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NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Arrival to South Florida: If you haven't arranged your air fare yet, fly into Ft Lauderdale or Miami International airport. We depart from Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale - just a few miles from the airport. However, if you find cheaper fares into Miami International it is only 1/2 hour south of Ft Lauderdale go to "Ground Transportation" near the baggage claim and get a shuttle to the hotel / or port depending on your arrival time and date. When Should You Arrive and When Should You Leave?? Well, it's your vacation!!! The cruise leaves Saturday May 22 and goes through Saturday May 29 there will be a pool-side BON VOYAGE party on Friday May 21 a BLOW OUT BIRTHDAY BASH on the night of May 29 back in Fort Lauderdale Sunday, May 30, there will be an afternoon dance party - at a beachside location!! (Fort Lauderdale area) THE NIGHT PRIOR TO BOARDING - MAY 21 Bon Voyage Party / Hotel We're planning a pool-side party to launch the week of FUN! Make reservations under Frankie Cruise Group. It'll be $78.81 per night with tax, and your reservation includes a continental breakfast. Hotel shuttle (from Airport) is available on a LIMITED first-come, first-served basis. Call or email your reservation request to: 10212@hotel.bestwestern.com Upon Arrival, pick up all luggage, and call for hotel shuttle. Taxies run about $10 to the hotel from the airport. Shuttles, such as Shuttle Express, are also available at the ground transportation desk near baggage claim. You may choose to go this route, as we've been informed that the hotel shuttle can sometimes run as long as 40 minute wait! BOARDING THE SHIP/BOARDING PROCESS Getting to the Port - May 22 The hotel shuttle will be available for transfers to the ship. HOWEVER...As there are alot of us making our way there , and ONLY ONE hotel van it would be a good idea to arrange to share a taxi or shuttle with friends the hotel will provide numbers for local taxis and shuttles if you would like to arrange your pick up prior to the morning of May 22. Hospitality Table The hospitality table will be set up at the port, at the point where you check-in for the ship. You will recognize us by the big bunch of purple balloons. You MUST check-in with us to get your Frankie Cruise Packet which will include FRANKIE CRUISE IDENTIFICATION, A calendar of on-board events, YOUR WORKSHOP SCHEDULE AND ELECTIVES OPTIONS, and all other pertinent info to our group. You will also have to check-in with Princess. They will create a ship and sail card for you - combo I.D. / credit card. Once you get on board, this is basically all that you will need to carry around, so that you can lock your passport and cash in your stateroom safe. On the cruises i've been on, the ONLY TIME that i experienced a line was in both in the embarkation and disembarkation process ( i.e. getting on and off the boat.) Please be prepared to stand for a bit-- something good to read, or a friend to chat with...EMBARKATION is an excellent time to go through your FRANKIE CRUISE PACKET and get familiar with what will be happening - find out the group informational meeting time and place, see your workshop schedule, etc. Documentation To board the ship, US passengers must have Proof of Citizenship - passport or Birth Certificate with Photo ID. (See Princess website http://www.princess.com/) Note that residents of countries other than the U.S. and Canada require a passport for all sailings and may require additional documentation. United States Border Security Act (At A Glance) The United States Border Security Act, signed by President Bush in May, requires airlines and cruise lines to collect the following information from their passengers, effective January 1, 2003. All passengers sailing to or from the UNITED STATES must provide the following personal information prior to departure:
In addition, NON-U.S. CITIZENS must provide:
Passengers who are citizens of a non-visa waiver country (those not listed below), and are not U.S. or Canadian resident aliens, must also secure a valid U.S. visa and provide the following:
No U.S. visa required from the following: PASSENGERS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED ONBOARD WITHOUT PROPER DOCUMENTATION. Boarding Ticket Cruise Documents are issued by Princess about 30 days before the trip. They are usually received at least 2 weeks before sailing. The travel agent sends them to the clients domestically. International passengers usually receive a fax copy and the originals are picked up at the cruise hospitality desk unless they want to pay an express fee for postage. (International cruisers work this out with the travel agent.) ***Please verify that the name you provide Princess matches your legal name on your passport.*** Medical Insurance You are advised to bring your medical insurance cards as well. Boarding Time Passengers can enjoy boarding as early as 12 noon. Princess allows passengers to board the ship before the rooms are ready and enjoy the public areas of the ship and lunch. Then when the staterooms become available, they make an announcement. Departure Time The ship is scheduled to set sail at 5:00pm, All passengers MUST be onboard by 4pm. Port Days/ Excursions Yippeee!!! Sunshine, beaches, snorkling , shopping, whatever you like to do - it's your choice! Basically, this is what happens : You can sign-up in advance for excursions via Princess to see various sights, swim with turtles, dolphins, snorkle, see a tour of the city, etc. There are many options which will be provided to you via the ship's daily newsletter. You sign-up and pay for port excursions at the main desk on board ship. Another option (less expensive, more personal) is to talk to some of your new friends from classes, dinners and dancing and say "hey, want to split cab fare to a great beach?!" Then connect with one of the many taxies waiting at the port and ask the driver (a local) for recommendations and off you go! ONBOARD Dinner Seating The Frankie Group will be provided a section of the main dining room at the late dinner seating. There is no assigned seating for dinner, we can sit with the Frankie Cruise guests of our choice - mix and match as you choose every night. Theme Nights PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN!!! CROSS-DRESSING NIGHT A NIGHT AT THE OSCARS FORMAL NIGHTS Wardrobe / Packing Tips Casual. Casual. Casual. THINK TROPICS. HUMID. BALMY. AAAAHHHHH... Shorts, skirts, light weight pants, T-shirts, tanks. (those cargo pants with the zip off legs do double duty.) Cruise line provides: On Board Facilities State Room Safes Tipping $10 per person per day will be placed on your shipboard account automatically. The ship board account is set up as you check into the cruise. The tip includes everyone - your server at meals, the person who prepares your room, you will not believe how well taken care of you will be!!! The tip amounts to $70 for the week. Should anyone wish to adjust this amount they may do so at the front desk. Dance Classes/Workshops Twenty - plus hours of dancing thrills and chills!! Due to the feedback you've been giving us we have decided to create a schedule very similiar to last years'. The classes will be partially grouped in levels, partially optional. What's that mean?? When you signed up on the website, you were asked your dancing level: beginner, intermediate etc. The dancers will be divided into groups based on those levels, staying with others of the same level for several core classes per workshop day, working with the varied teaching couples. Optional classes will also be on the menu every workshop day - including everything from hip hop, shag, balboa, styling, jazz, Big Apple, tap into jazz, and more! THERE IS NO NEED TO PRE-REGISTER FOR OPTIONAL CLASSES. IF YOU ARE IN THE DATABASE AND COMPLETED THE LEVELS INFORMATION - YOU ARE ALL SET! You will receive your workshop schedule with your core classes and all the elective workshop options in your packet. PACKETS are distributed as you CHECK IN at the HOSPITALITY DESK BEFORE YOU BOARD THE SHIP. Dancing Surfaces We've done our best in negotiating dance spaces with Princess! Many varied surfaces-- bring several pairs of shoes!! SHIP'S RETURN TO FT. LAUDERDALE Night Before Disembarking - May 28
Disembarkation - May 29 You will be asked upon leaving the ship to identify and clear your luggage through customs. Your luggage will be arranged dockside by Tip: last year we found that hiring a porter saved us hours waiting in line (on Carnival Cruise Line), we can only hope that goes for this THE WEEKEND AFTER: Continuation Party / Hotel Saturday, May 29 for Frankie Manning's Post Cruise Birthday Party featuring appearances from Frankie, Dawn Hampton, Norma Miller, and Sugar Sullivan. There will be LIVE music from the incomparable Barbara Morrison and South Florida's own Duffy Jackson Big Band. Cost is $25/advance and $30/door (Purchase advance tickets at www.swingaffair.com.) Italian American Club of Hollywood, Florida The Official Frankie Cruise After Hotel: Ft. Lauderdale Marina Mariott Make reservations under Frankie Cruise Group. IMPORTANT: Cruisers must book before 4/29/04 to get special rate. There are a limited number of rooms reserved at this rate so you are encouraged to book right away! RATES: Please note: The cruise ship arrives back into port at 7:00 a.m. Everyone will probably clear customs and arrive at the hotel around noon. Check-in is not until 3 p.m. Although the hotel will do their best to get people in their rooms before then everyone should expect a 3 p.m. check in. The hotel will have a room to store luggage. You'll be free to hang around the pool. There is also a water taxi which takes people to the beach (or down the river to "old" Ft. Lauderdale along Las Olas boulevard). The taxi stops at the hotel every half an hour ($5 for a day pass). Some of the taxi "drivers" provide a great travelogue, pointing out the homes of the rich and famous. FREE DANCE @ Beach Place Sunday, May 30th at 1pm
Jodi and the Frankie Cruise Crew :) |