GeezerCouple

I'd suggest that you contace www.TripInsuranceStore.com. But CALL them. Don't rely only on the online summaries of policies (there or anywhere). It's impossible to list all of "the fine print", and there may be issues that apply to you. If you speak with them, you can ask questions, and importantly, they can ask questions of you to try to figure out which types of coverage would be appropriate. (There is no extra charge to use a broker, and TIS does not try to 'upsell'.) Time may make a difference, so I'd suggest you call asap, There are several types of coverage (NOT all coverages!) that it's probably now too late for you to get, but there's still basic good coverage available. So you know in the future, to get the most choices, it's usually (I'm sure there are exceptions somewhere!) important to start the insurance within 10-20 days of making the FIRST payment (it varies by state of residence) and/or when you make the final payment. One good thing about getting coverage from a 3rd party (not the travel vendor such as the cruise line) is that you can get coverage that starts as soon as you walk out the door until you walk back into your house at the end of the trip, not "only" on the cruise/etc. GC

Help us to help you. How much time do you have? When did you book the cruise, meaning when did you make the *first* payment? When does the ship sail, and when do you plan to leave home? GC

Call the cruiseline's Special Needs group and discuss this with them. At the least, that way, the crew will know she is one of the passengers who might need special assistance... for mustering and possible also if they notice any potential issue... (This won't be the first time they have encountered this situation.) Ask if the ship might have some sort of token that the crew would identify immediately as "a passenger who *might* need help", so if they see her alone... etc. Perhaps a bracelet, or maybe a bright sticker on his card, making sure it's on a lanyard and visible at all times, etc. You might want to make sure she keeps hers "on" even when in your cabin, in case she leaves. You can keep yours on, too, so it will seem that "this is the way we do it", etc. The "bells" reminds me of decades ago, when I took my two young children backpacking. Their backpacks included... a stuffed animal, footed pjs, a very small blankie, and a few other things, and each of them had a Sierra cup dangling off, just as the two adults did. Except the two adults' backpacks each included two sleeping bags and a small 2-person tent. I tied bells to the closures on both ends of "their" tent. It work well. Too well! Almost every time one of them turned over, there would be at least some "bell noise". 🙂 But it did work; no one was going anywhere without my noticing!' Enjoy the cruise! GC

Mary229 has said it best. HAL, and other cruise lines, has a "special needs" group, and they deal with all such issues. Contact them well in advance and they can work with you to figure out how to plan and arrange things during your cruise. Each cruiseline may have their own way of handling these needs, but for any major cruiseline, you won't be the first person with an allergy or with *this* allergy. You should check with a contact person (they'll probably have someone ready to speak with you) shortly after boarding. Then you and they can arrange how things will work best. When we travel (DH has a serious allergy, but not as bad as nuts can be), we *always* bring along some appropriate snacks. That way, IF we are delayed somewhere, we'll know there will be something for DH to eat, regardless of what is "available". And we have those on hand for a quick snack, too, occasionally. Just be sure to discuss what precautions *you* need. Not everyone needs the same things. Enjoy your cruise! GC

Have you had a chance to browse through this section of CC on travel insurance? (Yes, that can be difficult to ferret out relevant bits...) We learned about travel insurance right here on CC, before our first major trip other than our honeymoon. We decided to get it, as we are older, and this was higher cost than any other recent trip. And THANK GOODNESS. It was a cruise and land/hotel trip, and we had purchased business class tickets through the cruiseline (BIG mistake) so those were not refundable at all. The total was big, for us, back then... And less than 2 weeks before our planned departure, DH had a medical emergency. Trip cancelled. Fortunately, we purchased the coverage through https://tripinsurancestore.com which we also learned about here. The policy we chose was from Travel Insured. We were focused on medical "stuff". When we finally got around to submitting the claim form and other documentation, we had a check for the full amount in about 2 weeks! We've since had several other claims, and we have had no complaints. But CALL TIS. Don't rely upon the online policy summaries, there or elsewhere. There's just no way that those can capture the "fine print" OR help you determine if they are right for all of *your* specific needs. TIS folks are incredibly patient, and they don't try to upsell. And, IF needed, they can help with a claim as well. There is no extra charge to use an insurance agent or broker. GC

You should probably check carefully with the cruiseline. There *might* be some local regulations about this that are separate from any of the ship or cruiseline policies themselves. GC

I just noticed: Welcome to CruiseCritic! I'll share the "experience" from our first cruise, eons ago. Well, 1974. For some unknown reason (but we are forever grateful!), my parents decided to take 3 generations on a short cruise. We were all clueless about what to expect, but... dare I mention that my parents were probably more "clueless in general" than most people (but I digress! 😉). We had some cheap cabins, which was not a problem at all. My parents had one with a porthole or two. My children joined them in the upper bunks. My brother and I shared a cabin with a single bunk bed, built into the wall; it had the *tiniest* bathroom ever. And I LOVED EVERY MINUTE! Alas, we were apparently right under the band, so we had to put up with those drums well into the wee hours. And that definitely *was* a problem! And we also had to put up with my father's major complaining about that the entire time. 😡 I still LOVED EVERY MINUTE! The next year, we went again, with other family members, and I offered to select the cabins. That was back in the day of glossy brochures and paper deckplans. We had similar cabins, but a few more, but NOT under or near anything noisy. 😄 But I sure learned to make a point of selecting our own cabins or suites and asking for "NO upgrades/changes". We've never had a problem again, thank goodness. I'm not sure what you didn't like about the suites you've been given before, but do study the deck plans, and try to get something with only passengers on each side and also above and below. And lower deck near the middle of the ship IF the motion of the ocean was a problem. Or might be. GC

Yes, this would have been more clear. For us, unless we have the grands with us, we just wouldn't have any interest in those bells and whistles. It should suffice to mention that we were VERY disappointed to find out that Lincoln Center classical music chamber groups every afternoon (or almost?) ending was a major disappointment for us. Our grands did go on one of the huge Icon of the X ships a year or two ago with their parents. The parents reported that the kids had a fantastic time, but even so... the ship was... "just SO big!" They probably will not cruise on another of the huge ships, even though they are probably the target demographic for those ships. But for those who enjoy all the activities and also enjoy - or don't mind(?) - the size, there are obviously plenty of people who are sailing on the largest ships. Something for everyone, etc. GC

If the problem OP is referring to has to do with requesting solo accommodations, is there any (or much?) problem booking as a double (any name/info will do temporarily), and then calling back, maybe even the next day, and "Oh what a shame... I'm going to have to take this trip without my traveling partner" or whatever? Or give no reason for the change. GC

Did you request a specific cabin/suite (or one of several you preferred) and they refused? If so, that's a real surprise, unless they were sold out of what you preferred. We've always been very specific about the suite we prefer, and we even specify NO upgrades. That's because what "they" consider an "upgrade" may well not be an upgrade in our opinions. For example, we love forward views. If someone moved us from our selected forward-view suite to, say, a larger side-view suite, that would definitely *not* be an upgrade; it wouldn't even be equivalent. (Well, I suppose if it were to something "super special", then perhaps, but we'd still want to make the decision in case it wasn't "super enough" for us to forgo the view. 😉 ) GC

This ^^ definitely. With a private excursion/tour, you can usually customize almost anything (legal!). If not, then find a different vendor. Explain exactly what you need, what you can/cannot do, and also what you want to see. We always also ask the guide-to-be if they have any other suggestions about what to see/do, given our interests. (We would have already mentioned the types of things we tend to enjoy, or what we hope to see, etc.) If you need to minimize walking, make sure to mention that, and perhaps ask if they can arrange to drive you closer. (Maybe this would add a special parking fee or such, in which case you could decide whether it's worth it to see/do A or B.) And if there is walking, ask about places to rest along the way. If there just isn't anyplace (and you don't want to sit on the ground or can't easily get up, etc.), then perhaps choose a different activity. We've had a lot of good experiences. One guide in Rome (for 2 days) was all set with extra plans for either taxis or routes that were closer to the actual activity or sights. And he would occasionally point out a nice place to sit for as long as necessary in case that was desired at about that time. Enjoy! GC

How does Noordam compare to Zaandam? Thus far, the Noordam is the only HAL ship we've been on, and we loved it. (Of course, part of the love was felt towards the Lincoln Center music...) The size of the ship was great for us (without any grands). GC

Heh. I was so focused on comparing the front ship with the smaller one behind it... ... "Okay, it's got a lot more decks, but I can't tell from this view how long the ship is"... That I didn't even notice "what was on the shore". 😲 I'm 100% certain I wouldn't be on something as large as that Icon of Monstrosity, unless there was some sort of emergency. Certainly *not* for a vacation! But some of that also reflects the number of children that would probably be on board. And that's fine. If we are not traveling with the grands, then we'd prefer not to have hoards of children running into us. (Yes, that happened the one time we went on "the wrong ship" at "the wrong time of year", and that's what we call "one trial learning"! 😱) GC

Ooops! I mixed up two of the previous posters. Very sorry! But the comments about GF diets hold. I'm not sure where you've been having problems. [Due to your spelling, I'm guessing you may be from the UK? So what I write below may not be as appropriate there, but we've not had problems traveling outside the USA.] These days, Gluten Free is remarkably well known and available. It's still VERY important to check and double check (in advance and again when being served) if necessary, because obviously this is more important to you than to others! Some time ago, it was probably very difficult. But now... there IS "gluten free soy sauce". Several brands are usually available at our regular grocery store, for example. And if you yourself cook gluten free, then no doubt you know of all of the thickening agents for sauces, or for use to cover/coat some items. Hoever, it is very important that you notify Special Needs well in advance to be sure that the ship knows of your needs and has made any arrangements, including any special ingredients. I don't think there is much "specially needed" for a GF request, because there are most likely a lot of other passengers desiring or requiring a GF diet. In addition to those who *must* have a GF diet for medical reasons, there are quite a few who prefer or require it for reasons other than critical medical reasons. I'm sure it helps for the ship to have some idea of how many, in case there's suddenly a coincidence and there are far more requests for GF than usual. DH was diagnosed late in life with celiac disease. Not long after that, we had a trip to Italy. He was so disappointed, as "pasta" is certainly something to get in Italy, right? Well!! 🙂 Every restaurant had GF pasta, and usually several choices. They simply requested just a bit of extra time to prepare it. And at home, I enjoy the GF pasta that we use. (Okay... I enjoy *most* of the GF pastas. There are a few that... aren't quite as good as the others!) And at a few restaurants these days, I actually prefer DH's GF "rolls", and then ask for them for me, too. The various chefs and food services have come a long way, thank goodness. We always announce in advance, including as soon as we make cruise reservations (or a restaurant reservation). And then he announces it again when ordering, and yet again, when served: "This is the GLUTEN FREE <whatever>, correct?" as a final check. Also, our most recent cruise was on HAL, and we had no problems there, either. That was a place where I preferred one of the GF rolls! So take the few extra steps, and then enjoy! And FINALLY: We *always* travel with some GF snacks, protein bars, etc., for times when we might be delayed, etc., or "just in case" there isn't anything appropriate that is appealing. That latter situation has never, yet, occurred. 🙂 GC

Is THAT where all the Charmin went back in 2020?? GC

This is one of the reasons we asked for cabin numbers, but there was no reason at all to put any of the information on a publicly accessible website. GC

What if your arrival is a bit late, which could happen for a variety of reasons? GC

You should double check this with your travel insurance agent or broker. The type of travel insurance we get requires that all non-refundable costs be insured. However, in addition to that, the first insurance payment *must* be made within 10-20 days (depending upon state of residence) of the very first payment. That usually means the deposit, which is often refundable. Therefore, that deposit must be insured, and promptly... at least for the type of coverage we purchase. Other policies may have different terms including payment and what's covered. You might want to check with www.TripInsuranceStore.com - they are a broker, but there is no extra cost to the traveler. CALL them so they can discuss your specific travel plans and possible insurance needs or wishes. They are "no pressure" and very patient with questions. Through them, we get policies from Travel Insured. We've had several claims (including a couple of large ones, unfortunately), and all of them have been paid promptly without the nonsense we read about. GC

Yes, that remote device in the cabin.... with the buttons and crevices, etc., there is NO thorough way to clean it. We use not the thick ziplocks (which is what we use for most things) but the thinner "baggies", given that "touch" is important on the remotes. And yes, we disinfect everything possible. We travel with a regular supply of our meds (regular and "just in case"), and now... we make that assortment much larger, with masks and gloves, and anti-viral wipes. We should consider the clear "food handler" gloves. Those are probably less, er, "noticeable", than our sometimes colorful Nitrile gloves. We also carry our own little bottles of hand disinfectant. Many of the "general use" dispensers have additives that DH may be allergic to. It's all so much more complicated now... GC

I need to double check this, but I've always assumed that if there were some awful blizzard or such, something clearly NOT the passenger's fault, then IF the cruise departure was missed, the insurance would want to try - or have *you* try - to get to a subsequent port. Chances are good that would be less expensive for the insurer, especially for a long cruise, than refunding all of the cruise fare. This assumes there are no legal restrictions on joining a cruise mid-voyage, of course. In our case, we always fly at least a night in advance, and often 2 or more if it's a location we'd like to spend some time in. GC

Sure. We've asked for contact information to make sure we could reach everyone the evening before or morning of a private excursion, "just in case". But we did NOT post any of that online. I used my personal e-address that I set up for CC (see signature). And everything "personal" was done that way. NOTHING was posted on line, other than information about the private excursion, and how to reach me (using email) so we could make plans. I was able to send out emails to "everyone" joining or just one person, as needed. There weren't any of the elaborate spreadsheets. GC

We have no interest in waiting in long lines, and I also have some mobility difficulties, but long lines... no thank you anyway. So we almost always try to arrive relatively late. Then we can usually breeze right through. This allows us to get a relaxed start to the cruise. So we might miss lunch on board on that day, which is no big deal. These lines always remind me of a grad school cafeteria decades ago. There was a true "LOL" (Little Old Lady, before LOL came to mean something else!), clearly *very* old but in great shape. She would always, day after day, week after week, go through the line, get what she wanted, and then cut in line, marching right up to the cashier... as she declared: "I'm 93 and I don't have time to wait!!" LOL for that LOL! 😁 GC

We have used TripInsuranceStore.com also, after learning about it here on CC almost 10 years ago. And good thing, too. Our first trip with insurance, a very expensive trip for us at the time (er, times have changed! 😉 ) needed to be cancelled less than 2 weeks prior to our planned departure due to a medical emergency. Fortunately, our discussions with them (and lots of Q&A while we learned - pretty fast - about travel insurance) helped us to get the right policy, and all of our expenses were refunded in cash, about 2 weeks after we submitted all of the documentation. (In this case, we were more concerned about the medical issues, so we didn't deal with the documents for a while, until some of the emergency level issues were under better control). Our policy through TIS was with Travel Insured. We've since had several other claims, including another large one. All of them were paid promptly. We have zero complaints, and we'll continue to get this policy, from TI, through TIS. Our only complaint is that we needed to file travel insurance claims several times... GC

One reason I've seen given, although this was NOT on that cruise that I mentioned, is if the ship (concierge or ?) is going to deliver physical invites to each member for the Meet & Greet. Given that we've always had it arranged before the ship sails, I'm not sure why that extra work is necessary, but when I've managed a Meet & Greet, we didn't do that. And I didn't ask for cabin number. Or locations. GC

I'll need to work on my response in advance. I *HATE* e-books. I may be oldfashioned... correction... I *am* oldfashioned in several ways (and PROUD OF IT! 😉 ). I *LOVE* the feel of a nice, comfortable book. One with pages I can flip through to look back at something earlier. (I'm visual with books, but not photographic memory. I remember that "oh, *that* section was about an inch below the top of a left-hand page", so I can find it, etc.) A book is a friend. I disappear into the friend and could be gone for hours! And I may well have a hard-cover book with me. 😁 <insert nose twitch!> GC