Frequently Asked Questions

Who is St. Cecilia Tours?

St. Cecilia Tours’ mission is to organize quality music tours and sacred pilgrimages to international locations across the globe. We strive to offer affordable, comfortable, and extremely satisfying tour experiences for musicians, ensembles, pastors, and churches wishing to experience sacred tours of Europe’s great cathedrals, the Reformation history of their faith community, or the Holy Land together. As professional musicians, we understand the needs associated with touring ensembles and are able to speak the language required to properly meet those needs. As active church musicians, we proudly provide sacred pilgrimages to the most meaningful destinations for your faith community’s particular interests. Visit our ABOUT webpage to get to know us better!

 

Are you a travel agency?

No. We are a registered tour operator who partners with professional licensed guides, airlines, hotels, and coach companies to organize exceptional tours for groups.

 

What types of tours do you organize?

Church Choir Tours

University School of Music Tours

Professional Music Tours

Wesleyan Pilgrimages to England

Lutheran Pilgrimages to Germany

Presbyterian Pilgrimages to Scotland

Holy Land Tours to Israel with excursions to optional Petra, Jordan and/or Egypt

Footsteps of Paul Tours to Greece and Turkey

 

How do I register for a tour?

1. To register your participation, please visit our registration webpage: www.stcecilia.co/registration

2. Fill out the form. If your passport number is not available, please simply enter a series of zeros in the field. We can collect that information at a later date.

3. After submitting your registration form, you will be directed to our payments page where you can choose how to pay your $500/pp deposit. Be advised that a fee is collected by our credit card processing terminal host, PayPal. This fee is not associated with our company therefore we are unable to waive this fee for our customers. Checks placed in the mail are welcomed. Full payment is due 90 days before departure. Learn more on our payments page.

4. Once your registration form is processed, you will receive a confirmation email welcoming you to the tour and advising you on securing trip insurance to protect your investment.

5. You’re registered! We will schedule a pre-tour information meeting with your group where we can answer any questions you have about the tour and address general travel concerns you might have. Date, time, and location of the pre-tour meeting will be emailed to the group once registration has been completed.

Should I purchase trip insurance?

We encourage tour participants to acquire travel insurance to protect their trip investment. St. Cecilia Tours proudly partners with AIG Travel Guard. We invite you to research the preferred or deluxe plan with AIG. You may also choose an insurance provider that you prefer.

 

 

Will I need a passport and/or visa?

You will need a valid passport to travel internationally. Be sure the expiration date of your passport is at least six months beyond your planned return date of travel. Should your passport expire within six months of your return travel date, we recommend renewing your passport with the request that it be expedited. Travel visas vary from country to country. Should your tour itinerary include travel to a country that requires an entry visa, we will work with you to acquire the appropriate document. The cost of a visa is the responsibility of each individual traveler unless otherwise specified in your tour package.

 

Is it safe to travel internationally?

Absolutely! Our team takes every precaution to insure the safety and security of our travelers. At the time of this post, there are no COVID-19 travel restrictions in place with the airline carriers we use nor are there entry restrictions into the countries our tours visit. We work with acclaimed local guides who regularly monitor our itinerary destinations to create the best travel experience possible. We work with reputable coach companies to provide clean and comfortable busses driven by licensed, friendly drivers.

 

A word about traveling to the Middle East…the conflict in the Middle East is a long standing and ongoing dynamic that has nothing to do with tourism. We do not travel near the locations that are considered hotbeds of conflict and tourists are not targets in this conflict. Unfortunately, U.S. media sensationalizes events across the world to a level of alarm that makes many Americans nervous to travel. Consider the outrageous number of mass shootings and violence taking place in America every day and weigh that against what you hear or read about in the news. Yes, it’s a different culture and sometimes that makes American’s uncomfortable. We hope you won’t let your discomfort keep you from experiencing an amazing faith journey through the Holy Land. Israel goes to great lengths to ensure their tourism industry thrives in safety and peace of mind. We look forward to sharing this experience with you.

 

Can I use my flight points to upgrade my group flight?

No. Group ticket restriction prohibit this option. You may, however choose the land only package and book your own flights. We are happy to advise you on the group’s flight itinerary so that you may book your own flight accordingly.

 

What should I do to prepare to travel?

We suggest the following items to our customers in preparation for travel:

• Call your bank and credit card companies to alert them of your upcoming travel dates and destinations.

• Call your cell phone provider to set-up an international plan for travel.

• Purchase a power adapter:

  • Type-H for Israel

  • Type-C for Europe

  • Type-G for United Kingdom

• Hair dryers are provided in the hotels but check that your chargers and small electronic devices (i.e. shavers and curling irons) have internal voltage converters to avoid damaging your property.

• Download useful travel aps onto your smart phone like Google Maps, Trip Advisor, and Google Translate.

 

 

 

 

How much luggage can I bring?

Do your best to bring one suitcase plus a carry on and personal item (backpack, briefcase, etc.) Space in coach undercarriages will fill up fast if all travelers bring multiple suitcases. It is helpful to attach the St. Cecilia luggage tag provided onto your checked bag. This makes it easy to identify our group’s pieces. Weight limit on checked bags is 50 lbs. Consider utilizing a local wash and fold laundry service during the tour to cut down on the amount of clothing you pack.

 

Should I pack anything specific?

A good pair of broken-in walking shoes! We recommend checking the weather of your tour destination country to be sure you pack appropriately for the time of year you are traveling. Holy sites might require shoulders and knees be covered. Keep that in mind in your packing. If you feel a walking stick or hat would serve you well, we encourage you to bring those as well.

 

Can I safely use my credit cards internationally?

Credit cards are perfectly safe to use throughout Europe and Israel. Notify your credit card companies to alert them to your travel plans.

Should I convert cash before I travel?

If you want to carry local currency, we recommend waiting to make that exchange at a local bank ATM in our destination country. That is the fastest, easiest, and cheapest way to change money at the best rates. Airport ATMs and ‘currency exchange’ machines are more expensive. You might find it helpful to have a little petty cash for tips, holy site donations, street vendors, etc. Otherwise, you can plan to use your credit card for purchases. (FYI: US dollars are accepted by all street vendors in Jerusalem. We recommend bringing US cash if you are traveling to Israel.) 

 

What if I lose or forget my prescription medication?

We recommend taking a picture of any prescription medicine bottles traveling with you. This will make it easier to replace your prescriptions should they go missing.

 

How should I plan for tips?

We partner with exceptional local guides who will most certainly compliment and positively impact your tour experience. It is customary, as a thank you for their time, hospitality, and generous sharing of knowledge, to offer a cash tip at the conclusion of our time with them. Local currency is appropriate except in Israel where US dollars are welcomed.