When do I have to pay for Catch the Wave?
When you make your $250 US deposit, you must decide whether you prefer to pay the balance in full 30 days later or begin the installment plan of equal monthly payments 30 days later.

Is all the food included?
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and midnight buffets are all included. You can stop for pizza or a burger onboard or even order room service at no charge. You can eat all you want, all day, every day and it's all included in the price. However, specialty restaurants like Sabatini's and Sterling Steakhouse charge a nominal fee. There is a charge for ice cream at the specialty ice cream bars as well as for specialty coffees in the Internet Café. Anywhere you see a charge for specialty coffee, the food is complimentary.

Does Catch the Wave offer transfers without taking the hotel package?
We do not offer pre-paid transfers from the airport to pier in Vancouver or from the pier back to the airport. See the Transfers section for details.

Is airfare included in the cost of Catch the Wave?
No. You are responsible for making your own air arrangements to Vancouver airport and from Anchorage.

What does "3rd and 4th person in the cabin" mean?
Each of the first two people in any cabin category pay the price listed. Any additional people sharing the same cabin (usually up to a total of four people in a cabin) pay a reduced for each of the 3rd and 4th persons in that same cabin. Rates are $599 pp inside, $699 pp oceanview, $799 pp balcony, and $899 pp suite.

Cashless Cruising
Cash is not accepted aboard the ship. Instead, you will be provided with a cruise card at time of check-in. This offers you the convenience of being able to sign for all your expenses and have them charged to your stateroom. An itemized statement will be delivered to your stateroom prior to disembarkation. By providing your credit card in advance, you are automatically registered for Express Check-Out. There is no need to visit the Passenger Services/Purser's Desk to settle your account. Princess accepts U.S., Canadian, British and Euro currencies, and traveler's checks as well as all major credit cards. If you are paying by traveler's checks or cash you will be required to leave a cash deposit with the Purser's staff at the beginning of the cruise.

What time can we board the ship?
The official boarding time is 2:00 pm however, in reality, boarding usually begins at around 11:00 a.m. Once you have boarded you may wish to have your lunch in the Horizon Court buffet.

Is tipping included?
Tipping is not included in the base price however we are required to pre-pay our tips due to the size of our group. Onboard, you should not tip as you go (except perhaps for room service) however you may want to reward someone who have provided you with exceptional service.

Is room service offered?
Call for complimentary personal room service at any time of the day or night. To have continental breakfast delivered to your stateroom, just fill out the breakfast card included in your stateroom portfolio (one is also placed on your pillow) and hang it out at night on your stateroom door.

Is the water on the ship safe to drink?
Yes. All drinking water is either distilled from seawater or loaded onboard while the ship is in port. Princess adheres to Vessel Sanitation System standards published by the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS). USPHS conducts inspections of the ship both during its construction and throughout the year to ensure compliance.

What is the smoking policy?
Smoking is not allowed in the dining rooms, or any other food service area, or in the show lounges and theatres. Smoking is permitted in staterooms and designated areas. As a courtesy to your fellow passengers, please refrain from smoking pipes and cigars in all public rooms.

What is provided in the staterooms?
The little extras you find in the best hotels, fresh fruit (by request), evening bed turn-down, chocolates on your pillow, complimentary shampoo, conditioner and body lotion are provided in every stateroom. Bathrobes are available upon request from your stateroom steward for your comfort and convenience.

Do staterooms have soap, shampoo, and conditioner?
Like a fine hotel, all staterooms provide soap, shampoo and conditioner.

Are Hairdryers provided in all staterooms?
Yes

Are Irons provided in stateroom?

No. Nor are you permitted to bring aboard an iron due to fire regulations.

Can my special diet be accommodated?
Princess is happy to meet your request for low-sodium, low-fat, low-sugar, and vegetarian diets. In addition, kosher meals (frozen entr-Aées only) and baby food are available upon advance written request. Any other special diet requests must be authorized in advance. Please ask the Catch the Wave team to advise Princess in writing at least four weeks before you sail of any requests for special diets to accommodate medical needs or allergies. Please note that baby formula is not available onboard. For your convenience, you can also supply this information online using our Cruise Personalizer at www.princess.com. Once onboard, please check with the Maître d'Hotel to confirm your request.

Is Internet access available from the ship?
Yes, Internet access is available on the Sapphire Princess through the onboard Internet Cafés and in your stateroom.

Can I store insulin in my stateroom?
You can store insulin in the mini bar, ice bucket, or kitchen of your stateroom.

Can people contact the ship?
To provide greater peace of mind while you're away from home, give friends and relatives the following information on how to telephone you. For all ships in the Princess fleet, call 1-900-329-SHIP (1-900-329-7447) from the United States or 1-900-565-2800 from Canada to bill your telephone. Calls can also be charged to a credit card in both the United States and Canada by dialing 1-877-656-7447. Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover Card (not Canadian) are all accepted. The cost for each call is $8.95 US per minute or $11.95 CAD per minute.

The 900 service can be used to call or fax the ship. Please include passenger name and cabin number to ensure quick delivery.

For calls originating outside of the United States and Canada, the following numbers should be used, 872 331 040 510, preceded by your country's International Direct Dialing (IDD) code. (Please contact your long distance service provider for pricing.)

What health precautions should I take before I leave?
We recommend seasonal influenza vaccinations for all passengers. Furthermore, you are strongly advised to seek advice from either your Primary Care Physician or an approved public health advisory service to identify any specific vaccination or health precautions required for each port of call: e.g. World Health Organization (WHO) (www.who.int/ith ) or the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ( www.cdc.gov/travel/ ). Some countries strictly enforce certain health requirements. Failure to comply may result in the local authorities preventing passengers from going ashore and some may impose a monetary fine or deny the ship entry into the port.

If you take any regular medications, you are strongly advised to carry these in your hand luggage and also to take extra supplies to cover any unexpected circumstances. If you have received treatment for any significant medical condition please carry a recent report along with any pertinent information, from your treating physician.

Princess Cruises have recently reviewed their pregnancy policy in light of current medical research on gestation risks and infant mortality outside of specialised neonatal intensive care units. As a result, Princess no longer permits passengers who will have entered the 24th week of pregnancy by the last day of the cruise to travel with them.

Are staterooms wheelchair accessible?
Princess Cruises offers wheelchair accessible staterooms and can provide dining room seating arrangements to avoid stairs and raised areas. Just be sure to notify Catch the Wave at 1-888-532-4989 of your wheelchair usage and any other special needs prior to sailing. Travelers with physical challenges should check in with the onboard Tour Office to ensure that all pre-reserved tours can accommodate their needs.

In some ports of call, the ship must anchor and passengers must be transported to the pier via tender. Tidal conditions, even when the ship is docked, may also limit pier accessibility. With your safety and comfort in mind, the decision to permit or prohibit passengers from going ashore will be made on each occasion by the ship's Captain, and the decision is final. Because the ship is not staffed with specially trained personnel to assist passengers with physical challenges, we recommend that you be accompanied by someone who is physically able to assist you both ashore and aboard if necessary. Each ship stocks a limited number of wheelchairs, but please be aware they must be pre-reserved at the time of your booking.

When bringing your own wheelchair, we highly recommend collapsible wheelchairs, as the width of stateroom doors varies from ship to ship. If you need to bring and use syringes or other medical equipment onboard, we request that you bring a sharps box and that you contact the shipboard medical infirmary for disposal instructions.

If you are traveling with a service animal, please be aware that Princess Cruises requires advance notice and that regulations may vary from port to port. Princess does not provide pet food. If your service animal requires special food, you will be responsible for bringing a supply of such food for the duration of your trip. Passengers are advised to consult the local authorities at each port of call prior to departure for the necessary documentation.