Frequently Asked Questions
What forms of payment can Planettrekker accept?
Planettrekker will accept all major credit cards and debit cards and does have the ability to accept cash and checks under certain circumstances. We can accept payments by PayPal, as well. Checks will not be accepted under any circumstance where a vacation is under penalty of cancellation, or within six months of departure.
Can I book airline tickets with Planettrekker?
Planettrekker does not have the capability to book airline tickets only for our customers. However, most Cruise Lines and Tour Operators offer airfare in conjunction with cruise or lodging packages, and we can usually book airfare on most major airlines if we can bundle the airfare with a car rental or a few nights of lodging. We can also offer recommendations of airlines and their corresponding schedules to assist the traveler if they desire to book their airfare independently of their vacation booked with Planettrekker.
I need a brochure to assist me with my travel plans.
Can you send me one?
Yes! Planettrekker understands and appreciates such materials as essential to the planning process. We will do our best to secure the collateral to assist you. Most cruise lines and tour operators offer electronic brochures for free. However, we can usually obtain a hard copy if one is offered and would be happy to mail it to you!
What is Clear?
Like TSA Pre-Check, but not offered through the government and is the biometrics technology created by a private company. Clear speeds members through the travel document check process at fifty US airports by using the eyes or three fingers for verification, but they must still go through the TSA screening as well. It’s best to have both Clear and TSA Pre-Check for the most expedited service. Visit www.clearme.com, for more detailed information.
Do I need a passport to cruise?
If you are cruising from any port in the United States and returning to that same port, a passport is presently not required. However, you must have a government issued ID in conjunction with your original certified copy of your birth certificate with a raised seal. Your government issued ID must include a picture of yourself. Additionally, the name on your reservation must match your government issued ID, and if your birth certificate has a different name than is on your government issued photo ID, you must also have readily available documentation to present at the port that explains why your birth certificate does not match your government issued ID. Examples of supporting documentation include marriage certificates, legal name change documentation, etc. Please note that Planettrekker strongly encourages every US Citizen boarding a cruise ship from a US port to be a United States passport holder.
What are the cons of cruising from a US Port
without a passport?
If you board a cruise ship from a US Port which is cruising outside the borders of the United States, the only way you can return to the United States is on that cruise ship. If you are on a cruise In the Caribbean and you receive tragic news from home which requires you to return home before your voyage has concluded, you would not be able to return early without a passport as you would need to utilize air travel to return early and that would require a passport.
Do I need to exchange U.S. Dollars for Euros
or the foreign currency of the country I am visiting
before I leave the United States?
Whether or not to exchange foreign currency is solely dependent on the destination to which you are traveling. In many cases the US Dollar may be accepted in foreign countries, but it always depends on the country. It is wise to have small amounts of foreign currency with you if when you arrive at your destination you will need to offer a gratuity for baggage handling, taxi services, valet, or other such services. Tipping should be paid in the local currency if possible. Additionally, it is important not to exchange too many of your US Dollars for foreign currency as typically there are higher minimum amounts to exchange it back into USD when you return to the United States. Although it’s nice to have a few foreign coins left over as a token souvenir, it would not be so nice to have your money tied up in unusable foreign bank notes.
What is Global Entry and how can it enhance my travel experience?
Approved applicants for Global Entry will have an expedited customs and immigrations experience when arrival in foreign lands and returning to the United States. One of many advantages of having Global Entry is being able to utilize a kiosk upon arrival in a country and scanning your passport as opposed to having to wait in a long line of other arriving passengers to visit an immigrations officer to approve your documentation of entry. However, if you are traveling as part of a group, you must understand that if others in your group do not have Global Entry, you may get through the process quickly, but you will still need to wait on the others in the group to complete their entry in the standard process. Visit www.cbp.gov, for more detailed information.
My hotel was prepaid with my vacation package. Why is the hotel asking me for a credit card when I check in?
With very few exceptions, all hotels require a credit card at check in as protection for the hotel against a guest who may charge incidentals (room service, bar charges, etc) to their room and neglect to pay it at check out. Therefore, when a credit card is presented at the front desk, the hotel will typically authorize an amount designed to cover such anticipated expenses. If no room charges are incurred by the hotel guest, the authorized amount of the charge will just fall off the account within a day or two after check-out.
What if I don’t have a credit card at check in?
Sometimes travelers prefer not to use credit cards when traveling and this can present a problem at hotel check-in. Many hotels will accept cash deposits, but these deposits can usually be quite high, and their acceptance and the amount of the deposit should always be verified and documented in advance. Additionally, hotels will happily accept debit cards at check in, but the traveler must understand that authorized charges to a debit card can take much longer to reappear in the card account than those of credit card holders. These debit card authorizations can take up to 10 business days to show back up in the bank account, depriving the card hold of needed funds.
How difficult will it be to travel abroad
if I only speak English?
It should never be assumed that someone will speak English when traveling outside of the USA. Additionally, you will find meeting people and making new friends abroad much easier if you make even a minor effort to speak the local language. Learn small phrases and the standard replies to them prior to travel. Even knowing the very basics can serve you well traveling in regions where English-speaking individuals are rare or nonexistent. Learning numbers and currency units can be very helpful, and always be gracious and kind when needing assistance. Additionally, applications such as Google Translate can provide amazing assistance in such scenarios!
Does your company offer a payment plan for travel?
When booking travel, a deposit will be needed to lock-in your vacation plans and pricing, and then typically a final payment date is set. When the deposit and final payment are due depends on the travel product you are purchasing. For example, some cruise lines and tour operators will hold a vacation package for 24-72 hours after booking without a deposit, but if the deposit is not paid within that time frame, the package will cancel. Once the deposit is paid, a final payment date is set for which the entire vacation must be paid in full. Between the time that the deposit is paid and the final payment is due, a traveler may make payments toward the vacation price as much or as little as they desire to affect the amount of money that will be due on the final payment date. It is common that if you are booking a vacation package with a very short duration until the departure date, full payment may be due at the time the reservation is made.
Can I book rail travel with Planettrekker?
Absolutely! We can provide guidance and ticket on Amtrak, Via Rail, Rail Europe, Eurostar, Japanese Rail, Orient Express, and too many others to list! Additionally, we offer vacation packages which utilize rail transportation for most of the journey.
I keep hearing news reports that the destination I am planning to visit is not safe.
What should I do?
Planettrekker cannot advise travelers on the safety of any destination, but we do strongly recommend to all travelers to visit the U.S. Department of State website for up-to-date travel information for every country in the world. Visit: www.travel.state.gov, for current travel advisories. Make an informed decision about your travel destination. Additionally, download the Smart Travel App on your smartphone to stay abreast of travel advisories, and enroll in the STEP program prior to international travel. Enrolling in STEP registers you in advance with the state department and can be done within the Smart Traveler Application.
How do I know what documentation I need for my travel?
Your Planettrekker Travel Consultant will guide you and prepare you to gather the necessary documentation for your journey. The secure documentation process in the post-Covid era has become much more complex than ever before. Planettrekker can advise you what forms will need to be completed in advance for travel to your destination, and what documents will need to be presented to travel, such as passport, health forms, visa, etc. Some documentation is specific to the airline selected to transport you to your destination and can normally be provided 24-48 hours on the airline app.
How does TSA Pre-Check benefit my travel journey?
If you are a regular traveler in the United States, having TSA Pre-Check can make the domestic travel experience much less stressful! Not having to remove one’s shoes and empty out one’s carry-on prior to getting to the gate makes for a much better start to the travel experience. If you travel abroad, however, make sure to sign up for Global Entry instead. When you apply for Global Entry, TSA Pre-Check is automatically included with your fee. Visit www.tsa.gov, for more detailed information.
Cruise Lines, Airlines, and Tour Operators encourage me to “get the APP”!
Should I download "the APP" for my trip?
The short answer is yes. It’s true that most travelers have some kind of SMART Phone in tow when traveling, be it an Android or an Apple. Having your airline’s APP on your Smart Phone can be very reassuring during travel as you will receive important notifications faster than any other form of communication. Important notifications include such things as gate changes, flight delays, and the location of your luggage. Cruise Lines ask their passengers to have their APP downloaded because it gives their guests the information they need communicated in the most expedient manner. Just as airline tickets are now electronic, cruise documents have become electronic as well. It won’t be long before all tour packages are provided only in electronic form as well! However, it remains possible with the airlines, cruise lines, and tour operators to print travel documents in paper form for population of travelers who do not subscribe to smart phone technology, and Planettrekker can assist in making communication between the traveler and the travel provider as seamless as possible.
Why is Travel Insurance important to purchase?
To answer this question Planettrekker is going to cut straight to the chase. Most travelers assume that if a tragedy happens to them such as illness or death the airlines, cruise lines, and tour operators will be empathetic and refund their money. This is mostly false. Money spent on travel and travel-related services is lost in the event of an unexpected cancellation. When considering the purchase of trip-cancellation insurance, base your decision on the amount of money you are willing to lose without regret should an unexpected cancellation be needed. Then, if you decide you can lose the full cost of your vacation without regret, think again about purchasing insurance anyway for the coverage it provides during travel. Most USA medical coverage plans do not cover you once you leave the United States. Travel insurance provides health coverage as well as emergency medical coverage including coverage to return you to the United States if necessary. Travel Insurance also provides coverage for lost baggage, baggage delays, and flight delays and cancellations. There are a multitude of policies offered and Planettrekker strongly encourages the purchase of travel insurance.
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