[ essential information about your cruise aboard the Norwegian Dawn ]
Transcription
[ essential information about your cruise aboard the Norwegian Dawn ]
[ essential information about your cruise aboard the Norwegian Dawn ] July 10 - 17, 2005 [ cruise itinerary ] Day Port Arrive Depart July 10 Depart NYC — 6pm July 11 At Sea — — July 12 Halifax 7am 4pm July 13 Boston 11am midnight July 14 Provincetown 7am 6pm July 15 Martha’s Vineyard 8am 6pm July 16 At Sea — — July 17 NYC 9am — [ dear guests ] We are so excited about seeing each of you on our next R Family Vacations cruise! Kelli and I have been counting the days until we sail down the Hudson River aboard the Norwegian Dawn. We can’t wait to see many familiar faces and meet all of the new friends that are joining us for the first time. The following booklet lists everything you need to know about your upcoming cruise with us. Please read it carefully as it contains some very important information to prepare you for your vacation. Please do not hesitate to contact the R Family office should you have any questions. Have a very safe trip to our hometown of New York, New York. We’ll see you onboard! With Kind Regards, Gregg Kaminsky and Kelli O’Donnell Finally a gay cruise that welcomes everyone. [ table of contents ] how to prepare for the cruise 2 Travel Documents; Sailing from the Big Apple; How to Get to the Port; Flights; Check-in; Money; Lifeboat Drill; Customs; Alcoholic Beverages; Water & Power; Packing; Baggage all about the norwegian dawn 7 Freestyle Daily; Spa Services; Weddings; Friday Night Services; R Family Team; Shore Excursions; Special Dietary Requests; Medications; Internet; Onboard Account; Medical Services; Laundry/Dry Cleaning; Tipping; Pets; Special Occasions our young travelers 11 Kid’s Crew; Kid’s Pool; Video Zone; Soda Card; Kid’s Café; Blue Lagoon; Sprinkle’s Ice Cream; Nanny Service; Children’s Singers; Free to be You and Me; Cribs; Cinema; Sports Court; Theme Parties; Teen Panel; Evenings entertainment 14 Entertainment Highlights; Speaker Series/ Workshops/Discussion Groups; Singles Events; Friends of Bill W. dining 18 Restaurant Options contact information 20 Before Sailing; Phones at Sea; Disembarking Table of Contents 1 [ how to prepare for the cruise ] travel documents This package contains your R Family Vacations Travel Confirmation; Norwegian Cruise Line passenger ticket contract; R Family luggage tags, NCL stateroom luggage tag; NCL Advanced Registration form; and other information about your cruise. Passports are not required for this cruise (except for all non-U.S. Citizens). A birth certificate (with a raised seal) and a government issued photo ID is sufficient. Minors only need birth certificates. Parents please make sure you have your guardian papers (if applicable) and any necessary legal medical documentation with you. Non-U.S. citizens must be in possession of a valid passport and multiple entries Visa for entry into the United States, or a visa waiver. Non-U.S. citizens should contact their local immigration office or embassy. It is the passenger’s responsibility to secure all necessary documentation. Please note that there will be no refund if a passenger is denied boarding by U.S. immigration officials for lack of proper documents. Please note our records indicate that when you made your reservation, you were provided with the terms and conditions of the cruise, which you accepted, by signature. Please present your birth certificate/photo ID or passport when you check in. There are no cruise tickets. It’s all electronic. sailing from the big apple We embark and disembark right from midtown Manhattan at Twelfth Avenue and 55th Street. We will begin check-in at approximately 3pm and the ship sails at 6pm. You must be onboard 30 minutes prior to sailing or your reservation may be subject to cancellation. 2 How to Prepare for the Cruise how to get to the port from the airports: If you are flying into NY on July 10, we recommend that you take a taxi or car service from the airport. All of the three major airports are convenient and it should take less than an hour to reach the port. Cost should be between $30–$50. from the city: If you are staying in New York prior to the cruise at a hotel or with friends, we recommend you hop in a cab to the port. It’s less than 10 minutes away from Times Square and costs less than $15. driving: If you are driving to NYC the day we depart, there are a few options for parking. There is limited parking available at the port but there are many parking lots near the port within walking distance. We recommend that you drop off your luggage and park. Unfortunately, parking in New York can be very pricey. Parking costs between $15–25 per day (subject to change). flights Please allow extra time to check in for your flights. Going through security can take a long time due to heightened security at the airports. We recommend that you arrive at the airport between 90 minutes and two hours before your flight. We recommend that you do not book return flights prior to 1:00pm on July 17. You can purchase bus transportation to both LGA and JFK airports from the shore excursions desk once you get onboard. However, if you use this service to go to the airport, you must not have a return flight booked before 1:00pm. check-in Bring your cruise documents and required ID with you. Your luggage will be sent to your rooms before you enter the pier, so make sure you don’t pack these items. At this time, you will need to provide a credit card or cash deposit to cover your onboard expenses. Your room key serves as a credit card for all onboard charges including drinks, spa services, shore excursions or onboard purchases. R Family Team members and NCL representatives will be there to answer any questions you may have and to help you through the process. How to Prepare for the Cruise 3 money U.S. Dollars are accepted in all of the ports we are visiting. However, you will get the best exchange rate in Halifax, Nova Scotia if you exchange your U.S. dollars for Canadian dollars at any local bank or use a credit card when making purchases. lifeboat drill Please be advised that before we sail from New York, all passengers onboard are required to participate in a lifeboat drill. Every guest will be asked to go to an assigned area and must wear the life jackets provided in each stateroom. We realize that many of you are traveling long distances to participate on this cruise. This lifeboat drill (especially for children) can be a bit stressful. We promise this cruise will be a blast. Please be patient during the drill. Your safety is our first concern. Fun is our second! Once this is complete, be prepared to sail away on the best vacation of your life. customs U.S. citizens are allowed $400 (retail prices) of dutyfree merchandise including one liter of liquor and 200 cigarettes. For information on the allowance for non-U.S. citizens entering the United States, please check with the Purser’s Desk onboard. You are not permitted to bring fresh fruits, meat products, fresh milk products, plants or tortoise shell products into the U.S. alcoholic beverages No alcoholic beverages may be brought onboard for personal consumption, according to Norwegian Cruise Line policy. Any liquor purchased onboard or in any port of call will be placed in a secure area and delivered to your stateroom on the last evening of the cruise. water & power The voltage throughout the ship is both 110 and 220 volts AC. All of the water onboard is filtered. 4 How to Prepare for the Cruise packing clothing: R Family Vacations and Norwegian’s Freestyle Cruising emphasizes a casual, comfortable atmosphere with no specified dress code. This is your vacation and we want you to dress as you please. You may want to bring a light jacket or sweater for the evenings as it can sometimes be cool on deck or inside with the air conditioning. special suggestions: We suggest bringing a box of zip lock bags — they are great for separating your wet items from dry ones and for storing lotions and sunscreens. Also, white noise machines can be welcome accessories at night. Even the newest ships creak and the new sounds can keep light sleepers from getting their beauty rest. dinner: We do not mind if you wear shorts to dinner. However, we do ask that they be dressy Bermuda style. Also, we request that no tank tops be worn in the restaurants after 6pm. ports: Because of our summer sailing date, it will be warm during the days. Make sure you bring comfortable shoes for walking and beach shoes for the water. theme events: R Family Vacations has created several themed events throughout the week. We welcome you to dress up as much or as little as you like. • state fair: Think plaid shirts, cowboy hats, bandannas, and denim. Get ready to win LOTS of prizes. • hollywood: You’ll be the first to sneak preview HBO’s “All Aboard: Rosie’s Family Cruise”. Come ready to walk the red carpet...we’ll supply the accessories to make each of you Hollywood Glam or bring your own. • retro: Get ready to boogie on the pool deck to classic disco. Bring your polyester, bell-bottoms and anything else to get you in the groove. How to Prepare for the Cruise 5 baggage Most airlines allow two checked bags and one carry on. Check with your airline for specific allowances. It is recommended that you do not place valuables in your checked luggage, including those checked aboard the ship. There are safes in every stateroom in which you create your own combination. We recommend that you store all of your valuables there. You will be required to submit all luggage for security screening at the pier. Security regulations require that there are no exceptions to this rule. If you need luggage assistance, porter service is available at the pier during embarkation. It is much appreciated and customary to tip the porters $1.00 per bag. Please be advised that it can take up to 5 hours for checked luggage to arrive to your stateroom so you may want to carry on anything you will need that first afternoon. 6 How to Prepare for the Cruise [ all about the Norwegian Dawn ] freestyle daily The Freestyle Daily will be delivered to your stateroom each night providing a complete list of activities and entertainment for the following day. All times and locations are listed. We recommend you read it carefully so you can prepare for how you want to spend your day. Changes or updates may occur so the Freestyle Daily is our best way to keep you informed. spa services The Dawn features a fullservice spa offering everything from hot stone massage to hairstyling and aromatherapy facials. There is an additional charge for each of these services and they can be charged to your stateroom. Please note that you must be 18 or over to use the spa services. weddings MCC Pastor Cindi Love and Mass. Justice of the Peace Sally Masters have offered to officiate. For those of you wanting to get married in Massachusetts, the state requires that you are either a resident or intend to become one. There is also a 3-day waiting period. You may visit a court and request a waiver. If you live close to Mass., we recommend you obtain a waiver prior to the cruise. They are good for 60 days. You may also choose to get married in Halifax, Nova Scotia. You do not need to be a resident but you do need to submit paperwork prior to our arrival. Please contact our office for more details or to make arrangements for your wedding. friday night services We will offer a Friday night service for our Jewish guests or for anyone who wishes to attend. All About the Norwegian Dawn 7 r family team Our team is always available to assist you with anything you may need during your cruise. We will have a courtesy desk set up daily. Operation hours will be posted in the Freestyle Daily. You can also reach a team member by notifying someone at the front desk. shore excursions The shore excursions department has planned many exciting tours in each port. A complete listing of the shore excursions is enclosed. You can sign up for these once you board. All excursions are owned and operated by independent operators ashore, and are sold onboard as a convenience to our guests. Guests participate in all activities off the ship at their own risk. Please be advised that R Family Vacations has no responsibility or affiliation with Shore Excursion sales or operations. Some of the excursions may be with groups from other cruises or the general public. special dietary requests Norwegian Cruise Line will make every attempt to accommodate special requests onboard. There are vegetarian, non-dairy and low fat options available at every meal, in every restaurant. If you need something out of the ordinary, please contact Gregg in the R Family Vacations office prior to the cruise. medications Don’t forget to bring all of your prescription and non-prescription medications in their original bottles. Every stateroom has a refrigerator in case you need to store them. internet There is an Internet café open 24 hours a day. There is a fee for use of the Internet. Wireless laptop access is also available at the same rate. 8 All About the Norwegian Dawn onboard account You will receive a complete statement on the last night for you to review. Any discrepancies must be resolved prior to debarkation. medical services There is a doctor and a nurse onboard. Be aware that customary charges will be made for all medical care and services. The medical facilities are only equipped to perform basic care. The personnel cannot offer care for conditions requiring specialized expertise or equipment. Passengers with such conditions, or in the event of an emergency, may be evacuated at the passenger’s expense. No prescription medication will be dispersed onboard without an examination by the physician. laundry/dry cleaning Laundry, dry cleaning and pressing services are available for a charge. Laundry bags and service request forms are in your staterooms. There are also coin operated washing machines/dryers located onboard. Consult your cabin steward for details. tipping All standard gratuities have been prepaid for this cruise so no tipping is required or expected at any time. All dining room staff, cabin stewards and other personnel have been compensated at levels that are customary for a group this size. No additional tipping is needed but may be extended at your discretion if the service is exceptional. pets Although we’ve had a huge number of requests to bring dogs and cats on the cruise, no pets are allowed except dogs assisting visually, hearing, or physically impaired. special occasions You can purchase cakes, flowers, fruit baskets or other gifts from NCL. Call our office and we’ll process this request for you. Please note that these requests must be made no later than June 24th. You need to provide your reservation number when you go to NCL.com or by calling 800-327-7030. All About the Norwegian Dawn 9 [ our young travelers ] R Family Vacations is pleased to offer the very first gay and lesbian cruise that welcomes children! We are so excited about what we have to offer to our young guests. kid’s crew We have a fantastic week planned for kids of all ages. Don’t think of it as babysitting (unless you want to) because our activities are active, energetic, educational, and more importantly, fun. All parents must complete the registration form at the Kid’s Crew orientation (Sunday). You can also pick up schedules for the week for the appropriate age group of your children to find out what and when programs are offered. kid’s pool Norwegian Dawn has a fantastic T-Rex Kid’s Pool. Please note that NCL and R Family Vacations do not provide lifeguard service for either the children’s pool or the main pool. You are responsible for supervising your children in these areas. video zone Younger guests can enjoy a variety of arcade games in the Video Zone located on Deck 13. soda card You can purchase a soda card stamp for your kid’s room key (or yours) so they can receive unlimited soda refills anywhere that soft drinks are served. Our Young Travelers 11 kid’s café There is an adorable Kid’s Café located in the Garden Café on deck 12. This buffet has been especially designed for the little guys complete with tasty selections for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Kids can serve themselves ‘cause the buffet is just their size, as Gregg demonstrates in this picture. blue lagoon This 24-hour diner-style restaurant is a favorite with kids, offering everything from fried rice and wonton soup to burgers and potato skins. sprinkle’s ice cream Kids will love the ice cream stand located at the main pool. A variety of ice cream pops and ice cream is available. nanny service Because we have many travelers who are under the age of two and too young to participate in the Kid’s Crew program, R Family Vacations is offering the services of licensed nannies. Please check the Freestyle Daily for exact times. The plan is to offer nanny services every evening and limited times during the sea days. This will be set up as small group babysitting in our “baby room.” You will need to bring all of your own supplies if you want to use this service. If your children are two and older, you can use the Kid’s Crew program until 10pm. There is no charge for these hours. The Kid’s Crew program also offers late night hours from 10pm–1am, but there is a $5 per hour charge. denise doucette Denise is a very talented children’s singer. She will be performing numerous times during the week with her show designed specifically for our young cruisers. free to be you and me R Family Vacations is excited to present live performances of the 70’s favorite ‘Free to Be You and Me’. We’ll feature this production throughout the week for all to enjoy. 12 Our Young Travelers pack ‘n play cribs The Norwegian Dawn has some “pack ‘n play” cribs available for guest use. Please contact our office if you did not reserve one when you made your reservation. cinema The Norwegian Dawn has a real movie cinema and each day we will feature at least one movie geared to our younger guests. sports court This ship is perfect for the active traveler. There is a basketball court on the pool deck and we’ll have loads of sports contests and active games for both the youngsters as well as our adult guests. teen panel We will once again be offering a teen panel. This panel will be made up of some of our teen guests. The Teen Panel will be an amazing experience for everyone on the cruise. The panel will share their personal experiences about what it is like to grow up in a gay family. You won’t want to miss this. evenings R Family Vacations has designed this cruise with families in mind. We are going to schedule evenings to make sure that the parents and kids can get the most out of all of the wonderful things this cruise has to offer. If you need an evening with “just adults” here’s our suggestion: After your kids enjoy an early dinner, they can enjoy the evening activities in the Kid’s Crew while you enjoy a romantic meal in one of the Dawn’s ten restaurants and catch one of our world-class shows in the 1100-seat theater. Our Young Travelers 13 [ entertainment ] Each night, we will feature a headliner show in the main theater. Please be advised that most of the shows are suitable for children. One evening will feature a comedy showcase. All of our comedians are very familiar with the family aspect of our cruise. However, you may need to decide if adult comedy is appropriate for your individual family. We will mark any event “PG” if we feel that parental discretion is advised for any particular show or performance. We will always have an alternate show each evening on the ship that will be appropriate for children. Check the Freestyle Daily for more details each day. “Let Me Entertain You” Each day will be filled with incredible entertainment throughout the ship. 14 Entertainment entertainment highlights sunday • The Kinsey Sicks America’s favorite Dragapella Barbershop Quartet – Four Fabulous A Capella Singers monday • Rosie O’Donnell’s Variety Hour Enjoy some of this week’s incredible entertainers including Rosie in a big Broadway style production number. tuesday • Comedy Showcase featuring Judy Gold, Jason Dudey, and Poppy Champlain. wednesday • Cyndi Lauper We know you will “just wanna have fun” when this superstar takes to the stage. thursday • “Ad-Liberty” John Tartaglia, from the Tony Award Winning Avenue Q, performs his critically acclaimed cabaret show. friday • “All-Aboard: Rosie’s Family Cruise” Enjoy a sneak preview of the HBO Documentary Feature Film shot on our inaugural cruise. Hosted by Rosie with a few surprises! saturday • Broadway Belters Our very own musical madman Seth Rudetsky presents “Broadway Belters” our finale show featuring some of Broadway’s best performers. It will be a-MAH-zing! Entertainment 15 other talent includes: • Sharon Gless (yes, from Cagney & Lacy & Queer as Folk) • Suzanne Buirgy • Esera Tuaolo • Gavin Creel • Robbie Roth • Paul Castree • Anika Larsen • Darius DeHaas • Liz Callaway • Orfeh • Jennifer Kruskamp • Denise Doucette • Brain Nash • Norm Lewis • Liz McCartney • Stephanie Harwood • Elaine Brier • Anne Steele • Bobby Peaco • Denise Summerford • Brooke Elliott Please refer to the Freestyle Daily for exact showtimes. Please note that all schedules are subject to change. dj Michael Connolly will be programming all of the music for the week. He has DJ’d everything from feature films, weddings and fashion shows to some of the top restaurants in New York. Michael will be mixing music at our theme parties, at the pool, and in the disco. 16 Entertainment speaker series/workshops/ discussion groups R Family Vacations has put together some fantastic discussion groups and seminars on everything from parenting to politics. Please check your Freestyle Daily onboard for times and locations. We have a invited a very acclaimed list of speakers to share their stories including: • Lisa Bennett: Director of HRC Family Net • Bob Bernstein: Author of “Families of Value” • Elizabeth Birch: Former Executive Director of HRC, Host “Birch & Company” on Here TV! • Wes Combs: Founder of Witeck Combs Communications • Aimee Gelnaw: Former Director of the Family Pride Coalition • Steve & Jessie Harris: Founders of Family Evolutions • Cindi Love: Executive Director of the Metropolitan Community Church • Geryl Natrofsky: New Jersey IVF Clinic • Susan Powter: Fitness Guru • Hilary Rosen: Former CEO Recording Industry Association of America, Commentator MSNBC • Steve Sklar: Adoption Attorney • Art Smith: Oprah Winfrey’s Personal Chef • Gail Taylor / Dr. Kim Bergman: Growing Generations – Surrogacy & Egg Donation • Esera Tuaolo: Former NFL football player, gay dad, singer • Judy Wieder: Corporate Editorial Director of LPI Media single travelers Single travelers will have the opportunity to meet other singles during mixers and events throughout the cruise. Please check the Freestyle Daily for times and locations. friends of bill w There will be daily Friends of Bill W. meetings. Entertainment 17 [ dining ] restaurant options The hardest decision you have to make on your cruise will be where to eat! This ship features ten incredible restaurants: • Venetian: Traditional cuisine with a multicourse menu • Aqua & Impressions: Contemporary dining room with a multi-course menu • Cagney’s Steak House: Choose from a menu of steak, seafood and chicken. • Bamboo: Sushi bar and teppanyaki room • Le Bistro: French and Mediterranean dishes • La Tratorria: Italian restaurant featuring pasta and pizzas • Blue Lagoon: 24-hour diner • Salsa: Tex-Mex, tapas and margaritas • Garden Café: International buffet open for all meals and snacks • Kid’s Café: Mini-buffet for the youngsters with hot dogs and chicken Dining times vary, so refer to your Freestyle Daily for exact times. There is also 24-hour room service available at no additional cost. 18 Dining breakfast & lunch For breakfast, you have a choice between Garden Café, the Venetian or the Blue Lagoon. For lunch, you may choose from the above breakfast options or try the sushi / teppanyaki bar. dinner You may eat your dinner at any of the restaurants on the ship. Venetian, Aqua, and Impressions require no reservations. Just show up when you want, whenever you want. Same for the Blue Lagoon and the Garden Café. Some of the specialty restaurants do require reservations (Cagney’s, Bamboo, Le Bistro, La Tratorria, and Salsa). Reservations can be made by dialing the reservation desk or by visiting the reservation desk in the Grand Atrium. Reservations must be made on the day you request. Please note that there is a $15 cover charge at Le Bistro and a $20 cover charge at Cagney’s. Sushi and teppanyaki can be purchased a la carte. There is no cover charge at the other seven restaurants including La Tratorria and Salsa. Dining 19 [ contact information ] before sailing We can be reached on our office number at 866-732-6822 or 845-348-0397. If you don’t reach someone please leave a message. We are diligent about retrieving and returning our missed calls. Norwegian Cruise Line: 800-327-7030 phones at sea You can phone, telex, fax to anywhere in the world and will be billed at applicable ship-to-shore rates. For someone at home to contact you, they need to call 1-888-nc.ships (non-U.S. 1-732-335-3280). Please have a major credit card and note that satellite calls can be very expensive. disembarking We are set to arrive back in New York at 9am. However, it can take an hour or two to clear U.S. Customs. Returning flights should not be scheduled before 1:00pm. The port can be very busy during the summer months with as many as four cruise ships returning that same day to New York. If you live in New York and you’re taking a cab, it might be a good idea to walk a block or two towards Eleventh or Tenth Avenue and catch a cab there. 20 Contact Information Please do not hesitate to contact our office with any questions you may have about your upcoming cruise. We’ve been working hard to make sure that this is the best vacation you’ll ever have. We look forward to meeting each of you on this historic cruise. Please travel safely on your journey to New York. With Kind Regards, The R Family Team Gregg Kaminsky Kelli O’Donnell Colleen Werkheiser Tim Albrecht Rachel Allgood Ann Cooley Phil Dominguez LeRoi Freeman Michael Goedecke Marya Grandy Dennis Lemenager Lyn Malec Paul Marks Rich McPhee Katherine Persky Mark Reis Tim Santos Michael Lee Scott Kathleen Seymour Collin Sheehan Contact Information 21 family friendly vacations designed especially for the gay and lesbian community family friendly vacations designed especially for the gay and lesbian community 2 Washington Avenue Nyack, NY 10960 phone 1-866-r-fam-vac fax 845-348-0396 [email protected] International Guests: 845-348-0397