SOME HELPFUL HINTS BEFORE YOU GO
Passengers who have never cruised before, or who have not cruised with Swan Hellenic, will no doubt have many questions to ask about our ship, our operation and many other matters. This section has been written to give you some general information about cruising with us, and we feel sure you will find it useful both before and during your voyage.
Our aim is your complete enjoyment of the cruise holiday, and all of our staff, ashore and afloat, together with the ship's crew will do all they can to ensure this. The information given here is correct at the time of printing (June 2007), but is subject to change without notice. If you have any queries about your booking, we will always be pleased to help you. Please feel free to telephone us on 01444 462 180.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office produces up-to-date travel information to help British travellers make informed decisions about travelling abroad. For further information please visit www.fco.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo or telephone 0845 850 2829. Alternatively, you can contact ABTA's Travel Information line on 0901 201 5050 (calls are charged at 50p per minute).
PASSPORTS AND VISAS
All British citizens will require full ten year passports valid for the countries visited and showing at least 6 months validity beyond your return date.
At time of printing, June 2007, prepurchased visas are only required if you are visiting Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania and Yemen if you hold a machine-readable United Kingdom passport showing you as a ‘British Citizen'. Should this change, we will let you know as soon as possible. In addition, any passengers transitting the USA without a machine-readable passport will need a US visa.
Please note that UK passport holders joining our organised tours in Libya and Russia do not at the present time require individual visas. However, if regulations should change in either country and individual visas are required, it will be the responsibility of each passenger to obtain and purchase their own. Currently passengers who wish to go ashore independently at any time in Russia or Libya will require a visa purchased and issued before arrival in the country. The procedure for obtaining a visa for Libya is very complicated and costs about £100; for Russia we can provide details of an easy-to-use visa application service at a cost of £85 including consular fee, service charge and VAT. Please contact us at least 8 weeks prior to departure should you wish to obtain your own visa for either of these countries.
For cruises visiting Libya, passengers with an Israeli stamp already in their passports must obtain either a replacement or a second passport before boarding Minerva. Also note that U.S. citizens are currently not being granted visas for Libya.
Where visa charges are payable locally these must be paid by the passenger. Advice will be given with your final details when this is necessary. To avoid queues at the airport, if our local agents are able to obtain these on your behalf in advance, they will do so and the cost will be added to your final invoice or on-board account e.g.there is currently a £10 visa fee payable by UK citizens arriving/departing by air in Turkey and £10 when you fly into or out of Egypt.
Any non-British passengers will require full passports valid for the countries visited, and visas where required. It is the responsibility of each passenger to check with the various embassies or consulates involved for their particular cruise, ensuring that they have the necessary documentation/visas to enter all countries visited. Any passenger arriving at the departure port/airport without a passport or correct visas (if required) will be refused permission to board the ship/aircraft. Failure in this respect is not covered by insurance and no refund can be claimed. The ship's purser on board deals with all immigration formalities.
HEALTH, VACCINATIONS AND MEDICAL INFORMATION
As health regulations are everchanging, we recommend that you consult your G.P., or telephone MASTA (Medical Advisory Service for Travellers Abroad) on 0906 822 4100 at least 12 weeks before your intended departure to check the latest requirements of the countries you will be visiting. In addition, an information leaflet is published by the Department of Health and can be obtained by calling 0870 155 5455.
At time of going to press, June 2007, there are no mandatory vaccination requirements for destinations featured in this brochure, except Yellow Fever vaccinations are required for visits to Brazil. Passengers visiting east Africa should consult their G.P's regarding the possibility of taking a course of anti-malarial tablets prior to their departure.
If you do not normally enjoy good health, you should consult your doctor regarding the advisability of taking a cruise and being away from the usual medical and hospital facilities. Your insurance company must be advised of any pre-existing condition at the time of booking and of any condition arising subsequently prior to departure, otherwise your insurance may be invalid. We ask you to advise us on the Booking Form of any disability or illness so that we can advise our on board medical team.
CHILDREN
There are no recreational facilities for children aboard the mv MINERVA and reservations for those under the age of eleven are not advised.
PASSENGERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Swan Hellenic will always try to accommodate passengers with special needs. However, the following conditions apply:
Medical Situations: Any physical disability or medical condition that requires special treatment or medical apparatus must be reported to the company's Reservations Manager in writing along with the first deposit, which is due at time of booking. These include but are not limited to wheelchairs, oxygen therapy, dialysis, etc. Failure to disclose a medical situation at time of booking may result in you being denied boarding at port of embarkation.
Health Care Companions: All passengers with special needs must be self-sufficient and must be accompanied by a passenger who will take full responsibility for any assistance needed during the cruise and in the event of an emergency.
Pregnancy: Regulations vary from airline to airline, but some will refuse to carry women who will be 28 weeks pregnant on the date of return travel. If you are in doubt, please check with the airline concerned and we would recommend that you consult your doctor in any case.
Disabled Passengers: We feel we should point out that we are not specialists in catering for the disabled. If you or any person travelling with you suffers from a disability, you must contact our office for advice before you make your booking.
Wheelchairs: Passengers confined to heelchairs must provide their own collapsible chair. Please note that in cabins aboard the MINERVA there is a 5" riser to bathrooms and some door sills, except in cabin no.'s 4038, 4039, 6011 and 7011, which have been adapted for wheelchair use. However, we must point out that at all ports of call featured in this cruise programme, passengers are required to walk up or down the gangway when embarking or disembarking the ship. Some ports require tenders to go ashore and conditions may preclude a wheelchair passenger from leaving the vessel; this decision must be made by the ship's Captain and is binding. Passengers should also be aware that facilities for the handicapped in some destinations may be very limited. Getting about once on board MINERVA is relatively easy, however, you may find certain parts of the ship inaccessible.
Special Diets: We can usually make provisions for special diets provided that sufficient notice is given. A vegetarian choice is available on board ship and vegetarian meals are also available on flights. Please indicate any requests at time of booking. We will make every effort to satisfy your request, although this cannot be guaranteed.
Note: The company has the right to refuse or revoke passage to anyone who, in its judgement, is in a physical or mental condition unfit for travel, or who may require care beyond that which the vessel can provide.
