mtwingcpa

I did the canal in October several years ago and here was my experience:

There were late afternoon thunderstorms along the Pacific coast south of Acapulco. And it rained for an hour or so midday while we were transiting the canal. I don't recall any rain on the Atlantic side or subsequent Caribbean ports.

But none of that detracted in any way from an otherwise excellent trip (naturally, YMMV). :-)  

I bought 2 or 3 photos on one of my first cruises, but thereafter I've been an avoider. 😕  

On 7/25/2020 at 7:08 AM, mtwingcpa said:

I'm in a similar "boat", having applied a CFAR insurance credit to a Princess cruise sailing in Fall 2020. Said cruise has now been cancelled, but they haven't yet reissued the credit. My understanding is that the credit will retain its original "sail by" date of 12/31/2020...and that will make it all but worthless under the circumstances. 😞

 

I've finally heard from Princess regarding the disposition of my pre-covid CFAR credit issued by Princess's cruise insurance for a cruise I cancelled in Fall 2019. Said credit had an original sail by date of 12/31/2020 (and I had originally applied it to a now cancelled cruise in Fall 2020).

They have now extended the sail by date to 5/1/2022. I believe that's the same date as the credits they've issued for covid cancellations and might be more generous than I had expected in my case. Still, it remains to be seen whether I'll actually be able to use said credit. 😕  

Add me to those who don't get all wrapped up in the "single supplement" or "ppdo" issues. I shop based on a daily budget of under $200, and based on the destination/itinerary. I'd never book a cruise based SOLELY on the nonexistence of a supplement.  

I have received a future cruise CREDIT under a CFAR clause, but not a cash refund (if that's what you're asking).

I would suggest that you book a short 3-5 night cruise just to try it. That experience will then give you a basis for determining what likely is or isn't possible in terms of cruising.

As others note, I suspect you would need to book a themed singles/solos cruise to find most of the attributes you're looking for.

1 hour ago, molly361 said:

Didn't Princess already cancel all sailings thru mid December?  Meaning that your certificate is basically worthless?

Yeah, with the possible exception of some cruises in and out of Australia, it looks like Princess has cancelled everything through December 15th. Even is some sailings are available in the last two weeks of the year, they won't be out of Seattle (my nearest port and the port of departure of the cancelled cruise I was booked on), and I'm unwilling to fly under the circumstances.

So, yes, if the 12/31/20 "sail by" isn't extended, the FCC is all but worthless (at least to me). 😞  

On 7/25/2020 at 7:08 AM, mtwingcpa said:

I'm in a similar "boat", having applied a CFAR insurance credit to a Princess cruise sailing in Fall 2020. Said cruise has now been cancelled, but they haven't yet reissued the credit. My understanding is that the credit will retain its original "sail by" date of 12/31/2020...and that will make it all but worthless under the circumstances. 😞

 

I've got my fingers crossed for a better resolution, but who knows what will happen.

OK, they've restored the credit (without notification or comment) to my account, with its original "sail by" date of 12/31/2020. I think I'll wait a week or so to see if they reach out, and then I'll decide whether to pursue this further.

I'm not happy about the situation, but I'm not sure there is anything I can do about it. 😞

20 hours ago, BlueRiband said:

According to their specifications the current Tustumena is the only vessel in their fleet which has ocean-going capability and has the draft, beam and overall length to service all of the ports on their system. 

20 hours ago, Aquahound said:

 

That's not accurate.  AMHS has 2 ocean class vessels.  The other is MV KENNICOTT.  

Yes, the Kennicott is also ocean-going. But it is probably too big to service a number of ports in the system. So I'd guess BlueRiband's statement above is essentially correct. Just sayin' 🙂

5 hours ago, klfrodo said:

I'm assuming you're asking about CFAR that is only offered thru special negotiations by the cruiseline insurance rather than a policy that includes CFAR by a separate 3rd party provider.

In my case, yes, the credit (75%) was issued by Princess' cruise line insurance. 

I've already resigned myself to the likelihood that the credit will be unusable/worthless. And I'm not gonna lose any sleep over it until they actually announce a resolution (which they still haven't done). But when that happens, I might indeed escalate a complaint just to see if a squeaky wheel does get greased. 😉

I'm in a similar "boat", having applied a CFAR insurance credit to a Princess cruise sailing in Fall 2020. Said cruise has now been cancelled, but they haven't yet reissued the credit. My understanding is that the credit will retain its original "sail by" date of 12/31/2020...and that will make it all but worthless under the circumstances. :-(

I've got my fingers crossed for a better resolution, but who knows what will happen.

I have a cruise booked on Princess for this Fall that has just been cancelled. I can get a cash refund for the cash I've paid to date, but part of my payment was a FCC from another cruise I cancelled a year before. I assume I will get that FCC back, but if it bears its original "sail by" date of December 2020, I will forfeit. 

My hunch is they will offer to extend that FCC for (say) an additional year. But even at that, I will likely forfeit. 😞   

Getting up early and watching the ship pull into a new port of call.

I'm not sure I can add much to what has already been said... 

I believe my longest cruise was 19 nights (a one way repositioning). And I remember a number of people saying at the end that maybe about 2 weeks would have been enough for them. I kind of felt likewise, not that there was anything wrong with the extended cruise itself. 

This was on NCL and at the time they had a 2 week menu rotation. So in the third week things repeated, plus they started running out of stuff. But it was all kinda of humorous and I never felt deprived. 😉

Two things I would insist on for any longer cruise:  a full perimeter promenade deck and a forward observation lounge. (Both of these things seem to be increasing difficult to find on newer ships.)

So I'd say my "limit" is probably around 2 weeks, and indeed the next cruise I have booked is 15 nights. 🙂

On one crusie the piano player in the dining room struck up the Titanic theme just as the ship was pulling away from the dock. I thought it was a surreal moment, but no one else around me seemed to bat an eye! 😉

9 minutes ago, calliopecruiser said:

Am I the only person who thinks solo cabins are a rude slam that are not indicative of a "solo friendly" atmosphere? 

No, you are not the only person who thinks that!! ;-)

I also disagree with the premise of the referenced article which, for the most part, equates "best" with "lowest single supplement." 

Ensenada and Victoria, BC. (the two obligatory "near foreign ports" for west coast cruises).  

I agree with other comments that the size of deposit will vary greatly depending on the cruise line and whatever promotions they are offering at the time. Meanwhile...and maybe I haven't been observant on this point...but I don't recall seeing a deposit that varied based on the number of passengers included in the booking. ??? 

Has anyone encountered issues when taking trekking poles through airport security? I suppose it's best if you are actually using the poles as a mobility device. But if collapsed in your carry-on luggage they MIGHT be prohibited.

It seems like they always put 'em together as a queen by default. But I've wanted to try them separate...one to sleep in and one to pile stuff on. ;-) 

Probably the Panama Canal aboard the NCL Pearl. I got a super good deal on a balcony cabin. And the food options were great IMO, including an excellent buffet and an outdoor eating area on the stern. Add the sense of discovery with the canal and it was hard to go wrong!! :-)

Carnival.

4 hours ago, Lois R said:

Silversea blew me away! They are quite a  bit more $$$ but they are Awesome!

Thanks, good to know. 🙂 

On 4/23/2019 at 4:16 AM, Lois R said:

The cruise was fair to good...…...not great and I doubt I will be choosing Azamara again (anytime soon anyway).

I thought the service was spotty throughout and food varied as well.  I know from that forum they have their big cheerleaders (like every forum) but for me? I will be moving on...…..

I took a quick look at your Azamara thread and found it interesting. I have also given thought to trying a premium cruise line...and, you know what, I would expect to be completely "blown away." So I guess I will have to adjust my expectations downward. 😉 

13 hours ago, travelchick989 said:

 

@mtwingcpa  thanks for your reply! I MIGHT try booking a cruise 2-3 weeks away just to see if I get better deals. 

@IrieBanjan 54 thanks for your input!  Thanks for the advice on putting a cruise reservation on hold, haven't thought of that. And yea I am picky about cabin location as I typically prefer a balcony cabin. Thats my only concern about booking very last minute.  

 

When booking last minute do you all book through a travel agent or on your own? I'd think on your own since its very late?

I've always booked on my own, occasionally with the assistance of a cruise line travel rep. When booking last minute, you might not be able to "hold" a reservation for more than (say) 30 minutes. But that would at least give you a chance to nail down a flight reservation before you commit on the cruise.