Agreement & Scope of Services
CruiseClue operates as an independent cruise travel agency and digital search platform. We specialize in providing travelers with live cruise comparisons, deck plans, stateroom categories (Interior, Oceanview, Balcony, Suite), personalized cruise quote estimations, and telephone concierge reservation services.
CruiseClue as Intermediary
We facilitate reservations between you and global cruise lines. Cruise line suppliers are solely responsible for transportation, shipboard services, and voyage execution.
Dual Contract Agreement
When booking through CruiseClue, you enter into a dual agreement: these website Terms, plus the specific Cruise Passenger Ticket Contract of your selected cruise line.
If you do not accept these Terms or the passenger contract of the designated carrier, you must refrain from using our booking services and website tools.
Passenger Age & Travel Eligibility
Cruise line carriers enforce strict age and health eligibility guidelines mandated by international maritime security and maritime labor conventions:
Minimum Age Requirements
On sailings departing North American ports, at least one passenger in each stateroom must be 21 years of age or older at the time of embarkation. Exceptions apply for legally married couples or parents traveling with dependent children in adjoining cabins.
Infant Sailing Minimums
Infants must be at least 6 months of age on the date of embarkation for coastal/Caribbean voyages, and at least 12 months for transpacific, transatlantic, or remote itineraries with consecutive sea days.
Pregnancy Restrictions
Due to limited shipboard obstetric medical care, women who have entered or will enter their 24th week of pregnancy at any point during the cruise will be denied boarding by the carrier with no refund.
Minor Travel Consent
Minors traveling without both parents or legal guardians must present a notarized Parental Consent Letter authorising foreign maritime travel and emergency medical treatment.
Fares, Inclusions & Pricing Policies
CruiseClue is committed to clear, honest pricing. Cruise fares are subject to dynamic yield management, which means prices fluctuate in real time until a confirmed deposit has been charged:
Standard Inclusions
- • Stateroom accommodations for the voyage duration
- • Meals in main dining rooms, buffets, and casual cafes
- • Broadway-style theater shows and live entertainment
- • Fitness center, pool decks, whirlpools, and sports courts
- • Supervised youth clubs and children’s programming
Exclusions & Optional Add-ons
- • Government taxes, port fees & maritime security fees
- • Daily shipboard crew gratuities (service charges)
- • Specialty dining venues and chef tasting experiences
- • Alcoholic and premium specialty beverage packages
- • Shore excursions, spa treatments, Wi-Fi access, and transfers
Fuel Supplements: All cruise lines reserve the contractual right to reinstate a fuel supplement surcharge (typically up to $10–$12 per person per day) should global oil benchmark prices exceed established thresholds prior to sailing.
Passports, Visas & Maritime Requirements
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Passport Validity: We strongly advise that all passengers carry an official passport valid for at least six (6) months beyond the return date of the cruise, even on "closed-loop" sailings originating and terminating in the same U.S. port.
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Name Matching Requirement: The names provided during reservation must match the traveler’s passport character-for-character. Cruise lines charge administrative fees (often $50–$150) for name amendments post-booking, and changes within 14 days of embarkation may be rejected by maritime customs authorities.
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Visas & Border Customs: Travelers must independently verify visa requirements (including transit visas, electronic authorization like ESTA/eTA, and health entry forms) for every country visited on the ship's itinerary.
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Terminal Check-In Times: Passengers must arrive at the cruise terminal within their assigned arrival window and complete physical security check-in at least 90 minutes before the vessel’s scheduled departure time.
Deposits, Payment Schedules & Processing
To secure a stateroom, an initial deposit must be processed at the time of reservation. The exact deposit amount depends on the cruise line, stateroom class (Suites often require higher or non-refundable deposits), sailing length, and promotional rate code.
• Late Payments: If the final balance is not paid in full by the designated deadline, the cruise line will automatically cancel the reservation and assess full deposit forfeiture penalties.
• PCI-DSS Compliant Security: CruiseClue transmits payment details directly to certified merchant processors and cruise line gateways via 256-bit SSL encryption. We never retain full payment card numbers.
Cancellations, Penalties & Future Cruise Credits
When you cancel a cruise booking, refund eligibility is governed primarily by the cruise line operator's official cancellation schedule:
| Notice Prior to Sailing | Standard Cruise Line Penalty | Refund Type |
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| Up to Final Payment Date (90+ Days) | None (or non-refundable deposit terms) | Full Refund to Original Payment |
| 89 to 57 Days Prior | Standard Deposit Amount Forfeited | Partial Refund (Balance minus deposit) |
| 56 to 29 Days Prior | 50% of Total Cruise Fare | 50% Refund / Taxes Returned |
| 28 to 15 Days Prior | 75% of Total Cruise Fare | 25% Refund / Taxes Returned |
| 14 Days or Fewer / No-Show | 100% of Total Fare (Zero Refund) | Taxes & Port Fees Only |
• Non-Refundable Deposit Fares (NRD): Certain promotional rates feature non-refundable deposits. If cancelled prior to final payment, the cruise line will issue a Future Cruise Credit (FCC) minus a carrier administrative change fee (typically $100 per guest).
• CruiseClue Processing Fee: In addition to carrier cancellation penalties, CruiseClue reserves the right to assess a nominal $50 administrative processing fee per stateroom for manual cancellation or major ticket revisions.
Carrier Rights & Itinerary Modifications
Maritime safety is governed by the Master of the Vessel (Ship Captain) and international maritime law. Under all cruise carrier passenger ticket contracts:
Route & Port Alterations
The cruise carrier reserves the right to cancel, advance, postpone, substitute, or deviate from scheduled ports of call, routes, or vessels without advance notice if deemed necessary due to adverse weather, hurricanes, high seas, medical evacuations, labor disputes, or naval directives.
No Compensation for Missed Ports
The omission of a port of call or the substitution of sea days does not entitle passengers to any refund of cruise fare. Any pre-paid shore excursion booked directly through the cruise line for that cancelled port will be automatically refunded to your shipboard account.
Shipboard Conduct, Health & Safety at Sea
To maintain safety and security for all guests and crew, all travelers must abide by the carrier's Guest Conduct Policy:
Zero-Tolerance Items
Weapons, firearms, illegal narcotics, cannabis/marijuana (including medical prescriptions and CBD gummies), irons, heating coils, and fireworks are strictly prohibited onboard.
Mandatory Safety Drill
Under SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) international law, all passengers must complete the mandatory Guest Muster Safety Drill prior to ship departure. Failure to comply results in removal from the ship.
Medical Conditions
Guests requiring special medical equipment (oxygen, CPAP, mobility scooters) must provide advance notice. Ship medical centers operate as private clinics with separate billing fees.
Disembarkation Authority
The Master of the Vessel reserves the right to refuse passage or disembark any guest who threatens shipboard safety or engages in disorderly conduct at their own expense.
Travel Protection Advisory
A robust travel insurance policy protects against trip cancellations due to illness or family emergencies, flight delays causing missed ship departures, trip interruption, emergency medical airlifts at sea (which often exceed $50,000 to $100,000), and lost baggage. CruiseClue acts merely as a referral partner for licensed insurance underwriters and does not assess insurance claims.
Website Use & Intellectual Property
All materials on the CruiseClue website—including text, graphics, trademarks, logos, search architecture, software code, and deck plan displays—are the intellectual property of CruiseClue or our licensors and are protected under international copyright and trademark laws.
- You may access and download content solely for your personal, non-commercial use in booking cruise vacations.
- You may not use scrapers, spiders, crawlers, or automated scripts to harvest pricing data or search results.
- You may not mirror, frame, reverse engineer, or redistribute our proprietary software without prior written permission.
Limitation of Liability & Disclaimers
CruiseClue acts solely as a travel agent intermediary and assumes no liability for any acts, errors, omissions, warranties, breaches, negligence, or insolvencies of independent cruise lines, airlines, ground transfers, port operators, or excursion suppliers.
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, CruiseClue and its officers, directors, and employees shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, punitive, incidental, or consequential damages resulting from: (i) travel delays or missed embarkations, (ii) bodily injury, illness, or property damage sustained while traveling, (iii) carrier schedule disruptions, weather events, or acts of God (force majeure), or (iv) errors in cruise descriptions or itinerary port maps provided by third-party suppliers.
Governing Law & Dispute Resolution
• Governing Law: These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Florida and applicable federal maritime statutes, without giving effect to conflict of law principles.
• Informal Resolution: In the event of any grievance or dispute regarding CruiseClue booking services, you agree to contact our concierge team at support@cruiseclue.com before taking formal legal action, allowing us 30 days to resolve the matter in good faith.
• Binding Arbitration & Class Action Waiver: Any unresolved controversy arising out of these Terms or CruiseClue services shall be submitted to confidential binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA). You waive any right to participate in class actions or representative proceedings against CruiseClue.
Contact Our Legal & Concierge Team
If you have questions regarding these Terms, carrier ticket rules, or special accommodations for an upcoming sailing, our team is ready to assist:
100 SE 2nd Street, Suite 2000
Miami, FL 33131