daisy-mae

The one thing that does give us pause is when we take a taxi to the airport. We try not to engage the driver, and pay special attention not to mention the length of our holiday in our responses. If possible, we let slip that the house will be occupied while we are away.

I'm not concerned about posting on this site. However, I always think twice before posting or commenting on my own Facebook feed or that of friends.

One of my good FB friends once posted on my feed about a trip I was planning to a city where some of my other FB friends were living. I was not going to contact those folks when in town, but had to change my plans when they found out via Facebook. 

24 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Interesting that cruise lines like Disney and Viking do not see any need to have casinos (they fill their ships without casino promotions). 

 

Hank

I can understand why Disney would eschew gambling as it would tarnish their wholesome family image.

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

I "tapped for more information," and I see that my disembarkation time has been assigned already. Talk about "thank you for traveling with us, now GO HOME!" 

 

 

As my dad used to say: "here's your hat, here's your coat, what's your hurry?"

The waiters or wine steward will cap your bottle and write your stateroom number on the label. It will be retrieved for you at your next meal. I believe that you can also take the bottle back to your cabin if you wish.

15 hours ago, DCThunder said:

Land line???  What's that?  Are you an 80 year old Boomer?  Us 'utes don't have no land lines!  😎🍷

Sorry, our phones go into airplane mode as soon as we cross the border.

18 hours ago, TRLD said:

 

 

Take the impact on Alaska ports...Many of the business are now duplicates of the shops in the Caribbean ports that shift merchandise to Alaska during the summer and to the Caribbean in the winter. They are owned by non-residents and staffed by people that only come to work during the cruise season.  The main exception is those shops and businesses owned by the native corporations.  

 

 

On our first (and most likely only) Alaska cruise last fall. I had to give my head a shake when visiting some of the ports. I was expecting souvenir shops, but the sheer number of jewelry stores had me wondering how some of the small towns could sustain that type of retail establishment. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I know that it wasn't a replication of the Caribbean ports, where Diamond International is a staple.

Is there a chance that you were not eligible for the perks that were booked, and that your agent then changed the booking to avoid being out of pocket for the difference? 

I'm surprised that there has not been a single comment about our "funny money".

I guess times have changed...

I'm not familiar with the beverage card for alcohol. However, once upon a time (not sure if it is still the case) we could pre-purchase a soft drink card for $25 that was good for $50 worth of soda. I believe that only the initial $25 would be refunded if a balance was left on the card at the end of the cruise.

29 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

You are seeing rooms that are unassigned,  not necessarily available. You can't see how many guarantee bookings there are, so literally,  one additional booking could fill that category. 

True, but is it possible to reserve a suite guarantee? I thought the guarantee option only applied to the lower categories.

Thanks Jacqui.

One of the large online travel agencies is still showing suite availability, so there may be a second round...

The offer was fair enough, but because we are concerned about possibly missing the cruise altogether (flying in the same day), we are reluctant to spend more than we are willing to lose. (I know, it's always a good idea to arrive a day or two early...)

On 1/10/2024 at 6:11 AM, kazu said:

HAL will try to sell the upgrade first (upsell) which many people may be willing to pay for.

 

 

We've been offered an upsell to a Vista Suite on an upcoming cruise. We didn't bite. What is the chance that HAL will sweeten the deal and try again?

The potential for a departure date change would be of concern to me as well, specially if it is without prior notice.

Does that mean that you could be bumped to the the next scheduled cruise on the same ship, or does it mean that the ship will sail a few days early or a day or two later? 

7 minutes ago, kazu said:

 Reading the casino offers I get it appears you have to use it all up before you can cash out?  You don’t have to play it all at once do you?  And how the heck do you keep track of that?
 

No, I don't think that you have to play it all at once. You create an account by inserting your cruise card (sorry, forgot the technical term); your balance is tracked and the amount depleted - or if you are lucky, increased - as you play. I suspect that you would not be able to simply register then cash out without playing, but in the course of a week you are likely to use up the "free" money. 

54 minutes ago, CruiseMob said:

Thanks! So one more quick question. How do they save you money? In other words, can they save you money that isn't online for you to book yourself? 

That was my observation years ago when I asked a travel agent specializing in cruises to book a cabin for us. Although she had a direct line to the HA, the price quoted was the same as the one I had found online. 

That said, there are advantages to booking through an agent who can give advice and help if you encounter any snags.

Your best bet would be to try a dummy booking. I could be mistaken, but I suspect that the upgrade would be to a "guaranteed" balcony cabin chosen by the cruise line

Maybe your travel companion - assuming that you are not sailing solo - could keep an eye on the luggage while you return the car.

"Ok, the dismemberment was fine until you left the Boston cruise terminal and then the problems started."

While browsing the reviews in preparation for an upcoming cruise on the Niew Statenham I came across a statement that had me laughing out loud. It sounds like a rather drastic way to clear the decks...

3 hours ago, Mary229 said:

Amazon locker.  They have them all over the world.   I have occasionally used them for long cruises when I want to travel carry on only. All of my cosmetics, ointments and salon products are waiting for me at the locker of my choosing. 

It sounds like a great idea. However, what happens if a port is dropped during the cruise (for logistical or other reasons)? Can you get a refund for your purchase if you are unable to retrieve the goods?

22 hours ago, kazu said:

 

Happy to clarify.  There are a number of meta categories - inside, outside, Verandah, Vista Suite (dependent on the ship you are on of course), Signature Suite, Neptune Suite and Pinnacle Suite.  They each have their own class.

I apologize if this has already been covered somewhere...We have reserved a guaranteed unobstructed verandah which now shows as VH. Is there some way to determine the relative merits of other verandah staterooms in the same meta category in order to determine if Club Orange would be worthwhile? Thanks.

Although paddles are usually provided, we like to travel with our own (as well as a few extra balls just in case...).

Have fun!

4 hours ago, highscar said:

Always cash for me.  As Canadian the credit charge is at the current exchange rate plus  2 1/2 percent.  I go to the desk the day before disembarking and ask to put the next daily charge on my bill and pay in cash. Easy pee’s y.  

 

Same here. We purchase USD when the rates are favorable and place enough cash to cover our estimated expenses on our onboard account when we board.

21 hours ago, WriterOnDeck said:

Long story short no ortho consult in Agadir so had MRI and came back.

A same-day MRI? I thought that only happened on TV hospital dramas. 

We booked an ocean view stateroom following an offer for an Alaskan cruise last fall; we contacted the HAL cruise consultant whose name appeared in the text and were able to select a cabin (as opposed to having it chosen for us).