Frequently Asked Questions
Your cabin purchase benefits The Tom Joyner Foundation, and a portion of your cabin purchase may qualify as a charitable contribution. Please consult with your tax advisor for details.
Q: Why is my reservation in Royal reflecting a certain dining time and why didn’t I get a choice?
A: For a charter, such as the Fantastic Voyage, Royal uses this code to indicate which color of pass card you will receive, not for dining seating. Dining aboard the Fantastic Voyage is open seating; there are no assigned times. When an entertainer performs more than once aboard the cruise, the color of your card indicates which performance you will attend. The colors are distributed evenly and randomly.
Q: Which Theme Night is going to be a formal night?
A: Formal Night will be Black Out with a Pop of Color Sneaker Ball Night.
Q: Are there any more cabins available?
A: Please call (214) 495-1963 to get on the waitlist. If a cabin comes available, you will be contacted immediately.
Q: How do I buy Travel Insurance?
A: This is a great question as we strongly recommend travel insurance because you never know what can happen! You can purchase travel insurance from Travel Guard (Foundation receives a nominal fee) at (www.TravelGuard.com) or type “cruise travel insurance” into any Internet search engine. You would normally just need your FV reservation number and not the booking number. If you have any problems with your number being accepted, please contact your CSR rep. or call (214) 495-1963.
Q: How much water can I bring?
A: Guests may bring non-alcoholic beverages as carry-on items on boarding day. Non-alcoholic beverages may not exceed 12 standard (17 oz.) cans, bottles, or cartons per stateroom. Please read the Royal Caribbean Policy.
https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/food-drink-onboard-policy
Q: Is there an Iron & Ironing Board on the ship? How large are the Laundry bags?
A: For safety concerns self-service laundry facilities are not provided onboard ships, but they do offer washing, pressing, and dry cleaning services. They do not provide irons in the staterooms as they constitute a fire hazard but do offer laundry services. Please review and read the Laundry Service information.
Q: Why didn’t I get the same drink special as my roommate?
A: The Cruise Line offers specials to its own passengers on a daily basis so you never know what’s in the box of chocolates on that day. But once you book, you should be offered the special for that day.
Q: The Cruise Line told me that my gratuities weren’t paid when I called.
A: As a charter, the Fantastic Voyage covers all cabin-related gratuities aboard the ship, which are posted to the ship the day before sailing. The Fantastic Voyage has already made payment for the gratuities.
Quoted from Royal: “We don’t customize e-docs for charters, so if guests with booking reservations pull the e-docs that are automatically generated with the booking, they will find generic information like in any other sailing. The gratuities are sent over to the ship right before the charter sailing starts and that’s when they will be prepaid. There is no way to stop this for just one sailing. Kindly ask them to disregard gratuity information.”
Q: What is included in the Cruise rate?
A: The price includes your stateroom, entertainment, meals (except in specialty restaurants), beverages (except soda and alcohol), gratuities, government taxes, and fees, port charges, and shuttle service between the airport and pier.
Port charges include but are not limited to (i) taxes/fees assessed by governmental and other agencies; (ii) cost incidental to entering/leaving ports such as pilotage; (iii) costs incurred while in port.
The cruise vacation price does not include air transportation, shore excursions, telephone calls, Internet service, photographs, soda or alcoholic beverages, gratuities on drinks and in specialty restaurants, medical services, gift shop or souvenir purchases, beauty/barber/massage services, and gambling/casino fees.
Q: Into which airport should I fly?
A: Preferably, the Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL), or alternately, the Miami International Airport (MIA). Complimentary shuttles will be provided on Saturday, May 20, 2023, from these airports to the pier and Saturday, May 27, 2023, from the pier to these airports.
Q: Can I pick or change my cabin bed configuration?
A: Call the Royal Caribbean’s Customer Service at (800) 465-3595 – Guest Services for a Charter, and they may request the configuration of the bed (s). There is no place on their site to make that choice.
Q: Is airfare included in the cost of the cruise?
A: No, airline tickets are purchased separately and are not included in the price of the cruise.
Q: What travel documents are required to board?
A: Please carefully read the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line document requirements by clicking the link below. https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/what-travel-documents-i-need-for-boarding-day
- If I plan to travel with a Birth Certificate and not a passport what are the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line accepted forms of a birth certificate?
A: Here is what Royal Caribbean requires if travelling with a Birth Certificate.
Must be an original or Government issued copy
If U.S. Citizens aged 16 and older traveling on a closed loop U.S sailing are planning to use their Birth Certificate, Naturalization Paper, or Consular Report of Birth Abroad as their proof of citizenship, they will still need to bring a state issued photo ID if they plan to travel on a closed loop U.S. sailing without a passport book.
- Birth Certificate: A “birth certificate” is issued by a government agency (federal, state, county, city, etc.). This document is legal proof of citizenship that can be used by U.S. citizens for certain international travel. For states that have a “short form” and “long form”, whichever document is government issued with the guest’s full name, birth date and US birth place (city and state), is acceptable.
- Birth Notice/Certificate of Live Birth: A “birth notice” or ”Certificate of Live Birth” is issued by a hospital or other type of medical facility but it is not an approved travel document. It is a courtesy document that merely indicates where a birth occurred. It has no legal status and cannot be used to prove citizenship for travel purposes. Baptismal papers and hospital certificates of birth are not acceptable. If certificate says “This certificate not proof of US Citizenship,” even with raised seal, it is not acceptable. If the guest arrives with only a birth notice, they WILL be denied boarding.
Hint: If the birth “certificate” has the baby’s footprints stamped on it, or has a place for the baby’s footprints, most likely the certificate was issued by the hospital and is NOT acceptable for proof of citizenship.
- Birth Letters: A letter stating that a government agency has the guest’s birth certificate on file is not an acceptable travel document. If the guest arrives with only a birth letter, they WILL be denied boarding.
Q: When should I plan to arrive and depart for the cruise?
A: When booking your flights, it is suggested that you allow 2 -3 hours of travel time from the airport, to allow for travel time, baggage retrieval, loading, and unloading.
Arrival – Please plan to make your arrival on the date of sail no later than 2 pm.
Departure – Due to potential weather issues, we recommend that you make flight reservations for after 12 noon on the day of departure.
Q: Is transportation available from the airport to the pier? Do you need my flight itinerary?
A: Yes, we have planned for transportation from either the Miami International Airport (MIA) or Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL) to be available on the sail date for designated hours. More details have been sent out via email with your cruise documents and through guest communications leading up to the sail date.
Q: Can I get Internet access aboard the ship?
A: There is Internet aboard the ship. Internet access is billed at rates established by the cruise line. You can visit their website for the correct rate information.
Q: How are onboard purchases charged?
A: Royal Caribbean Cruise Line accepts VISA, MasterCard, American Express, and cash for a deposit on your account. Sea Pass in Royal Caribbean’s onboard cashless credit program, allows you to charge all your services, gratuities, and purchases during your cruise to your stateroom. All locations on board will accept your Sea Pass card for payment; the casino will also accept cash. A credit card or cash deposit is needed to establish your personal onboard account.
Q: Why haven’t I gotten my reservation agreement?
A: In many cases, when agreements are sent out and not signed within a prescribed period of time, the link may expire. If you have not received your reservation agreement, please contact your CSR or call (214) 495-1963 today.
Q: Why haven’t I gotten my booking number?
A: Due to the volume, booking numbers for our charter are released in batches and verified and checked before the next batch. But we expect that most of the booking numbers will be released by next Wednesday evening, with the exception of passengers that have not completed their Reservation Agreements. If you have not received your booking number by Wednesday evening, please contact your Customer Service Representative on Thursday at (214) 495-1963. If you are asked to leave a message, you will be called back within 24 hours.
Q: Why do some things seem to be taking longer this year?
A: While we have come out of the pandemic, we are still feeling its effects. Cruise Lines have undergone major changes in protocols, processes, and procedures, and with a new ship and cruise line, we are adapting to the protocols as quickly as possible. But don’t worry, we see smoother waters ahead!
Q: What happens if I am not able to make the cruise once I have paid?
A: Troubles can occur when you least anticipate them forcing you to cancel or interrupt your trip, lose your vacation investment, and incur unplanned expenses. We strongly encourage you to consider the purchase of travel insurance from a national insurer such as Travel Guard (800-826-4919, reference number 98362) (or type “travel insurance” into a search engine). We earn a nominal commission from Travel Guard sales. Insurers usually require the purchase of coverage to occur near the date of booking. Please be aware that travel insurance purchased through your travel vendors (for example, your airline), may not cover your entire travel investment. We highly recommend that you purchase travel insurance from an insurance carrier that specializes in travel insurance to receive your best benefit.
Q: What types of payments will be accepted to purchase a cabin?
A: Credit cards (MasterCard, VISA, American Express, and Discover), personal checks, cashier’s checks, or money orders. Additionally, financing is available through Uplift after qualification.
Q: What if I need to cancel my trip?
A: Knowing that unforeseen situations may present themselves to our guests, we do offer a procedure for canceling your cruise. Cancellation requests must be received in writing. We make a great commitment to bringing such a luxurious cruise to our guests and, therefore, the deposit of $500 per person is non-refundable regardless of circumstances. However, the balance of your cruise commitment is refundable at declining percentages closer to the sailing date (refer to the Fantastic Voyage website for specific percentages). In fairness to our passengers that purchase travel insurance, we strictly abide by the Transfer, Cancellation, and Refund Policy regardless of personal circumstances or circumstances beyond your control that prevent or delay your participation.
Q: How much of my cabin is tax deductible?
A: Your cabin purchase benefits The Tom Joyner Foundation, and a portion of your cabin purchase may qualify as a charitable contribution. Please consult with your tax advisor for details.
Q: What are the travel dates, ports, and the name of the Cruise Ship?
A: Saturday, May 20, 2023 – Saturday, May 27, 2023
Ports: Leaving from Ft Lauderdale, Florida; Cozumel; Grand Cayman; and Falmouth, Jamaica
Ship: Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas
Q: How do I submit a proposal to host an activity/fitness/seminar on the Tom Joyner Foundation Fantastic Voyage cruise?
A: Thank you but we are no longer accepting submissions for presenters at this time. We have completed that process.
*All itineraries, dates and times, cruise ports, artists, performers, appearances, locations, etc. are subject to change without notice.
*All itineraries, dates and times, ports, artists, performers, appearances, locations, etc. are subject to change without notice.
