Crusin6
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You were at the Sarona Market... lovely place!
We got on a plane for Israel July 2014 a day or two after Hamas began bombing Israel. We chose to go anyway. Yes, we spent the first 5 days in and out of bomb shelters (hotel stairwells) and I have an unbelievable photo of the Iron Dome intercepting a missile over Jaffa. We were stranded in Israel as our plane was diverted to Paris and then all the US airlines stopped service.
Call me crazy, but in Israel I felt 100% safe 100% of the time. On the other hand, I do not feel safe walking to our car after dinner in Atlanta, or leaving my neighborhood mall in broad daylight.
Going to Italy and Greece on Sept. 1 on the Reflection. Can't wait!
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Sorry to break it to you but you were in danger and in a war zone
To say you felt 100% safe while in a bomb shelter is an interesting concept
You were quite lucky to not be hurt so yes it just wasn't your time so that argument works
But please recognize that your trip to Israel was dangerous no matter how you want to spin it
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Next time you or someone you know considers undertipping--or not tipping at all--think of this man, whose situation was portrayed in the Washington Post. If he doesn't get enough in tips, he doesn't have enough money for his fare home...and sleeps at the airport. No one should have to live like this.
You are absolutely correct no one should have to live like this...and your comparasion of this man to ships crew is totally irrelevant
A cruise ship employees send their money ( which they agree to when they sign on) home so their families do not live like this
Ship employees have room and board covered and just because you or I wouldn't like to live in a small cabin doesn't mean they mind it because their families are living well and it's not a 50 year career and when they go back home at the ripe old age of 40 they start businesses and live a nice existence
Now for the man in your link....he is not a ship employee...he is living in the USA....And...
Has access to plenty of social service options
Medicaid
Welfare
Food stamps
Ssi benefits
Housing/shelter for the homeless
Housing for mentally incapacitated
Chances are he already gets some or all of the 1st 4
Chances also are he refuses the last 2
Sorry but it's his choice and absolutely no person need ever be homeless and while it may not be a suite in the Haven....no person in America ever need be homeless.
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Odd, but in all my 65+ years of living in the States, I have never come across "so many reports" of service staff not being paid enough. Even during the time I worked as a waiter putting myself through college (made enough to go to college, as a matter of fact) I never heard all that complaining.
Where are all these reports found?
Lol
The liberal news media
The snowflakes
The college grads that can't speak clearly or write clearly anymore because they text all day and never pick up a phone to speak on it
The list is growing daily too
Very sad
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Arsenalboy said it all ,most US cities are far more dangerous than Europe even in the current situation. Murder stats in the US are far higher than terrorism in Europe recently, driving in South Africa is far more risky. Road accidents kill more people than terrorism , many places are much more at risk.
I know most will disagree but..
Comparing murder rates in gang infested neighborhoods to terrorism is really like apples and oranges
To make an accurate comparison the stats must be related
Such as....inner city drug and gang related murders in Chicago to the same in LA
Same for terrorism
Same for random street crime
Same for any type of crime
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Idk if the story is true or not; but don't find it as far fetched as you. I've met plenty of people who were incredibly financially irresponsible at 18. If you spend the first 18 years of your life having all your bills/needs/spending covered by your parents, you don't magically understand how budgeting works and the value of a dollar because you turned 18. Isn't that why so many young adults end up in so much credit card debt? Anyone who says they stay away from credit cards because they don't want to get in trouble has realized that if you don't have budgeting skills you can keep swiping that card forever without realizing the bill you are racking up.
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Any 18 yo who didn't realize they were losing $5000 it incredibly dumb or has medical issues we are not privy to and can't be held responsible for her actions. She may have thought she was just playing an arcade game if that is the case. Btw I agree with the previous poster that questions the authenticity of this story too. As there must be a backstory we do not know.
However....generally for your run of the mill average B student 18yo...
I would think....
The kid went to high school and from time to time needed money for stuff at school I would presume?
I guess the mother said...."sure hon go and order $500 worth of spirits school wear, no problem, I'll just pay for it"
Instead of saying...."oh, you want to get school varsity team sweats and shirt?" Ok, how much? I'll pay half and you pay half ok? But keep it under $100 in total ok?
Geez, I'm planning another cruise with my 16, 22 and 23 yos and they all know they are kicking in their share
The 23 yo is more than gainfully employed with a professional medical license but the 22 yo will be a recent grad but has covered every trip and study abroad she has taken in the last 5 years....because she works!!!
The 16 yo babysits constantly, but of course I don't expect full trip payment from her...but perhaps...$300 plus dsc
That 18 yo, if not mentally incapacitated, is a spoiled kid with a parent who is clueless
A parents job is to say no sometimes and use every single aspect of daily life as a teaching tool
I wonder if the parent ever paid the $5000 that Ncl charged to her credit card...which was used for the onboard account?
I doubt it.
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Rome cabs
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And let's not forget the opera at the baths of Caracalla.
We Have tix for Tosca this summer
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Considering a January 2018 cruise on the Breakaway. Looking forward to review.
I really do not like the Ba but my dd16 who did not sail her with us last time would enjoy it so in order to use up my cert I actually booked spring break 2018 for my 3 dds and myself at an excellent bogo price
My dds are very travel savvy and 2 have been on the ba and all of them can roll with the punches and as I said the price was right and we have certs and no airfare so I'm ok with it too
There is no way I would ever in a million years subject my dh to this ship with his asthma though
I am also well cruised myself so I know a good ship from a great ship from a mediocre ship
Ba is not mediocre primarily thanks to the slides and the ropes course and spice
However it is eons and eons away from being a great ship and imho rates acceptable ....depending on what you are looking for and if smoke doesn't bother you
One more cert left to use after this but may just let it go or give it to my oldest kid to use with her dh
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Well he was on the ship maybe 10 minutes or so he came off with 2 backpacks and 2 carry on suitcases Thinking wife or girlfriend. Maybe got into a fight she stayed on the island he went back to ship and then she never made it back in time just worried that nothing bad happened to anyone.
Or he could have been cruising with a buddy and the buddy went snorkeling and he went to senor frogs for the day
Anything is possible but to ease your concern over this issue...which you have no control over and which happens more frequently than we would like to think....there is a dock agent and/or a cruise ship local employee in Nassau who WILL work with the pax and make sure he is taken care of.
No they won't spoon feed him but they will guide and help him
Now if you are concerned because of the port itself and the potential for trouble....well you might have a point
However there is nothing you can do about the pax who missed the ship and his or her friend/husband/brother or whomever who left the ship to wait for them
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What sort of insurance are you talking about? I very much doubt if port cancellation would be covered. I suppose if you were unable to reach the port of embarkation because a hurricane interrupted your travel, that might be an insurable event.
And if your cruise is extended like ours was or cut short or if your flight gets in late or if you get debarked at a different port from embark because embark port was destroyed like ours was and need a hotel. Some pax on our cruise were from Canada and when we debarked 4 days late due to being stranded in the gulf thanks to Frances and Ivan back in 2004 and canaveral port was a shambles of destruction...guess what? We debarked in Fort Lauderdale and air Canada couldn't get them out until Friday
Trip insurance is not to cover the cost of the cruise....which you may not even care about losing if you paid cheap enough.....its about the unforeseen and getting yourself back home
Btw do not buy insurance from the cruise line!!! Get your own policy. Just look online and you only insure your non refundable costs.
Case in point I just booked a cruise and the ship wanted $260 for 4 pax with pax 3 and 4 being zero cruise cost due to family and friends. I go to my trusted insurance online source and it's $84. Lol. I'm buying with the 14 days of deposit btw.
In case you are wondering the non refundable portion is only $2000 but all the pax get medical/trip interruption etc. if we need to eat or get hotel rooms all 4 are covered
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Yes. I should never have had to fight for something they had my money for and reassured me several times I would get. It was incredibly stressful--particularly when they told me at one point that they weren't sure that we would even fly that night if they couldn't get their systems figured out. Add in the really crappy on board experience, and just say no.
I was nothing but polite and had rechecked everything several times leading up to the day of the flight. It was 100% a computer problem on their part, which they freely admitted. I don't appreciate the insinuation that I was in any way responsible for the problems I had with them.
So it was 100% a computer problem. It wasn't that they purposely booted you from your seats
A better way to state you issue would have been....
AF was having serious computer issue on the day we were supposed to fly but after some stressful hours it was sorted out
The way I read your initial post on this issue is that even though you paid for seat assignments that they purposely took them away from you
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I paid for PE seats--seat selection is included. I was unable to check in online as they had a computer problem. I waited on hold for 45 minutes and was told I'd need to check in at the airport. We arrived at LAX almost five hours prior to our flight time--the AF counter wasn't even open yet. We were first in line to check in. When the counter opened we walk up and they were unable to check us in. We stood there for over two hours while they click the keys and made calls to Paris. I specifically asked and was specifically told our seats were protected and we would have the seats we had selected and booked the day bookings opened for that flight.
Fast forward three hours, we finally got boarding passes and they had us scattered in the cabin. Not acceptable. Argued with them for 15 minutes and told the guy he lied to may face, they finally put us back in the original seats. By then the lines for security were out the door--we waited in line to get through security for over an hour.
The plane was filthy, the lav in PE was broken both directions--it was the same plane as there was an ink stain on my seat that was the same in both directions. My seat was broken. When I asked for another bottle of water you'd think I was asking for the crown jewels. Additionally the FA let three guys from back in economy hang out in the galley area with her laughing all night and instead of servicing the cabin, they kept everyone awake.
We had the same problem on the way back at the PPT airport with not being able to get checked in and them giving away our seats. They weren't the least bit apologetic, and even claimed I was lying about the seat assignments, even though I had all of the paperwork with me.
Never again.
However...while it took some arguing you did eventually get in the seats you paid for didn't you?
Btw I just paid a very reasonable price for assigned seats and spoke with a lovely agent in Atlanta
I don't know about you, but she clearly answered my questions with a great deal of knowledge and spoke perfect English, was not French, and totally understood why I was buying these seats. I also made sure she documented the reason I paid for these seats and required an aisle seat.
Of course I'm no idiot and will keep track of this reservation and call in again to reconfirm all the details and seat assignments prior to the flight.
I'm very courteous to customer service people and never have a problem getting exactly the info I need....of course as an industrial engineer, I not only have plan b/c/d at the ready, I also generally know the answers but just calling to reconfirm those answers
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My experience is that Air France will give your seats away and lie straight to your face that they didn't do so. Also good luck with them in even getting boarding passes. It took them HOURS of me standing at the counter and them making repeated calls to Paris to get mine printed. They claimed they could see the reservation but the system wouldn't allow them to print the boarding passes. Customer service on board was terrible. Broken seat, broken lav, and a six ounce bottle of water all they want to offer for a seven hour flight.
Seats you paid extra for they will give away?
Can you please detail your personal situation that you are referring to?
Are you claiming I will not be able to print outgoing boarding passes from home?
Or returning boarding passes at my hotel?
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All airlines and travel agents are required to advise you about the operating carrier for codeshares. So DL actually showed you that it was operated by AF. Whether or not you paid attention is a different question, but from the get go, you should have known AF was the operating carrier.
If you don't want to be separated, pay for the seats. So many folks want things but don't like that their preferences cost money. What's it worth to you?
TAANSTAFL. Had you flown with DL as the operating carrier, you would have gotten seat selection. Let me guess - the price to ORY was less than to CDG on DL metal.
Not sure why you are coming across with such an attitude. I'm just considering paying for the seats and asked opinions
I did book on delta btw and the confirmation said delta and had a delta flight number
A few days later the new confirmation came through with Air France flight number
The cost of the seats are not an issue. I'm just wondering what others do or suggest
There was no need to belittle the price I paid for the tix
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I'm in the same boat so to speak
I booked on delta ...JFK to orly. ...And then Naples to degaulle to JFK
I thought I was on delta but come to find I'm on Air France
I spoke to a lovely supervisor to reconfirm some stuff but I'm wondering if I should pay for seats now
Me an my 22 and 16yo well traveled kids but we really dont want to be separated
$69 per person for all the legs in total
We got great prices on the tix. I'm contemplating the extra $210 though but my fear is they will move us anyway. Also I can pick seats for free 30 hours out I'm told or just get assigned at checkin
Suggestions? Thanks
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I think he should just take a can of spam
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Before you count on the Coast Guard, read this -
"Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump's budget proposal includes a $1.3 billion cut to the US Coast Guard, congressional sources told CNN Tuesday.
The cuts would be applied to an operating budget of about $9 billion, which hawks on the Hill were quick to slam as too deep a reduction to the military branch's funding."
That is a 14% cut in the Coast Guard budget.
DON
Maybe so but that doesn't mean they won't help a ship pax in distress
It could me less building of new barracks
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Reasonable not to take you all the way home. Any US city is fine with me. So that huge coverage for evacuation may be overkill. I have read that very small percentage of evacs. require helicopers.
If you are in the Med you might get lucky to get to an American hospital on an American base in Italy. Same perhaps if in the Baltic and near American base in Germany
I'm just putting this out as a theory...not fact so please if anyone has actual info that would be great
On our last cruise out of NYC we had a Medivac....the 1st attempt was to get close enough for them to get a chopper out from Norfolk but he got sicker so it was a diversion to be close enough to Bermuda
Not a clue if it was Bermuda choppers or USA choppers but it was right outside our balcony
I would probably be concerned on cruises far from the US mainland and territories
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Check their website
Send them an email asking this question
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If smoking doesn't bother you and if you aren't planning to use the pool too much then choose the Ba
Also if it's a cruise with kids choose the ba
If it's just a cruise to enjoy a cruise on a great ship and don't mind the ports then choose the gem
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In general NEVER use a debit card. If your card is compromised it will be your bank account that loses money. Yes, you'll eventually get it back from your bank, but in the meantime you could have payments (mortgage, car, utilities, etc) rejected. Whereas, if your credit card is compromised, it's not your money that's at risk. Eighteen years in banking, with most of that time handling deposit accounts and adjustments...don't assume the bank can or will get your money back into your checking account right away.
Listen to the bankers on this thread!!!
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This pre-paid credit card thing to pay off the regular credit card seems like too many steps.
Rather than buying the prepaid credit card, leave the money in your bank. Secure your on board account with the credit card. Take a copy of your bill home. Immediate pay your credit card that amount. Viola . . .no high credit card bill.
This!!!
But let's be honest here...when a poster says they "don't" use credit cards...I ask why?
The theory I come up with isn't that they "don't use credit cards" but that they "can't use credit cards"
Yes I know there is a double negative there. I really hate that but want to make the point lol
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My philosophy is never ever use a debit card for absolutely anything...except...emergency cash from a secured inside a bank lobby ATM machine....and only if the branch is closed and you can't get cash from a teller
I use credit cards for everything except perhaps the tips for the hairdresser etc and I always have enough cash in the house to grab $200 if need be
I charge the stuff and then pay the credit card via my secure online banking account on a weekly basis and never pay interest
Oh and for the record I was a banker in my previous life and was part of the roll out of the first 24 hour banking kiosks in NYC back in the day....you know before hacking/cloning etc...so I'm not the sky is falling type at all...credit cards are the best not debit and definitely not a prepaid visa or MC
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First Communion....I would go on vacation. Now if it was her Confirmation..that would be a different conversation. Perhaps your Pastor could visit the family before the cruise for a blessing and administer her first communion at that time.
I had a friend whose son was scheduled for confirmation with my daughter
The son was not in the parochial school class but in the CCD program at the church but they get confirmed as one group
They had bought non refundable tix to Florida for spring break before confirmation date was scheduled but in past years it is never around Easter or spring break so no worries she thought.
The CCD director...who was a complete disaster and was fired even before confirmation..booked the Bishop to do the confirmation during what would be the public school spring break. (Catholic schools and public schools here were different that year due to Passover dates) so she only looked at the parochial school calendar and not the public school calendar....thus booking the bishop during the public school break which is where the CCD kids come from
Needless to say the CCD families were rightly upset. Btw bishops are hard to come by and get booked 6 months in advance and won't consider rescheduling
Ok so my friend has non refundable tix (as did other public school families) what does she do?
She just put her son in a different church CCD for that year and he was confirmed 3 weeks later. Lol
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Is Europe safe given the new travel alert?
in Italy Ports
Posted