SemperPup

Hey Chandler, good to see you writing. I hope all is well for you and Rex.

 

howdy roz,

 

thanks. yup rex and i are good. spent a little time in europe over the holidays and had a couple 'firsts': 1st rccl cruise and 1st t/a 'crossing' with a couple bumps, which seemed like a bigole cluster-fuNk at the time ... but otherwise, pretty cool--all around.

 

also enjoyin' sapphire (princess) being close-to-home and trying to maximize her relative proximity, e.g., no airfare and/or minimum transfer hassle/expense.

 

how's horton working out for you? i bet brenda enjoys bein' the s/d emeritus, in residence no less! lucky dog--and lucky you!

 

rex is almost 10yo--but he's still healthy and strong as an ox. i should've started thinkin'bout a transition dog a couple years ago--but... yeah, there's most always a "but", huh?

 

anyhow--i hope all's well with you and yours. take care!

I knew that the answers I needed to my question could be answered here by this wonderful and a very informative group of dog (and animal) lovers.

 

I will be sailing with my new service dog in July to Alaska on the Carnival Miracle. I know that in foreign ports you have to meet all kinds of requirements and also provide papers before you can take your dog ashore. I need to find out what are the requirements for taking a service animal to American Ports. I know my cruise is still 6 months away, but I want to make sure I have everything done early and correct, just in case I forgot something. Any information will be greatly appreciated.

 

Take Care

Kathy

 

hey kathy,

 

i've taken rex, my service dog, to alaska three times and never had a problem. far as i know, the only u.s. state with 'special' entry requirements is hawaii. 'long as you're cleared to be on the ship--you should be good-to-go. kindly let me know if i can clarify. thanks!

1. If you book your cruise in segments, you get credit for each. You must have different booking numbers in order to qualify for shareholder credit. If you book the cruise as ONE, you get one shareholder credit for the entire cruise. It's all about the amount of booking numbers you have.

 

2. If the cruise is sold in segments, no matter which way you book it, you will get a setup for each leg.

 

3. Yes; you top out at $100. I've been getting $100 for a long time. No complaints here. :D

 

ah... makes sense. and yup, i agree with y'all ... no complaints here! thanks!

Maybe try mailing it. Based upon reports here, mail often works better. I was really surprised to see my credit this morning.

 

hey pam & rocket man,

 

i had a similar experience (sending a couple times and still no obc). when i was on-board, i asked about it at guest relations--and they applied the obc. since i use an online 'fax',i was able to pull-up evidence of my fax attempts--but if you brought the papers you sent via fax, i don't see why they wouldn't accept those too.

 

anyhow, it's a great benefit--so a little inconvenience from time-to-time is no big deal. right?

howdy,

 

 

is the shareholder obc limited to 1 per voyage, even on longer (20-111 days) cruises?

 

a second quasi related question: kind of the same thing for (elite) mini-bar set-up, (canapés), etc. on longer (20-111 days) cruises, are those benefits limited to one per sailing, (formal night), etc.

 

third: there's a schedule for elite obc's (beginning above 21+ cruises, right?) e.g.,

>21 = $25 obc;

>32 = $50 obc;

>42 = $75 obc; and,

>52 = $100 obc.

does the scale top-out at $100 obc per cruise, or does it keep going; and if so, at what schedule?

 

please advise. thank you!

not sure if anyone's mentioned these, but carnival has some great deals for solos. mostly 3 and 4 day round trips from long beach ca with stops in ensanada mx and catalina island. works out to 'bout $62 with taxes/tips, etc. for midship inside cabin, and bout $67/day for midship ocean view (both on lower decks).

 

i've done a couple of these in the past for a quick get-away, since i'm stationed in long beach ca. in case some of y'all are unaware of it: carnival's a different vibe than prince or celebrity (less sedate)--but it's still a good time. weekend and school vacation cruises are more rowdy, and weekdays are quieter, from what i understand.

 

i've only been on inspiration (twice for week day cruises)--but can/will vouch for crew being very good. chow is good and there's decent variety--same with entertainment and onboard 'stuff' to do (games, places to hang, things to do, etc).

I'm guessing that you are looking at the Serenade TA in April.

 

I did some mock bookings for you to see what is being offered.

 

1) Military discount - it's a personal choice whether you choose to take advantage of the military discount. Right now RCL is offering up a category M inside cabin on deck 8 that is only five cabins from the aft elevators for $1554. This is a great location. The military discount is $210. However RCL is also offering up a category Q inside cabin for $1564 with no discounts. The cabin is 9077 and is right by the aft elevators. However, it appears that this could be one of the new solo cabins that was added to the Serenade, so I would research that cabin number carefully before I selected it.

 

2). Stockholder Benefit vs savings certificate. The savings certificate is $115 for this cruise. Your stockholder benefit is $250, so stockholder benefit is a no brainer.

 

IMO this cruise has the potential for further price drops and should be monitored carefully up until final payment. I did the Brilliance TA in Sep (another radiance class) and decided I would roll the dice and take advantage of every price drop that was offered. Originally I had decided I would pony up the money because of the unique itinerary. When the price drops started, I decided I could live in any cabin on the ship so I moved every time the price dropped. I ended up in a deck 2 inside that was 5 cabins from the aft elevators and saved 48% off the original price. I loved the cabin! The main action on the ship is focused on the centrum on deck 4.

 

I did not prepay my gratuities and used my stockholder OBC to pay for them. I started out in late dining and managed to promote myself into MTD once on board.

 

Have you actually booked this cruise? Are you using a travel agent? I would book directly with RCL and monitor the price daily. If there is a price drop, put a hold on a new cabin and call RCL to swap your reservation around. I did this 5 or 6 times for the Brilliance, but I had a travel agent, so it was a PITA each time I moved.

 

Bottom line - don't get emotionally attached to any inside cabin!

 

dude, you should be a detective! yup, 04.26 serenade ots in the one--looks like a good itinerary for a midrange t/a. i'm quasi attached to it because i've got friends already booked (however, it's not like i'm locked-in/obligated, because inviting me was an afterthought--they were/are going whether i go or not). but even when 'sailing' solo ... it's good to know nice people on board.

 

i've used a travel agent once--what a clusterf*ck. yeah, i'll use the cruise website to book--or ever once in awhile i'll throw some 'business' toward vtg or amex. their bonus/perk incentives are usually not combinable with the 'blow-out/fire-sale" fares i take--but someone's always there [at amex and vtg] and they do have some leverage, us mere mortals don't, by virtue of the volume of business they do and relationships/standing because of it.

 

the only rcl cruise i've taken, was the 2013 fall t/a (serenade ots) booked at $41/night solo--booked online w/rcl, inside guarantee. if y'all monitor 'deals' (which seems like you do), you prolly 'know the one' i'm talking about--it was kind of an anomaly, far as the low price offered so early. couple weeks after booking, i was assigned cabin 3139, 'bout 3 or 4 cabins from passenger aft (which is more like mid-aft) because crew passageways & 'stuff' continue further aft--if that makes sense. i like serenade ots--not too big or too small--even the furthest point on the ship can be reached in <10 minutes--which is nice.

 

i was stoked with my quarters, in 'steerage' on rcl. layout was great--'specially set up as two beds--'cuz of the longish center space it opens up. for one reason or another, high on my list of cabin attributes, is a separate (even small but seemingly dedicated) seating area (little couch/large upholstered chair), which rccl cabins (except the solos) have. i also thought the shower rocked--with a rounded/sliding shower door instead of a curtain. nice. no note paper and/or chocolates on the pillow--no problem. God made i-pads so we can take notes--and if i ate the chocolate at bedtime--i'd be bouncin' off the walls anyhow. next day ... sure ... but chow, including all the chocolate you can eat, is free on the ship. funny, the things people will insist upon. lol kinda like me and my 'seating area'. lol 'guess we've all got our proclivities. haha

movin on...

 

far as the 'category q' cabins, e.g., ...8077, 9077, 1077... i'm kinda fascinated by those. they're apparently 'free-standing' (no common walls) and from the diagrams, i can't figure where the entry-door would be + they're right off the centrum, and like you said "it's action central" so i wonder if there are noise issues. the recon i've been able to do, indicate's they're 'new' as of the most recent 'refit' when ever that was.

 

i've done some test bookings for this upcoming t/a and noticed rcl assigns the #077's (by number) while booking an inside guarantee, which is atypical to my previous experience. anyhow--when i was on serenade for the t/a 'crossing' in nov/dec, i asked to see the solo cabins and was shown them. had i known about "the #077's" i would've asked to see them too. live/learn, right?

 

the 'true' solo cabins are on deck four. i did a 'mock' booking for the 12 day bcn/bcn mediterannean cruise as a b2b companion to precede the [2013, nov] t/a i'd booked. i was mostly doin' recon (to check on price drops, etc) and managed to book one of the new solo cabins, whilst rcl was offering them [momentarily] online as a technical exercise. i put one 'on hold' (for a decent price), called rcl to get the story--and the agent knew nothing about solo cabins. she, the agent, called me back later and said rcl would honor the price i got, but i could not be guaranteed one of the new solo cabins--which was cool with me--because it wasn't the cabin i was attached to--it was the price. i wanna say it was around $860 w/taxes fees (albeit not tips--i don't think).

 

i would have been all over it, but (yeah, there's most always a "but") i bought my airfare through a 3rd party vendor to save [literally] a couple of bucks--and the change-fees being [$450++] would not have eclipsed the cruise-fare savings (more like i'd have broken even); however, the 'idea' of paying $450++ for the privilege of taking a less expensive/less convenient flight, was over/above what this dumb-jarhead was willing to do. (this type situation is [perhaps] something a travel agency may have been able to smooth over without a change fee??) there were other variables going into my decision-matrix--but i ended up sticking with the 15 day t/a and [all in all] had a darn good time.

 

far as potential for price drops--i know they happen ... but if i'm gonna be in an inside cabin anyhow--i'd rather stay in a 'less desirable cabin' by some folks standards--and pay a lower price. lol 'course, through a balcony in the mix and i might feel differently--not sure.

 

i figure on/about 2014, 26 january (which is 90 days out) we should see price drops, with prolly more at the 60 day (when deposits are lost--and previously reserved cabins are returned to 'inventory' for 'fire-sale'). 'course my presuppositions are unknown variables--not sure things. for instance, my recollection is that the $41/night solo price (for the 11/27 t/a) was advertised on vtg early as june/july 2013--so they prolly didn't expect a lot of takers at regular prices. the early low pricing could have been a number of things--but i'm glad it was up for awhile, 'cuz i miss some of the 'deals', while i'm 'thinking' about it.

 

anyhow, there are some pretty-good (what i call) t/a+ (t/a with 12-30 day med cruises as part of the bargain rate), and if spring last year was any indication: prices on t/a's will drop to bargain prices. i've been 'cruising' for less than a year, but have already 'kicked mysef' a couple times for locking mysef into a 'good' deal early--and missing out on better deals later (my airfare debacle is the prime example). anyhow ... live and learn, right?

Could you be more specific about your particular situation? What kind of cabin are you booking? How long is your cruise? Do you actually own stock? Do you have a next cruise certificate?

 

Military, resident, and senior discounts determine the base price of your cruise. Balcony discount, savings certificates, shareholder benefits, and next cruise certificates offer additional potential discounts, most of which cannot be combined. The exception is the balcony discount and next cruise certificate.

 

So if you are eligible for all of these, you have to figure out the best deal for you.

 

If you can provide specific details, I'm sure folks will give their opinions. For example I own stock and always book insides, so I am good to go because this always gives me the maximum benefit equal to or more than the saving certificates or next cruise certificates. However, if you're booking balconies, the next cruise certificate may work better for you. The bottom line is that it depends.

 

thanks man,

 

i'll usually opt for an inside cabin. cruise i'm lookin'at is 16 days. i'm a qualifying shareholder, but not old enough for the senior discount. i do have a c&a savings cert. i had buddies tell me not to use the military discount, it's not worth the trouble and/or putting your service information "out there'. especially if the same savings can be achieved w/o it.

 

the idea of an o/v cabin does nuthin for me (windows don't open, right?) but i've got a hard-on for the fresh air in balcony cabins. i'd gladly take balcony over an inside--especially if the swap could be done with a "balcony upgrade certificate"; but from what you and beth say: it sounds like the 'balcony upgrades' are not combinable with shareholder benefits anyhow, right?

 

 

hey, long as i've got your attention...

rccl shareholder obc: can it be applied to daily gratuities? without realizing i'd done it, i pre-paid my rccl tips, and was never able to find out if i could have used the obc to pay the tips--which is my preference. the closer i can get to "all inclusive", the better!

 

thanks!

I can be a bit more helpful.

 

 

 

 

1. Certs vary by level. New certs came out today. Go to Royal website and sign in. Under C&A tab you'll find Special Offers and then Savings Certs for your level.

 

2. Also under Special Offers you'll find On Board Booking Bonus, again for your level.

 

3. Saving certs OR balcony discounts are combinable with any one fare that applies - military, resident, senior, or single.

 

Here's where it gets tricky. This is my explanation of how it works, not why Royal says it works!

 

Shareholder OBC can be used with any fare that is not discounted by an adjustment. You can get a military fare, etc, and use the Shareholder benefit. You cannot use that benefit with a balcony or suite because the the discount is subtracted from the fare (and split between roommates).

 

Finally, you cannot use a shareholder OBC with an OBC you get from booking while onboard another cruise. The shareholder OBC is higher for an inside/outside short cruise, but the other OBC is better for longer cruises and/or balconies.

 

hey beth,

 

thanks for your in-depth response. i think my brain absorbed some of it. there are a lot of variables. let me dissect your info and figure how/if/when each part of it applies to my situation. thank you again!

If you qualify for the C&A balcony discount, the balcony is lower than the inside.

 

hey cruise pup,

 

i'm at one of the lowest levels [platinum?] w/ 30 points i think.

 

questions:

1. are the rccl 'saving(s) certificates' the same for all levels, e.g., does a diamond-plus get better savings than a lowly platinum member--or is it strictly: better class cabin get's higher savings?

2. are 'balcony discounts located online, at the same place (on the rccl site as the 'saving certs") or are they somewhere different?

3. last question (for now ;-) are these savings certs and balcony discounts combinable with military and/or shareholder benefits?

 

thanks man.

 

s/f

 

vr/chandler

 

over...

I think Carnival is offering no supplement because people are choosing not to cruise with them because of the Triumph disaster. Only a zero supplement would get me on a Carnival ship.

My next cruise is in a RCCL Serenade studio because it had a 17% supplement! and I was a little bored with the NCL Epic. I cruised RCCL as a solo on a Mediterranean cruise, but IMHO, the Epic and Breakaway are the only ships that really offer something special to solo travelers....

 

 

i just came off serenade ots, and asked to see the solo cabins--there are only three of them, a little bigger (i think) then the ncl solo cabin (maybe 106 sq rt instead of 100 sf on ncl). they're not bad lookin' little cabins either, 'course i'm not a big/beefy hombre either--but the cabin i saw (the three of them were built in an existing broad hallway that used to serve as a second entrance to the dining room. Anyhow, i'll be interested to hear your opinion when you get back.

 

ps: serenade ots doesn't have a 'special' lounge for singles, but there is a message board on deck 5 (i think) where people say stuff like: ''want to join 3 other solos for a private tour in rome", or: there's a group of us meeting at chops tonight at 6pm + the solo lunch and some other stuff. anyhow, it's a solo-friendly environment.

I find this a bit unusual: Not long ago seems like Carnival had few solo discounts and Royal had some. Now the tables have turned with Royal mostly having 200% supplements and Carnival is taking the lead in this department.

 

 

i've noticed that too. rccl used to have some awesome solo pricing--but nuthin' great from the west coast--so i wasn't too 'hot' to try them. now i've been on rccl [serenade ots] and i think they're pretty darn good. they also have specific activities for solos--not singles 'mixers' for people 'hook-up', but stuff like a daily solo's lunch in the mdr. they had some evening events too--but i didn't hit any of those. the event's staff was very good about coordinating the solo stuff, etc.

 

they also had a 'progressive' trivia on all the sea days--of which there were six, for a fifteen night cruise. and some audience-partipation stuff in the main theatre + all different shows/entertainers and like matinee performers on sea days. but they charged me for milk (which is usually free) at the bakery, which i thought was kinda weird. but hey: if being charged for milk the worst thing i can say about the trip--then i had a pretty good time! lol there were some other challenges, but i'll keep them to myself and concentrate mostly on the kind and positive.

 

imho, mdr chow's not quite as good as princess, celebrity, or hal--but the specialty restaurants were excellent. Don't get me wrong, i ate plenty in the mdr, usually two entrees and two desserts (free milk! haha) and all the other dinner 'stuff', so the chow was good, but maybe just a cut below some of the other lines. mdr service good and staff was nice/personable, but pretty slow--they seemed always to be busy/running, so i think the slowness, reflects more on inadequate staffing levels than the staf themselves--it was real easy to spend two hours at dinner--which is cool when dinner is an 'event' for a special occassion, etc ... but the two-hour dinners every-night got kinda "old" a couple times

 

it was the staterooms that impressed me the most--i had an inside guarantee, and my expectations were pretty low; but the cabin was well appointed (not fancy) but nice (very clean) and functional--plus surprisingly open/roomy. There were no chocolates on the pillow at turndown, but by night-time, but i can live without caffeine and sugar.

 

my guy, rommel ... made towel animals every night--which i thought was cool. carnival does it, but i haven't seen towel animals a lot on princess, hal or celebrity. anyhow, it's a cool surprise to walk in and see the TAOTN (towel animal of the night).

 

i also like a separate sitting area [with a small couch (or very large chair) coffee table, etc--which my inside guarantee cabin had--also a decent desk with lots of drawer space, cabinet space and closets. + they had a knob inside the cabin, to adjust the volume of ships 'announcements'. i also liked the bathroom shower, with the rounded sliding door. nice digs ... and i had an inside guarantee, basically in steerage, i.e., deck 3 aft.

 

serenade ots is a good sized ship--not to big and not too small--so nothing was too far away (with a quick clip, i could make it bottom aft/starboard, to top forward port--in way less than 10 minutes--prolly closer to five--but that's taking the stairs about 10 floors, which i still think is quicker than the elevators.

 

the people on rccl (both crew and passengers) seemed slightly more friendly/approachable--of course it was a 15 day t/a with lots of sea days--so people had better chances getting to know each other. whether it was rccl, the crossing's length [15 days], the people themselves (or more likely) a combination of the three factors, it was one of my more enjoyable cruises.

there seem to be a lot of questions around the 3 & 4 day cruises of both coasts.

 

1. there's no formal night (which I'm okay with) but will "elite" membes still get canapes delivered at least one night?

 

2. is there a wine tasting during the 3 & 4 day 'escapes--possibly listed in the patter?

 

thanks for any advice y'all are able to lend.

I received an email from MSC offering "Employee Pricing" on Caribbean cruises in April and May. I took the bait and booked their 5/3/14 sailing on MSC Divina. Inside single with taxes and port charges came to $773.44. I then did a dummy booking for a double and it turns out the single rate is at 150% so not only are they discounting but they are giving singles a break. I compared the single rate for the Carnival Freedom leaving the same date and the inside single is over $200. more. They gave me until the 20th to deposit (only $100.) and that is refundable until February 17 which gives me time to agonize if I really want to do MSC when I have such good past passenger status on most of the major lines and get free drinks, laundry, priority boarding, etc. Reviews of Divina's first sailings out of Miami in November have been mostly horrible on this website but some found it to their liking, especially when sailing after Thanksgiving. I want to see if MSC pays attention to the complaints and steps up to the plate. One point everyone seems to agree is that it's a beautiful ship. So I'm hoping they get their act together. I'm glad that the deposit is low, and I have time to cancel with a full refund. I'll just sit back and watch how things go and also if prices get lower on the other lines.

 

hey c/p,

 

i've got a friend who's on the divine right now--it's her first cruise with msc too (she also travels solo). i'll let you know what she says. i think the only negative 'stuff' i've heard, is that msc charges for ice water in the mdr. lol i think they'll quickly turn that policy around--if they expect to get a share of the u.s. market.

[quote name='MCDW']Misty and I have been together a little over 24 hours. She is very obedient, walks on my left side.............even when I forget and put her on my right side, she scoots behind me and comes up on my left side. The trainers worked with her on the left side.

I was told to leave her in her crate for 30 minutes and she was fine. She entertained herself with her bone.

A habit she has is licking my face....I am trying to break her of the habit, by putting two fingers across my mouth and saying No. She appeared to be catching on early this evening. I will keep working on it with her favourite reward for not licking.

She is on Pro-Plan.......you know, the one with dried beef and some type of kibble....funny, she eats the dried beef and walks away from the other stuff.

I took her into the long hallway to do obedience work and when we were finished I threw a ball.......she can play ball. She ran and got it and brought it back 4 times. But, then I got Busted. Apparently, we are not suppose to be playing with our dogs yet. Hey, I am deaf and must have missed that part of the lesson..........that's my story and I am sticking to it.:p

My good friend emails me every day with darling Oz updates. He is doing fine she says. Apparently, he puts himself to be at 10pm. It's so odd, because he never went to bed until I did. I can hardly wait to see him, I miss him so much. Oz is a cuddler, Misty not so much........but maybe that will come along.

I forgot how tiring training is, so will end this now and hit the hay....Colleen[/quote]

hey colleen,

i'm real sorry you and your little oz dude are gonna be separated. hearing stuff like that yanks at my heart. i kinda don't 'get' why they don't want a former and a current service dog in the same space. seems like the more senior dog could teach stuff to the younger one--in ways people can't. can oz and misty 'meet' ... and if so, after how long?

anyhow, i know/guess there must be a logical reason for the "rule", but i would sure wanna know what the rationale is--before i complied. mostly because, every situation is different and mandatory separation seems like a harsh thing to impose, especially on a person with special needs (depending on what the needs are). applying a one-size-fits-all protocol, as the 'default ruling', seems like it should be thought-out more carefully. anyhow--that's my two cents.

i bet misty warms up to be cuddler like oz is--y'all are still getting to know each other. rex was a little stand-offish at first too--now he's a bigole [71 lb] lap-dog. misty will warm up too. confidence is high!

funny huh? it's easy to forget how intense/time-consuming the initial training can be. but it totally pays off in the end. keep up the good work! seems like you and misty are off to a great start!

[quote name='wizard-of-roz'][COLOR=indigo][B]Laugh all you want......LAYW!!!! The lesson I really learned out of my mis-adventure with my hairy buddies.......Is, when I get really angry with them, they do pay attention and I think they both know when I'm "DONE"......They need to retreat![/B][/COLOR]

[B][COLOR=#4b0082]I was ready to ship those puppies back to CCI [actually, I was going to leave them in a basket on their doorstep!] :eek: Kidding!!!!![/COLOR][/B]

[B][COLOR=#4b0082][I][U]Opinions please[/U]: How many of you would rather eat in the buffet than go to the dining room for dinner and why?[/I][/COLOR][/B]

[B][COLOR=#4b0082][U]DKD[/U]: How's your pup doing? Is he going to advanced training? Or, is he already there waiting for a match?[/COLOR][/B]

[B][COLOR=#4b0082][U]Marcia:[/U] Is your furlough over.....now that our Gov. is not closing down is that good news for you?[/COLOR][/B]

[B][COLOR=#4b0082][U]Fairbourne, Nancy and Cindy[/U]: You can stop laughing now! Auntie Roz is right on track! And, I've changed my "do!" [/COLOR][/B]

[B][COLOR=#4b0082][U]Sunshine:[/U] When's your cruise?[/COLOR][/B]

[B][COLOR=#4b0082][U]Colleen:[/U] How are you doing?[/COLOR][/B]

[B][COLOR=#4b0082][U]Chandler[/U]: Are your feet back on the ground?[/COLOR][/B]

[B][COLOR=#4b0082][U]Trudy[/U]: I think you're cruising now.....let us know how it went.[/COLOR][/B][/quote]

howdy all!

i/we've been away for a few weeks--busy, etc. now catching up on 'stuff' in small chunks. lol seems like there's not enough time for everything, so i've gotta 'make' time for some of the less pressing (but no less worthy) matters, like this 'traveling with a s/d forum'.

thanks [roz] for inquiring after my & rex's well-being. yup, all six feet/paws are squarely back on the ground--and going along to get along, doin' the best i/we can--like most all of us do.

hey, while i was away, i thought of something: this forum is great, but it's evolved beyond just "cruising with a service dog" ... it's like a small town, and the honorable 'roz' in the mayor! although there is a ton of good knowledge embedded in the years of conversation--finding the info is kinda like lookin for a needle in a haystack--or maybe 'a diamond in the rough is better descriptor.

is there or has there been discussion about having a central repository for information on cruising with service dogs? like a spreadsheet with good information, faq's, tips/tricks, basic s/d etiquette/common sense (which my folks always said "is not as 'common' as the words [I]'common sense' [/I]imply"), etc?

information like: a couple months ago, when roz was faced with the 'challenge' of an awkward 'box placement' on star princess. she overcame the challenge, but how? what were effective ways of addressing it, and what ways [if any] were ineffective? my recollection is that roz had a lot of frustration over that whole deal, and probably learned some lessons (maybe only specific to star princess--but valuable lessons nonetheless).

i'm big on finding the silver lining in situations--but sometimes the best i can 'find' if/when/after i go through something bad--is the lesson. and i hope someone else can avoid what ever unpleasantness i went through to "learn the lesson", as a result of my having to learn it--make sense?

either way, it would be good to have a central repository for that kind of [lessons learned] information. we, if we wanted to, could all contribute to the 'lessons/information' and we could all benefit from it. i also know for a fact, there are "lurkers" out there ('cuz i was one of them), so maybe they could contribute and/or get helpful information too. it's an idea--maybe something to think about.

anyhow, y'all know what they say about 'military intelligence', it's an oxymoron. haha nonetheless, i'm an idea/planning/refining guy ... not an execution guy, i.e., i don't have the skill-set to operationalize a resource (online spreadsheet, etc) like i'm suggesting--but if someone here does, i'd be willing to work with them on it. i guess someone, or a small group, could be the 'point-people' to accept (clean-up if necessary) and post information. so there'd be continuity with how information was posted in the right place, cross-referncing/using a standard taxonomy, metadata, etc. anyhow ... like i said: it's an idea.


as an aside: for months/years i've been reading how rccl 'members' get 'quarterly?' savings certificates--just for being at a certain [relatively low] level. well, i got my first two 'savings certificates' as an azamara/rccl/celebrity "member", at the very lowest/entry level for the rewards program. $50, two of them (only for use on two separate cruises)! LOL i'm laughing, because my recollection is that the 'more senior' members, get more substantial 'savings certificates'. but hey ... fifty bucks is fifty bucks, right!

anyhow--seems like princess has the best 'loyalty' program, far as i can see. i know this may not be the right 'place' for a question about loyalty programs, but there is a lot of knowledge about cruising on this forum, so i may as well ask:

there are two main companies: carnival = princess, hal, carnival, cunard (+some others too rich for my blood); and, rccl = royal caribbean, azamara and celebrity, right? on rccl, if a passenger/member is a certain level (say 'gold' as an example) on royal caribbean, the same passenger gets equivalent [gold] benefits on celebrity and azamara too. does carnival (princess, hall, et al) have any sort of 'equivalence' like rccl does?

also, when i 'sailed' solo and pay double for the 'honor' ... i got two points for the loyalty program. but, the two times i sailed on celebrity (and paid double) i only got one point for each cruise. maybe my perception is slanted to my favor, but: pay for two people = get two points--makes sense, right? so i'm kinda wondering what's up with that? kind of along the same line: if i'm sailing 'solo' and pay double--can i use a 'savings certificate' for each paid fare? hmmm... i wonder. anyone know?

We have all lost people who have meant the world to us. It is heart wrenching.....I have found that as time goes on, memories of the joyful fun moments with my loved ones come up more and more. The memory of the oh so meaningful moments become treasures. The moment when you knew you were in love, the moment you found out you were going to have a baby, the moment you closed on your first house, the moment your child takes their first step, all the joyful moments shared with a loved one.....they will be with you always and forever to cherish and help you through the challenging times.

 

Colleen

 

well said, colleen.

 

hey roz,

 

god bless you, the brendog, h-pup, and yours!

 

s/f

 

vr/chandler

 

over...

A lady in the market yesterday was carrying around a "yippy, yappy" little dog [who lunged at Horton] and she told the store manager that he was a Service Dog! I walked right over to her and told her that she was lieing and in no way was this dog a Service Dog. I told her and the manager that a trained SD would NEVER be barking every second and nipping at others. She left in a huff!!!!

 

I want a universal I.D. Card given by the training orgs. to be given to the handler and everyone who walks or wheels with a SD has to carry it to prove that their dog is legitimate. CCI gives every graduate a card with a permit number and a picture of the handler and the dog. Every org. should be made to do the same.

 

If your dog is self trained.....you should have to apply for an I.D. card through the DOJ.

 

I hope the day will come when everyone will have to carry an I.D. card just like a Drivers License!

 

 

hi roz,

 

just curious ... did you know the lady in the supermarket?

 

s/f

 

vr/chandler.

 

over...

I know. I feel a sense of obligation to make sure that each of the ships, within a cruiseline, follow the same standard.

 

Hey Roz,

For some reason, I thought y'all were going to be on sapphire Princess so I kept looking for you when sapphire was Docked next to us on the celebrity Century (I don't know what you look like but how hard can it be to spot a smiling lady with the dog In a s.d. vest? Anyhow, you weren't on the Sapphire, so that explains why I didn't see you. Ha ha

With regard to the placement of "The box", I had almost the same experience with star princess when I was on her in May 2013.

Earlier in this thread, because (I thought) you had spoken with Amber about placement of the box, so I didn't give it a second thought (otherwise I would've warned you)

Not sure where they put your box but Mine/Rex's was on the promenade deck forward/port side, In a "crew-only" passageway behind two heavy doors, uneven surfaces, Chemical storage tanks, and a metal gate. Lol. I thought the box was actually joke (is there a camera filming me? ha ha) it was A decent size (About 3 x 4) but had only a little bit of mulch in the very center.

I didn't ask them to move the box but I did fill up the box with mulch because the bag was sittin' next to the box. I also asked them for a trashcan, small table for sanitary hand wipes and bags. I didn't want to push my luck by asking them to move the box, but I did let them know that the box was a liability where it was and someone, especially someone disabled, could easily trip and/Or fall and hurt themselves. Guess I'm so grateful for being out of a wheelchair that I figured I could make it past a couple doors for eight days.

On the positive side, they were Great about maintaining the area after they got it set up for practical purposes.

I did mention the situation to Amber (in passing) but not so much as a complaint, as an observation about how there don't seem to be standards for service dog related areas, even within princesses fleet; much less, the other product-lines under the carnival umbrella, I. E., Princess, Holland America, carnival, Cunard, etc.

P.s. Welcome back! + thanks for recommending Amber, she really is great.

 

 

hey dobiemom,

 

thank you kindly!

 

s/f

 

vr/chandler

 

over...

Chandler, we're also doing the wine country [Pacific Northwest] onboard the Star Princess, leaving on Sunday. I'll look for your ship as we pass on the gorgeous Pacific Ocean.

 

Horton's at the spa right now too!

 

Have a wonderful and relaxing cruise. Celebrity's a great cruiseline.

 

thank you roz--i'm looking forward to it.

 

star princess is also a very nice ship--the princess formula definitely works.

 

we were on the star in may 2013 r/t seattle to alaska. my first (but definitely not my last) experience with the "international cafe". i like that place a lot!

 

confidence is high! your trip will be excellent ... with blessings from the past, plus new/exciting 'memories' waiting to be made! safe travels & god bless.

 

s/f

 

vr/chandler

 

over...

I have to share this photo of my daughter and Gibson on our first outing to the symphony. She ordered him a special tux bow tie. The staff at Helzberg Hall told us that Gibson was their first service animal since the building opened. He was so good, just laid down next to her and rested through the whole program. (Only one time did he get up to sniff the back of the two folks seated in front of us. They were really nice about it though, a lady and her 7 year old grandson.)

Thanks! Beckie

 

wow, that's an awesome picture--you must be very proud!

 

 

hey roz,

 

you're leaving this week, right? where are you going?

 

it'd be cool if y'all were on the same trip as me and rex. celebrity west-coast 'wine' cruise (i'm not a wine drinker--but the ports are good and only 2 sea-days out of 11).

 

we leave tomorrow morning -- so today, i'm droppin' rex off for a bath while i go to the 'groomer' (aka: barber shop) too--then we should both be good-to-go!

 

safe travels to you and horty!

 

s/f

 

vr/chandler.

 

over...

Just request the rates for 1 passenger. I usually do a lot better than the NCL studio rates. Depends on the single supplement rate.

 

thanks!

 

hey, from your experience, is it better to 'call' on the phone--as opposed to going online--or have you noticed a marked difference in either way?

Currently only Epic and Breakaway have studio cabins. But you can get single rates for any cabin on any ship.

 

 

hey cruise pup,

 

are you saying ncl has solo rates on non-solo cabins, if so, how do you score one?

Semperpup - gosh we don't seem to be very welcoming to SDs do we?

 

I wonder if this website is of any help? I know it's for UK folk, but you might be able to pick out some information which may relate to your travels around Europe? I've heard of pet passports and I've also heard that once you get it set up, it's very easy.

 

 

https://www.gov.uk/take-pet-abroad.

 

 

Good luck!

 

https://www.gov.uk/pet-travel-travelling-with-assistance-dogs

 

ah heck fairbourne, y'all seem more than welcoming, and yeah those websites look good (even if they are meant for u.k. folk!). fortunately, i do [kind-of] speak english. thank you again!