ALASKA BIGFOOT CRUISE FAQ’s

As of September 5, 2022, RCI officially lifted the vaccine requirement for our cruise. Unvaccinated guests aged 5 and up will need to provide negative test results within 3 days before boarding.

RCI is currently developing updated protocols that provide for continued safety for all guests, crew, and the communities in the ports of call, better align with the travel and hospitality sector and meet destination regulations.

It is the responsibility of each guest to be informed and comply with RCI’s COVID-19 requirements and protocols at the time the cruise sails. Passengers not meeting the cruise line’s requirements will be denied boarding, and no refund of the cruise costs or event badge costs will be issued. These policies are set by the cruise line (not CrimeCruise), and no exceptions are allowed.

Please visit RCI’s Healthy Sail Center for additional information.

No. Alaska Bigfoot Cruise is an all-inclusive package and it must be purchased through the group to participate in activities. Badges will not be sold separately.

The Alaska Bigfoot Cruise is a 7-night, Alaska cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas. It will depart from Seattle, Washington on  Friday, Sept 13, 2024, and return on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. The daily activities and in-port dates are listed on our home page.

The price for the cruise varies per stateroom category.

Prices are per person based on double occupancy; guests who book a single occupancy stateroom will be charged 200% of the applicable double occupancy per person cruise fare.

Badge fees are additional and the fee is based on which tier you purchase in.

Taxes and fees are a flat rate per passenger, regardless of room type or occupancy of the stateroom booked. Shipboard gratuities include your room steward and the ship’s main dining venue staff. Both must be prepaid with your reservation and are subject to change until the day of sailing.

Casino dealers and spa personnel are not included since not all guests will utilize those services. A gratuity for bar services and servers will automatically be added to the price of your drinks on your bar check.

What is included with the VIP Pass?

• All Alaska Bigfoot Cruise lectures onboard
• Onboard Q&A session
• Juneau micro-conference admission
• Private, Meet & Greet reception
• Opportunity to participate in group/private special events and excursions

What is included in the Cruise Fare?

• Round trip cruise from Seattle, WA
• All performances, interviews, parties and events presented on the cruise (This does not include any special Artist-Hosted Events which require sign up and/or a fee).
• All meals (“Included Dining” features breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in the Windjammer Café and breakfast/brunch and dinner in the Main Dining Room as well as food in other “Included” dining venues, i.e. Café Promenade, Boardwalk Dog House).
• As part of the Included Dining experience, non-bottled beverages (i.e. coffee, juices, tea) are provided without charge
• Recreation facilities, such as Fitness Center, Pools, Hot Tubs, Rock Climbing Wall, Basketball Court, Jogging Track
• In-room TV and movies (excluding pay-per-view movies)
• Full-service room cleaning

The following services are not included in the cruise price:

• Dining in Specialty Restaurants such as Chops Grille, 150 Central Park, and Izumi
• Internet
• Travel Insurance
• Dining in Johnny Rockets (Where applicable)
• Spa and Salon services
• Gambling (Including Bingo)
• Art Auction
• Any purchases made in the gift shops onboard
• Shore excursions
• Photographs
• Video Arcade
• Medical Services
• Internet Access
• Transfers
• Laundry and Dry Cleaning Services
• Ship to Shore Telephone calls
• Alcoholic Beverages
• Non-Alcoholic Beverages (excluding water, lemonade and iced tea)

When you book your cruise, simply click on the reservation button for one passenger then click the option that reads “I wish to be matched with another single traveler and pay the double occupancy price.” Best efforts will be made to pair you with a roommate of the same gender and within the same stateroom category, however roommate requests are not guaranteed. Please refer to the Single Share Terms & Conditions for additional information.

See all payment plan options

Due to the unique nature of this event, all reservations will be subject to the following cancellation policy:

All payments made for a Reservation are non-refundable. By purchasing Travel Insurance, Guests can offset this risk.

You can use our referral link with Travelex to purchase your travel insurance. Here is the link https://bit.ly/gutravel

Yes, when registering please use your name and gender as shown on your travel documents. Please add your chosen name and pronoun in the requested fields.

Proper travel documentation is required at embarkation and throughout the cruise for all passengers. Even though a passenger has completed the cruise line’s online reservation, it is still the passenger’s responsibility to present the required travel documents at the time of embarkation. Any passenger without proper documents will not be allowed to board the vessel, and no refund of the cruise fare will be issued. Gather Up Events and its agents/affiliates assume no responsibility for advising passengers of proper travel documentation.

RCI highly recommends all passengers travel with a government-issued passport that is valid for at least 6 months following the return of the cruise. Although a passport is not required for U.S. citizens taking cruises that begin and end in the same U.S. port, traveling with a passport may help to expedite your CBP clearance upon return to the U.S. Additionally, passports are required in the event you need to fly from the U.S. to a foreign port should you miss your scheduled port of embarkation or need to fly back to the U.S. for emergency reasons.

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) currently allows U.S. citizens (including children) sailing on cruises that begin and end in the same U.S. port to travel with one of the WHTI-compliant documents, listed below:

• Valid U.S. Passport
• Passport Card
• Original Birth Certificate issued by a government agency along with a government-issued photo ID if 16 years of age and older
• Original Certificate of Naturalization
• Trusted Traveler Program Membership Card, e.g., Nexus Card, Sentri Card, or Fast Card
• Enhanced Tribal Card
• A Consular Report of Birth Abroad
• Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL) – only acceptable at land and seaports of entry. It cannot be used for air travel outside the U.S. The word ‘Enhanced’ must appear on the driver’s license. The following five states currently issue an EDL: Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, and Washington.

Copies of US passports/naturalization papers, hospital certificates, and baptismal certificates are not WHTI-compliant documents and are therefore NOT acceptable.

Requirements are subject to change, and it is each guest’s responsibility to ensure that he/she has the appropriate documentation.

For more information on the documentation requirements, please see the cruise line’s site here.

Please visit the U.S. Department of State website for all passport information. Please note a passport could take six weeks or more to process, so make certain you allow enough time.

Passengers are responsible to ensure that they are eligible to sail according to Royal Caribbean’s requirements, including but not limited to the following:

• Infants must be at least 6 months old on the day of departure.
• Women must be less than 24 weeks into their pregnancy on the day of departure and for the duration of the cruise. This policy is due to the risk of premature labor. Pregnant women must have a letter signed by their doctor (on the physician’s letterhead) stating how far along in weeks their pregnancy will be at the beginning of the cruise, that mother and baby are in good health and fit to travel, and that the pregnancy is not considered high-risk.

Adults must be 21 or older unless the passenger is:

• traveling in the same stateroom with an individual 25 years or older; or
• traveling in the same stateroom with a spouse (proof of age and/or proof of marriage are required)

Passengers not meeting the cruise line’s requirements will be denied boarding, and no refund of the cruise fare will be issued. These policies are set by the cruise line, and no exceptions are allowed.

For questions about the ship or the registration process, Alaska Bigfoot Cruse inclusions and events, email us at cruise@gatherupevents.com or call us at 865-236-1638.

Yes, this year you pick your cabin based on the rooms we were assigned. 

Any changes in registrations must be made within 60 days of sailing, any change requests will need to be submitted via email to cruise@gatherupevents.com

Names changes are permitted, but at least one of the original and/or primary financially responsible guest’s names as of the stateroom’s original reservation must remain on the reservation. If all original guests cancel, this is considered a full cancellation without a refund, and name changes will not be allowed. Note: event badges are not refundable and non-transferable as noted on the cancellation schedule above.

There is a one-time $50 fee for any name changes to the reservation. 

Yes, you can – subject to availability. Rates are based on the number of guests in your reserved stateroom. Changes in occupancy will result in a rate increase or decrease, depending on the type of change. 

While many staterooms can accommodate more than two people with a sofa bed or upper berths stored in the stateroom ceiling, etc., not all rooms can; and such accommodations are subject to availability at the time of reservation. Due to Coast Guard safety regulations, there cannot be more guests accommodated in a stateroom than the designated occupancy for that room. Also, please be advised that each guest must be registered and paid for in full in order to be allowed to board the ship.

If available, the change fee is $100

Approximately 3 to 4 weeks prior to the sailing date, guests who have booked and paid in full will receive an email with their cruise line booking number for the cruise. The email will also contain instructions on how to check-in online via Royal Caribbean’s website – where guests can sign up for shore excursions, make specialty dining reservations and pre-register a credit card for onboard purchases. All guests are required to complete the online check-in at least four days prior to cruising. Cruise documents will be available for printing through the cruise line’s online check-in approximately 3 weeks prior to sailing.

You can pre-purchase shore excursions on RCI’s website once you receive your booking number and online check-in instructions for the cruise (approximately 3 to 4 weeks prior to the sailing date) or once you are onboard ship.

Daytime: Casual attire is always appropriate day wear and in port, and includes jeans, shorts, tees, tank tops, polos, sundresses and blouses. (Please keep swimwear for the pool deck only.). Also, be sure to bring low-heeled, comfortable shoes for deck activities and shore tours; and a hat, sunscreen and sunglasses are highly recommended.

Evening: For most evenings, casual attire (excluding tank tops and shorts) is fine; or you may wish to take it up a notch with collared shirts, slacks, skirts, etc. One evening of your cruise will have a “Wear Your Best” attire designation, which is your chance to get glamorous, be chic and shine – your way.

Reminder: travel documents, valuables and medications should be packed in carry-on luggage.

Royal Caribbean can accommodate special diets that have been created in consultation with a dietary specialist. Selections offered are for lunch and dinner in the main dining room only. Sample diets include vegetarian, vegan, diabetic, low fat, low sodium, low cholesterol, kosher meals, gluten-free and lactose-free. Please note any special dietary needs in the notes section of your reservation.

There are a limited number of wheelchair-accessible staterooms available onboard the ship. For people that do not use a wheelchair but still need minimal assistance, bars and raised toilet seats can be accommodated in most staterooms. In addition, disposal units for needles, refrigerators for medication, and oxygen tanks can be put into most staterooms upon request. All of these items are available on a limited basis and should be requested in the Notes section of your reservation. If you have an accessibility need, please send an email to cruise@gatherupevents.com.

Yes, you can take personal photos and videos of yourself and family/friends on board. Please be courteous and not include other ship guests or crew members in your photos or videos without their permission.

Guests can be contacted onboard the Quantum  of the Seas by calling 1-888-724-7447 (from the U.S.) or 1-321-953-9003 (from outside the U.S.) Please note that rates apply and are billed at $7.95 per minute (subject to change). Forms of payment accepted are Visa and MasterCard only and calls are limited to 10 minutes per call. Callers should have the ship name and the stateroom number or name of the party they are contacting before calling. Callers using the above numbers will be transferred directly to the guest’s stateroom. If the guest is not in the stateroom at the time of the call, the caller may leave a voicemail message.

You can also make calls from the ship using the Ship-to-Shore telephone service. Rates for this service also apply and will be billed to your shipboard account starting at $7.95 per minute. Telephones are available in all staterooms.

Royal Caribbean offers an advanced roaming network on board all ships, allowing you to make and receive calls while at sea using compatible mobile phones that are set to roaming. International roaming charges will be conveniently billed to you by your home mobile carrier. Mobile phone service will be available for use while the ship is at sea.

Rates for the usage of your cellular phone are determined by your home mobile carrier. Please note that calls to 800, 888, 866, and 877 numbers are not toll-free while onboard or in foreign ports. You will be billed by your home mobile carrier for your international roaming usage on your regular mobile phone bill. It can take up to 60 days for charges acquired while using your cellular phone at these times to appear on your phone bill. For more information, please contact your home mobile carrier customer service.

Staterooms do not have irons or ironing boards; however, the ship offers washing, pressing, and dry-cleaning services for a reasonable rate. Please also note that irons and clothes steamers are strictly prohibited onboard the ship for safety reasons. If you choose to bring one with you, it will be confiscated from your luggage before sailing.

Any special needs, including allergies, must be indicated in the Special Requests/Notes section of the online reservation and will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. While there is no guarantee that all special needs/requests can be accommodated, we will make our best efforts to accommodate the need or provide an alternative if possible.

The ship has a minimum of one fully licensed doctor and 2 licensed nurses onboard, who are available in the ship’s medical facility during scheduled hours or on call 24 hours a day through the Guest Services desk.

The Quantum of the Seas does NOT provide wheelchairs for onboard use. Guests can, however, rent a wheelchair, motorized wheelchair, or scooter from one of Royal Caribbean’s recommended providers:

• Scootaround – 1-888-441-7575 or 1-204-982-0657
• Special Needs At Sea – 1-800-513-4515 or 1-954-585-0575

Not every area of the ship is wheelchair accessible; however, Royal Caribbean has made substantial modifications to enhance your ability to move about the ship. The Quantum of the Seas features accessible elevators at each elevator bank with tactile controls within reach of passengers who use wheelchairs.

Accessible routes are available throughout most areas of the ship, and signs are posted to assist you in locating these pathways. There is also accessible seating within your ship’s restaurants and lounges, and in designated accessible public restrooms.

The cruise ship operates on a cashless system. Passengers can validate their onboard account with a Visa, MasterCard, or American Express card, or by making payment by cash or traveler’s check. Passengers can then sign all onboard services and purchases to their shipboard account. At the end of the cruise, passengers will receive a completely itemized statement of charges.

Royal Caribbean does not accept personal checks, and only U.S. currency is accepted aboard the ships. There is an ATM located onboard the ship, though a transaction fee will apply.

Guests are not allowed to bring water, sodas, and other non-alcoholic beverages onboard that are packaged in glass or plastic bottles. A small quantity of non-alcoholic beverages (i.e., sparkling water, sodas, energy drinks, juice, and milk) packaged in cans or cartons may be brought onboard on embarkation day and must be in the guest’s carry-on luggage. A small quantity is considered a maximum of 12 sealed, unopened cans/cartons of 12 ounces each or less per person.

Guests are not allowed to bring alcoholic beverages of any kind onboard for consumption, except two bottles of wine or champagne per stateroom with an adult of drinking age (no larger than 750 ml) per sailing. Guests who consume their personal wine or champagne in the dining room will incur a $15 corkage fee per bottle. Personal wine or champagne may not be consumed in any other public area of the ship.

Please remember that luggage will be scanned and alcohol outside of the cruise line’s policy will be removed and discarded. Security may inspect containers (water bottles, soda bottles, mouthwash, etc.) and will dispose of containers holding alcohol. Royal Caribbean is not responsible for any alcoholic beverages removed and discarded by shore-side security staff. Such items are not eligible for monetary refund or replacement.

Alcoholic beverages purchased duty-free from the ship’s gift shop, or at ports of call, will be collected for safekeeping and delivered to the passenger’s stateroom on the last day of the cruise. A member of the ship’s staff will be at the gangway to assist passengers with the storage of their shore-side alcoholic purchases, while the ship’s gift shop staff will assist passengers with shipboard alcoholic purchases.

Guests who are under the permitted drinking age will not have alcohol returned to them. Please note: all guests must comply with TSA guidelines for transporting liquids.

All interior public spaces (except as otherwise noted below) and staterooms/suite accommodations are entirely smoke-free, including outside stateroom balconies. This policy includes all forms of smoking, including but not limited to, cigarettes, cigars, electronic cigarettes, and personal vaporizers.

Cigarette, E-cigarette, and personal vaporizer smoking are only permitted in designated exterior open deck areas, and in certain areas within the casino. Cigar and pipe smoking are allowed in designated exterior open deck areas.

Outdoor areas near restricted areas, food venues, and kids’ play areas and pools will not allow smoking. To assist in locating areas where smoking is permitted, guests will find visible signage posted within all smoking areas and ashtrays that are provided for use.

Cigarettes, cigars, and pipe tobacco must be properly disposed of and never thrown overboard. You must be at least 18 years of age to purchase, possess or use tobacco onboard.

Note: Passengers who smoke in their staterooms or on their balconies will be assessed a $250 cleaning and refreshing fee on their onboard account and may be subject to further action. Information on this fee is included in Royal Caribbean’s cruise ticket contract. Passengers agree to strictly comply with Royal Caribbean’s non-smoking policy.