GeezerCouple

Oh wow! I fell for your little "joke", too! 😉 I immediately started thinking of those who had long since paid for air tickets from overseas, etc.! VERY glad to know it's for *next* year. And yes, I should pay more attention to the title. Duh! GM

Oh my. I wasn't remembering that THIS was the port where THAT happened! 😱 Does anyone know how those injured back then ended up doing? Recovered/home, or...? GC

This, absolutely!! And especially if we are out of the country. It would be incredibly NON-trivial to get "more" of some of our meds in some other countries. And a few are difficult to get even here at home; they need to be specially ordered and occasionally it's difficult to find a pharmacy that can even order one of them. Futher, at least two of them are extraordinarily expensive. No foreign pharmacy, even if they carry the med, is likely to take our insurance card and hand over thousands of dollars of a med, right there an then (if they even had it or could get it). One would cost a few thousand a month, without insurance. There are any number of "things" that could go wrong and delay a return home. Are they likely? Fortunately, no. But some of these delays *have* occurred over the past several years. So, for critical meds... better safe than sorry! GC

The terms and conditions do *not* allow this typs of sharing. There has been some very recent discussion of this: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2916000-sharing-a-dining-credit/#comment-64848488 & https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2916139-fas-dining-with-teen/#comment-64844350 GC

And in other countries, there may well be completely different - or additional - medications that are restricted or completely prohibited, including some things that are OTC in the USA. However, in the US, it is not (or very rarely!) required that someone carry the Rx bottle with them. For example, someone might put a couple of pills in a purse or briefcase or pocket. That is not (or very rarely) "illegal". What is critical is that you DO actually have a proper Rx that could be verified. Obviously, the fastest way to "verify" that IF one got stopped (which is usually quite unlikely) would be to have the bottle or a copy of the Rx script (on paper or in the cloud) so that it could be verified. One difficulty with crossing borders where someone might "inspect" is "what is each pill", etc. It would take time for them for look that up (and that would probably annoy them in a major way), which is why we keep each med type in its own little properly labeled (pharmacy stick-on label) little ziploc. IF any authority wants to "inspect", we'd want to make it as easy as possible for them. However, in a purse/briefcase/carryon/etc., we'd have separate supplies for the day or two, easily at hand. We could quickly show the "properly labeled pharmacy container" (the ziploc) should we be asked. There can be *very* severe penalties in some countries for some specific meds... 😱 GC

Okay... that's a longer cruise than I was thinking of (for a rather modest amount of money, in our minds, anyway!). So this means you'd need to find someone who had that amount of time available, without needing to take time off from work. IF they need to take time off from work (assuming it could be arranged), then there'd be the salary lost. Someone might be willing to work for less, because of the travel, but... would they have time to enjoy the new locales? IF you would be okay for a few hours on your own some of the time, giving the caregiver time off to explore, make sure you include that information; it might make working with you more appealing as a nice "perk". What level person, what training/etc., would that £19,000 be getting you? Is there a "temp" agency that can arrange for caregivers? And again, do you need a licensed nurse? An "aide"? How much training /background would they need to already have? And a suggestion: When discussing this, probably best not to say that you'd "be happy to pay" for the caregiver's cruise. That should be an absolute given, in this situation. They shouldn't need to pay out of pocket for any aspect of this. (That might be different for a friend, or IF there were to be a lot of "time off" for sightseeing or otherwise enjoying a "vacation", but otherwise, "being on the cruise" is part of that job, and it includes being away from friends/family, one's own home and activities, etc.) What type of agency were you speaking with? Of course, I have no familiarity with how such arrangements might be made in the UK. Did you find one that specifically dealt with caregivers who can travel? Good luck! GC

Suggestions would likely depend upon what type of care you need. Is it mostly mobility, or would it be more intensive such as helpt with eating or even personal hygiene. That would affect the type/qualifications for anyone you would be considering. Some years ago, there was a thread here on CC with some agencies and other suggestions, but I don't know if it was USA-based only. Does there happen to be a nursing school (or medical school) nearby? Someone there might want to earn some extra money while having a bit of a trip (probably not quite a "vacation", or just a "working vacation", but still... new places to see, etc.). Or do you not need someone with those medical qualifications? £19,000 seems a bit (more than a "bit"!) high 😱 for a cruise costing about £2,500, which suggests that this is *not* an around the world cruise taking 3 months or more! GC

This is absolutely true. What is "best" depends upon what one needs or wants in terms of coverage. We learned about www.TripInsuranceStore.com here on CC just about 10 years ago. They are a broker, and offer several policies from several different vetted travel insurers. They were *incredibly* patient answering our questions, as it was all totally new to us. (We had been naive before... and very lucky!) But CALL them. The short online policy summaries simply cannot provide enough detail so one could know if it matches "your" needs or not. Also, we didn't even know what to look for, in a few cases, such as: frail family members not traveling with you? pre-existing medical conditions? chance of being called back to work? etc... We've ended up using Travel Insured, through TIS. There is no extra charge for the traveler to book through TIS. IF one needs help with a claim, they are there to help. And... our very first big trip, our first time using travel insurance, DH had a medical emergency less that 2 weeks before our planned departure, and by then... no refunds for anything! We got every cent back. The check arrived about 2 weeks after we submitted the claim. (Hint: KEEP RECEIPTS! The insurer has the right to make sure there aren't fraudulent claims, of course.) We've since had several other claims, and each paid without nonsense. We wish we had NOT needed to make the claims, that the travel was all "without any need for insurance", but that's not what turned out to happen for us. GC

I don't think anyone is arguing that someone is "lathering [their] body with such said soap and returning it back to the original container for the next stranger to reuse" ! So much for the absurd. [However, and very unfortunately, there *are* some crazies who do seem to get some satisfaction from adulterating things/substances that others will be using...] Soap (or shampoo) is not a disinfectant. It helps dislodge/wash away any dirt/etc. If a large container is continually "topped off" with more, such that the container is never cleaned between uses (perhaps unless it breaks and a new dispenser is put into use?), then any bacteria or mold, etc., that is introduced could slowly grow somewhere, such as in a small crevice where the lower "cap" connects with the main container. Now, if they'd put bleach in the dispensers, I wouldn't be worried about that! 🙄 (Yes, I'd have other worries about using it, of course...) In any event, for us - or at least for DH - this is moot. He has severe allergies, and we always travel with special soap, shampoo, and even hand sanitizer, so he does not end up in some ER. I don't have that problem, but I still wouldn't use "stuff" that has been sitting around who-knows-how-long-after-who-knows-how-many-times-it's-been-topped-up? But as with many situations, different people have different opinions and thresholds and can make their own decisions. GC

From above: Also, in the linked FAQ: "Sharing of an SDP meal or to go food is not permitted." [emphasis added] What is not clear? That these rules apply to all passengers (including you)? And if your teen can eat more than you, then this certainly isn't a situation where someone wants to claim that "my little child can only eat one or two bites..." As for what other people may have done (or claimed to have done), I wouldn't ever argue that "Others were allowed to break the rules, so why can't we!??" GC

Will this still be F so you can access the Concorde Room? If they haven't changed it, that's our favorite airport lounge thus far in Europe (there are many we haven't experienced, of course). It's part of the treat of awards travel, for sure, although a really good premium bed on a top international carrier makes ALL the difference! 😉 The Concorde Room has (or had?) nice comfy "clubby" easy chairs, well cushioned, and nice sofas, also well cushioned... just VERY comfortable for sitting or nodding off. (I know some seem to prefer the more modern feel of the LH FCL at Frankfurt, but for us, that's very spartan. Wood arms... it might be "nice wood" (?), but it's not "comfy". However, DH does make use of the private bedrooms there, for a nice quiet nap.) A shame that we still don't feel good about traveling. (I was carried off a plane from Hong Kong in mid-December, 2019, and spent 10 days on oxygen. They diagnosed RSV, which we had never heard of at that point. But everyone at our teaching hospital soon wondered.... "what ELSE" might I have had at that particular time...?) I was too, too sick for us to want to risk that until there are better treatments. We are very glad that we had spent the previous several years checking off the trips on our "must do" list, and quite a few on the "would be nice" list... ... except for Moscow and St. Petersburg. "In another life", perhaps... ☹️ GC

It seems more like they oversold the PH category, if they have *two* extra OV cabins available for you if you are willing to move. My guess is they are trying to "clear the way down" so that they have Concierge cabins to offer one or more PH guests. It's not likely that PH guest would be particularly amenable to an OV or inside, but if they can shift several cabins "one category down" (or at least for each PH they need to free up), that could do it. We once had a *VERY* attractive offer to move from our PH to a completely different cruise, also PH... much longer, completely different itinerary (must have been a really popular cruise... "not!") and also get a nice rebate. Alas, we didn't yet have the time flexibility then that we had later. However, it wasn't an itinerary we had been particularly interested in. But the offer was *so* appealing, that IF we could have done it, that "rebate" would have covered a nice portion of another cruise to replace the original... But... we couldn't do it when the replacement cruise was sailing. GC

Yes, this is really an absurd situation... the size of the bottle/container compared with the volume the little pills take up! 😠 A few years ago, our CVS pharmacy stopped using/stocking the smallest size of those amber plastic containers, and not much later, eliminated what was then the smallest (and had previously been the next-to-smallest size). So now, if there are, say, 10 or 20 tablets dispensed, they will go in a *smallest* container, one that is perhaps 1.5 inches in diameter and about 2.5 inches tall. If the pills are very small, they won't even cover the bottom surface. If they are larger, they might still take up less than 1/4 inch of the volume. No, not "1/4 of the volume"... "1/4 inch of the volume", which is a much smaller proportion of the total volume. We each have some meds that are very small pills, and the Rx is for one per day, so that even a 90 day supply still doesn't use even one third of the volume of the currently "small"-est bottle. For larger pills, there are larger bottles, including some that are remarkably "big". But for the smaller pills... no small containers at all anymore. So... for travel, we now get tiny ziploc-style plastic bags, and ask the pharmacist to print out an extra "stick-on" label, and we just slap it on the little ziploc when the volume of pills is small. Note that even with a larger volume of pills, if the "sides" of the "container" are flexible, like a ziploc, then the pills can settle into a much smaller amount of space. Without a huge amount of empty space that a rigid container fills with "air", these ziplocs can compress very nicely, and even stack in a corner of some carrying case... or in a single large ziploc! (This would save a lot of space, even if we still had the smallest size Rx bottles, given there isn't a lot of wasted air space. The rigid containers, especially because they are round, take up a lot more space than they need to, given the volume of the contents within the containers.) Yes, it's "legal" to put a pharmacy sticker on a ziploc, at least where we live. How did we learn this? When one of our prescriptions was dispensed this very way... in a ziploc with an Rx sticker on it. Bingo! 🙂 When we need a few new Rx "stickers", we ask our pharmacist about 2 weeks before we plan to travel, so they can print them for us at their convenience. We keep the little labeled ziplocs to re-use, and only create new ones if it gets tattered or if the date becomes "too old" (and that's subjective anyway). And yup, we still get a few of the "jumbo" plastic containers, such as if there are 4 (or even 😎 big capsules taken each day... But even then, we haven't yet needed to bring a 90-day supply with us... (And they still take up way more space than needed, given the wasted space inside, and the wasted space between the cylindrical containers.) GC

We do approximately the same. "How many" extra depends upon how critical each med is, and whether it would be difficult to replace if overseas. It doesn't add much weight to add extra pills in each little prescripton ziploc. And we also keep the "travel meds" bag up to date, ready to go... GC

At least in the past, this was a service provided by the Concierge for Haven and non-Haven suite passengers. And those who have NCL-sponsored excursions would also be helped to get to those on time. I'm not aware of any other "special" priority arrangements, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. GC

We had *one* meal at Toscana some years ago, and had the exact same experience. When it is dark, that rear window gives very strange reflections, NOT what we were expecting when asking for a window! (Yes, we enjoy window tables after dark, but when the window is still a "window"!) Right next to a window, after dark there's usually some sort of view if one bothers to look, but not when it's angled like that. And that short/vanishing space is pretty much wasted. Very odd, although I'm not sure what else they could do with that space given the window is already there, like that (?). That was the only meal we really did not like, and we never went back. We should probably give it another try, however. But we have such favorites elsewhere...! 😋 It's always a difficult decision where to eat. Such problems...!! GC

There are many discussions about carrying meds when traveling on this "disabled travel" section of CruiseCritic: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/114-disabled-cruise-travel/? And there are lots of "opinions". The "opinions" may or may not be satisfactory, depending upon requirements of travel vendors or the laws of specific countries. GC

What do the terms of your travel insurance policy state about arrangement and payments for "travel home"? Was there any requirement that you notify the insurer to arrange (or get permission) for the travel expenses in advance? There may be requirements that they approve in advance the medical need for extra costs, etc. Also, please note that your document gives your real name. You might want to ask the mods to delete this (?). But it also states: "Business class recommended". That's not necessarily the same as your wording above of "had to travel in business class". Perhaps "recommended" is not sufficient for AXA, or perhaps at least not sufficient without more discussion or documentation? GC

I have no special knowledge of whether or how fines are administered, and chengkp75 has just given another of his well-informed posts that address this issue. I was simply referring to whether there would be difficulty with the *ship/cruise line* if a passenger was determined to be sick enough to require more medical care than the ship's medical staff and facilities could provide. I have never heard of, and cannot imagine, any ship having a patient ill enough to need transfer to better, more substantial medical facilities being told, "Yes, the ship physician thinks you must get to a hospital as soon as possible, but... so sorry, there are cabotage laws, so we cannot let you off the ship. Sorry 'bout that!" (However, a ship/cruiseline definitely can invoke cabotage laws (by that or other wording) to someone asking to leave early for a reason other than a medical emergency such that the passenger will not get permission to do so. And ships/cruiselines have indeed said just that.) IF a ship/cruiseline wants to deal with recovering any fines that might follow, that's a separate issue. When DH was taken off a ship on a gurney and put into an ambulance waiting on the dock, no one was mentioning any possible fines or problems with the passenger manifest, not even during the delay until the ambulance arrived. GC

They are *selling* "munchie" type snacks for in-room use? Do they tackle you if you try to remove a plate of cookies or a piece of cake from the MDR? My, how things are changing... GC

We usually book private tours, but either way, once we know we are taking a trip (cruise or otherwise), we start looking at excursions, and book as soon as we find something that appeals to us. We do *not* want to risk looking later and finding out a particularly interesting outing is sold out. Whether they hold spots for "on board" or whether there might be some cancellations doesn't matter... if we are someplace that we can't easily "do it another time", we grab it. I'm not aware of any of these that are booked far in advance can't be cancelled, or at least up to a certain point. Why would you wait to sign up if you see something of interest? Also, note that the cruise-line offered excursions *might* change. They might add more choices, so I'd keep looking unless the excursion(s) you booked are "exactly what you wanted", in case there's something else of interest. Now, I admit that I very much enjoy planning trips. We joke how there are actually 3 trips every time: planning, the trip itself, and then the memories! 😀 GC

Yes, definitely, "being sick" can be a very "special circumstance" such that one can disembark early... or possibly "BE disembarked" even if one thinks it's "okay" to remain on the ship. Others on the ship, such as the physician and Captain, will make these determinations. GC

I *strongly* recommend that you have everyone try any new medication at home well before the trip. That way, you'll know if there are any dramatic side-effects and can consult with a physician about how to handle that or what to use instead. And especially with children, I also suggest NOT letting them "know about seasickness" any more than they may have picked up elsewhere. 😉 If it happens to them, it happens. "Suggesting" this possibility might complicate things, etc. Enjoy! GC

Good idea. In our case, above, IF we had paid her in advance, we would have been reimbursed, as I understood it, assuming she'd give us a letter stating that her services are not refundable once she schedules the dates (which is true, for obvious reasons). In our case, we'd known her for about 20 years, so she trusted that we'd leave the check in a certain spot, plus cash for any expenses, etc. She sometimes arrived after we had left, if there was an early morning flight. That was one of the very few "what we didn't think of" things. The other "non-payment" was when a flight home was delayed by a day, and we took a taxi back and forth to the same resort we had just left (thank goodness they had room for us; it was just before Christmas). I got a receipt for the taxi, but not for the tip. It was a small amount, but I learned...! GC

It's probably policy dependent. One problem we ran into with something like this was that we didn't pay in advance. After that, we paid in advance, by check so there would be proof of the "paid non-refundable cost". Previously, we had paid her when we returned. GC