klfrodo

Most of my research is done on YouTube.

Here's a start then there will be other links or you can drill down the search to be more specific

HURRICANE KIRK (noaa.gov)

6 hours ago, 6rugrats said:

Before purchasing an airline ticket, does anyone think about who owns the airline they are considering?  And, if it's government-owned, think about the human rights record of that country?  

I don’t 

Any reason why you can't board with them?

11 minutes ago, cruisefrost said:

Got one more cruise booked with them this spring and might be my last

 

Under the exact same circumstances, I cannot think of any cruise line whose policy will be different

1 hour ago, cruisefrost said:

I had to cancel a cruise last minute and the air sea program took the airfare I paid also which is not right as that is not the cruise fare. Any thoughts on this

Of course they did.

Air2Sea are highly discounted consolidator tickets negotiated years in advance and sold to their cruise passengers. You buy a cruise, they offer to sell you air. You cancel cruise, the entire thing is cancelled. 

Otherwise, why not plan a trip to Europe. Buy a 14 day cruise, buy the highly discounted air, cancel the cruise portion and still take the 14 day holiday in Europe. That's not gonna happen.

Healthcare Professional? Md, LPN, RN, Ultrasound Tech, Lab Tech, Hosp Admin, Biomed? all highly specialized healthcare professionals. Only a couple of them authorized to officially state Covid positive for legal documentation.

I'm sorry to hear about your Covid situation. I'm currently fighting off Covid for the first time. I'm at day 6 and the virus is a witch.

I do know that with proper documentation, travel insurance would have alleviated some of the financial burden.

What I don't understand is that you didn't want to risk 300 people on a flight, but you were willing to risk 4000 passengers and crew.  Probably not the decision I would have made, but, we all have to make a decision now and then.  But to put Iceland Air on BLAST for your decisions????  Not a good look in my opinion.

"Nickel and diming" is a term used to describe the practice of charging small, incremental fees for additional services, features, or products, often adding up to a significant overall cost. It typically refers to situations where a business or entity appears to be squeezing every possible cent out of a customer by imposing these minor charges, which may not be clear upfront.

The phrase can be used in both a literal and metaphorical sense:

1. **Literal Sense**: A company may charge customers for small things like transaction fees, baggage fees, or extra charges for condiments or amenities. Each individual charge may seem minor, but they accumulate, making the total cost much higher than initially expected.

2. **Metaphorical Sense**: It can also describe any situation where someone feels they are being taken advantage of through numerous small demands or expectations. For example, an employer might "nickel and dime" an employee by assigning many small tasks that, together, take up a considerable amount of time and energy without fair compensation or recognition.

In both contexts, the term usually carries a negative connotation, implying that the practice is unfair or exploitative.

1 hour ago, dickinson said:

I have booked a tour with them.  I booked it a month ago for a cruise June 2025.  So far, no one else has booked it.  Our roll call is not active and the F group is not real active but someone else posted a tour that is similar and slightly less expensive (we're not interested in it for various reasons).  My real question is at what point do people start booking?  Am I just an early bird?

I've already booked a couple of tours for our Aug/Sept 2025 cruise. I would say we are outliers in our planning and timing of excursions. We were the first to book also. A couple of weeks later, I received notice that others had booked as well and that our tour was confirmed and to pay up.

Also, as you noted, and as ItalyTours.eu has also noted, the CruiseCritic roll calls are a dying breed. They now appreciate and accept FB Groups notifications if you want to be a part of their VIP program or whatever they call it.

I always thought that the cruise industry was the King of nickel & diming, until I took the grandkids on a KOA camping adventure this past summer. Cruise lines are leaving plenty of nickels & dimes on the floor yet to be picked up.

12 hours ago, katanna said:

Howdy,

 

We are taking a family cruise (Royal Caribbean) in December 2025. Our son has an existing heart condition that might (or might not) require a surgery very roughly around the time of the cruise.

 

What is the best way to get the trip insured so that if he does have a surgery, we would get a full refund? Would it be best to go through RC or a third party? How much does RC's "Travel Protection Program" cost? (A very rough quote from USAA was about $250.)

 

Thanks for sharing your wisdom!

 

Matthew

Will the Dr. Sign a piece of paper stating that your son can travel today?

If no, then you cannot insure the trip. All parties must be able to travel on the day insurance is purchased.

I'd recommend you give Steve a call.  Get the Best Trip Insurance Details, Advice (tripinsurancestore.com)

Violates PVSA

Vancouver is not categorized as a Distant Foreign Port.

should the friend book a separate ship from Vancouver to San Diego, then that would work

13 hours ago, wncretired said:

. MedJet will pick you up anywhere in the world and take you to the hospital of your choice. I.e. they will pick me up in Italy and bring me back to North Carolina if I wish. 

With some limitations. Must be a commercial airport. You must be admitted as an in-patient at a hospital.

A clinic in Rwanda via helicopter isn’t going to happen.

Just now, ldubs said:

Did that cruise line ban all power strips or ones that have surge protection?      

Pretty much any and all that have multiple outlets even if only USB outlets.

Follow-Up

So, I used AS miles to purchase our tickets on One World Partner Qatar.

All information during the purchase went thru Alaska. 

I now have ticketing, PNR, seat assignments, etc.  on QR

What didn't transfer was the full name. Everything on Alaska and on travel documents is (on First Name line) First Name Middle Name  and on last name line is Last Name

When I look at my booking on Qatar site (which is where we'll check-in and print boarding documents)  Only First Name and Last Name (No middle names which are on our passports) 

1. Since I have a number of months before travel, should I get this changed?

2. If so, do I go thru Alaska, since they transmitted the names? Or, do I go directly to Qatar?

4 hours ago, Globaliser said:

 

If you're staying in a Miami area hotel, it's a few miles to the port.

 

If you're staying in a London hotel, going to the port in Southampton involves travelling to a different city altogether, covering a distance of a similar order to travelling from New York City to Philadelphia.

 

For that reason alone, it's hardly surprising that London hotels don't offer shuttles to the port.

 

In addition, a negligible proportion of self-booked guests at any London hotel will be going on a cruise from Southampton, which is another difference from Miami.

I'm not sure what you're trying to say.

I was just giving my experience to a fellow American that what they may have experienced at a US port is going to be different in London.

Hardly surprising? Why? It's only 70 miles. That's a daily commute to work.  It's not possible to meet up at a central location? It's not possible to have pick-ups at various hotels and then drop at a central location?. Many other tours do this. Lots of tours out to Bath do this, What about tours to Harry Potter Studios?  How about Windsor? The only difference I'm seeking is a company that has a trailer for the additional luggage.

I'll share my experience from last year.

Our #1 issue was luggage. After traveling for many years for work, I can travel for a couple of weeks with just a backpack. My wife OTOH,,, not so much. A weekend getaway is going to be a large suitcase. However, not to throw her under the bus, this was a 3 week trip.

Here in the States, when we sail from Miami for instance, most hotels offer a shared shuttle to the port. That shuttle usually pulls a trailer dedicated for luggage. Not so much in Europe. Rare to find if they even exist.

The train was something I looked into. The issue? Luggage

The National bus from Victoria Station. Was a legit option, but didn't want to deal with the crowds.

Shared shuttle. The issue? Luggage, They only allowed 1 large per person.

We ended up going private shuttle. Yes, it was a bit more expensive but met our needs.

Next year, we have to get from Venice to Trieste. We are traveling with another couple. After considering all options, we are going with a private shuttle. 

If you do a google search, there are hundreds to choose from. Why not come straight to the source and get some personal recommendations.

Also, about how far out to make the reservation? 30 days? 90 days? 180 days?

15 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

  For example, flying USA-DOH-AUH, the short leg was coded as F, which allowed use of the Al Safwa first class lounge which is a sensational place.

 

 

Thanks for the insight.

Ticketed as "R"

1 hour ago, RogBus101 said:

Thanks I and my wife are in our sixty's this is all new to us. 

I had to ask my high schooler a few years back how to text.

He laughed at me until I reminded him that I taught him how to wipe his butt and how to drive a car.

5 hours ago, fruitmachine said:

Have you a source for this? 

 

The ETA is a visa waiver, and AFAIK you don't need a visa to transit in the UK (as long as you don't cross the UK border) even if you'd otherwise need one to enter the UK.

This is my source that I have used. 

I followed the link for "Transit", I indicated I was a US citizen, I indicated that I was just "transiting", I indicated that I was transiting "somewhere else" (outside the UK), final answer was that after 27 November 2024, I would need to apply for an ETA.

You do not need a visa to come to the UK - Check if you need a UK visa - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

We're flying into Doha on QR in Business Class, have a 16 hour layover, have hotel reserved at DOH in the Oryx Airside Transit Hotel. Then fly out the next morning in Business Class to our final destination. (Side Note: NOT Business Lite)

Any reason that you can think of as to why we couldn't just have dinner in the Al Mourjan Lounge since they do offer a' la carte dining.

Or, maybe someone has experience at this airport and can offer another suggestion for dining in the airport.

Depends on your State of residency laws/regulations and the terms and conditions of the policy you want to purchase.

Some States require/therefore the policy requires under certain circumstances that you include ALL trips costs for XYZ to be covered. Some States and/or policies don't require it for XYZ to be covered.

Would probably be best if you were to use a broker in this instance. Someone like,,,, oh, I don't know,,,, Steve!. Yep, Steve at Get the Best Trip Insurance Details, Advice (tripinsurancestore.com)

Will sound rude, but not meant to be rude.

Yes, what you want to do can be done. 

However, having people on an internet web site tell you 50 different ways it can be done (and you're still confused),, ask your neighborhood grade school kid to show you. Ask you're grandkids to show you.

Yes, they may laugh at you for asking for help on what they consider a simple task, but they'll enjoy it.

 and FWIW, WhatsApp is the easiest to use, uses less bandwidth, is encrypted, not blocked by the cruiselines, can call/video anywhere in the world,,,, caveat? the phone or device you are calling must also download WhatsApp

ETA will be required even if only transiting the airport in the UK.

Yes, when the ETIAS becomes operational, you will be required to apply for one even though you're not spending the night in a Schengen country.