CUNARD Brochure -May25-May27 - bonvoyage.co.nz - Flipbook - Page 131
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do I register my credit card?
You will be able to register your credit card via our online
check-in website, My Cunard or before boarding the ship
in the terminal. All credit card details are encrypted.
We accept the following major cards, Visa Credit, Visa
Debit, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club, and
Discover. We are unable to accept Solo, Maestro, Switch,
Monzo, Revolut, and any pre-paid or multi-currency
credit cards.
How can I avoid issues with my credit card?
Prior to leaving for your voyage it is recommended that
you advise your credit card provider of your trip away
and that you will be on board a ship and visiting different
countries. This will help avoid raising a security alert and
your card being referred.
When you register a credit or debit card to cover
your onboard spending, an amount of US$100 will be
authorised on your card, similar to what you would
experience in hotels on land. During your time on board we
will run daily authorisations against your credit or debit
card for any amounts exceeding the secured US$100. The
authorised amounts are not taken from your account
until it is finally settled on the day of disembarkation. If
your voyage is longer than 26 nights your credit card will
be charged during the voyage for the spend to date, and
again at the end of the voyage for the remaining spend.
You will be notified of the date your card will be charged
shortly after you embark. Please therefore ensure that
you have sufficient funds to settle your account.
On occasion, some authorisations can remain on your
card account for up to 28 days. This particularly happens
if you register a different card during your cruise. You
may therefore want to contact your card provider on your
return to release these authorisations.
When will I receive my boarding pass
and itinerary information?
Approximately 35 days prior to your departure date,
your electronic documentation will be available through
My Cunard at mycunard.com
This includes information relating to any hotel stays or
land tours booked.
How will I know which Shore Experiences are
available?
Booking online
Shore Experiences will be available to book on
My Cunard, and will require payment in full at the time
of booking. This method of booking gives you the best
chance at getting your first choice of experiences before
spaces run out. Please note that you can only book Shore
Experiences online up until three days prior to departure.
Login to My Cunard at mycunard.com to explore the
latest availability.
Booking on board
You may book Shore Experiences on board, which will be
charged to your onboard account, to be settled at the end
of your voyage. The cancellation deadline is 48 hours prior
to each port.
Tour tickets, once booked, are subject to a 10%
cancellation fee if returned to the Tour Office prior
to the deadline.
Tour tickets returned within 48 hours of arrival
in port are subject to a 100% cancellation fee.
Accessibility
In order to help us facilitate your needs, including any
health conditions or disabilities, we ask that you inform
us of these at the time of booking your voyage.
When booking your voyage you must inform us of any
mobility or accessibility requirements by completing
the On Board Needs Questionnaire on MyCunard as
soon as possible after booking and no later than
two weeks before you sail. You must also advise us
of any emergency assistance requirements in the
unlikely event of an emergency.
An evacuation chair is needed if guests would be unable
to use the stairs due to mobility or other circumstances.
For anyone bringing a wheelchair or powered mobility
device, this is a mandatory requirement.
One-to-one assistance is a mandatory requirement if the
guest would require someone to guide and steady them
on the stairs in the event of an emergency, due to mobility
or other circumstances. To follow safety regulations crew
will still need to be allocated to support guests even if
their travelling companion could do this. We recommend
that guests who are blind, experience heightened anxiety,
or have a non-visible disability have, as a minimum, oneto-one assistance in the unlikely event of an emergency.
For anyone bringing a mobility aid, like a walking stick or
walker, this is recommended only.
This is still the case even if a carer or companion will be
supporting you during your time on board. Failure to notify
us of these requirements may result in you being denied
boarding at your own expense at the cruise terminal.
Mobility Equipment
Any guest who is a full-time wheelchair or powered mobility
device or scooter user or requires the use of their device
inside their stateroom, must be booked into an accessible
stateroom or selected suite that provides the space and
features required to suit guest’s needs. If you tell us (on
your On Board Needs Questionnaire) that you will be
bringing mobility equipment and the stateroom you have
chosen is not a fully accessible stateroom or selected suite,
there may be insufficient room to manoeuvre your mobility
aid. Therefore, we may need to contact you to discuss
other stateroom options. Non-accessible staterooms are
suitable for part-time wheelchair users who do not need
their wheelchair to move around the room. Please note
access to the ensuite is via a raised threshold and a step is
required to enter the bath/shower. We are unable to accept
powered mobility devices or scooters in these staterooms,
with the exception of selected suites. Unfortunately, we no
longer provide wheelchair rental services on board. Each
guest who requires a wheelchair is responsible for making
their own arrangements prior to the voyage.
Please visit My Cunard for more information and,
if necessary, to complete the questionnaire or provide a
new one if your situation has changed.
For up to date information regarding accessibility and
mobility needs please visit our website.
Before making a booking, please familiarise yourself
with clause 10 of the booking and passage conditions in
this brochure (see pages 136 – 141).
Booking Assistance - Why do I need to
complete an Accessibility and Medical
Questionnaire for every cruise?
Don’t worry – your ship’s medical team is always on hand
with a remedy. Seasickness is best countered with an
injection or tablets, which should soon have you feeling
well again and settle you for the duration of your stay on
board. Charges apply for all visits to the Medical Centre
and for the services and medication provided.
We require a questionnaire to be completed for each
cruise you travel on to ensure that we have the most
accurate and up-to-date information. We understand
circumstance can change therefore it is important for this
to be completed.
After you have booked your voyage you can access the On
Board Needs Questionnaire via the accessibility section
on My Cunard.
Is there enough to do during days at sea?
Requesting wheelchair assistance
What if I feel seasick?
Yes, plenty. You’ll be amazed by just how much there
is to do. From deck sports, friendly quizzes, and dance
classes, to fascinating talks and movies, there’s so much
to choose from. Your ship’s Daily Programme (delivered to
your stateroom each evening) has full details of all
the activities, events, and entertainment happening the
next day.
Is there a spa and salon on board?
All our ships feature Mareel Wellness & Beauty. Taking
inspiration from the oceans on which our ships sail to
indulge mind, body, and soul. We invite you to relax, and
enjoy renewed energy, coupled with improved health and
appearance with comprehensive spa, beauty, and fitness
facilities on board.
For details of the spa services available on board please
visit My Cunard at mycunard.com.
Can I travel when pregnant?
Pregnant guests can travel with us up to the 24th week
of pregnancy. If you will enter the 24th week of your
pregnancy at any point during your voyage (i.e. you are
23 weeks + 1 day or more at any point in the cruise)
unfortunately you won’t be permitted to travel with us. If
you require further information then please call us.
We would kindly request that you let us know in advance if
you require assistance by completing an On Board Needs
Questionnaire. Guests will be asked to wait in turn for
assistance to embark and disembark the ship and given
the number of requests made for assistance your allotted
time may differ. Wheelchair assistance is only available in
selected ports.
If you are requesting assistance to embark the ship then
you will also be required to book assistance in the event
of an emergency.
On Board Needs Questionnaires are available to complete
on my.cunard.com after booking. If you require a hard copy
you can request this via our Customer Contact Centre
(local call charges apply), or your travel agent.
Powered mobility device policy - Is your policy
compliant with all applicable legislation?
Yes - our policies and procedures comply with all
applicable ship safety and disability/equality legislation,
including the EU Passenger Rights Regulation. We aim
to offer our services to all disabled persons or persons
with reduced mobility subject to applicable safety
requirements and within the parameters of each ship
design, port infrastructure, and equipment. Powered
mobility devices are only accepted in accessible
staterooms and selected suites.
Adapted Staterooms - Can an able bodied guest
book an accessible cabin?
Accessible cabins can only be booked by guests
who have a requirement for the adapted facilities.
For example, this may be a need for a walk in shower
and grab rails in the bathroom, or larger floor space
to manoeuvre a wheelchair or safely store a powered
mobility device.
If accessible cabins are available within 21 days
of a departure, they can be offered for general sale and
available for all guests to book.
Can I book an adapted cabin if I have
a disability that does not require the use
of a wheelchair or powered mobility device?
Any guest who has a requirement for the facilities is
welcome to book an accessible stateroom. Examples of
this could be a wet room with no steps or a larger floor
space to store a powered mobility device or manoeuvre
in a wheelchair. Guests who do not require the use of the
facilities should not book an accessible stateroom.
If a guest books into an accessible stateroom without
a need for any of the adapted facilities, we reserve the
right to request that the guest moves. This may be at
additional cost if moved to a cabin in a higher category.
Do you cater for children with disabilities
in the children’s clubs?
We encourage all children to use our fantastic children’s
facilities, but we are unable to provide one-on-one
support or care. If the child requires such assistance,
a parent or carer will need to be present with them at
all times.
If your child has a disability and would like to take part in
our activity programme, please ensure you provide a full
account of your child’s needs when registering your child
and speak with our Youth Team to arrange a chat with our
Youth Manager when on board. We can then do our best
to make sure they have a fun and safe holiday.
Getting ashore
When choosing your voyage, please bear in mind
that it may not be possible for wheelchair users
to get ashore at some ports of call. Staff will be able to
provide wheelchair or arm assistance from the top to the
bottom of the gangway, only where safe to do so. Guests
must make their own way to/from the terminal/shuttle
bus/tour buses etc. Please note if your Shore Experiences
are operated by minibus, there will be no storage space
for powered mobility devices or wheelchairs. We are
unable to offer wheelchair access to go ashore in tender
ports. At the majority of ports visited by our ships, we
deploy a short ramped low-level gangway, commonly
referred to as the ship’s brow, to give all wheelchair
users easy access to shore. We do our very best to make
sure that all guests can get ashore in as many ports
as possible, although there will be times when it is not
possible to deploy the ship’s brow. This is normally due to
ports with a large tidal range, where a relatively shallow
ramp may unavoidably become too steep to use safely
during the course of the day with tidal movements.
Some examples of ports with a large tidal range (but not
an exhaustive list) are Bilbao, La Coruña, Le Havre,
La Rochelle, Lisbon, Zeebrugge, Malaga, Cadiz, Madeira,
Rotterdam, Hamburg, Boston, Halifax, Portland, Québec,
and San Francisco. This policy is in the interest of
guest safety.
Planning and availability
Our Shore Experience descriptions set out to offer
practical advice based upon our operating practice.
You can find the full range of Shore Experiences
on My Cunard, by logging in once you have booked your
voyage using your booking reference. We would strongly
advise you to read the descriptions to make sure
that your chosen experience is suitable for your
personal requirements.
We use our best efforts to obtain appropriate transport,
although it is not always possible for us to secure fully
accessible vehicles. Please note that – due to applicable
safety requirements, the design of the ship, or port
infrastructure and equipment – in certain ports of call,
it may not be possible for us to offer a Shore Experience
programme suitable for guests who are not able
to board a coach via the steps. Please be aware that
in consideration of health and safety, tour providers/
coach operators reserve the right to refuse carriage to
any guest who is unable to negotiate the steps of the
coach independently*. Taxis are usually available for hire
close to the ship’s berth, should guests wish to travel
independently. For further information, please email us at
accessibility@carnivalukgroup.com
*This does not apply to lift coaches for full-time
wheelchair users.
Can I change my holiday after booking?
Please see Booking Conditions clauses 17 and 18
on pages 138-139.
131
