Cruise Line Approved Hotels

[clo]

3 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

you might have an appreciation for how I would feel. 

Oh, I totally get it. I'll be sad if/when the day comes that I/we can no longer safely travel. But I hope I won't be "heart broken." That doesn't sound very good for one's mental health. We tend to be the type that prepares with "what if" in mind. 

Cath/Catherine/but never Cathy 🙂 

[iancal]

I suspect that we will take a flight long before we will book a cruise.     Looking at them now for when we feel that it is safer and things open up.  Direct to Greece or direct to Morocco.    Probability favors Greece.  Get a condo by the sea for a week at a time in various spots, rent a car, ferry about, and have two months away from all the news.  Either fall or spring will be perfect.

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, clo said:

Oh, I totally get it. I'll be sad if/when the day comes that I/we can no longer safely travel. But I hope I won't be "heart broken." That doesn't sound very good for one's mental health. We tend to be the type that prepares with "what if" in mind. 

Cath/Catherine/but never Cathy 🙂 

 

Maybe it has to do with where one is in life....  I am still expecting another good 25 or so years of travel before I hang it up. As I get closer to that, I imagine I will have more of an idea of what my "what if" plan looks like.

 

And yes, heartbroken. I watched my parents finally realize that travel was no longer possible for them (beyond easy local trips) about 6 years ago, at ages 87 and 83. They had a great run, but they were (and remain) sad; most of our conversations revolve around travel to this day.

 

(sorry, will file away the name info. )

 

Edited June 9, 2020 by cruisemom42

[slidergirl]

6 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

 

In this one, I'm with Hank. 

 

I was also bitten by the travel bug early, and I would say travel is my passion. I cannot imagine what could take its place in my life. Do I regret not being able to travel this year? Sure do. And I keep travel regrets a long time -- I still regret not getting to Leptis Magna in 2010. Heck, I still regret my parents not taking me with them to Egypt in 1974 when I was a kid...

 

Everything would seem much of a sameness to me without travel. Cathy, maybe if you imagined someone telling you that you could never again cook or eat anything other than very mediocre food, you might have an appreciation for how I would feel. 

 

 

Count me in with Hank and Cruisemom.

 

I was lucky enough to be able to do some amazing trips in my life.  Due to major changes in my life they are pretty much over.   I want to still do at least one more trip back to Italy - it is one place in the world where I always feel very comfortable and as if I belong there.  I keep looking at my frequent flyer miles and the frequent guest points I have left to see if it would be feasible.  I've even thought about getting a job back at Marriott or Hilton so I could get the employee discount ($89/night at the Westin in Rome and Florence was a true bonus).   For now, I am going to do my road trips and camp around the West, from north to south, east to west.  I'd love to do some places in the East, like the old backroads of Florida, but not right now.  

 

Hank - you probably already know:  across from the Albergo del Senato is a wonderful salumeria, Antico Salumeria.  And, around the corner is my favorite place for a granita di caffe con panna - Tazza d' Oro.  Great on a hot day!!  And, across from it is a wonderful high-end candy shop, Venchi.  

[ldubs]

9 hours ago, sanger727 said:

there are people out there who work their butts off and still don’t make enough to cruise. That’s where the lucky part comes in. Perhaps blessed or fortunate are better words. Now, I’m not one of them. But I do recognize that I am fortunate to have gone straight into a career path straight from college that was a good fit for me and that pays well enough to fund a comfortable lifestyle. But it’s still only one vacation a year in a balcony or less room money.  Not multiple vacations a year in suites.

 

back to the issue of the thread. To me this seems similar to shore excursions. There are people who book a cruise without considering what to do in port and just wait till they are on the ship to peruse packaged shore excursions. No price shopping, no research, just one stop and done. That’s the same mindset as being offered a hotel and transfer to the ship combo. If you are not inclined to spend time researching a city on where to stay, what to do, how to get to the port; and the price of a packaged combo is acceptable then it’s worth the extra to some people.

 

?? That is what I said, or tried to say, as opposed to the kind luck that falls into someone's lap.   I think fortunate is a better word.  

[clo]

7 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Maybe it has to do with where one is in life....  I am still expecting another good 25 or so years of travel before I hang it up. As I get closer to that, I imagine I will have more of an idea of what my "what if" plan looks like.

 

And yes, heartbroken. I watched my parents finally realize that travel was no longer possible for them (beyond easy local trips) about 6 years ago, at ages 87 and 83. They had a great run, but they were (and remain) sad; most of our conversations revolve around travel to this day.

 

(sorry, will file away the name info. )

 

That really is sad about your parents.  Give them a little hug from me. I lost my parents when they were only 60 so a really different perspective.

 

Over ten years ago my MIL had a minor stroke. She was making decisions that put her at risk physically. She really couldn't be home alone any more. We moved her into a really nice assisted living place and it cost a pretty penny. And it got us to thinking. Even though we're 'only' 73 and 75 we're already on a (probably two plus year) waiting list for a glorious senior/assisted living place in Seattle. It's in a central location and we can continue to travel as long as we can. And they have dozens of activities, on site and off, that they organize and transport you to. I could  go on and on. But my point is that I think too many people don't think about the probable fact that there's going to be some period of time between being able to travel and death

🙂 We're so well prepared for this we probably won't need it. And we really do want to die broke 🙂

 

ETA: I've started buying books with lots of 'purty pitchers' of places we've been.  Thinking about sitting together on the sofa, going through those books and remembering all the fun times. Hopefully we're a long way from that.

Edited June 10, 2020 by clo

[sanger727]

17 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

?? That is what I said, or tried to say, as opposed to the kind luck that falls into someone's lap.   I think fortunate is a better word.  

 

Sorry, I misinterpreted your post

[slidergirl]

On one of my trips to Rome, I stayed at the Westin, thanks to my employee discount.  There was also a large group from Celebrity staying there.  Lots of handholding for them - they got the bellmen while the rest of us were left to fend (as an employee, I was not allowed to say anything - we have to take what we are given).  There was a sign in the lobby with an agenda of activities and times.  And, their breakfast was "included" - so was mine.  The Westin isn't "central" (it's up on Via Veneto next to the US Embassy), but not out in the boonies.  I know HAL has used The Savoy in the past for bulk rooms and it is just a block or two down Via Ludovisi from The Westin (walked past it everyday). For the "older" cruiser, those two are not walking-friendly unless you are used to walking up and down hills to get to the Centro Storico.   I also know that some have used the Sheraton that is actually out of town and the Crowne Plaza which is not near much of anything, either.   I could have stayed at the Sheraton for $50/night, but from what I heard of others,  I wouldn't have paid that much to stay there. 

[iancal]

Certainly agree about the Sheraton...if it is the Sheraton  (porto or golfo...cannot remember the full name).

 

I believe that people tend to see the name Westin, Hilton, Marriott, etc and think that it will be good.  It probably will be  good hotel but that is not the point.  Location can be as, or more important.

 

 It could be convenient to the tourist area or it could be in an inconvenient location.  My recommendation would be to always look it up for yourself, read tripadvisor, etc.   If we only have one or two days in town we do not want to be stuck in the boonies so to speak.

Edited June 10, 2020 by iancal

[ldubs]

5 hours ago, sanger727 said:

 

Sorry, I misinterpreted your post

 

Oh gosh, I actually didn't say it very well, so no worries.   Fact is you said it better than me so if anyone I should say sorry.  haha, but no group hugs!   

[slidergirl]

7 hours ago, iancal said:

Certainly agree about the Sheraton...if it is the Sheraton  (porto or golfo...cannot remember the full name).

 

I believe that people tend to see the name Westin, Hilton, Marriott, etc and think that it will be good.  It probably will be  good hotel but that is not the point.  Location can be as, or more important.

 

 It could be convenient to the tourist area or it could be in an inconvenient location.  My recommendation would be to always look it up for yourself, read tripadvisor, etc.   If we only have one or two days in town we do not want to be stuck in the boonies so to speak.

Yep, that's the Sheraton Parco dí Medici.  

 

Some people are comforted by an American chain name.  People really do need to look at the actual location of a provided hotel before jumping in.  They will still be surprised by the hotel in the city - definitely NOT a cookie cutter American hotel room!  The only reason I stayed at the Waldorf and the Westin in Rome was that I had either free employee nights via an employee contest (Waldorf) or cheap employee rates (Westin).  When I paid on my own, I bit the bullet and stayed in the Centro Storico.  Same with Florence.   I don't want to be stuck relying on a hotel shuttle or pay a taxi every time I want to go somewhere.  I had no choice with the Waldorf as it's on top of the highest hill in Rome and no way to really walk.  Beautiful view overlooking Rome, though.  But, I had to pay a lot of taxi there.  For the Westin, I didn't mind the location as I loved walking and if I wanted, a Metro stop wasn't that far away.  But, some tourists are wary of using the public transportation.   

 

As I still have some frequent guest points left with Marriott (my old *wood points), Hilton and some from Hyatt, If I find something on my next trip, I could maybe use them if I'm not miles away.  After that, it the location that will count!

 

[navybankerteacher]

39 minutes ago, slidergirl said:

Yep, that's the Sheraton Parco dí Medici.  

 

...

 

 

As I still have some frequent guest points left with Marriott (my old *wood points), Hilton and some from Hyatt, If I find something on my next trip, I could maybe use them if I'm not miles away.  After that, it the location that will count!

 

I have found it best to limit my chain point use to US destinations - when I usually have a car anyway,  so location is not that important — anyway, part of being in Londin, Paris,  Barcelona, or Rome, etc. is being where you really want to be - in an establishment that doesn’t mirror something in Los Angeles.

[Charles4515]

I have found it best to limit my chain point use to US destinations - when I usually have a car anyway,  so location is not that important — anyway, part of being in Londin, Paris,  Barcelona, or Rome, etc. is being where you really want to be - in an establishment that doesn’t mirror something in Los Angeles.

 

That is my strategy! I only use chain points for US destinations. But I also have some boutique favorites I stay at in some US cities.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[iancal]

We do not have many hotel point stays left.   We use the ones that we do have very carefully.   In those properties where the room rate is high. 

 

Downtown Sydney, downtown Toronto, etc. In the case of Marriott our preference is to use them for four night stays....then we get the fifth night free as we did in Sydney.   We would rather pay cash if the room rate is good.   Have been in the Hilton, Marriott, Accor, Choice programs for a long time.   We very much prefer the Marriott program to any of the others.   

[slidergirl]

19 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

I have found it best to limit my chain point use to US destinations - when I usually have a car anyway,  so location is not that important — anyway, part of being in Londin, Paris,  Barcelona, or Rome, etc. is being where you really want to be - in an establishment that doesn’t mirror something in Los Angeles.

Unfortunately, when you don't have a job anymore (thanks COVID) and you may want to go back to Europe at least one more time, if all you have to use are frequent guest points, beggars cannot be choosers.  

[iancal]

In the past we have had excellent results bidding on Priceline for good hotels in London and in Paris.  Also once ( Westin or was it Fairmont) in Milan and once in Lisbon.  We have had no success in other European cities.

Edited June 11, 2020 by iancal

[navybankerteacher]

2 hours ago, slidergirl said:

Unfortunately, when you don't have a job anymore (thanks COVID) and you may want to go back to Europe at least one more time, if all you have to use are frequent guest points, beggars cannot be choosers.  

Hopefully things will settle down and choices will become possible again.  I do hope your options widen.   Best of luck -stay strong.

[ilikeanswers]

Where I live there was a travel agent company who went out of their way to target customers who had considerable disposable income but were time poor. They were happy to buy packaged trips without much scrutiny but their idea of a holiday is doing as little as possible so it was a perfect match. In Australia we have this term "lazy tax". Shopping around takes effort and for some people it is too tedious they would rather pay extra and have everything booked in one place. I think it also comes down to socio-economics. I'm not particularly wealthy so for me every saving is a contribution to the next trip therefore l have a strong incentive to shop around. 

[navybankerteacher]

6 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

Where I live there was a travel agent company who went out of their way to target customers who had considerable disposable income but were time poor. They were happy to buy packaged trips without much scrutiny but their idea of a holiday is doing as little as possible so it was a perfect match. In Australia we have this term "lazy tax". Shopping around takes effort and for some people it is too tedious they would rather pay extra and have everything booked in one place. I think it also comes down to socio-economics. I'm not particularly wealthy so for me every saving is a contribution to the next trip therefore l have a strong incentive to shop around. 

I like that term “lazy tax” - very descriptive.  Much like the “stupid tax” levied upon people who regularly buy (and budget for) several lottery tickets every week.

[slidergirl]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

Hopefully things will settle down and choices will become possible again.  I do hope your options widen.   Best of luck -stay strong.

Thanks NBT.  I have the dreaded "she's an old lady" going against me for most hospitality jobs (it's always been a covert discrimination).  I'm also a little scared to death to go back to work in a front-facing position at a hotel until things shake out much more.  I do have an ace-in-the-hole in that I can start collecting Social Security and get just part time work to keep me busy.  BUT, the longer I wait, the more I can get from the Feds.  I may have to find a new third career.  Or, I'm either going to find a Sugar Daddy or create a Go Fund Me account to finance my travel!!!

[ldubs]

2 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

Where I live there was a travel agent company who went out of their way to target customers who had considerable disposable income but were time poor. They were happy to buy packaged trips without much scrutiny but their idea of a holiday is doing as little as possible so it was a perfect match. In Australia we have this term "lazy tax". Shopping around takes effort and for some people it is too tedious they would rather pay extra and have everything booked in one place. I think it also comes down to socio-economics. I'm not particularly wealthy so for me every saving is a contribution to the next trip therefore l have a strong incentive to shop around. 

 

Haha, We have a lot of folks who pay "logo taxes".  But I've never heard of a "lazy tax" before your post.   Something for everyone I guess. 

 

[ilikeanswers]

27 minutes ago, ldubs said:

Haha, We have a lot of folks who pay "logo taxes".  But I've never heard of a "lazy tax" before your post.   Something for everyone I guess. 

 

Paying the Lazy Tax is an Aussie colloquial phrase for those who don't shop around which I thought fits with what this thread had been discussing😉. I tried Googling but couldn't find what "logo tax" means, is it an acronym?

[navybankerteacher]

30 minutes ago, slidergirl said:

Thanks NBT.  I have the dreaded "she's an old lady" going against me for most hospitality jobs (it's always been a covert discrimination).  I'm also a little scared to death to go back to work in a front-facing position at a hotel until things shake out much more.  I do have an ace-in-the-hole in that I can start collecting Social Security and get just part time work to keep me busy.  BUT, the longer I wait, the more I can get from the Feds.  I may have to find a new third career.  Or, I'm either going to find a Sugar Daddy or create a Go Fund Me account to finance my travel!!!

I did a fair amount of projecting when I was considering starting Social Security - it is amazing how much the difference is if you can delay starting.  Of course, for  the first few years the reduced amount is a whole lot more than the nothing if you aren’t drawing, but once you start, the increased amount catches up quickly.  I can’t properly advise which to do - but I’m sure your math skills are up to it.   Is that “third career” a workable option?  

 

It’s cetainly a waiting game for now - but things have to restart:  3, maybe 6 or even 12 months.  

 

Then, of course, there’s that Sugar Daddy thing .......

 

Hoping that the light comes back soon.

[ldubs]

7 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

Paying the Lazy Tax is an Aussie colloquial phrase for those who don't shop around which I thought fits with what this thread had been discussing😉. I tried Googling but couldn't find what "logo tax" means, is it an acronym?

 

I like it.   I'm pretty sure Mrs Ldubs favorite new term is going to be "lazy tax".

 

Logo tax, as I understand, refers to folks who pay more for something because it is a certain brand (logo).  Like a T-shirt for $10 vs a T-shirt with the Nike logo for $40.  

 

 

[clo]

59 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

starting Social Security

We had no choice but to start at 62 since Bob got laid off and got early retirement when he was 53. So he couldn't start taking from the 401(k)/now IRA until 59-1/2 . We struggled for a few years but leaving the 401(k) alone paid (literally) huge benefits.