GeezerCouple

Agree with @CDNPolar again! And it's not always all that different in the USA. As @CDNPolar states, it's NOT a matter of "just believing what we want to believe". That is, insurance policies include DEFINITIONS for a reason.... so that the insured knows what is or is not covered, and so the insurer makes the coverage clear, etc, Here is the definition of STRIKE copied *verbatim* from our most recent travel insurance policy from Travel Insured (this year, 2024): Strike means a labor disagreement resulting in a stoppage of work which: a) is unannounced and unpublished at time this policy is purchased; b) is organized, and legally sanctioned by a labor union or other organized association of workers, in a trade or profession, formed to protect and further their rights and interests; and c) interferes with the normal departure and arrival of a Common Carrier. The FIRST part of that definition (a) states that the strike would need to be a) is unannounced and unpublished at time this policy is purchased; That is, was the STRIKE generally "known" AT THE TIME THE POLICY IS PURCHASED? That is NOT just a "matter of belief". And fortunately, it isn't relying upon a phone call that is [hopefully] recorded, etc. (I'm always nervous about relying upon the "other party" ever allowing access to a recording.) In EVERY policy we've had, there are definitions, so the insurer is absolutely NOT "leaving out the language" that is involved. That's very similar to the weather issue: " Claims are not payable if a hurricane is foreseeable prior Your Effective Date for Trip Cancellation. A hurricane is foreseeable on the date it becomes a named storm; " and " Your Scheduled Departure City or Scheduled Destination is under a hurricane warning as issued by the NOAA Hurricane Center within 48 hours of Your Scheduled Departure Date. Cancellation of Your Trip must occur more than 14 days following Your Effective Date of coverage for Trip Cancellation; " That is, one can't "notice" there is some worrisome weather pattern developing and THEN purchase the coverage/planning the trip and then cancel and get paid. There is a reason there is a long list of DEFINITIONS with every policy (at least in the USA, for most types of insurance, not just "travel insurance"). This is why so many of us keep emphasizing the bit about READ THE POLICY. Yes, it takes a bit of time, but it's not written in opaque language. At least with our policies, there's a time window to read the policy and get a refund if one determines it's not suitable. GC

Good, glad that worked out. How about a comment about the Oryx Airport Hotel after your stay...? Thanks, if you can. GC

Here's part of the problem... wanting evening shows and whatever... Some of the "quieter" ships won't have the same level of entertainment, and I mean that in both ways: sound level, but also amount/quality level. And some of those ships/lines will be more expensive, although there is still quite a range of prices, if you don't need a large suite or such. We could help a bit about the peace and quiet, but we'd be mostly clueless about major entertainment, as that's not our thing. So it depends upon just what you are trying to find. Others could then help a bit more. GC

Agreed! All I meant about "wrong thread title" was that people reading here are not necessarily likely to be those with "contact allergies" or other substance allergies (could be fragrances or whatever) that do not involve food. So IF you start a thread with a relevant TITLE, then as other scroll down the list of threads, they will have a much better chance to notice your issue vs. finding it almost by accident IF they are even reading a thread about food allergies. It was only meant to help you get more "eyeballs" of CC members who might have relevant experience. 🙂 GC

Good thinking! 😉 But DO call, as it may well be that they can provide what you need. And if they can't, chances are very good that they can launder them, so bring a change of linens. And bring 2 flat sheets for each bed, for top and bottom, plus extra pillow cases. You'll want to find your steward (the person who services your room each day), and discuss this with them straightaway. And speak with head of housekeeping about laundering. But CALL Special Needs and complete their form so it goes smoothly. Most cruise lines (including NCL) really do try to be accommodating, but they need to understand the underlying situation/needs. Enjoy! GC

ETA: OP - I just realized you posted in a thread about FOOD ALLERGIES. You should start a NEW THREAD with a more appropriate label, to get appropriate input! 🙂 I suggest you CALL them first (and also send in the Special Needs form) to discuss this. You have plenty of time until the cruise, but less time (much less) until there are penalties if you cancel. Or perhaps you plan to hope there are some suitable cabins still available when you get an answer IN WRITING (I can't emphasize that "in writing" enough, plus a copy of your Special Needs form). They can keep some linens separate from the others. The question is whether they have (or can provide) 100% cotton linens. (I assume this applies to bath linens, too?) Ask for a supervisor if necessary. The people who first answer calls are not in senior positions. We've had very good experiences with some "special preparations" and services while on board. But we made sure we kept in touch prior to the cruise, and upon boarding, immediately met with the head of housekeeping. The information *was* passed along properly. [We've also asked for some similar arrangements on other cruise lines.] Good luck! Hope you get to enjoy a nice cruise. GC

😲 Well that's news! Good to know, so thanks! We had never seen anything like it, but then, we don't usually stay at hotels quite *that* close to the airport. Usually transportation of some sort is needed, be it a *very* short distance, or occasionally a surprisingly long distance. (Denver, I'm looking at you, before that hotel right at/next to the airport opened. Given all the wide-open spaces in that general area, they couldn't have found a place closer for those "airport hotels"?) So the Sofitel at LHR: those "inside views" are of... what? DH used to stay at Sofitels a lot and tended to like them (me, not so much, but it was "okay"). So we would have expected, well, "a regular hotel and hotel room and window...!" I've asked for "city view" rooms, "garden view" rooms, "water view" rooms, and even "airport view" rooms, etc., but never, ever, for a view of the "outside area" that is "NOT inside the hotel"! 😉 Live and learn, I guess. It's sort of funny, of course. And of course, it's really NOT all that bad in terms of travel inconviences as such things can go sometimes. If/when one bothers to think about it, most of us are truly remarkably advantaged, etc. so it's good to notice and think about that at times, and to appreciate it. But it was certainly a surprise! GC

Good! OP should do very well, then. Thanks. I wish more major international airports had *airside* hotels. We had a quick overnight connection at Hong Kong. And even though we were Cathay Pacific F [thank you, awards!], and those lounge facilities are *nice*... they are NOT "24 hours". And at the time, the one lounge we considered using during the CX down time? It was being renovated or something, and wasn't available. One of the "hotel airports" was indeed "right there", no transprotation requied. But you had to exit the airport terminal building and walk a very short distance to the hotel. (There may have been "direct entry", but this was the way the person helping us with carry-on luggage took us.) And unfortunately, that hotel room was THE WORST we've had in a very long time. We should had demanded a different room immediately, but we wanted to sleep. I was getting sick and REALLY needed to lie down. [I later ended up being carried off the flight from Hong Kong and in hospital on oxygen for 10 days! No, not Covid, but we still wonder if I had that, too... It was mid December, 2019...] Anyway, the window drapes were closed when we were shown into the room. No problem, right? WRONG. It wasn't long before we opened the drapes to see what type of view we had. IT WAS A DIRECT VIEW INTO A HOTEL HALLWAY! That was a first! But I digress. 😡 Anyway, we slept, and were helped right back to the Cathay lounges... after going through Security/etc., again. GC

Is the hotel IN the airport? Is it "AIRSIDE"? If so, you won't need to cross any borders, so no customs/immigrations. We did that in Singapore. There wasn't enough time for sightseeing, plus it was mostly at night anyway. It was very convenient. Very spartan, but a nice clean room, proper bed, nice shower, etc. Just what we needed! Note that not all "airport hotels" are "airside", so double check so there aren't surprises. GC

BTW, *IF* you/she decide to bring along any meds, Rx or OTC, please consider trying each (on separate days!) at home first. IF there are any side effects, you should find out at home rather than in the middle of some sea... 🙂

Given the ages and other information, I would REALLY strongly suggest that you just get the paperwork signed and have it with the accompanying adult ready to be shown. And of course, the port agent doesn't work directly for the cruise line, so there's no way at all there could be any "verification", even if they wanted to help. And chances are, they won't; they are busy and have their regular instructions and routines to deal with. It would just be such a shame to have someone turned away, or maybe both... plus the accompanying adults. Children aged 10 and 13 can't just wave everyone goodbye, and head to the airport (as could happen with an unfortunate adult who doesn't have a required passport). And maybe it's like carrying an umbrella. If you are prepared, there won't be any trouble! 😉 GC

Here are a couple of other sections of CruiseCritic that might be helpful for you: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/2651-small-ship-cruising/ and https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/343-luxury-cruising/ If you browse through all the CC categories, something else might jump out that would be useful for you: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/858-categories/ Enjoy! GC

The question several of us are waiting to hear about is WHAT did the travel insurance company say when you called them (collect) from Greece? They should have a 24/7 emergency phone number. THEY are the ones who would actually help "arrange care" or "get new tickets" etc., if you are need help like that, etc. Didn't your policy include that information? Which travel insurance company did you use...? As we've written many times, we've purchase quite a few policies through TIS, and we had to file claims for several of them, from full cancellation in advance, to help with transportation and changing plans after a hospital stay, etc. Small amounts to large amounts... ETA: By the way, I very seriously doubt that TripInsuranceStore works with Costco travel or their insurance. So if *that* was your travel insurance, then how would TIS be involved? GC

Sorry you had such an unfortunate experience. However, our experience has been totally different, and with several (too many in our minds, alas!) claims. And when I landed in hospital overseas, Steve was extremely helpfu, over several days. What did the travel insurance company say or do when you asked them for translation assistance? Our policies have always included that service, although we haven't needed to use it. (When I was in hospital overseas, some dear friends we had been planning to visit instead came to the city we were in, so they were able to translate. Otherwise, we'd have called the travel insurance emergency number! And it's the travel INSURER who would be getting you the help/services in real time, be it translation, getting new tickets, or being moved, etc. That should all be spelled out in the Terms & Conditions of the travel insurance policy. What did your policy say about that? And WHICH travel insurance company did you use? That's something we'd like to know, if they aren't providing services during an urgent/emergency situation! When we wanted help filing our first claim, we called TIS and Steve helped us at several points. But we didn't wait for him to call us. And in an urgent situation, we don't rely upon leaving a message and just waiting for a call back. But as I mentioned above, given your very serious situation... are you claiming the travel insurance company did NOT help at all? Again, I'm very sorry you had such a difficult time! GC

You are asking some good questions. Are there ANY shorter cruises with more upscale cruise lines? I don't know, but perhaps others do? The higher price point would very likely reduce the number of "party types" who are looking for a booze cruise, etc. Or you could try a longer (7 day?) cruise but be prepared to disembark early if she is truly absolutely miserable. NOTE: Due to some US laws, it would not work well to plan to disembark early at a different USA port than the one you sailed from. But with a Caribbean cruise, chances are excellent that there are "non-USA" ports where you *could* get off pretty quickly. And perhaps if she knows she *could* get off, that would help, vs. thinking she's "trapped there for the entire week"? Yes, it MIGHT be helpful to "try to stick it out" to see if things calm down, but that depends upon how miserable she is. She - and you - might be pleasantly surprised. Also, pay SERIOUS attention to where your cabin is located. Try to get a cabin on a LOW deck, close to the middle of the ship. That section has the least movement, relatively speaking. You might ask a travel agent (or ask here on CC!) about finding a cabin in that location that isn't right next to [or over or under] "something noisy". And try to avoid "spring break" timing, but that's probably less of a concern the more upscale the cruise line, given the price points are higher. Also, ask her physician about any meds to bring "just in case", to make sure anything she might try doesn't interact with other meds or just be contra-indicated for her. You could also get independent travel insurance that includes CFAR coverage (Cancel For Any Reason). At least some of those also include "interruption for any reason". It costs extra, but the peace of mind, particularly in a situation like yours when you already know you *might* want to get off early, may be a help. Please CALLSteve at www.TripInsuranceStore.com to discuss this to make sure! https://tripinsurancestore.com 888.407.3854 This type of CFAR often only pays 75%, but it's cash back, NOT a credit of some sort, perhaps with a time limit to be used. That should remove the "sting" of needing to get off. I'm assuming CFAR would work for this, but again, check. TIS is a travel insurance broker and they work with several vetted insurers. We've gotten all of our policies from them after learning about them here on CC just over 10 years ago. Many others on CC also recommend them. And we've had several claims, including some large ones, and there was never any difficulty getting paid very promptly. (IF you have a problem contact Steve or one of his associates to make sure that you handle it to make a claim work easily.) CFAR also lets you cancel (75% refund of entire cruise fare, but some add-ons may be fully refundable anyway) if you are worried about stormy weather. (If it's a major hurricane, the cruise may be re-routed, and the insurance may cover at a higher rate... again, I'm not sure, so again, check.) We hope you have a wonderful time! GC

What did they say about this when you called them or sent them a direct email? Oh, and Welcome to CruiseCritic! 🙂 GC

Just in case you do have any "special needs", also look at this section of CC: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/114-disabled-cruise-travel/ And post any questions you might have, such as about special diets. Note that some (not all) may need advance notice as they would be bringing in frozen meals, not preparing them on the ship. They can prepare a surprising range of special meals these days. One nice situation is that most (all?) cruise lines are very well prepared to handle gluten-free diets, as are most land-based restaurants. (But "on land", one could just go to "a different restaurant", of course.) We were really surprised that in Italy, it was *very* easy to get gluten-free pasta! And it was good! 🙂 But other "special diets" may require advance planning. So in part, your question depends upon just what type of "medical condition" is involved. NO, no need to post it here: Contact the Special Needs dept of the relevant cruise line. GC

I posted my comments to avoid *any* confusion in direct reponse to a post that stated in its entirety: "You can wear any colors you want." GC

NOTE: A few countries *prohibit* civilians from wearing camouflage-patterned clothing. So make sure you have something else to wear just in case. https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=countries+prohibiting+camouflage&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 GC

THIS ^^ is important. IF you would need help if there were to be an evacuation, then you definitely (!) want the ship authorities to know (!!!!). And then you'd need help with the muster drill. They are set up for that, to help wheelchair-bound passengers, etc., but they need to know. And they'd "know" at the muster drill if one doesn't show up. However, most "medical conditions" aren't like that, and there's no need to "tell the medical center". But IF there are *ANY* "special needs" (help with muster/evacuation or otherwise), you should tell the "Special Needs" department of the cruise line well before boarding. This includes medical dietary restrictions. They probably have a special form to complete. (Note that it's very likely that most of the form won't apply to any specific passenger, so we just put "n/a" [not applicable] for any such sections.) So... No... you need to report anything that requires or might require special assistance long before boarding. Note that the ship's medical center is for medical emergencies/urgencies-that-might-become-emergencies/etc. They are not set up to assist with ongoing medical care, such as for on-board dialysis. If you need specialized equipment, such as scooters or wheelchairs (or even a hospital bed), those can be rented IN ADVANCE. The cruise line will have at least one vendor to contact for such services. (The ship staff will *not* be able to be the wheelchair "pusher" in general, although they'll help with boarding and disembarking if necessary.) For special diets, they'll need to know in advance, too. GC

I would *strongly* suggest getting the "permission to travel" form completed by Dad (and notarized IF required; I don't know if it is). IF there is a problem at the port, "whatever Dad said" is going to be completely irrelevant. It's a "crossing an international border" thing. Yes, on factor the border authorities consider is not just "child trafficking" but whether a non-custodial parent is removing a child from a custodial parent. It definitely happens, and is a real concern... not frequent, but very serious when it does happen. There may well NOT be any Amber Alert when something like this happens, and I wouldn't rely upon the fact that there is no active Amber Alert at the time. How old are the children traveling without both parents. Again, I strongly suggest they look at the legalities, and also keep in mind a "just in case"... Is it really worth risking the chance of the child (and thus possibly at least one other person in the group) being turned away? It's not only up to NCL, and if a regular NCL phone rep "told you", that may not be correct information. NCL should have the parental permission form as well as the "medical care" form. Maybe they are both the same form? (I don't think so, but I'm a few years out of date on this.) Better safe than sorry! GC

Did they ever!? 😉 (Or "most people", etc.) And especially on a *warm* weather cruise!? GC

You may also have a different issue to deal with: legal custody of some children. Many cruise lines might require a signed statement from custodial parent(s) to allow children to leave the country without the parents. And you might also need "permission for medical treatment" if you (or anyone other than parent) is needed to approve of any medical treatment. The cruiseline should have forms for this. Also, for the first issue, the US State Department has more info, plus a general form. Don't risk showing up at the port with minors without legal parent/guardian and getting turned away. GC

Ask someone on the crew (an officer to start with) about helping you get off on a lower deck. They may already have another ramp, for supplies, etc. We have occasionally asked to return to the ship on the lower ramp because I have difficulty with the steeper incline. At those times, we often entered on a "crew level" and then took an elevator to the main lobby. If they don't already have a second ramp set up, perhaps they could arrange it? It's worth asking. Or... they could assist you? I don't remember any general differences in NZ, but we weren't on the lookout for that. GC

We haven't flown using awards on BA for ages, and we've never flown on USA-based airlines for awards. We've ended up using LH (Lufthansa several times, and we were able to get F, but those were pre-Covid. We were supposed to have taken an LH flight on Monday, but we had to cancel for medical reasons. Those were business class. But we were going to have to add a connection to make it work, going through Canada to catch the LH flight. Things have definitely tightened up for awards air travel in top category, unfortunately. Earlier pre-Covid, we were able to get two F tickets on Cathay Pacific (wonderful!). But by 2019, CX was only allowing 1 awards F seat per flight. We tried VERY hard to throw points at them to let us have a second F seat, but noooo. Instead, the other 5 F seats flew... empty! IF they had let us pay a premium # of points for one more of those seats, they could have sold the J seat, and had a double win. Money for the J, and use up more of our points on that flight, etc. I know there's probably an element of "protecting the integrity of the F product" so that it remains truly "special", but... how far to take that!?? 😠 At least we had the nice experience a few years earlier. Plus, with one F ticket, we both were able ot use the wonderful CX F facilities at the Hong Kong airport. Back then, they's free up another F about 2 weeks prior to flight date if no one was paying cash for it. So we had spent several months holding 1F and 1J, until about 2 weeks prior to the flight, when we were able to get that second F. 🙂 Anyway, sometimes awards seats open up late, as do some nice cabins/suites on ships, because others needed to cancel. Getting those IF they are available took a lot of monitoring, however. GC