teddie

My great great great great grandfather caught the silver dollar that Washington threw over the Potomac.

I'm in NYC all the time for work or pleasure. The cities are not burning, like some would have us believe. I'm careful and it's fine. Teddie

Mum, I'd like to believe this is all true, but where there's a will, there's a way, especially in a country with such a high degree of unrest. Criminals gonna criminal, especially with a Level 4 advisory in place. I'm wondering what kind of liability statement exists when it comes to RCIs private destinations....time to examine the cruise contract for Labadee sailings. Teddie

I also do as I want: I give cash (much more than suggested!) and a good review. And candy, too. teddie

Haha. It's the cheap stuff--ibuprofen. T.

Actually, when the physician I work with comes up to me and says, "Teddie, I have a headache. You have any of that fake Advil?" Yes. I will give it to him. If an acquaintance asks me for it, certainly I will. Prescription not required.

I am a registered nurse and worked for 15 years at a rehabilitation hospital as their brain injury program admissions liaison. Real life examples of “prolonged” need for hospital care: #1 A 40 year old female dislocates a shoulder at a port of call in the Dominican Republic. Goes to local hospital to have it straightened out under general anesthesia, Unfortunately, she has a cardiac arrest on the operating table and sustained a brain injury due to lack of oxygen to the brain. She is then unconscious and unresponsive and doesn’t wake up. Family needs/wants to get her back to New York. Needs air ambulance to safely and appropriately get there. #2 50 year old has a motor vehicle accident while in a port on a cruise in Europe and sustains a spinal cord injury. Requires ventilator care and is paralyzed from the chest down. Wants to return to their home state in the USA for further hospital care and rehabilitation. Requires air ambulance for safe transport with these specialized care needs. As I said, no one likes to think these things can happen, but they do. I am not going to take any kind of chance with myself or my family member, despite the low odds you may feel make it out of the realm of possibilities for it happening to you. I’ll spend the extra cash for the enhanced medical coverage. teddie

Are you sure? If you have a serious injury with a potentially prolonged hospital stay, would you want you and your family stuck in a state faraway from home? I am talking about serious injuries like brain injuries or multiple trauma that require an actual air ambulance with nurses and EMTs on board because the injured person is unconscious and/or requires a respirator or other life-sustaining care that is well beyond a simple medical escort on a commercial flight. The patient can get as stabilized as possible at the closest appropriate facility which can be in another country or a far-away state. Once stable enough for further transport, that seriously injured person’s family may want their loved one to receive further treatment in their hospital of choice in their home state and requires air ambulance to get there. I’ve worked with international coordinators for travel insurance companies whose job is to assist the patient to get back home. No one likes to think these things might happen but believe me; they do. I typically purchase my policy through Travelguard and choose the enhanced medical add-on. Stay healthy and safe, teddie

I always purchase through a reputable provider and buy an enhanced medical plan, which covers transportation back to your hospital of choice. Otherwise, you will be taken to the closest appropriate facility for hospital care should it be needed. That means, if you are sailing in the caribbean, you could be transported to a hospital in Miami for care. So, if you reside in, let's say, Minnesota, you may have to shell out cash for medical tranport to get back home, if your private health insurance won't cover that cost. I speak from experience through my work as a program coordinator for a well-known rehabilitation hospital in New Jersey. I've worked with families who've had to pay $20,000 or more for air ambulance services to get back to their home hospital. Stay safe! Teddie

Apologies for my typo. It was kind of you to make note of it.

I understand. Perhaps it's some of the snarky responses about it that rub me the wrong way. teddie

I rest my case. Some people here are cynical, mean, and/or unable to read proprerly. I will continue to pay generous tips and give gifts on top of that if I choose to. If the recipient wants to keep it, eat it, regift it, or chuck it overboard, that's their choice.. Happy cruising. Teddie

Let's just call this forum CRUISE CYNICS and be done with it. NOT ONE post here (including the OP) mentioned that gifts would be in place of cash, so all you money-focused people, stop already. teddie

Look. I made the gesture, and appreciation was expressed. It was a friendly and fun interaction. I am not understanding your comment—do you feel I shouldn’t have bothered, since I’ll never really know if the crew truly appreciated my gift? My intention was to make a kind gesture, and If it made even one person happy, I’m good with that. Teddie

Last cruise, I brough along gift baggies I put together filled with snacks from the Phillipines. They were so appreciated! Teddie

I didn't get it either 🙂

I'll live! But thank you 🙂 Teddie

I think you presume too much about those who like to dress up. WE just happen to love getting dressed up! Your prom example: the kids may be in Applebees but they are excited because they are dressed for The Prom--which is a big deal to them. That's how we feel about dressing up on our cruise--it's a special occasion for us. Now, please don't assume we don't get out much, because we do-- Weddings, concerts, Broadway shows, important work conferences. I know the whole cruising experience is changing, Some feel it's for the better; others, not so much. I am some place in the middle. Everyone have fun cruising! Teddie

No steamers. I pack our dressy/wrinkle-prone clothes on light hangers and place each in plastic from the dry cleaners. Stack and trifold the lot onto one side of the open suitcase and zip the suitcase closed. Minimal wrinkling. I’ve been doing this for decades. teddie

Wow! Thanks for these details! Teddie

I don't pay attention to "sales"--I just check the prices pretty much every day for internet, excursions, etc, and then will rebook and then cancel the higher priced ones. I've gotten decent savings doing this in the past. Teddie

I got the Beach Club half price during last year's Black Friday sale. It ended up at ~ $90/pp. It was worth it to us. We loved it. I wouldn't want to pay much more than that, though. Teddie

We purchased Beach Club passes for our first time on Coco Cay this past February and loved it. I note that at the rate of ~ &170/per person, it wasn’t on my radar, but it dropped to half price during the 2022 Black Friday sale and we nabbed it for ~ $89/per person. It was sold out by the next morning. Beach, pool, excellent lunch, and ambience were all wonderful, but I wouldn’t spend much more than we did, and I don’t think it’s especially suited for kids. We book regular balcony, get free D voucher drinks, and don’t do the specialty restaurants, so it was a splurge for us. teddie

We did day passes at the RIU through resortforaday.com. It was ok. Beach, pool, towels, lunch, and liquor all-inclusive. Next time we will stay onboard, as we've been to Nassau a few times already.. Teddie

I think it will be fine. But if it makes you feel better, lock it up in a suitcase and stow it under the bed. Teddie