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have you booked or are thinking of
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booking cruises for next year
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or beyond you need to proceed carefully
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are in this episode of tips for
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travellers i want to give you
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a series of really big questions you
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need to ask yourself your travel agent
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or the cruise line before it's too late
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if you are looking at booking
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the first question is are you willing to
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cruise with whatever protocols
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and rules are required when you sell are
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that cruising will turn back time and be
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as they were maybe you're pushing your
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bookings out to later in 2021
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as you hope that the ports will be open
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all the dining options and the buffet
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running you can go self-exploring in
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ports use the swimming pools and hot
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when you want and so on and so forth
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however are you assuming that cruising
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and be back to how it was if you are
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then you should absolutely pause and ask
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am i prepared to cruise with whatever
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protocols are required
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by the health authorities the cruise
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there is absolutely no guarantee that
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the cruising experience
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and protocols will return back to how it
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we can't know what form future cruisers
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not even the cruise lines can at the
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as cruising returns there are changes
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like reduced capacity
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per cruise covered 19 testing before
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boarding wearing of masks
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or face coverings inside daily
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temperature checks limits on numbers
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and in facilities like the shops there's
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controls on capacity and fitness center
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what events can be held how many can
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cruisers are only being allowed to leave
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the ship on cruise line excursions
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as cruisers restart in three months in
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or in 12 months time the protocols are
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different maybe stricter may be relaxed
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don't know so only book a cruise for the
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future if you're clear
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you're willing to accept whatever the
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rules are at the time you sail
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you may be like me one of those that is
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but like me do it knowing that you do
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what it will be like the current cruise
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contracts and booking policies
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mean you have to accept the protocols
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in place at the time that you cruise you
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won't be able to use dislike of
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protocols as a reason to cancel and get
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so think about it very carefully the
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is are you set on visiting certain ports
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chosen itinerary so if you're heading to
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the caribbean for example
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is calling on grand cayman important to
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making your cruise a success as you want
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seven mile beach or you want to go to
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with the stingrays if you're on the
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mediterranean cruise is that calling to
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key to visit the gowdy buildings or
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we do not know which ports will open to
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and what the requirements will be at
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this stage cruisers have
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all the classic and standard itineraries
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saying they're going to be calling on
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ports they have for years
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but we do not know if that will be
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possible it is of course
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highly likely that ports that used to
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have cruise trade will want them back
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economic boost but when they will come
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the further out your book it does feel
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that a way will have been found to have
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cruises back in those ports however
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if there are ports you absolutely want
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to visit and they are the reason for
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booking a certain cruise
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hold back until you know those ports are
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open to cruisers however if you are more
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and it's the law of cruising and the
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general region that is important to you
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then like me you should be much more
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so if going to the caribbean is more
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important than the specific
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ports then you should look to book
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that is exactly what i am doing
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the third question is what are the
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cancellation or change of booking
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options being offered to you
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although we all hope things will be back
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to something more normal
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they may remain volatile until or even
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are available so when booking make sure
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you understand what your
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options are for cancelling or changing
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and when final balances have to be paid
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if they're not flexible then like me
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look for offers with really low deposits
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final balance payment timings for
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example i found some as low as
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50 dollars for a deposit and final
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balances only have to be paid
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60 days before cruise which means that
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if i want to cancel or cannot cruise
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i only stand to lose relatively small
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booking a cruise and having something to
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look forward to is very tempting for
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included however as things are and
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will remain in flux ask these three
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questions before booking
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and you should hopefully make decisions
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that you will not regret
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and be happy with moving ahead i have
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loads more episodes packed with cruising
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and travel tips and advice so why don't
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you go and enjoy another one
