Hroswitha

We don't have much experience with RCCL but always dread the chaos of Embarkation Day lunch at the buffet on any cruise ship. What alternatives are likely to be available when we sail January 27 on Liberty of the Seas?

We had a very positive experience with a large Travel Guard claim a couple of years ago when I had a medical emergency on a land tour in Canada. They required a lot of documentation, but they not only reimbursed us promptly for everything they were supposed to--they actually arranged our expedited trip home for us.

We had a dedicated claims rep who handled our case start to finish--with coverage from someone else on her day off.

Important hint if you need to make a claim: Notify the insurance company as soon as you realize there is a problem. We contacted TG right from the emergency room, and (thanks to the hospital's willingness to let us use their FAX machine) had the claim initiated and all the necessary medical forms submitted, complete with required physicians' statements and signatures, before we left the hospital. Those might have been a problem to get later.

We always go back to Travel Guard now. It's just a question of which level of coverage is best for a particular trip.

Advice to consult an expert is wise. Bear in mind, though, that many if not most of the policies that cover pre-existing conditions have to be purchased within a specific time of making your cruise deposit. Often that period is 14 days.

One important consideration that's not always easy to gauge upfront is how well a company might come through in the event you have a claim. For what it's worth: A couple of years ago we had a medical emergency during a trip that necessitated a very large claim with Travel Guard. They performed beautifully, not only promptly paying everything they were supposed to but also making many arrangements on our behalf that would have been difficult for us to manage ourselves.

TG is not always the most economical policy available, but we always go back to them on the basis of the outstanding service we experienced.

One of the things we've particularly enjoyed on some other cruise lines has been the Chef's Table. Is anything similar offered on HAL--particularly the Noordam?

Thanks in advance!

A couple of years ago we had to file a very large claim with Travel Guard due to a medical emergency while in Canada. We were extremely satisfied with TG's service and as a result have insured every subsequent trip with them. They were unfailingly helpful, courteous, and patient--and they promptly paid everything they were supposed to.

Most important advice I can give is to contact your insurance company as soon as you realize there is a problem. Don't wait until you get home. We contacted TG right from the hospital emergency room and were thus able to get all the necessary forms filled out and signed by the appropriate medical personnel before we ever left the hospital. TG not only paid for our early return home but made all the arrangements for us.

I know there are other equally good insurance companies--but we stick with TG based on the outstanding service they provided when we needed it.

It's easy to forget that the most important part of travel insurance is not finding the company that offers the lowest price or the simplest purchase but the rather one that comes through when you have a claim.

We experienced outstanding service last year when we had a claim with Travel Guard. Key was contacting them as soon as we realized there was a problem. We called them right from the Canadian emergency room where I was being treated, their medical department was able to speak directly with the ER doctor to clarify several issues, and--by faxing documents back and forth--the claim was mostly complete and had all the needed signatures by the time I was discharged. Additional benefit to contacting them early: TG not only paid for our emergency trip home but made all the arrangements for us including a business-class seat for me, the patient.

We have always insured our trips, but any lingering doubts we might have had after that about the value of insurance would have been swept away by our travel companions' experience this spring.

Our friend had to be evacuated from the Galapagos Islands by air ambulance, first to Quito and then home to California. Cost of the air ambulance alone would have exceeded $100,000--not to mention translator, hospital in Quito, and a multitude of other expenses that were fully covered.

Without insurance, that would have been a financial disaster. As it is, he is rapidly recovering, and we are planning our next adventure together.

Our large claim with Travel Guard in 2016 was handled in two--or actually three--parts.

We never even saw a bill for our emergency flight home midway through the trip, which they arranged for us. (Their making the arrangements to get us home was in itself a very welcome and worthwhile benefit.)

Within two weeks we had a check reimbursing us for the portion of our trip that we had to miss due to my illness, and reimbursement for the medical expenses we had paid by credit card came about a week after that.

Fully satisfied!

I realize the initial inquiry here was nearly a month ago but had not visited this forum in a while. Last year we had a very large medical claim with Travel Guard and have been singing the company's praises ever since.

They couldn't have been more efficient and helpful; and the claim was paid promptly and to our complete satisfaction.

Three important keys: First, if pre-existing conditions are to be covered, most companies (incl. TG) require the policy to be purchased within a certain number of days of the initial deposit--usually 14. Inquire carefully: Some companies don't cover pre-existing conditions at all or do so only on certain types of policies.

Second, contact the insurance company as soon as you realize you're having a problem. We phoned TG right from the emergency room, and their staff doctor was able to confer directly with the doctor treating me. By phoning and faxing back and forth we learned exactly what was needed and were able to file much of the paperwork (complete with the doctors' signatures) directly from the ER.

And thirdly, keep receipts for everything--beginning with that first deposit, the insurance purchase, and all expenses related to whatever problem might arise.

I can second what Geezercouple said.

Friends of ours had occasion to use MedJetAssist several years ago and were extremely satisfied.

It is also possible to purchase coverage directly through MJA's Web site--don't know if there is any difference in price.

Also: A single policy covering a couple (or family) is much more economical than separate coverage for each person.

Cruiseco, I'm the OP, and my post concerned a positive experience with Travel Guard--not a complaint!

I'm truly sorry to hear that some others have had negative experiences with Travel Guard, but--now that our claim is fully settled--I can only reaffirm what I said in Post #1: Travel Guard took very good care of us!

All the people we had contact with--but especially a claims agent named Terri--were helpful, pleasant and efficient. There was, indeed, a good bit of paperwork involved, but once we completed it our claim was processed very quickly. We were reimbursed for everything we'd expected and even an item we had not thought to claim.

One thing that might have factored into our positive experience is that we contacted TG directly from the hospital emergency room. As a result, we were able to get a couple of essential forms filled out and signed by the medical personnel right on the spot and didn't have to try and get this done after the fact.

The ER doctor conferred during one of the calls directly with TG's doctor, which probably facilitated the authorization for our emergency transport home--which TG not only paid for but arranged in every detail.

Fully satisfied!

We have insured our trips with several different companies over the years but as a result of a recent experience will stick with Travel Guard from here on out.

Last month I experienced a medical emergency requiring treatment in a Canadian emergency room and return home in the middle of our trip.

We contacted Travel Guard immediately, right from the hospital, and have been extremely pleased with the service provided. They have not only paid for everything we'd understood was covered but handled all the arrangements for our return flights--a great load off our minds.

Travel Guard folks we dealt with were courteous and efficient, making the whole experience as un-stressful for us as possible.

Now I'm once again healthy and looking forward to our next adventure--which we will certainly insure with Travel Guard.

If you read my original post carefully, I explained that this happened on a land-based vacation. I felt it was relevant to Cruise Critic because TravelGuard is a company we cruisers often use, and there's no difference in the policy. I chose the RCC board because I didn't realize there was a board devoted to insurance, and our most recent cruises have been on RCC.

To answer your question: I became ill in the mountains near Banff and flew home by way of Calgary. It felt pretty remote to me!

Not knowing this board existed, I just posted on the Royal Caribbean board about our recent experience with Travel Guard. Sorry to say, I'm too computer-illiterate to figure out how to link to it!

The main point of the post was that we had an extremely good experience with TG when a medical emergency forced us to cut short a recent trip to Canada and return home by an entirely different route from the one we were ticketed for.

We have insured our trips with a variety of companies in the past but based on this experience will probably stick with TG from now on.

The following happened to us on a land-based vacation, but it seems relevant to Cruise Critic because Travel Guard offers cruisers the same coverage. Our past couple of cruises have been on RCC, therefore this board.

About two-thirds of the way through our recent trip, a medical crisis sent us to an emergency room in a somewhat remote part of Canada. It was soon determined that my condition was of serious concern but not immediately life-threatening, and I could fly home in reasonable safety if I did so without delay.

We contacted Travel Guard as soon as the situation was clear and could not be more pleased with the service received. After some faxing back and forth of documentation, TG did not just pay for our immediate travel home from an entirely different city than the one on our non-refundable ticket--they made all the arrangements for us including a two-hour shuttle ride to the nearest airport.

Had there been a seat available on such short notice, they were prepared to upgrade me to business class. Failing that, they bought me two economy seats with extra leg-room so I could spread out comfortably.

We were extremely pleased with the treatment received at the small, Canadian hospital, but they were not prepared to file directly with TG so we needed to charge the treatment to our credit card and let TG reimburse us.

Incidentally, we were amazed at how low that bill was compared to our experiences in the US.

As (relatively) young retirees and in (relatively) good health, we have occasionally sailed without insurance but will never do so again. Worth every cent--and now we will likely choose Travel Guard rather than some other companies that might be a bit cheaper simply because we know what we would be getting!

Coming at this issue from a slightly different angle, might I make a request of those with a legitimate disability--visible or not.

When facilities are in high demand (on a cruise or elsewhere) please use the designated "handicap" ones if they're available and leave the regular ones free for those of us who do not have a choice.

What do I mean by that? Last winter we had a huge snowstorm followed by ice that kept everyone pretty much housebound for several days. When I eventually ventured out to the grocery store, only a limited number of parking spots were available because of all the piled-up snow.

The only ones unoccupied were the five designated handicap spots--all thoroughly cleared of ice and snow.

As I finished my fourth circuit of the lot, a "regular" spot finally opened up, and it was right next to the handicap ones.

There was one car ahead of me, but it bore handicap tags so all would be well--I thought!

To my dismay, it pulled into the "regular" spot! When the driver got out, she was an ancient-looking woman who leaned heavily on her walker.

She was obviously entitled to the handicap spot, so I rolled down my window and asked her very politely and gently why she had not used it--since not doing so left me with no place to park.

"Oh, Honey," she replied, "I always leave those spaces for people who really need them."

I started my fifth circuit of the lot. Sigh.

The casino itself was pretty stinky from all the smokers, but we didn't notice any particular problem in the Centrum--and one of our group is pretty sensitive.

We recently returned from Serenade of the Seas' Ft. Lauderdale-to-Copenhagen transatlantic, and the overall report is quite positive.

Who is "we"? A married couple and two female friends, all Americans in our late sixties. Three moderately experienced cruisers (6 to 13 previous cruises on five lines) and one newbie. We're all active and pretty adventurous.

Weather was for the most part pleasant, and warmer than we'd expected. Several foggy mornings, but the afternoons tended to be clear. We cut short our port time in the Azores to avoid a predicted storm, and the change in plans seemed to work well. We did experience some rocking, but we actually kind of enjoyed it--or at least three of us did!

There were signs of the ship's age if one chose to look for them, but we found all systems operating properly, cleanliness standards very high, and maintenance constantly ongoing. No sign of excessive wear or staining of upholstery, linens, carpeting, etc.

Because of the likelihood of cool weather, we chose ocean view cabins this time rather than balconies and were quite satisfied with the decision. We'd been a bit concerned about our far-forward, Deck 4 location near the theater, but it turned out to be a fine choice. Among the quietest cabins we've had and quite stable, probably because it was so low in the ship. Bed was surprisingly comfortable. We seldom saw our steward, but she kept the place immaculate and our ice bucket full.

Water temp in the cabin was, however, totally unpredictable. Sometimes cold water was warm; sometimes hot water was cool; sometimes it switched midstream. And sometimes it was perfect.

Food in the main dining room ranged mostly from good to very good, with a few dishes really excellent. Unfortunately a couple of them--in our opinion--verged on inedible, but those were quickly replaced. There were some problems with temperature of the food: often lukewarm rather than hot or cold.

We don't get particularly excited about lobster at sea, but the tails offered on one of the formal nights were surprisingly good.

Most of the desserts were unimpressive--too often gelatin-based and nicer to look at than to taste. But the chocolate birthday cake we ordered for one of our party was wonderful! Moist, chocolate-y, and not cloyingly sweet.

We had a standing my time dining reservation and were very pleased with our team of waiters--always cheerful, efficient, and quick to learn our preferences. In fact, most of the crew members with whom we had contact were friendly and welcoming. Their English proficiency was also impressive.

I tried the renowned Kummelweck roast beef sandwich (Park Cafe) and found it very tasty but not really a culinary highlight of the cruise. Cheesecake lollipops (Cafe Latte Tudes) also a nice treat.

Park Cafe was also a nice alternative for breakfast, offering wonderful yogurt parfaits and a variety of egg sandwiches. Unfortunately it closed at 9.

Chops and Giovanni's Table were not exactly disappointments--we had good meals there. But we didn't feel they were really worth the up-charge. Chef's Table, however, was excellent! We thoroughly enjoyed it and felt it was definitely worth the cost. We've also experienced Chef's Tables on other lines, though, and liked the one on NCL's Epic best.

The Solarium was a delightful place to spend lazy sea days, but lots of other folks thought so, too. Chair hogs were out in force in the mornings, but we could usually get a spot if we were there by 9 a.m. Not too hard to accomplish. And things usually cleared out by mid-afternoon. There was such an abundant supply of deck chairs and loungers all over the ship that it was always easy to find a shady or sunny one somewhere. Solarium as also a delight in the evenings--peaceful, comfortable, and with a source of refreshments just steps away in the Park Cafe.

Entertainment varied widely in quality but most was enjoyable. And RCL seemed to try to offer something for everyone.

No experience with spa services, casino, or children's programs.

In short, this was a very enjoyable and relaxing cruise. Princess and Celebrity remain our favorite lines, but we would gladly sail on Royal Caribbean again if the price and itinerary were appealing.

In answer to Amtrac's question about weather and sea conditions: For most of our crossing, the weather was lovely with warmer temps and calmer seas than I'd expected. There was morning fog on several days, but it usually burned off later in the day.

We did, however, cut short our stay in the Azores by a couple of hours in order to avoid a storm that was predicted to be quite strong. As a result, we experienced no more than some mild rocking.

Weather in ports was OK. Quite foggy in the Azores, improving as the day went on. Rainy in Cork. Had sunshine and cool temps in the other ports.

No cruise is perfect, but this one was very enjoyable!

We just returned from Serenade of the Seas' Ft. Lauderdale-to-Copenhagen transatlantic, which we thoroughly enjoyed--short review to follow in a couple of days.

On the second day, though, I witnessed the craziest ever exchange at the Guest Services counter. The passenger ahead of me started out speaking calmly and quietly, but the volume of her voice increased gradually until she was shouting, and she began waving her arms and pounding the counter. I watched the back of her neck turn pink and then red until I could (almost!) see smoke rising from her ears! And let's just say her language wasn't very ladylike.

The issue? She had somehow determined that in the event of an evacuation passengers from her muster station would use one of the conventional, round-bottomed lifeboats. She felt the catamaran-style ones would be safer and more comfortable, and--as a suite passenger--she demanded a guarantee that she would have a seat one of those. She felt the premium price she'd paid for the cruise should extend to superior emergency arrangements was not about to take "no" for an answer.

I have no idea whether one type of lifeboat might or might not be better than another, but the idea that suite privileges should extend to lifeboat seating seems off-the-wall crazy to me! I suspect alcohol might have been involved in her demand!

My husband and I took a similar tour on a Princess ship a few years ago and consider it the most outstanding "excursion" we've done in 15 years of cruising. For us it was well worth every cent! As a side note, though, I would not recommend it for anyone with any kind of mobility issue. We did a great deal of standing and even climbing!

Thanks to all for the help!

I'd like to arrange a birthday cake for our travel companion on a Serenade of the Seas sailing next month. Ideally it would be delivered to our table at dinner, but cabin would be OK.

I see a wide variety of things available for pre-order on the cruise planner--cabin decorations, for example, and cupcakes--but no birthday cake.

How can I order one? We did this a couple of years ago on Princess at no charge but have no objection at all to paying extra for it--just need to figure out how!

Her birthday is the second night of the cruise, so there won't be a lot of time after boarding to work it out.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

My experience has been that balcony size varies a lot. On some, two chairs just barely fit--on others there's plenty of room for three.

When we had three people in a balcony cabin on NCL recently, we simply asked our steward nicely for a third chair, accompanying the request with a modest tip. The extra chair appeared in less than half an hour. I can't imagine it would be very different on Royal Caribbean.

A couple of years ago we spent a night pre-cruise and another one post-cruise at the Admiral Hotel in Copenhagen. We found the location convenient, breakfast was delicious, and the place had lots of character. It was built long ago as a granary and has been beautifully transformed as a hotel. It was clean, comfortable and quiet--we were delighted and would happily stay there again.

Although we're primarily Princess/Celebrity/RCC cruisers, we've been on the Norwegian Epic twice. The experience was different in quite a few ways from what we're accustomed to, but we had a wonderful time.

Every line seems to have wonderful things--and also things they don't handle quite so well. The trick, it seems to me, is to figure out what the line one is currently on does well and enjoy those things to the hilt--without fretting about what might be missing as compared with what some other line offers.

We liked the entertainment on the Epic especially well. Not so impressed with the food in the main dining rooms.

Whatever ship and whatever line you choose, have a wonderful time!