Whether you're an experienced cruise guest or it's your first time on board a cruise ship, we've gathered a lot of useful information for you. We recommend that you read through it before travelling.
Age limits and travelling with infants 

As a traveller, you should be aware that different cruise lines have age limits that you should take into account before booking your cruise.

Several cruise lines require the traveller to be at least 21 years old (some companies only 18 years old) to be able to travel "on their own", without their parents or other persons over the age limit. There are typically no problems when there is at least one "adult" person over the age limit in the cabin. Several cruise lines approve travellers under 18/21 years of age to travel on their own if their parents fill out a declaration from the cruise line.

Similarly, you must also be at least 21 years old on most journeys from the US, e.g. to the Caribbean, to be able to order a drink package containing alcoholic beverages.

As ships comply with the United States Public Health Department Policy (USPH), young children are prohibited from wearing nappies in pools and jacuzzis, water slides and spas on board. The ban also applies to swimming with swim nappies, and their use is not permitted even if parents are present. However, there are exceptions. On Royal Caribbean's Freedom Class and Oasis Class and Anthem of the Seas ships, there is a Baby Splash Zone where swimming with a swim nappy is allowed.

If you're travelling with infants, be aware that many cruise lines require a minimum age of 6 months, and on some cruises (especially longer cruises, e.g. transatlantic +12 nights) your child must be at least 12 months old to travel.

Please contact us on +44 023 8168 1605 if you are under 21 years old or travelling with infants, so we can check what applies to your desired trip.

Luggage tags for the ship 

You will typically receive your baggage tags with your ticket. If you haven't received your baggage tags, they will be given to you by the ship's staff when you check your luggage in at the harbour.

Pregnancy 

Pregnant women can travel on cruises as long as the cruise is completed before the 24th week of pregnancy. Please note thatcruise lines require pregnant women to bring a medical certificate stating that they are fit to travel and how far along they are in their pregnancy.

The medical certificate must be in English. If you have any questions, you can always contact MyCruise.

Passports 

It is always your own responsibility to bring the necessary papers and documentation on the cruise, including passport and visa.
Your passport must be valid at least 6 months after the return date. Please check that the name in the passport and the booking reservation are identical. Please note that MyCruise charges a fee if the name in the booking reservation needs to be changed. Name correction costs from £30 per person.

Children and infants must have their own passport. Children travelling with someone other than their parents and/or with parents with a different surname, please contact us before departure.

MyCruise is not responsible for the consequences of missing or invalid passports. Travellers may be denied entry if the passport is damaged.

Please note, that special guidelines apply for the United States, including transit visits. Read more about travel rules for the USA under Visa below.

Travel insurance 

MyCruise strongly recommends that you take out travel insurance for your holiday. For many cruise lines it is mandatory to have a valid insurance policy in order to be granted boarding.  

It is important to ensure that your travel insurance policy covers cruise, not all policies will cover this as standard. 

Illness and disability 

If you have a physical disability or are undergoing medical treatment, you must inform MyCruise in writing when you book your trip, or as soon as possible after the condition occurs, of any medical or physical conditions that may require treatment or care during the cruise. The information must include any use of special facilities and services, as most ships offer special disabled cabins.

Guests who use a wheelchair must bring their own. As a rule of thumb, guests with disabilities or medical needs should be able to manage on their own or travel with one person who can provide all necessary assistance. If you are bringing vital medication on holiday, we recommend that you get a medication card from your doctor and bring it with you on your trip. Please note that in some harbours where ships dock via tender boats, it is not possible to disembark if you are in a wheelchair.

Vaccinations 

Some destinations may require vaccinations against diseases such as infectious hepatitis, yellow fever, meningitis and the like. MyCruise therefore recommends that you check with your own doctor or for information and recommendations regarding any vaccinations applicable to your destination.

Visa 

Please note that several countries require a visa and often a multiple-entry visa. It is therefore important that you check the rules that apply to your destination before travelling and obtain any necessary visas. MyCruise is not responsible for the consequences of missing or invalid visas. If your journey includes a stopover or transit, you should be aware that special visa rules may apply. You can always find up-to-date information on here. 

Please note that for cruises to Russia and Libya, a visa is required if you wish to disembark on your own. If you choose to join the company's excursions, the company will organise a visa on board. Visas to Dubai are available at Dubai Airport.

You will also need a visa if you are travelling to China, India, Cuba and Australia.

 

Visa to the USA

All travellers to the USA must complete an online pre-authorisation form (ESTA) at least 3 days prior to departure. We do recommend though that you complete this earlier to ensure you receive your Visa with plenty of time before travel. Unfortunately, MyCruise cannot assist with this, as the form must be completed by the traveller themselves. Once the ESTA form is completed and authorised, it is important that you print it and bring it with you on your trip. 

ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) can be found at ESTA’s official website.

When applying for ESTA, please ensure that you fill in the information exactly as it appears in your passport 

If you have visited Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria on or after the first of March 2011, you may need to apply for a visa in person at the embassy. There are a number of exceptions to this; please contact the embassy via email to see if you are covered by these exceptions (this also applies to people who are deployed as soldiers or similar to these countries). Read more about travel rules to the USA here.

 

Visa to Canada

Visa rules for Canada require UK passport holders to have an entry permit for Canada. The rules also apply even if you only have a stopover in Canada on your way to another destination. The entry permit is called an eTA and costs only about 7 CAD. 

You apply for the eTA online. The application will typically be approved within a few minutes if there are no comments. However, to be on the safe side, we recommend that you apply for the eTA as soon as you have booked your trip. You can apply for an eTA to Canada here

Remember to print a copy of your eTA once it has been authorised as you will need to present it at the airport.

 

Visa to Saudi Arabia

A visa is required for entry into Saudi Arabia. Application and payment is via Visitsaudi.com.

 

Visa to Russia

A visa to Russia is required if you wish to disembark on your own. We recommend joining the company's excursions where group visas are included.

Applying for an e-visa is done on the special website of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The deadline for issuing an electronic visa is a maximum of 4 calendar days from the date of submission of the completed application.
E-visa to St. Petersburg is free of charge. Petersburg is free of charge.
 
ATTENTION! E-visas are only valid for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region.
Tourist Tax 

You may be subject to a tourist tax at many destinations. The price typically ranges between 1 and 5 euros per night per person. However, it is important to note that the tourist tax can be significantly higher at certain destinations, such as Hawaii.

Please note that on cruises around Iceland, you may be charged approximately 7 euros per stop in taxes/fees to the Icelandic authorities. This amount is usually automatically charged to your cruise account.

Travelling with children under 18 

If you are travelling with children under 18 who are not your parent or guardian, you must bring a signed travel consent form with both parents' or guardians' consent for the child to travel with another companion. If this is not provided, you may risk being denied boarding;

You'll find links to forms below. If you are travelling with another cruise line, please contact us.