GeezerCouple

There are some controlled substances where the limit IS "30 days" per refill and not, for example, 90... ... under normal circumstances. There are also rules (state, DEA, etc.) that require that any "first" controlled substance Rx be restricted in amount (such as only 7 days) or *must* be with a written script, meaning "not by phone call". To the best of our understanding, all - or almost all? - of these restrictions can be overridden in urgent situations. That would require that the prescriber and the pharmacy agree to the need, etc. But there is almost always a way to arrange for an exception. (I'm sure there are some meds where this is not possible, but most of those meds probably aren't usually written for people who are likely to be traveling.) We've had to deal with this, and I guess we are fortunate to have long term physicians, medical records in the same system for decades (that is, we are "known" as are the underlying medical and Rx needs). A few of the ways we've had this handled, although not yet for very long trips, include to get a "vacation override" from the insurance/etc., to have an Rx written at a higher daily dose so it will last longer when taken at the regular dosage or to so this for a few months planning ahead, and keeping the extras for the trip. Other ways are to get insurance approval for more days' supply, often simply for "longer vacations", which is the actual need. Also, about a year or two ago, the regulations about controlled substance was somehow changed (or treatment of them changed?) such that there was more recognition of individual needs. Our teaching hospital is still trying to get the word out with more re-training about this. But even then, it doesn't mean the providers will "do anything except what they have always done..." 😠 In general, it can be difficult to determine exactly where the actual "restriction" is. A physician could claim it's the pharmacy or the insurance; one of those could point to the physician; and all of those could point to "drug laws" whether they exist or are accurately understood or not. GC

It's not just the size without regard to the cruise line. You are only considering the relatively mass-market cruise ships. There are some very nice smaller ships on smaller cruise lines, such as the previously mentioned Oceania, as well as the somewhat more luxe ships/lines. These are likely to be more expensive, unless you are getting the higher priced suites. The different ambiance (and lack of crowding) on board is considerable. GC

Welcome to CruiseCritic. Unfortunately, you probably won't like most of the responses to this question. We always make a note on calendars about any due dates. And for "biggies", I also put in a "pre-reminder" about a week in advance. Yes, it's ultimately your responsibility, like any bills such as car payments, rent/mortgage, or insurance. In some cases, reminders or bills are sent. But even then, a reminder could get interrupted somehow such that you don't get it, or don't get it in a timely fashion. In fact, IIRC, some of the time, we do get automated reminders about the deadlines, but by the time those arrive, we've usually made that particular payment. I worry about what if one of us is sick or unexpectedly traveling or busy with something else, or if the payment doesn't go through for whatever odd reason - or lack of reason... So we try to avoid last minute payments of anything. It would only "be the travel agent's responsibility" IF you had an explicit (written!) agreement with them about that. And even then, I'd have my own reminders. I wouldn't want to need to litigate something like that if they didn't do it, or didn't do it right. After all, if things do get forgotten or some communication fails, it's *our* trip that is at jeopardy, etc. 😞 As for "why the travel agent", my understanding is that is primarily to help people learn about and select from the various travel choices. (Why were you using the travel agent?) GC

I *very* seriously doubt that "a particular cabin is double-booked"! (I suppose it could happen occasionally, but quite by mistake.) The extras would be the "guarantees" that need to be accommodated (or they might be offered "a better deal", also). (Any "wait lists" will probably be staying home on a cruise like this...) Some pax may find they've been put in a different cabin of the same or better category, plus some extra "incentives". As passengers take the "better offers", the cruise line can shift remaining passengers around, and perhaps upgrade some people to make it all work out. If they keep sweetening the deal, they'll end up with the needed cabins and suites. We had a remarkable offer once. We were already PH. It was still PH, for a longer cruise AND a *very* nice cash refund. Nowadays, we are much more flexible, but then, we were not. It wouldn't have been our favorite itinerary, but the sweetened offer was... SO sweet... we may have jumped ship. 😆 And then later gone on something like our initially planned cruise. GC

These "things" that never or rarely get properly cleaned, such as patterned bedspreads or "accent" pillows, etc... Yuck. In any hotel (and also on a ship, which is a floating hotel), we kick them off the bed, pile them up in a corner, and then request that housekeeping remove them and NOT use anything like them during our stay. Nowadays, more and more hotels use the white duvet covers or extra sheets, which is just perfect. Those bedspreads are disgusting. There are still often those fancy decorator (!?) pillows, and they are on the floor immediately, in a corner until we see housekeeping or the steward, etc. And our experience has been that a room can be cleaned "more completely" if there is a medical issue. We always speak with housekeeping (hotel) or special needs (cruise), who ask what is needed. It's also on the special needs form we send in prior to any cruise. I also like the idea of using extra sheets... Thanks! GC

One of the best perks (for us) of suites is room service with almost anything you wish (as long as it's on the ship!). The butler will provide a very nice setup for any meals. Regular meals are no extra charge. Meals from the specialties would be charged the same as if you ate AT the specialty restaurant. We tend to enjoy "dining in" for some dinners, especially if we are tired, and also having a nice *large* hot breakfast to help wake us up. 😉 Enjoy! GC

Here is a link: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/499-cruisetravel-insurance/ If you browse there, you'll notice that most of us do not recommend getting insurance from the travel vendor, for a variety of reasons. There are some travel insurance brokers mentioned there. We are among those who use www.TripInsuranceStore.com - which we learned about here on CC, and thank goodness. We've had quite a few claims, including some large ones, and *all* were paid promptly. No nonsense. (Our only "complaint" is that we needed to file any insurance claim at all... much better not to have needed to use it... but... "life happens"...) GC

What you wrote is a bit confusing. (The first is probably just wording, but where you wrote: "In Rome I would like to see the Vatican and the Colosseum and Venice looks like it maybe do a Rome at night tour by private car tour", I'm not sure what you are asking about regarding Venice.) But mostly, you wrote that you planned to take "private escorted tours". (We almost always do this, so we can set the pace and also decide more specifically what we do - or do *not* - want to see.) So I don't understand your concern about no interest in full day tours or "getting In and out of an SUV or hiking around ruins". IF you are doing private escorted tours, one of the big advantages is that YOU get to choose the itinerary, the timing, and the activities (assuming the private guide agrees this is "possible", of course). Venice is likely to be the most challenging, so you'd want a guide who is specifically experienced with mobility-challenged or wheelchair travelers. When we were in Venice, we were quite surprised (and really pleased!) to see, on the top (2nd or 3rd?) floor of a museum, a group that included quite a few people in wheelchairs. I have some mobility difficulties, so our guide had already helped us with a well hidden elevator in the building, so no doubt that group was using the same or other elevators in that building. (For someone who didn't know, there would be no indication that there was any elevator anywhere in the building.) But there *will* be issues with the many small bridges over the many little canals. I'd suggest starting early, finding an appropriate private guide who is experienced guiding travelers with disabilities/in wheelchairs/etc., and then not only setting up a workable schedule/agenda, but --> find a hotel that is situated where you can get to the other touring routes. My recollection is that some of the larger water vehicles can load at dock level, and can accommodate wheelchairs, but please *doublecheck*. Again, your guide should be familiar with this, and thus how using those can help you avoid the little bridges, and also access as much as possible of the city. We took a water taxi from the airport to our hotel that was right on the Grand Canal. Alas... it was at a *very* low tide time, so the dock of the hotel was, er, considerably higher than we had expected. So, let's just say that several others "helped DH to shove me up and out" of the water taxi on to the hotel dock. NOT the most graceful entry, to put it mildly! 😳 DH was probably trying very hard not to laugh too loudly... And I overestimated my stamina the first day. It was SO exciting to be wandering through Venice that I sort of lost track... and suddenly it was... "Uh, I can't go much further at all!" Our guide asked me if I could get to [pointing to a nearby spot], and then she called a water taxi who showed up and took us back to the hotel! Whew! (And... the tide was much higher then, thank goodness! 🤭 ) The bottom line is that the wheelchair group was obviously getting around Venice well enough to get to that museum, somehow. And there must have been enough accessible to make the entire trip worthwhile. You might want to search for guides that are experienced with visitors using wheelchairs. Apparently it's not impossible! GC

About the extension over the Bridge "wings"... are there windows on all 3 sides so that you can see forward, sideways, *and* back down the side of the ship? Or is it just the forward view from that area, like the rest of the forward view, with walls on the other 2 sides of the extension? We had a suite over the Bridge like that quite a few years ago, and it was "all windows". It was really special to be able to see all the way around and down the full side of the ship. The Oceania Vista suites have always been sold out whenever we've looked for a cruise. No, we haven't yet bothered with a waitlist... or trying to book at the very first reservation opportunity; it hasn't yet been that important because we are very happy with the Riviera PH, other than "no forward view"... There are some regular cabins between a couple of the Vista suites; we just wish there were a couple of PH suites located there. THAT would be just perfect for us! Thanks. GC

Another vote for Jacques. That was a REAL favorite. We paid for PH level in part (but only in part) to have Butler service which can provide food from Jacques, especially, and Red Ginger (that sea bass!) in our suite, either because we couldn't get extra reservations or we were just tired after an excursion of some sort. We also did enjoy some nice Polo meals, but rarely ordered them served "at home" 😉 Those restaurants really did make a difference for us. GC

[emphasis added] Insurance is a regulated industry. My understanding is that "the same policy" in a state will cost the same as "the same policy" in the same state. Agents/brokers usually do not add additional cost; they receive their commission from the insurance company. If there are different prices in the same state, you should probably double check that the policies are actually different. Select based upon the terms/conditions/coverage of the policy, and the reputations of the insurer and broker or agent. GC

OP, double check about this for any policy that *you* will purchase. Insurance is regulated by the states, so in a different state, a "similar" policy could have different terms/limits. GC

I'm not quite sure how to understand your question. The agent who sold you the travel insurance policy certainly *should* help you with the claim. That's part of the service the provide... or should be! However, that doesn't guarantee that they *will* actually "resolve" the problem to your satisfaction. Whether and how a claim would get resolved would depend upon the specific claim, the circumstances, and whether the reason for the claim is indeed an event that is covered by the policy. You should probably contact your agent to discuss whether and how they can help. (And this is something that one could also ask the agent before using them to buy the insurance!) GC

That's really terrific! Soooo helpful! 😉 GC

Interesting situation. If OP had arrange air independently and only used this particular insurance for the NCL cruise, then yes, trip ("cruise") cancellation. But OP's "trip" included the air. So why isn't it "interruption"? A different question: In a case like this, might the insurer prefer to spend a possibly modest amount to pay for the travelers to "catch up" with the cruise (assuming that isn't disallowed by some cabotage laws, etc.)? That might cost much less than a full refund of an expensive trip. That's a main reason I'd want to double check with the insurer (or in our case, our travel insurance broker) to make sure our decision would indeed be "covered". GC

You think this is "losing" a bit of the freedom we are "supposed" to have in America!?? This isn't what most people think of at the top of the list of "freedoms". Or the middle. Or on the list at all, for the most part! 🤨 Plus, you *could* change your name; that IS a part of your "freedom"! Your choice = freedom! And it's not so expensive. (Or is there likely to be someone who contests your name change case such that there will be an expensive legal battle?) And along the lines of other posts above, what in the world is wrong with asking anyone who calls you <whatever... it could be Rumplestiltskin> to "Please call me <your name/your pronunciation>. Thanks!" Perhaps bring some name tags for yourself to make it easier for everyone, including yourself. You are an adult and haven't figured out how to politely and comfortably help others to call you by the name and pronunciation you prefer? And if it's a "lovely" name that was from your "beautiful grandmother", do you really want to change it entirely? (But that's a totally different issue anyway.) Or you could get your documents re-issued as an "aka" (also known as) or "ka" (known as), although the latter doesn't seem to be your situation, as you *are* also known as both names, etc. Those used to take just a few forms and affidavits, but that may be different nowadays(?). Neither of those are the same thing as legally *changing* your name, and they aren't complicated. BTW, my first name has almost always been mispronounced, and I always used a shortened "nickname" anyway. And when the full first name is mispronounced a certain way, it rhymes with several other (non-offensive) words. Thus, in elementary school, every time a substitute teacher did a roll call, as soon as they garbled my name, the other children would start chanting that long list of rhyming words... I hated it. I've long since outgrown that. GC

Why don't you post this on the NCL section of CC? You could specifically ask something like, for those who have cruised on other lines (maybe specify?) but not yet NCL, what charges caught you by surprise? And any other suggestions about figuring out what $$ surprises there might be and what can or cannot be avoided. GC

As crystalspin wrote, there is a "travel insurance" section of CC. It doesn't appear that you've posted there yet. That's where the most "experienced travel insurance eyeballs" will see your questions. Many of us get 3rd party travel insurance. And at least for the type we get, there are two aspects of the policies that you would probably find appealing: 1) One only insures the non-refundable payments as one makes them. (Note: The deposit must be part of the first insured amount, even if that deposit is refundable.) So as one makes additional payments or adds other "things" to the trip (e.g., hotels), one then ups the coverage. So the entire amount of the trip doesn't require insurance to be paid until the entire amount is actually paid. 2) In many cases, if one cancels the trip WITHOUT having lost any money (and thus without having made a claim on the insurance), one can then apply that coverage to a different trip. (Note: There are some time limits that might apply for this feature.) As far as elders (like us, the Geezers 😉 ) who might have "something medically wrong", if one starts the coverage within a window (usually 10-20 days depending on state of residency) of making that first insurance payment *and* one is "fit to travel* on the day the insurance is started, there are no exceptions for pre-existing conditions. Also, the definition of "pre-existing condition" is quite different for travel insurance than it is in everyday use. The definition may vary slightly from policy to policy, but for the most part, they usually would require no recent symptoms or treatments or changes in medication or testing, etc., within a specified "look-back" period. And one must also be "fit to travel" on the day the insurance is started. Many of us use a travel insurance broker. We are among those who use Steve, at www.TripInsuranceStore.com - but CALL. Do NOT rely upon the online summaries of various policies. (No extra charge to use an agent or broker, btw.) And do browse through some of the posts at the travel insurance section of CC. That will give you a good overview of some of the choices and issues. GC

I'm still wondering why this is only being delt with in the penalty stage. I understand that it wasn't known when the original reservation was made. But wasn't there a time when it was known, and could have been solved (= changed/fixed!) for a relatively modest fee such that both of them could have gone, or perhaps left it for just the second cruise together and maybe get some credit to change the first? Was this really the "best that could have been done" if addressed sooner? However, different people/couples have different patterns. For us, if one couldn't go, the other wouldn't either. I suppose there might be a situation where we'd do that, but I can't imagine it, and it's never come up, yet. If the money is "gone" whether we go or stay home, if we'd need to split up such that only one had the nice trip... that's a no-brainer. The money is "gone". That's a sunk cost. The situation then becomes: Will we be happier with one away on the trip and one staying home, or both home? Very easy answer! And if even a small bit of the money could be recovered, all the better. 🙂 GC

[emphasis added] Sailman55 : Babr brings up an important point that you may not have considered when making decisions about "where/from whom" to purchase travel insurance. Third-party insurance, from an insurer totally independent of any travel vendor, is likely to offer much better coverage in another way: That policy is likely to cover you from the moment you walk out the door (even before you get in your ride to the airport) until you walk back in your door at the end of your trip. If you are making other stops before or after your cruise, the "cruise-linked travel insurance" may not cover that if all of the arrangements are done separate from the cruise line. It will cover air travel that you arranged on your own, by cash or awards. And of course, any covered medical expenses themselves. Speak with a travel insurance broker to determine whether some special issues may or may not apply to you, and then pick the policy that fits best. Concerns might include: illness among non-traveling family members; problems/expenses in other cities before/after the cruise; transportation to the airport... the list goes on. And speaking with a broker can make a huge difference in how well you understand what IS or is NOT "covered". Many "complaints" about travel insurance not paying are in fact because the "event" wasn't actually covered in the first place. Sometimes that's obvious, but sometimes not. Especially: "pre-existing condition" has a very specific meaning for each policy, and it can be very different from our everyday usage. That can make a huge difference (for better or for worse - but one should understand so the coverage "works" for you, etc. - or know that what it does *not* include). So you want a broker you *speak* with, to discuss concerns and listen to any issues they may suggest. Don't just rely upon online policy summaries. If there is any place where "the fine print" matters... it's insurance! (Online summaries may be fine as background information, so you get a sense of "what's available", but then speak with a broker or agent.) And when in doubt, you can always call the broker, who will probably have a fast way to contact the insurer IF there is a problem or some uncertainty. GC

Sorry that has happened to you. This appears to be your first post, but you've been a CC member for quite a few years. I have no idea if you have been *reading* here on CC, but there have been many posts about not getting travel insurance through the travel vendor such as a cruise line. And there are many recommendations to deal with a travel insurance broker. They can help you find policies that best fit your own specific needs *and* they can help with claims should that be needed. For future travel... we are among those who have used www.TripInsuranceStore.com (no extra charge for using them). And we've had quite a few claims (with Travel Insured) and all have been paid promptly, without any drama. Meanwhile, about your current claim, insurance is a regulated industry, so you could try contacting the Insurance Commissioner's Office in your state. Sometimes that, uh, "helps" the insurer to pay, if the claim was for a covered situation. There are others here from Washington, so they may chime in with other suggestions. Good luck! GC

I agree with others that if you will be a nervous wreck (or even partially so) until you actually make that next flight, why not spend the night at or near the airport. As mentioned above, we did that once, and it eliminated a real worry. (In our case, we were traveling on F award tickets to Asia. Given that there are only 8 of those per flight, the chance that there would be two empty F's on the next flight... not so good. So that made it even more risky.) But that allowed us to have a [mediocre] dinner at the hotel, get a good night's sleep, and sleep much later than we'd have needed to do if we were trying for a "first flight out" that morning. And it really did take a major source of stress out of the picture. As for Jet Blue Mint... we did fly that a few years ago, home from Barbados. (We had flown there in coach, but decided that we'd give ourselves a treat on the way home, and hope to arrive back somewhat still rested.) I think they've changed the setup on at least some of the planes (if not all by now?). You might want to check what the arrangement is now. We found the bed/seats surprisingly comfortable. Genuinely "lie flat", and a very quiet, peaceful flight home. The Mint prices seem to have gone up considerably, but it does vary by date and specific flight. The service wasn't like the "real" international flat-bed flights in business, but they may have been changing all of that, along with the nicer physical Mint seat/beds. I just checked, and the price on a similar date in 2023 is twice what we paid, but the regular seats are not all that much more. If the prices are much less than business class on other carriers, we'd seriously consider Mint if we were heading to London. GC

Great "face smack" image! 😉 GC

I think she should be able to read it right here....!? 🙂 GC

Perhaps Steve will chime in here (if he notices this thread?), but my understanding of insurance IN GENERAL (not necessarily travel insurance) and other liabilities is that one is supposed to do one's best to mitigate the costs of the other party. In other words, if it would cost $2,500 for extra plane tickets and a couple of hotel nights to get to the second or third port, one should do that rather than expect the insurer to refund all the costs of a multi-week cruise because of weather or a strike/missed connection heading to the *start* of the cruise. I could be wrong, obviously! Imagine an ATW cruise of, say, 180 days. If there was a missed connection immediately (totally out of the control of the traveler), would the insurer agree that the traveler could just 'go back home' and get back the full cost of that very expensive cruise??? But we would WANT to "catch up" rather than miss the entire cruise anyway. GC