At Emerald Cruises, we understand how important travel plans are. This is even more the case today as our valued guests start to travel again. You may have seen in recent news stories that as the world re-opens there has been a surge in global travel demand as well as shortages in labour in many countries, including those that we operate in. This has had significant impact on the travel industry, airline flights and airport operations during the peak travel periods. By airlines rescheduling or cancelling of flights many of our guests travel plans (flight, hotel, transfers) need last minute amending, which in turn leads to a significant increase in calls to our customer contact centres. Our teams will do their utmost to secure your holiday. Regardless of the current conditions, we would like to re-assure you our dedicated crew are looking forward to welcoming you on board. As you plan for your cruise, this email will provide you with some guidance and handy tips to ensure you are prepared. Whether it be for flight changes, delays, queues, missing luggage, or any other possible changes to your journey. Contacting us Our reservations centre is experiencing an unprecedented number of booking changes close to the travel departure dates. This means you may experience longer hold times when calling during peak periods, or when we are processing booking, hotel and transfer changes due to major airline schedule amendments. The Emerald Cruises management team is committed to our expected service level, and we have increased our reservation staffing levels by 40% to help reduce our response times. Staying up to date We will ensure to keep you updated on any change to your upcoming arrangements. We would also recommend downloading the app on your phone for the airlines you are flying with so you can stay up to date on any flight changes. Many airline apps also have features like baggage tracking. As travel restrictions continue to ease globally, this handy link is useful for checking itineraries Travel Restrictions (joinsherpa.com) If you have questions regarding your travels, we recommend contacting your travel agent in the first instance or our Emerald Cruises reservations team via hello@emeraldcruises.co.uk if you have booked directly with us. Travel documentation timings and format We are currently emailing guest documentation packs approximately 2 weeks prior to the cruise departure date. However, last-minute airline flight adjustments have had a considerable impact on when we can finalise our guests’ travel arrangements. While we are working to increase the period prior to travel for documentation to be sent, any changes close to departure may delay when we can release these to you to ensure that the transfer information provided is correct. To ensure you receive this information as soon as possible we will be sending your travel documentation via email rather than by mail, your luggage will continue to be sent by courier. Packing for your cruise We recommend packing a carry-on bag with enough clothes and essentials for your first 3-4 days of your cruise in case your luggage is delayed or lost. This will ensure you can enjoy your first few days while the airlines organise delivery of your bags. In addition to clothing, consider packing items like your walking shoes and essential medications. If your luggage is delayed or lost, ensuring your luggage has all your contact information and inserting a printout of your full travel itinerary inside your suitcase will help the airline staff locate you, especially if your cruise commences during this time.
Purchasing new technology, like the Apple Air Tags and other similar products, can also help you track your luggage location throughout your travels. Current sailing conditions Rhine & Danube rivers Europe is currently experiencing hot and exceptionally dry weather conditions which has resulted in low water levels on parts of the Danube and Rhine rivers. As a result, we are adjusting some of our sailing itineraries to avoid or minimise impacts and allow for the safe navigation of our ships, ensuring where possible the continuation of guest's itinerary. Please be assured Emerald Cruises will contact you if your upcoming sailing is impacted. Last minute changes on arrival in Europe If your travel plans change in transit, and your arrival is delayed, below are some key contacts who will be available to assist you if you are within 48 hours of joining your Emerald Cruises cruise or hotel: Europe & France River and Ocean Cruises Europe local time support: + 41 43 521 1820 Global support – outside of Europe hours: + 41 43 521 1839 Portugal River Cruises only Portugal local time support: +351 919029086 or +351 914296986 Global support – outside of Europe hours: +351 914878799 COVID-19 requirements Our Europe river cruises no longer require a negative COVID-19 test result to board. A copy of your international vaccination certificate will be requested upon check-in for both River & Ocean cruises along with your passport. We look forward to welcoming you on board We have been delighted to see our valued guests enjoying every moment of their Emerald Cruises experience from the European rivers, and Emerald Azzurra sailings in the Red Sea & Mediterranean, and with the Mekong recommencing in October. Please note we have included any direct guest email that has been provided to us on Trip Personaliser. On behalf of the Emerald Cruises management team, our dedicated crew look forward to welcoming you on board, so that you can once again create memories to last a lifetime.