Festivals and Performance at Sea

Performance and Warm-Up Times
Performance schedules will be sent approximately three weeks prior to your sailing date.  Your group must be prepared to enter the performance area at your specified time.  Please note, due to time and space restraints onboard ship, there are no formal warm-up opportunities available.  Please ask your representative to schedule a rehearsal time if you believe you need one.

Performance Length
The type of group that is performing determines the length of each performance.  In general, each group is initially limited to one 30-minute performance.  This time includes stage set-up and strike time.  Additional performances may be scheduled if time permits.  Please check with your Global Travel Alliance representative to determine availability of additional performance opportunities.

Performance Location
In most cases, each group will perform in the main show room on each ship.  However, this is done solely at the cruise lines’ discretion and smaller groups may have their performances scheduled in a secondary lounge.

Advertising Your Performance
In most cases, each group’s performance time will be listed in each ship’s daily onboard itinerary.  However, this is done solely at the cruise lines’ discretion.  Each group may make a flyer to advertise their performance.  The cruise line prior to your sailing date must approve these flyers.  Flyers must state “Not Affiliated with (cruise line) Entertainment”.  In most cases, these flyers can be left onboard at the Purser’s Desk.  Please check with your Global Travel Alliance representative for further details.

Music
All music must be recorded on a high quality cassette tape and compact disk; both must be brought to the performance.  All music must be taped to speed.  If a speed adjustment must be made, it will be done prior t your performance.  Please have all music at the sound table at least 20 minutes ahead of schedule.  One representative must be present with a back-up tape on hand.  All tapes will need to be cued.

Musical Equipment
All ships will have an acoustic piano or keyboard.  These are only available in certain lounges.  Use of cruise line’s equipment must be pre-arranged, and the equipment cannot be moved under any circumstances.  Timpani, concert bass drum, and music stands are only available on Carnival Cruise Lines’ M/S Fantasy.  Use of chairs must be pre-arranged with your Global Travel Alliance representative.  Please note that chimes and xylophones will not be supplied.  However, Global Travel Alliance will try to coordinate a plan whereby each band will supply some of the needed percussion equipment.  Choral risers are provided on board Carnival Cruise Lines’ M/S Fantasy and M/S Ecstasy only.

U.S. Customs
It is important to note that any musical instrument that is taken on board ship sailing into a foreign country must be filed with United States Customs.  Simply fill out our “Equipment List Form” for US Customs and Airlines (available from Global Travel Alliance) and send it back to Global Travel Alliance.  The form is due 100 days prior to your sailing date.  If all forms are not received by 75 days prior to sailing you may forfeit your opportunity to perform.  The final deadline for all performance forms is 50 days prior to the sailing.  If you have not submitted your forms by this deadline, you have forfeited your performance onboard the ship.

ALL GROUPS:

DEPOSIT POLICY
Deposits are non-refundable, but can be credited to a new person’s account up to 125 days prior to sailing.  Global Travel Alliance and the cruise line reserve the right to make changes in the itinerary, accommodations, and services, provided the situation warrants such action.  Tour rates are based on the number of persons stated in the contract.  Please carefully review payment due dates, name change and cancellation policies.  This contains very important information and we adhere strictly to our policies, with no exceptions.

Final payment to the cruise lines must be made 75 days prior to sailing date.  If you miss this deadline, your group’s trip may become jeopardized and/or they may have to pick up their cruise tickets at the port.  This will make embarkation extremely difficult!

Deposits are non-refundable.  NO EXCEPTIONS!

NAME CHANGE POLICY

*Within 30 days of your sail date, we cannot guarantee that the Cruise Line will accept a name change.

CANCELLATION POLICY

PRICE INCREASES
Cruise prices are not subject to change during the 2005 season.  However, if the US Government or local port authority raises port charges/taxes and/or institutes a fuel surcharge, it will become necessary that the increase be passed on to the group.

LATE PAYMENTS
Payments made to our office which are passed the payment due date are considered late.  Payments which are not made on time always jeopardize your group losing your spot on the sailing.  Late payments will be assessed a mandatory $30.00 late fee per person (if paying individually) or $200 late fee per group (if paying as group).  Please refer to your contract or ask your Global Travel Alliance Representative for payment due dates.  If you know a payment is going to be late, contact your Global Travel Alliance Representative immediately so that we know you still plan on traveling.  Late payment fees still apply in such cases.

All checks must be made payable to: Global Travel Alliance, Inc.

All payments and prices listed are United States currency.

All forms (including cabin rooming list with gender/marital status preceding legal first and last names and birth dates, emergency contact, chaperone & student guidelines, alcohol & gaming affidavit, performance seating chart, equipment list, director’s plaque order form, t-shirt order form, liability release agreement, etc.) MUST be in our office no later than 100 days prior to sailing.  Any forms received in our office past the deadline shall be subject to a $100 processing fee.

Final payment for the entire group is due in our office no later than 85 days prior to sailing.

FORMS OF PAYMENT
We can accept multiple forms of payment for your trip.  First, we can either setup your group to be billed individually to each student and chaperone; or, we can bill the group as a whole.  Second, we can accept your group’s check, cashier’s check, money order, or credit card.  Our current credit card processing system is setup through PayPal®, an online service.  For more information, please contact your Global Travel Alliance Representative.