GeezerCouple
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Posts posted by GeezerCouple
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38 minutes ago, Mary229 said:
That is the best of both worlds. Using the ship for the big distances and land for the touring. We often sandwich land tours between two cruises.
Heh!
We more often sandwich a cruise between some sort of land trip before and after. Often we have a larger "trip" after the cruise, while having a shorter <something> prior to the cruise. And we also use those pre-cruise days as a buffer in case we end up delayed in our arrival. We'd rather miss a few days near the port than to miss the ship!GC
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6 hours ago, ontheweb said:
And they can even be helpful when not doing a cruise. In it was either 2021 or 2022, we did a land vacation in Boston. I asked in the East Coast forum how to get from the airport to our hotel and got really specific directions that worked perfectly.
2 hours ago, Mary229 said:CC is excellent for travel recommendations, reviews, logistics and so on. I enjoy those topics myself.
2 hours ago, SelectSys said:100% in agreement. I have found the cruise air forum to be especially helpful as just about all my travel involves one or more flights.
So true; it's not only for "cruising"!
Several (many?) of the topics on CC can be very useful to those not cruising, or not even interested at all in cruising.
And who knows, by doing some browsing, maybe an occasional person not previous thinking about cruising... will decide it might sound interesting after all. But if not, that doesn't matter, of course.
On another forum, I sometimes recommend that the person asking a question also read or post on CC (and give a link, etc.) about that topic, mentioning something like "a lot of the issues are not cruise specific".
This is especially true of air travel, travel insurance, traveling with a disability, and local sightseeing/tours in various locations (ports of call). The latter can be useful for local guides or local hotels, or even suggestions for before/after cruises.
CruiseCritic is an incredible resource!
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16 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:
In the closed loop Seattle - Alaska market, we have never denied boarding to a passenger that presented a passport that was expiring in less than 6 months from the day of embarkation. In fact, as long as the passport is still valid on the day the passenger disembarks the ship, we will accept it (closed loop). I personally have embarked a passenger whose passport expired the day after their cruise ended without any problems.
Now, for other types of cruises like the end of the season repositioning cruises that leave Seattle and sail off to Japan or Australia, there is a entirely different set of travel documents requirements - including having at least 6 months remaining on your passport from the date that the cruise is scheduled to end. In these cases, we follow the requirements for the various countries that the ship will visit or end up in.
Thanks. You are the "real deal" here!
When you wrote:
"...we follow the requirements for the various countries that the ship will visit or end up in."
Where do you/you associates/etc., get this information?
And is that source (or sources) available to the general public?
Thanks again!
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13 minutes ago, ohmandi said:
@GeezerCouple I meant take my chances on the cost of the trip insurance for the rest of the trip. The woman at TIC said that the total cost of the trip insurance coverage could be higher if I purchased it in parts.
This doesn't make sense either.
I still wonder if there is some other circumstance that is affecting their (her?) statements.
Keep in mind that we here on CC are very unlikely to have all the information you would have given TIS or any other insurance agent/broker.
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1 minute ago, ohmandi said:
@GeezerCouple I just meant that since the cruise isn't until Fall 2025, I'll only insure its cost now as those payments are non-refundable. I can add the flights/hotels/etc. to the policy as we book them which won't be until next year.
That makes sense.
However, if that's what you meant, then what did
"take my chances on the rest" mean?
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1 minute ago, ohmandi said:
@GeezerCouple Thank you for the reply. Trip Insurance Store is who I called. We've bought many policies through Squaremouth and InsureMyTrip. Given the recommendations in this forum, I thought I'd give Steve's company a try. I'll call again and discuss it further with them. I'm inclined to just insure the cruise since it's so far away and take my chances on the rest.
I'm surprised that TIS simply said to insure the full cost far in advance.
That's who we use, and we ALWAYS start with insuring just the deposit, or whatever payment we've needed to make at the time. And then we up the coverage as we up the *non* refundable costs.
Why pay for the insurance for the full cost of the trip so far in advance?
There may be some good reason(s) they suggested that, so please ask them directly.
I don't know what you mean by "I'm inclined to just insure the cruise since it's so far away and take my chances on the rest."
If it's "so far" in the future, why pay the insurance premiums now... unless there is something specific that is affecting this?
And WHY take your chances with the rest of the costs, unless those are negligible. Or refundable, of course.
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You didn't mention which insurer or agent you used, but this doesn't seem to be the most efficient approach.
Why not call
www.TripInsuranceStore.com
but CALL, don't rely upon the short policy summaries on line.
For most policies, they'll probably suggest that you insure only what you have paid to date. That not only avoids the "how much will the total be", but also avoids having you possibly pay more/buy more insurance than you need, due to needing to estimate.
You'd probably insure the deposit first, and then, as more and non-refundable costs are added, pay the extra insurance for those amounts.
Note that for some types of coverage one needs to start the insurance for the covered amount within 10-20 days of the FIRST payment (varies by state of residence).
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15 minutes ago, KMac26 said:
Hey all, Thinking about sailing out of Boston next year to Bermuda on the jewel. I’m debating whether I want to be pier side or ocean side while in port for the two days. We have 3 at sea days so I will see plenty of ocean but never been to Bermuda so I’m leaning towards pier side. What are your thoughts? Is the island scenic to gaze over?😁
Welcome to CruiseCritic!
Um, which side is going to be "pier side"??
The ships can dock in either direction. It's not predictable.
You'll have an interesting view either way.
Or get two small cabins, one on each side! 😉
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59 minutes ago, Orsino said:
Thank you for pointing this out. We are on the verge of booking this cruise, but you are right. This is a strange choice on Cunard’s part. All the other ports have departure at 5pm but on eclipse day they are scheduled to depart at 9pm just after totality. Why!? One wouldn’t even be able to see it on land if they wanted to. Everyone will have to be onboard before the eclipse anyway.
for me, the whole point would be to be at sea during the total eclipse.
in addition to chasing clear skies the ship could move closer to the center line for a few more seconds of totality. More importantly I would like to see what the ocean looks like with a total eclipse.
now I’m rethinking this. It is still a good way to be in the right spot but another cruise might be better. I will probably book then cancel if I find something better. Other cruise lines don’t have August 2026 schedules out yet.
Yes, if you can book this with a refundable deposit, you might as well.
Maybe (?) Cunard will come to their senses and change the schedule at least a bit.
Or if not, you could find some other place/way to see it?
Are there any ships that day/time off the coast of ... Spain? Or ??
I'd think being at sea, for the sense there, would also be amazing. NOTHING in the way to interfere with the view.
Where we were, in a park, there were a few trees, with bare branches from winter, and during the changes before totality, it was a bit annoying, but still didn't interefer with what we were watching.
But at totality, that amazing GLOWING CORONA was *so* bright, that we weren't aware of anything at all in the way if viewing. We didn't realize it at the time, but shortly after, we both agreed that at totality, it was as if all of the thin branches just vanished. We didn't even think about them untl after totality.
Enjoy, no matter where!
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5 hours ago, CDNPolar said:
I agree with you on this.
I left Facebook a number of years ago, but when we were considering various different travel options friends told me about all these great Facebook groups that I should join.
First you have to complete your "application" and in that application make an oath to never do this or that or the other thing, and like you say, heaven help you if you are negative.
I also noted that as a new member to one of these groups your posts are put into purgatory until a moderator reviews them and decides if they are worthy of being posted.
Cruise Critic discussions can get out of hand from time to time, but this is rare, and only if people are being really disrespectful are things shut down.
The folks that look after Cruise Critic are top in their game and I love that you can have opposing views and still be part of the discussion.
About the "Cruise Critic discussions can get out of hand from time to time, but this is rare, and only if people are being really disrespectful are things shut down"...
I think CC is *so* much better in this regard than when we started, mid-2013.
Back then, there tended to be more, er, disagreements, and by that, I mean "disagreeable disagreements". Too many were of the ad hominem type, which is just not appropriate.
I was getting a bit tired of some of these (there were "the usual suspects" plus occasional others, etc.), so I participated less and less. But we were sort of cruise newbies; DH was about to take his first cruise, and I hadn't cruised for far too many years (those two facts are, er, related! 😉 ).
Thus, we were still benefitting a *lot*, so we didn't leave entirely.
And then, almost suddenly (??), it seemed that things were SO much more pleasant!
HUGE difference. It was really a nice change.
I have no idea if I'm alone in this opinion, or if others noticed a change several years ago, too...?
I give the moderators a huge amount of credit for this, and thank them! 🙂
Anyway, it is a pleasure now. The collective knowledge here has been invaluable!
THANK YOU, ALL!
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2 hours ago, coolbluegreenseas said:
I have read the literature on Oceania’s site and scoured through here, but still undecided. TL/DR: Bucket list item for hubby. Trip is in October 2025 11 night Antiquity starting in Rome and ending in Istanbul. We tend to spend a lot of time on our veranda and enjoying each other’s company but do like to venture out. With this tiny bit of information in mind, is the suite worth it? The Concierge level is really, really nice, but the butler serving dinner from the speciality restaurants in the cabin sounds really luxurious. Does anyone have personal experience and thoughts? Thanks for any responsess.
Yes. as asked above, which ship?
We've had PH suites on the Riviera (and also on larger suites on other cruise lines/ships).However, I have a bit of a mobility problem, so we tend to spend more time in our suite than we would have when younger. So the extra space and services do make a real difference (although we would do quite fine without these extras, and have done just that on some other ships and still had wonderful trips!).
We have a big breakfast delivered almost every morning. There's not much better on vacation than waking up to the aroma of coffee and bacon, and perhaps a few gentle clinks of china.
NOTE: We tell our butler to IGNORE any "privacy" sign, that if we really don't want anyone else, we'll bolt the door. That is, if they are bringing us something, knock (or ring bell), wait a short time, and then just come right in.
They are professionals. They can be very unobtrusive when that's what's called for, and very friendly when *that* is what is called for, etc.
And we do enjoy extra specialty restaurant meals, so we tend to get those en suite, given the limitations on "in restaurant".
We ALWAYS tell our butler that we are usually *very* flexible about timing (and if we aren't, we'll make that clear). So IF we have requested service at what ends up being a busy time, just give us a quick call about a better time and do it that way.
One thing we REALLY enjoy/prefer is a forward view, and we prefer that a lot! But not all ships have cabins/suites with forward views that work well for us, so we are flexible with that, too. (Or they are limited and we just can't get those...)
But we can make do and enjoy quite a variety of "amenities", or lack thereof. We've been places that didn't even have simple room service, and we had wonderful times, there, too. 🙂
Until now, we have been somewhat time limited on taking vacations, so we don't mind spending a bit more (on land or at sea). If we start doing more traveling, we may cut back a bit on some of the luxe if that seems prudent.
There hasn't yet been a single trip where we didn't have a *wonderful* time!
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A few comments about this exciting possibility.
First, and less encouraging, it seems that the ships will be docked at Totality?
That means they can't move around if there are clouds "here" and fewer clouds "there"...
And are they all going to be in totality?Totality vs 99.99% is like, literally, Night and Day. Different things entirely.
Yes, seeing a solar eclipse with "a lot of coverage" is special, no question.
But it is NOT "almost as good" as being IN Totality!
There were some ships off Mazatlan last Monday, and apparently they moved a bit to get better views (not sure if it was specifically cloud-related??).
We flew to Nashville for the August, 2017 solar ecliplse, for Totality. There was a nice crowd gathered in a downtown "square". Lots of open space. Clear sky!
... until "that cloud over there" started heading... our way! 😞
The eclipse started... and then... that cloud!
The crowd groaned.
At least we had planned other activities in Nashville, so it wasn't a complete bust, but we wouldn't have gone (or not then, anyway) except for the total solar eclipse.
A week ago today, we flew to Montreal to give it another chance on Monday.
SUCCESS! 😁
It was awesome. No... it was a complete and true sense of AWE with TOTALITY.
There is no way we can find the words to describe what we saw, with the "black sun", the GLOWING corona (it was SO bright... just stunning!), the darkness, the drop in temperature.
Everyone in the park where we were (just a block from our hotel - convenient!) gasped; some screamed words like, "OH WOW!!!!!" Or the obvious, "Look at THAT!" 😉
If you can get to totality, do it!
Montreal was on the edge of totality, but it was still TOTALITY. That just meant that we had 1.5 minutes of totality instead of 2 or 3.5 minutes.
Sure, we'd rather have had more time, but we *experienced" totality and we will NEVER forget it.
DH reported that he almost cried (that's apparently a somewhat common report). Usually *I* am the "emotional one".
If we knew we'd actually see a total eclipse in the future and not have clouds interfere, we'd go again, and almost regardless of price (within vague reason).
It was that special!
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9 minutes ago, HappySeasAhoy said:
I've cruised over 10 times but never with children. My new girlfriend has two young children (7 & 8). She has never been on a cruise. I would like to understand the pros and cons of everyone staying in one cabin vs. two cabins, aside from the cost. I'm not even sure if its allowed for children of that age.
Just the general thought of four people staying in a tiny cabin is a bit off-putting for me, even if it was a suite. I'm really leaning for the two cabins.
I could list out all the things I can think of on my own, but I'd rather just hear from those who have experienced it. Thanks for your responses.
Welcome to CruiseCritic!
Also please see the "Family Cruising" section for more specific discussions:
https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/28-family-cruises/
What is often suggested is to get two INTERNALLY CONNECTING cabins (so one does *not* need to go into the hallway to move between rooms - this is important!).
Register with one adult and one child in each cabin.
Once you are on board, you can keep the connecting door open all the time (especially with younger children, etc.), and do what is usually done at home... 2 adults in one bedroom, 2 children in the other.
I'd also suggest bringing a bell of some sort and put it on the children's cabin door to the hallway. Then, IF they try to open it (perhaps in error, perhaps out of curiousity, or ...? 😉 ) you'll hear it, and can go check promptly.
There are also some suites where there are either 2 bedrooms (often one very small one for children) plus a real Living Room space, or where the LR can be made up with beds (e.g., sleep sofa).
Enjoy!
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18 minutes ago, CardowMD said:
My cruise agent said we do not need to take the insurance until we make final payment for the cruise. Currently have a 10% deposit down. This has always been the rule. Sometimes trips are booked years in advance, with deposit only.
I'm not sure what your specific point is, so perhaps you could clarify...?
First, is your "cruise agent" a travel insurance agent or broker? If not, they may well not understand all of the "fine print", which can matter a LOT.
Second, "to take the insurance..." does not necessarily imply "the insurance" includes CFAR coverage. There are other types of coverage, more common ones, that work as you describe it, "by final payment".
Many of us book years in advance, with the deposit only. There is nothing special about that.
However, IF we want CFAR coverage, we then also must start the travel insurance with "CFAR" within 10-20 days of the FIRST PAYMENT (e.g., that deposit). The reason for the range of days is that it varies by state of residence.
The rest of the insurance can be added in stages if desired, as additional cruise payments are added.
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On 4/6/2024 at 10:41 AM, kibutzer said:
First off they only hold your reservation for 15 minutes, to be fair to all. If it is slow you might be able seated early but remember they need to manage the flow of orders, to help kitchen and servers.
OP: Kindly keep the above in mind.
IF you are running late, please (!) contact the restaurant. Then there would be no need for them to keep a table "empty and waiting for your [non]arrival", when they could seat the next couple (or group of similar size) and let them start eating, and have the "next" table waiting for your arrival.
Just think if many or even several were "just 15(++?) minutes late"... the total times of those waiting empty tables could likely have been used to seat a few additional passengers who would have loved to have those meals.
All it takes is a courtesy call if you are running late to keep things running smoothly...
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This was pre-Covid, so also pre-changes in liquid packaging (e.g., single use bottles, plastic, etc.) on board.
However, we had requested specific soft drinks and bottle sizes, and *not* cans. With cans, once they are opened, they can't be closed to avoid spilling. And we "joke" that once an open container of liquids is in my presence, it will promptly tip over and spill its contents! 😡
So "resealable bottles" are really important, regardless of the contents.
But that could be the "cardboard(?) containers" such as with some dairy products, where there is a screw cap on the side of the top. Anything that allows us to "re-seal" the container is fine.
(Even on a night stand, if I have an open can of, say, Diet Coke... it is at serious risk... as are other items nearby...!)
So for example, San Pellegrino is a favorite beverage at home. But they make those with resealable screw-on caps OR the old fashioned "beer bottle caps" that are pried off, and then can *not* be re-sealed to avoid spills/leakage.
I fear we/I have a losing battle here, but as long as those types of containers that can be re-sealed somehow, we'll try our best to get them.
When we had specific requests, we were sailing from the USA. I dont' know if it would have been more difficult sailing from other locations.
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We've had excellent experiences with private excursions by using Google for "private tours" (or private tour guides, or similar wording) with or without including the word "disability".
Then we email directly with the guides that show up.
How well they communicate by email (timely, completely, etc.) seems to correlate with good experiences.
And we also try to customize so we can spend more time at A and less time at B (or skip C entirely), etc.
And we make it very clear what special assistance is needed. Our situation is different from yours, but we make it very clear.
We also ask if the guide has any additional suggestions, given what we've described in terms of what to see/do and also special help needed or whatever.
Sometimes they have excellent ideas once they understand what seems to interest us.
For us, usually it involves using taxis more often rather than lengthy walking, and they make the route "work" for that given they know in advance.
One of the best guides we "stumbled across" this way was in Rome. It turned out he had done his Ph.D. research in the private Vatican libraries. We had two trips with him, one for the "regular tourist sites" and the other for the Vatican.
[Sorry... that was a long time ago, and when we last tried to reach him, it didn't work. So we can't refer to him specifically, unfortunately.]
See how responsive each prospective guide is to your emails, and that should help with a good experience.
(Note: We've never paid in advance, but IF we did, it would be using a major charge card AND having an email confirmation that shows the cancellation policies very explicitly.)
There were a few times where DH was able to join the guide with something more active, while I waited behind, so he didn't miss out just because I couldn't do that particular <thing>.
In one case, the guide took us by taxi to the "end point" of a cable car, left me near some shops with seating, and then they went back to the starting point. About an hour(?) later, I saw them in a cable car, as they approached the end of the cable car route near me. He had a big grin on his face. That worked well!
Just make sure that you are very clear what limitations you have or what special assistance you need, to avoid misunderstandings.
Note: Going private like this may not save much money (that depends, etc.), but at least the money is likely to be well spent! 🙂
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On 4/7/2024 at 8:46 AM, jonthomas said:
569 CAD is way to steep for us to stay one night.
We haven't stayed at the Intercontinental since pre-Covid, so we aren't up to date on prices. However, it never seemed "too high", although it was more than most lower budget chains, etc.
But the real draw was... if you stay there, ask for a room where you can see the ships. We had great fun the first time we sailed out of Miami and stayed there thanks to suggestions here on CC.I was up bright and early, watching the ships come in, and then leave again.
And that was the day before we sailed, so I got to see it all again the next morning, watching "our" ship arrive.
FUN!
But that's probably the main - or only - reason we'd stay there. Otherwise, we'd look for a hotel with some other preferred features, etc.
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So... what reports from the ships in the Totality area off Mexico?
Was the sky clear?
We flew to Montreal, changing plans at almost the last minute (well, 2 days) when the weather reports showed our initial plans weren't going to work so well.
And yes, TOTALITY!
And totally worth it!
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On Monday, there's a total eclipse, and I think some cruise ships will be "lurking" off the coast of Mexico, where it is expected to have a high chance of clear skies.
Is there a list of those ships, at least the "big ones"? I suppose there will be a bunch of smaller ones, too.
Could we list the "cruise ships" that are expected to be in the area?
Thanks!
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We do NOT use charge cards for travel insurance because some of the restrictions apply to possible reasons we might make a claim. And other types of claims just aren't covered.
Your insurance needs may be quite different.
So just MAKE SURE that you read ALL of the Terms & Conditions (T&Cs) to make sure you understand what is, and what is *not*, covered.
For example, pay attention to anything that might involve a medical claim (be it medical expenses or cancelled/interrupted trip) and whether pre-existing conditions are covered (or any claim due to pre-existing conditions).
Also note the *definition* of "pre-existing conditions" in travel insurance is usually very different from what we usually think of in everyday life. This can make an exclusion more of a problem... or less of a problem... depending upon specific circumstances.
ETA: You might also want to read the travel insurance section of CC:
https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/499-cruisetravel-insurance/
and perhaps post there as well.
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24 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:
I don't think TSA cares about prescription meds or OTC meds carried by people, especially older adults.
It's not TSA we are concerned with. They've never expressed any interest in the "drug" contents of my carry-on, including the time they searched it with a fine tooth comb until they determined that the suspicious item on the x-ray was my bar of Dove soap. (Now, that goes in checked luggage, or on the top of my purse for easier access.)
It's the authorities as we enter foreign countries that are of more concern, and some countries are of "more concern" than others...!
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16 minutes ago, ilovhywd said:
In the past, we have always kept our few medications in original containers while traveling to and from cruise ships. Now we are getting older, and we need more stuff! I buy large quantities of certain vitamins and supplements in jumbo containers. If I packed all these bottles, they would take up most of my carryon! Would it be a problem if I carry a 3-week supply of each pill in a labeled ziplock baggie? (I will be flying in and out of Amsterdam and Chile this year.). Thanks for your help!
What we do is get very small ziplock type bags, and ask the Pharmacist to print out an extra "stick-on" label for each med. We give them something like 2 weeks advance notice so there's no rush during what might be a busy time.
Then we stick the label on a little bag, and put the proper pills inside.
Several extra nice things about this, in addition to not needing to take a ton of each med, or a big vial full of lots of air. (Our pharmacy stopped using the smaller sized amber bottles several years ago, so almost any number of pills leaves a lot of "space". And of course, cylinder shapes don't stack neatly...)
In addition to being able to keep most extra air out, these little bags, when placed flat, just stack really nicely.
Is this "okay" for Rx meds? We noticed this when one of my meds was dispensed at the local hospital out-patient pharmacy just like this!
So... "Aha!" We said. 😀
And we started doing it for travel.
We reuse the little bags until they look too tattered, so they are always "ready to go" once we get a set together.
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3 hours ago, CDNPolar said:
We don't want to list her as disabled or needing assistance from the airline from checkin to boarding, we just want a wheelchair once we clear security and are on the air side of the airport. She can well manage into the airport and through security. It is the miles of walking once you get through security or when you land.
The situation you are describing (needing wheelchair for those loooong walks airside, or even city-side) is usually what the airport wheelchairs are for.
And they usually come with a "pusher".
I use one for that exact purpose.
We always list the request when we make the air reservation. Usually someone at a ticket counter, or checking baggage, will call for the chair. Or if we drop luggage at the curb, we can ask right there, and they'll get someone to come out with a chair.
But it's always been a "chair and pusher" combo.
I'm not sure why you want to avoid the terms "disabled" or "needing assistance", as that is exactly what the wheelchairs are for, a the least for "assistance", right? 😉
Also, when you have a chair/pusher, they can usually expedite passage through some of the assorted checkpoints, which is very helpful.
The terminology on some airline check-in (or ticketing) websites is often "wheelchair assistance". You can request it online or by phone. Don't get caught up in the wording.
I'm not sure how often they (the "powers that be", at airports) just lend out the wheelchairs. That could lead to wheelchairs being left at various places scattered around the airport rather than being returned to certain locations where they are ready for the next use (with the pusher). There may also be concerns about theft if they just let "anyone" walk off with a wheelchair (?).
You might also ask at the Disabled Travel section of CC:
https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/114-disabled-cruise-travel/
There may be others there who are much more familiar with this issue.
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Newby Princess Questions
in Princess Cruises
Posted
Welcome to CruiseCritic!
Here is a link to the Princess section:
https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/119-princess-cruises/
You'll get lots of answers there.
And here is the full TOC (Table of Contents) for other topics:
https://boards.cruisecritic.com
Enjoy!!
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