GeezerCouple

Thanks. We're still on "Employer" healthcare, so I haven't fully studied "what's coming next"... 🤔 Then we'll have "Medicare primary and Retiree secondary" I think. Lots to learn, in the not-too-distant future. Is "Medigap" one of the two you mentioned, or a different critter? GC

About that "medicare advantage plan" and covering emergency care anywhere in the world... Is there a lifetime cap on that, such as $50k? I thought there was, but there could be some policies that are different, of course. Just double check that it covers what you feel you need. GC

This is big news for us, and very unwelcome. We finally had a wonderful NZ/Australia cruise on Noordam, just before the plague hit. Being classical music lovers, we found this to be a wonderful extra. I had read about it, and kept it in mind when considering trying HAL. We were both very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the musicians. The Lincoln Center room was always completely packed, with people standing in the back. We weren't alone in arriving early to get a good seat. (The seating arrangement wasn't ideal, but it "worked".). A larger room or more seating would clearly have been very well used. Lincoln Center really set HAL above and beyond other cruise lines, at least for us. DH asked me to try to plan more on HAL, precisely because of Lincoln Center. (COVID put a lid on cruises for us for a while; otherwise, we'd probably have taken 2 or 3 more by now.) Without Lincoln Center, there's not that much that clearly distinguishes HAL from a few other cruise lines or ships. They all have their pros and cons. In fact, we really enjoy Oceania, especially their Riviera/Marina ships. However, their little occasional quartet isn't anything close to the real performances at Lincoln Center. We'll still consider HAL if there is a specific itinerary, which is the most important thing when we select cruises. However, IF this is true, HAL just dropped off the "preferred list" for us. It was still a very nice cruise indeed, beyond LC, but so are cruises on several other ships... With all the cuts being made, and by many cruise lines, some of the charm of cruising is slipping away. [Yes, we understand the financial pressures.] What a shame. 😒 GC

Please ask about this on board IN ADVANCE, and they may be able to do more than just a selection of sides. If there is something from a main DR menu, or even another Specialty, they may be able to arrange that. Another possibility is to contact Special Needs (AccessDesk) in advance so they can plan for this; you'd need to give then the date you are requesting. They really try to work with special dietary requests. GC

Here's a reply I wrote to a similar question, just a few hours ago, about the Travel Insurance section of CC. The mods have already moved that post, so you wouldn't have had a chance to see it. ________________________________ You might want to post your question on the Travel Insurance section of CC: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/499-cruisetravel-insurance/ It may also be helpful to browse some of the previous Q&A's to get a general feel about this. Importantly, there isn't any single "standard insurance coverage". The different policy types can vary dramatically, and some terms and conditions will be better for some, and other policies for other travelers, etc. I'd suggest you CALL https://TripInsuranceStore.com They are a broker (no extra cost to the traveler), and deal with several vetted travel insurers, each of which typically have several different policies to offer. Ask questions! They are very patient. And they'll probably ask you some, too, while trying to help you figure out what type of coverage will be best for you. (They do not "upsell", so don't worry about that.) Many of us here on CC have purchased policies from them. We are among that group, and additionally, we'd had to make several claims, and all were paid without difficulties... and that's what really matters! GC

Sorry - wrong section of CC in error!

You might want to post your question on the Travel Insurance section of CC: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/499-cruisetravel-insurance/ It may also be helpful to browse some of the previous Q&A's to get a general feel about this. Importantly, there isn't any single "standard insurance coverage". The different policy types can vary dramatically, and some terms and conditions will be better for some, and other policies for other travelers, etc. I'd suggest you CALL https://TripInsuranceStore.com They are a broker (no extra cost to the traveler), and deal with several vetted travel insurers, each of which typically have several different policies to offer. Ask questions! They are very patient. And they'll probably ask you some, too, while trying to help you figure out what type of coverage will be best for you. (They do not "upsell", so don't worry about that.) Many of us here on CC have purchased policies from them. We are among that group, and additionally, we'd had to make several claims, and all were paid without difficulties... and that's what really matters! GC

It turns out that duct tape can sometimes start to get loose or even fall off. After that happened once, we changed to have several separate strips of the obnoxious, hard to miss tape. Currently, we are using silvery/sparkly tape. We have a piece on each side, plus on each side of the handle, we have a longer strip that goes up from the top part of one side, across the top, and partly down the other side. Yes, really obnoxious looking, no question about it. 😁 CaliforniaAC just mentioned handle covers that sound like what we use (and I described previously). We use a different day-glow type color, and we also have two separate same-color plastic luggage tag holders on each bag. Again, the main purpose is to minimize the chance of someone taking it by accident, and also help us to see the bag quickly, including if someone else does happen to start to walk off with one. Next time, we'll get some obnoxious, very noticeable color of luggage, rather than "basic black"! I'm thinking now of using something similarly "noticeable" (like our sparkly tape), but glueing it on. I can't think of a reason why we'd be sorry... or is there? (Worst case, we could glue something black over the bright stuff, if ever desired?) And as a reminder, *always* carry meds or anything truly critical in carry-ons. Always. GC

We've used TIS since learning about it here just about 10 years ago. After discussing our situation and asking us some questions (and being remarkably patient with our questions!), we purchased through them a policy from Travel Insured. And good thing, too! We ended up needing to cancel at 100% penalty phase, including cruise and business class airfare (the hotels were still cancellable). Steve helped us with that first claim. Since then, we've gotten this policy for each overseas trip (cruise or not). Unfortunately, we've had several other claims including another "biggie". All of the claims were paid promptly after we submitted all of the necessary documentation. (Well... almost all. I forgot to get receipts for very small tips for two taxi rides, and those claims got rejected. No big deal, but a good lesson... ALL receipts!!) I wish we had not needed to make those claims and didn't have those trip cancellations or interruptions. GC

Are they allowed to vote there? 😄 GC

Duchy of Grand Fenwick 😉

This may be the case in Australia, but it isn't true in all countries. Some require declarations, actual advance permissions, or limits for some meds. Those may be "controlled substances" or meds that many of us consider pretty innocuous. Again, "better safe than sorry". Sure, chances are that most people wouldn't "get caught", but... I wouldn't want to be one who did, if we hadn't properly disclosed everything. There's no harm being proactive, and these days it's quite easy and fast. GC

I'm forgetting the e-address for the moderators/etc. We had a similar problem, and they just reset the e-address for our account, and we were back in business, same as before. GC

Do you by any chance still need to purchase air fare to get to the cruise? GC

This ^^ The insurers have the right to take care to avoid fraud. In addition to that, chances are that the terms and conditions of the policy include how to submit a claim, and that likely requires all receipts plus any relevant forms like from a physician. Does the insurer have a specific form for the physician to fill out? If you don't submit the claim that includes *everything* the insurer requires, then... chances are good you won't get paid, or won't get paid for anything that involves the missing documentation. In the case of the very basis of the claim, an injury, probably nothing would be paid without that required physician's form. The faster you get them the complete claims documentation, the faster you'll get paid. GC

Correct. It's not just "NCL". That linked article shows a file photo of "U.S. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings cruise ship Marina arrives at the Havana bay, Cuba March 9, 2017", although they don't mention "Oceania". GC

CC does not allow TA recommendations, unfortunately. For future use, perhaps ask once on board from others on your Roll Call or any other passengers. GC

Yes, "His bag is still at the port, and the local port team is holding it hostage. They told him to take care of my bag first, and then they'll discuss how to reunite him with his bag " is pretty impressive. As for us, we are among those with the bedraggled ribbons (REALLY ugly and tacky - as they break or fall off, we just add a few more) - and we added some duct tape that is clearly meant for something like a 10 year old's birthday party, incredibly sparkly. Some of those strips have fallen off, so we'll be on the lookout for something else obnoxious. (Yes, we just LOVE checking in at something like the Four Seasons with luggage that looks like that, ahem...!) But what we finally feel (no pun intended) is going to help most is: the handles, what someone would grab first without really looking, is wrapped in something with a very odd texture to it. I really have trouble imagining someone starting to pick it up without doing some sort of doubletake, "What the &$%# am I FEELING on this!?" Yes, it could be removed (very strong velcro, but not gorilla glue... but hmmmm...!) but this is for the UNplanned snatch the wrong bag, not for the bag thief types. Those latter are a different category entirely. GC

I just wish they (any "they" such as NCL in cases like this) wouldn't try to hide behind faux rationales. At this point in our lives, we almost always get suites. (Some trip involve facilities that don't have that, or don't even have room service, and we still have a wonderful time. A part of this depends upon what the clients expect from the advertising, etc., no surprise.) We sometimes tell our steward not to bother to tend to our suite a second time, or perhaps "could you just leave a bunch of extra bath linens" or such. But I'm trying to think about how much that second "turn down service" involves much water or chemicals. I suppose if things *need* to be cleaned up that way...? And if there is some sort of unexpected "real mess", presumably there would be a steward available to help (even if for no other reason than to avoid more serious mess or even damage). Obviously that could vary considerably. In our case, and probably many others, mostly it's re-making the bed, and straightening up things so it all just "looks nicer", and often fresh bath linens or re-folding the old ones. If we have a couple of grands with us, a bit more help from housekeeping might be more useful...! 😉 More generally, there have been new customs about this in many places: If one wants new bath linens, put them on the floor or in the tub; any left hanging are not replaced. A few hotels will offer something like $5 off per night if one wishes to skip housekeeping the next day, but they need to know the evening before, so they can adjust staffing. At least they are straightforward about trying to save on staff costs, rather than claiming the benefit is from using fewer chemicals when they straighten the bed linens in the evening. (heh) I do "get it" that the cruise industry has been really hard hit (as have many other areas of hospitality). What's wrong with acknowledging that? Or do they really think their passengers believe it's the savings in bleach that's important? 😠 Did NCL anywhere suggest that this is "for our convenience", by any chance? 😀 Even in top 5 star hotels, that second service usually doesn't involve much like the main housekeeping service, unless there's a specific incident or need. GC

Also ask on the CC Travel Insurance section, plus just generally browse through some of the threads that might seem to cover a topic of interest to you. There is such variability in travel insurance coverages, and likewise in what "private insurance" would cover, that it's not a simple answer. And... it depends upon what your own specific concerns are. Some people have pre-existing conditions that some policies will cover but some won't. Some want coverage in case a non-traveling family member gets sick... We strongly recommend you CALL www.TripInsuranceStore.com In addition to answering your questions, they are likely to ask you some questions, to try to find the best match of a policy for your particular needs. They are a broker (no extta charge for using them) and work with several vetted insurers. There are also other brokers whose name will come up on the insurance section. We've had several claims, unfortunately, including a few large ones, and all have been paid with no nonsense. Check the "do they pay or make claims a real pain" comments, too. GC

FlyerTalker, The names of the flight attendants are terrific! Blast from the past, etc. 😄 GC

The flights cannot be refunded, but usually one can pay a modest fee to change the dates or get a credit to use later. And sometimes one can get reimbursed for the change fees. Sometimes... I'd be more than slightly ticked off. We always get third party travel insurance. I should check how this situation would be covered, or not. Good luck! GC

Welcome to CruiseCritic! There are quite a few issues like this discussed on various places here on CC. Please keep in mind that the traveler needs to abide by whatever "rules" or laws/regulations are applicable. Not every group/company/country will have identical rules. If you cruiseline states one thing, and it is longer than some other related entity states, then the cruiseline will rule. You are contracting with *them*, and they set the terms, even if you could have flown directly to the foreign location with your current passport. As long as the terms and conditions are not discriminatory or otherwise illegal (and this certainly doesn't sounf like it is), then you have no valid argument. You could try to find a difference cruise line that has different requirements. And note that there does seem to be some variation in the rules about this, from one cruise line to another. (And that may or may not be possible.) I'd suggest expediting a passport renewal. They've got a month. Good luck! (And this could be used as a good lesson to all of your travel companions, and perhaps you if you are helping to organize this and future travel) to be sure everyone *reads* the "terms and conditions" when you first make the decision to travel, rather than waiting until the travel date approaches. Unfortunately, this particular problem, like some others, isn't obvious unless someone has already encountered it... by reading about it, for example, or encountering it...) GC

Yes, do reserve Privee as soon as possiple once can. That may be the amenity with the fewest available "slots", given it's just one room. And note: Having your Butler serve you in your suite does not count as one of the "available" Specialty reservations. That applies to the seating *in* each restaurant. We happen to love eating in a couple of the Specialties, so if there is any difficulty getting extra reservations, we'll first ask our Butler if they can arrange additional reservations. Often that is possible. If not, then we just "eat in" our suite! We will also "eat in" if we are tired after an excursion or such. But we also double check the MDR menu, as there can be something there that is especially appealing, in which case, we'll try to adjust our reservation date. For anything like this, when we know in advance (even slightly in advance), we always tell our Butler as soon as possible, so they can arrange their schedules. And we tell them that if they are busy at that particular time, let us know as we can almost always adjust our timing if that makes a difference. Another treat is to have a nice big breakfast served when we wake up. We do request that in advance, at a certain time. What we do is tell the Butler that the "Privacy" signage is for every else, not for them. If we truly want privacy, we'll bolt the door. So they can quietly come in with breakfast. If we are awake, we'll greet them and talk (obviously!), but if we are not, they can be very unobtrusive. And what's better than waking up to the smell of bacon and coffee, and perhaps a few gentle clinks of the china being set out? If we open our eyes and mumble "Good morning!", we'll get a gentle greeting in response. Otherwise, they are in, set everything up, and they leave. They are professionals. Yes, we do this even when a "suite" is really only one large room. We *really* appreciate Butler service on cruises. 🙂 Enjoy! GC

We always have an annual MJA plan (well, when we are traveling, pre-COVID, and hopefully again in the not too distant future). We would almost definitely want to be taken to our regular medical center, which is a top teaching hospital/medical school, etc. We'd want to go there, as they have our medical records and they "understand" us and our health care, etc. It would have to be really extraordinary that our physicians couldn't arrange for us to be admitted, although something like the early days of COVID, when there weren't hospital beds available anywhere... in which case there are no doubt more serious "issues". About the after age 75 health screening, we were quite concerned about that when DH was turning 75 just before our most recent trip. We were figuring (hoping?) that IF MJA excluded seniors if they have relatively common things like high blood pressure or cholesterol, etc., conditions that are controlled with meds, they probably wouldn't be covering many over 75's at all, so why go to the expense of screening applications, etc. And similarly, if other relatively frequent vagaries of aging would be excluded... So we weren't sure what to expect... more screening questions? Copies of medical records? Much more detailed forms to be completed by the physician beyond the initial form? As it turned out, we sent the regular forms in, including a short form from his physician, and in just a few days, without any additional comment or inquiries, DH was approved for coverage. I don't know at what point they wouldn't accept someone over 75, but they certainly aren't requiring that someone be a senior tri-athlete or such! 🙂 GC