CruisingAlong4Now

On 6/10/2024 at 9:53 PM, Ommadawn said:

 

Thanks so much for the information. I didn't think that it could be as high as 75% (simply a hyperbole by the poster), but it is interesting to know that North America makes up nearly half of the world-wide the cruising dollars.

More "independent" statistics:  2024-state-of-the-cruise-industry-report-final_seatrade-live-web-revised.ashx (cruising.org)

Number Single Travelers.pdf Passengers by Country.pdf Passengers by Region.pdf

Nice has plenty to do.  If you haven't been there before, I would forego all the talk of visiting Monaco and taking buses to some of the small hill villages.  Stay in Nice.

Visit the Old Town and the local outdoor food, flower, and flea markets

As was stated above, visit the Chagall and Matisse Museums.

Walk along the Promenade des Anglais.

Lunch at the Hotel Negresco.

People often sue large companies because the company will often settle the nuisance case even if they are not responsible.

Under what legal theory does NCL have liability for your missed cruise?

Or are you just looking for $3500 from somebody.

I would immediately contact the Special Needs department for the cruise line.

This is not an uncommon problem.

Alternatively, have you checked nearby states for their rules?  Possibly you can get the additional two months at a neighboring state with more flexible regulations.

A few years ago, we had some medications filled in Canada when we lost our meds (we're NYC based).  A recommended local doctor contacted our NYC doctor and wrote a local script which was filled in Vancouver. These were non-narcotic drugs.

Here are some earlier posts on this subject:

Hank explained the downside of always depending on digital apps, especially when travelling internationally, better than I.

Much easier to slip some paper into my pocket than fumbling for a phone several times before boarding.

Many of the walking tours now use headphones so the guide can speak softly, but the participants can hear them clearly through the headphones.

Interlopers wouldn't be able to hear the guide well enough to stay with the tour.

4 hours ago, klfrodo said:

It wasn't that long ago that mobile boarding passes were a new thing. I remember being turned away at TSA at DFW for my return flight to SEA because DFW didn't have the ability to capture mobile boarding pass information. I had to get out of line, to get a hard copy boarding pass.

Yeah, mobile boarding passes are great until they aren't.

On a recent trip, each leg had at least one person who tried to use a mobile boarding pass but had no battery left by the time they got to the gate.  Quick - Quick- find a charging cord and an outlet.

I find it much easier to print the boarding pass than use my phone.  I don't walk around an airport with my phone in my hand - it's ensconced in my personal bag. My paper boarding pass is easily folded into my pocket and readily available at security and the boarding gate.

2 hours ago, DayFamily5 said:

My husband and I were set to take a NCL from Venice through the Mediterranean over 1 year ago. Our cruise package was booked directly through NCL and included our flights. We were to fly out of the PHX airport, connect through Dullus airport, 2nd connection in Brussel before landing at Marco Polo airport. Cruise was set to embark at 5pm, however, they recommend boarding the ship 2hrs prior. If all three of our flights had arrived on time, we were set to arrive Venice at 12pm the same day as the boat departure. That is less than 5 hours to deboard, get luggage, customs, immigration and find transportation. Needless to say, our flight from Dullus airport to Brussels airline was cancelled less than an hour 1/2 hour before scheduled departure time. We were unable to catch a flight with any airline that would get us to Venice within the less than 5-hour window given by NCL. NCL refused to allow us to reschedule, did not reimburse us for new flights, hotels caused by the cancelation and simply told us to submit a claim through AON insurance for reimbursement. After almost 2 years of processing and battling of denials I have only been reimbursed 56% of my costs, leaving me with a loss of $4,596.8. I have filed a complaint with the Federal Maritime Commission and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, but both have failed at mediation attempts. I'm now in the process of filing a complaint via small claims court. Anyone have experience against a cruise line in small claims court or have any advice on additional steps I can take to get fully refunded? 

I guess I'm confused as to why you feel NCL owes you a refund.  It did not cause any of your problems. When you book a transoceanic air trip with three separate segments, scheduled to arrive at boarding time, there is a high probability that you will miss the ship.  This is why people plan to arrive the day before the sailing- to accommodate delayed flights and other operational and weather issues. 

I think you should pursue the claims with the insurance company.  If you feel they have not fulfilled their contractual obligations, contact your state insurance commission.

19 hours ago, labonnevie said:

AA also recently announced that beginning 10/1 use of the restroom in flight will be $15 to $35, depending on length of flight. 
However, an unlimited yearly fee of $500 is being made available. 

Is that single or double occupancy? 

On 4/29/2024 at 4:56 PM, chengkp75 said:

While I personally have nothing but contempt for Schettino (and refuse to acknowledge his rank), there was nothing in his professional history that predicted that he would act in this fashion in an emergency.  Until you are face to face with the beast, you never know whether you will run into the fire or away from it, regardless of how much training you have.  Some of the best personnel during training and drills will pack up in the real thing, and some who shy away during training will become heroic in an emergency.

We never know how we or anyone will react until we are actually tested.

Tauck also has no-supplement solo rates.

European River Cruise for Solo Passengers | Tauck

"Solo Travelers enjoy Special Savings in Category 1 Cabins – No Single Supplement on all European River Cruises! The single price in Category 1 is the same as the double price, which means savings of up to 50% for solo travelers on every departure of every European river cruise!

In addition, Solo Travelers also enjoy Savings of $1,000 per cabin in Category 4 and 5 on select river cruises; you'll find all of the savings details under the pricing information for each river cruise here on our site (certain restrictions apply; ask at time of booking)."

Latest from the always factual internet:

😉

All passengers will not only receive a full refund but will receive a full future cruise credit to sail on Royal Caribbean. The cruise line also made its Wi-Fi free of charge to help passengers better navigate the disembarkation. Other complementary features include an open bar until the ship officially disembarked as well as reimbursement for airline change fees.

Royal Caribbean Forced to Cancel Alaska Sailing With Guests Already Onboard (msn.com)

For the colder trips, I like hoodies that fit under my water-resistant windbreaker (also with hood).  I think they are also useful even for the warmer trips since it can be chilly in the mornings.

I also like walking shoes that are good for a damp or wet deck.

I've used these services shipping bags to and from a cruise.

I like not having to deal with luggage, especially if we are traveling prior to the cruise.

I do caution you to pay strict attention to the instructions regarding items that can and cannot be shipped in your cases.  We once had an "iffy" item packed, and the suitcase was held in foreign customs until one day before our cruise.  They finally released the bag and it was in our suite when we boarded.

We took pictures of the packed, open suitcases so we knew what each contained.

We just considered the shipping charges as part of our cruise fare.

What's Facebook?  😉

On 4/3/2024 at 3:32 PM, bdever said:

Just a heads up, Allianz Travel Insurance DOES NOT cover missed ports of call. I am livid. I have them for an upcoming sailing and I am outside of the cancellation window for the policy. Had I known this coverage was not included I would have never purchased the coverage. Can anyone recommend an insurance company that offers this coverage for my other upcoming sailings?

I'm still not sure what are you insuring?  Have you incurred a financial loss due to a missed port?  

Are you just angry?

It's not uncommon for ports to be changed.  Your contract with the cruise line gives them this right. Most local tour companies don't charge you if your ship misses the port.

I only insure expenses that not capped, generally evac and medical.

The cost of the trip is capped, and I've already spent the money, so I don't have any financial risk or exposure. The worst that can happen if I have to cancel my trip, is that I don't go on vacation. There are no financial risks.  A result that is sad, but not bad.

Medical expenses or medical evacuation however are essentially unlimited and pose significant financial risk, albeit with a very low probability.  These I insure with third-party medical insurance being the primary insurer and my regular medical insurance being a secondary payer.

I buy medical evacuation insurance for which I make the decision in which hospital I want to be treated. Most people return to their home hospital.

All other vacation expenses are not material to my long-term financial health.

The minimum connecting time in Vancouver for Domestic to US is 1 hour and 10 minutes.  I would not be comfortable with 1 hour and 16 minutes.

Air Canada - Minimum Connection Time

"Example: If you're travelling from Victoria to San Francisco with a connecting flight in Vancouver, you'll need to provide for a minimum connection time of 1 hour 10 min between your arrival in Vancouver and your departure for San Francisco."

The ship has been allowed to sail, albeit without these passengers.  They were "off-loaded" to an in-transit area, still not allowed to enter Spain.

On 3/23/2024 at 8:44 PM, Hlitner said:

I am a little confused by the OP's post, so will simply answer with our own experience.  We are out of the USA as much as 7 months a year (on various trips all over the world) and have not "exchanged" currency for more then 20 years!  We completely rely on ATM machines, whether we are trekking around Europe, traveling in Japan, in South America, etc.  As a rule, we find we get the best exchange rates via ATMs, do not have to deal with money exchange places that have limited hours, or various exchange rules (such as found in Mexico).  I should add that many banks. around the world, will no longer exchange cash for non-customers.  

 

Because we rely on ATMs (sometimes for many months of travel) we travel with 3 different ATM cards, each drawn on a different account in a different bank.  Not only does this allow us to easily get a lot of cash in a single day, but it is security in case an ATM card gets "eaten" by an ATM machine or gets lost/stolen.  

 

Hank

Yes- multiple cards for different accounts at different banks.

Also, my DH and I carried different cards in our wallets, so if one of us "lost" our wallet, the other person still had good credit cards that were not compromised.  [We also cross pack our suitcases so that all suitcases have a combination of his and her clothes.  Ensures that each of us will have clothes if a suitcase is lost en route.]

You can see the aborted stop at Banjul, Gambia.

The Dawn is currently (6:00 pm, EDT)  enroute to Dakar Senegal.

NORWEGIAN DAWN Current Location (cruisemapper.com)

Make sure his mobility and mental state are noted for the muster drill.  

Some cruise lines prefer that all passengers that need assistance be assigned to a specific muster station so that the crew member responsible for that station ensures the passengers in need are attended.

I do let the US Dept. of State know when I leave the country.  With all the global turmoil, I'd like the local US Embassy or consulate to know I'm nearby.

You can also register to receive State Dept travel advisories prior to, or during, your trip.

Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (state.gov)

On 2/3/2024 at 4:18 PM, ststop said:

What is the best economical carry on spinner piece of luggage?

 

Are you looking for the cheapest spinner or the best value spinner?

Too many people booking multiple cruises and then cancelling without any penalties are responsible for this. Why not book everything and make a final decision right before payment?

Insurance will solve your problem, especially CFAR.