Seasoned cruise travelers know that getting ready for an upcoming cruise vacation takes a little more than just packing and making sure they have the right travel documents. Those two things are important but becoming familiar with the ship we are on, the ports of call we will visit and taking a good look at other elements of the cruise experience before boarding is just as critical. Not to say passengers should make a job out of getting ready to cruise but taking advantage of resources provided by major cruise lines and travel agents before sailing can elevate a good vacation to trip-of-a-lifetime status easily.
Getting ready for our sailing on Princess Cruises Grand Princess next month, we have received a number of emails from the cruise line to help in the process. One we received this week asks and answers common questions with links to information about a variety of topics. Reminders, checklists, directions to the pier and more were found here giving even the most experienced Princess passenger critical information. The thoughtful email even tells us what movies will be playing on board, invites us to join the Princess Book Club and more:
We are pleased to provide the following information to help you prepare for your upcoming vacation:
• Make sure you print your boarding pass before you leave for your trip.
• Want to make sure you’ve packed everything? For your convenience, we’ve provided an embarkation day checklist.
• Have you arranged your air travel to or from the port city yet? Click to see flight options with Princess eZAir.
• Would you like to ensure you’re protected in case of a medical emergency? Learn more!
• Do you need directions to the pier?
• Would you like to connect on Facebook with other passengers on your cruise via Princess Roll Call?
• Do you want to email your vacation itinerary to your friends and family?
• Would you like the contact information for Princess® should you be delayed en-route to your ship?
• Meet fellow book readers and engage in literary discussions at the Princess Book Club.
• Would you like to view the ship’s layout prior to your sailing?
• Would you like to know your dining options for your first day onboard? Choose from the Horizon Court or one of our main dining rooms.
• Do you have questions regarding onboard gratuity etiquette?
• Would you like to pre-pay your stateroom gratuity prior to sailing?
• Wondering how you can stay in touch while onboard?
• Is your Princess Captain’s Circle loyalty level correct as shown above? If not, please let us know!
• Did you know that smoking is now prohibited in staterooms and balconies?
• Princess Access –Click here for services we provide for passengers with special needs.
• Click here for answers about other topics.
This is not something we will find in advertisements for the line, but paying attention to details like this series of pre-cruise emails that all passengers can have access to can add real value to our cruise experience…if we are aware of it.
This is just one reason why completing online registration with the cruise line as soon after booking as possible is important. Without our email address, none of this information would be available.
Often, booked guests on a number of lines look a pre-cruise registration much like printing a boarding pass for an airline flight, something to do at the last minute. As we can easily see, there is a whole lot more to be gained from registering early than the piece of paper that makes getting on the ship easier. That’s important too but the benefits of receiving pre-cruise information, only available via email, is staggering compared to not having it at all.
Cruise line websites too allow booked and registered guests to access a wealth of information on a number of lines. Carnival Cruise Lines has a similar program that features a countdown to cruise clock, updated every time we log on. Royal Caribbean‘s Pre-Cruise Planner allows much more than simply booking shore excursions and printing a boarding pass too.
Aside from all these benefits, booked guests get to see their personal information as it appears on the cruise line records which may not always be the same as an invoice created by a travel agency. I can’t count the number of times when passengers have told me they did not realize that “Bobby’s” real name that appears on his passport, the document used to board the ship which must match cruise line records or boarding could be denied, is really “Robert”.
We’ll cover more detail on what some of the information gathered and sent to passengers via email is all about as this series continues. Stay Tuned
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