cruise101

One thing you really want to be careful while buying travel medical insurance is whether the insurance company issuing the travel medical policy is the first payee. Many insurance policies really offer the policies as the second payee. In other words, if you have any medical insurance say from your employer, the travel company while paying you off on your claim will actually make a subsequent claim against your employer's travel policy. If that policy has a lifetime maximum, and you have a large claim, it may impact what is left within your lifetime maximum. This was many years ago, but our employer made this very clear as something to beware of when buying a medical travel insurance policy. So it would be wise to check on this particular aspect with your insurance broker. Another option is to buy your travel medical from the same insurer who is your employer's medical insurance provider. My understanding is that in such cases, they pay off the claim without impacting on the lifetime maximum from your employer's medical benefits policy.

I am seeking any thoughts on what you'd consider to be the best venues on the Regal Princess for after dinner, late evening music & dancing. Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

PS: I have tried to post this thread twice earlier but have run into error messages. So, apologies in advance if these appear as duplicate or repeat threads.

Many thanks for the clarification. Also appreciate the picture (which speaks a thousand words) from mllewis48.

A quick check to see if lactose free milk is available on the Regal Princess, especially at the International Cafe & the MDR. I am not a milk drinker but like a latte in the mornings & a cappuccino after dinner, but can only take these with LF milk. Thanks for your assistance.

I have read on several reviews that the balconies on standard balcony cabins on the Royal & Regal class vessels are very small. In fact one poster had stated that if you are sitting on the balcony chairs, your back will be touching the balcony door and your knees to the railing. So, wanted to know the actual dimensions of the balcony for a standard balcony cabin on the Royal or Regal ships. Thanks in advance for your assistance.

Many thanks Larry for your prompt response. Much appreciate it.

We are considering booking either cabin E716 or E720 on the Regal Princess for our upcoming cruise. Since the cabins seem to be located directly above the Vista lounge, I’d appreciate receiving any feedback as to noise levels within these cabins from activities from the Vista lounge below. We have not sailed on the Royal/Regal class vessels and thus are uncertain about the activities (and the resultant noise levels) from the Vista lounge. Thanks in advance for your guidance.

Many thanks to everyone for those very speedy responses.

Is the amount of OBC for stock owners a fixed amount or does it vary based on length of the cruise.

Also if both the first and second passengers in the same cabin hold stock individually in their own name, do you get the OBC twice?

Thanks in advance for your guidance.

Question for OP:

How do you check for price drops after making the original EZair bookings.

I made the EZair bookings and now don't see a link any more for air bookings. So curious as to how you check for price drops.

Interestingly, when I booked the Air, I initially booked only the outward leg (to catch the cruise) as our return plans were not yet final. Since I seem to be unable to get to the air booking screen/link, I have had no success in booking my return journey (post cruise), even though our plans are now final. I realize I can always call Princess to book the return journey, but prefer to check various options (via the website, but on my own), and thus am reluctant to call Princess, unless that is the last option.

Thanks in advance for your advice/guidance.

Thanks Daisyloo for the info.

On the Koningsdam, apart from the dedicated "shaver outlet" in the bathroom, is there another outlet where one can plug in another item (e.g. an electric tooth brush)? Also, assuming there is an additional outlet, what is the voltage on it. On a previous HAL cruise (I think it was on the Eurodam), I had plugged my electric tooth brush into the only available "shaver" outlet (which I was told by our cabin steward, was ok), only to find it totally busted. Thanks in advance for your insights.

Thx for the heads-up. Can you please post a link to your review. I checked on the review pages and see that the most recent review is dated Feb 17, and I couldnt find one under your handle. Sorry for the trouble.

Many thanks for all your speedy responses.

In response to your question, my questions were related to the Koningsdam.

We have sailed with HAL before, but our last cruise with them was some 5 years ago. Can anyone please provide guidance re the following:

1. Does HAL still run computer classes and if so is there a cost associated with it. The last time we sailed with HAL, they had Microsoft running some very good courses which were all complimentary.

2. What is HAL's current pricing structure for internet use and is the internet high speed (like they have on Celebrity). Also are there are Mariner discounts for past HAL guests.

3. I also recall reading somewhere that one can access the daily shipboard program (newsletter) on your smart phone. Does this require you to download any HAL apps in advance and also, do you need a paid internet connection while on board to enjoy this privilege?

Thanks in advance.

We will soon be sailing on the first leg of 2 B2B cruises. We have a decent OBC on the first of 2 B2B cruises and are wondering if during the first cruise we can use ur OBC to book and pay for shore excursions for the 2nd of the B2B cruises.

Any guidance is much appreciated.

We have sailed both X & Princess before (and also HAL). We have enjoyed X & HAL. However, MUTS on Princess really got under our skin. If you are concerned about "loud", MUTS just ditched Princess for us forever. Blaring sound at MUTS at all hours was not our cup of tea. X is polished and I cannot think of any time when sound was an issue on X (or HAL for that matter). In fact we did a TA last fall on the Eclipse and thoroughly enjoyed it. The entertainment (especially the CD) was excellent and with the additional hour each sea day, we rarely got back to our cabins before 1AM (and yes, we are classified as senior citizens). In our opinion, there is nothing that'd hold us back from sailing X. In fact later this month we have convinced one of our friends from down under who has never cruised before to join us on a Med cruise on X. I think you'll enjoy X (especially their S class ships).

I realize that this thread relates to upgrading from classic beverage pkg to a premium one. In a response Wine-O makes reference to only one person in the cabin being able to get a beverage pkg. My understanding (probably incorrect) is that one person in the cabin cannot have a beverage pkg, and that to get a beverage pkg, both passengers in the cabin require to buy one. Is this true? We have friends sailing with us on an upcoming cruise, where they dont have a beverage pkg. included as a perk. The wife does not drink, so would it be possible for just the husband to buy the beverage pkg - i.e. only for one person in that cabin. Thanks in advance for your responses.

While I know we are not allowed to name TA's we've always used one who often is sponsoring X cruises on the cruise critic website's weekly 25 best cruise deal emails. If you check those out you'll find them. Sometimes they even sponsor the whole email. The one we use is open on Sat., not Sunday, but when you are travelling, they do have contact number for day of travel problems.

I apologise in advance for my ignorance, but can you please guide me as to how one can sign up or where one can find "cruise critic website's weekly 25 best cruise deal emails". Thanks in advance.

Given the relatively recent introduction of chic nights on X, I thought it'd be interesting to conduct a straw poll amongst those who have recently sailed (i.e. after the introduction of chic nights) and those who are planning to sail within the next 6 months.

If you have recently sailed, what percentage of men do you think wore formal (tux or dark suit) on chic nights. If you are planning on sailing within the next 6 months, are you planning on packing a tux/dark suit.

Your observations/intentions will help me with my packing decision.

Thanks.

We have over the years sailed several cruise lines and based on our overall experiences, have over the past year chosen to make X our preferred cruise line. We have 2 upcoming 15 day cruises between now and the end of the year. In addition, we have always promoted X as an up-market line with our friends and folks that we have met on other cruise lines. For one of our upcoming cruises we have even convinced one of our friends who have never cruised before to join us. Now, I feel a bit guilty given the changes X is contemplating, effectively taking X a few notches down. Personally, I believe (and this thread is clear evidence) of many of their loyal customers possibly ditching X as a result of this not so well thought through change. The loss of loyal customers and the increased cost of bringing them back to X (if at all this is possible) is likely to far exceed any benefits that X mgmt is hoping to reap from this move. Hopefully someone at the top will reconsider the brilliance of this decision.

We are looking at options for getting from Rome to Civitavecchia. We are aware of the rail option (from Terminni station) but since we are 4 of us we'd prefer getting picked up at our hotel and driven to the port. There are several providers on this service which one can find on the internet, but I am looking for specific suggestions based on your personal experiences. Thx in advance for your help/guidance.

Many thanks Northern Aurora & Grandgeezer. I very much appreciate your speedy responses. Very helpful to know the details you have provided. Grandgeezer enjoy your upcoming B2B on the Silhouette.

We are booked on 2 B2B cruises (Mediteranean followed by a TA). Unfortunately, we were unable to secure the same cabin for both cruises. Can someone who has been in a similar situation please help us understand how Celebrity handles B2B. Having never done a B2B cruise, I am specifically interested in answers to the following:

1. Do you need to pack all your luggage at the end of the first cruise and if so do you move the luggage to your next cabin yourself or does the ship crew take care of that?

2. Do you have to get off the ship, then re-check-in at the port for the 2nd cruise. If not, how do you get your SeaPass for the 2nd cruise?

3. If you have a balance on your Shipboard credit account at the end of your first cruise, can you transfer it on to your next sailing?

Any other advice/guidance based on your own personal experience would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

We are considering a Transatlantic crossing from Europe to US in the fall. Any suggestions as to which would be a better cabin selection choice (starboard or port side) would be much appreciated.

Thx.