LibertyBella

if you were depending on your travel agents to manage everything for you regarding your FCC, either you did not make that clear enough to them, or you need new travel agents. I do not really think I have ever seen any credits distributed without a cancellation date! Any chance you could get them reassigned to a friend or family member who could travel immediately?

The Cunard survey was asking me about my vacation interests and plans. The cruise questions included dress, meals, costs, and activities. Hmmm...I wonder what they are planning?

Well, I was booked on a Princess European cruise, and there was a private group soliciting travelers, and in the end, Princess kicked all of us independent travelers off the cruise and said it had been converted to a whole ship charter! Thank goodness I had not yet booked my airfare. I sailed on the QM2 to New England this past Summer, and I see that an affinity group is already advertising to book travelers on the same cruise for next Summer. I agree I do not enjoy cruising with a big group unless I am a part of that group (ha ha)!

I've been on Cunard during a hurricane and on a cold transatlantic crossing, and just cruised with them again this Summer. I certainly felt safer with my metal hull balcony rather than having a large floor to ceiling glass picture window (that opens?!) my only protection from the elements. I know for a fact Cunard liners have been hit by rogue waves various times, so they do think about that possibility. Just came back from a trip to Iceland a few days ago--it was interesting to see all the houses built of corrugated metal so they can withstand rain, cold, snow, volcanos, fires, earthquakes, and fires. Yes, preparation for disaster is as equally important as preparation for enjoyment.

Who even knows if Istanbul will be safe and stable and available for shore excursions next Spring? Oh, by the way, I am booked to cruise to Istanbul in July. In these days I do not have any anxiety or stress towards cruise lines trying to arrange an advance excursion list as local processes are still in flux. I will be happy if I can book one or two months in advance--and yes, in the past, I have booked some cruise shore excursions over a year in advance!! I really wanted to go back to Turkey more than five years ago, but after the attack in 2016 many cruise lines pulled out until just recently! Then came Covid! So everybody is reestablishing their partnerships, and that takes time and requires ongoing evaluation. Also since Covid, there is instability everywhere in arranging shore excursions--I have noticed some excursions in Istanbul back before 2016 have completely disappeared--so sad. Of course, the Hagia Sophia has also turned into an active mosque! Try not to fret too much about the details of actual booking--just make sure you know exactly what you might want to see and do in your ports--and you do NOT need the shore excursion list to read and learn. Since I have been waiting since 2016 to go back to Istanbul, I know exactly what I want to see! And if it is not offered, yes, I will arrange my visit independently. Have fun planning!

It appears the ship windows were not built to withstand that type of weather. This incident raises a red flag for travel to areas with extreme conditions. There is a major difference between pleasure cruising and adventure travel, and much more serious preparation should have been undertaken.

My mother also has a Viking voucher (from a cancelled cruise) that she probably will not be able to use due to her age. When I contacted customer service, I was told she could send an email and have the voucher transferred to someone else. However, the voucher still has to be used before the expiration date. There are many different types of Viking vouchers, and each has rules. You seem to have received a goodwill type of voucher, versus a cancellation voucher. There was really no money out of your pocket involved with the voucher--it was like a bonus voucher. I doubt travel insurance will have any role in this type of situation. Your relatives should have discussed all the terms and conditions of the voucher before using and cancelling. Your relatives may be able to appeal to Viking and discuss transferring it to someone else. They need to communicate with Viking in writing and plead their case and see what might happen...

Well, one time my SIL forgot one of her bags--I mean she really forgot she had even brought it on the cruise--and went home and then remembered! Yes, the cruise line packed it up and shipped it home to her. A few years ago my big bag was lost on my way home from a longer European cruise as we were on connecting flights and it just did not make it. I was very stressed because I had a lot of fancy gowns and wonderful souvenirs. However, after filling out all the forms I received some great email updates (not in English!) and my bag had a very good journey! It was delivered to my home by a private driver late at night after arriving in the airport two days after me. Another time I went on a cruise and my luggage was never delivered that first day. The airline had put it on the wrong flight! Because we were at sea I had to wait a few days until the luggage could catch up with us. I had to buy underwear, clothes, and even a formal gown on the ship, and they lent me some high heel shoes. The airline did pay for a certain amount of clothes afterwards. Yes, we always look all around the dock area after disembarkation. I think it is much safer to have the bag still in the cruise area rather than on an airplane somewhere. I do agree bags get moved around a little bit. I probably would not have departed the cruise terminal until I looked everywhere and asked the workers for help. We do not self-carry our big suitcases off the ship. Well, I would not say I would never travel again because of misplaced luggage. True LOST luggage is when it is gone for at least a month, and by then it is probably not recoverable. The adventures of travel make for great stories and memories.

My DH has a tuxedo, very nice, from Bloomingdales, that I bought for him as a holiday present a few years ago. The same brand is sold at Nordstrom. I expect him to wear it for a few decades at least. He had a previous one, which he bought when we were married almost 40 years ago, but he "outgrew" it. Yes, he wears it for NYE, and also on Cunard cruises. He has different bow ties in diverse colors/patterns. We ALWAYS dress for formal night, and take lots of photos! I think it is wonderful your young son has such a fashion sense of style. My young nephew wants a tuxedo, too,, and I told my SIL to try Saks Off Fifth. I hope your family takes some great family photos and has a wonderful cruise!

It seems to me that if your waiters constantly asked you how everything was is because they may not have felt comfortable or confident that you were appreciative. Yes, they may have been new, and were nervous. They are also on tight timelines with lots of tables to serve. If you and your friends were deeply involved in conversation, the waiters were unsure of your reactions to the food and the process. The communication between client and wait staff was not clear. I have been on many cruises, many lines, and I have never had the need to "put the wait staff in their place." I learn all their names, where they are from, including the Maitre d' (probably the man in the suit), greet them, smile at them, let them know our requests, and help them learn our dining style (my husband ALWAYS wants a cheese plate before dessert). By the middle of the cruise they know everything we enjoy/want/need, and rarely ask us any questions. We also tip each one individually at the end with cash in addition to the daily tip charge, because that is the way we like to cruise. I have also eaten in fine restaurants all over the world, and yes, the serving staff must always attend to their customers and check-in. Eating in any fine restaurant in the world requires interaction with staff!

We used to have a similar tourist balloon ride here at the Philly zoo. It is nice to float up in the air and get a bird's eye view lay of the land. Usually those tethered flights are pretty safe. I think it is very enjoyable for all ages. I have also splurged and gone on a REAL balloon ride in New Mexico, which is a lot more complex, expensive and risky. You have to climb in and out of the basket, watch the pilot inflate/deflate, look for the chase team below, keep your fingers crossed the wind is not crazy, etc. You end up floating for miles. Again, seeing the world from high up and in slow motion is an incredible experience. The only thing I can compare it with is parasailing, although that goes by more quickly. We have gone zip lining a lot-- the most risky was in Mexico (they gave us a stick to hold the line as we zipped over a lake), the hardest was in New Hampshire in the Winter (heavy coats and boots are bulky and add weight when one is trying to slide along), and the most adventurous was in Alaska, because you have to rappel down tall trees as well. Some of those did NOT have seating--you have to hold your body up around the line. If you have never gone before, you should consider trying it at least, but know that it is a bit safe and comfortable as compared to some other zip lines out there. It is always fun to ZIP along over everybody!

No sale for me either. I am paying just about the same or a little less for my cabin category! I booked a year and a half in advance, and I check regularly, so I am resigned that there will be no discounts this upcoming year. Of course, my cruise is not a regular weekly itinerary, so there is probably less availability compared to some of the others. If only I could budget a cruise a month, then I would snap up a few of these deals!

Your current plan seems to involve a bit of running around. I would definitely fly into Rome at least three days in advance so you can recover from jet lag, get settled, and start doing some sightseeing. I also like to arrive days in advance in case there are any international airline challenges, so I do not miss the cruise! I understand that a return out of Florence may not have the best connections, so you will probably want to fly out of Rome for the return as well. Luckily Florence is just a short train ride from Rome, especially if you book a high speed train. The main decision is if you want to integrate the Florence component before or after your cruise. You may or may not have to add any more hotel time in Rome, unless you really want to. I am on a similar itinerary cruise of Rome to Athens next summer, and I am staying in the cities both pre- and post-, but taking day trips to all the places I want to see rather than booking lots of different hotels. Yes, there is just always too much to see and do! I have many pets, so I try to limit my time away, too. Oh, for the years of my youth when I could spend weeks and months traveling without care--although I was much, much poorer!

Sometimes you want to splurge, sometimes you want to budget. Loyalty is only as good as long as the product remains in service. During my lifetime, I have cruised with multiple cruise lines. Some of them no longer even exist (Chandris, Dolphin, American Hawaii Cruises, Delta Queen). I also never received credit for the cruises I took before computers, the Internet, and online systems. Loyalty points are nice, but that rarely has an impact on my cruise decisions. I always say, the most important thing is just to be CRUISING! Also, variety is the spice of life. Have a fantastic time on Carnival!

I certainly understand your desire to splurge and treat your children, but I think the price is quite outrageous. I have been to Atlantis twice while on cruises in Nassau, and I only stayed on the beach and toured their hotel and the DIG for a much, much lower price. I booked through the cruise line, which might be a tiny bit cheaper. The Aquaventure is basically a waterpark, and although fun, there may be lines and crowds, and it is not that unique in the world. You also need to see what the weather forecast is--if you have a rainy day the visit may not be as thrilling. If your sons have never been snorkeling, I highly recommend that activity in Nassau. It is a great way to experience interacting with the ocean. If you have to have a pool and waterpark activities, I recommend you check out the website Resort for a Day. I use them a lot when I cruise in the Caribbean. You can book a hotel for an entire day with access to pools, beaches, and water activities. Have a great time!

I tried to rebook my cruise last night late just to compare, and the price was actually showing higher than what I paid so I said, "Oh well, Black Friday is a bust." No excursions available yet for my cruise, so no sale prices, either.

I love formal nights! But, I do try to match my outfits to the cruise line, cruise length, and the destination. Tropical means flowing dresses, lace, bright colors. Colder climate means darker colors and heavier fabrics. Long gowns almost always include sequins! Sometimes for short cruises I only bring short dresses. This year we sailed Cunard, and DH wore a tuxedo and I wore long sequin gowns. DH will only wear his tuxedo on Cunard--he takes very nice suits on all other cruise lines, and when we are in the tropics, he has a seersucker suit! Next year (so far) we sail RC, Viking, and Princess, and I have all my outfits picked out already. RC--long lacy flowing gown, short dresses in bright colors, Viking--only short dresses, subdued styles, no sequins--Princess, flashy long sequin gowns and short cocktail dresses, husband with two nice suits. I will say I prefer to look more elegant and sophisticated versus sexy or trendy. I find RC passengers tend to be a bit younger (families), and there are many beautiful young ladies who can wear very daring and sexy dresses that certainly catch your eye! I also agree seeing the little ones dress up is so much fun. It does not bother me that others might not wish to dress up, but for us personally, formal night is a special part of the cruising experience, and we always take many photos and make a lot of memories.

Did you get a medical report from the cruise ship? Have you filed a claim with your travel insurance? Have you contacted a lawyer? Please do NOT depend on the RC customer service department if this issue is so extremely serious.

Hey Kgtgirl, A very big CONGRATS to your family member and you are very thoughtful to want to celebrate. But as others have said, the celebration should be private and personal, and involve only those directly in the cruising party. The cruise ship should have NO role in sending any kind of message--that would be inappropriate, sorry. There is a level of neutrality required from those who have no part in politics or voting. BTW, I worked in state government for two terms, knew all the high honchos, and was on almost 24 hour call availability during my eight years and missed many vacations and holidays. So when I went on vacation (not as often as I wanted to!), I desired anonymity, and peace and tranquility. I will say my work was very challenging, but one of the greatest experiences in my professional career, as the learning was astounding. Now that those days are behind me, I was able to join CC and do some catch-up cruising. Have a wonderful time!

My husband also carries a small Swiss army knife ,and it has come in wonderfully handy when he has to cut the tags off my clothes that I forgot to remove before the cruise!

I will be on Enchanted Princess in July on a similar itinerary. One of the reasons I chose that cruise is I prefer to fly back out of Athens rather than Istanbul. I will be staying in advance in Rome and afterwards in Greece. US cruise passengers do NOT need visas for cruise day visits to any of these stops. We can also go to Greece and Italy without visas. However, if you were planning to stay in Turkey for a while after the cruise, you might need one there. The Schengen status is mainly just for European citizens.

i am booked on Liberty in June. Yes, I know it is a smaller, older, ship, but this is only one of the multiple cruises I am taking next year. I selected this cruise because I liked the relaxing itinerary, I can drive to the port and park (no flights, yippee!), the price is great, warm weather destinations always appeal to me, even when it is hot here, and I do not have to spend too much time planning or packing. Bermuda also has some of my favorite beaches in the world. Of course there are bigger, fancier ships, but for this cruise I just wanted a simpler and less crowded/hectic experience.

Just because it is forecast to rain every day does not necessarily mean it will rain nonstop all day. You will be in somewhat of a tropical/subtropical climate, so rain is a frequent part of the day, and the temperatures will be in the 80's. I was at CocoCay a few years ago and rented a beach bed--first it was hot and sunny, then it poured down rain (some people ran back to the ship), then it was hot and sunny again, all within a few hours. We stayed and had a great day. I have also been in Nassau when it rained all day, and I just walked around all the shops. I have also done a transatlantic crossing, and the weather can be cool and rainy the whole week, and there are NO ports until the end, do basically the ship is the entertainment. As others have stated, just being on the cruise will be fun, no matter the weather! Have a great time!

What a great thread! No, I am not traveling during Christmas, as our work schedules do not allow this now, but reading everybody's posts certainly puts me in a festive frame of mind! I wish all of you a wonderful experience, and I will put this trip on my bucket list.

Sorry Jazzbeau, no matter how wonderful cruise or river ships may be, they can rarely compare to some of the many gorgeous and historic hotels and great restaurants on land. Staying in a Venice hotel and dining in local restaurants is like the jewel in the crown of the cruise. Being served on silver with white glove service at Cafe Florian makes one truly appreciate the brilliance of historic custom. We were able to splurge and stayed at the Danieli--exploring the lovely property, dining on the rooftop, and escaping from the hordes of tourists into our stunning and tranquil lobby made Venice become one of our favorite cities (even though there are hardly any trees!). I cruise a lot, and have done so for decades, but I also do a lot of land tours (self-drive), and we always stay in historic hotels around the world. A lot of cruise ship decor is sadly similar and easily forgettable, but the unique and beautiful places I have stayed (castles, palaces, monasteries, mansions, etc.) are forever etched in my memories. Of course, the best trips are when I can combine special hotels with great cruises!