Di Princess

Thanks for the Link, Hoya! ;)

I have a write up a few pages back on this forum.

HI, VADA,

Would you please give us a Link to your write up? Thanks! ;)

Just be wary if you think you are buying souvenirs MADE in the country you are visiting and then worrying about packing space, shipping home, checking bags etc; check first to see WHERE they are made. On our Rhine cruise, we visited a Christmas shop that was a delight. I went to buy a few souvenirs so that this Xmas I would have a reminder. I turned them over and they were made in China. I didn't buy them and although they would be a reminder, it just seemed wrong. We have travelled so much that our kids have been spoiled already so we tend not to bring back gifts or even souvenirs anymore. When we do, it will be a scarf, Tshirt, empty decorator pillow (where I buy the foam form once back home), place mats or napkins etc. FLAT, light weight and usually I can find those sort of items made locally at markets and artisan shops.

If I can buy souvenirs and Christmas gifts on line, why would I shlep them all the way back across the Pond? ;)

Originally Posted by CPT Trips: Now that our Vantage rep is gone, I have all these questions. You guys are doing great in his stead, you read the question and are practical.

What do you mean "our Vantage rep is gone." ?

Did he die, quit, or you forgot his name, don't have his e-mail address? :confused:

Oh, Diva, you are hilarious!

I did expect robert lockwood to come back with a glowing review, talking about the ports-of-call, food, service, cabin, etc.

It IS just the same old whine, n'est pas? :confused:

Thank you, October Kat, for taking us along on your Barge. :D

I was in the U.S. Navy Reserve for 20 years, although I was Air, not ships. But, I have never heard of a matelot. What is that? What do they do? :confused:

Donna

Now I just pay for rain in Europe and California.

And, how much do you pay for the rain? I am really enjoying it today. Thanks! ;)

With the heavy El Nino predicted, you may get your prayers answered.

Yeah! Yes, Dolores arrived today in Sunland. ;)

At 8 AM, I awoke to loud thunder & lightening and now it has been a nice drizzle all afternoon. Time for pulling weeds tomorrow (well, if the rain slows down). :eek:

Still praying for European rivers and that all ships will sail. :cool:

I must compliment you on your English skills, Mermaid. ;)

I really like the Brits use of Holiday. Living in Southern California, I am also praying for better weather all over our beautiful planet. Thunderstorms are predicted here for this weekend. Yeah, right! Still praying. :D

Hello Di Princess, shame you only seem to remember the more dreary days in the town Pirmasens and the surrounding countryside. But, although I have never been there, I must admit that I am not exactly a friend of that foresty area myself, I prefer my valley.

Heatwave in western Europe If you are heading to Europe in the next few days be aware that it will be hot in a lot of places from London, Paris, parts of Spain (i.e. hotter than usual) to Germany. My family sighed an "oh no!" in unison looking at the weather forecast yesterday. As I live in one of the warmest areas of Germany I have to expect up to 38 degrees or 100 Fahrenheit on Saturday. Perhaps I should not have mentioned 100 in my last post. Thought I could get a fast train and head over to the East but that will not do much good as it forecast to get up to 34 Celsius in Dresden. Please, may I jump onto a river cruise ship and use the pool?

notamermaid

I think you ARE a Dear Mermaid and I am so appreciative of all your great posts, especially about the weather and the river conditions. ;)

I guess that Germany is like the U.S. in that the East is always a lot cooler than the West. Yes, after 57 years, I am sure I will see some differences in lots of things.

You are obviously an American. May I ask how you landed up in Germany? :confused:

I was able to find the Agent at my booking agency who knows about this and yes, there has to be a "minimal policy" for travel to Cuba. She is sending me information about it. For example: $500 allowed for emergency dental. It IS included in the total cost of my trip. I'll come back when I have read what I receive (if I can even understand it). ;)

I think he is not that Techie to want to post on vacation.

I, also, wish that they have a great anniversary cruise and I believe that Viking will have fixed him up.

I'm a Professional Positive Thinker. ;)

I didn't even think about the ship going in both directions as I am taking my first river cruise (after 40 ocean cruises) on the Viking Var in November.

I just picked the least expensive date. Geesh, how could I have forgotten how I freezed to death for 2-1/2 years in Pirmasens, Germany, 57 years ago. :eek:

Prague is the Big Deal to visit in Europe, currently, so we are staying 3 days pre-cruise, using the Viking extension. It includes transfer from Prague A/P to Hilton Hotel (with breakfast), 1-day city tour, and then the 2-1/2-hour coach transfer to Nuremburg. Then we also took the 2-day post-hotel in Koln and fly back from Frankfurt through Charles d'Gaulle.

Usually, I use AirBnB for cheap, great stays; however, we decided to splurge. ;)

HI, PAPA,

What a great thread! Not on a river cruise but on-my-own in Oz, after a NZ-OZ cruise.

It was the Great Barrier Reef. I took a Balloon ride and was picked up at 4 AM in a mini-van with about 10 other pax. It was wonderful, floating over the pineapple fields. I only spoke to the Tour Guide because all the others were Japanese and spoke no English. However, we did smile and bow. ;)

Do they have a place where we can do our own laundry?

Only in your bathroom sink. I use the shampoo for soap. Works great. ;)

No laundry room on most river ships. :eek:

Right On, Colorado.

I totally agree. I love airports and I am never bored, people-watching, shopping, reading, walking around, having a snack. ;)

Thanks, Gal.

How do I get the phone number ?

I have booked an 8-day trip with a 60-person group which includes Air from LAX to Miami, one night hotel in Miami, charter flight to Havana and return, all hotels, food, travel-agent Escort, and Local (Cuban) Guide. This Group must stay together at all times.

The Travel Agency offers optional air insurance for $50 and trip cancellation for $200. However, I asked about the Cuban Medical Insurance :eek: and the Agent had no idea how it works.

I have only Medicare which pays nothing out of the U.S. Does anyone know an insurance scheme that will sell me medical insurance for Cuba? :confused:

Cuban hospitalization is not on my Bucket List. :rolleyes:

I guess that could be. We have Provincial health care. We submit medical claims there, then when they deny or pay a partial payment, we submit to our secondary out of Country insurer. They should pay any difference. I was thinking the US was similar. me bad

No worries. NOBODY understands "OBAMA-CARE." :eek:

You have no case ! :eek:

On the subject of the airplane ticket: The OP hasn't said what airline this super bargain is on. Without that info and more details all around, all we can give is: Caveat Emptor. The only reason something would be a sixth of the price is that it is (drumroll) something VERY different than what they would get from AA at CLT. But, without details, it's a guessing game. Dates, times, flights, cities, carrier. That stuff that actually makes a difference. Sorry but Kreskin isn't around to answer your question, but if you post real details, we'll give it a go.

FLYER:

You always tickle me with your right-on answers. Why is it that these folks with problems are always so obscure with the Important Details? Like, just copy the flight number, date, airline, and itinerary from your PNR. Easy-Peasy. ;)

Hawaiian - although they didn't make it very easy to use them. First of all, as expected, they were non-transferrable, non-refundable for cash and must be used within one calendar year. The vouchers were only valid on Hawaiian Airlines and could not be used toward flights on any of their "partner" carriers. The vouchers MUST be original documents, copies were not acceptable for redemption. In order to cash them in, I basically had to two choices:

1. Book a new reservation & pay for it out of pocket, and then send the vouchers to Hawaiian Airlines. Upon receipt of the vouchers, they would then apply the voucher credit to my reservation and refund the appropriate amount to my credit card. Or,

2. Go to the nearest Hawaiian Airlines ticket counter and book my reservation there. I could then apply the voucher amount to the reservation and pay any difference out of pocket (if any money were due), although, this option may incur an additional fee. There may also be a price difference for the same flight if booked at the ticket counter versus a fare found on the web... fortunately in my case, the price quote I had in hand was the same as what was available at the ticket counter.

The first option didn't appeal to me as I wasn't thrilled about paying for the reservation and then sending Hawaiian Airlines my vouchers, only to have them get lost or misplaced and not have any proof that I was entitled to a refund. Besides, I work (part-time) at the airport, so going to the ticket counter was relatively convenient for me, therefore I exercised the second option. I avoided the ticket counter booking fee ($35.00 per reservation) by securing a waiver (by email) from one of the customer relations managers at Hawaiian. I insisted on having the waiver in writing. It took a few phone calls and emails, plus a side trip to the ticket counter... but in the end, DW & I secured our reservations for a R/T flight from Phoenix to Oahu for the grand total of $73.60.

Good for you. I am glad you were able to use this; however, isn't it ridiculous that we have to jump through all the hoops ? It is made to dissuade you from using them. ;)

I used CSA for a 30-day cruise in the South Pacific and got bronchitis. Not only did they pay for my treatment on the ship but all my medicine after returning home. I always book with CSA. However, for my trip to Cuba next year, they do not sell any insurance.

Does anyone know of any company that sells insurance for 8 days in Cuba? :confused:

Realtrip:

Where are you now? :confused:

I guess Robert Lockwood didn't take his laptop with him. :eek:

Does anybody know when he will be back from his cruise? :confused: