klfrodo

Since they didn't answer your question, I'll share my experience. I sailed out of Canada to Alaska. Like you, I have Medicare which works in the US. I risked the 1 day I was in Canada. I did not insure this trip. It was only 7 days though and I do have access to Medjet Assist and Chase Saphire Reserve if needed. So, where is your risk? The medical bill for the ship should you get treated in the infirmary. Will that be reimbursed by Medicare? I don't know. Evacuation from the ship. That is free of charge. It's an international Safety of Life at Sea treaty and will be accomplished by a military Search & Rescue team. So? What's your risk tolerance? It's a tough decision. Good luck and safe travels.

$0 trip cost or $500 trip cost will cost you the same at the end of the day. Most policies change the cost to the traveler at the $501 break point, and then $1001, then $1501, etc Since Trip Delay and Trip Interruption pay up to 150% of Trip Costs, why not put trip cost at $500? 150% of $500 would be a better return than 150% of $0.

Let me share with you what I do. Just note that each US State has its own regulation regarding travel insurance. I live in Washington State. Waiver for pre-existing conditions is an important factor for me. Washington State does not require all non-refundable expenses for the trip be covered to be eligible for this waiver. I can afford to lose my cruise costs. I cannot afford to risk a possible medical crisis loss. Therefore, I ensure I purchase my travel insurance in the timeframe required to receive the pre-existing condition waiver. However, I only cover $500 to $750 of my travel cost. This way, I still receive the $100K medical and $250K evacuation. If there is a Trip Delay or a Trip Interruption, I still can claim up to 150% of trip costs to cover additional hotel, meals, and/or transportation. I do have additional coverage thru my Chase Saphire Reserve card as long as I pay a portion of my trip with that card. However, I don't really count on that coverage. It's just a backup. I'm allowed to do this in Washington. I can't speak for what you can do in Texas.

@iamtrustworthy Could you expand on this a little further please. I understand that "Hey, at least I have some drawers, socks, shoes, pants, shirts, shampoo, etc at home that I can wear." What about any souvenirs I may have brought back with me that can't be replaced? Some of these items may even be high end. Or, maybe I'm confusing Baggage Delay with Lost Baggage?

You're absolutely correct. My last international trip was 6 months after the official expiration, but I did start the renewal process prior to the actual expiration date, and I had no issue when returning to the States. My concern or anxiety was that there is no way to get any information about your renewal application once it's submitted. The web site just stayed at Pending. I drove up to the airport where they do the interviews to see if they could give me any update such as it's still in the queue, it's been flagged for further investigation, or whatever. Nope, no info but here call this number in DC and they can help. The number turns into the phone tree from hell that at the end gives you a recording that they can't provide further information.

I'm not sure I understand exactly what this means. Could you expand please?

Received my e-mail today that my status has changed from "Pending" Logged on and my renewal is finally approved. Just shy of 13 months.

Cryptically speaking, this site does not allow us to specifically name other social media sites. But maybe.

@Ferry Watcher Maybe you can chime in what documentation you require as a check-in person. Also, I'm curious to know if you receive any training on how to spot potential human trafficking victims.

This policy is regulated by each State. There are a couple of policies that can be sold in Washington State that don't require the entire trip to be covered and still waive pre-existing conditions. I can't speak for Cali.

These roll calls are dying a slow death. The other social media site is much more active with 250 members for this sailing. There are already 2 slot pulls and 1 gift exchange scheduled. Carnival Venezia December 6, 2024 We purchased our air the other day. We're flying in on Dec 3rd.

Another concern would be a capacity issue. Not only the cabin space, but the limitations on ship capacity and lifeboat capacity.

While I appreciate the information, I'm not sure the answer is there. For a couple of examples: 1. As I'm driving to the airport, the airline app will state the departure gate. If I look at FlightAware or Flightradar24, both will show a different gate. More often than not, they are correct. 2. Been sitting in the lounge or at the gate, pull up one of the apps and it tells me that departure has been delayed 30 minutes. The airline board shows no change, and the gate agents aren't saying anything. Then about 20 minutes after they should have started boarding, they announce the delay. 3. I've even seen where the flight was cancelled, called the airline to start the rebooking process or finding another flight, and CS doesn't even know about the cancellation yet. 30 minutes later, the cancellation is announced. I asked a senior FO for a major airline about this and they haven't a clue either. They said that they've had passengers inform them of delays that they didn't know about, and sure enough, closing the door was delayed.

Same can be said for all travel. They say to try to blend in, don't stand out. It's all hogwash in my opinion. The first time I open my mouth to say a greeting, no matter what country or even US State I may visit, it's going to be obvious I'm not a local. The minute I pick up my knife and fork in Europe, the locals know I'm not from around there. You're a tourist. Accept that. That doesn't mean to let your guard down. Always be aware of your surroundings and maybe watch a few YouTube videos to find out what the local scammers are doing to try to separate you from your money. But, like Mike said, be you. Have fun, meet new people, be respectful and gracious and maybe try a new dish that you never thought you would.

To be honest, if you don't have the proper documentation, then they probably won't even let you on the ship.

A very personal question that each person needs to ask themselves. In my opinion, travel insurance is a risk sharing business. If you are blessed to be in a financial situation where you can self-insure all facets of the game, then by all means absorb the risk. Myself? I can absorb the cost of the cruise and travel. I cannot absorb the cost of possible medical and evacuation costs back to the States. Therefore, I share the risk of medical and evac coverage by purchasing travel insurance that works for me.

I've found that many/most times, even sitting at the gate, that FlightAware and/or Flightradar24 will update the flight schedule or the scheduled delay before the airline app does or even the gate agents. Where do these apps get their information and why are they able to update before the airline app or even the gate agents? Thanks

Sorry to see you're experiencing this. A little too late but, cruise line flight purchase is not the same as if you are buying directly. It's not like, hey I need to travel from LAX to DET and then they look it up and go buy the tickets for you. No, they negotiated a year or so in advance to buy a block of tickets, negotiated the price and the restrictions. Then, when they find a customer like you, they look in their pile of agreed upon tickets for your route and then assign you that reservation. You can find more information here. The thread is old but still has value.

Just a thought. Is the price increase possibly due to you may have crossed an age threshold?

I don't think anything in this world is the same as it was pre-covid. I'm not the same now as I was then. Families are not the same now as they were then. The entire world took a huge gut punch when Covid hit. We learned a lot about ourselves, our families, our friends, our co-workers, the companies we work for, and more. Some changes have been good, some changes need to be re-evaluated and some of these changes are generational in time.

I used Fly2Fun once. Saved $250 over what I could have booked on my own. Once I booked, I realized my 5 hour travel day turned into a 14 hour travel day. Never again for domestic anyways. Once I use up my miles, I may consider cruise line travel for any international travel I may still do. I still have 500K miles to use up.

While waiting for Fly2Fun to come back up, have you at least researched what flights would cost along with flight times, departure and arrival so you have some comparison data?

Without a doubt

My wife and I sailed this past October out of Southampton. We were definitely in the minority being Americans. How could they tell? By the way we spoke, by our mannerisms, and by the way we used our utensils while eating. Did it hinder our interactions with others? The opposite actually. We talked about our similarities and our differences with genuine curiosity and respect. There may be times when people will notice you may be a novice when it comes to cruising but they will want to help you if needed rather than mock your inexperience. Go into this as an adventure.