Booking Conditions
Important Notice to Guests:
You are viewing the Booking Conditions applicable to cruises with Celebrity Cruises (and any related goods and services booked through Royal Caribbean Group) purchased in the United Kingdom (”UK”) only. These Booking Conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and any claims or disputes must be resolved by alternative dispute resolution or under the laws and exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of England and Wales.
If you have any questions about which Booking Conditions apply to your booking (or any related goods and services), please speak to your travel agent or your local Celebrity Cruises representative.
The following Booking Conditions together with our General Information and the Guest Conduct Policy available at www.celebritycruises.com/gb form the basis of your contract. All bookings are subject to these booking conditions. In the event of any inconsistency, these Booking Conditions shall prevail unless we notify you otherwise.
Where you make a booking directly with us, the parties to the contract are yourself and either Celebrity Cruises Inc. of Miami, Florida or RCL Cruises Ltd. who shall accept legal responsibility for the proper performance of this contract as set out below, depending on which of those entities will be operating the cruise ship (“Vessel”) on which you sail (the “Carrier”).
“Carrier” shall include: (i) the Vessel, or any substituted ship; its launches or crafts (ii) the Vessel's operator, owner, manager and charterer; and (iii) with respect to the Land Tour portion of any CruiseTour, the operator of that Land Tour (“LTO”).
You will be advised of the relevant contracting party at the time of booking and/or in our confirmation invoice. In these Booking Conditions, ‘you’ and ‘your’ means all persons named on a booking and ‘we’, ‘us’, ‘ourselves’ and ‘Celebrity Cruises’ means either Celebrity Cruises Inc. or RCL Cruises Ltd trading as ‘Celebrity Cruises’ as will be determined as being the Carrier under these Booking Conditions. RCL Cruises Ltd. is a UK registered subsidiary company and UK sales and marketing agent of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Your local booking office is RCL Cruises Ltd with address at Building 7, The Heights, Brooklands, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 0XW.
If you book a Celebrity Cruises® cruise-only holiday, fly cruise holiday or build your own package with us, you can have the peace of mind in knowing that we shall have responsibility for the proper performance of all aspects of your holiday.
If you book an Celebrity Cruises® cruise-only holiday in conjunction with other services (such as flights, on-shore accommodation and/or ground transfers) which are arranged or provided by a travel agent or tour operator (‘travel organiser’) with whom you book and not provided by us, your contract for your entire holiday including the cruise and all other such services and arrangements will be with your travel organiser and not with us. The travel organiser’s own Booking Conditions will apply to your contract (with the exception of section 5.13 (c). Please ensure you obtain a copy of these from your travel organiser before or at the time of booking. Please note we do not have any liability to you in these circumstances. However, in the event we are found liable to you on any basis, our liability and/or obligations to you or your organiser will be no greater or different to the liability and obligations we have under these Booking Conditions to consumers who have a contract with us. In any such situation we will be fully entitled to rely on all defences, exclusions and limitations contained in the Booking Conditions set out below.
Please note: if you have booked one of our cruises to the Galapagos Islands onboard Celebrity Xpedition® Class ships the tour operator of the part of the cruise holiday that starts in Quito is Islas Galapagos Turismo y Vapores C.A. (‘IGTV’), an Ecuador company, and that company will also be a party to your contract along with Celebrity Cruises Inc. If you purchase one of our standard fly/cruise packages, build your own package via our website or purchase simply a cruise only holiday from us, you have the peace of mind in knowing that we shall have responsibility for the cruise element and all other aspects of your holiday that we have organised for you. If you book a cruise-only holiday in conjunction with other services (such as flights, on-shore accommodation and/or ground transfers) which are arranged or provided by a travel agent or tour operator (‘travel organiser’) with whom you book (and not us), your contract for your entire holiday including the cruise and all other such services and arrangements will be with your travel organiser and not with us. The travel organiser’s own booking conditions will apply to your contract. Please ensure you obtain a copy of these from your travel organiser before or at the time of booking. For the avoidance of doubt, where your travel agent makes all the arrangements for you and such arrangements involve services supplied by suppliers other than ourselves we will not have any contractual liability to you in these circumstances. However, in the event we are found liable to you on any basis, our liability and/or obligations to you or your organiser will be no greater or different to the liability and obligations we have under these booking conditions to consumers who have a contract with us. In any such situation we will be fully entitled to rely on all defences, exclusions and limitations contained in the booking conditions.
We have additional measures and Supplementary Terms and Conditions in relation to COVID-19. These detail our health screening and testing processes before you sail to ensure that you do not have COVID-19. You must participate in and follow the processes we put in place, including health screening and testing, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 onboard. We have enhanced sanitation onboard and have made changes so that you can social distance onboard. This may mean that some facilities and restaurants are not open at full capacity or may change from time to time. You will be required to isolate onboard if you contract, or we suspect that you have contracted, COVID-19. You must have travel insurance which covers your medical care, quarantine and repatriation in the event that you contract COVID-19. We will provide a future cruise credit if you have symptoms of COVID-19 before you sail. We may refund all or part of your cruise fare if you test positive for COVID-19 during the sailing. Governments and public authorities continue to develop their policies and change their rules. Our own processes and procedures change in line with those policies. This means we may need to make changes to your sailing and/or what we require of you before and during your sailing with us. You must comply with our Guest Health, Safety and Conduct Policy (also called ‘Guest Conduct Policy’) while onboard. Please also take note of our Refusal to Transport Policy. We have published an update to our Privacy Policy which details how we will use your personal data as part of the additional steps we are taking in relation to COVID-19. Please be aware that we will collect and use personal information, including health information, in connection with these measures, and may disclose it to health or port authorities, if required.
EEA Guests:
The combination of travel services offered to you is a package within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2015/2302 as enacted into English law. Therefore, all bookings will benefit from all EU rights applying to packages pursuant to the applicable law in force at the time of booking. RCL Cruises Ltd will be fully responsible for the proper performance of the package as a whole. Additionally, as required by law, RCL Cruises Ltd has protection in place to refund your payments and, where transport is included in the package, to ensure your repatriation in the event that it becomes insolvent.
Key rights under Directive (EU) 2015/2302 shall be available for your review at
https://www.celebritycruises.com/gb/eu-package-notice/key-rights
GUEST HEALTH SAFETY AND CONDUCT POLICY, AND OTHER POLICIES
It shall be a condition of boarding and remaining on-board any of our ships that all guests throughout their stay comply with our Guest Health Safety and Conduct Policy (“Guest Conduct Policy”). This policy is designed to ensure that all guests are able to participate in a safe and enjoyable cruise vacation and, as such, the Guest Conduct Policy sets forth standards of conduct for guests to follow throughout their Royal Caribbean International cruise vacation, including transfers to and from ships, inside terminals, while on-board, at ports of call, during shore excursions and at our private destinations. Please review the Guest Conduct Policy at https://www.celebritycruises.com/gb/terms-and-conditions or contact your local booking office for further details in advance of travel
1. Booking your holiday
1.1 How do I make a booking?
To book your chosen holiday, contact one of our Personal Cruise Consultants on 0344 493 2043 (calls cost 7p per minute plus your local network access charge), book online at https://www.celebritycruises.com/gb or visit one of our authorised travel agents. Guests who purchase their holiday arrangements via our website need to ensure that all details are correct at the time of booking as amendment or cancellation charges may apply to any components that are requested to be changed at a later date due to any error or omission made by you. For all standard cruise only and standard fly/cruise package bookings you make with us, you must pay a non-refundable deposit of £150 per person. For cruise only sailings of 5 nights or less the deposit is reduced to £75 per person (or full payment if booking within 69 days of departure.) Our Galapagos sailings have different deposit and payment terms, full details will be given at the time of booking. If you use our website to build your own package (see question In General Information “What is a build your own package?”), add components to a standard cruise only or standard fly/cruise package, you may be required to pay a higher non-refundable deposit. Any increased non-refundable deposit payment required will be advised to you at the time of booking. If 3 or more consecutive sailings are booked, then we will collect a deposit for each of the cruise segments. Please note, you are also able to book a future cruise whilst onboard one of our ships, using our Celebrity Future Cruise options. Please see the onboard sales consultant for full details. Terms and conditions apply for Celebrity Cruise Now & Cruise Later bookings so please ensure you check your confirmation invoice carefully at the time. There may be an exception to our standard transfer fees (see 1.11 below) for Onboard bookings, please ask for further details onboard. Please note that any bookings made onboard will be subject to these booking conditions. Your full name, including any middle names, as it appears on your passport, as well as your date of birth, must be given at the time of reservation. Please note that any payment you make to us using a debit or credit card will be settled via a bank in the U.S., and therefore your card issuer may choose to apply a foreign settlement fee. Please refer to the terms and conditions of your debit or credit card for details. For guests making bookings onboard any of our ships, different deposit policies may apply. Full details will be provided at the time of booking.
1.2 How will my holiday be confirmed?
Providing your chosen holiday is available and we have received all appropriate payments, we will send our Confirmation Invoice to you (if booking direct) or your travel agent. Please note: It may not be possible to confirm your flight details at this point. If so, these will be confirmed to you at a later date. A binding contract between us only comes into existence when we send out our Confirmation Invoice. A contract will exist at this point, even if we are unable to confirm your flight details at that time. This invoice will show the balance due on your holiday that still has to be paid and also your flight details (where applicable and/or available). Please check all details are correct as soon as you receive your Confirmation Invoice, electronic cruise documents, flight tickets, ATOL Certificate (where applicable) and any other documents from your travel agent or us. If any details appear to be incorrect, you must inform your travel agent or your Personal Cruise Specialist if booking direct within 7 days of us sending the document to your travel agent or you for all documents other than flight tickets and e-tickets and within 5 days for flight tickets and e-tickets. Once your airline tickets have been issued, you must travel as per the itinerary in sequence as originally booked. Any flight sector not utilised will invalidate the ticket and the rest of the itinerary will automatically be cancelled.
1.3 What information must I provide to you and why?
From time to time we may be required to collect personal information relating to you and your party to pass on to the U.S. Immigration Authorities, equivalent government bodies in other countries and air carriers. You must therefore provide us with any personal information legitimately requested by us at the time of booking your cruise or where requested later, by the date we require you to provide that information. This information includes certain data set out in your passport, emergency contact information and insurance including the medical cover provided by the insurance provider. We will inform you at the time of booking, or as soon as we become aware, of the exact details required and the date we require that information. By providing us with the details requested under these Booking Conditions, you consent to the sharing of your personal data with third parties including where necessary the transfer of your personal data outside the European Economic Area for the purpose of fulfilling this holiday contract with you. If you fail to supply full and accurate details within the time limits we specify, we shall be entitled to refuse your booking or treat such failure to provide such information within the time limits specified as a cancellation of your holiday. Further, where we do not exercise our right to cancel your booking in these circumstances, you agree to reimburse us for any fines, surcharges or other financial penalties we incur as a consequence of any failure by you to provide full and accurate details within the time-limits we specified to you.
Cruise Check-In.
(a) We strongly recommend you visit our website at https://www.celebritycruises.com/gb and click on ‘already booked then ‘Check-in Online’ and submit these details online. Online check-in is available from 30 days prior to your cruise and closes 4 days prior to your cruise. Providing this information online and prior to your cruise will significantly speed up your check-in process and will be able to board the ship sooner and avoid delays and queues at the cruise terminal. If you have not completed online check-in, you will be required to complete this process at the pier no later than two hours prior to the published sailing time. If you are unable to complete the online check-in process, this may be due to an outstanding balance on your booking. If you have booked via a travel agent, please speak to your travel agent so that the funds can be transferred to us, so you can then complete your online check-in. Please note: All guests must be checked-in and onboard the ship no later than 90 minutes prior to the published sailing time or they will not be permitted to sail. Boarding times can vary by itinerary and by stateroom number, please check your e-docs. You will need to have your booking ID and date of sailing to hand or, if we have already received this information from you at the time of booking, verify that the details we are holding are complete and accurate. If you do not have access to the Internet, please see your travel agent or contact your Personal Cruise Specialist if you have booked direct. They will advise you on how this information can be provided or verified. Our procedures may change, and we will inform you of any changes at the time of booking or as soon as possible thereafter.
Flight Bookings
(b) Airlines are required to pass certain personal information relating to passengers (principally, but not exclusively, information on the data page of a passenger’s passport) to the U.S. Authorities as well as applicable national authorities in other countries where you are travelling in advance of the date of any flight booking. We strongly recommend that you supply the personal details for all guests (including full names, dates of birth and passport details) through our Online Check-In process as soon as possible after the booking is made, as this will help us ensure we can issue all flight and cruise tickets in good time. Any delay in providing us with these details will prevent us from being able to issue tickets. If you fail to supply full and accurate details within the time-limits we specify, we shall be entitled to refuse your booking or treat such failure to provide such information within the time limits specified as a cancellation of your holiday. If you have not supplied us with complete and accurate information, your party may not be allowed to board your cruise ship and/or any outward or return flight. Where this happens because of your failure to fully comply with such obligations we cannot accept any liability to you or any of your party and we will not pay you any compensation or make any refunds to you or your party in such circumstances and you will be responsible for your own onward/return travel arrangements. Further, if such failure to provide this information results in fines, surcharges or other financial penalty being imposed upon us, you will also be responsible for reimbursing us accordingly.
https://www.celebritycruises.com/gb/privacy-policy
1.4 When is the balance due?
Please note that we must receive the balance of the holiday cost at least 70 days prior to departure. If you book within 69 days of departure, you must pay the total holiday cost at the time of booking. If we have not received all monies due to us in full and on time (including any surcharge where applicable), we shall cancel your holiday due to non-payment. In this case, you will have to pay cancellation charges as set out below (see section 1.11 below). Please be advised that if your booking was made prior to 01/07/2021, the final payment is due 57 days prior to the start of your cruise.
1.5 What happens to money paid to a travel agent?
Except for flight inclusive bookings, all monies you pay to one of our authorised travel agents for your holiday with us will be held by the agent on your behalf until we issue our confirmation invoice. After that point, your agent will hold the monies on our behalf until they are paid to us. For flight inclusive bookings, all monies paid to such authorised agents for your holiday with us will be held on our behalf until they are paid to us or refunded to you. If you are unable to complete the online check-in process, this may be due to an outstanding balance on your booking. If you have booked via a travel agent, please speak to your travel agent so that they can ensure that all funds have been transferred to us to allow you to complete your online check-in.
1.6 What does the price include?
All standard fly/cruise package and standard cruise only prices quoted in this brochure are per person in UK Sterling and are based on two people sharing the specified stateroom. Some elements of your holiday, including what is and is not included in the price will vary by itinerary. For example, what is and is not included in the price of a Galapagos Islands cruise may differ slightly from the information set out below and you should check the specified itinerary applicable to your booking. For full details please refer to our website. However, generally a standard fly/cruise package price includes the following: full board accommodation and entertainment* on board ship; drinks, wifi and tips, return international flights and connecting flights (where applicable); UK departure tax; port and airport transfers to and from the ship and the provision of representatives at some overseas arrival airports on standard departure dates and all relevant taxes excluding those set out below. For U.S. departing cruise and long haul destinations, hotel accommodation (room only basis unless otherwise stated) and transfers can be added to bookings and at an additional cost. If you have booked a cruise only package, we shall only provide the services relating to the ship as set out above. For build your own package guests, apart from the services relating to shipboard services as set out above, what is included will be as per your selection only. Please always check your confirmation invoice on receipt to ensure it includes all relevant details. Unless otherwise agreed, the price does not include non-UK departure taxes or airport improvement tax (on some itineraries this will have to be paid locally); shore excursions and personal expenses (for example, onboard drinks, laundry charges, health and beauty treatments, hairdressing, telephone calls, etc.); hotel meals onshore (unless otherwise stated); transfers by any method if not travelling on the standard departure date(s); travel and medical insurance cover; anything else which is not specifically mentioned as being included in the price.
* A charge may be made for some entertainment activities on board.
** We reserve the right to include a fuel supplement when making a booking. The value of the supplement will be confirmed to you at the time of making a booking with us.
Please note, if you are taking consecutive cruises there may be some duplication with regard to onboard programmes, meals and entertainment. We reserve the right to make a fuel surcharge when making a booking, to reflect the cost of fuel or other power sources. We may also increase prices to reflect changes in relevant taxes, fees or foreign exchange rates.
1.7 How do I obtain the lowest price per person?
The prices shown in this brochure show ‘from’ prices. Fly/cruise package pricing is based on the lowest fares available at the time of going to print from a UK departure airport (which may be a regional airports and/or indirect flights). Please contact your Personal Cruise Specialist or your travel agent for further details. The ‘from’ prices are calculated using the lowest stateroom category available and this pricing may not be available on all sail dates shown. Prices will vary by ship, itinerary, sailing dates, stateroom category and additionally departure airport if you purchase a standard fly/cruise package. Prices may change at any time, please either contact your travel agent or your Personal Cruise Specialist directly. Please note that we operate a live pricing model which means that the prices of our cruises, flights, hotels and transfers change on a regular basis, according to supply and demand.
1.8 What is a ‘Guarantee’ (GTY) booking?
We may (at our discretion) offer you the option of making a ‘Guarantee’ (GTY) booking. This means you may book a stateroom of a guaranteed minimum category type, (specified by us prior to booking) on your chosen ship. However, the exact location of the stateroom on the ship will be allocated by us (at our discretion) and at any time up until checking in at the Port. Once your GTY stateroom has been allocated to you, we are unable to accept any changes requested by you. The benefits to you of a GTY stateroom are that after your booking has been confirmed, we may (at our discretion) upgrade your stateroom to one of a superior category to that originally booked at no extra charge to you. In any event, you are ‘guaranteed’ the minimum category of stateroom we agree to offer at the time of booking. If you have a specific requirement, stateroom location, or are travelling with family or friends (especially children) you want to be near, then we suggest you do not book a GTY. At times, we may offer promotional GTY offers. Such promotional GTY categories are defined as follows:
W - Suite
XC - Concierge Class balcony stateroom
X - Deluxe balcony stateroom
Y - Ocean View stateroom
Z - Interior stateroom
Please note: If you book two or more cruises to be taken back to back and either one or all cruises are booked under a GTY (guarantee) basis, there is the possibility that you will be allocated different staterooms on each cruise, therefore necessitating the need to move between staterooms on the changeover day between your consecutive cruises.
1.9 Will the price change?
We reserve the right to increase or decrease the prices of unsold holidays at any time. The price of your chosen holiday will be confirmed in accordance with section 1.2 above. Once the price of your chosen holiday has been confirmed at the time of booking, then subject to the correction of errors, we will only increase or decrease the price in the following circumstances. If transportation costs or dues, taxes or fees payable for services such as landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports or airports increase or decrease or our costs increase or decrease as a result of any adverse or favorable changes in the exchange rates which have been used to calculate the cost of your holiday. Even in the above cases, only if the amount of the increase in our costs exceeds 2% of the total cost of your holiday (excluding any amendment charges), will we levy a surcharge. If any surcharge is greater than 8% of the cost of your holiday (excluding any amendment charges) and we advise you in writing no later than 20 days prior to the start of your holiday, you will be entitled to choose one of options (a), (b) and (c) as set out in section 5.5 below. You have 14 days from the issue date printed on the surcharge invoice to tell us if you want to choose option (b) or (c) as set out in section 5.5 below failing which we shall deem you to have accepted the change and will invoice you accordingly for such additional costs and indicate the time period to make such additional payment. If you do not tell us that you wish to choose either of these options within this period of time, we are entitled to assume that you do not wish to do so and will pay the surcharge. Any surcharge must be paid with the balance of the cost of the holiday or within 14 days of the issue date printed on the surcharge invoice, whichever is the later. We promise not to levy a surcharge within 30 days of the start of your holiday. Please note that travel arrangements are not always purchased in local currency and some apparent changes have no impact on the price of your holiday due to contractual and other protection in place. Where a refund is due, we will pay you the full amount of the decrease in our costs. We reserve the right to correct errors in both advertised and confirmed prices. We will do so as soon as we become aware of the error. Please note, changes and errors occasionally occur. You must check the price of your chosen holiday at the time of booking. Please note any changes you make to your booking may result in a change in price explained in section 1.11 below.
1.10 If I have to cancel my cruise holiday, will I receive a refund?
If you or anybody travelling with you wishes to cancel either your/their holiday, you must contact us (if booking direct) or your travel agent and give notice in writing to ensure safe receipt of the cancellation. The holiday will only be cancelled on the date we receive the i cancellation. Generally, if you cancel you will have to pay the cancellation charges set out below on the total price of the booking: For cancellations received, the following cancellations charges will apply:
For bookings confirmed prior to 1 July 2021:
5 days or less: 100%
6 to 14 days: 90%
15 to 28 days: 75%
29 to 56 days: 50%
57 days or more: Deposit only (including any increased deposit amount to cover the booking of non-refundable items)
For bookings confirmed or amended on or after 1 July 2021:
5 days or less: 100%
6 to 14 days: 90%
15 to 28 days: 75%
29 to 69 days: 50%
70 days or more: Deposit only (including any increased deposit amount to cover the booking of non-refundable items)
Please be advised that the minimum cancellation charge will always be the loss of deposit including any increased deposit amount arising from a build your own package. Please note that any amendment or transfer fees will also be charged when a booking is cancelled. These fees are detailed in section 1.11. Be advised that any refund due to you shall be paid to you within 14 days of cancellation of any booking. Please refer to section 1.11 when making a significant amendment within 69 days of your departure date, as your booking variation may be treated as a cancellation of your original booking and cancellation charges will apply. Please be advised that if your booking was made prior to 01/07/2021, the final payment is due 57 days prior to the start of your cruise. Therefore, a new booking will be created incorporating any new business rules or terms and conditions applicable. Please note: The date of departure means the date the arrangements you have booked with us commence. Depending on the reason for cancellation, you may be able to reclaim these cancellation charges (less any applicable excess) under the terms of your insurance policy. Claims must be made directly to your insurance company. Where any cancellation reduces the number of full paying party members below the number on which the price, number of free places and/or any concessions agreed for your booking were based, we will recalculate these items and re-invoice you at the applicable higher price. For guests making bookings onboard any of our ships, different cancellation policies may apply. Celebrity Xpedition Class bookings may also operate different deposit and cancellation policies, full details will be provided at the time of booking for both onboard bookings and Celebrity Xpedition Class bookings.
1.11 Can I make changes to my booking after it has been confirmed?
Should you wish to make any changes to your confirmed holiday, you must notify us in writing as soon as possible. Whilst we will endeavour to assist you, we cannot guarantee we will be able to meet any such request. For guests wishing to make a significant amendment to their booking outside of 69 days from departure, such as changing the ship, sail date, flights or brand, please note that a booking transfer fee is applicable. Please note that any amendments for hotels, transfers and flights may result in the loss of the amount that was collected at the time of booking for these additional components. The booking transfer fee is £75 per guest which is limited to the first two guests on a booking, therefore any additional guests on the booking will not be charged as well. Please note, the transfer fee is a non-refundable amount, which will be included in any cancellation charges as detailed in section 1.10 above. Please note that guests who are Elite and above within our Captains Club loyalty scheme are entitled to one free change per booking. Please note that your booking will be re-priced in-line with the up-to-date business and price rules and a new confirmation invoice will be issued. For all changes that we consider to be minor changes (such as change of stateroom or name changes on an existing booking by way of example only), outside of 69 days from departure (such as change of stateroom or name changes on an existing booking), an amendment fee of £35 per guest per booking will be payable together with any costs incurred by ourselves and any costs or charges incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers. Please note, the amendment fee is a non-refundable amount, which will be included in any cancellation charges as detailed in section 1.10 above. Passengers should note that suppliers may not allow name changes and that the booking may need to be cancelled and rebooked. Notwithstanding, for any changes, the rebooking will always be subject to flight availability and to payment of any charges imposed by the supplier which may, in some cases, be the full cost of the ticket. Given that the transfer and amendment fees are both non-refundable, we would recommend that these amounts are collected from the guest at the time the changes are made, as they will be charged to the booking as part of any cancellation. If you request a change within 69 days of departure, this may be treated as a cancellation of your original booking and cancellation charges as set out in these terms and conditions will be payable (see section 1.10 above). The changed arrangements will then be treated as a new booking. If you or any of persons travelling with you is prevented from taking the holiday, such as due to medical reasons, you/they may give your/their place on the booking to someone else (suggested by you). In this situation, providing we are given not less than 7 days’ notice in writing of your wish to make the change, we will permit the name change. The airline and flight routing may differ from the original assignment due to this name change. You must produce documentary proof of the reason for the transfer of your/their booking with the request (e.g. a letter from a doctor etc.). Both the person who was originally due to take the holiday and the person who actually does so, must make sure that the administration fee and any charges/costs (see below) as well as any amount which is still due to be paid for the holiday, is paid in full before the change will be made.
1.12 Will I need travel insurance?
Yes. All guests should ensure they have appropriate personal travel and medical insurance before departure. This must include as a minimum, cover for the cost of cancellation by yourself and the cost of assistance including repatriation in the event of accident or illness, emergency medical treatment and medications. It is your responsibility to make sure that the insurance you purchase is suitable and adequate for your particular needs and to purchase additional or alternative insurance if required. We would strongly recommend that you contact your travel agent or an independent insurance broker for details of suitable policies. Please see your Confirmation Invoice for further details of our recommended insurance broker.
2. Before you leave home
2.1 What about valuable or important items?
Please make sure that all valuable and important items (for example, medicines, jewelry, fragile items, important travel and other documents, video/camera/laptop/mobile phone etc.) are carried by hand and not packed in your luggage and/or left unsecured in your stateroom or elsewhere on board the ship. Special care must be taken of such items. For your protection once on board, all valuable and important items should be deposited with the Guest Relations Desk or in your stateroom mini-safe. You are also strongly advised to take out appropriate and adequate insurance to protect such items. We cannot accept any responsibility or liability for any valuable or important items, which are not deposited with the Guest Relations Desk or with your hotel (booked with us) for safekeeping. For items which are so deposited, the maximum we will pay you if any item(s) is lost or damaged (for any reason) whilst in our care is the maximum which is payable under The Athens Convention (see section 5.8 below) in this situation. So that we may assist as much as possible, you must tell us about the problem as soon as possible. If you discover the loss, delay or damage when onboard, you must immediately report it to the Guest Relations Desk. The time limits for notifying any loss, delay or damage, are as follows: Any damage or delay, which is apparent, must be notified to ourselves and the supplier of the service concerned (if it is not us) before or, at latest, at the time of departure from the ship or, for other services, whilst using or at the end of using those services. Any loss, damage or delay, which is not apparent, must be notified to ourselves and the supplier of the service concerned (if it is not us) within 15 days of departure from the ship or the end of your using the service in question. In the event that you do not notify us within these time limits, this may affect our ability to investigate the loss, delay or damage and may impact on the way the complaint is dealt with. In all cases, you must give credit for payments received from any airline and/or other supplier in connection with your claim. You must also give us details of any relevant insurance coverage you hold. In appropriate cases we are entitled to ask you to reduce your claim by the amount received from any/all insurance companies.
2.2 Are there any prohibited items that I cannot take with me?
For the safety of our guests and crew, there are certain items that are not allowed on board. If these are found, they will be confiscated. Alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs, flammable liquids, explosives, and dangerous chemicals will not be returned. Prohibited items are at the discretion of the Chief Security Officer and the Staff Captain and include, but are not limited to:• • Firearms and ammunition, including realistic replicas• • Sharp objects, including knives and scissors• • Illegal drugs and substances• • Candles, incense, coffee makers, clothes irons, travel steamers and hot plates (Items that generate heat or produce an open flame. This includes heating pads, clothing irons, hotplates, candles, incense and any other item that may create a fire hazard. NOTE: The only exception to this policy are curling irons and hair straighteners. Matches and normal lighters are allowed onboard. However, “torch lighters” and novelty lighters that look like guns are not allowed onboard. Torch lighters emit a powerful concentrated flame, and are therefore prohibited.)• Electrical extension cords• Baseball bats, hockey sticks, cricket bats, bows, and arrows• Skateboards and surfboards• Martial-arts gear• Self-defence items including handcuffs, pepper spray, and night sticks• Flammable liquids, including lighter fluid• Explosives, including fireworks• Hookahs & water hookah pipes• Ham radios• Electrical extension cords• Dangerous chemicals, including bleach and paint• Alcoholic beverages (Note: Alcoholic beverages that are purchased in ports-of-call or from shops onboard will be stored by the ship and delivered to you on the last day of the sailing.)Guest Drone Policy: 1. Guests are welcome to bring drones on their cruise for use on land only and outside of the port area. Drones are not to be operated onboard the ship at any time.2. Different countries may have different rules. Guests assume full responsibility for understanding all local authority rules related to drone usage and for obtaining any required permissions for drone operations. Any liability, including environmental damage from drone usage is the guest’s responsibility. Celebrity Cruises assumes no liability for guest drones that may be confiscated by local authorities for violating local laws or for any accident or injury resulting from a guest drone flight.3. While onboard, drones must be stored safely in the stateroom. Drones used on the ship will be confiscated till the end of the cruise. A Guest Conduct Policy warning will be issued, and guests may be subject to disembarkation at their own expense for onboard drone usage.
2.3 What should I do if my property is lost, delayed or damaged during my cruise?
This section applies in relation to any loss, delay or damage to property which occurs during your cruise or whilst getting on or off the ship or whilst using any services provided or arranged by us except for any claims in relation to any valuable or important items (see section 2.2 above) or in relation to air travel, including the process of getting on or off the aircraft (see section 2.4 below). It is our guests’ responsibility to remove all of their belongings from their stateroom when they depart their cruise. If an item is left onboard, whilst we will assist you in trying to recover the item, if we are unable to do so, then we cannot be held responsible and we will refer you to your travel insurance to make a claim for the item. Please note that items left behind may be destroyed. You must tell us about the problem as soon as possible. If you discover the loss, delay or damage when on board, you must immediately report it to the Guest Relations Desk. The time limits for notifying any loss, delay or damage, and the maximum amount which will be payable by us or the supplier concerned, are as follows: Any damage or delay, which is apparent, must be notified to ourselves and the supplier of the service concerned (if it is not us) before or, at latest, at the time of departure from the ship or, for other services, whilst using or at the end of using those services. Any loss, damage or delay, which is not apparent, must be notified to ourselves and the supplier of the service concerned (if it is not us) within 15 days of departure from the ship or the end of your using the service in question. If you can prove that the damage, delay or loss was our fault or the fault of the supplier of a service that we agreed to arrange as part of your holiday, we will compensate you for the loss or damage you can prove you have suffered as a result, subject to and in accordance with The Athens Convention. However, the maximum we will have to pay you for any damage, delay or loss in these circumstances is the maximum which is payable in respect of cabin luggage under The Athens Convention. This will also be the case where any property is damaged, delayed or lost whilst not on board or getting on or off the ship but using other services (apart from air travel) which form part of the holiday we have contractually agreed to provide. In all cases, you must take account of payments received from any airline and/or other supplier in connection with your claim. You must also give us details of any relevant insurance coverage you hold. In appropriate cases we are entitled to ask you to reduce your claim by the amount received from any/all insurance companies.
2.4 What should I do if my property is lost, delayed or damaged during air travel?
Any damage, destruction, delay or loss suffered during any travel by air (including the process of getting on and off the aircraft) must be notified to our UK office and the airline at the time of discovery or, in any event, in writing within 7 days of the end of the flight concerned for damage, destruction or loss or within 21 days of the luggage being made available for you in the event of delay. Guests with flights booked via Celebrity Cruises® should also contact our Guest Relations team on-board who will be able to assist. The maximum we or the airline will have to pay you in the event of any damage, destruction, delay or loss of luggage or property is the most which is payable under the relevant international convention or regulation. We will only be liable for any air travel that has been booked as part of a standard fly cruise package or build your own package that incorporates flight services. For most international flights, this will be the Montreal Convention 1999. Where the Montreal Convention 1999 applies, the maximum we or the airline will have to pay you at present for loss, destruction, damage, delay of luggage is the maximum payable under the Convention. We and the airline will not be liable to pay any compensation in the case of delay affecting luggage if we or the airline can prove that the airline took all measures that could reasonably be required to avoid the delay or that it was impossible for the airline or its employees to take such measures. In the case of damage, destruction, delay or loss of luggage, if we or the airline prove that the damage, destruction, delay or loss was caused or contributed to by the negligence or other wrongful act or omission of the person claiming compensation, or the person from whom he or she derives his rights, we and the airline will not be liable for the damage, destruction, delay or loss, to the extent that such negligence or wrongful act or omission caused or contributed to the damage, destruction, delay or loss. Subject to the above, we and the airline will only be liable for destruction or loss of, or of damage to, checked luggage on the condition only that the event which caused the destruction, loss or damage took place on board the aircraft or during any period within which the checked luggage was in the charge of the airline. However, neither we nor the airline will be liable if and to the extent that the destruction loss or damage resulted from the inherent defect, quality or vice of the luggage. In the case of unchecked luggage including personal items, we and the airline will only be liable if the damage resulted from the airline’s fault or that of its employees or agents. In all cases, you must take account of payments received from any airline or other supplier in connection with your claim. You must also give us details of any relevant insurance coverage you hold. In appropriate cases we are entitled to ask you to reduce your claim by the amount received from any insurance companies.
2.5 What is my luggage allowance?
The maximum luggage allowance for guests boarding our ships is 90kg per guest, (with the exception of Celebrity Xpedition® Class), however, airlines also impose their own baggage allowance, with which you must also comply, this is usually less than the cruise allowance. Please note if you are sailing on a transatlantic cruise and you have booked a fly cruise package, that your luggage allowance will be limited to the lower allowance, specified by the airline. Some guests may be aware that the baggage allowance is 20kg but may not be aware that they are allowed one bag only at 20kg. Any additional bag will incur charges. There are always restrictions on the amount, size and weight of the luggage you may take on any flight, in particular where we are using non-scheduled services. We strongly recommend that you check with the airline for confirmation of your baggage allowance as in some instances, baggage allowance can be limited to as little as 15kg. If you have booked a cruise to the Galapagos Islands onboard a Celebrity Xpedition Class ship, please note that air carriers flying between Quito and Baltra typically limit the baggage allowance per guest to one checked piece of luggage not exceeding 20kgs and a small carry-on bag. The carry-on bag needs to be less than 7kg/15lbs and the dimension size is 19 x 13 x 8 inches. All luggage allowances are subject to variation by the airline concerned and you may be charged additional costs by the airline for excess luggage. Recently many airlines have reduced the number of free pieces of checked baggage you can take on transatlantic flights. Please check with your airline for details. Please note, we reserve the right to strictly enforce the luggage allowance limitation.
2.6 What are the passport and visa requirements for my holiday?
If you are a British citizen (including children and infants), you must have your own full 10-year (5 year for children) passport. For sailings with ports in the EU only, passports issued in the UK & EU must be valid for at least three months from the return date. For sailings which include ports outside the EU, passports issued in the UK & EU must be valid for at least six months from the return date. Guests holding non-British passports should check with relevant embassies. To stay up to date on the latest passport requirements, please go to: https://www.gov.uk/travel-abroad
Please note that there may be a visa requirement for your cruise, particularly if you are visiting countries in the U.S, Asia, the Middle East, China, India, and Australia. You may contact our recommended visa agent; VisaCentral for advice and to purchase the most up to date visa requirements for your cruise. To make sure you know about the visa requirements for your destination, please go online to www.visacentral.co.uk/celebritycruises. VisaCentral are pleased to offer discounts to Celebrity Cruises guests when booking online through the above web link. Alternatively and to stay up to date on the latest visa requirements, please go to: https://www.gov.uk/travel-abroad Please note: that the above visa advice is for UK passport holders only. Guests who hold other nationality of passports should check with either VisaCentral or with the relevant embassy of each port of call. Where visas can be purchased onboard, guests are asked to complete the online check-in process, including all mandatory information at https://www.celebritycruises.com/gb in advance of their sailing. Completing this information will significantly speed up the process for you and will avoid any possible delays and queues on the ship.
Please note that if a traveller is found to have visited a country designated by the US as State Sponsor of Terrorism, the traveller is no longer eligible to participate in the ESTA Visa Wavier Program and must apply for a visa to enter the United States. At the time of publication, designated countries include Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria. For more information, see https://www.state.gov/state-sponsors-of-terrorism
2.7 Are there any formal health requirements?
Please contact your G.P. for advice and the most up-to-date health requirements for all destinations featured in this brochure at least 8 weeks prior to travel. Information on health is also contained in the Department of Health leaflet T6 (Health Advice for Travellers) available from your local Department of Health Office and most Post Offices. Further travel advice can be found on www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk and www.nathnac.org. Each country-specific page has information on vaccine recommendations, any current health risks or outbreaks, and factsheets with information on staying healthy abroad. Guidance is also available from NHS (Scotland) on the FitForTravel website. Information on health requirements is also contained in the UK Department of Health leaflet T6 (Health Advice for Travellers) available from your local Department of Health Office and most Post Offices, and on the UK Government website at www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. General information on travel vaccinations and a travel health checklist is available on the NHS website. You may then wish to contact your health adviser or pharmacy for advice on other preventive measures and managing any pre-existing medical conditions while you’re abroad.
The legal status and regulation of some medicines prescribed or purchased in the UK can be different in other countries. For example, In the UAE, some prescribed and over the counter medicines are considered controlled substances and can’t be brought into the country without prior permission from the UAE Ministry of Health. For European holidays you need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to receive healthcare that becomes necessary during your visit to an EEA country or Switzerland free or at a reduced cost If you have an EHIC card, it will enable you to receive medical assistance in an EU country but is not an alternative to adequate travel insurance which we strongly recommend you obtain as soon as you make a booking. Alternatively, a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) gives you the right to access state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in the European Union (EU). UK-issued EHIC cards are still valid at the time of publication and offer the same cover as GHICs in the EU. Once your EHIC has expired, you’ll be able to replace it with a GHIC. You can get a provisional replacement certificate (PRC) if you need treatment abroad and do not have a card. For more information, see https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/apply-for-a-free-uk-global-health-insurance-card-ghic.
Celebrity Cruises welcomes pregnant guests but will not accept guests who will enter their 24th week of pregnancy by the beginning of, or at any time during their cruise holiday. Please check our website for full details. To ensure a healthy sailing, we request that guests complete a questionnaire at check-in to confirm if they are suffering from or showing symptoms of gastrointestinal type illness or other illnesses that spread easily from person to person.
2.8 What if I cannot travel?
In the event you wish to transfer your booking to another party, you must notify us in writing at least 7 days prior to the departure date. In the event that there are any increased costs in making such changes e.g. flight cancellation and rebooking fees, administrative fees or other charges or costs deriving from such transfer, both you and the other party shall be jointly liable to pay those fees, charges or costs.
3. From plane to port
3.1 How do I get to my cruise?
On our standard fly/cruise package holidays, we offer flight departures from a selection of UK airports. Connecting UK domestic flights are also available from a selection of regional airports. Some flights may incur a supplement which will be advised at the time of booking. Please note that we are not always able to offer a direct flight to our guests as this is subject to the airlines schedules and availability. Where you build your own package, if you require transfers you will need to add them to your booking as these are not added automatically. Please also note that where you are building your own package some flights may not necessarily return to the same airport in the UK e.g. a return flight to London Heathrow as opposed to London Gatwick so please check your details carefully before paying for your booking.
All flights are also subject to the following conditions:
All flights are subject to availability and the conditions of carriage of the applicable airline which may be viewed on the airline’s dedicated website or are available on request. Whilst the dates of your outward and return flights will be advised at the time of booking, the flight timings and/or routing may not be shown on your Confirmation Invoice. Flight timings shown on your confirmation invoice are for guidance only and may change. Your confirmation invoice will show the latest planned timings. Your actual flight timings will be shown on the Air Arrangements page of your cruise e-docs, which you should check carefully as soon as you receive these. We may not be able to inform you of your flight timings and routing for bookings made more than 10 months before departure. Please note that your booked flight may not be the most direct route and may also involve multiple stops on route to your destination, which may involve you disembarking from the aircraft. Please also note that where guests who are travelling together but booked on different booking numbers, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to book the same flight itinerary, as this is subject to availability. This information will be provided as soon as we are in a position to do so. A contract between us will come into existence when we send out the Confirmation Invoice, even when we are unable to provide flight timings. Whilst we endeavour to book the best connections between flights, a wait may be experienced at connecting airports. We are not always in a position to confirm the route, service (scheduled or non-scheduled), airline, aircraft type or the airport of destination, which will be used in conjunction with any flight included in your holiday. When this information is provided at the time of booking or subsequently, it is subject to change (including the substitution of non-scheduled flights for scheduled air services and/or re-routing of air travel due to scheduled air services being withdrawn or changed or being unavailable). Any such change will not entitle you to cancel or change to other arrangements without paying our normal charges. In any event the actual flight times will be those shown on youre e-documents, which will be emailed to you approximately four weeks before departure. You must accordingly check your e-documents very carefully immediately upon receipt for confirmation of correct flight times. It is possible that flight times may be changed even after tickets have been dispatched - we will contact you as soon as possible if this occurs. Any amendments to your flight or other arrangements will be subject to availability and will incur an administration charge of £35 per person along with any additional costs and charges incurred by us or imposed by the airline or other supplier. If your flight tickets have been issued, standard airline cancellation penalties will also apply. In some cases, these could be the full cost of the ticket. If you wish to travel on a particular carrier, flight routing, if your departure and/or arrival date differ from the standard flight inclusive package, a Custom air fee of £20 per person may be payable along with any additional costs and charges incurred by us or imposed by the airlines. Please note that flights may only be purchased as part of a package and with a Celebrity cruise. We are not able to offer flight only bookings.
3.2 What class of flight seat/ticket is booked?
Unless you book and pay for an upgrade, you will fly economy class. Please contact your Airline directly to pre-book your seats and note that there may be occasions when the airlines are unable to assist due to the fact that you may be travelling on a Group/seat block allocation. If you choose not to contact your Airline in advance of travel then we would recommend that you check-in early for your flight, as flights are often full and your choice of seats may not be available. Please note that only fully fit and able-bodied guests may occupy exit row seats on aircraft. Emergency exit seats will therefore only ever be assigned at the discretion of the airline at check-in. Some flights will involve a change of aircraft. Where applicable, and where we are in a position to notify you, this information will be shown on your Confirmation Invoice. The flights used in conjunction with our cruises may be based on special fares and may not be by the most direct route. Flights may have at least one re-fuelling and/or other stop and this may not be shown on your confirmation invoice. Flights will either be by scheduled or non-scheduled service. All airlines operate a non-smoking policy. Please note we do not guarantee ‘travelling with’ guests will be confirmed on the same flight arrangements, although we endeavour to meet this special request. We/the airline will endeavour to satisfy any special service(s) requests such as special dietary requirements, meet and assist and wheelchair assistance. Regrettably we/the airline cannot guarantee your request. Some medical assistance and some special meal requests may incur a charge by the airline, which will be invoiced accordingly. Please note that any request of this nature should be advised at the time of booking and confirmed in writing at least 45 days prior to your sail date. Please email airsupportuk@celebritycruises.com. Not meeting any special request for any reason will not be a breach of contract. Please note: Airlines may at their discretion refuse to carry passengers with certain medical conditions. You must provide details of all medical and physical conditions, which affect you, and/or any member of your party at the time of booking. See also sections 4.3, 5.2 and 5.6 below. Please note: The ability to pre-book your seats and complete online check-in varies between airlines and ticket class. Please visit your airline’s website for details.
3.3 What if I want to upgrade my standard air arrangements?
Subject to availability and paying any applicable difference in price, you can arrive in style by upgrading your flight. If you are interested in upgrading your flight to a destination featured in this brochure, please notify your Personal Cruise Specialist at the time of booking and we will provide details at that time or your request will be passed on to the Air Sea department. Please note that the upgrade package may differ from the upgrade package offered by the airline.
3.4 What if my flight is delayed?
Regrettably, flight delays do occasionally occur. In this event, the airline concerned may provide you with refreshments, and if necessary, may provide overnight accommodation depending on the expected length of the delay, the time of day and the airport in question. We cannot accept any liability for any delay, which is due to any of the reasons set out in section 5.7 below (which includes the behaviour of any passenger on the flight who for example fails to check-in or board on time). If your flight is delayed, we will assist fly/cruise guests by looking at alternative flights, subject to availability. Cruise only guests who have made their own arrangements will need to contact their travel provider for assistance. Please note: If your flight is cancelled or delayed, your flight ticket is downgraded or boarding is denied by your airline in circumstances which would entitle you to claim compensation against the airline under EC Regulation No 261/2004 - the Denied Boarding Regulations 2004 or the Montreal Convention, you must pursue the airline for the compensation due to you. All sums you receive or are entitled to receive from the airline concerned by virtue of these Regulations represent the full amount of your entitlement to compensation or any other payment arising from such cancellation, delay, downgrading or denied boarding. This includes any disappointment, distress, inconvenience or effect on any other arrangements. The fact a delay may entitle you to cancel your flight does not automatically entitle you to cancel any other arrangements even where those arrangements have been made in conjunction with your flight. We have no liability to make any payment to you in relation to the Denied Boarding Regulations or in respect of any flight cancellation or delay, downgrading of any flight ticket or denial of any boarding as the full amount of your entitlement to any compensation or other payment (as dealt with above) is covered by the airline’s obligations under the Denied Boarding Regulations or the Montreal Convention. If, for any reason, you do not claim against the airline and make a claim for compensation from us, you must, at the time of payment of any compensation to you, make a complete assignment to us of the rights you have against the airline in relation to the claim that gives rise to that compensation payment. If your airline does not comply with these rules you should complain to the Civil Aviation Authority. Advice on making a complaint is available at www.caa.co.uk.
3.5 When will I get an ATOL Certificate?
If you book a fly cruise package holiday with us directly via our UK website, we shall provide you with a Confirmation Invoice and ATOL Certificate (Package) via email as soon as you have booked. If however you make a booking for a fly cruise holiday by calling our call centre, we will send the Confirmation Invoice and ATOL certificate to you by post or, if you confirm your email address to us at the time of making a telephone booking, we will send these documents to you immediately by email. Sometimes the ATOL Certificate we supply to you may state that the flights are yet to be assigned, in which case, as soon as your flights are allocated, a new ATOL Certificate will be issued to you. Likewise, if any details change of your holiday that changes the details in the ATOL Certificate we will issue a new ATOL Certificate to you which will replace and supersede the previous one. Where you book a fly cruise holiday through a travel agent, your travel agent shall provide you with the ATOL Certificate either on our behalf or on its own account. Please ask for this document and keep this document safe with your travel documents when you travel.
4. On board ship
4.1 What are the dining arrangements?
You have a choice of seatings for your meals in the Main Dining Room. Please request your preferred seating and table size at the time of booking. We cannot accept any bookings which are conditional on your preferred seating being or becoming available before departure. If you cancel because your preferred seating is not available (whether or not this was confirmed at the time of booking), our normal cancellation charges will apply. Seating requests cannot be guaranteed. Your table number will be confirmed in your stateroom at the start of your cruise. Dining times may vary slightly on port days due to shore excursion departures. Celebrity Select DiningSM (open seating) is now offered fleet wide offering guests flexibility with their evening dining. You can decide when you would like to dine between the hours of 18:00 and 21:30 (may vary by itinerary) each evening; much like a regular restaurant, however, we strongly encourage reservations to ensure the best service and to avoid any potential wait times. You can also reserve your dining times in advance of your cruise through our website’s ‘Manage my Booking’ section. Celebrity Select Dining is subject to availability. Should you wish to book this option, then please contact your travel agent or if booked directly with us please contact your Personal Cruise Specialist on 0344 493 2043 (calls cost 7p per minute plus your phone network’s access charge) who will be happy to help you.
4.2 What about special diets?
Celebrity Cruises® can accommodate the following special diets on board: vegetarian, diabetic, low-fat, low-sodium, low-cholesterol diets. Other special diets such as kosher meals, gluten-free and lactose-free may be available upon advanced request. Note: Kosher meals are pre-packed and are only available for dinner in the Main Dining Room. Please note that Kosher food and other special meal requests may not be the same standard and offer the same range as the food provided under the general menu. Standard kosher meals must have been requested on the guests booking in advance. Please submit your dietary request in writing at least 90 days prior to your sail date giving as much detail as possible as to your particular requirements. Please email specialistservicesuk@celebritycruises.com. We will endeavour to accommodate reasonable requests, although we cannot guarantee we will be able to meet requirements. Please ask your travel agent for further information. Please note that whilst we are able to take requests for specific dietary requirements and take note of food intolerances, this is confined to the Main Dining Room on each ship. We are unable to guarantee or accept responsibility that the food served in any other food establishment on board ship will be able to cater for specific dietary requirements and food intolerances.
4.3 What about Special Services/Requirements?
We seek to assist those passengers with disability and reduced mobility by making reasonable endeavours to cater for those with special services/assistance requirements. For those with disability or reduced mobility we will seek to ensure comfortable travel through airports, piers and on board by liaising with airlines, port agents, hotels, transport companies and of course our ships to make any reasonable and necessary arrangements for assistance for genuine medical reasons. Please advise us in writing of any special requirements you may have at the time of booking e.g. the carrying of any special medical equipment, assistance animals, wheelchairs, assistance at the airport/port/on board or relating to ship or hotel accommodation at the time of making a booking. We will also provide with your first Confirmation Invoice a ‘Guest Special Needs’ form (also available on our website) which we ask you to complete and return to us no later than 90 days before travel as this gives you the opportunity to consider and advise us in detail of any special requirements you may have in writing. Where we cannot provide appropriate support or the services as requested, we will advise you as soon as possible. The request/ information can either be emailed to specialistservicesuk@celebritycruises.com Should your needs change after booking or you become aware that you need assistance as described above you must notify us immediately and we will make reasonable efforts to assist you at that time. Based on the information you provide about any special needs you may have we will assess the suitability of the trip based on those needs as we owe you a legal a duty of care to ensure you are reasonably safe whilst in our care. If we consider that, because of your special needs, your booked holiday is unsuitable, we will make contact with you as soon as possible after you have provided information to us about your needs to explain our reasons and assess any possible alternatives. For all potential guests considering cruising with Celebrity Cruises, please feel free to make contact with us in advance of making a booking to discuss with us any special needs. We can then advise on an informal basis if we consider your chosen cruise is suitable. Please note that any sensitive personal information you provide to us will be treated in the strictest confidence.
4.4 Can a special request be guaranteed?
Regrettably, no. If you have a special request, please give details in writing to your travel agent or us (if booking directly) at the time of booking. Whilst we and our suppliers will endeavour to meet reasonable special requests, we regret we cannot guarantee that we/the supplier will be able to do so. Not meeting any special request for any reason will not be a breach of contract. If a special request can only be met at an additional cost, except where contrary to the requirements of applicable law, that cost will either be invoiced prior to departure or will be payable locally. Confirmation that a special request has been noted and passed on to the supplier or the inclusion of the special request on your confirmation invoice or any other documentation is not confirmation that the request will be met. Unless specifically agreed by us in writing at the time of booking, we cannot accept any booking that is conditional on a special request being satisfied. Such bookings will be treated as normal bookings subject to the above comments on special requests.
4.5 CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL ONBOARD
The minimum drinking age for all alcoholic beverages on Celebrity Cruises ships depends on the location of the ship at the start of the cruise itinerary but can change during the sailing as local laws require. For ships originating in Europe, Asia, Australia and South America the minimum drinking age limit is eighteen (18). For ships originating in North America, the minimum drinking age is twenty-one (21). We reserve the right to vary minimum age limits without notice where local laws require or where we deem it desirable or necessary. If a guest that is below the minimum age limit to consume alcohol onboard has a birthday during a cruise itinerary that would then mean they meet the minimum age limit for consuming alcohol, they must notify the Guest Services Desk and provide evidence in the form of their passport as proof of age in order to allow the Guest Services Desk to update their details and permit them to purchase alcohol onboard. Please note that within the territorial waters of some countries on your itinerary or based on your embarkation port, the onboard shops may be closed or alternatively restrictions may be imposed on some items available for purchase or additional VAT added dependent on that country’s VAT rules. Restrictions apply and this policy is subject to change without notice. Guests are allowed to bring aboard, on embarkation day only, 2 bottles (75cl) of wine or champagne for consumption within their stateroom. When consumed in any shipboard restaurant, bar or dining venue, a corkage fee of $15 applies per bottle. Alcoholic beverages that are purchased in ports of call or from onboard shops will be stored by the ship and delivered to guest staterooms on the last day of the sailing. Security may inspect containers (water bottles, soda bottles, mouthwash, luggage etc.) and will dispose of containers holding alcohol. Celebrity Cruises Guest Conduct Policy may be enforced, up to and including disembarkation, if a guest violates any alcohol policy. Guests under the age limits above will not have alcohol returned to them. Guests who violate any alcohol policies, (over consume, provide alcohol to people under stated age above, demonstrate irresponsible behaviour, or attempt to conceal alcoholic items at security and or luggage check points or any other time), may be disembarked or not allowed to board, at their own expense, in accordance with our Guest Conduct Policy. Celebrity Cruises reserves the right to revoke or otherwise restrict drinking privileges of any guest, regardless of age. Additional policies for groups are located in the Appendices of the Travel Agent Guide and are enforced without exception. Applicable regulatory age restrictions apply while the ship is in port and until the vessel enters International waters.
4.6 SHORE EXCURSIONS AND RELATED ACTIVITIES
Please note Carrier’s COVID-19 Policies and Procedures may impose certain restrictions on shore excursions relating to participation, location, time, eligible venues and persons with whom a guest may come into contact, as well as restrictions on the number of guests going ashore. Guest understands and agrees that Carrier may prohibit Passenger from going ashore in any port of call, and/or limit guests going ashore for health-related reasons in its sole discretion.
The information contained relating to shore excursions on our systems and documentation is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of issue. Our descriptions may refer to activities that are available in the ports you are visiting. Please note that these excursions are owned and operated by local operators who are independent third parties. We have no responsibility for any such activities, as they are neither run, supervised nor controlled in any way by us. These activities are provided by local operators who are entirely independent of us and we act as the agent for these operators. They do not form any part of your contract with us even where we suggest particular operators/centres and/ or assist you in booking such activities in any way, unless they are expressly booked as part of your package holiday.
Agreements you enter into directly with providers in relation to shore excursions are between you and the local operators, and do not form any part of your contract with us, irrespective of the fact we may provide practical assistance to you in booking such activities or even make the booking on your behalf. Accordingly, we cannot accept any liability, whether in contract, tort or otherwise, in relation to such activities.
Shore excursions may involve or require physical exertion, or involve a degree of risk or danger, and you should carefully consider whether the shore excursion is suitable for you. It is your responsibility to adequately research any shore excursions and/or activities you intend to participate in and make any relevant enquiries of the third-party operators of same to ensure that you are prepared with appropriate attire for the excursion/activity, including any necessary attire for difficult/dangerous terrain, physical exertion for long periods, and/or extremes of weather.
Accordingly, we cannot guarantee that shore excursions are available generally or for guests with disabilities – please contact us or your travel agent for information on specific excursions.
Special arrangements for those guests with reduced mobility or disability may be available on certain shore excursions that have been risk assessed as suitable. For details including any cost consequences for making those special arrangements, please email shorexaccess@celebritycruises.com with details of any special requirements. Where applicable, please also provide wheelchair/scooter dimensions, weight and battery type. Tours involving flights, special events, overland and hotel stays can result in costs to us and may be subject to a cancellation fee
We cannot guarantee and do not make any representations as to the accuracy of any information given by us or local operators in relation to such activities or about the resorts/area/location you are visiting generally (except where this concerns the services which will form part of your contract) or that any particular excursion or activity which does not form part of our contract will take place, or the way in which it will take place, as these services are not under our control.
If you feel that any of the activities mentioned, which are not part of our contract, are vital to the enjoyment of your holiday, write to us immediately and we will tell you the latest known situation. If we become aware of any material alterations to resorts/area information and or such outside activities, which can reasonably be expected to affect your decision to book a holiday with us, we will pass on this information at the time of the booking, though we cannot guarantee to do so.
Notwithstanding the above, you acknowledge and agree that the very nature of recreational activities on the shore excursion that you are participating in can be dangerous, with inherent risk, dangers and hazards and personal injury (and sometimes death) can occur, and you agree to assume and accept all risks of personal injury or death which may occur. The potential dangers and risks associated with these activities may include but are not limited to difficult and dangerous terrain, physical exertion for long periods, extremes of weather including sudden and unexpected changes and evacuation difficulties in the event of injury.
By using, participating in, engaging, or booking a shore excursion you accept these risks and agree that Celebrity Cruises®, Carrier, its employees, directors, agents, contractors and third party operators are not liable to any claim you, your dependents or legal representatives (except where we have been negligence) for, breach of contract or statute or statutory duty resulting in personal injury or death, any direct/indirect or consequential loss or damage including without limitation of financial loss (such as loss of profits or use of capital or revenue or otherwise),or for any punitive, exemplary, special or incidental loss or damage whether such liability arises in contract, tort , equity, from its supply of the shore excursions.
By using, participating in, engaging, or booking a recreational activity you acknowledge, agree and understand that the risk warnings contained above constitute a ‘risk warning’ for the purposes of any relevant legislation.
Please Note: any dispute or claim arising out of a shore excursion must be brought against the local excursion operator, however if such dispute or claim is made against a Royal Caribbean contracting entity, it must be brought in the Courts of England and Wales, in accordance with laws of England and Wales who shall have sole jurisdiction over such dispute or claim.
Tenders
In some ports the ship will anchor offshore and use smaller boats which hold around 100 people (known as tenders) to transport guests to shore. Guests will go to a tender platform from which you will board the tender. On occasion and due to operational reasons, it is necessary for us to switch from a docked port of call to a tender. Please note that passengers embark, travel in and disembark tenders at their own risk.
The tender services are provided by independent third parties and Royal Caribbean does not operate, supervise or control them in any way. Accordingly, we cannot guarantee that tenders are available or even suitable for guests generally or whether they are available and suitable for guests with disabilities or reduced mobility. Royal Caribbean is not liable or responsible for any illness, injury or death of any passenger or for any damage to, or loss of any luggage or other personal possessions of any passenger arising out of or in connection with travelling and alighting on the tenders, as these services are not under our control.
You are required to follow all directions given to you by the staff on the tenders. If you cause damage to the tender or her furnishings, or equipment, or any other property on the tender, or to any other passenger, you shall be fully liable for such damage and indemnify Royal Caribbean International against all costs or claims which arise.
4.7 Assistance
If you are in difficulty while on holiday and require assistance with health services, local authorities or consular assistance, please call us on +44(0) 1932 834127 for information (calls cost 7p per minute plus your telephone network charge. From overseas, additional call charges may apply). Celebrity Cruises may charge a reasonable fee for such services. Onboard please refer to the Guest Relations Desk or the Medical Centre.
5. Additional Information
5.1 What If I am travelling with a group?
Please consult your travel agent or us directly for deposit, payment, cancellation and other information. Terms and conditions for those travelling in a group are different to those that apply to individual bookings.
5.2 What about guests with special needs
You must ensure that you are medically and physically fit for travel, and that such travelling will not endanger yourself or anyone else. At the time of booking (or as soon as possible if the condition arises after booking) you must tell your travel agent (or us if booking direct) in writing about any assistance or requirements that you have relating to accommodation, seating or services on your holiday including medical assistance or a requirement to bring medical equipment onto the cruise. We also ask that you notify us of any medical or physical condition which will or may require medical treatment or attention during your holiday or which may or will affect your holiday in any way (including your use of any services or facilities) in order that we can prepare accordingly and make all reasonable efforts to accommodate you in a safe manner. Any assistance or requirements that you have relating to accommodation, seating or services including medical assistance or a requirement to bring medical equipment must be advised to us, where known at time of booking. Should your needs change after booking or you become aware that you need assistance as described above you must notify us immediately and we will make reasonable efforts to assist you at that time. Where we cannot provide appropriate support or the services as requested, we will advise you as soon as possible. Except as set out below, our ships have a limited number of accessible staterooms, equipped with features designed to help guests with a mobility disability or other disability who may find a non-accessible stateroom restrictive. Guests who book these staterooms must sign and return the Guest Special Needs form we provide in order for us to ensure that they are only allocated to those guests who have a genuine medical need for them. We reserve the right to reassign guests to a standard stateroom where there is no genuine medical need for an accessible stateroom or cancel the booking, in order to ensure the above. Please contact your Personal Cruise Specialist for further information. Please be aware that some ports of call may not have an infrastructure capable of providing accessible access or transport for disembarking the ship.
Guests who use wheelchairs must provide their own collapsible wheelchair and may find certain areas of the ship inaccessible. If you would like to bring a motorised wheelchair or scooter on board you must complete the Guest Special Needs Form we provide with your Confirmation Invoice and then send it to our Special Services department by email at specialistservicesuk@celebritycruises.com at the time of booking to provide the dimensions and battery type as limitations may apply and we may not be able to accommodate this request. Certain conditions (for example, use of tenders or some shore excursions) may prevent guests with wheelchairs from going ashore at certain ports of call.
Please note: Celebrity Xpedition® Class ships do not have any staterooms that will accommodate wheelchairs or facilities needed by guests who are dependent on oxygen or requiring oxygen therapy.
Guests affected by reduced mobility, disability or a medical condition should advise us of how this may affect them and where appropriate, such guests should consider travelling with someone who can provide necessary assistance. Please advise us at the time of making a booking of any relevant information we should be aware of and in any event we request that, if you will need special assistance, you complete the Guest Special Needs Form that will be sent to you with your Confirmation Invoice and return this to us without delay so we can assess your requirements.
We regret we must reserve the right to refuse to allow anyone to travel in accordance with applicable laws including, but not limited to, EU Regulation 1177/2010 and EU Regulation 1107/2006 which permits us to lawfully refuse a person to travel in order to meet safety requirements established by international, European Union or national law or those competent authorities, where the design of the ship or port infrastructure (including terminals) and equipment makes it impossible to carry out the embarkation, disembarkation or carriage of a guest in a safe or operationally feasible manner or where such refusal is necessary in order for us to comply with applicable safety requirements, or for air travel, the size of the aircraft or its doors makes embarkation physically impossible.
5.3 Are there any age restrictions?
On ships departing from ports in Europe, Asia, South America, Australia or New Zealand, no person under eighteen (18) (a ‘minor’) may sail on any cruise holiday or have a stateroom on his or her own unless accompanied by a parent, a legal guardian or authorised person* who is over the age of eighteen (18). Please note, that for any of our ships sailing from a port in the US or Canada, the minimum age for the above policy will be twenty-one (21)
For minors under the age of eighteen (18) at the start of the sailing who are not travelling with at least one of their parents or a legal guardian, written authorisation for an authorised person to accompany the minor must be provided from a parent/legal guardian (see below).
Minors travelling with an adult(s) who is not the parent or legal guardian shall be required to present (a) the minor’s valid passport, (b) all applicable visas and (c) *where the minor is under the age of eighteen (18), an original legally affirmed or notarised letter signed by at least one of the child’s parents/ legal guardians. Where such letter is required, the letter must authorise the travelling adult to take the minor/s on the specified cruise and must authorise the travelling adult to supervise the minor, sign applicable sports waivers and permit any medical treatment that must be administered to the minor which in the opinion of the treating doctor needs to be carried out without delay. A letter can be legally affirmed or notarised by a practising solicitor, notary or commissioner for oaths for a fee. If such evidence is not produced, the minor(s) concerned will not be permitted to board the ship or undertake the cruise. Celebrity Cruises® will not be responsible for any costs, expenses or losses suffered as a result either by the minor affected, the person(s) paying for their cruise (if not the minor him/herself), or any persons travelling with the minor who decide not to continue with the holiday as a result of the failure to produce a letter of authorisation as set out above.
We will not pay any compensation or give any refund to any minor who we have not permitted to board the ship, any person paying for the minor’s holiday (if not the minor him/herself), or any persons travelling with the minor who decide not to continue with the cruise themselves as a result of the failure to produce a letter of authorisation.
Please note that parent(s)/legal guardian travelling with a child who has a different surname to the parent(s)/legal guardian, will be required to produce official proof such as a full birth certificate/wedding certificate/divorce papers to prove that they are the parent(s)/legal guardian of the children concerned. Proof of legal guardianship is also required where there is a minor travelling with their legal guardian. Individual staterooms can be booked by married couples whose minimum age is sixteen (proof of marriage is required at time of booking). Individual staterooms may only be occupied solely by minors where such staterooms are adjacent (directly next door or opposite) to the stateroom of the parent or Legal Guardian of the minor. On board there are certain facilities where each entry is restricted by age. Persons using The Spa must be over the age of 18. Full details of onboard facilities with age restrictions are contained within the Daily Programme, which is available from the Guest Relations Desk.
The minimum age for infants to sail is six (6) months, as of the date of sailing and twelve (12) months, as of the date of sailing for Transatlantic, Transpacific, Hawaii, Australian, selected South American cruises and other selected cruises. For the purposes of this policy, any cruise that has 3 or more days consecutive at sea will require infants to be 12 months old on the first day of the cruise/Cruisetour. The health and safety of our guests is our number one priority. As such, in consideration of the limitations of the shipboard medical facility, equipment and staff, the company cannot accept waivers, releases or requests for exceptions to this policy.
5.4 What about advanced or delayed sailings and changes to the itinerary?
We regret we cannot guarantee that ships will call at every advertised port or follow every part of the itinerary. Itineraries may change from time to time, both before and after your sailing departs. Celebrity Cruises and the Master of the ship have the right to omit or substitute any port(s), call at any additional port(s), vary the order of call for ports, change the time of arrival at, departure from or time spent at any port of call, deviate from the advertised itinerary in any way or substitute another ship. Where possible, you will be advised of any significant changes to your confirmed itinerary before departure from the UK – see section 5.5 below. Changes to the last confirmed itinerary for your cruise may become necessary after you have departed from the UK for a variety of reasons such as prevailing weather and sea conditions, guest emergencies, providing assistance to other vessels and the ship being unable to operate at its normal speed(s) due to unexpected mechanical or technical problems. We will of course do our best to avoid any changes that will have a significant detrimental effect on your last confirmed itinerary. However, we cannot accept any liability in respect of any changes which result from circumstances outside our control (see section 5.10 below) or which do not have a significant detrimental effect.
5.5 Can you change or cancel my holiday?
Occasionally, we have to make changes to the brochure and other details both before, and after, bookings have been confirmed and, even more rarely, cancel confirmed bookings. There may be a requirement to carry out maintenance/building works on your cruise/hotel. Where the works are likely to seriously impair your holiday, we will notify you as soon as possible. Occasionally we may also be forced to cancel a U.S. back to back cruise due to local legal restrictions preventing us from allowing you to travel on this basis but will endeavour to advise you promptly after making such a booking if this is necessary (see Frequently Asked Questions, What about Consecutive Cruises?).
Whilst we always endeavour to avoid changes and cancellations, we must reserve the right to do so. If we have to make a significant change or cancel, we will tell you as soon as possible. If there is time to do so before departure, we will offer you the choice of the following options:
(a) (for significant changes) accepting the changed arrangements or
(b) purchasing an alternative holiday from us, of a similar standard to that originally booked if available. We will offer you at least one alternative holiday of equivalent or higher standard for which you will not be asked to pay any more than the price of the original holiday. If this holiday is in fact cheaper than the original one, we will refund the price difference. If you do not wish to accept the holiday we specifically offer you, you may choose any of our other then available holidays. You must pay the applicable price of any such holiday. This will mean you paying more if it is more expensive or receiving a refund if it is cheaper.
(c) cancelling or accepting the cancellation in which case you will receive a full and quick refund of all monies you have paid to us within 14 days of such cancellation.
Please note, the above options are not available where any change made is a minor one.
What is a significant change?
A significant change is a change to your confirmed holiday, which we can reasonably expect will have a significant effect on it.
Examples of significant and minor (defined below) changes are as follows: Significant change: Examples include a cruise itinerary change from two days port of calls to two days at sea instead; a change in UK departure airport (excluding changes between local airports) and a change in the time of your outbound flight by more than 12 hours on a 14 night holiday.
Minor change: Examples include a cruise itinerary change from one port of call to another; a change from one day’s port of call to one day at sea; a change in timings for any port(s) of call but the ship still calls at all confirmed ports; a change in order of ports that are visited; and a change in the time of your departure or return flight that is less than e.g. 12 hours on a 14 night holiday.
Very rarely, we may be forced by ‘force majeure’ (see section 5.10 below) to change or terminate your holiday after departure but before the scheduled end of your time away. This is extremely unlikely but if this situation does occur, we regret we will be unable to make any refunds (unless we obtain any refunds from our suppliers), pay you any compensation or meet any costs or expenses you incur as a result.
5.6 Can you refuse to allow me to travel?
If in our reasonable opinion or the reasonable opinion of the ship’s Master or doctor, you are or appear to be unfit to travel for any reason or a risk or danger to yourself or a danger to others or behave in such a way as to cause or likely to cause danger, upset or distress to any third party or danger to property. In this situation we are entitled without prior notice to refuse to allow you to travel on any ship and to terminate your cruise holiday at any time. You may then be left at any port or place at which the ship calls without us incurring any liability. You will have to pay any costs, expenses or losses suffered as a result, and we will not pay any compensation or give you any refund. Once your holiday has been terminated in this manner, we will not have any further responsibility towards you.
To ensure a healthy sailing, we may also request that guests who arrive at check in and are showing symptoms of gastrointestinal type illness or other illnesses that spread easily from person to person, may be asked following consultation with our medical staff to reschedule their cruise.
The same right to refuse to allow you to travel or to use any services applies where you are or appear to be unfit to travel or otherwise behave badly as set out above during any other part of your holiday.
If you have failed to give proper notice of any assistance or need you require in accordance with section 5.2 above and in accordance with EU Regulation 1177/2010 we reserve the right to refuse to allow you to travel. Please also see section 1.3 above.
On every Celebrity Cruises ship, we are committed to providing every guest with a cruise holiday that is excellent. To further ensure that you and your fellow guests receive exactly that, we have developed a set of Guest Behaviour Policies which are available on board.
IMPORTANT: A violation of Celebrity Cruises Guest Behaviour Policies are cause for appropriate corrective action, including confiscation of improper materials or items, ejection of the guest from the ship or refusal to allow you to travel on or termination of future cruise bookings. These policies are subject to change without notice and without liability to Celebrity Cruises. Celebrity Cruises is free to adopt additional rules not stated in these policies.
Please tell us about any special needs you may have so we can advise you of the suitability of the selected holiday. Please note that any sensitive personal information you provide to us will be treated in the strictest confidence. If we consider that, because of your special needs, your chosen holiday may be unsuitable, we will advise you as soon as possible after you have provided information to us about your and assess any possible alternatives.
5.7 What is your liability towards guests?
Subject to section 5.8 below we promise to make sure that the holiday arrangements we have agreed to make, perform or provide as applicable as part of our contract with you are made, performed or provided with reasonable skill and care. This means that, subject to these booking conditions, we will accept responsibility if, for example, you suffer death or personal injury or your contracted holiday arrangements are not provided as promised or prove deficient as a result of the failure of ourselves, our employees, agents or suppliers to use reasonable skill and care in making, performing or providing, as applicable, your contracted holiday arrangements. It is your responsibility to show that reasonable skill and care has not been used if you wish to make a claim against us. In addition, we will only be responsible for acts or omissions of our employees, servants or agents if they were at the time of the alleged act or omission acting lawfully and performing duties or services on our specific instructions, and within the course of either their employment or their engagement by us.
We will not be responsible for any injury, illness, death, loss (for example loss of enjoyment), damage, expense, cost or other sum or claim of any description whatsoever which results from any of the following:
The act(s) and/or omission(s) of the person(s) affected or any member(s) of their party; or
The act(s) and/or omission(s) of a third party not connected with the provision of your holiday and which were unforeseeable or unavoidable; or
An event or circumstances which we or the supplier of the services could not have foreseen or avoided even if taking all reasonable care; or
The act and/or omission(s) of any person(s) who at the time of the alleged act or omission was not acting lawfully and performing duties or services on our specific instructions, and/or within the course of either their employment or their engagement directly by us; or
‘force majeure’ as defined in section 5.10.
We cannot accept any liability for any damage, loss, expense or other sum(s) of any description (1) which on the basis of the information given to us by you concerning your booking prior to our accepting it, we could not have foreseen you would suffer or incur if we breached our contract with you; or (2) which did not result from any breach of contract or other fault by ourselves or our employees.. Additionally, we cannot accept liability for any business losses. We cannot accept responsibility for any services, which do not form part of the package holiday. This includes, for example, any additional services or facilities, which your hotel or any other supplier agrees to provide for you, or where the services or facilities are not advertised in our brochure or on the website, and we have not agreed to arrange them. In addition, regardless of any wording used by us on our website, in any of our brochures or elsewhere, we only promise to use reasonable skill and care as set out above and we do not have any greater or different liability to you. If the particular services which gave rise to the claim or complaint complied with local standards, laws and regulations applicable to those services at the time, the services will be treated as having been properly provided. This will be the case even if the services did not comply with the laws and regulations of the UK, which would have applied had those services been provided in the UK. The exception to this is where the claim or complaint concerns the absence of a safety feature, which might lead a reasonable holidaymaker to refuse to take the holiday in question.
The exclusions and limitations of liability of Carrier set forth in the provisions of these Booking Conditions, as well as all rights, defenses and immunities set forth herein, shall also apply to and be for the benefit of certain designated third party beneficiaries which include the parent, subsidiary, affiliate, and successor companies and assigns of all the entities identified in this Section; the officers, directors, employees, agents, crew and pilots of all the entities identified in this Section, and any agents, independent contractors, and all concessionaires, physicians and medical personnel, retail shop personnel, health and beauty staff, fitness staff, shore excursion providers, tour operators, shipbuilders, manufacturers and designers of the Vessel or Transport, and/or installers of all component parts, launches, appurtenances, craft or facilities, whether provided at sea or on shore, belonging to the Vessel or any substituted ship or Transport, or owned or operated by its owners, operators, managers, agents, charterers, contractors, concessionaires or others; as well as owners and operators of all shoreside properties at which the Vessel or any substituted ship or the Transport may call.
5.8 What is your limit of liability towards guests?
Whilst onboard our ships you may participate in recreational activities. You acknowledge and agree that, by their very nature, the recreational activities that you are participating in can be dangerous with inherent risks, dangers and hazards, and personal injury (and sometimes death) can occur and you agree to assume and accept all risk of personal injury or death which may occur. By using, participating in, engaging, or booking any recreational activity, you accept these risks and agree that Royal Caribbean International®, Carrier, its employees, directors, servants and agents are not liable for any claim by you, your dependents or legal representatives in negligence, breach of contract or statute or statutory duty resulting in personal injury or death, any direct/indirect or consequential loss or damage including without limitation of financial loss (such as loss of profits or use of capital or revenue or otherwise),or for any punitive, exemplary, special or incidental loss or damage.
By using, participating in, engaging, or booking any recreational activities onboard, you acknowledge, agree and understand that the risk warnings contained above constitute a ‘risk warning’ for the purposes of the relevant legislation.
You acknowledge, agree and understand that Celebrity Cruises® or RCL Cruises Ltd is not responsible in any way for the actions, inaction, omissions, negligence, or willful or deliberate misconduct, of independent third parties, including, but not limited to, any independent third party suppliers of tenders, shore excursions and/or activities and you agree to assume and accept all risk of personal injury or death which may occur, and hereby waive the right to pursue a claim against Celebrity Cruises® or RCL Cruises Ltd , its employees, directors, agents, contractors and third party operators for any personal injury or death in any way whatsoever arising from such activities. All participants who engage in such recreational activities do so at their own risk. Celebrity Cruises® or RCL Cruises Ltd limit of liability for any shore excursions activities is covered in section 4.6 of these Booking Conditions.
The exclusions and limitations of liability of Carrier set forth in the provisions of these Booking Conditions, as well as all rights, defenses and immunities set forth herein, shall also apply to and be for the benefit of certain designated third party beneficiaries which include the parent, subsidiary, affiliate, and successor companies and assigns of all the entities identified in this Section; the officers, directors, employees, agents, crew and pilots of all the entities identified in this Section, and any agents, independent contractors, and all concessionaires, physicians and medical personnel, retail shop personnel, health and beauty staff, fitness staff, shore excursion providers, tour operators, shipbuilders, manufacturers and designers of the Vessel or Transport, and/or installers of all component parts, launches, appurtenances, craft or facilities, whether provided at sea or on shore, belonging to the Vessel or any substituted ship or Transport, or owned or operated by its owners, operators, managers, agents, charterers, contractors, concessionaires or others; as well as owners and operators of all shoreside properties at which the Vessel or any substituted ship or the Transport may call.
The provisions of the Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea 1974 as supplemented and/or varied by any other applicable legislation from time to time in force including, but not limited to Regulation (EC) No 392/2009 (together ‘The Athens Convention’) applies to your cruise as well as the process of getting on and/or off the ship. For any claim involving death or personal injury or delay of or loss of or damage to luggage the only liability we have to you is in accordance with The Athens Convention. This means you are not entitled to make any claim against us which is not expressly permitted by The Athens Convention or which is in excess of the limits provided by The Athens Convention. Any claims covered under The Athens Convention must be made within the time limits set out in The Athens Convention. The Athens Convention limits the maximum amount we as the carrier have to pay if found liable in the event of death or personal injury and for claims concerning luggage and valuables. Where any claim or part of a claim (including those involving death or personal injury) concerns or is based on any travel arrangements (including the process of getting on and/or off the transport concerned) provided by any air, rail or road carrier or any stay in a hotel, the maximum amount of compensation we will have to pay you will be limited. The most we will have to pay you for that claim or that part of a claim if we are found liable to you on any basis is, except as otherwise expressly set out in the Booking Conditions, the most the carrier or hotel keeper concerned would have to pay under the International Convention or Regulation which applies to the travel arrangements or hotel stay in question (for example, the Warsaw Convention as amended or unamended and the Montreal Convention for international travel by air and/or for airlines with an operating licence granted by an EU country, the EC Regulation on Air Carrier Liability No 889/2002 for national and international travel by air). Please note: Where a carrier or hotel would not be obliged to make any payment to you under the applicable International Convention or Regulation in respect of a claim or part of a claim, we similarly are not obliged to make a payment to you for that claim or part of the claim. When making any payment, we are entitled to deduct any money which you have received or are entitled to receive from the transport provider or hotelier for the complaint or claim in question. Copies of the applicable International Conventions and Regulations are available from us on request. If you have booked a cruise together with an international flight or regional flight transfer from us – please also see section 3.4 above.
The current maximum limits that apply under the Athens Convention in the event of our liability for death or personal injury caused by a shipping incident is 250,000 SDRs (approximately £237,000) unless such is caused by an act of war, natural phenomenon, civil war, terrorism or any other exception set out in the Athens Convention. Where we are found to have been negligent this limit is increased to 400,000 SDRs (approximately £379,000). The limit of our liability for death and personal injury for non - shipping incidents is limited to 400,000 SDRs (approximately £379,000). In the event of our liability for damage and loss to baggage, where baggage is deposited with the ship, this is limited to 3,375 (approximately £3,200) and for damage and loss to cabin luggage this is limited 2,250 SDRs (approximately £2,100).
5.9 What happens if I have a complaint?
In the unlikely event you have a reason to complain whilst away, you must immediately notify the Guest Relations Desk on board ship and the supplier of the service(s) in question (if not us). This is to ensure that we are given the opportunity to address and to attempt to resolve any issue you raise. Any verbal complaint must be put in writing and given to the supplier and us as soon as possible. If a problem cannot be resolved to your satisfaction and you wish to follow this up you must write to us on your return to Celebrity Cruises Customer Relations Department, Tel: 01932 834127 Email: customerrelationsuk@celebritycruises.com. You must give your booking reference number and full details of your complaint within 28 days of your return from holiday unless a different time limit applies to your claim – see sections 2.1, 2.3, 2.4 and 5.8 above. We will only accept complaints from the lead name of a booking. If your complaint is written on behalf of other members of your travelling party, their full names and booking reference numbers must be clearly stated in the correspondence together with their authority for you to handle the complaint on their behalf. If you fail to follow this complaints procedure, your right to claim the compensation you may otherwise have been entitled to may be affected or even lost as a result.
Any dispute between us, which cannot be settled by agreement, may be referred to the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) Arbitration scheme which can be used for disputes relating to alleged breaches of contract and/or negligence claims or the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) Conciliation Scheme which can be used specifically for disputes relating to personal injury and sickness, full details of both may be found at https://abta.com/holiday-help-and-complaints/abtas-adr-scheme. Alternatively, where you have specifically booked online, you may choose to take advantage of the EU Online Dispute Resolution Service, full details of which are available at http://ec.europa.eu/odr.
If you do not wish to use ABTA services, the EU Online Dispute Resolution Service or the dispute is not resolved as a result of using their services, you may go to court. We both agree that any dispute, claim or other matter arising out of or in connection with your contract or your holiday with us will only be dealt with by the Courts of England and Wales.
The contract between us is governed by English law.
We can only pay you compensation (if relevant) if the following conditions are met:
If asked to do so, the person(s) affected must transfer to us any rights they have against the supplier or whoever else is responsible for your claim and complaint.
The person(s) affected must agree to cooperate fully with us and our insurers if we or our insurers want to enforce any rights transferred to us. Our contact details for our Customer Relations Department Tel: 01932 834127 Email: customerrelationsuk@celebritycruises.com
5.10 What about circumstances which are outside of your control?
Except where we specifically say otherwise in these terms and conditions, we cannot accept any liability or pay any compensation where your holiday and/or any other services we have promised to arrange or provide cannot be provided at all, or as promised or you otherwise suffer any damage or loss (as more fully described in section 5.7 above) as a result of circumstances which are outside our control (‘force majeure’). When we talk about circumstances which are outside our control, we mean any event which we or the supplier of the service in question could not have predicted or avoided even after taking all reasonable care. Such events are likely to include war or threat of war, acts of terrorism or threats of such acts, riots or civil unrest, industrial action, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions, health risks, epidemics and mechanical difficulties (which we could not have anticipated or avoided despite our normal comprehensive mechanical checks) and all similar circumstances which are outside our control.
In the event of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances means that we cannot guarantee your timely return home from your cruise holiday, Celebrity Cruises shall be responsible for necessary accommodation for a period not exceeding three nights per traveller. Such limits may vary with regard to persons with reduced mobility, pregnant travellers and those with specific medical needs whom have made us aware of their needs at least 48 hours prior to travel. If unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances prevent us from completing the voyage, and we notify you of this without undue delay before the start of the package commences, we will have no liability to you save for a refund of the amount paid for the holiday within 14 days. We will not be deemed to have unduly delayed advising you of the cancellation (i) 20 days before the start of the package in the case of trips lasting more than six days, (ii) 7 days before the start of the package in the case of trips lasting between two and six days and (iii) 48 hours before the start of the package in the case of trips lasting less than two days.
5.11 Brochure validity
You must ensure that you are using an up-to-date brochure when you book your holiday. We cannot accept any liability whatsoever for any mistakes and/or any incorrect/inaccurate information which results from the use of an out of date brochure.
5.12 What other conditions apply to my holiday
Airlines, hotels, lodges, rental companies and our other suppliers have their own conditions, which will apply to your holiday, we strongly recommend that you refer to these. Some of these conditions may limit or exclude the airline’s or other supplier’s liability to you, often in accordance with International Conventions. Copies will be available from our suppliers.
5.13 Is my money safe?
A. Standard Fly/Cruise, Build Your Own Package (incorporating flights), Celebrity Cruise & Stay Package Holidays
Celebrity Cruises Inc. and RCL Cruises Ltd both hold an Air Travel Organisers Licence (ATOL number 10486 and 10372 respectively) issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (‘CAA’). This means that if you purchase a Celebrity Cruises flight inclusive cruise holiday (where flights are arranged by Celebrity Cruises® Inc. or RCL Cruises Ltd), in the unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not left stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advance booking. You will receive a confirmation invoice from us confirming your arrangements and your protection under our Air Travel Organisers Licence numbered either 10486 or 10372.
All the flight inclusive cruise holidays in our brochures and on our website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme under our applicable ATOL number. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. For more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to http://www.atol.org.uk /ATOL Certificate.
We, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL Certificate, will provide you with the services listed on the ATOL Certificate (or a suitable alternative). In some cases, where neither we nor the supplier are able to do so for reasons of insolvency, an alternative ATOL holder may provide you with the services you have bought or a suitable alternative (at no extra cost to you.) You agree to accept that in those circumstances the alternative ATOL holder will perform those obligations and you agree to pay any money outstanding to be paid by you under your contract to the alternative ATOL holder. However, you also agree that in some cases it will not be possible to appoint an alternative ATOL holder, in which case you will be entitled to make a claim under the ATOL scheme (or your credit card issuer where applicable).
If you have booked a Celebrity Cruises flight inclusive cruise holiday via one of our authorised travel agents, all monies you have paid for that booking will be protected by the above arrangements regardless of whether that travel agent becomes insolvent before or after we have issued our confirmation invoice. In this event, you will be required to pay any outstanding balance due (if any) directly to us (or any other travel agent nominated by us) in accordance with these booking conditions in order to receive your holiday. If you have booked a Celebrity Cruises flight inclusive cruise holiday via one of our authorised travel agents, you should receive from the travel agent a confirmation invoice issued by us which shows that we have arranged the flights as well as the cruise part of the holiday.
Where a travel agent acts as our agent for a booking, any payments of money accepted by the travel agent from you is held on behalf and for the benefit of the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust at all times, but subject to the travel agent’s obligation to pay such funds to us as ATOL holder for so long as we do not fail as a business.
If we as ATOL holder fail as a business, any money held at that time by the travel agent acting as our agent, or subsequently accepted from you by the travel agent is and continues to be held by that travel agent on behalf of and for the benefit of the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust without any obligation to pay that money to us as principal ATOL holder.
If we, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL certificate, are unable to provide the services listed (or a suitable alternative through an alternative ATOL holder or otherwise) for reasons of insolvency, the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust may make a payment to (or confer a benefit on) you under the ATOL scheme. You agree that in return for such a payment or benefit you assign absolutely to those Trustees any claims which you have or may have arising of or relating to the non-provision of the services, including any claim against us, the travel agent (or your credit card issuer where applicable). You also agree that any such claims may be re-assigned to another body, if that other body has paid sums you have claimed under the ATOL scheme.
B. Cruise-Only Holidays, Build Your Own Package, (not incorporating flight services).
Celebrity Cruises Inc. and RCL Cruises Ltd are both members of ABTA with membership numbers Y4358 and L8357/Y3001 respectively. ABTA and ABTA members help holiday makers get the most from their travel and assist them when things do not go according to plan. We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA’s Code of Conduct. For further information about ABTA, the Code of Conduct and the arbitration scheme available to you if you have a complaint, contact ABTA, 30 Park Street, London, SE1 9EQ. Tel: 020 3117 0500 or www.abta.com.
When you book a Celebrity Cruises cruise-only holiday via one of our authorised travel agents, all monies you pay for that booking will be held by the travel agent on your behalf until we issue our confirmation invoice. Until that point, your monies are not protected by our ABTA membership or any other arrangement. We therefore recommend that you use a travel agent who offers their own financial security arrangements so that in the event that the travel agent becomes insolvent before we issue our confirmation invoice all monies that you have paid to that travel agent will be refunded to you.
In the event that our authorised travel agent becomes insolvent after we have issued our confirmation invoice, then all monies you have paid to that travel agent for that cruise only holiday are protected by our ABTA membership. You will be required to pay any outstanding balance due (if any) directly to us (or any other travel agent nominated by us) in accordance with these booking conditions in order to receive your holiday.
If you have booked a cruise-only holiday with us you should expect to receive from the travel agent a confirmation invoice issued by us, which shows that we are responsible for the cruise part of your holiday only.
Please note, for the purpose of ABTA protection, this will include any additional components including any on shore hotel accommodation and/or ground transfers arranged by us as part of your cruise booking with us. Where there is a flight element to your booking this will be protected by virtue of our ATOL protection (see above).
C. Cruise-Only Holidays plus other services arranged by your travel agent or tour operator
You may book a Celebrity Cruises cruise-only holiday in conjunction with other services (such as flights, on shore accommodation and/or ground transfers) which are arranged or provided by a travel agent or tour operator (‘travel organiser’) with whom you book. In this situation, your contract for your entire holiday including the cruise and all other such services and arrangements will be with your travel organiser and not us. Your holiday will not be protected by our ATOL or ABTA membership. Instead, you must check that your travel organiser has their own ATOL (if your holiday includes any flight(s)) or other appropriate financial security arrangements to protect all monies you pay to that organiser for your holiday and to repatriate you if already abroad (if applicable) in the event of their insolvency.
You should receive a confirmation invoice and an ATOL Certificate if your holiday includes flights issued by the travel organiser showing that they are responsible for providing all elements of your holiday.
In the event of insolvency of the travel organiser before we have received full payment from them for the cruise only element of your holiday, your cruise only booking may be cancelled and we will be under no obligation to provide you with that cruise, or any refund or any compensation. In such circumstances, you should seek compensation from the financial security arrangements (if any) that the travel organiser has made.
For further information visit the appropriate websites:
www.atol.org.uk or www.abta.co.uk
5.14. Prices and brochure accuracy
Celebrity Cruises policies and procedures are constantly evolving. At the time of printing, all details listed in this brochure were correct. Please note: The information and prices shown in this brochure may have changed by the time you come to book your holiday. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the brochure and prices at the time of printing, regrettably errors do occasionally occur. You must therefore ensure that you check all details of your chosen holiday with your travel agent, or with us direct, at the time of booking. We shall notify you and seek your consent prior to confirming your booking of any variation in any published booking terms, including changes to your deposit or cost of travel.
5.15. Common interest groups and immersion sailings
From time to time we may have various common interest groups onboard attending for example conventions, conferences, seminars, training courses, competitions, tournaments or specialty holidays such as cookery and dancing courses. These groups may take place on the dates when you are sailing with us. While we envisage that this will not affect the overall normal day-to-day operation of the ship, there may be occasions when certain facilities are unavailable to you whilst these groups are on board.
Some sailings are sold by the regional country market for that itinerary in higher numbers, so there may be a large majority of that region’s guests on that sailing, such as Celebrity Silhouette® sailings from Southampton, which will be largely sold to the UK and Irish market. These sailings are known as Immersion sailings and this means that the product will be tailored to the local market onboard in terms of language, food and entertainment. However English language will always be used onboard all of our ships for any onboard announcements, onboard programs and menus.
PRIVACY STATEMENT
For the purposes of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation), and any associated legislation, RCL Cruises Ltd is a Data Controller. In order to process your booking, we need to collect certain personal details from you. These details will include, where applicable, the names and addresses of party members, credit/debit card or other payment details and special requirements; such as those relating to any disability or medical condition, which may affect the chosen holiday arrangements, dietary restrictions and religious beliefs which you may disclose too us. We may also need to collect other personal details such as your nationality, citizenship, gender and passport details in addition to the details mentioned above. If we need any other personal details, we will inform you before we obtain them from you. We need to pass on your personal details to the companies and organisations that need to know them so that your holiday can be provided (for example your airline, hotel, the ship operator, other supplier, credit/debit card company or bank). We may also be required, either by law or by applicable third parties (such as Immigration Authorities) to disclose your details for various reasons; for example, in the interests of protecting national security. Such disclosure of personal details will only be made if permitted by the Data Protection Act 2018 or General Data Protection Regulation (as applicable) and any associated legislation. Such companies, organisations and third parties may be outside the European Union, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein if your holiday is to take place or to involve suppliers outside these countries. We would also like to store and use your personal details for future marketing purposes, (for example sending you a brochure or details of a promotion). All details you give us in connection with your booking (including those relating to any disability or medical condition or your religious beliefs) will be kept confidential. However, we will use only names and contact details for marketing purposes. You can write to the Marketing Department at RCL Cruises Ltd if you wish to not receive marketing and promotional material from us. We are entitled to assume you do not object to our doing any of the things mentioned in this statement unless you tell us otherwise in writing. Except where expressly permitted by the Data Protection Act 1998 or the General Data Protection Regulation (as applicable) and any associated legislation, we will only deal with the personal details you give us as set out above unless you agree otherwise. We have appropriate security measures in place to protect this information. You are generally entitled to ask us (by letter or e-mail) what details of yours are being held or processed, for what purpose and to whom they may be or have been disclosed. We promise to respond in most cases to your request within a month of receiving your written request and in some cases may be permitted to charge a fee. In certain limited circumstances, we are entitled to refuse your request. If you believe that any of your personal details, which we are processing, are inaccurate or incorrect please contact us immediately. Enquiries should be sent to Customer Relations Department, Email: customerrelationsuk@celebritycruises.com.
CCTV (Closed Circuit Television)
We use CCTV to monitor images on all Celebrity Cruises® ships for the purpose of crime prevention and the safety of our guests. We store these images for a short time in case they are needed by investigative authorities. For further information please contact Celebrity Cruises. Company Information Celebrity Cruises Inc. doing business as Celebrity Cruises is a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, a registered Liberian company with principal place of business at 1050 Caribbean Way, Miami, Florida, (company Number C-59735). RCL Cruises Ltd is an English company with its registered office address at 7 The Heights, Brooklands, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 0XW (company Number 07366612). The General Information & Booking Conditions apply to both on-line and telephone bookings. The current Celebrity Cruises brochure contains all available standard cruise only and fly cruise packages as of this date and replaces all previous editions whilst the website https://www.celebritycruises.com/gb always contains the most up to date cruise only and fly cruise products available. We make every effort to ensure the content contained in our brochures and on our website is accurate. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of both our brochure and our website content, regrettably errors do occasionally occur from time to time, and information contained in our brochures may have changed since printing. Where there is a price error, we will advise you and give you the opportunity to either pay the correct price or cancel your booking. Celebrity Cruises®, AquaClass®, Celebrity Select Dining, Celebrity Escapes, CelebrityLife, Apex℠, Constellation®, Eclipse®, Edge®, Equinox℠, Flora®, Hot Glass Show, iLounge, Infinity®, Millennium®, Michael’s Club, Qsine®, Reflection®, SeaPass, Silhouette®, Solstice®, Summit®, Xpedition are trade/service/registered marks of Celebrity Cruises® Inc.Ships registered in Malta and Ecuador. At Celebrity Cruises®, we pride ourselves on the quality of our staff. We may record calls to our call centre for quality and training purposes.
** FOR TRAVEL AGENTS ONLY **Celebrity Central www.celebritycentral.co.uk is our easy to use travel agent website. It is a central source of information for Celebrity Cruises®, which provides you with tools to market and sell cruises with ease and professionalism.
eDistribution Support Desk (Travel Agent Automated Booking Tools Support): For password or any other technical assistance with Celebrity Central, Espresso, Airwaves and other automated booking tools, please contact:
Hours: Mon - Fri: 09:00 - 5:30 pm
Phone: 0344 493 2043
E-mail: automationuk@celebritycruises.com
© 2022 RCL Cruises Ltd trading as ‘Celebrity Cruises’® All Rights Reserved.
Version Date: 1 June 2022
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