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SargassoPirate

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Everything posted by SargassoPirate

  1. At least they are probably not wearing a mask when they are working from home. Put them on a ship with a mask and try to communicate effectively.
  2. Is there a timeshare or investment plan presentation involved?
  3. We/I always fly in a few days ahead of the cruise and depending on how far the cruise port is from the airport - such as Southampton from Heathrow - we will simply get ourselves back to the airport to link up with the cruise line transfer. Same when disembarking.
  4. This thread is EXACTLY why you want to have a good travel agent involved. Re-read my post about my method of booking with Princess - or any cruise line for that matter - and pay special attention to this statement: "I transfer the booking to my warehouse club travel department and if any needs arise, such as a price drop, I'll call my TA and they can arm wrestle with Princess." I don't waste six hours with so-called "customer service" reps. If my TA can't resolve it right away, they get it fixed and call me back when everything is resolved.
  5. That $39 upcharge will pay for an evening wee dram or three during my finger foods in the P&E lounge. Hmmm?
  6. Yeah, I'd like to know what they really think as well, but they do seem appreciative.
  7. I like the way you think. I rationalize the cost by driving 20 and 25 year old vehicles that still look brand new and run like a top. I tell myself that by not buying a new car or truck every four or five years, I have more than paid for my world cruise.
  8. Keep hoping because "all of this sickness" will never be under control as long as people don't get vaccinated for the seasonal flu and covid AND don't practice good personal hygiene. Just treat it as if the whole world and everybody in it is contaminated and take measures to protect yourself.
  9. Different cruises, different demographics perhaps? I avoid holiday and spring break cruising.
  10. All the more reason to avoid reporting to sick bay. Why risk quarantine for a mild or even no symptoms?
  11. So let's see. Food at the MDR and the HC is included in your cruise fare. A reservation for specialty dining is an upcharge. So the salmon they offered at $10.00 was an upcharge upcharge. On recent cruises I have walked by the specialty restaurants and they looked like ghost towns and the staff looked like the Maytag repairman.
  12. I booked a 2025 cruise last week. I put it on a courtesy hold since She Who Must Be Obeyed is going on this one and she had not yet risen for the day. I received a confirmation email from Princess within minutes. On the day that the deposit payment was due, I logged into my Princess.com account and made the payment. Easy breezy. In a few days, I transfer the booking to my warehouse club travel department and if any needs arise, such as a price drop, I'll call my TA and they can arm wrestle with Princess. BTW, I'm a bit hard of hearing and couple that with a foreigner using a headset while working from home and I'll stick with doing it myself online.
  13. Well, when I cruise on a line without guest laundromats, I pack a lightweight collapsible plastic bucket for in-cabin laundry needs. It's better than trying to use the sink or the cabin trash can. Is that close to the kitchen sink?
  14. I think they are stored with the barrel chairs. ๐Ÿ˜
  15. You got that right. But then as a child of the sixties, and with an old school education where we were taught to think, I tend to question authorities, "experts", and science. I'm the guy who prefers natural or homeopathic remedies over prescription medications pushed by big pharma and physicians. But I'm also the guy who will take every vaccine recommended for travel and other exposures after reading up on the possible side effects of each to weigh those against the protection afforded.
  16. Yeah, we've just been through three years of that. And people like me who asked what the science was behind some of the mandates were marginalized.
  17. You gotta put the pencil to it. For me, the math doesn't work, so I go ala carte.
  18. It may be called a conspiracy theory, but it could be that with the cruise lines trying to maximize their revenue from the ups and extras and not the cruise fare, allowing single travelers to book a cabin as a solo cuts their potential revenue to cabin by 50 percent. All the more reason to turn my bookings over to a TA and let them arm wrestle with Princess.
  19. Princess is exercising the basic law of the marketplace - charge what the traffic will bear. As long as people will pay higher prices, there is no incentive for them to lower the price. We, as the "traffic" or consumers can decide when and where to spend our money on what is important to us. I am happy that cruise lines have moved to the approach to lower the fare and then make their money on the ups and extras because I don't use the extras and the folks that do are helping to subsidize my cruising.
  20. At that price, one could buy a new car or go on a world cruise. I'll skip the new car and opt for the WC. Just depends what's important to you.
  21. I check the basic cruise price with Princess and my warehouse club travel department. I book whichever is cheaper. More often than not it seems to be the cruise line is cheaper. When everything is set, I transfer it to the warehouse club, garner their benefits, and charge the cruise to the warehouse club credit card and get another three percent cash back at the end of the year. It's a seamless process. Download the transfer form from the warehouse club, scan it, email it to Princess, and then when I can see that the TA has taken over the booking, I confirm everything with the TA and get the booking info from them via email On a particularly expensive cruise, the warehouse is giving me a gift card voucher for $3500 once the cruise is completed and then I'm getting the three percent cash back next January
  22. A friend in South Carolina claims those aren't roaches, they're Carolina water bugs
  23. I've had success with the tips I posted and I made it through the pandemic without wearing a mask unless someone in authority required it and then it was often just a cowboy bandana. Five cruises since the restart, numerous flights, some buses, taxis, etc. Not so much as a sniffle. Same approach for flu season and the rest of the year. I take steps to protect myself with vaccinations and hygiene and do not depend on others to do "the right thing" because few people do By all means, wear a mask to protect yourself if you feel the need. Safe cruising.
  24. Having worked in public health and safety before I retired, I can offer what's worked for me for years and during the restart. Take all of your vaccinations. Wash your hands frequently and then use sanitizer before after you are seated, you've pulled your chair in, and handed the menu back and before you touch any food. Resanitize if during the meal you touch any common use items such as a salt shaker. If you find yourself sitting anywhere near somebody coughing, get up and move - no matter how much you wanted to see that show or how good those seats are. Essentially, treat the world and those around as contaminated and break the chain of transmission between the world - them and yourself.
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