Essiesmom

I wonder if it happens to most cruise lines that have very short cruises. Late booking on a stolen card, booking expensive extras…anticipating cash refunds for cancellation. We just don’t hear about it. On the Carnival board they watch the Galveston webcam and see people taken off in handcuffs…rather than outstanding warrants, maybe they are wannabe scammers…. EM

Some use lanyards, others don’t. My card always goes in a pocket. Country trading pins? Never heard of doing that on a cruise. In fact, have t heard of that in many years. Not all doors are magnetic. Depends on the cruise line and ship. Perhaps you should ask on the board here for the line you are sailing. EM

As for trying a different company, I am suggesting MSC, with a cabin in the Yacht Club. Separate dining, lounge, pool, butler…I have never sailed them in the Yacht Club but from accounts on the MSC board here, it might suit you. And I think you should consider making up an introduction letter for your butler/cabin attendants detailing your deafness and how they can best accommodate you. EM

I didn’t think I got the email, but remembered I had an email yesterday from X about the Galapagos. I get lots of cruise line emails and delete unread if I am not currently interested in that line or itinerary. So I went back to the trash pile and sure enough, it was the webinar invite. EM

Generally, I don’t watch videos. I never go directly to YouTube. I will admit to watching one lengthy video…from Where’s Walter, because it was about cruising on Virgin Voyages. I was considering the line and found the descriptions quite puzzling/confusing. Mostly I pass over short videos embedded in threads, and I never intentionally take videos. EM

Cabins are categorized and priced by the preferences of cruisers. If more people want aft cabins over forward cabins, they will price them higher. Bet the midship insides are even higher. Why do you say your TA charges more? It is the cruise line that sets the rates, and you can check this by doing mock bookings for the cruises that interest you. EM

So far as I know, there is no interface that plucks a name off the waitlist when a cabin is cancelled and back in inventory. I don’t know who monitors that at Carnival. Once a cabin pops up it will be online and fair game for anyone. Your best chance is probably to check the cruise multiple times a day. EM

Being Aurea, it doesn’t matter what time they have you. Go through the door and look for the Diamond/Aurea sign. EM

Try a mock booking. The first screen you see asks you to choose your offer, and has the bare bones fare, and the fare with WiFi and drinks. But above that you choose number of guests, etc., and you input your voyager number. When you have entered your number and it recognizes it, the price will change. EM

I was wondering about a membership number also. EM

Divina appears to be doing either 4 night or 14 night cruises over the Holidays. Seaside and Seascape are doing 7 days eastern or western. Depends on what you prefer. I was on Seashore December 7-17 last year and they progressively decorated as the cruise went on. That early there were not any Holiday themed activities. EM

There is a website that I have posted many times, not a travel agency, but occasionally the mods remove it. Try cruisetransatlantic dot com. I’m sure it’s not complete as it doesn’t include cruises to and from South America…. You might start or end your journey with a crossing on the Queen Mary 2. EM

1972 Home Lines Homeric. X2 1973 Home Lines Oceanic x2 Took a break and did t sail again until Royal Princess l 1999. EM

Somewhere in China? Chinese, Japanese or Korean on the blue bus…. EM

Yes, but it’s DOWNhill. It’s the walk up to board that kills me. I travel carryon only but I now check my rollaboard and just wear my backpack. But debarking…you could ride your suitcase down…if it had brakes…and maybe a tiller to steer…. EM

He has five previous cruises in his signature. EM

That brings up a memory. Waayy back when I was a Girl Scout, my sister’s troop made a trip to Mexico to the Cabana in Cuernavaca. I went along, as one year younger and our mother was asst. leader. Along the way we visited Acapulco, staying in a motel near the beach. Budget with lovely grounds and pool. On a tour of the city, we stopped by the Hotel Caleta, most expensive in town with possible exception of Las Brisas with the pink jeeps. We walked through the lobby, taking a sip from the water fountain, knowing that was all we could afford there. Fast forward 13 years, and I take a tour through an airline, with basically the same itinerary. And where did we stay in Acapulco? La Caleta. It was still very nice, open air with no a/c. EM

It may ask you for a credit card when you do online checkin. Input it, and it might take. BUt it might not. I have had it not take, and on another cruise I went to the kiosk to put in the card, and it said a card was already registered. EM

If you are t familiar with Sailor Jack’s trip reports, go to his signature and start from the bottom. I particularly like Dream Nightmare…. EM

Thanks. EM

I am booked on my first VV cruise, five days on Valiant Lady from Miami. I status matched so get a free bag of laundry. I am a minimal packer, carryon only…but the reason for the laundry question is that the day I get off VL I will sashay down the pier and board MSC Magnifica for a short 3 days. So, what is the latest I can send out a bag of laundry and get it back in time to pack? Thanks, EM

It was rather like watching an episode of ‘To catch a smuggler’. EM

Ship? Itinerary? We can’t speak of shuttles without knowing the ports. Be aware that Mediterranean cruises are like a bus route, with new guests boarding at most of the ports. EM

Evaluate flight arrangements between NB and SB. I have done B2B both ways. Didn’t know any better when I booked the first one starting from Whittier. Coming from East Coast you have to go in at least a day early. From Coastal GA it’s ’you can’t get there from here’. Delay in Houston, delay on same plane in Seattle. Was supposed to be in before midnight. At 0300 I was pulling my luggage down the corridor of the Capt. Cook. Clerk comes out and asks if I am checking out… Short night in expensive hotel. Flights home were red eye. Next time we did B2B from Vancouver. EM

When I PCSd to Germany in 1976 I think I shipped my car from Philadelphia. I sold it before I came home, had a new one waiting for me here. EM