As the year ends, I've been counting my CC blessings

[travelglobetrotter]

In October "09 I found a tiny paragraph about Cruise Critic in our Arizona Republic, and decided to investigate the site. I found my cruise Roll Call, and spent a long afternoon catching up on posts, joined, and was able to participate in a number of private tours, and make new friends.

 

I think CC has saved my DH and me thousands, and given me more travel education than I had previously found anywhere. So thanks to you all, we love private tours, and I have arranged them myself, we have Global Entry, and have learned a lot with the recent discussions on credit card churning, cancellation coverage, and lots of hotel and tour info for ports. We now need preexisting condition coverage, and your discussions about only paying for what is actually nonrefundable, then changing the amount when making further payments, was a revelation, and especially timely, as we've booked 55 days of the world cruise in 2015.

 

Bless you all for taking the time to write and help us all. I don't post often, but I do read the threads on a weekly basis, and I know we have reaped the benefits from your expertise. I've been a CC cheerleader since 2009. Thank you, and Happy New Year to all, may you all have smooth sailings, and happy memories. Marlene

[Paulchili]

In October "09 I found a tiny paragraph about Cruise Critic in our Arizona Republic, and decided to investigate the site. I found my cruise Roll Call, and spent a long afternoon catching up on posts, joined, and was able to participate in a number of private tours, and make new friends.

 

I think CC has saved my DH and me thousands, and given me more travel education than I had previously found anywhere. So thanks to you all, we love private tours, and I have arranged them myself, we have Global Entry, and have learned a lot with the recent discussions on credit card churning, cancellation coverage, and lots of hotel and tour info for ports. We now need preexisting condition coverage, and your discussions about only paying for what is actually nonrefundable, then changing the amount when making further payments, was a revelation, and especially timely, as we've booked 55 days of the world cruise in 2015.

 

Bless you all for taking the time to write and help us all. I don't post often, but I do read the threads on a weekly basis, and I know we have reaped the benefits from your expertise. I've been a CC cheerleader since 2009. Thank you, and Happy New Year to all, may you all have smooth sailings, and happy memories. Marlene

 

Ditto - well said.

I think we all have learned and taught each other a lot on CC, even when we agree to disagree.

This is a great source of knowledge and information for all cruisers.

Fair winds and following seas to all of us and a Happy New Year to all!

Paul

[loum140]

We too have learned much from CC's travel forums and met so many people to share tours and good times with through the roll calls.

 

So to all our friends - old, new and the ones we've yet to meet - Happy New Year and safe travels!

 

Marsha and Lou

[LHT28]

We have also met some good friends & acquaintances on CC

 

So many on Oceania

Learned so much ..try to pass on what I have learned to others ;)

 

Just thankful that we are still healthy enough to still travel (so far)

 

Wishing everyone a healthy and happy 2014

 

Lyn & Mike

[YoHoHo]

I am an Internet Unsociable. I don't blog or slog through blogs, tweet or 'like' or join in reindeer games. My cell phone is a, err, phone. I prefer 3D to 4G. Consequently I never thought I would find myself reading the many posts on CC, following threads and gasp, actively posting.

 

Thanks to so many posts, from gripes to hypes, to cheerleaders and grumps and lumps, we have learned a lot and enjoyed learning from so many of you. I very much enjoy posts of recent cruises or even 'live' threads as we get to travel along. It is fun to occasionally see a picture posted from on-board and recognize some of the travelers.

 

We now know to fly in the day before, the risks with consolidator air tickets, to watch for pre-existing coverage with travel insurance, rely on ourselves to get from here to there and back again, that there could be a volcano eruption leaving us to cool our heels in <fill in the blank>. Things I would not have considered until reading of them here or experiencing them first-hand.

 

We have enjoyed Roll Calls, those we have met on board ship (again - never thought of that as an aspect of cruising) and those who we have shared local tours and a bottle of wine or two.

 

 

Thanks to you all. Lang may yer lum reek

Edited January 1, 2014 by YoHoHo

[Mura]

Whenever we are on a cruise, I am amazed at how many people are so totally unaware of what the internet can offer in terms of improving the experience. Often people will express interest, but very rarely to the point of asking about information on how to get there.

 

They don't know what they are missing!

 

Still, I think it's true that more people are aware these days ... but it's still a small number of passengers. (I'm not just talking about CC because there are other sites out there.)

 

And yet ... the Meet & Greet I organized for the Brazilian Destinies cruise had over 100 participants, as did the cruises immediately before and after. I had been used to groups of 35-50 at most.

 

I do have to say I prefer the smaller size -- it's easier to meet people when you don't have a huge horde. But it's good in that it shows the growing interest.

 

Happy New Year everyone!

 

Mura

[jertom]

Thanks to OP for this thread.

We are counting our blessings too.

So much useful info has come to us on CC, and enhanced our cruising experiences.

Happy New Year to all.

[orchestrapal]

Thanks to OP for this thread.

We are counting our blessings too.

So much useful info has come to us on CC, and enhanced our cruising experiences.

Happy New Year to all.

 

+1 and a very HEALTHY year to all!

[tropicalkerry2002]

But somehow I missed discussions on only getting cancellation insurance for the non refundable portion of the trip!

So this means you are phoning the insurers 3 or 4 times, to increase the coverage amount as the cruise draws nearer, and pay the difference in the premium THEN?

Something I had never thought of!

In the end the premium ends up the same as if full amount paid at start, but you are not out of pocket as much if you have to cancel when the refundable portion is, say, 50%. Am I thinking of this correctly?

The insurance people have no problem with reassessing your policy every few weeks in last 3 months?

A somewhat unrelated question, MUST you get cancellation/ interruption insurance for the FULL amount of the trip? If the trip is $15000 for the 2 of us, will there be problems if I only insure for $10000.

Thanks for any information/conformation you may offer!

Happy New Year!

[orchestrapal]

But somehow I missed discussions on only getting cancellation insurance for the non refundable portion of the trip!

So this means you are phoning the insurers 3 or 4 times, to increase the coverage amount as the cruise draws nearer, and pay the difference in the premium THEN?

Something I had never thought of!

In the end the premium ends up the same as if full amount paid at start, but you are not out of pocket as much if you have to cancel when the refundable portion is, say, 50%. Am I thinking of this correctly?

The insurance people have no problem with reassessing your policy every few weeks in last 3 months?

A somewhat unrelated question, MUST you get cancellation/ interruption insurance for the FULL amount of the trip? If the trip is $15000 for the 2 of us, will there be problems if I only insure for $10000.

Thanks for any information/conformation you may offer!

Happy New Year!

 

You can insure any part or all of the cruise cost.

Personally we have been self insuring for years and have saved enough for any b/b/b cruise in a suite that we would ever take. We also have partial coverage from two of our credit cards for a portion of two cruises/year. Don't make the insurance companies rich, just cover what you can't easily afford to loose.

[pacheco18]

+1 and a very HEALTHY year to all!

 

+2

I cannot believe how many CCers I count among my cruising friends.

Wishing everyone health and travel adventure in 2014.

[Jancruz]

I cant say enough about the friends I have made and have yet to make on CC..with similar interests and the joy of traveling..I count my CC friends as my best friends..I believe my CC friends with their prayers saved my husbands life when the doctor said he was gone..

I hope to keep traveling enough to meet you all some day..

and I wish all of the CC friends a Happy Healthy 2014 and remember life without travel is like reading a book without opening the cover..

Jancruz1

Edited January 1, 2014 by Jancruz

[A Knitter]

Ditto to the many friends we have made. 3 cruises booked in 2014. We have been blessed. Very first on Azmara next month (Surprise for Paul for Valentines).

Looking forward to the comparison to O.

[tanny18]

There are so many ways to be thankful and blessed, and I can only add to those of you who are thankful for the people you have met on CC and the friends made. We have been sailing with Oceania since inception and I count many, many friends we have made because of it and CC. And we can all be thankful that we can truly enjoy the adventures we have taken and the ones yet to be taken. May all of you have a happy, healthy and cruise-filled year!! Arlene and Allan;)

[Fetchpeople]

I ain't 2 dum, but CC has made me quite a bit smarter.

 

For that and to all of you, my best. You've saved me $ and helped me avoid mistakes, for sure.

 

As to insurance coverage, you can insure for all of a trip, part of a trip or none of the trip cost. When you insure for little, if any, of the trip cost, you are really taking out a major medical policy and probably concerned with medical evacuation more than routine medical expenses.

 

I found out through experience that O's Medical Center's bills are considered reasonable and reimbursable by my primary carrier. No med evac necessary, but the coverage is not too expensive, when taken without trip cost. From my perspective, self insuring for the trip and buying medivac makes sense.

[nyfeds]

I've been a CC forum participant for several years and have received (as well as shared) a wealth of information over the years. I've also made some great friendships through CC and our cruising together. One can never glean too much information to make that cruise/travel experience the best possible! In the past, we've cruised with Regent, exclusively. We will be taking our first Oceania cruise in May 2015. Really looking forward to giving Oceania a try, after reading so many stellar reviews and comments here on CC.

 

Thanks to CC and those who continually give great insight and information!

 

Happy New Year! Hope it's a year filled with cruise and travel wishes fulfilled!

Edited January 1, 2014 by nyfeds

[CintiPam]

Ditto - well said.

I think we all have learned and taught each other a lot on CC, even when we agree to disagree.

This is a great source of knowledge and information for all cruisers.

Fair winds and following seas to all of us and a Happy New Year to all!

Paul

 

My thanks to travelglobetrotter and Paulchili for so well expressing my appreciation for CC. I started cruising just five years ago, and I have learned so much from these boards and am very grateful for the many friendships stemming from my CC participation both in person on our cruises and in CC cyperspace here.

 

Happy New Year to all and best wishes for a wonderful 2014!

Edited January 2, 2014 by CintiPam

[karska]

Looking at the amount of posts everyone has done I'm a newbie to cc,

And still learning how to navigate site.

In my short time on cc I've learned quite a bit, looking forward to more knowledge. As far as this thread, we always get insurance for the cost of the trip.

We are booked on our first Oceania 9/6/14 Monte Carlo to London. I don't know how to put it on my info, but I'll learn.

Thanks for all the info.

Happy Healthy New Year to all.

[yorkiemomjn]

Just discovered this thread and I wanted to also express my appreciation to all of my friends past and future here on CC.

 

I wish good health and much happiness to each of you in the coming year!

 

Judy