Frequently Asked Questions 

Australian Medicare, New Zealand ACC and private health insurance will not cover you for any medical costs on board. All cruises (even cruises that do not visit foreign ports) require international travel insurance. We strongly recommend you organise your travel insurance at the time you pay your deposit.

You should not base your insurance decision on the assumption ‘it won’t happen to me’ – accidents or illness can happen to anyone. Daily hospital bills can cost more than AUD5000 per day. For further information or to purchase travel insurance:

• Australian passengers - please contact your Travel Agent or call 1300 653 852.
• New Zealand passengers - please contact your Travel Agent
  

Yes, flights can be booked with our CruiseAir program from 320 days to four days prior to sailing. With CruiseAir, you can customise your flights to suit your travel plans and choose from competitive, real-time pricing and availability. Plus, you'll find a host of other exciting benefits, including:

• Immediate flight confirmations: your flights will be confirmed at the time of booking
• Increased choice and customisation: A variety of flight options, including different airlines, flight class and dates can be compared, allowing for seamless coordination of flights with cruise itineraries and travel plans
• Next Port Protection: Providing peace of mind in the event of an airline delay or airline service disruption, we will do what we reasonably can to enable passengers to continue their holiday with minimal disruption and, if passengers miss their cruise embarkation, we will seek to rearrange travel arrangements to the next appropriate port at no additional air cost to the passenger

Plus, CruiseAir offers two different fare options that each feature their own unique benefits:
Flexible fares* are perfect if you have less certainty in your travel plans:

• Flights are fully refundable and changes can be made until 45 days before travel (additional costs will only be charged if you change to more expensive flights)
• Payment for flights aren’t due until cruise final payment (unless booked inside the final payment due period in which case payment is due immediately via credit / debit card)
• Cancellation charges up to the full cost of the flights apply within 45 days from travel

Restricted fares* suit passengers with firm travel plans and are generally lower than Flexible fares:

• Cancellation charges up to the full cost of the flights apply from the moment the flight booking is made
• No changes can be made (including passenger details)
• Payment is due immediately at time of booking by credit / debit card (all fees are included in the fare)

CruiseAir also provides you with Next Port Protection. This means that in the event of an airline delay or airline service disruption, we will do what we reasonably can to work with the airlines to find a reasonable alternative to get you to the next appropriate port at no additional flight cost to you.

*Baggage fees may or may not be included. Please check at time of booking

Passports
Australian citizens, visit www.passports.gov.au
New Zealand citizens, visit www.passports.govt.nz
For citizens of other countries, please contact your relevant national authority.

Visas
Please contact your Travel Agent, relevant consulate or embassy or an online visa service for more information.

Vaccinations
Please contact your doctor or an approved public health travel advisory service such as the World Health Organisation (www.who.org), the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or Smart Traveller (www.smartraveller.gov.au).

Please ensure your flight arrives no later than 4 hours before your cruise departure time. This should provide enough time to travel to the cruise terminal and check-in for your holiday of a lifetime.

If you are flying home on the day you leave the cruise, please ensure your flight departs no earlier than 5 hours after your cruise arrives in port. This should help you to have a stress free return home from your relaxing cruise holiday.

When you are making your own flight bookings, missed connections are always a possibility…so the more time you allow for unforeseen delays at either end of your cruise, the better.

If you do need to make changes to your own flight bookings, your chosen airline may charge fees, so check their airfare conditions when you book.

For each booking, the following documents will be provided:

• Double-sided eTicket
• T&Cs
• Single-sided luggage tag - print one tag for each piece of luggage, and complete Passenger Name & Mobile Number on each (Ship name/Cruise number will be populated, and Cabin number if allocated at time of generation).

In addition, bookings with flights booked by us will receive a single-sided Flight Information page with all passengers on the booking listed on the one page.

Bookings on Pacific Sun will also have a Payment Authorisation Form for passengers to complete. All other ships do not require the printed form.

Theme nights are part of the fun on board and usually feature on cruises of seven (7) nights or more. Why not dress up and join the party! Themed accessories can be purchased on board and you will be notified of the themes through the ship’s newsletter.

It is usually no problem. We have a great range of shore tours and many cater for people with various levels of mobility. For information on Shore Tour accessibility, you can visit the Shore Tours section of our website. Our helpful Shore Tour Staff are available on board to discuss individual tours.

It is important to note that access to tender ports may be restricted and this may limit your tour options. Do not worry if you cannot get off the ship, we still have plenty of fun activities for you to do on board!

We recommend you consult a healthcare professional prior to boarding. You can prepare by purchasing medication or special magnetic wrist bands before you leave home. Motion sickness can also be treated on board; medication is usually available for purchase and treatment can be provided by the ship’s doctor. 

Any charges from the on board medical centre will be added to your Cruise Card and you will be provided with an itemised account to submit to your travel insurance company.

A deposit is required within 3 days of booking your cruise, 'and final payment prior to 75 days before departure'.

Note that some special promotions may require different payment conditions.  Please refer to promotional Terms & Conditions.

Accepted payment methods for bookings made directly with P&O Cruises include:

• Credit/Debit card: (1.5% service fee applies), we accept Visa, Mastercard, AMEX and Diners Club.  Please contact our Customer Service department to make payment over the phone.

• Via Internet banking, transferring payment into our account.  
  Please enter your 6 digit booking number in the payment reference field of your internet transfer, so we can apply your payment to the correct booking.  (Should your bank not accept your 6 digit  booking number in the payment reference field, please enter your full name)
  It is also important that you email a payment confirmation, including your booking number, full name and cruise number, to CAUpayments@princesscruises.com.
  You may need to pay up to 3 business days (72 hours) in advance of the due date to ensure funds reach your booking in time.

For Australian residents our account details are as follows:
Account Name Carnival PLC
Bank: ANZ, Corner York & Market streets Sydney
BSB: 012 172
Account Number: 837204961

 

For New Zealand residents our account details are as follows:
Account Name: Carnival PLC
Bank: BNZ (Bank of New Zealand)
BSB: 020 124
Account Number: 012837200

 

If your booking has been made through a Travel Agent, your payment and any queries relating to the payment of your cruise, must be made via your Agent.

For more information, please refer to the ‘Payments’ section in our Terms & Conditions.

You are welcome to reward our on board crew for exceptional service, however, tipping is not required.

Where do we start?  Accommodation, main meals on board, entertainment (including production shows, guest entertainers, trivia, karaoke, dancing classes, movies and in-cabin videos) and use of the ship’s many complimentary facilities such as swimming pools, gym, spas, table tennis, shuffleboard, deck chess and library.

We understand that on occasion you may need to change to a different cruise. When this happens, the following policy will apply:

We can help you celebrate your honeymoon, birthday or anniversary on board.

Yes. Passengers travelling as a group (minimum of 16 adults) have access to a number of on board services on selected sailings, including:

• Conference facilities
• Live entertainment
• Cocktail parties with canapés
• Children's parties
• Invitations
• Group photos
• Special occasion cakes

For more information, please call our P&O Cruises’ Cruise Contact Centre.

Smoking is not permitted indoors on any of our ships. This includes your cabin and private balcony. For those who smoke, there are selected outdoor areas where smoking is permitted and this information will be communicated to you on board.

Most cabins have queen beds, as long as the upper beds are not in use.  

The Shore Tours programme is coordinated by our on board Shore Tours Manager.

Once on board, you’ll receive tickets for the tours you reserved in advance. You can purchase tour tickets on board and you will find a Tour Order Form in your cabin for this purpose. You’ll also find a schedule of the daily activities available to you in the daily newsletter prepared on board. The newsletter is delivered to your cabin every evening for the next day’s activities. It includes relevant tour information such as the Tour Office location and hours, departure times and locations for your scheduled tours, what deck to disembark from, what to take with you when leaving the ship and what time to be back on board. When booking a tour, the cost of your activities will be added to your on board account and the tickets will be delivered directly to your cabin that same evening, or the following morning.

During your cruise, the Shore Tours Manager will hold informative presentations on the various ports of call and the available tours.
These presentations will cover the most up-to-date information and we recommend that you attend them, or watch them on your cabin television.

Port Guides for each port of call are also available on board. These are specially prepared by P&O Cruises to introduce you to the destination, and include a historical background of the local area and shopping tips, along with other useful information. If you would like to purchase additional tours, or if you have any tour or port related questions, please stop by the Tour Office during its opening hours. The friendly Tour Office staff will be happy to provide further assistance and tour recommendations to make the most out of your day in port.

Keep in mind that some sites you’ll be visiting are extremely popular among both tourists and locals. Therefore, you may encounter crowded conditions, whether participating in one of our tours or sightseeing on your own. With regard to photography, some venues may prohibit the use of flash cameras, so fast-speed
film is recommended, or adjust your digital camera settings before taking pictures in the restricted areas. In some places,
photography may be prohibited altogether or a fee may be imposed for the use of cameras or video cameras. We ask
that you observe any local customs and restrictions and, if in doubt, ask your guide for assistance.

For more information on ports of call, visit our Australia Holidays, New Zealand Holidays, South Pacific Holidays and Asia Holidays portal on the website.

This depends on the type and degree of the disability and the relevant tour. In general, if passengers are able to walk on their
own, we recommend those tours that are designated as requiring a moderate level of activity. The transport on some tours may be able to accommodate a collapsible wheelchair stored below the bus; scooters or motorised wheelchairs are often too large to be stored on the transport used for the tours. If passengers are nonambulatory, we generally recommend independent transportation for maximum comfort and convenience. The cost for hiring any independent transportation is the responsibility of the passenger. Our Shore Tours staff will happily arrange a hire
vehicle on your behalf and suggest tour itineraries. We also recommend that nonambulatory passengers be accompanied
by someone who is able to assist them throughout the duration of the tour.

For more information, please visit the Shore Tours Terms and Conditions page.

There are a number of ways to let everyone know what a great time you are having. You can make calls from the phone in your cabin, or use the ship’s computers/wireless connections to keep in touch by email and internet. Please note, access is subject to satellite coverage and charges are higher than on land.