Ship Happens!
Message Forum Guidelines
and
Terms and Conditions for Use of Site

Message Forum Guidelines

What is "Ship Happens!"?

Ship Happens! is an independent web site with message forums with the aim of bringing together cruise enthusiasts to exchange pre and post-cruise information, ideas and experiences. As you will see from our home page, our message forums have six major topics of discussion. Although we are UK-based, we also welcome our fellow cruise enthusiasts from around the world.

Posting a Message

When posting a message you may use a "handle" (an alias or nickname), or your real name. You may also post a message anonymously, although we do not encourage this.

In order to post a message, you do not need to enter your bona fide email address, although any address you type will be presented as a link so that other participants can easily contact you. To bypass this feature, simply enter '@' as your email address, although you should note that your details will still be logged by our server for security reasons. Placing your e-mail address or personal details on the message forums featured on this site is entirely voluntary on your part.

You are responsible for your own computer privacy and security (please also refer to our Terms and Conditions for Use of Site below). Be aware that by placing your e-mail address or personal details on the message forums featured on this site, you are choosing to put this information into the public domain and you should consider the possible consequences of this before doing so. Many regular contributors to message forums choose to set up a "disposable" e-mail account, such as a Hotmail account. When they find that too much spam/junk etc is being received at that e-mail address, they stop using it and set up a new "disposable" e-mail account.

Conduct

These message forums are moderated. This means that messages which fall outside the (very broad) subject matter of a forum's topic will be removed.

Please be respectful to your fellow participants at all times. Try to write and speak as you would wish to be written and spoken to. There will always be some issues about which each of us feels strongly and upon which we cannot agree, so please "agree to disagree", or just walk away from the discussion. Do not make personal attacks upon others and try not to respond to personal attacks.

Please do not post messages USING ALL CAPS. In internet etiquette, this means you are shouting.

Messages which contain harassment, threats, personal attacks, obscenity, gratuitous profanity, defamation, sexual references, religious/ethnic/racial/ageist abuse, xenophobic abuse, references to religion or politics, multiple postings, advertising/solicitations for business, promotion of pyramid/money-making schemes/chain letters, fraudulent information and messages that are off-topic (not broadly relating to cruises, cruise holidays, ocean travel, ships or maritime matters) will be removed.

"J'Accuse" messages, that is, messages stating that "I put my e-mail address on this site and now I am getting lots of spam/viruses because of it - j'accuse!" will be removed.

Messages referring participants to other web sites will be removed if those messages discredit or defame Ship Happens!

"Rubbernecking" messages, that is, replies to messages on the above topics and messages containing further discussion of the above topics will be removed.

Ship Happens! reserves the right to deem what constitutes objectionable material and to remove it.

If the content of a message causes you concern, Email the webmaster.

Participation of Travel Industry Professionals

Travel agents, cruise line employees, tour operators and other members of the professional travel community are welcome to participate in our forums. Whilst you may identify yourself with your name and the name of your business, you may not post your phone number, address, company web site address or your company or office email address. To advertise with us, please Email the webmaster.

Advertising

Messages which contain advertisements for commercial products or services by the providers of those products or services will be removed. This includes touting for business by travel agents, cruise lines or independent tour operators and includes, but is not limited, to, requests to be emailed, posting the phone numbers of your business or posting your business's web site or email addresses.

Recommendations

Bona-fide cruise enthusiasts are welcome to make third-party recommendations about cruise lines, travel agents or other suppliers. Contributors who wish to make recommendations must limit the information they provide to the following information only: supplier name, phone number or email address and a contact name.

If, in the sole opinion of Ship Happens!, it is deemed that a commercial supplier is posing as a cruise enthusiast in order to tout their own services, that they are using an "alias" in order to recommend their own products, that a message is too commercial or promotional in tone, or there is reason to suspect the above, the message will be removed.

Terms and Conditions for Use of Site

Ship Happens is published by Medlam Maritime Limited, which is not responsible for the accuracy of information contained on this web site and in its message forums, which is provided "as is" and is not responsible for any subsequent action that its readers and participants take or refrain from taking as a result of any information posted here whether accurate or inaccurate.

Please exercise caution before taking action based on information contained on this site, particularly when dealing with travel agents, cruise lines, independent tour operators and in any circumstances in which you are considering spending money.

Although, as noted above, bona fide cruise enthusiasts are welcome to make recommendations of cruise lines, agents and other product and services suppliers, BUYER BEWARE (Yes, we are shouting at you - this is important). This web site and its message forums have easy accessibility and simple procedures for posting messages - we do this in order to encourage participation. However, because it is easy to use, and because of the possible anonymity of contributors, some contributors may make misleading, deceptive or fraudulent statements.

You should not rely solely on the information contained on this site when making your holiday plans and decisions. You are strongly advised not to part with your money before you have independently verified any recommendations that you read here. Always exercise the utmost diligence and caution before parting with your money. In the UK it is often considered wise to choose an ABTA and ATOL approved travel agent or holiday company.

By reading and participating in the Ship Happens! web site and its message forums, you agree that under no circumstances will Medlam Maritime Limited be liable for direct, indirect, incidental or any other type of damages which occur as result of your use or downloading of any contents of this site, including, but not limited to, loss or injury caused in whole or in part by the content of the Ship Happens! web site or its message forums.

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