The Classic Traveller  >  Marco Polo Coastal Cruises  >  Browse pages 1-17  >  Marco Polo Coastal Cruises

HOLIDAY INFORMATION BAGGAGE There is no restriction on the amount of luggage that you may bring on board the cruises which depart from and return to the UK. As there are no separate Baggage Room facilities aboard Marco Polo, it should be noted that all baggage must be stored within the cabin. Maximum depth of suitcases should be no more than 23cm in order to assure under bed storage. However for any cruise programme that involves flights, your baggage allowance will be subject to the conditions imposed by the airline. On scheduled flights used in conjunction with the pre and post cruise land packages the free baggage allowance per person is normally 15-20kgs in economy class. GRATUITIES For your greater convenience Marco Polo operate an automatic system whereby gratuities to your crew onboard have already been included in your cruise fare. RESTAURANT & TABLE RESERVATIONS The well appointed Waldorf restaurant is an elegant setting for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In addition, breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets are served in Marco's Restaurant for those who prefer more casual meal times. Whilst breakfasts and lunches are generally served in the restaurant on an open seating basis, two sittings are operated for dinner in the evening. On days at sea, these sittings are normally timed at 18.30 and 20.30hrs. You will have the opportunity to state any preferences for a particular sitting and/or table size on the Passenger Cruise Information Form, sent to you once your booking is confirmed but any requests cannot be guaranteed. ITINERARIES It should be noted that the cruise itineraries published in this brochure are subject to amendment. Should major changes to the ports of call, other than timing adjustments or the order in which they are visited, become necessary we shall endeavour to notify you in advance. However, please bear in mind that from time to time, certain facilities, activities, entertainment and shore excursions may be altered or withdrawn due to such reasons as adverse weather conditions, lack of demand, essential maintenance work or other reasons beyond our control. CHILDREN AND TEENS There are no dedicated recreational facilities for children aboard Marco Polo, but nevertheless accompanied children and teenagers under the age of 17 at the date of sailing are of course welcome aboard and, when occupying a third or fourth berth in a cabin with two full fare paying passengers, travel at a beneficial rate as shown under the Dates and Prices on each cruise page. Children and teens under the age of 17 at the date of sailing but occupying a twin cabin with just one accompanying adult are charged at the full adult fare. SAFETY & SECURITY For your complete security and peace of mind, there are stringent security measures in force at UK ports and particularly so at Tilbury. All cabin baggage will be electronically screened, hand baggage may be examined and you will be required to pass through an X-Ray arch prior to boarding the vessel. At embarkation you will be issued with a personalised ID card which is used for gangway control purposes and validates you as a bona-fide passenger. MEDICAL SERVICES The services of qualified medical staff are available to you on board in the event of mal de mer' or an emergency. It should be noted that the NHS does not cover treatment on the ship and there is a scale of charges for surgery visits and medical treatment. Such charges are usually claimable under your travel insurance policy, less any excess amounts. MOBILITY/SPECIAL NEEDS A cruise is quite unlike a land based holiday and the ships of our fleet are not ideally suited to prospective passengers in wheelchairs or those who have limited mobility. It is therefore essential that you contact us to discuss your requirements before you make a booking. It should be noted that the layout of the ship could considerably restrict such passengers' movement around the vessel and indeed preclude access to some of the ports of call, where gangway conditions are not conducive or passengers are conveyed ashore by tender. Passengers with mobility limitations, or who have special needs, that are accepted for travel must be accompanied by at least one able-bodied companion who will be responsible for general care and assistance throughout the cruise. SHORE EXCURSIONS An attractive programme of tours is offered at each of our ports of call. You will be sent full details and a booking form with your pre-sailing information around two months prior to sailing. We shall operate a pre-reservation service and, availability permitting; you will also be able to book on board. DRESS CODE During the day, attitudes are very relaxed and informality is the key. Casual clothing is quite sufficient during the days at sea and for time spent ashore. On certain shore excursions and at some religious sites, discretion should be used so as not to cause inadvertent offence with inappropriate clothing. Advice will be given on board in such cases. Every day the Daily Programme suggests, as a guide, a mode of dress for that particular evening's events. There are generally two formal' or gala nights planned on each cruise when many gentlemen wear a dinner jacket, although a lounge suit is quite acceptable. The ladies on these occasions have a chance to dress up and often opt for evening or cocktail dresses. On evenings proposed as informal', a suit or smart jacket and trousers, with or without a tie, for the men is suggested and the ladies have further opportunities to look elegant in a cocktail dress, trouser suits and stylish co-ordinates. A casual' recommendation often covers evenings spent in port or when a special event such as a deck party is scheduled. In these cases, the choice of dress is left entirely to you. Passengers travelling on the Antarctic itineraries will have the complimentary use of parka' jackets and rubber boots for their landfalls on the ice continent. SMOKING As a consideration to all passengers, there are designated smoking and non-smoking areas around the ship. SPECIAL DIETS Passengers with certain dietary requirements may be catered for and further enquiries should be made at the time of booking. Dietary preferences should be entered in the relevant section of the Passenger Cruise Information Form. ON BOARD PAYMENTS On cruises departing 22nd April - 26th July 2009 which are sold exclusively on the UK market, all prices on board are quoted in Sterling and a cashless system is in operation for all your on board purchases. On all other cruises, the on board currency is the Euro. In any event, an account is opened for you at the start of your cruise and you sign a debit when purchasing goods and services on board. This is charged to your shipboard account and a final invoice is presented at the end of the cruise itemising all charges. This can be settled by Sterling Travellers' Cheques (April-July only), Visa or MasterCard credit cards, and of course, cash. It is not possible to use debit cards or personal cheques to settle on board accounts. The Reception staff also offer a facility to purchase small amounts of foreign currency for use in most of the ports of call. VALUABLES Each cabin has the facility of a personal safe for your valuables and important papers. VISAS At the time of printing, no individual visas are required to be obtained in advance for the cruises listed in this brochure by British nationals who hold a passport that show that they are a British Citizen'. Passengers visiting St Petersburg at the time of writing will not be required to obtain individual Russian visas if they only go ashore as participants in the official shore excursion programme. ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES All cabins feature 110v and 220v current and have an electrical socket to allow small appliances such as electric shavers, electric rollers and curling tongs to be used. Each bathroom is equipped with an integral hair dryer. MARCO POLO SHIP PROFILE Cruise Line: Transocean Tours Gross Tonnage: 22,080grt Registry: Bahamas Classification Society: Det Norske Veritas Passenger Capacity: 425 cabins (Max: 850 passengers) Re-built: Greece 1993 Cruising Speed: 16.5 knots Passenger Decks: 8 Lifts: 4 Electric Current: 110/220V AC Stabilised and air-conditioned Officers & Crew: International Cruise Staff & Entertainers: British & International Dimensions Length: 578.4ft (176.3m) Beam: 77.4ft (23.6m) Draft: 26.9ft (8.2m) EMBARKATION/DISEMBARKATION ARRANGEMENTS For the summer sailings the embarkation procedures at the London Cruise Terminal, Tilbury normally commence 4 hours prior to the published sailing time. At final disembarkation, you should allow approximately 90 minutes from the scheduled arrival time before disembarkation. Full embarkation procedures and timings will be confirmed when tickets and cruise documentation is despatched usually 7-10 days prior to sail date. PASSENGER CRUISE INFORMATION FORM After your booking is confirmed, you will receive a Passenger Cruise Information Form. An important feature of this form is the Medical Declaration, which needs to be completed by each person travelling. The other sections of the Passenger Cruise Information Form will enable us to record your precise requirements for Car Parking at Tilbury, any Coaching Arrangements, Restaurant Seating and any dietary preferences, plus other pertinent information that you feel we should know before your cruise. FLIGHT INFORMATION All flights are subject to availability and based on economy class scheduled/low cost/charter services and fares and are subject to the carriers' terms and conditions of carriage and baggage restrictions (normally 15-20kgs per person unless stated otherwise). Flight supplements may also apply and upgrades are available on request. Full details of the flight arrangements for all the featured fly-cruises will be advised nearer to the holiday departure date. It should also be noted that international departure taxes are not included in the fares as they must be paid locally by you prior to the return homeward flight. More details will be provided nearer to the holiday departure date. PASSPORTS A passport is essential for all cruises and British Citizens must hold a full ten year passport. Many countries, require visitors to hold passports that have at least six months validity beyond the return date of the cruise. It is the responsibility of holders of nonBritish passports to check with the relevant consular authorities of the countries to be visited to ascertain if there any specific restrictions or requirements for their planned itinerary. Any passenger arriving at the departure port (or airport) without a passport, or with the incorrect documentation, will not be allowed to embark. Such circumstances are often not covered by insurance and no refund claims will be entertained. 16