Please read the following terms and conditions carefully as you are bound by them when you book and travel on any product sold to you by Cruise1st Australia Pty Ltd. Additional conditions issued by suppliers of travel related products other than Cruise1st Australia Pty Ltd may also apply.
Prices
All prices are subject to availability at the time of publication and are per person and quoted in Australian dollars (AUD). Bookings can only be made by a person aged 18 years or over. All passengers who, at the time of departure, are under the age of 18 years must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Prices are subject to change at any time and your holiday cost may be subject to additional surcharges (such as fuel surcharges) being made even after full payment has been received. Air tickets will be guaranteed when full payment is made for this item. Some pricing is cached pricing, and may be incorrect until choosing your cruise on the Cruise1st website. Please select ‘book now’ to display the most up to date price. Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE).
Not included in prices
Passports, visas, vaccinations, tipping and cruise ship gratuities (unless you have chosen to pre pay), laundry, some meals and beverages unless specified, shore excursions and optional tours, porterage, travel insurance, excess baggage charges. On some domestic US flights there may be extra charges applicable to check in your luggage.
Deposit
Deposits vary by cruise line, date and duration. The full cost of airfares may also be due at the time of booking, please speak to one of our reservations agents for more details. All bookings / reservations are subject to availability at the time of booking and if your deposit is not paid by the due date, we reserve the right to cancel the booking / reservation. A fee of AUD$50.00 per person will apply for any reservation that requires rebooking or amendment in any way, in addition to the mandatory deposit. At the time of booking, Cruise1st will charge a $300 per person deposit in addition to any supplier deposit for all packaged holiday bookings (excludes cruise only bookings). The Cruise1st deposit of $300 per person will contribute to the final balance of your holiday, or towards the Cruise1st cancellation penalty in the event of cancellation.
Payments
Final payment is due no later than 20 weeks prior to departure from Australia unless stated otherwise on your invoice. For late bookings i.e. normally within 20 weeks of departure or where the supplier requires full payment, you will be asked for a higher deposit or the full payment at the time of booking (A Late booking fee may be added if required by the supplier of your travel arrangements). Some travel services require immediate payment in full or final payment to be made up to and exceeding 140 days prior to departure.
Payment Methods
All payments must be made in Australian Dollars (AUD$). We accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express debit & credit cards. Payments are subject to a non-refundable merchant fee surcharge, which is a percentage of the value of the transaction. These surcharges are currently shown in the table below and are updated regularly. We reserve the right to change credit card surcharges should our card processors increase or decrease their charges to us or if additional surcharges, taxes, GST or any other additional fees become payable on these charges. We also accept bank transfers and direct deposits and details will be listed on your invoice.
| Payment type | Surcharge |
| AMEX | 1.80% |
| Corporate & Premium - Mastercard | 1.20% |
| Corporate & Premium - Visa | 1.40% |
| Diners Club | 2.50% |
| International Cards | 3.00% |
| MasterCard | 1.20% |
| Visa | 1.40% |
Tickets and Documentation
Tickets and travel documentation will normally be issued two weeks (14 days) prior to departure based on your confirmed departure date. Tickets and documentation will be sent by email. Delivery by regular postal service or express post courier may incur postal charges. If you have not received your tickets a week (7 days) prior to departure please contact us immediately using the contact details provided below. Please check your travel documents carefully upon receipt, and advise us immediately of any error. If you have any further queries, please contact our Reservation Dept on Tel: 1800 633 300 or e-mail us at [email protected]
If You Cancel Your Holiday or Make an Amendment
You or any member of your party may cancel your booking / holiday at any time. Written notification by email is required and this will be noted in your booking upon receipt.
If you cancel your holiday, Cruise1st will charge a $300 per person cancellation fee, plus any costs or cancellation penalties charged by suppliers i.e cruise lines, hotels and airlines. We recommend purchasing travel insurance at the time of booking which may reimburse unforeseen cancellation fees.
Please ask our consultants for the specific cancellation fee schedules of the supplied components of your specific package. This includes but not limited to cruise lines, tour operators and hotel suppliers. In addition you can refer to the suppliers websites or brochures for details.
Refunds cannot be processed until suppliers have remitted funds back to Cruise1st, and any expenses incurred by us, such as supplier fees, are confirmed. Refunds may take up to 12 weeks to process, unless advised otherwise. Any change to the original departure date after full payment has been received by us, will be considered an amendment and may be subject to the amendment fee.
Cruise1st will charge $50 per person amendment fee over and above any supplier amendment or change fees. If you make a payment to Cruise1st and then subsequently want a refund in order to pay via an alternative method, a $25 processing fee will apply.
**In this paragraph 'Deposit' means the amount payable on booking or on any subsequent amendment which may on some occasions be up to 100% of the price.
Booking accessible cabins
You can book an accessible cabin by calling our reservations team on 1800 633 300, or by submitting an online enquiry form and a Cruise1st representative will contact you. If you book a cabin online, you cannot confirm an accessible cabin allocation on the website at the time of booking.
You can make a booking online on a guarantee promotion, however if you require an accessible cabin you will need to contact us immediately at [email protected] or 1800 633 300 and Cruise1st will process your request for an accessible cabin with the relevant Cruise Line supplier. When the Cruise Line has confirmed the allocation of an accessible cabin, you will be notified in writing. Cruise1st will attempt to confirm all requests for accessible cabins within 5 business days. Cruise line suppliers may require you to complete a special needs form or provide additional information before confirming an accessible cabin.
Bookings made on a guarantee fare or guarantee promotional basis do not permit cabin selection at the time of booking on the website or over the phone. Cruise Line suppliers do not make cabin information available to Cruise1st for any booking made on a guarantee basis. Guaranteed cabins are allocated by the Cruise Line and can be anywhere on the ship within the category booked. Cabin numbers are usually allocated approximately 2-3 weeks before departure but can be advised as close as the actual departure date. An accessible cabin may be confirmed and allocated to a guarantee promotional booking, however you may not be notified of the specific cabin number until 2-3 weeks prior to departure.
If you have booked a guarantee cabin online and require an accessible cabin, and an accessible cabin cannot be allocated by the Cruise Line, Cruise1st will provide a full refund without penalty.
Allocation of an accessible cabin is at the discretion of the Cruise Line supplier and subject to availability.
Requirements to travel
Passports, visas and vaccinations are your responsibility. Without the necessary passport, visas and/or vaccinations, local authorities may deny you boarding, prevent you from going ashore, issue a fine or deny the ship entry into the port. We require a copy of each travelling passengers passport for any international cruise package bookings including a flight or land tour. Passports are required for all international travel and must be valid for a minimum of 6 months beyond the date of return travel. In addition, travel on our cruises will not revalidate an Australian re-entry visa. Australian residents do not need a passport or visa for any cruise that does not visit a foreign port. However, government issued photo identification is required. Queensland Proof of Age cards will not be accepted. A current Medicare card may be used for passengers under 18 years of age travelling with a responsible adult for domestic travel only. We will not be liable for any loss associated with denied boarding or denied entry in the event travelling passengers do not meet health, passport and visa travel requirements.
Traveling with Children
If you are an adult traveling with a minor that’s not your son or daughter, it is standard legal procedure to take a letter of authority from both parents advising it is acceptable to take the child on holiday.
Travel Insurance
It is highly recommended that all travellers obtain comprehensive travel insurance including the coverage for loss of deposit, cancellation fees and amendment to your holiday at the time of booking. We strongly recommend all travellers to have sufficient cover for any medical expenses that may be incurred during their overseas travel. Cruise1st Australia Pty Ltd can assist with a quote if required.
Health, Visa & Immigration Requirements
It is the passengers own responsibility to ensure they are fit for travel, this includes but not limited to pregnancy. It is also the passengers own responsibility to have valid and continuing travel documentation including visas for all countries they intend on entering or transiting through. Many cruise lines will provide the relevant visa for some countries whilst on board your cruise. A charge will be added to your on board account to cover the cost. The main countries concerned are; Vietnam, Indonesia, Brunei, Papua New Guinea & Sri Lanka.
Passports should be valid for at least 6 months after returning to Australia. Visa and health requirements can be confirmed with the relevant embassies and/or consulates prior to travel. We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot travel because you have not complied with any passport, visa, vaccination or immigration requirements. Information on current travel requirements and restrictions can currently be found by visiting www.smartraveller.gov.au and additional travel advice can be found by visiting www.dfat.gov.au
Consumer Protection
Certain laws such as the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 and any applicable state based consumer legislation (from here known as 'consumer laws'), are in place for your protection. They are designed to ensure our services are provided with due care and skill and are reasonably fit for a holiday.
If We Change / Cancel Your Holiday
Occasionally we may have to make changes due to cultural, environmental or commercial reasons and we reserve the right to do so at any time. Most of these changes will be minor and we will advise you at the earliest opportunity. We also reserve the right in any circumstances to cancel your holiday. For example, if the minimum number of persons required to operate a particular holiday is not reached, we may have to cancel it. However we will not cancel your holiday less than 6 weeks before departure date, except in exceptional circumstances or for reasons of force majeure*. If we are unable to provide you with the holiday booked, you may choose an alternative holiday of a comparable standard, if available (we will refund any price difference if the alternative is of a lower value) OR a credit for the value of the holiday to be redeemed within 2 years of the original date of departure. Please note that carriers such as airlines may be subject to change for reasons such as carrier availability, this is deemed a minor change. Other examples of minor changes include alteration of your outward/return flights by less than 12 hours or a change of airports to another airport in the same city or region, changes to aircraft type, change of accommodation/vessel to another of the same standard. Cruise1st and our suppliers reserve the right to make adjustments to the advertised itinerary, cabin choice, bedding configuration, meal timings etc to take into account passenger safety, comfort and enjoyment which may include weather conditions.
Guaranteed Cabins are allocated by the Cruise Line and can be anywhere on the ship within the category booked. The cabin numbers are usually allocated approximately 2-3 weeks before departure but can be advised as close as the actual departure date. When booking two guarantee cabins of the same category the Cruise line cannot guarantee that these cabins will be allocated near each other. Guarantee cabins may also receive a complimentary upgrade. Please note a twin, triple, bunk bed style or quad berth cabin may be allocated to your party. A guarantee cabin may be allocated a cabin with an obstructed view. Please note a twin, triple or quad berth cabin may be allocated to your party. If you have booked a guarantee cabin and require an accessible cabin, please contact Cruise1st at [email protected] and our customer support team will request an accessible cabin with the relevant Cruise Line supplier. If you have booked a guarantee cabin and require an accessible cabin, and an accessible cabin cannot be allocated by the Cruise Line, Cruise1st will provide a full refund without penalty.
The Captain of the Ship / Aircraft must at all times have concern for the safety of his/her passengers and crew, therefore has overriding discretion at all times to act as he sees fit. In no circumstances shall we be liable for any consequence arising from adverse weather conditions experienced during your holiday. On board cruises, sea areas controlled by vessel traffic, schemes, canals, rivers and other navigable waterways may be subject to delay due to operational circumstances and/or requirements of local authorities. The Captain of the Ship has the right to alter the itinerary in any way he sees fit and we cannot therefore be responsible for any failure to meet arrival/departure times for any port of call. We will however do everything possible to assist but cannot be held liable for any additional charges.
* Force majeure means that we have to cancel or change your holiday due to unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control. These include for example, war, threat of war, terrorist activity and its consequences or the threat of such activity, riot, the act of any government or other national or local authority, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, adverse weather, sea and ice conditions.
When Redeeming Vouchers
You can redeem your voucher obtained from Cruise1st when your holiday cost is a minimum of $1500 per person. Any individual can only ever redeem one voucher per booking. Vouchers are non transferable, non combinable with other offers, cannot be exchanged for cash, cannot be redeemed against cancellation charges and only one voucher is allowed per booking. Your new booking must be made by the date indicated on your voucher and cannot be extended. This voucher may not be applicable to certain already discounted cruises - our staff will confirm at the time of booking. Cruise1st reserves the right to refuse the voucher or withdraw this offer at any time without notice. This voucher cannot be used towards your deposit, but will be discounted on the total balance of your cruise booking.
If redeeming vouchers from websites such as, but not limited to, Luxury Escapes, Cudo, Travelzoo, Scoopon, Groupon their Terms & Conditions will apply in conjunction with Cruise1st Booking Terms and Conditions.
Price match Guarantee
Applies to genuine cruise quotes from all cruise lines, registered travel agencies and websites. Quote must be in writing and must be presented to us prior to booking. Fare must be available and able to be booked by an Australian passport holder or Australian resident when you present a quote to us. Fares available due to membership of a group or corporate entity or subscription to a closed group are excluded. Quote must be in AUD for the same dates, ship, cabin type and category and with the same inclusions. If we are unable to match the price after all the above is confirmed we will give you a $50 voucher to use against any future booking with Cruise1st.