bob brown

The USPS will only hold mail deliveries for one month. You could have mail forwarded to another address such as a private mail box store, but having mail forwarded, and then having it not forwarded when you return is sometimes a hassle, as some mail can’t be forwarded and is returned to sender, etc. Best to have a neighbor or house sitter collect it and hold for you.

Boredom is never an issue on a cruise, especially an ATW one. As a matter of fact, we get melancholy as the cruise nears its end, and wish we could stay aboard longer. Some of our shipmates have done six ATW cruises, and one lady actually lives aboard ship all year long…😎

I am on my second 6 month ATW cruise…actually, this one is almost 7 months. If you’ve done a 3 month one, it should be fairly easy to adjust to a 7 month one. For me, the biggest issues were the need to file an income tax extension, arranging for collecting my mail, prepping my car for storage, obtaining an extended supply of prescription medications, having someone periodically check my home, etc. I have long since went to electronic billing and auto bill paying for all my accounts, so that is not an issue. I have also seen all of my health providers just prior to sailing. Obtaining toiletries and such is never a problem.

I agree…especially in recent times, with the pandemic, and now seemingly constant political disruptions worldwide, most of the sites with cruise calendars are inaccurate, since they were published a year or longer, in the past. On our current ATW cruise, we were informed of changes just weeks prior…

Unfortunately, Azamara doesn’t cruise the Great Lakes, but there are other choices besides AQV, as we’ve discussed. The main attraction (for myself) of AQV is the Chicago embarkation, while the others use Milwaukee.

Not the same thing as physical mail, but I often get scam emails that “my package is coming, but I need to call to complete my address”, or some variation on that. I believe the term for that is “phishing”…

If I found them laughing at me, I’d laugh back and tell them the laughs on them, as I would have paid double their asking price…😁 Just kidding…in reality, I am also at that stage in life where I am trying to get rid off “stuff” cluttering my home. And I can’t even give it away…no one wants it, but my wife still enjoys buying crafts. I like to bargain for a lower price, but my wife is a “softie”, and tells me to pay what the vender asks, especially if it seems hand-made, and she judges the vender as “needy”…

Absolutely! The passengers, (or at least the reasonable ones) could understand and accept the necessity to skip a port and alter an itinerary for their own safety. They may be disappointed, but would get over it. What they anguish over the most, is the uncertainty of not knowing, one way or the other. So yes, @vaitape’s suggestion is what they should have done earlier, and then when settled, release the new itinerary.

It’s now official…

Makes me wonder if the privately held, MSC Cruises is in a much better position now. Of course they have the “deep pockets” of the large MSC container line in the same family, and I would assume they weathered the pandemic in better shape. That might allow them to expand more rapidly than the others. They are starting an upscale division, I’ve read…

Good ideas. Can you be certain that selected crew members would receive the full amount you designate to them?

I am wondering…if you were aware that by canceling in the penalty period you stood to lose 100% anyway, why not just wait and see if Oceania would cancel it, and then give you all or most back in some form?🤔

Lots of interesting responses, thanks to all! I can’t say for sure which, but I have heard in the past that only “refundable” ship board credit can be used for gratuities or casino spending. Obviously those would offer the most value as there is no “mark up” on the money you spend. I have read though about the “workaround” you can do on some lines that allow transferring your non-refundable ship board credit into casino credit, and after placing the minimum bet, win or lose, you can then “cash out” the entire remainder. If allowed, that would be the best choice for me. I agree that the mark up on other choices are huge, and sometimes it is easy to see just how much. As a recent example, Oceania was selling Hop On, Hop Off tours in Capetown, South Africa for $75. per person. At the pier, you could buy them for only $15.41 each, from the same company, and even less online… You can also compare name brand merchandise, such as Citizen watch prices offered on board with online retail store prices. I have lots of choices to consider before the end of my cruise, but one thing’s for certain., I will not leave anything left in my account…😉🙂

If I had the means to buy one of those, I would much rather own my own crewed, ocean going yacht, and have the ability to go where and when I desire, rather than where the homeowners committee voted on…

Is it possible that some ships may have outside or balcony lights that are not controlled by passengers? They may be on a timer, or otherwise controlled by the crew? Not sure…

What I mean is, if you have “non-refundable” shipboard credit on your account, that you have to spend during your cruise or lose it, what would give you the most “bang for your buck”? Options include: items in their shops, specialty restaurants, spa treatments, shore excursions, drink packages, etc… Which of those have the most real value, where the line makes the least mark-up or profit? I would think it could vary between companies, but maybe not. Not saying I would choose based on that, and would probably choose based on what I want the most, but just curious as to what it is…

Ouch!….I “feel your pain”…that certainly is not a good outcome. I hope you had “cancel for any reason” trip insurance. If not, something to consider for future travel plans, especially in questionable places…

They should do like NCL, and offer the option of printing your own. I have been doing this for several years, and it works very well. It is especially useful, when you get a last minute guarantee assignment, change or upgrade in cabin, that would make mailing not possible…

I went to our “ATW Concierge”, and asked her, but (as expected), they could not confirm that we will skip Myanmar until the Miami offices release that decision. And yes, she is well aware of the frustration that is causing for many, but it is “above her pay grade” to remedy the situation… I suppose I could try to escalate it to the general manager, or even the captain, but I don’t consider it worth the effort, as I am fairly certain we will not be going there, and am content to wait for official word, whenever it comes, perhaps by the time we reach Dubai. If anyone not on board finds that unacceptable, you are welcome to pursue it with the Miami office…🤷‍♂️

As mentioned in similar threads, I’ll attempt to get more information today. The problem is not the on board crew, but the home office not making it “official” as yet. When they finally do, I’m sure we’ll find a letter in our cabin telling us so…🤷‍♂️

For anyone living in the New York area, I would suggest joining the World Ship Society, Port of New York Branch. Besides other nice membership benefits, they will go on a few ship luncheon’s and tours each year, at all 3 of the NY ports. They charge a nominal fee for this experience, and unlike the Travel Agents, do not have to sit thru a sales presentation, but are free to explore the entire ship, or join a staff-led tour before or after lunch in a dining room, which includes wines. https://worldshipny.com/

They should have red cap assistance available…

I believe that most cruise lines that market primary to North Americans use USD as their on board currency, regardless of where the cruise operates, and those that market primarily to other places, use that currency. There are some ships that might offer a choice…IIRC, Cunard offers both US or UK currency. Lines such as P&O Australia most likely uses AUS currency…

Have you considered Amtrak? Should be much less than that, including an Uber ride from ship to station…

Okay, I get it now. Fortunately for us, we were going in the “right direction” on our two river cruises, finishing at the “downtown end” that did not need a lengthy transfer, that the beginning did from the pre-cruise hotel…