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jimdee3636

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  • Posts

    844
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About Me

  • Location
    Tucson, AZ
  • Interests
    Good food and wine, interesting conversations, gym workouts, exploring places on foot.
  • Favorite Cruise Line(s)
    HAL, Silversea, Oceania, Princess, Cunard

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Cool Cruiser (2/15)

  1. @richwmn It's great that you're keeping the same cabin all the way to Montreal, but given all the free (and mostly favorable) publicity you're giving HAL, they ought to comp you the final segment! Jim
  2. I'm a retired lawyer. Regarding the legality of the cruise line's standard contract with passengers, it's what's called a "contract of adhesion," which basically means a contract in which the terms are dictated entirely by one party (in this example, the cruise line), with no right to negotiate by the other party (the passenger). In other words, take it or leave it. Contracts of adhesion are not inherently unenforceable, but in a disputed case they're examined closely by the court, and a judge is not necessarily going to rubber-stamp it just because the passenger "agreed" to it. If a judge believes the contract---or the action taken by the cruise line---was "unconscionable" or "misleading, unfair, or deceptive," the contract can be voided, and monetary damages can be awarded to the passenger. As a practical matter, contract cases don't usually wind up in court unless a lot of money is at stake. But there are "class actions," where similarly-injured plaintiffs can band together, so there may be some hope for passengers financially injured by being involuntarily bumped. Jim
  3. @IrieBajan54 I've never sailed with MSC, but that sounds like a fantastic deal! Jim
  4. You'll never find a bigger martini drinker than me (extra dry Tanqueray, straight up, with a twist, please), but only as a pre-dinner drink. The idea of a martini at teatime is sickening. The flavors just don't harmonize; in fact, they clash horribly. Of course, this is only my opinion. But I'm right! Jim
  5. @travelloverontario Good decision, but which cruise line and ship? I'm assuming it will be sometime this fall, which is when most Canada/ New England cruises take place. It should be nice. Jim
  6. Rather than being "Esteemed Guests," a lot of us have become "Steamed" guests. And rightly so. Jim
  7. @caviargal You've performed a public service by alerting us to Silversea's insulting behavior toward its customers. I used to like the line and I have a $500 future cruise credit with them, but I'm going to let them keep it and take my bookings elsewhere. Royal Caribbean may have "saved" SS, but they've degraded the SS brand in ways big and small. For me, this clinches my decision to go elsewhere. I hope you squeeze every bit of compensation you can from these idiots. You deserve it. Jim
  8. They haven't gotten a lot of publicity, but Holland America's three newest and largest ships (Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam, and Rotterdam) each have twelve single occupancy OV cabins at the very front of Deck One, six on each side. They range from about 127 sq. ft to 170 sq. ft. They're located under the theater, but on HAL most stage performances are over by 10:00PM or so. They seem to be popular. A few weeks back I booked one for a four-night repositioning cruise (Vancouver to San Diego) in October of this year. When I booked, 11 of the 12 cabins were available. As of yesterday they were all sold out. I can't say that the pricing is always good, but I paid $394.00, plus port charges, for my four-night cruise---considerably less than if I had booked an inside cabin for one person. I'm four-star with HAL so I've sailed with them numerous times. They're not necessarily the right line for everyone, but for those who like a (usually) quieter cruise experience, with good food, excellent service, and modern ships, these OV cabins might be worth a look. Jim
  9. @Celandine I can well understand your frustration in dealing with the "non-cruising world," i.e., people like your mother who can't really relate to your enthusiasm. Cruising is one of those things that you either "get" or you don't, and the people who get it really get it---from the very beginning. Recently, I told a friend---someone who travels extensively but never on a cruise ship---that I'm booked on a short solo HAL cruise in late October of this year. She was astounded that I booked a trip so far out! She tends to do everything spontaneously and had no clue that cruise ships often fill up well in advance, or that prices go up, or that you might want to book early to get the exact cabin you want, or simply that you might enjoy the anticipation building up. Here on this board you'll at least have people who get what you're saying, and who may have useful information and advice for you. With the exception of Princess, I haven't been on any of the lines you mentioned, and I'm not into mega-ships like RCI's Oasis, so there's not much I can tell you other than I think you'll have a great time on the Grand. I've been on three solo cruises with Princess and all have been great. I've also been to Alaska in May (on HAL), and I think that's the best time to go. I'm excited for you and I hope you'll remember to share your experiences with us after your cruises are over. Jim
  10. I apologize for going slightly off-topic, but is Schiphol a nightmare even if you're only flying INTO the airport? We're taking a Rotterdam-to-Fort Lauderdale HAL transatlantic in 2025, so we'll be flying to AMS but not going through security lines. However, we'll still have to deal with customs, immigration, baggage claim, and God-knows-what else. Is Schiphol worse than any other big European airport in terms of arrival hassles? Thanks. Jim
  11. When I hear "Jamaica and crime," I'm reminded of a law school classmate who wound up practicing law on St. Thomas, USVI. A big part of his practice has always involved representing accused drug dealers or drug smugglers, and many of his clients have been Jamaican. He used to fly to Jamaica to meet potential clients or witnesses, but not anymore. My friend is a pretty fearless guy in most respects (he was a Navy SEAL before law school and is proficient in firearms), but he came close to being killed on one trip in an ambush by a rival of one of his clients. Jamaica is the only place in the Caribbean he won't travel to. Obviously, my friend deals professionally with a pretty rough crowd, people that typical cruise passengers would not likely encounter. But his experiences would certainly give me pause about going there.
  12. @travelloverontario You've clearly given a lot of thought to this, so I think whatever you decide on will work for you. The key thing for you is to build up your self-confidence. I can tell you that when I go somewhere alone, I don't feel intimidated, I don't feel the need to impress people, I don't feel the need to be anything other than myself and do what I feel like doing. Don't let the (perceived) judgments of other people control you. If they "get" you, fine. If not, it's their loss. You know who you are. Be confident and be strong. Jim
  13. @travelloverontario Like you, I love to cruise, and also like you I'm married but understand the need for alone time. A solo cruise might work for you (I've greatly enjoyed the four I've taken), but keep in mind that cruising is not the only travel option. Maybe you could initially try a relatively short (three or four day) road trip to a destination far enough away to feel like a real change of scenery but close enough to be able to return home fairly quickly if something "bad" happens. If that goes well, you could consider booking a cruise for your next solo trip. No matter what you do, you need to attend to your own needs because if you don't take care of yourself you can't take care of anyone else---at least not for long. Caregiver burnout is real and it's serious. Good luck, and maybe you can let us know what you decide and how it turns out. I'd love to know. Jim
  14. @WVU_Neal Whether or not you're a cheapskate, you're right about the tacky pricing. But it could be worse. I've sailed twice on Cunard (a sister line to HAL), which has (or had) a $12.00 limit on drinks in their package, which but priced many of their popular drinks (like my Tanqueray martinis) at $12.25. Unlike HAL, where you only pay the difference in price, on Cunard if you ordered a drink above the package maximum price you only got a 20% discount on that drink. In other words, a $12.25 martini would cost you $9.80, plus the mandatory gratuity on $9.80. On my second Cunard cruise I simply paid as I went and I'm sure I saved a lot of money. In general, drink packages on most lines are a mine field of limitations, exclusions, and confusion, and are best avoided. Jim
  15. This is probably a distinctly minority opinion, but I don't mind the "23 hour day" aspect of an eastbound cruise (assuming, of course, the overall itinerary is better than the other options). Assuming the cruise started and ended at the same port (FLL or wherever), the maximum number of 23 hour days would be 24, less than one day in five on average. (Yeah, I know, there'd be times when the time changes are on consecutive days, but they would be balanced out by longer stretches when there'd be no changing the clocks for a week or more). Whether I'm at home or on vacation, I'm an early riser. And I always wake up hungry! Let me tell you, it's torture for an early riser to deal with 25 hour days on ships. You wake up at your usual time, but it's not 6:00AM, it's 5:00AM. Nothing is open! You can't even get coffee in the Lido. The only cruise line that solves that problem is Princess, which has a 24-hour "International Cafe" that serves excellent coffee and espresso, along with bagels, muffins, and breakfast sandwiches. It's a godsend for people like me, and I know from my experience on Princess that I'm hardly the only one needing an early morning food and coffee fix. In most respects, Princess is nowhere near as good as HAL, but I'll give credit where it's due. Jim
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