Information for Booked Passengers

Build-Your-Own Cruises

Thank you for booking with us! After you've completed your booking, you'll receive an email confirming your cruise purchase. Please review your confirmation email for accuracy. If you have any questions, please contact us immediately.

Below is important information about preparing for your upcoming cruise, including details about final payments (if applicable), visa requirements, cruise registration, and our terms & conditions. Please review everything here carefully, especially paperwork requirements and payment deadlines, and contact us with any questions or concerns.

Final Payments

Your final payment must be paid by credit card. To authorize your final payment, please download, print, complete and sign our credit card authorization form. Send the completed form to us by email to or via postal mail.

To avoid any potential problems with your final payment, be sure to complete and return the credit card authorization form as soon as possible but no later than 10 days prior to your final payment date. Failure to receive your credit card authorization in a timely fashion could result in the loss of your reservation. The cruise line you have booked will charge your final payment to the same card you used for your deposit on the date printed on your confirmation email, and we must receive your authorization form prior to this date. Should you wish to use a credit card other than the one that was used for the deposit, please note that the card is different on the authorization form. All reservations must have a completed authorization form on file.

Paperwork for Your Tour

CRUISE REGISTRATION: Once your final payment has been processed, it is mandatory that you complete an online pre-registration process at least seven (7) days prior to your departure date. Immigration authorities in the various ports of call require this information. Below are the links to pre-register for each of our cruise lines:

1. Azamara Cruises
2. Carnival Cruise Line
3. Celebrity Cruises
4. Crystal Cruises
5. Cunard Line
6. Disney Cruise Line
7. Holland America Line
8. Norwegian Cruise Line
9. Oceania Cruises
10. Princess Cruises
11. Regent Seven Seas Cruises
12. Royal Caribbean Cruise Line
13. Seabourn Cruise Line
14. Silversea Cruises
15. Viking River Cruises

CRUISE DOCUMENTS: All of our cruise lines require that the online pre-registration process be completed before documents may be accessed.  After this step is complete, follow the directions below for each cruise line:

For Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises: Your electronic cruise tickets (Set Sail Pass) will be available immediately after completing the online pre-registration.

For Norwegian Cruise Line, your electronic cruise tickets will be available at www.edocs.ncl.com/edocs/ once your final payment has been processed and you have completed the online pre-registration process.

For Carnival Cruise Line, you may choose electronic or paper documents by visiting https://mydocuments.carnival.com/signin.aspx after the pre-registration process is completed. A fee may be assessed for paper documents.

Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Cunard Line and Disney Cruise Line will provide links to your cruise documents once the online cruise registration/check-in is completed.

Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Viking River Cruises and Silversea Cruises: All final cruise documents and arrangements made by the cruise line on behalf of the guest(s) will be sent approximately 21 days prior to the sail date. A service fee may be charged the expedited shipment of documents.

Crystal Cruises: Your cruise tickets will be mailed approximately 50 days prior to travel. Please bring these tickets along with your Passport, Credit Card and Personal Cruise Calendar with you to embarkation. You will be able to print out your Personal Cruise Calendar after completing your on-line check-in.

Seabourn Cruise Line: Once you have completed final payment, completed your online registration and it is within 50 days of departure; your ePass will be available for you to print.

(We have partnered with Direct Line Cruises to bring you the very best cruise deals in the market. On some cruise documents, the name "Direct Line Cruises" may appear. If you have any questions about any cruise you confirmed with us, please contact us directly.)

You must bring your cruise tickets, either electronic or paper, to the pier on your sailing date.  You will be required to present this document as well as the required identification and proof of citizenship.

Required Identification

All cruise line passengers must provide proper travel documentation when boarding the ship.  Because documentation requirements vary by the citizenship and residence of each passenger (as well as the specific ports that your cruise will visit), it is the responsibility of each traveler to secure the necessary travel documents for each country to be visited prior to departure. Friendly Planet Travel recommends that all passengers traveling outside of the U.S. be in possession of a valid U.S. passport. Any passenger who does not present the required documentation will not be premitted to board the ship and the cruise line will not issue a refund.

For more information on documentation requirements, please click here. 

Preparing for Your Tour

TRAVEL INSURANCE: We strongly encourage all of our customers to protect their travel investment from unexpected circumstances. To emphasize are commitment to this philosophy, we will provide INSURANCE COVERAGE AT NO ADDITIONAL COST to all customers who purchase a cruise of 5 nights or longer*! For more information, please see our travel insurance page.

* - Travel Insurance at no additional cost is not offered on Carnival Cruises.

TIPPING: Tipping policies vary by cruise line.  Amounts shown are approximate and subject to change by the individual cruise line at any time.  See details below:

• Azamara Cruises: No tipping is required or permitted on Azamara Cruises
• Carnival Cruise Line: A $10.00 per person / per day gratuity charge is automatically applied to your shipboard account.
• Celebrity Cruises: A $11.50 per person / per day gratuity charge is automatically applied to your shipboard account.  For Concierge & Aqua Class guests, the fee is increased to $12.00 per person / per day and for suites, the fee is $15.00 per person / per day.
• Crystal Cruises: All gratuities are included in your cruise fare.
• Cunard Line: A Hotel and Dining charge is automatically applied to your shipboard account.
  • $13 per person / per day for Grill Restaurant Accommodation
  • $11 per person / per day for all other Accommodation
• Disney Cruise Line: Suggested gratuities are $12 per person / per day. This amount covers gratuities to your Dining Room Server, Dining Room Assistant Server, Dining Room Head Server and your Stateroom Host or Hostess. Gratuities can be added to your room charge. Gratuities for your Dining Manager and Room Service are at your discretion. Gratuities for dining at PALO are included.
• Holland America Line: A hotel service charge of $11 per person / per day is automatically applied to your shipboard account. You will have the option to adjust this amount at the end of your cruise.
• Norwegian Cruise Line: A $12.00 per person / per day gratuity charge is automatically applied to your shipboard account. If you wish to adjust this amount, you may contact the front desk at the end of your cruise.
• Oceania Cruises: Tipping is a personal matter and completely at your discretion.
  For your convenience, gratuities of $14.50 per guest, per day are automatically added to your shipboard account. An additional $6.00 per guest, per day will be added for guests occupying Penthouse, Vista, Oceania or Owner's Suites where Butler Service is provided. An 18% gratuity is automatically added to all beverage purchases and spa and salon services.
  Naturally, guests may adjust gratuities while onboard the vessel at their sole discretion.
• Princess Cruise Line: A discretionary gratuity will automatically be applied to your shipboard account. Gratuity is applicable to all passengers including children.
  • $12 per person / per day for Mini-suites and Suites
  • $11.50 per person / per day for all other stateroom categories
• Regent Seven Seas Cruises: Pre-paid gratuities are included in your cruise fare..
• Royal Caribbean Cruise Line: Guests have the option of purchasing pre-paid gratuities at the rate of $11.65 per person / per day for a standard stateroom and $13.90 per person / per day for a suite. If this option is not selected, the suggested Royal Caribbean guideline for tipping is as follows:
  • $5.00 pp / per day for stateroom attendant*
  • $3.75 pp / per day for dining room waiter
  • $2.15 pp / per day for assistant waiter
  • $0.75 pp / per day for head waiter
  • *- $7.25 pp / per day for suite housekeeping staff
• Seabourn Cruise Line: Tipping is not required or expected.
• Silversea Cruises: Cruise fare includes onboard gratuities.
• Viking River Cruises: Tips are not included in your cruise price. Instead they are a voluntary way of showing your appreciation for services rendered. You may tip the onboard staff in cash or you may charge it to your credit card at the end of your cruise. Tipping amounts vary by region. Please view Vikings tipping guide lines for suggested amounts.

EMBARKATION: All passengers must be on board and checked in at least 2 hours prior to the sailing time displayed on your confirmation. Your cruise documents will show the earliest boarding time permitted for your cruise. You must bring your cruise tickets, either electonic or paper, to the pier on your sailing date. You will be required to present this document as well as required identification and proof of citizenship.

Passengers are not permitted to bring visitors on board ship due to security reasons.

Terms & Conditions

Please review the Terms & Conditions governing your cruise vacation.

Additional Services

Flight and hotel reservations are available to complement your cruise reservations. These services may be booked in a separate reservation by clicking here and selecting either flight or hotel. (If you would like to add both flights and a hotel to your cruise vacation, search for flights first.  After you have found your flights you will have the opportunity to add a hotel reservation.)

NOTE: Flight/hotel and cruise reservations are each independent of each other.  The Terms and Conditions for each are also independent from the other.  Please read all Terms and Conditions displayed during the booking process as well as our Terms and Conditions thoroughly.

Other Important Information

SPECIAL DIETARY CONCERNS: All special dietary requests must be submitted to the cruise lines in advance. Please notify Friendly Planet Travel at the time of booking, or in writing to cruise@friendlyplanet.com and we will forward your request to the cruise lines. Most ships can accomodate special dietary preferences however this service is only a request and not guaranteed.

PACKING FOR YOUR TOUR: Sport clothes and comfortable shoes for deck activities are necessities during the day. Also bring at least 2 swimsuits.  The evenings need three types of clothing:

• Casual: dresses or slacks and blouses for women; sport shirts and trousers for men
• Smart casual: dresses or pantsuits for women; jackets for men
• Formal: cocktail dresses for women; suits and ties, or tuxedos for men

Laundry services are provided on most ships for a small fee.

QUESTIONS & INFORMATION: Our website is constantly growing with new and valuable information about the destinations and products which we offer. On almost every page, you will find links to useful information about weather, money, health requirements and suggestions, visas and other details. You will find links to pages describing our hotels and cruise ships, and you can read testimony from other travelers who have sent us their feedback, including their photos. We invite you to browse our website and take advantage of the information we provide so that you can better prepare for your travel experience. If you have a question which we haven't yet addressed, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page. If you still have questions or require more information about your vacation, please contact us by email or telephone. When you write or call, please be sure to tell us your full name, ship name, and date of departure.