Galileo-Module 8-Divide and Replicating Booking Files

In this module, we will learn how to divide a reservation and how to copy or replicate a reservation.

The necessity to dividing a reservation arises when multiple passengers are booked under a reservation and in case some of the travelers booked have to make changes to the reservation.In such a scenario we cannot cancel the entire reservation as we would end up canceling the reservation for all instead of the travelers who want to make changes.

Below commands are used to divide a reservation.

In below example, you can see there are 5 travelers 3 adults 1 child and 1 infant.Out of which passenger no 2 and 3 have some change in plans and hence need to be separated or divided.

To divide the two specified passengers we enter the below command.

DP2.3

Which stands for divide passenger no 2 and 3

Once you enter the command you will notice that the two names have been separated from the original reservation and divide booking file tab appears on the face of the reservation as *DV. However, the reservation is not divided as yet and we need to confirm the separation.

Hence the next command is to enter received from command follow by the Filed command.

R.R

Enter the above command to notify the system who has requested the change. ( in above example received from R initial)

Next, we will file the change hence below command and press enter.

F

R.R+ER

Upon filing the change we will save this change hence we again enter received from command plus the end and retrieve command as per above image.

ER

Once we enter the received from command the system prompts us to end and receive transaction to complete the transaction.

Once the reservation is divided you will see two separate reservations are created enabling you to make changes for the desired passengers travel.

Below is a chart explaining the exact procedure stepwise to divide a pnr.

Next, we will see how to replicate bookings.

Galileo-Module 7-Open / Passive / Waitlist Segments

In this module, we will learn how to create passive reservations, open reservation and how to waitlist a reservation.

Passive reservation:- This type of a reservation is made when a reservation is made through an online source or an alternate source other than GDS, A passive reservation can be made for a flight or a car rental or a hotel. Generally, passive reservations are made for referential purposes so the reservation can be easily traced if it was made through an alternate source, The helps the accounting team in invoicing and for the reservation.

Below is the command to create a passive reservation.

06E964Y15SEPBOMDELAK1

0 -(zero) This is a direct sell indicator.

6E- Indigo Low-cost airline (not available on GDS)

694 – Flight number

Y – Class of booking

15SEP – Date of Booking

BOMDEL – City Pair (Mumbai-Delhi)

AK1 – Passive Sell indicator.

Once you enter this command a passive segment is created this is also known as ghost segment since its only referential and cannot be seen by the airline as well and Vendor locator also does not get generated.

Image : Passive Segment Galileo

Further, you can follow the normal step to create the PNR (adding name, phone field, ticketing time limit and received from  field  ) and complete the passive reservation. As you see in above example the reservation is made on a low-cost airline and hence this was issued on the airline website but now since we have made a passive reservation the accounting teams and your colleagues will have information on this reservation through this passive bookings.(you can update fare details, airline pnr create online, etc in the notepad fields of the reservation).

Waitlist Reservations:- A reservation has to be waitlisted in case seats are sold out for the requested flight. This is one of the frequent scenarios which you will come across while working when a certain requested flight has no seats available and hence you may have to waitlist the reservation. When a reservation is waitlisted there is a chance the same may be confirmed if in case some of the passengers decide to cancel their reservations as such a seat becomes available which can be confirmed for your reservation. There are chances the reservation may not get confirmed or airline may not even allow you to waitlist a reservation in case the flight is absolutely full and there are no possibilities of cancellations from other passengers.  Please note frequent flyer guests are prioritized on waitlist flights hence if the traveler has a frequent flyer number kindly update the same.

How to Waitlist a booking 1.1

In above availability, you will notice  there is a zero next to A class and C next to I, O and P classes of reservation. The C signifies that there are no seats available whatsoever waitlist is also closed for this classes and also there is 0 next to A class. This signifies there are no seats however the waitlist is not closed and reservation can be waitlisted and will be confirmed in case a seat opens up.

Below is the command to waitlist a reservation.

N1A3LL

Need 1 seat on A class line no 3 to be Waitlisted.

How to Waitlist a booking 1.1

LL is the indicator for waitlisting. Once the waitlist is confirmed by airline it will fall in a special queue category (17) and the HL will turn to KL which stands for waitlist confirmed.

Open segments:- Open segments are created when a traveler is uncertain about traveling on a certain date. In this scenario, you may create an open reservation which can be changed at any times within a year from date of creation. However nowadays due to a various type of flexible fares offered by an airline in the market this concept has been abolished hence we will only see in brief how an open segment is created.

Below is the command to create an open segment.

0YYOPENCLHRCDGNO4

0-Zero is the sell indicator

YY- is the airline carrier code

OPEN -Open segment indicator

C-Class of booking.

LHRCDG :- London to Paris.

NO4 :- 4 seats

How to sell a open seat

If you observe above comment, Date flight no does not exists only a to and from the destination is shown and the word OPEN to state its an open reservation.

Hope you have found this module useful and informative do let us know in case you have any feedback.

Galileo-Module 5-Adding special services

Special services are services which are rendered by the airline as per special request or instructions provided by the traveler. Special services can be divided as SSR (special service requirements ) and OSI (other supplementary information).

OSI or Other supplementary information is low priority information which is sent by the agent to the airline.This information includes instructions such as passenger is a VIP or an alternate contact number, etc.

Below is how we can update OSI message in a reservation.

SI.LH*PAX CTC NO 786549

If you observe above example you will notice once we enter the SI command and additional tab appears on the booking file as other supplementary information exists.If you enter below command you will be able to view the OSI information.

*SI

Below is  a chart explaining additional commands on how to change display and delete OSI commands.

Special service requirement and other supplementary information are messages or information which is sent to the airline to carry out special services. Airlines provide special services to certain travelers as per instructions provided by a traveler for eg:- A special meal request like a kosher meal or diabetic meal, or a wheelchair assistance, etc.

Below we will show you some basic commands for updating SSR in a reservation.

Updating a special meal request.

SI.AVML

Service information for Asian Vegeterian Meal

If you observe the above example you will notice a Special service requirement for AVML is updated and confirmed in the service information tab.

Below is the chart with various meal codes with the explanation which can be updated to a reservation.

Similarly, if a passenger needs a wheelchair we can confirm the same however most airlines only confirm wheelchair and special meal requests if the request has been made at least 48hrs prior to the flight departure.

Below is the entry to request a wheelchair.

SI.WCHR

Service information wheelchair.

If you observe the above image, on entering the wheelchair command the system checks to validate whether the traveller has a medical certificate.

If you observe the highlighted section we can specify the reason for the wheelchair.In the above example, it is due to a medical condition.

Below are some SSR commands which can be updated as per request however it is entirely up to airlines discretion in certain scenarios.

Besides updating special service requests SSR command is used to update passport and visa information in the reservation. Nowadays it is mandatory for all travellers travelling to and within United stats to update Advance Passenger information details such as passport and date of birth.

Below is the command to update APIS.

Next, we will see how to requests for specific seats and how to update frequent flyer number into a reservation.

Galileo-Module 4-Creating Booking File ( PNR)

Booking files also know as a PNR stands for passenger name record. A PNR   has information of a traveler’s reservation which he holds with the airlines. A PNR consists of 5 basic elements which are as follows.

P- Phone field  (phone number of travel agent and traveler)

R- Received from (who has asked to make the reservation)

I-Itinerary (your travel plan consisting of flight, hotels, car rental, etc)

N- Name of the Traveller

T- Ticketing time limit (when the itinerary has to be ticketed or confirmed)

Above five elements are essential elements which form a PNR. Without any of above elements, a PNR won’t be formed. These five elements are not limited just to Galileo but apply to all the GDS while making a PNR.

While making a booking we need not follow the sequence, however, all five elements should be present or else the booking file won’t be created.

  1. N- Name Field: In order to create the passenger name field in Galileo following command needs to be entered.

In the above command, N stands for Name followed by a “.” Dot or period, followed by the last name of the passenger, Slash “/”, first name of the passenger and initials.

N.Last name/First name  (Mr/Mrs/ms/dr/col/,etc)

On entering the above command the system accepts the command with asterisk sign at the end which means the command is correct and accepted.

Similarly, if there are multiple numbers of passengers into a reservation.

Supposing there are two adults one child and one infant. We can enter their names in below format.

N.Brady/tom Mr (enter)

N.Brady/Martina Mrs (enter)

N.Brady/Roy Mstr *p-c05

In above command family name is Brady followed by passenger name Roy followed by initial mstr or miss for child passenger followed by asterisk “*” which is the designator for informing the system that this is a child passenger aged 5yrs, hence we need to add *p-c05 after the name.

(Please note as per airline regulations any traveler between the ages of 2-12 is considered as a child)

N.I/Brady/joy miss*01JAN17

In above command since this is an infant traveler there is a slight change at the initial stage, please note this is the command we need to enter when the infant will not be provided with a seat, however, would be provided with a bassinet or has to be seated on a lap. In case a seat is required for an infant a seat can be sold and ticketed as a child passenger.

In above command after “N.” We need to add “I” to specify that the traveler is an infant who won’t be holding a seat followed by the last name slash first name followed by initial followed by asterisk “*” followed by the date of birth of the infant in date month year format.

Above how the name field would appear on redisplaying the reservation (*r).

Below is a chart explaining various types of name field formats.

2)  R-Received from

The second field which is required for creating a PNR is called as received from , most of the agents put their own name initial or travellers name in order to create this element.

Since the booking has been provided by Mr.Tom we will be entering his name in the received from field.

For creating a received from field we need to enter R followed by “.” Dot or a period and the name of the person from whom you have received the booking or you may simply type your initial.

The system will return with an asterisk sign once the command is accepted.

Above is how your PNR appears after entering the name and received from field. Further, we will learn how to enter phone field into your booking file.

3) P-Phone field: – The third essential element for completing your booking file is the phone field. The phone field is extremely important as the contact number of passenger and travel agency exists in this field which is displayed to the airline as well. In event of any mishaps like flight delays or changes, the airline intimates the agency and the traveller if a telephone number exists in the phone field. The phone filed can have travellers mobile number, business number, home number, etc. Generally, agents tend to update the Agency number and travellers mobile number in the phone field. The command to enter the phone field is as below.

P.LONT*ABC TVLS PVT LTD CTC 04412345678

In the above command “P” is an indicator for entering phone details followed by city code in the above case which is London and T indicates it’s a travel agency contact number.

Similarly, M with the city code indicates it’s a mobile number or cell number and B indicates its a business number.

This is how your Booking file will appear after you have entered name field, phone field and received from field.

Below is a chart displaying more phone field commands.

Further, we will learn how to create your itinerary or how to enter flight details into your reservation.

4) I- Itinerary

In the previous chapter, we learned how to check for availability in this chapter we shall learn how to sell seats and make an itinerary.

The first thing we need to to do in order to sell seats or confirm seats is to check for availability. Supposing the traveler needs to travel from Sydney to Singapore on 15th of October and return on the 02nd of November with Singapore airlines. We will first check for availability and flight times and if the traveler is ok with the same we shall sell seats. In below slideshow we shall explain you in detail how to sell seats on a reservation.(please note an infant does not hold a seat hence we won’t be selling a seat).Hence in this case we will need to sell 3 seats (2adts + 1 Chd + Inf no seat)

Step 1 :- Check availability

A15OCTSYDSIN*SQ

Presuming travellers want to travel on the flight leaving at 855 am we will now sell 3 seats on the same.

N3Y1

Need 3 seats from line no 1 and press enter.

Similarly sell seats for return travel on02nd of November.

A2NOVSINSYDSQ or you can do a follow up entry AR02NOVSQ

Presuming the travellers need a flight leaving around 7 am we shall sell 3 seats on the flight leaving at 705am.

N3Y2

Need 3 seats from line number 2.

After this your can do a Redisplay entry to view your progress thus far. Below is how the PNR shall appear.

5) T-Ticketing:- This is the fifth and final step in PNR creation.Ticketing time limit or the day when the traveler will confirm the ticket.This can be instant or at a later date depending upon the passenger.(please note this should not be confused with airline ticketing time limit), This is one of the mandatory element for completing the PNR.

For updating ticketing time liming either of the following commands can be entered depending upon the preference.

T.T*:- This will be used if there is no time limit or if the traveler decides to confirm ticket on the same day.

T.TAU/15SEP:- This will be used if the traveler wants to confirm the ticket on 15th of September, until that date we will hold the reservation, however, it is completely up to airlines discretion and fares may change.

The PNR appears in your assigned Quee once a time limit is set for the same.

After making all the above step the final command is to save the reservation.

ER :- End and Retrive

Below is how your completed PNR will appear after completing all the 5 steps.

Above is how your PNR will Appear after you complete all the required steps.

The alphanumeric code on the extreme left is your PNR number.(GDS Reference number)

Below which is the names of the travelers on the reservation followed by the itinerary.

The *VL is the Vendor Locator or airline reference number since the GDS system is linked with the airline system you will get an instant reservation code from the airline. You would be able to view this reservation on the airline system or website using this code.

*VR is the Vendor Remarks or airline remarks, this are remarks that the airline sends to the agent in case of a time limit by when the ticket needs to be purchased or in case of a schedule change or any other notification.

*SI is the additional services or Supplementary information that you may need in this case since its an infant a notification is sent to airline which appears in SI.

So this concludes our basic on how to create a PNR,  This is the very first step in the process of learning GDS.

Do let us know what you think about our website and keep your comments flowing in.We are eagerly waiting for your comments and feedback.And request you to kindly subscribe to our website for future updates if you have already not done so.

Please note: Above information is not created or endorsed by Galileo (travel port) and is not verified or certified by Galileo. There may be discrepancies in above information for which TAleanrings is not liable.

Galileo-Module 6-Amending (changes) and Cancelling a reservation.

In this module, we will learn how to make changes to an existing reservation and how to cancel a  reservation.

Changes and cancellations are a frequently occurring scenario and you will encounter changes and cancel to an existing reservation on a daily basis. We will first see how to cancel a reservation.

Canceling:- Cancellation occurs when a traveler decides he does not want to travel due to a certain reason. In this case, we have to cancel his reservation after which the traveler can decide to change this reservation for a future date or refund the reservation. Canceling the reservation is an easy process but there are rules applicable in case of changing and refunding a reservation. Always ensure all the rules pertaining the reservation are always specified to the traveler to avoid any confrontations upon cancellation.

Below is a command to cancel an existing reservation.

X1

X- is cancellation indicator.

1-is line no 1 which needs to be canceled.

If you notice above image upon entering the command X1 the system cancels the reservation and an itinerary canceled message is displayed.

Below is how your reservation looks like after cancellation.

Now supposedly there are multiple sectors in a reservation and passenger has requested to cancel a reservation for certain sectors only in that case you can specify those segments to be canceled.

Below is the command for the same.

X1.3 

which is cancel segments 1 and 3 if you use a “-” instead of a “.” it will cancel all the segments as “-” stands for through.

In above example, you will notice that segment 1 and 3 has been canceled and only remaining segment is the segment 2 which has now become segment 1 as its the only segment in the reservation.

Fare Rules.

Before you cancel any reservation you need to inform the traveler about the penalties applicable if any. Below is the command to check penalties applicable for the fare. In this module, we will be checking fare rules directly from the PNR instead of checking it from Fare display which is a slightly lengthier process.

Steps for checking fare rules

Step 1

Fare quote the pnr as per the date of issuance.

FQ.T18APR17

(since this ticket was issued on 18th of April 2017 we are checking fare rules as per that date, this is called historical pricing)

 Step 2

FQN

Fare Quote notes.

Step 3

FN1/16

Fare Note for Fare basis 1 and rule number 16.(which is for penalties)

Check penalties and advise accordingly.

If the traveler wants to refund you can cancel the ticket and inform the refund department to refund tickets as per fare rules.

Now that you know how to cancel a ticket next we will see how to amend an existing reservation.

Galileo-Module 1-Sign on, Emulate and Work Areas

Welcome to Module 1 of Galileo in this module we shall learn about how to sign on into your Galileo Terminal, how to Emulate into your agency Pseudo city and how to shuffle between work areas.

Galileo is a Reservation software used by travel agents worldwide and currently has around 21 percent global market share making it one of the widely used reservation software. It is owned by Travelport headquartered in  Denver USA.For getting started with reservations the first and foremost thing you will require is installation.We won’t be covering installation in this module since its a purely technical aspect which is done by Travelport appointed service engineer.Although the software and installation are completely free the software is not available online or cannot be used without proper configurations. Once the system is configured on your computer and sign on access is created you would be able to sign in and get started.Once the software is installed the agent would be able to access the reservations system

Getting Started.

The very first step is to open it by double-clicking on the Icon which you would see on your Desktop once Galileo is installed.

Once you click on above icon on your desktop the software gradually opens a screen as below however in this section we would be learning native commands on core galileo hence click on the terminal icon on the left.

Once you click on the terminal you will notice the system opens up small windows there may be one or multiple depending on configuration but you can easily add windows as per requirement. This small window is known as terminal. A terminal is your workstation which is divided into several work areas which we shall let you know further in the module.Below is how your terminal would look.

Signing On

The very first command we need to make to get started is to sign on, A sign on will be provided to you by Galileo.The sign on can have numeric or alphabetic characters depending on the agency.

Follow below simple steps to sign on to your terminal.

 To sign on into Galileo you have to do a basic entry as below.

Step 1-

SON/ZAA and hit enter.

Explanation:- Sign on with agent initials “AA” –Z is a common identifier for alpha sign on.

Once you make above command the system will prompt you for a password kindly type in the password to sign on to the system.The password will be provided by Galileo itself and can be changed upon your first sign on.

Below is an example of signing in with a numeric sign on.

SON/72660 and hit enter.

Once the password is accepted you will see a message as below.(the below message remains common even if you are using an alphabetic sign on)

Now that you have signed on the next step is to Emulate to your agency work areas.

Galileo-Module 3-Checking Fares,Pricing Itineraries,Fare Display,Fare Shopping

In This Module, we will be learning how to check for fares, how to price itineraries with multiple sectors, Fare Display, and Fare Shopping.

Fare:- Fare is the price or cost of a ticket.The fare of a ticket is dynamic in nature and depends on various factors competition, taxes, route and timing of purchase, etc.The fare for a sector is decided by the airline which is approved by the civil aviation authority in that particular country and IATA.Post which it is updated on the GDS and on the airline’s website. There are various types of fare mainly can be classified as published, private, marine, military, etc. In This module however we will learn only about published fare since it is the most common type of fare which has no restriction on the application (can be used for all).

Once you sell a seat one will be able to price an entry and basic entry to quote a fare is FQ.

FQ- stands for a Fare quote.

Fare Quote command Galileo

Once you perform above entry the system will return with a fare for the sold class of booking.In above case we are requesting system for a fare between London Gatwick to Dubai for the 15th of September on flight no EK 12 on Y class of reservation.The system will show a response as below.

Fare Quote Display

If you see above image the display shows the fare is for (PSGR) Passenger 1 , Quoted in currency USD (US dollars), Fare (fare paid to the airline), Taxes (applicable taxes of both countries) and total passenger fare for all passengers.It also shows you what is the conversion rate since the ticket is issued from the UK to UAE the local currency of UK (GBP ) is converted to USD and the last date to purchase the ticket once the reservation is made.(28th may 18).

Now once you know the fare you can easily quote it to the traveler accordingly.However, if you notice we had quoted the fare on Y class which actually may not be the lowest class of booking which will yield you the lowest fare.Hence to check for a lower fare you can enter the best buy command which will check for the lowest fare available for itinerary sold and advise the class of booking to be rebooked on.

Command to display best fare for booked flights

Once you enter above command the system will provide you the cheapest fare available on the sold flight as below.

Lowest fare using FQBB command

If you see above image you will notice in the highlighted portion the system gives you a prompt Lowest fare is available for this itinerary,rebook Booking file segments 1U, Which in common terms means to book segment 1 on U class instead of Y class to get the fare of USD 563.80 instead of fare on Y class of USD 1324.80.

There are multiple variations of the Fare quote command which can be used as per requirement.We will now see a few commands which are used frequently.

In below example, there are multiple airlines involved viz:- Emirates, British Airways, United and Delta for same fares cannot be obtained by merely doing an FQ command hence we price them as per each segment.

Fare Quote command Galileo

Sector pricing/Segment Pricing:- Segment pricing or sector pricing is performed when there are two different airlines involved which do not have an agreement or when the two different airlines won’t give you a through fare.To check fare quote for a particular segment we specify the segment number after the command FQ.

FQS3–Fare quote segment 3 only(in below example segment 3 is United airlines)

FQS1.6:-Fare quote segment 1 and 6 (in below example segment 1 and 6 are Emirates)

Now we will see how to find the best fare while pricing sector fare.The concept of the command remains the same.Below are images which are self explanatory.

Below is chart explaining various commands to quote fares.

Now that you know how to quote fares we will see how to store the quoted fares and how to cancel the stored fares.However please note, one can only store and cancel fares when the name of the passenger exists in the reservation.

In below example, we have made a tentative reservation with the name of the passenger as Test/TMr.

If you observe above image there is an additional line that appears below the itinerary as Filed Fare. This is the area where filed fare gets stored.For above itinerary, we have stored two filed fares as below.To view filed fares you can either enter tab key and move to the *FF tab or you can simply enter *FF to view filed fare.

*FF

Now if you observe there are two fare quotes in above example.

FQ1 and FQ2

If you want to display the total fares and details you can enter below command *FF1 for filed fare 1 and *FF2 for file fare 2.

Below we have displayed filed fare 1 by entering command *FF1

If you see highlighted boxes you will observe, there is Fare calculation line, Total fare,  taxes, Fare basis and Baggage.

Below is chart displaying different entries to view and cancel filed fares.

Next, we will see how to check fare display and how to use focal point shopping.

Galileo-Module 2- Availability,Time table,Encoding-Decoding and Selling Flights

In This module, we will learn how to check for flight availability, timetable and how to sell flight seats.However, before we check for flight availability and timetable we need to know the airline and city codes.IATA has assigned three-letter codes for cities and airports and two-letter codes for airlines, however, learning all these codes is not possible hence every GDS system provides you with this Data.By entering simple commands, you can now know a code for a city, airport or airline without having to learn all of them.

Encoding: – Encoding is the command you enter to know the code for a particular city, airport, airline or even to know a specific kind of aircraft.There are different variations of this command enabling you to decipher a city, airline, etc.

To Encode a particular city you need to enter below command on your Galileo terminal. For eg :- If you need to know the airport code for Mumbai.

.CE MUMBAI

City Encode Mumbai ( . is the indicator for encoding followed by the command)

How to Encode a city 1.1

On entering below command the system will show the correct IATA code for the city.In case there are multiple airports in the city all airports will be listed.

Command to Encode Galileo 1.2

 Apart from Encoding cities, one can also encode an airline, country, region or aircraft type (equipment).

The command for Encoding an airline is as below.

.AE Jet Airways

Below is the result that would be displayed.

Command to Encode Airline Galileo 1.1

Below is the command to encode a particular country in case you are unaware of a country code.(this you may find useful while updating passport or visa information)

.LE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Galileo command to encode country

Below is a command to encode a particular aircraft.

.EE BOEING 777

Galileo command to encode aircraft type

 

Similarly, if one knows a code but need to Decode the name of the city, then you can enter below command to decode a city, airport, airline, etc.

.CD DEL

And press enter.

Below is the result that would be displayed.

 

Galileo command to decode IATA codes

 

The command for Decoding an airline.

.AD DELTA AIRLINES

Below is the result that would be displayed.

 

Galileo command to decode IATA Airline codes

Similarly, you can use following commands in order to encode or decode a Country, State, Equipment code ( aircraft type).

 

Next, we will show you how to Encode and Decode cities, airports, etc. Now we will learn how to display and read airline timetables.

 

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Water Transportation-Cruises and Ferries.

Water Transportation is one of the oldest forms of transportation method and to trace its origins we have to go back thousands of years. Water transportation plays an important role in the Tourism sector and has developed into an industry in itself. Water transportation relating tourism sector can be classified into Cruise industry and Ferries. Ferries are generally used for transportation over relatively short distances as compared to Cruise ship which transports more number of people over long distances. The Cruise industry has changed drastically over the past few decades and now can be associated more with Leisure tourism. However, Ferries are more used as a form of transportation carrying passengers, goods or vehicles over a short distance of water. Below we will discuss on this two types of water transportation in detail.

Ocean Cruises.(Cruise liner)

Cruise travel began in the early 19th century with the birth of Peninsular and Oriental steam navigation company in 1822 Brodie McGhee Wilcox and Arthur Anderson together formed this company which later became to be known as P&O Cruises. The concept of integrating leisure and recreation to cruising is attributed to Arthur Andersen. Cruising appeals to all types of travellers and is a dream for many travellers today to go on a cruise vacation. However, this wasn’t the case always before growth in air travel and cruising was more restricted as transportation rather than a leisurely holiday. There were cruise companies offering holidays but these were more restricted to the rich and wealthy as it was expensive to travel the world on a cruise ship. During the early 1900’s to 1940 cruise companies more served as a form of transportation to cross the Atlantic as a passenger ship. The Titanic being a prime example of a transatlantic passenger ship. Post 1940’s after the advent of Jet engines and increase in Air travel the cruising industry which was limited to passenger movement suffered heavily and hence post 1950’s the cruise industry had suffered heavy losses and was in a dire need of improvement and hence the industry reinvented itself to its current state. The Cruise industry has changed drastically today and is a flourishing industry in itself with 38 billion dollars in revenue recorded for the year 2014-15 a figure which is expected to grow up to 40 billion dollar by 2015-16.It is expected that 25 million passengers will be vacationing on a cruise ship by the year 2019.The Cruise industry today is dominated by some of the big companies which offer unmatched luxury on board like themed restaurants, casinos, live entertainment on board, swimming pools, movie theatres, Fitcentresnters, gaming zones and tour excursions at ports. Cruise ships offer vacations to destinations like the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Far East and even Alaska and the North Pole. Below are some of the biggest cruise companies. Click on below links which will take you the respective websites.

Biggest Cruise Companies.

Disney Cruises

Royal Caribbean Cruises

Carnival Cruise lines

Holland America Line

Oceania Cruises

MSC Cruises

Celebrity cruises

Norwegian Cruise line

Costa Cruises

Princess Cruises

Crystal Cruises

Silver sea Cruises

Marella Cruises

Ex-Asia

Star Cruises

Dream Cruises

Biggest Cruises Ships(mega ships)

Harmony of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)

Below is a video showing a glimpse of what a cruise ship offers.

Allure of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)

Oasis of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)

Quantum of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)

Anthem of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)

Ovation of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)

Norwegian Escape (NCL)

Liberty of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)

Norwegian Epic (NCL)

Freedom of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)

Independence of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)

Genting Dream (Dream Cruises)

Pre requisites for Boarding a Cruise Ship.

Although International cruises are popular today most people are not quite familiar with the process before boarding a International Cruise ship or during their travel. Below are some pre-requisites before boarding a International cruise ship.

a.Passport:- In case a traveler has plans to book a Cruise vacation to multiple countries please ensure traveler has a valid passport. Even though if the traveler boards the cruise ship from his native country since he would be travelling to different ports outside the country hence it is essential to have a valid passport to travel on international waters.Please check for validity of the passport since the passport has to be valid for at least 6 months post travel is completed as per general passport regulations however this may vary from country to country.

b.Visa:- Before making a reservation or after making a reservation it is essential to check on visa requirements. For eg:- If an Indian passport holder traveling on a Cruise ship from Hong Kong to Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand will require a  pre-approved visa for traveling to Australia, Singapore, and Malaysia and for Hong Kong and Thailand he can get a pre-approved visa or visa on arrival. When traveling on a Cruise Ship normally the cruise company shall assist you on getting a visa on arrival at the cruise terminal itself however it is always cheaper to get a pre-approved visa. It is also essential to check if it is a single entry or a multiple entry visa. This is a common mistake which an agent tends to make. For eg:- A Indian passport holder Boarding a ship from Malaysia which terminates its journey back in Malaysia will require a multiple entry visa in case the traveler holds a single entry visa he would be denied to board the ship. Hence please ensure to check on visa formalities before you travel.

c.Immigration: – Most people may not be aware of this but since you would be exiting a country via the sea route a immigration does take place at the cruise terminal. The immigration officers are present at the cruise terminal who verify your passport and visa and stamp an exit stamp on your passport. It is here that your visa and passport is verified. On return to the port you have to go through the immigration process again since you are re-entering the country.

d.Prohibited items:-Prohibited items or banned substances are items which are banned by a certain country. Hence post making a reservation go through the list t of banned substances or go through the checklist provided by the cruise company to ensure that you are not carrying any banned substances to a country. For eg :- If a traveler going for a Cruise to the Bahamas who has boarded the ship from the US and will be returning to the US has to ensure he does not carry any restricted items such as fruits, vegetables, animals (pets) which are native to the Bahamas and are banned by the US or any other items like cigars or liquor have can be carried on board but only as per regulations . If a traveler is caught during immigration for not adhering to the regulations a heavy fine would be imposed on such travelers and it is also a punishable offense under the US law. Please note we just want the travelers to be vigilant on such issues and travelers need not be afraid of buying something exotic or something native to the place from the locals however the travelers should ensure that it is not a restricted item. Most of the cruise companies do not allow carrying restricted items on board and travelers should also strictly adhere to the same.

e.Littering the Ocean: – Though this is ideally not a prerequisite it is essential that you do not litter the ocean. Littering the ocean is punishable by law and fines would be levied on the Cruise Company and the person. Our Oceans are becoming polluted day by day and hence it is essential that travelers on board do not throw any cigarette butts or plastic bottles or any unwanted garbage in the ocean.

Boarding Process

The process of boarding a Cruise ship is almost similar to as boarding a flight. The Cruise ship operates as per designated times and one has to go through a boarding procedure. Below we will discuss the boarding procedure in brief.

Cruise Terminal: – A cruise terminal is similar to an airport. Cruise terminal carters to all passengers boarding and de-boarding a cruise ship. A cruise terminal has a building which is connected with the Dock enabling the transfer of passengers to and from the ship.

Check-in :- On Reaching the Cruise terminal the first process is of checking in for your ship. The ship leaves on designated times and it would be ideal to reach at least an hour before your departure. The check-in window for a cruise ship usually closes 30 min prior to a departure. The cruise ships have to follow an itinerary and hence time is of utmost importance. Once the counter personnel checks you in he will hand you a card which is of utmost importance since this acts as your identity, room key (cabin key) and a credit card. Most ships on board do not accept cash and all transactions that you make on board are swiped against this card which has to be settled at the reception before disembarking the ship. Hence do not lose the card and keep it safeguarded as far as possible. It is advisable to sign the back of the card so there is no misuse of the card.

Below is a specimen of a Cruise key card.

cruise-card

Baggage: – Similar to a flight your bags are weighed, tagged, screened and boarded on to the ship. This takes place simultaneously once the staff at the counter checks for your reservation. These bags are delivered to you at your cabin.

Immigration: – Once you have checked in your bags you have to clear your immigration. The immigration officer would verify your passport, required a visa and would stamp an exit stamp on your passport.

Collection of passport:-Post immigration clearance the traveler has to deposit his passport with the cruise company. The cruise company collects all passports and the only form of identification that remains is your cruise card which is now your identity on board along with your credit card and room key. The passports are handed over on the last day on board in exchange of the cards provided.

The entire process is a responsibility of the cruise company and the travelers have to adhere to the rules and regulations specified by the cruise company for smooth functioning.

Cruising Terminology

Deck:- The size of cruise ships are growing day by day. A Floor on the ship is referred to as Deck. For e.g.:- In the above specimen the Deck no is specified as 6, which means the cabin is on 6th floor of the ship.

Cabin:-A Room for your stay is referred to as a cabin on a ship. There are various types of cabin. And cost of your reservation primarily depends on the type of cabin chosen.

AFT:- The rear or back part of a ship is referred to as AFT.

Forward:- The forward part of the ship is referred to as forward or bulkhead.

Embarkation:- To Board the ship.

Disembarkation: – To Leave a ship.

Port of Call: -A place where the ship takes a stop.

Fleet: – A group of ships is called a fleet.

Inside Cabin:- A cabin located inside the ship without a porthole (window).

Knots:- The Unit (rate) at which the speed of the ship is measured.

Maiden Voyage:- First Journey

Gala Dinner:- A Gala dinner or a Captains Gala dinner is dinner held once on your voyage. This may be a strictly formal dinner requiring formal clothing.

Shore Excursion: – A shore excursion is a planned tour once the ship is docked at a port. The cruise company also arranges for a shore excursion. Please note shore excursions are not included in the cost of your cruise booking.

Porthole: – A porthole is a small circular window for the cabin. This is usually for cabins on lower decks.

Ferries-River Cruises and Lake Cruises.

River Cruises.

Similar to an Ocean Cruise a River cruise offers a luxurious way of exploring a city or a town via the river. River cruises are not as popular as an Ocean cruise but it is a fast-growing market. River cruises are more quaint and leisurely and do not offer the grandeur and the host of activities which an Ocean cruise offers but are a more scenic way of exploring a city or country. The ships used for river cruises are smaller in size and the number of people on the ship is limited. Below are some of the well known River cruises throughout the globe.

Europe

The Seine river cruise in Paris

Rhine river cruise

Danube river cruise

Africa

The Nile Cruise in Egypt which operates from Luxor to Aswan on the river Nile.

Asia.

The Yangtze River cruise in China

The Singapore river cruise

The Mekong River Cruise, Vietnam and Cambodia.

The Mandovi River Cruise, Goa India.

North America.

The Hudson River cruise New York

The horn blower (Niagara falls), Canada.

Australia.

The Murray River Cruise.– https://www.murrayprincess.com.au/

Most of the River Cruises are operated locally. Below are a few travel companies which are famous for operating river cruises.

http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/

Viking cruises offer more of a premium experience and operate mainly in Europe but do offer a variety of river cruises globally.

https://www.hudsonrivercruises.com/

http://www.avalonwaterways.com/Featured-River-Cruises/

https://www.niagaracruises.com/tour-options

Lake Cruises.

Lake cruises are conducted on large lakes, There are very few lake cruises. This type of cruises is of short duration. The Canal Cruise in Amsterdam is not exactly a lake cruise or river cruise but is one of the examples. A prime example of Lake cruise can be the Houseboats of the Dal lake in Kashmir or the houseboats in backwaters (swamp) of Kerala.

http://www.amsterdamcanalcruises.nl/index.html

http://www.oberoihotels.com/kerala-backwaters/

Ferries.

Ferries unlike cruises are meant mainly for transportation over water for short distances. Ferries transport people and vehicles from one end to another. Ferries do not offer the luxuries of cruises but are a necessary means of transportation. Ferries charge a nominal fare for a commute. The ships are relatively smaller compared to a cruise and some ferry services nowadays are also using hover craft instead of ships.

Below are some of the famous ferries in operation.

Star Ferry- http://www.starferry.com.hk/en/Fares

Operating between hong kong and Kowloon.

Channel Ferry– http://www.poferries.com/en/dover-calais

Operating between France and the UK on the English Channel (dover strait)

Scandilines

Operating from Denmark to Germany.(gedser to rostock)

http://www.scandlines.com

We hope the above information was useful in expanding your knowledge on cruises and ferries will help you in confidently selling a cruise as a product, do write in to us with your questions or leave a comment or feedback below.