DaisyGoldberg

I'd never seen it before until our last cruise - it was dinner time, 90-something degrees out, and there were easily 100 people in line in front of us and another 100 behind us. My sister who has major mobility issues but had powered through walking around port mentioned this would be the perfect time for a Haven intervention. I stepped aside and looked ahead and lo and behold there was a guy with a Haven sign working his way down the line, calling out for Haven passengers. We immediately jumped out of line and fell in behind him and were on board in minutes. I don't care particularly about butler snacks, or reserved seating at shows, but this kind of priority escort is what makes the Haven worthwhile for me.

As of February, up top, in front. Hardly anybody up there, especially at night, so nobody is being bothered by the smoke. Because of the wind factor, most nonsmoking people congregate further back. I'm a non-smoker and would accompany my smoking sister up there at night just to sit outside the smoking area and enjoy the sky. It's quite nice with comfy seats and cushions long after the rest of the deck has been stripped down.

I wish they'd let us take it in a doggy bag. Annoying to want to take a dessert back to the room and have them insist the butler will bring it, then go back to the room and wait when we could have just done it ourselves. Sometimes in the desire to serve they complicate things!

They definitely warn you about bringing home sand or shells in Bermuda.

That's interesting - was on Getaway in January and finally tried (what I thought was) the almond croissant. It was a regular croissant with a glazed top with almonds sprinkled on it. Too sweet for me. No filling. So maybe I haven't had the real one yet.

I don't care for seafood, so I'm the one in the Haven dining room ordering the Shrimp Scampi, hold the shrimp. I do have to disagree about the American Diner. What they called a "milkshake" was basically chocolate milk in crushed ice [[shudder]].

The surgeon's office staff will be the ones who will process the forms. Even if the surgeon has left, the surgery took place at that facility and they will have the records to back you up and can advise who's authorized to sign them. They're required by law to share her medical record with whomever she designates, so once she shares that the travel insurance company is authorized to receive the information, they can make it happen. Her best bet is reaching the office by phone and asking how they would prefer to receive the information - snail mail, pdf, fax? Nobody leaves a surgical practice/hospital privileges without somebody designated to cover their current patients. Even if they dropped dead the hospital would designate somebody.

A few years ago my mother had to cancel a week before her cruise because my sister had emergency surgery and needed to be cared for at home and she was the only one who could do it. She had the NCL platinum insurance and it went pretty smoothly. Had to get documentation from my sister's physician about the situation (which also required HIPAA release from my sister). As I recall it took less than a month, and almost half of that was waiting for the doctors to return forms. Everything done via email. They also fully covered her traveling companion's cancelation even though she had no relation to us and presumably could have taken the cruise herself. Port fees as I recall were immediately refunded from NCL and we just waited for the cost of the cruise itself. She got everything back except the price of the insurance itself.

I wonder if the cabanas leak. If I'd paid for one, I'd be up there!

The port area is very un-wheelchair friendly, mostly because of cement drainage grates built into the pavement - the openings are wide enough to swallow a wheelchair wheel and they're every few feet. It's a fairly flat and easy walk out to the area where you can catch a taxi (no such grates there, although the boardwalk is slightly uneven in places), but if you simply want to take in the sights at the end of the pier, be extremely careful. We found most wheelchair folks heading back quickly, having determined the risk of damage to their chair/selves too great to continue.

If an American port I'd expect to just be disembarked separately at the end of the cruise and then you're on your own. That's what happened to us in January on NCL - diagnosed on Sunday, treated multiple times until Tuesday pm, disembarked separately from rest of passengers and dropped on sidewalk with our luggage outside of Manhattan terminal (in middle of all boarding guests) on Weds morning.

For those using any kind of insurance, please still take a high level credit card with you. Insurance coverage is between you and your insurance company - the medical center expects immediate payment. My mom got covid and a lung infection and we had an $11k bill. On checking in, I had used my low level card because I wanted those specific points for what I expected would be an end of trip charge of a few hundred bucks, tops. Fortunately I had the large limit one with me and was able to go to Ship Services and swap it out so we could cover her bill. I can only imagine having to have money wired or doing a cash advance through the card on top of everything else. Nobody expects to have an emergency on board, and probably most issues are expensive but not astronomical. The care was very good and in a way I'm glad we got to deal with it on the ship and not an emergency room at home where she would have had to wait for hours to even be seen. But I feel for those who save for a vacation and never think of such an expense hitting them.

First cruise was the Seaward, 1992. They'd greet you as you stepped on board with a drink. There was some kind of race car group on board, but we hadn't known anything about it. We never went near the a la carte restaurant. I remember stepping over the metal doorway frames any time you passed from outside/inside. They would take you by surprise until you remembered! I still have the dailies - All Visitors Ashore! at 4:30. GIANT JACKPOT BINGO - $590 is in the pot and MUST go today! Napkin folding class Dress of the Evening: Casual! Wear your Island Fashion! No shorts after 6 pm, please. "Book nook is open! Deposit required (sign to cabin) Win a World Cruise PLUS $10,000 - Play the Seaward Lottery We sailed in a couple of ocean view cabins, and the window was one step above a porthole (and portholes were smaller in those days!) Still cost more than a balcony does today if you get a decent deal, which is why I don't buy the "cruising is getting too expensive" arguments. You get so much more for basically the same money as 30 years ago. Yes, they nickel and dime on extras because the base price point hasn't changed.

Get tested ASAP, because you need Paxlovid within 5 days of symptom onset. Yes, you may get the metallic taste and it's annoying, but it does make you feel better quickly.

We were actually pleasantly surprised by the wings on Getaway in January. Had heard they were now baked, not fried, etc. But it was late, everything else was closed, and we were starving, so we went to O'Sheehans and figured it was worth a try. Not as good as the glory days, but better than the last time I had them years ago when I vowed never again. Maybe because it was not a dinner rush we got them hot out of the oven, made to order.

For what it's worth, the cardboard water bottles make a great hot water bottle, as we discovered when my mom got covid on board. She was cold and I had to improvise so I took an empty, filled it with hot water, wrapped it in a towel and laid it on another towel beside her. Kept checking it for leaks. Held strong, perfectly dry! The next day I forgot it was in the bed and SAT on it. The seams gave a tiny bit with a tiny bit of leakage, but I have to say I was impressed at the sturdiness of it, even having held hot water. I thought for sure I would have popped it! Can't vouch for every individual bottle's integrity, but it's definitely worth a try if you keep the proper precautions and put a towel under it in case of leaks.

Yes, there will be a cardstock folded item in your cabin along with other "welcome aboard" paraphernalia. When you open it up there are vouchers for the two dinners and laundry service.

Oddly enough we did not receive ANY chips with our sandwiches on our 12 day in January on Getaway. Didn't think to ask why, but we noticed. They always get stale almost instantly from the humidity. Don't know if they were out or it was a cost saving issue - if they were throwing out leftover chips all the time they may have decided to only provide when requested.

Just to clarify, "outside" seating at Le Bistro is generally in the public walkway outside the restaurant. So basically it's like dining outside Aeropostale at the mall. I'm sure the service and food are identical to inside the restaurant, but the ambience is decidedly different. If there's a ship with genuine "outdoor" Le Bistro seating, that would be a lovely way to enjoy their menu.

Was in the Getaway Haven in January and I remember people in "getting off the ship" gear for breakfast or lunch (as well as pajama pants and t-shirts). Shorts, t-shirts, backpacks, etc. Lots of casual sundresses, casual capris/t-shirts. We did remark that it was the most informal dinner group we'd seen in a Haven before - not in a sloppy way, just casual. I commented at one point that I hadn't seen a single tie on a man, even those otherwise dressed a little nicer than casual. Can't recall if I saw any cocktail dresses - maybe one? A couple of spangly tops with black slacks on women. Do not recall looking at anybody's feet, so I can't comment on that.

The Pearl's a great ship - the waiting area to board it in Boston is just a bunch of folding chairs in a gigantic hall (and the Haven waiting area is the same, only behind a curtain and even more crowded). So arriving closer to 11 or 11:30 might mean a swifter passage from literal check in/receipt of key card to actual boarding. Otherwise it's sit down on a hard folding chair and wait. Some like to get there early and get an early boarding number and enjoy the anticipation. Or you can come a little later and have a later # but a shorter wait. The dining room is a great place to start your cruise and leisurely dine until rooms are ready.

I always take bad reviews with a grain of salt - what people complain about might be a non-issue to me. You know what bothers you and what doesn't and can decide accordingly. I won't sail on the Breakaway type ships outside of the Haven because of the bottlenecks created by the two elevator banks, and the fact that despite an abundance of clubs/theatres they insist on holding games and activities in the atrium, making accessing atrium services and any activities I might want to enjoy utterly chaotic. Too much stimulation. That said, the smaller dining rooms and big shows are great, and I would be open to a less than capacity transatlantic trip. I would assume the outdoor areas will be inhospitable for much of the trip so if your idea of a great trip is finding a quiet spot to read you will need to decide how much time you're willing to spend in your cabin.

Sadly, I wouldn't expect much reaction or action from anybody unless they're running around with machetes or actively damaging ship property. My sister was stuck on a fully booked ship with a room full of yahoos celebrating graduation in the next room. They whooped it up coming in and out of the room, which they did every 20 minutes all night long (must have had 10-20 people in there). Calling made no difference. Going to guest services made no difference. What seemed to make the difference was when they completely disrupted the comedian's show. She insulted them exquisitely, but I think that was the straw that broke the camel's back, and that night when they started up again security arrived and from that point on they were quiet (after they screamed all the way down the hall demanding to know who reported them). We heard from other passengers later that they had similarly disrupted the muster drill, completely wasted within hours of boarding, but no action was taken then. Maybe after the comedian incident they canceled their drink packages (or threatened to?)

I definitely won't go early to Boston again (and I live here!) That pretty much sums it up. Was in the Garden Villa and we were just crammed in on hard folding chairs and there was a delay and they held us and the Owners Suites back until all the rest of the Haven had gone up and it did not feel particularly special. In future we'll just arrive at noon and walk through (hopefully). I've only sailed the Haven out of NY and Boston, but although NY's is larger and gets you out of the enormous crowds, it's still packed side by side, same hard chairs. There's nothing WRONG with the Boston terminal - it gets you on the ship, and it IS easier with a wheelchair in the group. But there is zero incentive to get there early to "enjoy" it.

Honestly, stay away from the -away ships if you don't like crowds. I won't sail on them outside of the Haven, and I'll sail in a balcony on a smaller ship perfectly happily. The crowds are crushing, and they converge on built-in bottlenecks in ship design. The center of the ship where the atrium is is total cacophony because all games are held in the atrium, so that if you want to eat at O'Sheehans you're listening to people scream out trivia answers or cheer their team in whatever event is ongoing. There's no mid-level exit from the theatre, so if you walk down front you're walking up every step to get back out, and everybody else is walking up those steps too, leading out to the same elevator bank. To us it's worth it for the ports and Haven restaurant, but we pass on all but the biggest shows and simply enjoy the Haven, which is great. On a Jewel class ship I'm perfectly happy to get a balcony and move freely about the ship. It's hard if they don't have the itinerary you want, but maybe a different line would. I suspect you'd be deeply unhappy and stressed.