This is a living document, it will be updated with new answers as soon as new questions arise.

The answers on this page have been provided by Lafayette Travel Center, the travel agent for the Tips from the Top Deck cruise. If you don't find your question answered here, please contact Lafayette Travel Center at 800-536-2423 (toll free), 925-284-4450 or via email at david@wedotravel.com. You can also discuss anything cruise-related on the Cruise Discussion Forum
How and where do I book the cruise?
The cruise and the photography class fee will need to be booked with Lafayette Travel Center. You may also book other items from the RoyalCaribbean website yourself (such as additional shore excursions on those days where there are none officially planned). We recommend contacting Lafayette Travel Center before booking other items independently, as we have over 30 years in the business and have some tricks up our sleeves. We can more than likely save you money and secure you a better experience. You can even use airline miles to book your airfare (providing the restrictions with the miles work out in your favor).

Contact info:

David, Beyer, Lafayette Travel Center
3629 Mt. Diablo Blvd.
Lafayette CA, 94549
Phone: 925-284-4450 Fax: 925-284-1303
Toll free: 800-536-2423
» www.wedotravel.com
» david@wedotravel.com
Is there a deadline for booking? What about the Allotment Deadline?
Keep in mind that we will be travelling on a large RoyalCaribbean cruise ship, so we are not the only ones booking for the ship right now.

The travel agent has an allotment for our cruise cabins until January 23rd. Until then we have guaranteed booking. After January 23rd, those cabins will be open for everyone to book, so after that date there are no guarantees anymore that we'll have cabins available to book.

So if you want to join in and be part of tips from the top deck, we highly suggest you book before Jan/23!
Do I have to be located in the United States to book the cruise?
No, you can book this cruise from anywhere. Lafayette Travel Center will even call you back if you send them an email with your contact information and preferred contact time.
Do I need to have a special skill level or special photo equipment in order to participate in the cruise?
Not at all! As with the tips from the top floor podcast, each and everyone is welcome to participate, no matter if you use an expensive DSLR or a Point-and-Shoot camera. Prior to the cruise, Chris will contact all participants via email in order to determine the overall skill level and to make sure that there will be a lot of value in it for everyone.
What choices of rooms are available? What is the per person cost for an oceanview room? The cruise website sayd $1299 a couple of weeks ago. Now, it says $1399. The travel agency told me $1499. This does not include the $250 for the photography part.
The ship books its rooms by categories. There are several categories of inside, several categories of outside, ocean view, etc. The categories we have reserved for the group are:

F - $1499/pp (ocean view)
H - $1349/pp (ocean view)
N - $1119/pp (Inside Cabin)

Since the website did not allow us to restrict booking into these categories, we allowed people to book into any category. Once you contact us, we then transfer you into the group. (Please remember that the prices above are cruise only).

It looks like you might have seen category Y a couple of weeks ago, which would have been around the $1299 range (it is now sold out). Catagory I is at the $1399, and you were given the price of the F cabin, which is $1499.

Now, you might notice that you were told $1499 for the F class cabin. Here is the one thing that we have been wanting to suprise everyone with and wanted to let Chris know first, but wanted to make sure that we had the discount. Yes, there is a discount if you book and get your deposit in by January 6th. The F, H and N catagory discounts are shown above, if you book in other catagories, we will be able to tell you your discount as soon as we get you into the group.

For the people who have already booked into a category other than above, we will be letting you know in the next week what your actual cost is.
I'm trying to get my spouse to come with me on the cruise, but she's worried about the photographic excursions being just a bunch of us all stood around taking photos for ages. What will the format of the excursions be?
The two shore excursions that Chris will be offering will consist of a local guide who is fluent in English and knows the area attractions. The local guide will be providing information about the area and answering questions. Chris will be interjecting photo hints and tips throughout the tour. He will also have the ability to say “stop the bus” if something catches his eye during the ride to and from the attractions. If there is enough interest, we can also set up a separate tour that mirrors the photo tour with a guide that can show you the sites. You are also free to take ship offered shore excursions or explore on your own. I don’t think we will be doing much standing around with Chris leading the tour (electrically insulated pants are recommended though)
What is planned for Sep/13 and Sep/15?
Chris will hold two photography workshops, one on Sep/11 and one on Sep/16, and he will be heading two photography shore excursions, one in Athens, Greece on Sep/12 and on in Heraklion, Crete on Sep/14. On the remaining two days you are free to participate in any of the excursions offered by RoyalCaribbean. You should also check with Lafayette Travel Center to find out if they have anything else on offer for those days.
I emailed for more information and no one has contacted me back yet.
We respond to every email, but sometimes SPAM blockers on either side can remove emails if they look commercial, which some of our responses do. If you do not get a response back within 1 business day, send the email again. Include a phone number and a best time to call so we can follow up. Post to the forum if you have any problems, we are scanning them daily to keep ahead of the questions.
Will this be an ongoing thing?
As long as people are interested and as long as Chris wants to spend a week of his vacation with us, it will be an ongoing thing. It might not be a cruise next time, but a land tour to some other destination. As people make suggestions, we will listen and work with Chris to create future travel and photo experiences.
On these shore landings, what kind of environments would there be? Would there be more people, landscapes, architecture, etc? Also, would there be a fun zodiac landing, or would you be pulling into a port? (Zodiacs are a load of fun).
Since there are many variables involved (sun, wind, weather, crowds, strikes, etc), we are going to be fluid on this. We do have a base tour ready to go with a bus, tour guide, the ‘biggie’ attractions with admission. We will be working with the tour guide before the tour to get us the best photography tour possible and have back up plans ready to go in case of ‘glitches’. There will be architecture, people, just about everything available to photograph. The ports we are visiting on this trip all have accommodations for the ship to dock. You will be able to walk on and off the ship as long as we are in port. If for some reason a port is ‘full’, we might have to tender in, but this is done in one of the life boats, not a zodiac.
I want a balcony cabin, are there any available?
As of this last weekend, there were only 9 available (and these are bookable by anyone, not just people in our group. If you want a balcony cabin, book it now. And in general, we can only guarantee booking until Dec 31, 2005 – after that it will be hit and miss.
If I put down a deposit and then have to cancel, do I lose my deposit?
The deposits are refundable until 70 days prior to sailing. After that time, cancellation charges apply.
I put down my deposit — when do I need to pay for the entire cruise?
The deadline for final payment is 70 days prior to sailing.
What is the deposit amount?
The deposit is $250 per person or $500 per cabin.
Any further questions?

Please contact Lafayette Travel Center at 800-536-2423 (toll free), 925-284-4450 or via email at david@wedotravel.com.

You can also discuss anything cruise-related on the Cruise Discussion Forum or send me an email to info@tipsfromthetopfloor.com