Traveling with 10 other people or more? You may be surprised to learn how much the line will do to bring you and your group on board.
Discounts: Crystal Cruises’ offers free passage to the 11th person in a group; Carnival Cruises and Costa Cruises’ offer free fare to the 15th passenger. Some lines offer a free upgrade for the leader of a group instead, and many provide onboard credits for everyone in the group.
Freebies: When it comes to free stuff for everyone in the group, many lines including Holland America and Norwegian Cruise Line start offering per-person handouts when you get up to eight cabins. It’s also worth asking if your line will host a private cocktail party as a value-add. Coordinated Booking: Booking as a group has another benefit: It allows your travel agent and cruise line to link your reservations together, ensuring you are all given the same dining times and seating arrangements and, if requested, staterooms that are in a block next to each other.
CRUISERS WITH DISABILITIES
It’s important to let the cruise line know about any special needs when you make your booking. If you use a wheelchair, you’ll need to know if wheelchair-accessible cabins are available (and how they’re equipped), as well as whether public rooms are accessible and can be reached by elevator, and whether the cruise line has any special policy regarding travelers with disabilities for instance, whether it’s required that a fully mobile companion accompany you. Based on various court cases, it’s clear that when operating in U.S. waters, ships are expected to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Newer ships tend to be better equipped, however, offering a larger number of cabins at various price points for passengers in wheelchairs as well as those who are sight- or hearing-impaired. But even older ships undergoing renovations are being retrofitted to provide more access.
