CLEAR QUESTIONS • CLEAR RESPONSIBILITIES • LESS STRESS
Who Answers Guest Questions on a Group Cruise?
The organizer does not have to know every answer.
The organizer is there to bring people together. America’s Best Cruises can help with reservation and travel questions. The cruise line handles many shipboard matters and each traveler remains responsible for personal requirements and decisions.
That keeps the group leader focused on the people and the experience instead of becoming everyone’s unpaid travel agent.
A REAL PERSON BEHIND EVERY GROUP
Meet Captain Chuck.
Chuck Lund is the founder of America’s Best Cruises and a retired Captain with over 35 years of experience taking care of his guests.
He brings the same attention to planning, communication and detail to your group cruise. His goal is simple: help your group choose wisely, understand your real costs and enjoy the anticipation without turning the organizer into an unpaid travel agent.
“I treat every guest like family because that's what these trips are all about.”
THE SIMPLE SYSTEM
Four Types of Questions — Four Clear Responsibilities
Group cruises become much easier when guests know where to go before a question ever comes up.
Community Question?
Ask the organizer or host about group plans, community activities and host participation.
Reservation Question?
Ask America’s Best Cruises or the applicable booking channel about cabins, fares, deposits, deadlines and reservation details.
Shipboard Question?
Current onboard schedules, services, facilities and operational matters are often best answered by the cruise line.
Personal Requirement?
The traveler remains responsible for documentation, entry requirements, deadlines and personal travel decisions.
QUESTIONS FOR THE HOST
What Should the Group Organizer Answer?
The organizer’s greatest value is knowing the people, the purpose of the trip and the shared experience the group wants to create.
- Why the group is cruising
- What informal or host-led activities are planned
- Whether the host will participate in a particular event
- The personality, purpose and expectations of the community
- Whether an optional group activity is part of the plan
They do not also need to become an expert on every fare, cabin rule, payment deadline or cruise-line procedure.
KEEP THE HOST THE HOST
What the Organizer Should Not Have to Become
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RESERVATION BELONG WITH TRAVEL SUPPORT
What Can America’s Best Cruises Help With?
The goal is to keep technical travel questions from becoming the organizer’s second job.
Cabins
Available categories and cabin-selection questions.
Pricing
Applicable fares, promotions and total-cost questions.
Deposits
Applicable deposit requirements and booking terms.
Payments
Payment procedures, balances and deadlines.
Dining
Group dining requests and related options.
Changes
Authorized reservation-change questions.
Cancellations
Applicable terms and reservation procedures.
Group Requests
Dining, meetings, events and other coordination.
A FEW COMMON EXAMPLES
Where Should These Questions Go?
PAYMENT QUESTIONS
The Organizer Should Not Become the Group’s Banker
Each traveler remains responsible for the obligations associated with their own reservation. Payment is made through the applicable agency or booking channel, cruise line or approved financing provider as appropriate.
The organizer should not collect or hold guest cruise payments.
Who Handles Payments for a Group Cruise? →CHANGES & CANCELLATIONS
The Organizer Should Not Have to Fix Every Change in Plans
Reservation changes and cancellations should be handled through the applicable travel advisor, agency or booking channel because options depend on the actual reservation terms and cruise-line policies.
Who Handles Cruise Changes and Cancellations for a Group? →PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY STILL MATTERS
Some Questions Cannot Be Delegated Completely
General guidance can help but each traveler remains responsible for reviewing the requirements and decisions that apply to their own trip.
FOR CREATORS, CLUBS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS
Your Audience Wants Access to You — Not Your Own Personal Reservation Hotline
A creator, club leader or community organizer can concentrate on the reason people want to travel together while professional travel support handles the routine reservation questions.
Host the Community
Welcome people, participate in selected events and help create the shared experience.
Route Travel Questions
Give guests a clear professional path for booking and reservation questions.
Enjoy the Cruise Too
The organizer should be able to travel with the group without spending the vacation solving every travel issue.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who Handles What on a Group Cruise?
Clear roles make the entire experience easier for the organizer and the guests.
Who answers guest questions on a group cruise?
It depends on the question. The organizer usually handles community and host questions, travel support handles reservation-related questions, the cruise line handles many shipboard operational matters and each traveler remains responsible for personal requirements and decisions.
Does the group organizer have to answer every question?
No. The organizer should not need to become the group’s full-time travel help desk. Reservation, cabin, payment and other travel questions can be routed through the appropriate travel support process.
Who answers questions about cruise cabins?
Cabin questions are generally travel and reservation questions. Guests can receive help comparing available cabin categories through the applicable booking process.
Who answers questions about deposits and final payment?
Reservation-specific deposit requirements and payment deadlines should be reviewed through the applicable booking or travel support process. Each traveler remains responsible for meeting the obligations associated with their reservation.
Does the organizer collect guest cruise payments?
No. Payment is made through the applicable agency or booking channel, cruise line or approved financing provider as appropriate. The organizer should not collect or hold guest cruise payments.
Who answers questions about changing or canceling a reservation?
The traveler should contact the applicable travel advisor, agency or booking channel handling the reservation because available options depend on the reservation terms and cruise-line policies.
Who answers questions about group dining or private events?
The organizer may explain the desired group experience while applicable dining, venue, timing and setup requests can be coordinated through travel or cruise-line support.
Who answers questions about passports, visas or entry requirements?
General information may be provided but each traveler remains responsible for confirming and meeting the identification and entry requirements applicable to their own trip.
Who answers onboard questions after the ship sails?
Many current shipboard operational questions, including schedules, services, facilities and onboard account matters, are appropriately handled by the cruise line onboard.
Should guests send credit-card information to the organizer?
No. The organizer should not need to collect or process guest credit-card information for cruise reservations.
RELATED GROUP CRUISE QUESTIONS
Keep Building a Clear, Stress-Free Group Plan
LET THE HOST BUILD COMMUNITY • LET TRAVEL SUPPORT HANDLE TRAVEL QUESTIONS
Your Group Should Know Exactly Where to Go When They Need Help
Tell us who your group is, approximately how many people may travel and what kind of experience you want to create. We can help structure the travel side so guests have a place to ask questions without turning the organizer into the reservation desk, billing department and customer-service department all at once.
