GeezerCouple

Lots of information to browse on the CC section on travel insurance: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/499-cruisetravel-insurance/ And ask there, although not necessarily the specifics of NCL coverage. (Some there will be familiar with it.) But you'll get a lot of information about other travel insurance. We strongly recommend that you at least check with https://TripInsuranceStore.com But CALL them. Do *not* rely upon the policy summaries because there can be really important information in the "fine print"; some may relate to you, some might not, but you won't know if you can't see those details. They are a broker; no extra charge to the traveler. And they are happy to answer questions before you make any purchase decisions. Note especially that "pre-existing conditions" has a different definition for most travel insurance than it does in "everyday life". GC

Again, there is some confusion here. As mentioned above, MJA does not cover "medical evacuation from a foreign based airport to a US airport". It covers hospital to hospital. Indeed, a bad quirk is that if you a seriously ill but are having trouble getting to "a hospital", MJA doesn't (yet) cover you. And there needs to be a place for fixed wing aircraft to land vaguely nearby. They don't do helicopter rescues. (I think there are some services that cater to more adventurous travelers where they may provide help from some wild location...?) And evacuation from "on a ship" that is at sea... that's handled by various government/military trained units, not by "medevac" companies. For a ship at a port, it's likely to be a local ambulance, regardless of how "advanced" the equipment is in that ambulance. (We know. And that ambulance was going so slowly, that every single car that caught up with us would pass us, in the ambulance, at the first opportunity! 😠 ) One thing to keep in mind, that I think might not usually be seriously considered, is "what is the medical care going to be like where you are going? Who, with what equipment, will be providing services from the start... and how long until you and they can "meet up"? As for upfront costs, YES, we keep several high-limit credit cards with us when we travel! However, at least some travel insurers will forward some money or make guarantees if required. However, that will take TIME! And in a real emergency... "Here's the card, just charge whatever....!!" We'll sort it out later. In that ER's billing office, there were several signs about exactly which travel insurers they would "work with" to accept guarantees. Yup, a real tourist destination! [NOTE however, someone posting here on CC maybe a year ago (?) where there was no way to process a credit card. That became a true nightmare. It did not have a tragic ending, but it sure could have! But no, we can't/won't travel around with $25k or whatever in our pockets at all times...! That was a *very* unusual and unfortunate combination of conditions for them.] After that ambulance ride described above, we now consider very seriously what the likely medical care would be, realizing that even at home one could be "too far from help", etc. Credit where due: Fortunately, the ship's medical staff had stabilized DH the same way our top flight medical center/teaching hospital would have done. (That was quite a nice surprise to hear after we got home.) We were impressed at the time, actually, and we each have medical-related backgrounds. Had the ship's medical staff not done such a good job? I probably would *not* be posting about "our" travels... GC

There may be some confusion from the above post. One *needs* to read the terms of your specific travel insurance (or own health insurance, if sufficient foreign coverage is included). "Medical evacuation" is a broad term. It can include trasportation from a hospital that doesn't have treatment that is judged to be satisfactory (but who is judging, and based upon what?) to a "better" hospital. That may or may not be satisfactory to the patient or family... And it may or may not be to a "USA based hospital". It may be to a "better" hospital, but one that is still "overseas" (from a USA-based perspective). It could also be from a USA-based hospital to a needed "better" USA-based hospital. MedJetAssist does more than "cover medical evacuation from a foreign based airport to a US airport". If you are covered and are an INpatient in a foreign or domestic hospital at least 150 miles from home (for USA-based clients; no idea about otherwise), then YOU get to decide if you want to be medevac'd to the USA-based hospital of your choice, not just to an airport. You obviously need to be medically stable enough for full medevac transport (air ambulance, medical staff, if warranted), but if you aren't stable enough for that... you probably aren't going anywhere for a while(?). And the receiving hospital has to agree to accept you. The real advantage is that no beancounters make that decision and no local medical staff are put in the possibly awkward situation of declaring themselves not up to the task of treating you, etc. Importantly, MJA does not cover any of the medical care once you arrive at the new hospital, only the "medical evacuation" and care during that transport. As with any insurance (travel or otherwise), or any contract at all, of course, it's critical to *read* the full terms and conditions, including any *exclusions". And an insurance agent/broker should be willing to explain any sections that you don't understand, or, importantly, point out the specific sections that DO cover what you are looking for. Some of the annual policies have limits that may *not* be satisfactory for some people. That might include annual limits that could be used up in one trip (or may not even be sufficient for one "event"), leaving one with no coverage for other trips within that year... and it may be too late to get other insurance for those other trips that were already scheduled. "It's complicated" can be an understatement sometimes... 😞 GC

If this is "real insurance", it is regulated by the states. A letter to the State's Insurance Commissioner's Office should get some results. Or, telling the vendor that if the claim isn't handled <however it should be> within, say, 10 days, then you will file a complaint with said office. However, in many cases, the cruise line's own "coverage" isn't actually "insurance". It might be some sort of "trip protection plan"... in which case, it's not regulated (surprise!). I don't know whether HAL works with an actual insurer or has their own "plan", but if the former, you do have a resource. Good luck. That is WAY too long! GC

Contact HAL in advance so they can notify the ship about your special needs (dietary or otherwise). And then make sure that every time you arrive for a meal, you announce that you are "gluten free" (or "gluten free - celiac" if that's the case). And then when served, double check, "This is the gluten-free <item>, correct?" This is especially important *anywhere* (at sea or on land, especially if there is a severe allergy/reaction situation). Also, IF cross-contamination is a problem, make sure you announce that. DH has celiac disease; GF isn't just a preference... it's critical. Cross-contamination does not happen to be a problem, as it turns out, so we tell them that too, so they don't have to go to some of the extreme prep measures. And he had NO trouble on HAL. If you want to check the menu in advance, you could also ask if a specific item could be prepared gluten free. Sometimes that's not difficult; other times, it might not be possible. We prefer open seating, but early on, we found a waiter who was just terrific, so we'd always ask for his area, and pretty soon the maître d' was aware as soon as we showed up. So although we always double check, the waitstaff in that area was well prepared, and that included having our bottle of San Pellegrino show up almost instantly, before the GF and regular breads showed up. 🙂 Soon, our preferred bottle of wine was showing up, too. Very good service! That was our first cruise with HAL, and we plan to return. (However, we were terribly disappointed to learn that Lincoln Center Stage [classical music] may not be a regular thing on HAL, and that will make a real difference to us. A shame! Nope, not food-related, but it will make a real difference to us, despite excellent dining, which can be had on a few other lines as well. <end rant!>) GC

Are there ever sudden changes to the ship departure time, such as perhaps something like bad weather cropping up? I'm thinking also of Bermuda, where there could be 2 overnights (and I've seen an occasional other port like that), leaving more time for "something to develop". So... is there not any way to double check while off the ship? GC

How about https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/115-river-cruising/ ? For more browsing, here is the TOC, with all the categories: https://boards.cruisecritic.com Happy hunting! GC

Yes, fresh air has become much more of an issue, of course. Same question: How can the "French balcony" (or infinite veranda/etc.) be used if the door/window remains open? If that is possible, why can't others keep their doors to the balcony open? GC

I didn't go into much detail in my previous post about our travel insurance experience, but it was quite different. We use www.TripInsuranceStore.com They are a broker (no extra cost for traveler) and work with several vetted insurers. We learned about them here on CC, and needed to claim the entire cost of our first expensive trip! And we've had other claims, including other large ones (alas). ALL were paid without nonsense, and promptly. Two minor (trivial) exceptions: 1) I forgot to get receipts for 2 taxi receipts (about $5 total), so... no payment. Receipts are *critical* (they have the right to avoid fraud, etc.). I was annoyed, but didn't complain. And learned my lesson, the cheap way! 2) One claim that was not weather related (very elderly MIL landed in hospital with heart trouble days before our planned departure). However, when we submitted the claim, there had just been some really bad weather, including 2 hurricanes, so the insurers were backed up. One call to Steve (owner of TIS), and within about a week or two, we had our check. He's also helped us with problems overseas, when I landed in hospital, and we wanted to try to recover the last part of our trip rather than fly home early. And he and his associates are incredibly patient with the "What if" questions 😉 Our insurer was Travel Insured, but let the folks at TIS help you find the best policy and insurer for your particular needs. GC

Correct, but that small wall divider (IIRC) plus that narrow drapery did provide a bit of separation. We commented about it the first time we were on the Riviera, and that we liked the tiny bit of visual separation... just a bit different from it being "one big room", and I'll pass on my comments about when and how did a "larger room" become a "suite", be it on a ship or in a hotel. OTOH, we always prefer a larger room than what might be a larger total space that is chopped up into two small spaces. But... "you can't please everyone", etc. We found the Riviera PH really perfect, and alas, including that walk-in closet. What a convenient place to stash a few things quickly to keep the "visible room" nice and uncluttered! And thank goodness they kept a few PHs with the bathtub. That was a nice surprise. It's such a luxury on vacations. They didn't change that larger Therapy Pool on the spa deck, did they? GC

Yeah, not a particularly attractive design, even for a carpet. But what really bothers me is the darkness... not just that loss of light, but the dark color of that loveseat and chair, and also the color of the drapes on the window and doors. And a dark picture over that dark loveseat? I would have expected something that would be helpful to keep things "brighter". But right... "not my circus, not my ship", to mix trite sayings... We are still looking forward to a chance to return! GC

We actually used to use those silly (and not particularly comfortable) chairs at the foot of the bed when we had our dinners served when we couldn't get extra reservations from the Specialties. "It worked..." (I admit that we might have put a dish or platter or two on the bed itself while we ate from the table.) It looks like one of those square seats has been removed to show the foot of the bed area. But what I see in the comparison of the old vs. new is that the window next to the love seat now has a heavy curtain that obscures much of the window (and thus the light) even when the curtain is, uh, "open". Previously, it seems to have been a shade/blind that was lifted, keeping the entire window nice and clear. I also can't quite see what is between the bed headboard and the loveseat, if anything. We happened to like the divider. It made it just a bit like a so-called "suite" to have some sort of divider rather than having the "sitting area" right next to the bed. But that's not a big deal at all. That heavy curtain obscuring part of that smaller window... "who does that!?" 😉 GC

Wasn't there a desk across from the loveseat, where the two chairs and round table are now? GC

Yes, opposite the love seat. But at the bottom of the bed, in the photo I saw, there was one tiny bench. It would definitely be better if there were indeed two of them! I found the new colors dreary... it's a ship... why not use some nice blues, or at least a touch? GC

That would make sense, but it almost seems too simple! If that would work, why haven't the systems been set up like that a long time ago? That's probably a naive question, but still... Where are our resident experts? 🙂 Thanks in advance. GC

These "French balconies" where the door slides open (to an immediate "balcony edge"?) or the "virtual balcony" (? post above, where a window opens?)... the door/window *stays* open? I thought passengers were *not* supposed to leave balcony doors open, lest it screw up the air-conditioning for that cabin/suite and perhaps others in the same section, due to the air pressure change. Is this not the case on Oceania? Do they have a different heat/air conditioning system? Or...? "Inquiring minds..." 😉 GC

If one has extra non-medical expenses, such as an extra night because a flight was cancelled, then the travel insurance (or, to be more specific, the type of travel insurance we get) would pay for the extra hotel night, all meals including tax and tip, taxi fare back and forth (and tip *IF* one gets a receipt; that's the one thing we never got reimbursed for, because we didn't have a receipt for the tip, but that was a trivial amount, relatively speaking), or other transportation if one needed to 'catch up' with travel plans. And most of that is not a "prepaid non-refundable" expense. In one case, we had almost an extra week at a 5* hotel, including all meals. That involved a medical problem where travel was not possible (for documented medical reasons) right away. We were already at that hotel, which was supposed to be for a very short stay, when I landed in hospital. Again, all was paid without any question. The charge card interest is a slightly different question. We've always been paid within a couple of weeks (usually 2 or maybe 3?) of submitting our claim that incluced all required documents. There was one exception, where our non-weather-related claim was submitted when there had just been a few major hurricane/weather events, so the travel insurers were really swamped. Fortunately, we purchase our coverage through www.TripInsuranceStore.com - and we contacted Steve to ask about the delay. Everything got processed very promptly again, from that point on. I'd ask a travel insurer about this. For a very large claim, any interest could add up, but our experience has never been longer than one billing cycle (which on a large bill with charge card rates, even one month's interest could still be a bit of change...) We have found, over quite a few claims, that the insurer paid all appropriate, documented costs that were claimed. They (or at least our insurer!?) are not the monsters or fly-by-night operations that sometimes seem to be described. But NOTE: Always read the terms and conditions of *your* policy (or the one you are considering purchasing). All policies do **NOT** include the same things! GC

It depends upon how each country defines their regulations, etc. IF they say something like individually labeled bottles (and describe the labels with some official requirements, etc.), then... that IS what we do. FULL STOP. We are going to be entering some *other* country, and those laws and enforcement may be very different from what we experience "at home". Why tempt fate? All it would take is some grumpy agent who perhaps misunderstood what someone said, and... you can find yourself in a different line. We can't necessarily avoid that, but we *can* be prepared by having followed their written rules. As for the "smaller containers", we get tiny ziploc baggies, and ask the pharmacist for a new set of "stick-on labels". (We usually ask about 2 weeks prior to wanting to pick them up, so the pharmacist can do it during any down time, rather than... "I need it today!!") I got this idea when one of our regular prescriptions was dispensed in... a little ziploc type bag with the regular label stuck on it! Then we just keep those same little baggies and re-use them for the next trip. Another nice thing about those little baggies is that they can be compressed, so there's not a lot of extra "air volume". Among the problems with the plastic Rx containers is that they are rigid, so they don't stack or store easily. Worse, that rigid space is often full of... lots of air! 😠 When we switched to "all little ziplocs" for Rx pills was when our pharmacy cut down on the sizes of those amber plastic pill containers. They no longer carried the smallest two sizes. That meant that an Rx for, say, 10 pills was put into the same size container that could also have held 100 (or even more). What a complete waste of space for travelers! Anyway, once we've got that all set, it's a breeze to "use it again" for the next trip. 🙂 Likewise, any physician letters are kept together and used for the next trips. Ditto the copies in the cloud. Every few years, we might update some of this. I don't understand the questions that are of the type, "When you are entering a foreign country, do you abide by their laws and regulations?" Um, *yes*! Full stop. GC

Your husband will be fine. Just make sure that he reminds every waitstaff person that he is "gluten-free celiac", and then double check when served. Moderno's is meat, meat, and more meat. 🙂 But if you have a reservation, remind them IN ADVANCE (the day before or that morning). Sometimes food pref has surprising ways of introducing gluten, like flour dusting/etc., of french fries. So give them a chance to make sure they have gluten free prep meats available... on the off chance that any food prep would introduce some small amount. In other restaurants, if one item isn't "gluten free", one can choose something else. OR ask them IN ADVANCE if they can have a gluten free version when you will dine there. GC

We considered this, about "what if" we used up some/most/all of an annual policy before the year was up, and still had other trips planned. It very likely would be too late for us to then first arrange to purchase the type of coverage we prefer. Also, IIRC, the total amounts and the types of coverage with the annual policies just didn't work for the type of insurance we want. We have had several claims, including a few large ones. Fortunately, one of the first things we learned here on CC was about... travel insurance. And one of our largest claims was for that very first cruise, when DH had a medical emergency just about 2 weeks before we were supposed to leave home. Thanks *again* to those here on CC who helped us learn about this insurance! GC

Welcome to CruiseCritic. Unfortunately, the itinerary can be changed for any reason, or for no apparent reason (that is, the reason might not be shared with the passengers). As LHT28 suggested, IF there is a place that is *really* important to you, you should either fly there specifically (or perhaps find a cruise that ends there, if that's possible; that's far less likely to get changed, but even that can happen, especially if there is political unrest), or just keep in the back of your mind that you might need to plan a second chance to get there. Yes, it can be *very* disappointing, regardless of the reason. So try to enjoy whatever itinerary the cruise ends up with, including extra sea days if that's what happens. GC

I would strongly recommend that you try to line up private tour guides well in advance. In smaller ports, there might not be all that many good private tours, and even in ports where there are, they may be already booked. Also, when we plan private excursions (which are almost entirely what we do, on cruise or land trips), we have a chance to email and discuss what will be included. We might prefer more time at A and less at B, or maybe try to include some time at C. And we also ask the guide, after we've communicated some of our interests, if there is anything else they have in mind that we might not yet know about or be thinking about that they might recommend including. We've had good luck just using Google, and then reading reviews. We always get in touch with the actual guide, and not some agency (with one exception that also turned out very well). If a guide isn't interested in communicating, then it's probably not going to be the kind of guide who cares about what *we* would enjoy, learn, etc., but more "this is what I do..." For example, we've chartered large catamarans well in advance, and then, through the Roll Call for the cruise, we've had a few others join us. That brings the cost down, and there is *plenty* of room for "more than two". 🙂 And that is the kind of activity where there's unlikely to be any disagreement about "oh, could we spend more time here, or someone needing to rest [that would be me, by the way 😉 ]. Asking on the Ports of Call sections is also a way to get the name of good guides and excursions. One of our best guides/excursions was from a description someone gave in their cruise report. Enjoy! GC

This is precisely how we've felt when crossing borders with our meds, regardless of whether we need to say "yes" or "no" (depending upon the question wording and specific regulations, etc.). We always have the same supplies with us, and... all ready to display if requested. The most it ever got to was at one passageway, there was a desk off to the left, and the person there beckoned us over. (It was less than 10 feet out of our straightline path.) They asked about meds/drugs (forgetting which word was used), and that's when I unzipped a satchel and reached in, saying something like, "Yes, here they are..." and they smiled at us and literally waved us away with their hand. I don't know why they asked "us" to come over... we were as SteelCity Cruiser described themselves: "2, cheerful and organized (we had everything ready for their look-see) old folks from the US didn't fit their profile concerns!" Of course, that "appearance" can't be guaranteed a free pass, or some "others" would be using that "disguise"...! I'm also pretty sure that these "friendly agents just smiling and asking an occasional simple question" often have terrific training and are all hawk-eyes for behavioral hints of nervousness or whatever, just like the immigrations agents who are asking "Purpose for your visit?" Sometimes, for some people, perhaps especially those only recently "crossing borders", one might feel nervous about the process. My guess is that's a different "type of nervousness" than what these agents are looking for, but that's just a guess. I have no such training at all... other than an ability some decades ago to detect the look in a guilty child's eye as they fidget while they create some silly excuse about something... 😡 GC

We always get our travel insurance from https://TripInsuranceStore.com after learning about them here on CC. And we have had several claims, including some large ones. They helped us find policies from insurers who do indeed pay their claims promptly after receiving the necessary documentation. But CALL them, and discuss your particular concerns with them (ill relative not traveling with you? any travelers with pre-existing conditions? etc.). If you start the coverage within about 10-20 days of the very first payment (refundable or not), you'll have the best choice of policy types. You only need to insure that deposit, and then up the coverage as more payments are made, etc. GC

I think most people prefer the more open balconies, where there is more possible sunshine, breezes, and better views in general. Obviously, not everyone prefers them. In some of the older ships, my understanding was that these "hull balconies" were part of the support structure at each end. GC