1) Does the IRS consider this a legitimate business expense?
Circumstances are different for everyone and you should consult your accountant, but generally the answer is YES. You will be spending a full 35 to 40 hours in the classroom. If you can claim any land based training class then this one is probably no different.

2) How can I convince my boss to let me go on a cruise?
There are some very good reasons to take this class:

• First and foremost, you will be receiving top notch training on Novell technologies.

• Second you will not be interrupted, as so often is the case in normal training classes.

• Third, we WILL BE TAKING ATTENDANCE and if requested we will provide your boss with a tally of the total hours you were present in class.

• Fourth, and possibly the most convincing reason, is that this class will cost your company LESS THAN taking it at a NAEC.  The bean-counters will love that one!

3) Can I stay in touch with the office and home?
The best approach would be to take care of all business and personal matters before you leave and consider yourself unreachable during the class. If you need to keep in touch, the cruise ship offers two options. An Internet Café is available 24 hours a day for you to access the Internet at a cost of about $ 0.75 per minute. Satellite phone service is available on the ship at a cost of about $ 9.50 per minute.
Remember that on some cruises we’ll be stopping at ports in North America practically every day, so bring your cell phone as it will work in port (based on your coverage area), and bring your calling card so you can use pay phones in port.
For international cruise locations, bring a calling card that works in those countries.
Another option is to rent a satellite phone for the duration of the cruise.

4) Can I take along family members and friends?
Absolutely! Take advantage of our special “cruise only” rate for anyone you wish to take along. Check the cruise details page for rates and remember that if you take along a 3rd and 4th person in the same room, they save even more! On our past cruises almost every student brought along a family member and they all had a fabulous experience.

5) Will there be any other expenses to worry about?
Most of your expenses are already paid for. However we would suggest bringing along some cash and a credit card. Generally $ 300 to $ 400 cash should cover your incidental expenses. You will need to bring a major credit card so the ship can charge onboard expenses. The costs you would normally incur include shore excursions, personal shopping, casino losses, alcoholic drinks, Internet service, phone service, and tips.
If you purchase any drinks onboard, they will be charged to your room bill and they will automatically add the tips. At the end of the cruise you will need to tip the staff (Waiter, Room steward, Assistant Waiter). Depending on the cruise line this is taken care of either by using envelopes or by charging your account directly.  The suggested tip amounts are approximately $10 per passenger per day.
Tours are offered by the cruise line at each port. Costs range anywhere from $18 to $175 per person. Full information on all available tours will be available on board the ship. We suggest booking tours and other activities the first day as some can fill up quickly.
Although most of the dining facilities are FREE, some ships provide some optional pay-for-service restaurants. The charges at these restaurants are typically $10 to $25 per person per meal.  Check the cruise details for information on your ship.

6) What is the quality of the course and instructor?
We offer you the best training experience available. The course covers all the material you’ll need to install and use the product when you get home. The instructor is a Master Certified Novell Instructor (CNI) with excellent teaching skills as well as real-world consulting experience. He’ll be able to cover the course materials as well as issues not usually covered in class. For official Novell courses, the course material provided is the same Authorized Novell Training that you would receive at any Novell Training Service Partner (NTSP) on land.
You won’t find a better course experience on land or at sea!

7) Will this course prepare me for a certification exam?
Positively! We cover all the listed objectives for the associated certification exam so you should be ready to take the test as soon as you feel ready.

8) I’ve never been on a cruise. Will I get seasick?
Today’s ships are very large and stable, minimizing the chance of seasickness. However, if you’ve never been on a ship or are prone to seasickness we would recommend bringing an over the counter anti seasickness medication such as Dramamine.

9) Can I cancel if an emergency comes up prior to the course date?
You have two options here. The first one is to purchase inexpensive insurance. With insurance you can cancel anytime (only with valid reason like medical problems, etc...) up to the day before the cruise departs and receive a full refund of the cruise portion minus a $50 processing fee. See the flyer for rates.
You may proceed without insurance in which case you can cancel 90 days in advance with a full refund.  Within 90 days of sailing, there are no refunds...but you can send someone in your place.

10) Who else offers this type of training experience?
As far as we know, this type of excursion has not been offered anywhere else.  It’s a rare opportunity to get a great training class and enjoy the associated cruise for free.

11) If I’ll be in the class, will I get any free time to actually enjoy the cruise?
Yes you will get time to enjoy the cruise and stop in the ports. We have scheduled the class times so as to give you as much free time as possible when the ship is docked. As an example, you’ll notice that on days when the ship is at sea, we have scheduled 10-hour class sessions. Check the published schedule to see the exact itinerary.

12) What is the required attire for the class and the cruise?
The classroom will be very casual. Wear whatever you are comfortable in. Shorts are fine. As for the cruise, you’ll want to bring along casual and comfortable clothes including a bathing suit. Remember that some cruises head up North meaning that the nights may be chilly, so bring along a light jacket or sweater.
Dinner attire varies depending on the restaurant. Some cruise lines offer "Freestyle Cruising" which means you have a choice of where to eat and how to dress. Good planning would be to pack a suit for the formal restaurant and "work casual" clothes for the others.

13) How can you offer such a great price on the full package?
The training cruise is heavily discounted by all the involved parties including the cruise line, the instructor, the student kits, and other materials. Get on board now, as the next one may not be available at the same incredible price.

14) What are the payment requirements for the class?
As with most any other training class, we require payment in full along with your application. You may pay by money order, company check, personal check, or Novell Training Vouchers. No credit cards can be accepted for training cruises. You will receive a receipt specifying a 40 hour training class. See the details for applicable deadlines.

15) Will we go through Customs and do I need a passport?
Yes, since we are leaving the country you will need to go through customs. A passport is NOT required. You will need proof of identity and age which can be satisfied by having either a current passport OR both a government issued Photo ID (i.e. driver’s license) and an official copy of your birth certificate with raised seal.
With today's increased security concerns, it is of the utmost importance that you do not forget your ID or your cruise tickets at home.  The cruise line will deny you boarding if you do not have the proper credentials, and there is NO REFUND for this.

16) With this type of price am I getting the "economy" cruise on an outdated ship?
Absolutely NOT.  You are getting a top notch cruise package aboard a new "flagship type" cruise ship.  The Carnival Victory (ZENcruise 2001) was less than a year old when we were aboard and it is still one of the biggest ships afloat.  The NCL Sun was about a year old when we sailed on NDSCruise 2002 and it was NCL's first ship built exclusively for Freestyle cruising.  We will continue to bring you the best training aboard fabulous cruise ships, at incredible prices!

17) This just sounds too good to be true. How can I tell that this really is as great an experience as it sounds?
Just take a look at the testimonials page, with comments from past participants.  If you want to call them, let us know and we'll be glad to provide you with some names and phone numbers.

18) Don't these cruises take place during hurricane season?
Technically these cruises take place right at the beginning of hurricane season.  As such, the chance of it coinciding with a hurricane are very small.  In our first three cruises, we have yet to reach port and get even as much as a cloudy day.  In the event of a hurricane at our destination port, the cruise line will reroute the ship to a port that is not affected.  On our 2004 cruise we were affected by hurricanes, which caused a change in our itinerary.  The change simply rerouted us from Cape Canaveral to Key West.

19) How come you won't take credit cards for these cruises?
We don't have a very large profit margin on these training cruises.  In fact we often just break even.  As such, it does not make financial sense for us to pay the additional discount rate (from 3% to 5%) for performing a credit card transaction.  From past experience we also find that most companies prefer to pay by check rather than by credit card.

20) If I find a great deal for the same cruise on the Internet, can I book the cruise myself and still take the course from you?
This training is offered ONLY as a package deal.  Remember that the course alone will sell for this price at any land based training center, so you are basically getting the cruise for free.  We reserve a block of cabins and are bound to filling them in order to fulfill our requirements to the cruise line.  We therefore can not accommodate any independently booked passengers.

21) If I find a cheaper price for my spouse on the Internet, can I buy that ticket separately?
Sorry, but if you want your spouse in the same cabin, you'll need to purchase that ticket from us also.  Typically, you won't find any better deals anywhere.  However on occasion, you may find some deals close to the sailing date due to cancellations and unsold cabins.  We reserve our cabins 8 to 12 months in advance and are bound to those prices so that we have enough room for everyone.

22) Is is worth the extra money for an upgrade to an ocean view or balcony cabin?
This is completely up to you.  Of course the balcony cabin is nice, but remember that most of your time will be spent elsewhere.  We do usually manage to get a free upgrade to ocean view for our group, BUT there is no guarantee of this happening for your cruise.  If you must have an upgrade, then reserve it now.

23) I am attending by myself.  Can I get a single occupancy cabin?
All cabins are geared for at least two passengers and all pricing is based on double occupancy.  If you want a cabin to yourself, then we can set that up but there will be an additional charge.  The charge is typically a bit less than the full companion rate and varies by cruise.  Contact us for exact rates on a given cruise.

24) Does the price include government taxes, fees, and port charges?
ABSOLUTELY!!  The cost is complete (other than tips), so there are no hidden charges for you to worry about.  See question 5 for full details of other costs.

25) Does the price include airfare and airport transfers?
No, the price includes the training and the cruise.  This allows us to keep the price as low as possible, especially for those local to the point of departure.  We suggest finding your own airfare and airport transfers.  Remember to allow for plenty of extra time as the ship does not wait for any late arrivals.  This package is such a great deal that we have hosted students from across the country and even from across the Atlantic.

26) Is this a hands-on class, or just a slide show presentation type of course?
This is a hands-on course that follows the official curriculum, complete with exercises and labs.  Each student has their own PC and custom prepared exercise booklet that allows you to follow each step of every exercise at your own pace.  In fact our exclusive delivery method gets you more hands-on exposure than at any other training center.  Read the testimonials to see what past students say about our courses.

26) If I initially book a double-occupancy cabin for myself and my wife, can I later add my children?
Typically no.  Unfortunately the 3 and 4 passenger cabins are extremely limited and are booked very early.  The cruise line will not allow additions even if the room you occupy can accommodate additional passengers.  This is due to insurance regulations and maximum ship occupancy numbers.  If you have any intentions of brining your children, make the decision NOW and ask for the appropriate cabin up front.