silvercruiser

Thanks for the links to check on groups. I'm booked on the Oct. 23 7-day cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam and shared the information on our roll call. Several people are having their TAs find out more about the size of the group, which is one of the conservative Christian ones. And now we find that HAL informed one woman that there are TWO large groups on our cruise and the ship must have the upper and lower dining rooms cleared by 8pm for those groups to use.

Now I'm concerned about the second group and wonder if it's one that will take over the Crow's Nest. I'm so tempted to just cancel, but I got some very good freebies for this cruise that I'd hate to lose.

MY TA is going to try to find out about all this on Monday when she gets back to work.

It looks like the 7-day cruises on Nieuw Amsterdam have a whole bunch of groups, mostly seem to be religious or political. I'm on the Oct. 23 one and, thanks to the information in this post, have learned that yes, there's a group on my cruise, The Storytellers, booked by Inspiration Cruises. I looked at their website and saw that their prices for my category were about $300 more than I paid, plus I have prepaid gratuities included, which is another $100 I'm ahead, also a $100 drink card.

Last winter on Emerald Princess there was a group of about 800 for an Oldies Music cruise. It really didn't impact the rest of us, but Emerald is a 3000 passenger ship and they seemed like a fun bunch of people. I'll just try to avoid the Oct. group as much as possible.

My goodness, cb at sea, I've been cruising 75 or 80 days a year for many years, so don't think I need to be told how to think! I simply wondered when Princess had changed their policy of how to charge a solo cruiser for an Inside or Oceanview cabin. At first, back in the early 90's, it was 40% extra on most of the cruise lines. Then when I was part of a married couple again I didn't notice what solos were paying. The past 6 years, as a solo, it has varied between 40 and 60%, with the lower amount usually being in December, the least expensive time of the year. I find that in checking around with the different lines that almost all of them charge the full 100% no matter what kind of cabin you book, but I didn't know that because I was cruising exclusively on Princess and HAL. And now I find that HAL is the only one charging only 60% extra. I just returned from a 30-day South Pacific cruised with them and that is what I paid extra. The same was true for two other 5-week cruises I've taken with them in the past three years as well as shorter ones.

Thanks for the quick replies. If had a health issue that kept me off cruises for a year and since then have taken HAL cruises because of their itineraries, so wasn't really paying much attention to the difference in single supplements on Princess. I sailed for 14 days on the Emerald in January just to have one last chance on one of my favorite ships before she got sent to Australia, and just took an Inside on my favorite deck 5, near the morning donuts in the IC.

When did the single supplement for Inside and Oceanview cabins go up to 100%? It's always been that for balconies and above, but for years I paid between 40% and 60% for inside and oceanviews. I've been busy with HAL cruises for a few years and was surprised to find this change at Princess. Does anyone know when this change took place? I'm still paying less on HAL, but they seem to be about the only mainstream lines that offer the lower supplement, except Costa, which offers zero supplement.

Luggage Direct was not available when disembarking in San Diego because it wasn't the final port. I'd been counting on it, having had my large bag shipped at the start of the cruise by LuggageFree, who picked it up at my home a week before the cruise. If I'd been getting off at the last stop I could have had Luggage Direct. Had great service with a porter, though, both inside the terminal and again at the airport, so it was no big deal.

I've been told that Seattle and Fort Lauderdale are the only two ports currently having a Global Entry available for disembarking passengers.

Loved the cruise even with the drawbacks of bad weather. Am almost tempted to do it next year, since it'll be the Maasdam and I love the smaller ships.

Our captain was wonderful, every bit as great as my favorite, Peter Bos, from Voyage of the Vikings three years ago.

Yes, that's what she thinks might work better, to try and do it on the ship. However, at no time has she admitted that she made a bad decision in the first place. It'll be interesting to see if she emails me today. Actually, when I'm trying to book something she takes care of it even if she's at home and it's on a week-end. So perhaps she's just scurrying about trying to figure it all out so that she doesn't come across looking like the bad guy.

Yes, it is HAL insurance and here's what the official HAL message is about it. Notice that the Platinum plan is included in these rules.

"The Standard and Platinum Cancellation Protection Plans are optional and are available for purchase prior to the date on which cancellation fees begin to accrue."


...and the cancellation fees begin to accrue at the time of final payment.

sail7seas ... You summed it all up perfectly. It's what I've been saying to her in a series of emails this week-end. I've been a very good customer of hers for 10 years and don't expect sloppy work. This is a very high end agency that prides itself on being so excellent, yet I'm beginning to feel like just a number.

Here's the quote directly from Holland America's explanation of insurance:
Cancellation fees begin to accure on the date of Final Payment. Sure looks like there's no need to pay upfront 10 months in advance.


The Standard and Platinum Cancellation Protection Polans are optional and are available for purchase [B]prior to the date on which cancallation fees begin to accrue. [/B]Payment is due at time of purchase and is non-refundable

I shipped my very large suitcase ahead of time via LuggageFree. Just tracked its progress and it arrived in San Diego this afternoon. Can't wait!

That's good news, because I'm cancelling a cruise I booked in Dec. 2015 for next October. (Getting too scared about Europe and I've already been there lots of times.) I board the Westerdam next Sat. for 30 days and will talk to the Future Cruise Consultant about switching to another cruise that's around the same price. (Have two in mind.) Since final payment on the Oct. cruise isn't until July I hope I can do this and also transfer the insurance of $548 that my TA said had to be pd upfront. I've been so used to Princess, who let you insure just before final payment that it never even occurred to me that there was a danger of losing all that money.

Glad yours worked out ok and I'll keep my fingers crossed for me!

Cruiser Bruiser....were you able to transfer the deposit and insurance money to the new cruise when you switched to a different cruise?

The cruise was booked 10 months ahead of time...in December 2015 for a cruise that begins in October 2016. Final payment is July 27, which is 13 weeks and 2 days from today, or 93 days from today til final payment.

It's HAL insurance and for the TA to add it on to my deposit in December for a cruise the next October, ten months away, is just stupid.

She said not to cancel the cruise now because I'd lose the insurance, but that when I book something onboard the insurance would transfer. I think it was totally stupid of her to have me pay for it ahead of time, so very far ahead of time. Final payment isn't even due until the middle of July. And it's highly doubtful that I'm going to book anything that requires $549 worth of insurance. Why in the world would anyone buy it that far ahead of time? booked last December for a cruise that doesn't begin until October.

I'm cancelling b2b cruises in Europe that start in October, with final payment due the middle of July. My TA included my trip insurance in my deposit, something I never do and now she says that I won't get that insurance money back when I cancel. She advised me to book another cruise first so that the insurance money can be transferred. This doesn't make sense to me and I sure don't want to lose $549. I'm boarding the Westerdam a week from tomorrow for a 30-day cruise and planned to book something there with the future cruise consultant, but certainly not for 39 days, so the insurance wouldn't be $549 anyway.

Is my TA wrong? She's very experienced, but I sure can't believe what I'm hearing from her.

sail7seas, I agree with you. I've never tried to second guess a captain.

Is GE good at any other ports besides Fort Lauderdale? I'm wondering about San Diego and Tampa.

Best downsell was 7 yrs. ago on Caribbean Princess when, 3 days before sailing, Princess said that if we'd give up our balcony cabin and take an inside cabin on Lido Deck they'd give us all our money back. Yessss! I was told to come down to the desk the last day and they'd give me a check. Was I surprised when, instead of a check, they started peeling off $100 bills, 30 of them.

I have Windows 8.1 and have been told by three different experts in the field not to bother upgrading to 10. Just sayin'.

I think the Pacific Princess is sailing close to you, going to the same ports. It's fun to read the blogs from this cruise as well as the one by YellowFish on the Princess ship and compare notes.

Mary Ann, in case Jeff doesn't see the comment I left just now on his post about Fanning Island, I have a favor to ask of you. If the blond and her husband in one of his pictures today is who I think it is, namely, an old friend of mine I haven't seen in ages, Shelley Kornman and her husband Hesh, if you happen to know them, could you please tell her that her friend Priscilla, from Florida, says hi to her. And tell her that she looks great!

NCL told my TA just a few minutes ago that our departure is still scheduled to go on time. I try not to think about Dr.House (tv show) who always said that "everybody lies." :)

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I have the volume turned up and they're talking about moving the ship somewhat. Not sure exactly what they're up to, but the divers were brought up a little while ago.