Fairwinds789

For your time in the city, recommend a walking tour plus a visit to Culture House (selection of exhibits from major museum collections) or Settlement Museum.

I was in the same situation as you. I booked cruises in February 2023 for cruises in August 2024. I then looked to purchase travel insurance within 14 days to get the pre-existing medical coverage. You should call each insurance company individually, not take the word of an insurance aggregator website or its employees. I called Berkshire-Hathaway directly (telephone no. available from their travel insurance website).  I found out that you can purchase a travel insurance policy with a $0.00 value within the window after you book with the cruise company(ies) so you can get the coverage for pre-existing medical conditions (and even give only approx. values for total coverage and dates to be refined as your plans gel in 2025). So I purchased a policy covering $0.00. At the time I also paid approx. 20% deposit to the cruise lines which was fully refundable until March 2024. My trip is for approx. 60 days in Aug., Sept. and Oct. 2024. I only had to pay a $149.00 administrative fee to set up the policy acct. and for B-H to issue the policy. Now that portions of the previously paid deposits to the cruise lines and other payments are becoming non-refundable I will call B-H on the date each such portion (and any other payments) become non-refundable and advise B-H to increase the value of trip by such amount. B-H then provides me with an insurance premium quote for that incremental increase and I pay that amount of the premium by credit card right on the phone with agent. In fact, I just did that today and already have an email showing the increased coverage amount. I plan to use this procedure 8 more times over the next three months until the entire amount of the trip is covered on the policy. And B-H is perfectly open to this method of paying the full amount.

Recommend Kilmainham Gaol tour! Need to buy timed tickets in advance about 1 month in advance or via arrangements made with facility by e-mail. See website for details.

Yes, we recommend visiting Limerick based on our experience in 2019. We travelled to Limerick by public bus, and returned by private car shared with another couple from the ship. We took an excellent guided walking tour (several were available through the Limerick Civic Trust and Hunt Museum) and then visited some of the historic sites on our own. If a future cruise brings us to Foynes, we would travel to Limerick again to take a different tour and visit the places we didn't get to the first time.

Does anyone have current information about a shuttle from the cruise ship anchorage in Greencastle to Londonderry and back to ship?

Thanks to all for sharing your experiences and insights. They were so helpful.

Since we are booked on B2B cruises, Oceania maintained that it could not let us take advantage of the significantly reduced pricing now being offered for the last segment of our cruise (15 days). (We had paid for the complete B2B cruise package several months ago.) After much effort from us, and from our TA, we were able to get a balcony to penthouse upgrade for a 2024 cruise, yielding a similar savings. Seems that results depended, in part, on the Oceania personnel that cruisers or their TAs were able to reach.

Thanks again and happy travels to all.

We're in a similar situation. Paid in full for July cruise which is now being offered for thousands of $ less. Contacted our TA, who will not be able to contact O until Tuesday. Will O work with me directly tomorrow? Does anyone have experience with working with O directly, when the TA is not available?

Recommend an Inside Passage cruise to Alaska with land trip extension to Denali (and possibly beyond). Have done this itinerary with both Holland America and Princess, and had a great experience during the cruise and land portions. Alaska cruises offered by these and similar cruise lines should be comfortable for seniors who are not interested in a party atmosphere.  High quality presentations by naturalists and Alaska adventurers are offered while cruising.

Bergen: Hanseatic Museum tour and visit, walking distance from port. Recommend buying tour tickets in advance.

Alesund: Many tours depart from area adjacent to port. On busy days tickets to be arranged in advance, or you can take a chance and check availability when you arrive.

Alesund Museum is a short walk from port and includes some interesting exhibits about local history. 

Hi Steve:

Thank you for spending time on this matter. 

I just spoke to the same person at Berkshire Hathaway (name- Brad) who advised me that we do have the pre-existing medical condition waiver and it will stay in place as long as we pay additional premiums within 15 days of the deposit money (and any additional payments) becoming non-refundable in April of 2024. 

He was clear that their policies could be purchased for $0.00 coverage when all payments are refundable at the time of purchase and it was not unique to our transaction. It is the practice at their company to operate this way.

His telephone number is 844-411-2487, Option 2 and then select existing policy. 

Hope this information is helpful.

Joel

Thanks to all of you for your input. Just purchased a policy directly with Berkshire Hathaway within 15 days of booking cruises in summer of 2024 and paying deposits that are fully refundable until April 2024. I told the agent all of this and we were able to purchase trip insurance covering pre-existing medical conditions at this time with a declared value for the trip of $0.00. We paid only a minor premium amount of less than $150.00 at this time to cover administrative costs. Agent informed me that we would only have to advise insurance company within 15 days of amounts paid becoming nonrefundable (which for the cruises would be April 2024) and increase covered amount of trip and pay additional premiums then. We paid the agent the premium on the telephone and have received the policy by email. It states $0.00 as the covered amount at this time.

We just booked cruises in Europe for summer 2024 and paid deposits which are 100% refundable until spring 2024.

We will buy travel insurance to cover medical care and evacuation, as well as the trip (interruption, etc.)

What is the required timeframe for buying the insurance to cover pre-existing illness?

Is this timeframe affected by the fact that monies paid to date are 100% refundable (no liability for the insurance company for 1 year)?

Thank you.

A few more suggestions in addition to major museums:

Amstelkring Museum, Catholic church hidden in attic of 17c merchant's house 

Amsterdam Museum

Royal Palace, Dam Square

Rembrandt House

Also recommend a day trip (by train) to the Hague- Binnenhof (Parliament) and Mauritshuis

and Delft (Vermeer museum, Prinsenhof museum)

Enjoyed them all!

My solution is to bring my french press travel mug and use good quality coffee purchased in port. That way I only have to get some hot water and I'm set. On one UK cruise, each cabin had an electric kettle, so I could prepare my coffee or an evening cup of tea in my cabin. 

Years ago I was advised by a ship's doctor to chew a dramamine tablet instead of swallowing it and, though it tastes bad, found it really works. Sometimes I chew a 1/2 tablet when I start to feel too much sea activity and that is usually enough to stave off any problems.

Also avoiding extra activity (such as going to the gym, walking several flights of stairs) while on rough seas seems to help.

Hi Steve,

Thank you for getting back to us so quickly.

After reviewing the policy again, we don't see any language excluding pandemics and epidemics.

The policy is TSB-1117 FL 11.17.  It seems that Covid would be covered as an illness under the policy, correct?

Appreciate your help!

We purchased a travel insurance policy (Travelex) in January 2021 when we made reservations for cruises and land trips in Europe for summer 2022.

Are such policies being updated to cover medical expenses for Covid infections for vaccinated policy holders?

(Our understanding is that previously such policies did not cover expenses caused by known pandemics.)

If such policies are not being updated, are insurance companies planning to offer separate policies to cover Covid medical expenses?

Thanks in advance for your input.