An Emergency Guide for ROL Cruise Tour Bookings
We know how much your travel plans mean to you, which is why we've created this guide—to provide peace of mind in case things don't go as expected. We encourage you to keep this information with you as you travel. We’ve dedicated many hours to planning your holiday and truly hope you do not have to refer to this guide.
Pre-Travel Information
Packing for your holiday
Flight Guidance
Transfer Guidance
Hotel Guidance
Cruise Guidance
Visas, Passports & CV-19
It is imperative that you keep up to date with the latest entry requirements for the destinations you are travelling to. We, of course, provide information to our customers to assist you with making arrangements pre-departure in a timely manner. However, information can change very rapidly, especially CV-19 entry requirements. It is ultimately your responsibility as the traveller to ensure you meet all and any entry requirements to ensure you can travel.
We highly recommend you visit our Travel Aware area on our website, which has been put together by the UK government and covers many topics that can assist you with being prepared to travel. Please visit Travel Aware. If you are having issues with securing visas or are unsure of what you should do, we recommend you contact CIBT VISAS https://cibtvisas.co.uk/visas or call them on 0207 5936223; they will be able to offer advice and assist you with obtaining visas should they be required for your itinerary. You can also contact our Customer Service team on 0800 121 6191 (option 2), who will be happy to assist you; however, please be advised we cannot issue visas on your behalf and can only provide general advice.
Travel Insurance
It is highly advisable that you have travel insurance in place. This should cover repatriation and any pre-existing medical conditions. Some cruise lines have a mandatory requirement that you have insurance in place to cover these two areas. We also advise looking for insurance that covers the cost, duration, and destination of travel, as well as cancellation.
WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU TRAVEL WITH A COPY OF YOUR INSURANCE PREMIUM DETAILS AND THEIR EMERGENCY CONTACT DETAILS.
If your luggage is delayed or lost, we recommend packing a carry-on bag with enough clothes, medication, and essentials for the first 3-4 days of your holiday. This will ensure you can enjoy your first few days while the airlines organise delivery of your bags.
If your luggage is delayed or lost, ensuring your luggage has all your contact information and inserting a printout of your full travel itinerary inside your suitcase will help the airline staff locate you, especially if your holiday itinerary has meant you are moving on soon during this time.
Please download the app on your phone for the airlines you are flying with to stay updated on any flight changes. Many airline apps also have features like baggage tracking.
Please see below a basic checklist that may help you to pack for your holiday:
- Passport
- Ticket documents
- Visas
- Covid-19 requirements
- Vaccinations
- Travel Insurance details
- Medication
- Itinerary
- Electronics
- Means of payment
- Suitable clothing and shoes
- Adapter plug
- Toiletries
Due to the volume of airline schedule changes, please ensure you download the mobile app for the airline to ensure you are alerted to any changes.
IF YOUR FLIGHT IS CANCELLED AND YOU HAVE NOT YET CHECKED IN OR ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT
During ROL opening hours, you can contact us on 0800 121 6191 from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., 7 days a week.
IF YOUR FLIGHT IS CANCELLED OR DELAYED AND YOU HAVE CHECKED IN OR YOU ARE AT THE AIRPORT
Work with the airline staff at the airport. Ensure they are made aware of your onward travel plans; this will assist them in finding you a suitable alternative.
Any airlines will also alert you of flight irregularities via their mobile app or the email you may have provided. You may be able to rebook your flights through the airline’s mobile app, and please ensure you are re-protected via the airline we have already booked your flights with. Alternative operators may incur a cost that would be your own expense. New boarding passes will need to be obtained. Once you have your new flights confirmed, call us on 0800 121 6191 with your new flight information so we can update tour operations.
If you are not receiving any assistance from the airline
During ROL opening hours, contact us on 0800 121 6191 from 8:30 am – 8 pm, 7 days a week.
Please be advised that airlines will not notify us before you of changes on the day of departure, it is always advised that you liaise with the airline first and foremost as this is the more expedient way to rectify the situation.
Missing Transfer
Should you find yourself in a position where you have followed the transfer voucher instructions and have been unable to locate your transfer provider, we recommend you call the transfer provider in the first instance. The phone numbers are detailed on the transfer vouchers. If you are unable to rectify the situation with the transfer provider, we recommend you take a taxi to your onward destination, keep the receipt and we will look to reimburse you on your return.
Missed Transfer Due to Delayed Flight
We endeavour to organise your transfers to collect you at the appropriate times. All transfer vouchers contain the contact phone numbers of the transfer provider. Should your flight be delayed, we recommend that you contact the transfer provider and notify them of your delay. If the delay means you have been provided with a new flight number, please provide the new flight details, such as flight number, departure airport, arrival airport, and estimated arrival time. As noted previously, airlines will not notify us before you of changes on the day of departure, we therefore will not have the information you do to pass onto the transfer provider. Should you arrive at your destination and the transfer provider cannot be located, we recommend you call the transfer provider in the first instance. The phone numbers are detailed on the transfer vouchers. If you are unable to rectify the situation with the transfer provider, we recommend you take a taxi to your onward destination, keep the receipt and we will look to reimburse you on your return.
Port Transfers
Please note that embarkation and disembarkation days at ports can be extremely busy. Port staff can delay our transfer providers when they reach the pickup point. We ask you to bear with them whilst they endeavour to reach you. In some instances, our transfer providers pick up larger groups of customers, so we politely request that all customers read the transfer instructions and be at the pickup points in a timely manner. We recommend you take a bottle of water with you as some ports have limited facilities and you could find yourself waiting in hotter weather.
Please be advised that many hotels globally have a check-in time of 14:00 p.m. and a check-out time of 11:00 a.m.
We will endeavour to lessen your wait times as much as possible, but should you find yourself at the hotel earlier or waiting for longer, please speak to the concierge regarding luggage storage so you are able to leave this safely. You may be able to arrange your late check out directly with the hotel should you find you will be waiting for several hours. Again, we advise you to directly discuss this option with the hotel concierge. Should you need to discuss anything else regarding your hotel, please use the contact details provided on your hotel voucher. Alternatively, please contact our Customer Service Team on 0800 121 6191 (option 2), and we will do our best to assist you with your query. Please note that local fees and taxes charged in the resort are not included and are payable locally by yourself. Please refer to your hotel voucher for further details.
Embarkation
Should you find yourself in a position where you are being denied boarding/entry due to not having the correct documentation in place or have failed to meet any entry requirements in place at the time of travel, we advise you to follow the below steps
1. Do you have time to apply and obtain what is required?
2. Can either the airline or the cruise line assist you?
We always highly recommend that you have all paperwork in order before your departure date and will provide you with the information you need to ensure you are ready to travel. This is because these matters generally cannot be settled on-trip. Should you not be able to continue to travel because you have not met the entry requirements, you will need to contact your insurance provider, who will confirm whether they will cover you for any repatriation costs in this instance.
You are responsible for any additional up-front costs that result directly from not having completed all entry requirements applicable to you.
Should your travel be delayed due to the above, we will, of course, endeavour to assist you; however, any alternative travel arrangements will be at an additional cost.
Onboard queries
While you are onboard, any issues you may have regarding any element of the cruise itself must be brought to the attention of the staff onboard. We are unable to assist in rectifying issues while you are onboard, and any service issues you may experience would not constitute an emergency. Cruise lines are well equipped to handle any issues while you are onboard and are, therefore, best placed to assist you.
Disembarkation
Please ensure you have re-confirmed your disembarkation time with the onboard reception. Please consider your onward travel plans before you disembark so you can ensure you meet your transfers in time.
