INFORMATION
Cruise Brokers International
Questions & Answers
Senior Cruises
Why is a cruise vacation an ideal choice for seniors?
How do I choose a cruise that is best suited to my desires and needs?
Are there senior citizen specials?
Can I get a group discount?
What is a Gentleman Host Program?
What medical facilities are onboard?
Do I need travel protection insurance?
What facilities are there for the disabled?
Can you get a special diet?
What if I wish to travel solo?
What is a Guarantee share?
Why is a cruise vacation an ideal choice for seniors?
Consider these points:
· All-inclusive costs manage your budget in advance.
· Cruising is the best vacation value around, and there's a cruise to fit every budget.
· Cruising is stress-free and relaxing. You can experience multiple destinations without the hassles of packing and unpacking and without the stress of making multiple plane connections. When traveling between foreign countries, currency exchange is easily handled onboard the ship, so you need never be left with unused foreign currency. Cruising is service-intensive. You will be treated like royalty and pampered from beginning to end.
· Cruising is safe. You travel and dine in comfort while visiting even the most remote ports of call. Shore excursions include escorts and knowledgeable hosts, and travel on shore is usually in air-conditioned or modern-style transportation. Most ships have modern medical facilities on board. And all ships have ship to shore or satellite communications equipment. Finally, cruise ship construction includes state-of-the-art navigational equipment.
· Cruising offers nonstop activities. You can do as much as you want, or as little as you want. Many ships offer special lectures or enrichment programs. Bridge, Bingo and big band dancing are mainstays. For the more active, golf, tennis and a wide variety of shore excursions are available.
Ask yourself these questions to determine which cruise would suit your tastes.
Rate the answers in order of importance from one to eleven:
_____ Interested primarily in destinations
_____Want to party, or like party atmosphere
_____Want peace and quiet
_____Entertainment most important
_____Food most important
_____Service most important
_____Price most important
_____Like guest lecturers
_____Need special facilities (i.e. wheelchair access)
_____Enjoy dressing formal/informal (circle one)
_____Want to be with older/younger people (circle one)
Are there senior citizen specials?
Most of these promotions are available in the off peak booking seasons, right after the first of the year and between September and mid-December. Anyone can qualify for a senior rate provided one of the passengers in the cabin is 55 years old or older. Usually these rates are $50-$100 per person lower than the normal rates. Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Costa and Norwegian Cruise Line commonly use reduced rates for seniors on select sailings
Can I get a group discount?
This is a fun way to vacation while socializing with your fellow friends. Singles and couples alike will enjoy each other comradeship and the bigger the group, the bigger the savings. Generally, for every 15th full paying adult, based on double occupancy, the 16th person cruises free (excludes port charges, taxes, and optional air). If you are the group leader organizing and building your group, you can travel free, or you can split the cost between all the travelers to receive an additional discount.
What is a Gentleman Host Program?
Gentleman hosts programs are for the benefit of unescorted female senior travelers. The program is available on all sailings of Crystal and Cunard Royal Viking, most Orient Lines' cruises in the Orient, select Silversea and Holland America cruises. Gentleman hosts are carefully screened and abide by a strict code of ethics. Each one has been an acknowledged leader in their career. They are available for dancing, assisting with on-board activities, accompanying shore excursions and dining.
What medical facilities are on board?
Virtually every cruise ship (except for some smaller vessels operating in coastal waters) has a fully equipped medical facility and staff to handle almost any emergency. All cruise ships have a ship's doctor on board as well as modern medical facilities. Many also have a nurse as well. Passengers are charged per visit. Charges may be paid in cash or posted to your shipboard account and there is no provision to accept health insurance or Medicare on board.
If a medical emergency cannot be handled on board, provisions will be made to transport the passenger to the nearest port's medical facilities. Check with your own health insurance company to see what coverage you have while overseas. In addition, many trip cancellation and interruption policies have provisions for medical emergencies.
Finally, always be sure and have enough of your required medication before your cruise as specific medications may not be available on the ship or in the destinations you will be visiting. And always carry your medication with you rather than checking it in with your baggage.
Do I need travel protection insurance?
Travel insurance protection never seems necessary - unless you have to use it!
Refer to the Travel Insurance section under General Information on the homepage.
For coverage and pricing visit Travel
Protection Insurance Travel
Protection Insurance.
What facilities are there for the disabled?
Most cruise ships have provisions for wheelchair travelers with wheelchair accessible cabins, ramps access to public areas, elevators, etc.
Princess Cruises is an industry leader and has published a brochure called "Love Boat Access". The line has the highest number of wheelchair accessible cabins, and a special wheelchair transportation gangway mechanism for boarding on most of its ships. For the visually impaired, Seeing Eye dogs are welcome and elevators have Braille call buttons. For the hearing-impaired, hearing-ear dogs are welcome and ADA kits are available with telephone amplifiers, visual smoke detectors, doorknocker sensors and text telephones.
Your cruise consultant will be able to help you determine the cruise ship best suited to your individual needs. If you use a wheelchair, be sure and inquire about embarking and disembarking in the ports-of-call as this can be a difficult procedure when the ship anchors off shore.
Can you get a special diet?
Most ships can accommodate salt-free, low-carbohydrate, Kosher, or other diet preferences. However, this request must be made in advance, so be sure to advise your CLIA-affiliated travel agent of this requirement when you book your cruise.
What if I wish to travel solo?
The single cruise traveler must usually pay a single supplement ranging from 110% to 200% of the double occupancy rate. Crystal cruises is an exception with select sailings at only a 15% single supplement (supplements subject to change).
What is a guaranteed share?
The cruiseline will guarantee to match you up with another person of the same gender and similar age. Instead of paying the single supplement you pay the double occupancy rate. In the event they cannot match you up, you end up with the cabin to yourself at no additional charge.
