Cruise NH

Thanks for the article it has a lot of good links to others as well. All these cards seem to have one thing in common…they won’t cover if there is a pre-existing condition. I could get one for me but will have to go elsewhere for DH.

Wouldn't it also be beneficial to get faster access to the MDR with open seating? DH and I are considering CO for an upcoming cruise. We were too late to get fixed seating so we're hoping to get preferred seating at the MDR so we don't have to wait in line (vista class ship).

What kind of coverage does the Chase Sapphire provide? Just medical or do they cover, for example cancelling a trip because of health? I've been looking for alternatives as we've gotten older (and insurance is way more expensive) also DH has a pre-existing condition now.

On Cunard I've seen them mark off two stripes with tape some distance apart and you have to prove that you can do that distance with a step. I haven't actually seen anyone tested but I've seen the tape stripes put down and we were told what they were for. I think it's important to make sure people can safely get in and out of a tender especially when there have been deaths associated with that activity. Obviously it's not safe for the crew who are helping out either. I've seen some extremely heavy people get helped into a tender and it was all the crew could do to balance them. That said, they probably need to be more transparent about the whole thing and how people are 'chosen' for the process.

Thanks. I guess I’ll bring an adapter for Zaandam just in case there is only one.

Are there? We're hoping... After the Zaandam we'll be on the Koningsdam and I'm assuming it has USB since it's newer or is that a mistake on my part. Thank.s

@kazudid they have a verifly line in San Diego? I know it's not required but others report it can speed processing...if there's a separate line of course. Thanks

We just did self disembarkation in October in NY, but I imagine the process is the same. No more cards handed out but you do have to let the pursers desk know. Wait for a few days into your voyage before letting them know. For some reason they don’t start the list until a few days in. Another change we noticed beyond the lack of cards was they finally conceded the fact people line up on deck 3 near the exit door. In the past they wanted you to wait in the Queens room but only newbies did that. They have signs now on 3 by the door and an area roped off. We were walking off the ship at 6:30 am.

Thanks for the tips. It's good to hear we can make reservations. We will be going to the dining room when we board to see what we can arrange differently.

We have 3 HAL cruises scheduled in 2023. I noticed that we have ‘open’ dining confirmed on each one. We’ve always done fixed. We did request it but didn’t get it. We know we can go and ask to be changed once on board but that doesn’t always work out. So, now my question is how does open dining work. Do you show up and wait in line? Make reservations each night? We’ll be on the ZAANDAM, Koningsdam and Zuiderdam if that makes any difference. thanks

We’re on the same cruise. I don’t like sea days but it’s better than being home in the winter. At least that’s how we look at it. If it were cold and snowy at home we’d probably be stuck in the house anyway.

I got mine too but sad to report I'm going the other way. I used to like to dress up but now I look at it as a packing problem. On our crossing in October, we went to one formal and skipped the rest. I just don't enjoy it like I used to. I hope there's a happy medium so they can attract new customers without turning off their older base.

In Auckland we did a tour of the city with a drop off across the harbor in Davenport. We enjoyed it. A lot of folks went to a sheep dog demonstration and really enjoyed that. In Wellington we took a walking tour with walkwellington.org.nz. The guide was a volunteer I think and we had him all to ourselves because no one else had signed up through their website. We liked it a lot. We met at the train station which is a short walk from the pier, that of course could be different now. The first time we were in Sydney we did a private tour and that was great, I can't remember the company name now. The next time we visited we took a ferry (on our own) to Watson Bay and then used a walking trail to get to Bondi Beach. From Bondi we took the bus back to Circular Quay. Only do this if you can do a long walk. It was great. The ferry and public transportation in Sydney is fabulous, you can get an Opal card that works on all modes of transport. One thing I would recommend (if you haven't already) get a credit card that you can touch and go or learn to use Apple or Google Pay. I won't go so far as saying they operate a cashless economy there but believe me, having the right card or knowing how to use the app will help a lot where ever you go.

We asked our physician about getting a prescription for our upcoming cruise. He said no, they will only prescribe if symptoms warrant. I feel he's not a fan of the drug. We both came back from a recent Cunard cruise with Covid. My husband wanted to get Paxlovid (my symptoms were very mild) but our doctor's office put him off for a couple of days and by then he was getting better. They said they were trying to coordinate with his cardiologist but I think our doctor just doesn't like this drug. Some who have taken it get Covid again shortly after. I do hope something better comes along. With Paxlovid you have to take it over the course of 5 days...most people feel better in that timeframe anyway so does it help the average case? I don't know.

Thanks for all the suggestions. We decided to rent a car and head out to Arizona for a while then come back to San Diego for a few days. We always THINK we should visit LA but then when we start thinking about what we would actually do there...we come up with next to nothing. We'd much rather explore some parts of AZ and do some hiking. Thanks again.

That’s never going to happen. Covid is the new ‘flu’, with new variations each year. We were on a cruise where everyone was supposed to be negative at boarding, the night we got home my husband was sick, he had Covid, I tested positive a few days later. We’ve had all the shots. My husband felt like he had a bad flu, mine felt like a head cold. We went all that time without getting it. That all said there are plenty of other vacation options of course!

Thanks for all the replies it’s great information and does help us. One way fares to Japan seemed extremely high, at least we can look at this alternative.

Although we are diamond on Cunard we've never used them for booking flights and I'm wondering what everyone's experience has been. We are considering a cruise out of Tokyo (from Boston) so that's why we're looking for some fare advantage if it exists. At a minimum we would want to pick our own seats and dates for departure. It would be nice to be able to have a choice of airline and of seating class. I know for example that JAL flies non stop from Boston to Tokyo, I wouldn't want to do that in anything less then premium economy but wouldn't mind a deal with business class of course. Anyway, would love to hear how this has worked out for others especially on longer routes. Thank you.

Good luck to you. It's hard to believe we're still talking about hurricane's this late in the year!

We did that. I could see where it was throughout the journey.

We just used luggage forward for our return trip on the QM2 from Southampton. I had asked about early pick up because we would be traveling in the UK before sailing home. They said sure but when I made the reservation with the early date they said there would be an extra $70 charge for storage. When I said no thanks we’ll do something else with our luggage, they took off the extra charge. If it had been a more reasonable amount we might have just paid it. I would also suggest that you get the tracking number for your shipping labels so you know when they’ll arrive. We were given different dates and in the end I had to print out the label and stick it to the suitcase with tape I had on hand. Thankfully it held. Even with the glitches we had I would use them again.

We were just off the ship on the 25th. If you need any over the counter medication, even cough drops or ibuprofen you have to call down to the medical center to get it. At least that’s what the sales people in the shop told us. I’m sure you’re already being cautious, but my husband picked up Covid while on the ship. He tested negative just before but by the time we got home the night of the 25th, he was sick. He’s had all the vaccine boosters. We didn’t wear masks and I thought we were being careful but apparently not. Stay safe.

We were just in the UK when I authorized our TA to charge the rest of our upcoming cruise to our card. Usually no problem at all and well under our credit limit. Next thing I know, I get an email from capital one that I had exceeded our credit limit (which is a lot!) and I had better make a payment fast. I checked my card online and saw HAL had triple charged me for the cruise! I got in touch with my TA and after much going back and forth it was resolved but HAL never admitted an error on their part (when clearly there was one). That's not the kind of news you want to hear when you're traveling in Europe and using your cards.

That’s a lecture I would have liked. Totally agree about the staff!

Seriously! People steal them? My goodness.