore Excursions

A = All Ships
S = Some Ships

Golf excursion packages are purchased onboard your cruise through the shore excursion desk.
Golf excursion package includes green fees for scheduled rounds at several courses, cart or caddie, and gratuities, tournaments, transportation to/from golf courses, etc.

Enroute Assistance:

Anchors Away offers assistance to those encountering flight or weather-related problems while en route to their cruise on the day of sailing. Just contact our "emergency desk" at 1-888 516-6306 and every effort will be made to get you to your ship prior to its departure.

Laundry & Dry Cleaning:

Take a vacation from the washing and ironing and let the professional laundry service do all the work for you. Just put everything in the capable hands of your stateroom steward or stewardess who will have everything returned within 48 hours, or even the same day with the express service offered by all cruise lines.

Religious Services:

Some cruise lines provide Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant services on most sailings, others provide these services on most major holidays.