goose30

Yes for many people it is about the money. They will spend many hundreds for a cruise bun not a little over a hundred for a passport. As far as having to put it up all at once that is only for the first time. Then you can put away $10-15 a year and save up for the renewal.

For others it is because that have a phobia that the government is tracking them everywhere and truly believe that without a passport that is less likely.

Just wait until everyone in the US has to carry an Oamacare card and they start to charge for that!

If you plan on using your 4G service while at sea, plan for a shocker of a bill when you return.

What difference does it make now? But sounds good anyway.

Hey! Can I come and live in your house and not pay you rent?

Stick to farming, you invest with your head not your heart. Also, most reputable FAs will advise your portfolio be at least $100K before you consider buying individual issues. Below $100K, you need the diversity of a mutual fund or at least a vastly diversified cos such as GE. That said, any online broker (I like Fidelity), fund your sweep acct, make your purchase. You'll be charged a fee when you buy + when you sell. Also, takes 3 days for the proceeds of a stock sale to go thru "settlement" before they're available. I like to look at 1 year charts, find a trading range, buy lo + sell high. If you invest with your heart, you'll do just the opposite and loose another piece of your anatomy in the lower posterior area.

Your advice has many many flaws beginning with the implication that you need $100k before you consider buying individual issues. Any FA that recommends that should not be considered.

These guys work hard, do their jobs and deserve a tip. Bob:)

Yes they do! But consider this. If they handle 100 cabins of luggage( 2 per) at $5 each that's $500 on top of their pay. I'll bet they don't tell the IRS about it.

Even at one ship per week that's over $25,000 per year in tips!!!!

Good work if you can get it.

Great job pulling this off!

I knew someone had to quote your original thread. It turned out to be two.

Webfoot/others - Why do you suppose Avalon (and other river cruises) charge so much - unrealistically so, I think - to process/handle their customers' laundry? Particularly since we're all paying so much to begin with for the cruise itself. If a company doesn't want to do something, all they have to do is set their price high enough to discourage any use. Is that what is going on here? In our case, we will be on their boat and their cruise for nearly two weeks. I've already paid them thousands of dollars for the basic cruise, plus thousands extra for a deluxe suite. Is that not enough, already? I don't really wish to spend my vacation time doing laundry in a bathroom sink. I thought those days were over at Boy Scout camp 50 years ago! I believe it is unreasonable to have to pay them a pretty high "per piece" charge for each and every piece of clothing I might give them (particularly underwear) when all they have to do is throw it in one of their huge industrial-sized washing machines along with all the other tons of laundry they're undoubtedly already doing each day. I would glady pay them an additional flat fee for doing a reasonable load of laundry for me near the end of each week of the cruise. In fact, I'd glady have them do that laundry for me INSTEAD of them sending a maid in every day to make my bed! I could certainly make my own bed each day but it is far more difficult and time-consuming (not to mention a little "tacky" given the price of this cruise experience) for me to be drinking a nice "complimentary" bottle of wine at their dinner table and then having to go back to my suite and do my own laundry without a machine and having to hang it up all over the place in my room (and hope it dries in a couple of days). Avalon - please "weigh in" on this if you're reading this post. Is this not something that should be given some corporate attention? Why not just give each stateroom a medium sized laundry bag "to fill" and charge us $20 USD a bag to launder it - no matter how many pieces are in there? In the case of underwear, you don't even have to iron/fold it. Just throw it back in the bag after it's washed/dried. I'll take it from there! Regards.

These boats (they are not ships) are quite small compared to ocean going cruise ships. There probably is not any room for the large industrial washers and if they do have them there are not very many. Offering "reasonably" priced laundry service would probably overwhelm the available resources (both equipment and crew). Then you get passengers in a tizzy because they did not get their laundry returned in a reasonable time.

Yes Avalon does laundry but as far as I know they do. It have a package. Two years ago we traveled for a week prior to the cruise and we found a self-service laundry so once we got on the ship all of our clothes were clean. We then had the laundry service do a few pieces during the cruise.

Do you mean they do not have a package?

As this thread is from July 2010 you can be sure that all of those bed bugs are dead.

Do you think this is too much to ask of us? Our group tour is in early August for Naples region. This is for a full day tour costing about 700 Euros.

 

All other tours I booked for this cruise have asked 0 to 25 Euros.

 

FWIW, I got recommendation to this tour operator from these boards, but they are not one of the frequently recommended companies. I could only find the one recommedation I saw, but that poster is legitimate.

 

What do you think?

I think a 100 deposit on 700 cost is reasonable. Yes they can stiff you for the 100 but from their prospective you can stiff them for 700. I paid 50 on 400.

Forget about how good a student she might be, what her courses are, what her professors might think. It is also about commitment (a big part) to being in school and sticking to your choices. If she or her mother does not have commitment to education she should not be in college.

The mother seems reluctant to even ask the daughter about the cruise. Maybe she will not want to go. Just because she will be in the "forgotten" 18-20 year old range ( I don't think it is so forgotten) is no reason to give up the commitment to college.

The bed pulls away from the wall. We had some rather tall people on our Epic cruise in October and that is what they did. No issues whatsoever with the bed being too short for them. We love our mini on the Epic.

Does pulling the bed away from the wall make it longer?

I agree, no suits, no jackets! Shaving, why bother. Heck, even washing your hands is a burden. And those serving utensils at the buffet, they just take more time than using your hands. I agree, no rules, no decoram. My motto is 'Laissez Faire'. Even if there are rules or social customs, who cares. I only follow the rules/customs I like. Of course I would prefer that everyone else also follow the rules/customs I like. :)

Isn't that precious!

No tux. No suit. No jacket. I am a rebel. I don't even shave. Maybe on formal nights.

Folks seem to have different opinions (information?). If you want the correct answer looks like you will have to call the cruise line.

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Walked in, while using the restroom someone else came in and took care of business and left. When I came out of the stall to wash my hands that is when I noticed the URINALS!!!!!!!!!:eek: !!!!!!!!!!!!! End Quote

I don't understand the problem. Did you try to use the urinals?