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. 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 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) 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. 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 river cruising 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.