Lord of the Rings: Journey to Middle Earth FAQ
What is the Journey to Middle earth?
The Journey to Middle earth is a cruise in New Zealand, home of Middle earth, with optional land tours to various filming locations. This is NOT a convention, but rather it’s a Ringer Fan Gathering, a mobile fan gathering at that. This will be a chance for Ringers to get to fulfill one of their lifelong dreams, to visit Tolkien’s Middle earth, on Earth, in locations scattered across New Zealand, and to do so with fellow fans. This Journey has been planned by Fans, for Fans in conjunction with some of the best companies in the travel industry.
What is the difference between the Wizard, Hobbit and Ranger Journeys?
The biggest difference is the time involved. The Wizard’s Journey will be a 3 week long full immersion into New Zealand’s Middle earth, including the pre-cruise tour, the full cruise and all LOTR themed day tours. The Hobbit’s Journey will be the shorter 2 week cruise only, with the full package of LOTR themed day tours included. And finally, the Ranger’s Journey will also just be the 2 week cruise, but will not include any of the LOTR themed day tours unless purchased separately on a first come, first served basis.
What can I do on a ship for 14 days?
During the cruise there will be a variety of LOTR themed activities that are still being planned. This is NOT a convention; it’s a Mobile Fan Gathering. As shipboard activities get confirmed, they will be announced on the website. Ideas in the works include screenings of all three films, a masquerade party, trivia games, book discussions, and more. For the non-fan, there is plethora of onboard activities, ranging from a World-class Spa, a pool and gym to a Casino, Broadway style shows and numerous Fine Dining options.
Do I need a passport or visa?
Travel to New Zealand and Australia require a valid passport that is good at least 6 months beyond the end of the cruise, which is December 7, 2008. Travel to Australia typically requires a visa; I will have contact info shortly for a visa service that will be able to process the visa. I am going to request that everyone signing up for this cruise use the same visa service.
Is there a dress code?
A typical cruise on Celebrity will usually include a few formal nights in the dining room. While costuming is acceptable, and even encouraged, you may find that only Elven, Rohirric and Gondorian dress will qualify for the formal dining nights, with the exception of fine Gentle Hobbits, when wearing shoes. I will have a more complete guide with suggestions for cruising and touring attire in the near future.
Who is planning this whole thing?
That would be me, Garfeimao, from TheOneRing.net, in my capacity as a cruise consultant with Cruise Locators. Yes, I’ll be wearing multiple hats on this Journey. Here is how the responsibilities for this Journey break down, by organization.
• Cruise Locators will be managing the entire Journey, securing the group space on the cruise, contracting the LOTR themed land tours, taking all reservations, accepting all payments for Cruise, Tour and Flights, arranging for travel insurance, and hosting this cruisetour. Cruise Locators is a real, ‘Bricks and Mortar’ company under the shingle of Travelstore, one of the largest travel agencies in California. The company’s stature in the travel industry allows for very favorable relationships with many of the other travel companies you will encounter on this Journey. If the dates chosen for this cruisetour don’t meet your needs, feel free to ask about a sailing on a different date. We are holding space on several other sailings; we just won’t be organizing any extracurricular activities on them.
• Celebrity Cruises is the cruise line of choice here. Their ship, the Millennium, will be sailing between Auckland and Sydney from November 2008 through March of 2009. This ship has been consistently voted near the top of Large Ship rankings, as judged by several Travel Industry polls, the past few years, and once on board, you will understand why. With your cruise reservation, Celebrity will provide you a beautifully appointed cabin of your choice, all meals in all dining areas except the specialty dining restaurants, which require an additional charge, and all shipboard entertainment. I will also be coordinating with Celebrity for meeting space on the ship, as well as access to the movie theater. Read more about Celebrity Cruises.
• Red Carpet Tours is designing a variety of land tours, from the 6 night pre-cruise tour to the individual day tours to various LOTR filming locations that will be reachable from the ship. Red Carpet Tours has been operating tours to LOTR filming locations for years, with their biggest tour taking place in December of 2003 when Return of the King premiered in Wellington. Our Journey will be a celebration of the 5th anniversary of that event and that tour. Red Carpet Tours will provide all New Zealand tour arrangements including entry into various locations, motor coach transport, some meals, hotel, internal flights and guiding.
• TheOnering.net will provide the passion for all things Tolkien, as we have in the past with our Line Party events, the Baggins’ Birthday Bashes, our conventions and our Oscar Parties. TORn will be the bridge between you, the fans, and the Travel Professionals who will make this Journey of a Lifetime a reality. We will also be working tirelessly to include as many LOTR themed activities onboard the ship as possible, but still allowing you the time to fully enjoy the cruise experience.
Why a cruise, what’s the advantage to a cruise over a land based tour?
The advantages of a cruise over a land based tour are numerous. Once aboard the ship, you only need to unpack and then repack once, at the beginning and end of the cruise, but you still get to visit a half dozen cities and towns in two countries. It is a package price, so your room, all meals, and entertainment are included in that one charge, which is in US dollars, so you know exactly how much your trip will cost you without having to deal with unpredictable exchange rates. You can further that by purchasing your air through Celebrity and getting transfers between the airport and the dock as part of the package. While on the ship you will have access to a variety of amenities such as a fitness center, spa, pool, casino and an internet café. You can play hard in port, taking in a jetboat excursion or doing a bungee jump, then return to the ship for an excellent meal and then an evening massage before heading to the casino, all while the ship moves on to the next port.
It turns out I can't go on the cruise, can I transfer my reservation to somebody else?
This question will have to be taken on a case by case situation. If you purchase Flights through Celebrity, you have to cancel or change your name much earlier than if you are just doing a Cruise Only reservation. This will all be dependant upon the cancellation dates, so as soon as I know that I’ll update this section as well.
Is there an age limit on this cruise?
While there is no real limit on the age of any passengers, there is an age limit on who can travel on their own. I will post the minimum age for reserving a cabin soon. Anyone under the age of 18 will need to be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult. Remember, you are traveling internationally; proper documentation for minors traveling with someone other then their legal guardian may also include a notarized letter from their guardian giving permission for the travel with a designated adult. In other words, a teenager traveling with grandparents or an aunt or an older sibling would need a letter from their parents stating it’s OK. More details soon regarding any age limitations.
I'm going by myself, but I can't afford the single occupancy price and I'm willing to share a room with other friendly Ringers, how do I find them?
I’m setting up a mailing list for discussion regarding this cruise and this will be where people can find roommates. No, I will not be arranging roommates or finding them or even checking references, this will be your job as a seeker. Use the list, talk to each other, a lot, before deciding to share space with someone for 2-3 weeks. Most of you will actually know each other from previous events, so this process should be smooth. For those who come to this early, go ahead and book a room, the deposit is the same whether you are one, two, three of even four people in a room, and additional names can be added later on. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TORnANZlotrCruise
I have special food needs, what are my options?
Low Sodium, Low Fat and Diabetic meal options are routinely available and would just need a heads up at least 2 weeks prior to sailing. Requests for Kosher meals would have to be put in as early as possible since those meals are pre-packaged. Anyone with a food allergy would also want to inform the cruise line as early as possible. Once onboard, going down to the main dining room to talk to the Maitre’d and then later on with your head server is also a good way to make sure all special food requests are taken care of.
Are you limiting the number of attendees?
I have set aside group space on the Millennium for this cruise and there is currently a set number of cabins and a time limit for selling into that group. If space if available after the allotted time I have to sell into it, I can definitely sell more cabins, but the prices might be different. Certain cabin categories are in short supply, such as Suites and Penthouse staterooms, so it is recommended to book those types of cabins early for best selection. For the tours, we are only limited by the number of seats on the bus, but we can always hire a second bus or a bigger one.
How do I find out how much I still owe for the cruise?
You will receive an invoice after your initial deposit and after each subsequent payment, as well as after any substantial change to your booking. You can also call us at any time and just ask for the balance or another copy of your invoice.
Will you be issuing printed tickets?
Celebrity Cruises, like most major cruise lines and nearly all airlines, have moved to a system of eDocs, so the bulk of your documentation will be done online or via email. There may be some pre-cruise documents, such as luggage tags and a shore excursion book. Confirmation from Red Carpet Tours will also be via email.
FAQ expanding soon. Please submit any additional questions via our contact info.
For more information or reservations, contact:
Cathy Udovch @ cathy.u@cruiselocators.com
1-562-552-9812 or
1-800-955-7447, ext. 19812
