$500 is due at the time of registration and an additional deposit of $600 is due by 6 months prior to departure. A deposit of $1100 is due at the time of registration if you register within 6 months of departure. Final Payment for the trip, including optional Travel Protection premium is due 90 days prior to departure.
4. What airline will be used?
We have used many airlines, including Lufthansa, Swiss International, Delta, Alitalia, Air France, British Airways, Continental, Iberia, etc.
5. What is the time difference in our time zones?Greece, Turkey, Israel, Egypt and Cyprus are seven hours and Italy is six hours ahead of Eastern time.
6. What meals are included in my journey?
Breakfast and dinner are provided during all hotel stays, whether they are a part of your basic tour or a pre or post-tour option. Three meals daily will be served during the cruise (with an occasional exception in specific locations that will be listed on your brochure. If, due to the shore excursion schedule you will be off the ship during lunch, your lunch may be provided in a local restaurant. Dining room menus offer several selections for each course. You may choose to eat on your own when the ship is in port if time permits.
7. How long is the typical sightseeing day?
On some days, you will depart the hotel or ship between 7:00-9:00AM and return in the late afternoon around 5:00-6:00PM. While on land, your guide will announce the sightseeing schedule. Other days will be shorter with later departures and/or earlier afternoon returns to the ship.
NOTE: On the ship, a daily program outlining the details of the following day will be placed in your cabin during the early evening.
8. What are the rest rooms like in Greece, Turkey and Italy?
You will find mostly American-style restrooms. Occasionally in Greece and Turkey, men and women will find porcelain-rimmed holes in the floor. You should travel each day with tissues and/or wipes. You may also be required to pay a small fee to use the rest room in some areas.
9. How much money should I bring?Most everything has been included in your tour cost with the exception of lunches (pre and post tours only), shopping, optional tours (where applicable). A love offering will be collected for guides and drivers (see #13 below). Having plenty of small bills is advisable.
10. What type of currency is used?
11.
Should I exchange some money before departure?
You may want to exchange a small sum to Euros, but you should not need any of the other currencies.
12. Will US currency be accepted for extra expenses?
Yes. Between US dollars and your credit cards, most purchases can be taken care of.
13. What can you tell me about the "love offering" for our guides and drivers?
Our suggested amount for the voluntary love offering is $4.00 per person/per day for your guide and $2.50 per person/per day for your driver (these amounts are per person and can be paid with US dollars). Your Bus Captain will pass an envelope daily as your guides and drivers can change daily at each port. Having plenty of small bills is advisable.
14. Are there any other "tips" I need to pay?
Rendering gracious, attentive service is an honor for the ship's crew. While tipping on board a ship is a long-standing tradition, it is also an individual way of saying "thank you" to the personnel who serve you. For some cruises, your standard gratuities have been pre-paid (please check the fine print on your brochure). However, should you receive service you believe is "above and beyond" the norm, or ask for extra services (such as room service), please feel free to tip personally anyone you feel necessary. On other cruises, the gratuities will be paid by you directly to the ship.
15. What will the weather be like?As we have cruises departing throughout the year, going to many destinations, please check
www.weatherbase.com for information on your particular cruise.
16. What type of clothes should I bring?Layer clothing as the mornings and evenings may be cool. Bring a compact raincoat, a small umbrella, and a hat to protect you from both the rain and sun. For shore excursions, wear loose, comfortable cottons or other lightweight clothing that can be layered. Some of the tours involve long bus rides and/or considerable walking, so comfort is essential. Comfortable walking shoes are a must! On tours that include places of worship, shorts and bare shoulders are not permitted.
Clothing on board:
A: Day-Casual clothing is the most practical. For ladies, slacks, skirts, jeans and loose attire are comfortable for daytime. Men will find jeans, slacks and sport shirts popular daytime attire. The dining room dress code for breakfast and lunch is casual.
B: Evening dress - There will be two gala dinners during your cruise for which men may want a jacket (tie is optional) and for the ladies a church dress or nice pant suit would be appropriate.
17. I have limited mobility. What special facilities are available?
Due to the lack of handicapped accessible facilities in the areas our cruises visit, persons confined to a wheelchair or in need of ambulatory assistance will find travel on this program nearly impossible. The cabins on the ship are rarely wheelchair accessible and there are barriers between public rooms on board. The ancient ruins are covered with many loose, uneven stones and most are only accessible by foot. Access to and from the ship is via gangway. Sometimes it is at the level of the pier and sometimes the use of stairs is required. We require that anyone traveling with a portable wheelchair for use on excursions have a capable companion to accompany/assist them during their travels.
Please Note: Due to liability, EO staff members and ship's crew members are not allowed to assist passengers who are using mobility devices, including wheelchairs, or who need ambulatory assistance.
18. What cruise line/ship are we using?
We use several of the major cruise lines such as Costa, NCL, MSC, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean.
19. What is the procedure for boarding the ship?Upon arrival at the cruise terminal, you will check in with the cruise line. At that time you may have to surrender your passport for a portion of the cruise. You will then be issued a boarding card that will scanned by ship's security each time you embark and disembark the ship.
20. Why must I surrender my passport?Passports are held at the Purser's Office throughout portions of the cruise to expedite immigration processing when the ship arrives in foreign ports. You will be notified by the ship when to pick up your passport. The process could happen multiple times during the cruise, depending on the wishes of the port authorities at each port visited.
21. How does my luggage get to my cabin? Your luggage will be transferred to the ship with you via bus from the airport. Once you have personally put it through security at the passenger terminal, it will be taken by the ship's staff and delivered to your cabin. As always, you will be responsible for your carry-on bag.
22. How is money handled on board ship?
A shipboard account will be set up for you upon registration of a credit card or with a cash deposit onboard. Your boarding card will be used for all onboard purchases which are in Euros. If you register a credit card, your account will automatically be settled at the end of the cruise. With a cash deposit, your account can be settled with either Euros or US dollars. Major credit cards are accepted on all of the ships.
23. What else can you tell me about the ship? As we are using several different ships from several cruise lines, we have some of the general information on the EO website. If you required additional information, we suggest you check the website of the appropriate cruise line.
24. Should I make a dining room reservation?
Reservations for dinner are not necessary. We will automatically seat you with members of your group. We request 1st seating for all passengers traveling with EO. The only thing you need to notify us of are special diets or if you would prefer 2nd seating. For NCL cruises, they use a different system of free-style dining, so there are no official dining times.
25. May I request a special diet?
The ship is fully prepared to satisfy requests for special diets if furnished in writing at least 60 days prior to the cruise.
26. Can my family contact me on the ship?
The satellite phone number for the ship will be provided in your final itinerary package. The rate for this service is much higher than radio communication and regular long distance calling from shore. Tariff information may be obtained from your local telephone company. Since communication with the ship operates via satellite, you cannot be reached while in port. Contact should be made during the evening hours while you are sailing. In the event of an emergency, the best way for someone to reach you is to contact our office.
27. Will the services of hospitality or other EO staff be available?
The EO Cruise Director and the EO Charter Cruise Hospitality Team will accompany you on this tour and will have posted hours while on the ship.