Vertygo

Looking forward to Alaska family cruise for my 70th in 2025. 7 of us, including a 15 & 17 year old. I prefer small ships, but don’t want my grandkids to get bored. I see that Lindblad has daytime activities for teens, but wonder if much for them in evenings. I’m also considering NCL Haven which would offer more at night. Opinions? TIA

Travel insurance definitely an appropriate topic, but no need to call someone a fool.

Don’t know if they did or didn’t have travel insurance or the reason if they didn’t, but no need to call names & add salt to the wound, so to speak. We also can’t travel now due to DH’s advanced Alzheimer’s at 70. Had to cancel Tahiti/LA cruise last year due to his rapid decline & had to fight the insurance company for refund, but were successful.

It appears from reading the article that the couple did not have travel insurance for medical incidents. If they had, a simple phone call to the company contact would have taken care of anything needed. Not just medical expense reimbursement, but arrangements for care or evacuation. Best to have it at any age, but especially at their ages.

We also did Marriott Biscayne Bay prior to a cruise several years ago. It was Oceania’s pre-cruise hotel, charging several hundred $ more than we paid by booking on our own. Good lounge/breakfast which will be included at your level. Quick & inexpensive cab ride to the ship.

Just wondering if the title of this thread is deliberate or just a word check mishap. Hopefully the former-Is the gratuity increase gratuitous?

Were you able to read all the responses recounting personal experiences both past & present? I found them very helpful, especially all the pictures.

Actually, Merriam-Webster-Webster considers disirregardless equivalent to regardless, with the “dis” used as an intensifier rather than the true negative. So, by their definition it’s a double negative. The word has been in general use for about 200 years, so your teacher must have been really old! Nothing to do with cruising, but wordplay can be fun & I need the diversion.

So your ship was banned because there was minimal CoVID on board?? While I agree with your stance on the OP’s passport issues (apparently her husband as well), “disirregardless” is a double negative, if it’s even found in Webster. 🤣

Jan, I’m planning a family Alaska cruise in 2025 for my “special” birthday. My grandkids will be 15 & 17. Have you done this cruise on O with your grandkids? If not, which other cruise line would you recommend? I don’t like huge ships & am afraid food on others would be disappointing. I understand O has something for kids on some Alaska cruises, but unsure how fun it would be for them or if it would include older teens. I’d appreciate any input from you or others who’ve done this. TIA!

We stayed at Gritti Palace on points prior to our cruise in 2018 & felt very spoiled. Got upgraded to a 3 room suite that is listed at 13K+ Euro/night. Best breakfast ever. Great location. Worth the splurge to take water taxi from airport-they have their own dock. You’ll have a great time!!

Passport renewals can now be done totally on-line through a pilot program. Got mine back in little over 3 weeks which is still too late for OP, but may help others. Hardest part was taking selfie I was happy with!

I can understand Oceania not wanting to call-out passengers for poor choice of clothing post-CoVID while they’re trying to keep sailing. But if so, they should do away with a dress code altogether. I also get annoyed seeing someone flout a “regulation” that I’m expected to follow, but wouldn’t let it ruin my dinner.

Petoonya, I’m so sorry you & your DH are going through this. I understand how hard this is-I had to cancel our Tahiti/LA cruise in April due to my husband’s rapid progression. I wish we’d been able to meet up, but maybe when we start traveling again in the future. Hang in there, I know you’re medically trained & now focusing on just one patient, but be sure to take care of yourself as well. Blessings 🥰

Sounds like this is your "sweet spot" for travel. We were able to do a couple of cruises & multiple long distance USA trips during that phase. Unfortunately no longer able to travel, but I have wonderful memories. Do as much as you can, while you can.

Definitely travel while you can. I've made photo books of the trips we were able to do & we like to look through them together. We were able to travel quite a bit, just didn't count on a global pandemic giving us a hard stop for a year and a half. Plan to adapt as the disease progresses & needs change. Bon Voyage!!

I had purchased a policy from Allianz that included pre-existing conditions in 2019 for what ended up being the 4/22 Regatta Tahiti/LA cruise. Unfortunately, my husband's Alzheimer's advanced in that time so that we could no longer travel & had to cancel. Allianz initially denied my claim, citing a clause on page 23 of the contract stating "mental & emotional issues including Alzheimer's" aren't covered. Obviously, Alzheimer's is a neurological illness, not a mental or emotional condition. After getting nowhere with Allianz customer service, I filed a review request with the California insurance office and received an e-mail yesterday that "after further review" they now realize Alzheimer's is a neurological condition & are paying the entire claim. 2 take-always from my experience- - Read the entire contract. I should have picked this up initially & questioned it before committing. - Don't give up. Right is right & getting a government agency with clout involved may help. I just wonder how many people in a similar situation give up with the initial denial. Washington state has a lawsuit involving 400 people against Allianz for the same issue.

We use a Jio-bit paired to my iPhone. I'm notified if my husband leaves the "safe area" of our WiFi, so know if he wanders when I'm distracted. I can track by map, much like finding an address. I understand the Air Tag range is only 800 meters. Costs $139 or less, with monthly charge of $9-15 depending on length of contract. It's been a great stress reliever.

Will do, thanks for the suggestion!

Heads-up regarding trip insurance for someone with Dementia. I had purchased a policy through Allianz to include pre-existing conditions in 2019 for what ended up being the 2022 Tahiti/LA Regatta cruise. Unfortunately, my husband's Alzheimer's advanced such that he could no longer travel & we had to cancel. Allianz denied the claim citing on clause on page 23 stating that a "mental or nervous health disorder including Alzheimer's" would not be covered. Obviously, Alzheimer's is a neurological condition. After getting nowhere on the phone with Allianz, I sent a review request to the California Department of Insurance with all the necessary paperwork including our Neurologist's letter and mentioned that Washington state is suing Allianz for similar denials. I received an e-mail from Allianz today stating that after further review they realize this is a neurological condition & the check is in the mail for the entire amount. Take-home lessons from my experience: 1. Read every last paragraph in the policy. I should have caught this & questioned it from the start. 2. Don't give up. Right is right & sometimes getting a government agency with some clout can make a difference. I just wonder how many other people in the same situation gave up & never got the money they were due. I know the Washington lawsuit involves 400 people.

I'm certain that anyone presenting to the med Clinic with a cough would be tested for COVID. Using a self-test kit allows the passenger to know if a cough is COVID or just a cold withought getting involved in the clinic quagmire. I bring them when I travel. They're free here in the US (finally!). No contradiction with the prior poster. If you test positive after you disembark, but not before, quarantine costs will not be covered. OTOH, O's Sail-Safe policy states they will reimburse quarantine & return costs if a passenger tests positive while aboard, provided proof of negative results in the 48-72 hour window prior to boarding depending on embarkation port. As for your third paragraph & hypothetical question, I don't believe anyone could answer with any validity and certainly hope I don't get the chance to find out.

The poster mentioned they self-tested after disembarking. If they had self-tested while aboard & were positive O would have covered the Vancouver quarantine. Testing would also have been done in the medical facility if the passenger presented with the could that developed 3 days prior.

Hope your husband recovers quickly & you stay well. You mentioned in another thread that your husband developed a mild cough 3 days prior to disembarking. If you had tested prior to leaving the ship & turned up positive Oceania would have covered your hotel & helped with air changes (assuming you tested neg prior to boarding).

I can guarantee they’re still taught at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America). My Millenial son wouldn’t hack it as a service Captain/Som at a high end restaurant in Austin renowned for their service otherwise.