Money and Visa questions

Spectra · #1 (**permalink**) January 18th, 2010, 12:57 AM

Hello everyone,

I have 2 questions. I haven't been on a cruise yet but I'm working on it right now.

1. How does it work if one has finally found a cruise mate? I mean the payment for the cruise. All I could read from the board is that you should never send money to the other person or give her/him your credit card information. That we should both pay on same day and to the proper authorities, what ever that is? I would be interested to get some advise from you how to manage the financial part. To be frank, someone here at this forum just tried to get my credit card information (name, number, expiration and the 3 digits from the back side) She claims to be a travel agent and is looking for somebody to share a cabin with. Of course I didn't give her any of those information but at the same time I was wondering how do I pay once I have found a match?

2. My second question is, I am a foreign soldier, stationed in the U.S. and I want to go on a cruise, on Carnival Valor to the Caribbean. So far so good, no problems. But when I fill out the forms, I have to type in that I am not an American citizen but live in the U.S. Now I have to put in number of green card but I don't have one. I have a NATO 2 Visa and NATO travel orders that allow me to live here. But there is no option for this and so I cannot finish my registration at Carnival's website. I think they need this for homeland security but also to get the fun card. Can anyone help?

Thanks to all who take their time to read this and help me and sorry for my English

Donna · #2 (**permalink**) January 18th, 2010, 10:18 AM

Hi Spectra,
I think in your case, I'd contact a good cruise travel agent to help you both find a cabinmate and get you going with all the proper papers you may need. No, you were right, don't give that information to anyone over the internet. When you do have a cabinmate, they will hav to provide their own means of payment...

You can look at some of the Cruisemates group cruises and give her a call or e-mail and start that way.

Best of luck.

Mike M · #3 (**permalink**) January 18th, 2010, 10:36 AM

Each person should provide their own payment information to the travel agent/agency or the cruise line. This information should never be shared between travel mates, especially Internet travel mates.

In regard to your NATO visa I would have the agent contact the cruise line to verify that this will be adequate documentation. I can't see why it would not.

Take care,
Mike

Spectra · #4 (**permalink**) January 18th, 2010, 01:28 PM

Thanks Mike and Donna,

I have already booked the Caribbean Cruise online so I'll call them tomorrow in case of my Visa. Too late to get an agent here I guess.

I still don't understand how it works with a travel agent if I find a roomie. Isn't a travel agent a person? If someone lives in Orlando and I in Texas how are we suppose to go to a travel agent? That is what I meant with I don't understand how this works technically. Would you please care to go more into detail since I don't have a clue. Thanks!

Mike M · #5 (**permalink**) January 18th, 2010, 01:38 PM

Spectra:

While a travel agent may be in a certain location, such as Pittsburgh, they can have an online presence and have clients from many different places.

The travel agent I use is in Pennsylvania but handles clients throughout the United States and many foreign countries.

I actually didn't meet her face to face until I had booked two or three cruises with her and the only reason we met is that we were both in Miami at the same time. Since then I have booked about 20 cruises through her and have only met her once more.

A travel agent doesn't have to be someone who has a shop and you go and talk to them face to face. However many who are good online agents also have a "brick and mortar" office to service local clients.

I hope that clears things up. If not go ahead and ask more questions. That's what we're here for.

Take care and have a WONDERFUL cruise.
Mike

Spectra · #6 (**permalink**) January 18th, 2010, 02:00 PM

Thanks again,

so I can do that online with an agency, I didn't get that part *gg*. But we both have to do it same day and we probably just tell them the cabin number that we want to share, right? Because I read here that we have to do it on the same day.

If I see a good offer and price and book the cruise right away before it's gone and then later I find somebody to share it, will it still be possible to get the second person booked on my cabin?