speakertosuits

Thanks. I think we will save exploration of that area for post boarding.Also, you mentioned changing to shorts the first afternoon. Were there many men wearing shorts? I have been advised thatshorts are not popular.

JordanF Thanks you for your review. We will be doing this route in a few weeks. Is Avalon still using the Movenpik City Centrer for pre cruise check in?

Zaandam 10 Jan 2016 21 day South America and Antarctica Explorer Speakertosuits (Bob and Mary)

15th HAL cruise, but first time south of the equator

First Trainman-2 on the Freedom and now you on the Allure. As I write this, the Allure is about 150 miles north northeast of Punta Cana airport.

Glad to hear you are recovering. With apologies, I offered up your experience as the reason for cruise insurance. All those who read your postings agreed insurance is vital. I hope the insurance and BA coughed up money to reimburse you for all the delays and problems.

On a different note, we will be boarding the Rotterdam for a Panama Canal transit the day after you leave on the Oosterdam. Hope you and your friends have a nice cruise, at least you will not have snow to deal with. Your thread seems much livelier than ours, we seem to have a lot of lurkers but few posters.

Good question. BA was handing letters out at the airport, but only if you stood in a mile long line-up, and then they kicked us all out of the terminal, so we didn't get one. I did have a colleague scan and email it, however. BA said that they would cover hotel and food. So, I have sent in a claim to them for those. The hotel is the biggie, of course. Eight nights away from home adds up. Insurance companies will only pay if no one else is. So, I need to see what BA is going to cover before I submit the rest to my insurer. The insurer I have (RBC) would not have covered more than $750 for hotel, phone, internet, and food - not nearly enough for 8 days!

 

However, I'll be submitting a medical claim soon. I have basically exhausted my extended health benefits for the chiropractor and the physiotherapist for the year. Again, travel insurance will only cover what you are not covered for. So my receipts going forward will be sent to RBC (my insurer).

 

A have to make a baggage delay claim as well for clothes and toiletries purchased. That won't be a problem - I'm under what they allow. And RBC will pay for my flight from Dallas to Vancouver.

 

It's important to keep all receipts. You should see my stack!!! And make copies!

 

You have to phone your insurer right away when these things happen and open up a claim. My boss in Vancouver got the ball rolling for me while I was sitting in Heathrow, and I was in touch with RBC from England. So, keep the emergency phone numbers and your policy number with you at all times. Then again, if your phone doesn't work, that can cause a problem. Calling as soon as you can is important.

Would this be considered travel interruption or travel delay? I suspect the latter since it would pay less. I never paid much attention to the benefit before so your experience will help inform my future choices for insurance. As I said earlier, I hope never to need it but I will continue to buy insurance.

Did you get your luggage after you were ordered out of the terminal? Hope you are feeling better.

I found your review fascinating and disturbing at the same time. We have about 50 inches of snow so far that has shut down all three airports here (JFK, LGA and EWR) for up to two days with flight disruptions extending for days afterward. Then again that took 20 inches of snow before we ground to a halt.

How much of the hotel and other expenses did your insurance cover? What steps did you take when you found out that BA was not operating? I have secured travel insurance for 30 plus cruises and never had to use it. I hope I never do, but it would be extremely helpful to know what to do when.

Using bidding archives from the bidding for travel website for San Diego for April 2008-09, found likely successful bids would be in $70-80 range for 3.5* hotels. These hotels would normally be about $200 plus per night on their websites. Began initial bidding for 3.5* DT at $50, rejected. Rebid immediately with National City Zone (2.5* tops), rejected. Rebid immediately with San Ysidro (also 2.5* tops), rejected. Immediate rebid 3.5* at $50 with DT plus National City and San Ysidro, rejected. Stepping bids in $5 increments, kept getting rejected until I stepped price to $65. Rejected for DT only, rebid with National City accepted for 4* Marriot Hotel and Marina on 333 West Harbor Drive.

Total price $65/nights for two nights plus $25.46 taxes and fees for total of $155.46 or $77.73/night for room that normally goes for $250 to $300/night. Original goal was for Embassy Suites at 3.5*. Risk was we could have been in 4* Sheraton Harbor Island away from downtown, but at this price, cabs would be OK.

Used Amazing Bargains link for bids. Definitely worth learning how to do permutation bidding. If necessary, could have used 8 zones with 3* max ratings. Check Priceline zone ratings carefully before using permutation or you might get burned with a hotel not where you want