Fontana

:) There are three key exemptions to compulsory PIN authorisation, where cardholders may need to sign and are permitted to do so:

1.Australian credit and debit cards without an embedded chip: Australian issued magnetic-stripe (mag-stripe) cards without an embedded-chip will still be able to use signature for authorisation. Many of these cards will be replaced with chip-enabled cards by their issuer in the near future. This includes some American Express and Diners Club cards and certain gift cards.

2.Cards issued outside of Australia: Visitors from overseas are not impacted by the changes, so they will use signature or PIN to authorise transactions as they did before.

3.Signature-preferred cards: Special limited issue signature-preferred cards are available for Australians with a genuine need to sign. Signature-preferred cards feature a special chip to identify that the card does not require a PIN to complete the transaction, automatically notifying retailers via the POS terminal screen that a signature is permitted.

http://www.insideretail.com.au/blog/2014/08/20/pin-switch-continues/

Thank you, @POA1 for your time and great efforts undertaking the poll. I also note that my DH doesn't come on the forum, and it would never have crossed my mind to attempt to vote on different devices.

We recently stayed at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel in Vancouver who offer an App for Mobile check-in-service and accessing other facilities within the hotel.

Also available:

.....first hotel in Canada to provide iPad2 devices with Interactive Customer Experience technology throughout all 377 guestrooms and suites allowing guests to make spa reservations, order in-room dining, access guestroom controls, and much more.....

We found it very easy and user friendly to use the technology offered to order room service, arrange for our room to be cleaned at a time convenient to us, arrange wake-up calls etc........

I'm thinking this kind of technology will become more of the norm throughout the travel industry within the next few years and adapted to be used on folks own Tablet devices.

Yes life is all about adaptations and according to the experts who know my husband's case he does very well at that. We will be testing this new smoking ban in November, our first scheduled cruise that does not allow smoking on the balcony. He is doing everything he can to get stronger, and has a strong desire to make this work.He has light sensitivity and even with darker glasses, he makes being on deck work as much as possible. Maybe I mis-classified him as a mobility issue when the primary thing that is the issue is his level of pain which varies from 6.5 to 10 every day constantly. He is able to usually walk to meal or smoking locations once sometimes 2 times a day and will smoke in permitted locations during that time. A wheelchair would not change the frequency. He waits until no one is on the balcony next to us and listens for those above and below. Yes there is some impact and some are allergic and have other reasons it is problematic for them to smell smoke. Cruising is the only type of vacation that works.

Has your husband considered trying one of the disposable electronic cigarettes (containing no tobacco) as an alternative when unable to access permitted smoking only locations when travelling?

*Please note this ^ is just a suggestion, and I do not wish to encourage a debate on the topic, of the health benefits for and against of electronic-cigarettes in general here on the forum

You can take the survey until noon EDST on 1 Aug 2014

Edited: Completed survey.:)

Yes, thank you @Larsen. Also, appreciate your efforts in compiling the numbers.

Leggings? Are they possible? I have some very nice long tunics that I would normally wear with dress pants or a long skirt. But considering that the weather might be cold, do you think leggings with a dressy tunic are possible in the GDR?

 

I ask because they are very easy to pack and are warmer than my dressy pants. I will abide by the court of public opinion!

YES, :) I have always worn leggings with LBD's (knee or just below length), on at least 3 cruises in the evenings. I even wore them in 2013 on the Nautica when we were invited to join the Captain and others for dinner - All good! They allowed us back on the Regatta this year:D

Not everyone on the forum is from the USA.

 

As previously stated we will continue to sail with HAL.

^Agree.

Noted again: We will continue to sail on HAL if balcony smoking is permitted.

Yes we will sail on HAL if the smoking policy stays as it is because we are not bothered by it ( 1 smoker and 1 non smoker)

 

I also never heard anyone complain about the current policy, only here on CC.

AGREE ^

Smoking on the balconies is fine with us.

All I am able to suggest is you not endanger a ship full of thousands of people.

 

If decades ago, these heating coils were deemed unsafe for a college dormitory (as they were), Bruce Muzz has explained the mechanical reasons why they are banned, that is sufficient for many of us to consider them risky to use.

 

I believe the safety concerns you mention have been addressed in recent years. It is my understanding, that the reputable brand immersion heating products are now manufactured that they will short out to prevent fire or burning if not immersed in water when plugged in.

I was disappointed to learn that kettles are not provided in cabins. Does that mean I would not be allowed a travel kettle. I like to have a cup of tea when I wake up ....

nb, have you considered using a | Travel Immersion Water Heater

^ This Brand is for example purposes only.

View full details

http://www.amazon.com/Travel-Immersion-Water-Heater-Voltage/dp/B000AXS0UE

Edited to add *link* to reviews on like devices. :)

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?page_id=364124

.....

....If anything, it is actually a strategic advantage for HAL to maintain its current smoking policy as it is a way that it can differentiate itself from its competition.

Yes, interesting times ahead!

This is what I was referring to as interesting in my post. The numbers on both sides of the equation from the corporate perspective. How far does the pendulum swing one way or the other. Is Carnival Corporate using HAL as a test company?

 

Now to the reason for all the smoking threads, its my belief that if you inundate the boards with smoking threads, that the anti smoking group can get Hal to change their smoking policy.

Sorry as a new poster to these boards you got yourself right in the middle of this issue, but you ask.

I know if I was a smoker and a new visitor to this forum, after viewing the many threads mentioning HAL's current smoking on the balcony policy, I would be very happy and looking at HAL for our next cruise.

Who knows, maybe HAL sees the $$ value in welcoming smokers and being known as the preferred cruise line for smokers (passengers and staff alike) :)

Nice to see that in the end Oceania did the right thing. Bravo !!! :):):)

^Agree.:)

We used Luggage Free last month for our trip to Alaska. Our luggage was collected as arranged from our home, although there was a slight hiccup with their representative\agent not meeting us at the pre-arranged time at the port in Vancouver to pick up the luggage to ship back home.

We had to phone their office and spent some 20 minutes being redirected around before someone acknowledged they knew of the pre-arranged pick up of our luggage. It wasn't a hassle for us to wait around for the representative to arrive at the Port, as we were staying over in Vancouver for a few days.

Pleased to advise our luggage arrived safely back home here, before we did:)

Here is the link to previous discussion about Luggage Free and luggage forwarding.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1723203

That about sums it up. IMO they should take a lesson from some other lines and do away with it and use the space for something else.

 

Sent from my XT1032 using Forums mobile app

I'm thinking it will be unlikely that the Casino's will be closed, taking into consideration that China is on course to be the 2nd largest cruise market by 2017 after the States.

I know on our recent cruise on Regatta the Asian passengers on board were avid attendees at the Casino.

I am in regatta vista now

6 bottles and Bulgari gift set

Pleased to hear this. ENJOY!

Now I am really curious why we didn't?

I'm quite a fan of the Bulgari products and on our last b-b cruise last year, we were given 2 sets :)

 

We were on the same Alaska cruise. We did have our 6 bottles as well as the Bulgari Gift Set in the suite as well as for the two previous cruises.

Hmmm! :confused:

I did mention during the cruise to our Butler and the Housekeeping staff that both the Gift Set plus the 6 bottle Bar Set Up were currently, still advertised on the Oceania Website as items provided in the OS.

We also, noted the above on both the mid-cruise and prior to disembarkation questionnaires. *I should note, during the cruise we had no problems requesting our Butler to fetch a replacement bottle of alcohol when required.

I'm not a frequent contributor .... We would sail Oceania again in a heartbeat and would highly recommend it to anyone.

Agree with Solar Yellow We have just returned from sailing on the Regatta to Alaska (pre-refit).

We enjoyed this cruise very much, but did experience a couple of small changes, since our last cruise | OS (August 2013) -

We did not receive a 'Bulgari gift set' on this cruise and the 'Complimentary in-suite bar setup with 6 full-size bottles of your choice of premium spirits and wines' has changed to making a request to the Butler for a bottle of wine or spirits. We did this on embarkation and the Butler advised he would make a request to his Manager for approval. He noted permission may not be granted immediately, and we may have to wait until the next day for our bottle of Gin!

Fortunately, our Butler did in fact return that evening and we enjoyed a pre-dinner G & T :)

Australian Media Article relating to this incident.

Ketut Pujayasa confesses to raping a passenger and trying to throw her overboard off Holland America cruise ship

http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/ketut-pujayasa-confesses-to-raping-a-passenger-and-trying-to-throw-her-overboard-off-holland-america-cruise-ship/story-fnizu68q-1226831634296

Could any recent OS cruisers on Regatta tell me who their butlers were.

We have a b/b/b coming up and might like to request a butler we know,

Thanks.

orchestrapal, our last cruise was in August, 2013 situated in 6088 (from memory) :) We also did a b/b/b and our Butler was Ivan, (pronounced like Yvonne) he was absolutely delightful, wish I could have smuggled him back home with us.

We use Luggage Free every year. There has never been a problem with the service we have received. I suggest you phone them (800.361.6871) and ask any questions. They are most helpful and friendly. You will not be sorry you used them.

Thank you, sailbynite.

Alaska in the summer in not cold a simple pair of wind pants and a wind breaker parka top thet you can wear over anything, a turtle neck and a micro pile shirt and a pile or knit cap...Leave any cotton stuff at home it absorbs any moisture and sweat like a sponge... and takes forever to dry.

 

It will be colder or feel colder in San Francisco with the fog and breeze

Mark Twain wrote" the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco"

 

All can fit in a shoe box and weigh in at about 2.5 pounds. Sierra Design sells a 8 oz jacket and pants set for about $30 that fits in your pocket or on your belt.

In Alaska your big worry is keeping dry as it rains a whole lot ( all that green) Poly pro sox and light weight hiking shoes ( not tennis) is all you need... No down parkas and mitts.. it will be in the low to mid 50s at night and high 60's day time Getting wet will make it feel much colder....you wont get anywhere near the arctic.. Ketchikan and the SE coastal regions are called the "banana belt" because they are so temperate

But again...keeping dry feet and clothes if all you need.. use lite layers rather than bulk.

Oh, you will be arriving during the Ketchikan Rain Festival... lucky you

It runs from Jan 1 to Dec 31 in 2014....

Really appreciate your advice ^Hawaiidan *Can't leave home without my Down Coat | it rolls up and packs well :)

As I recall some countries I think New Zealand and Australia do not allow the shipping of personal effects/luggage which not accompanied by the owner.

I think the gulf states are also in the mix...

.....

Thank you Hawaiidan ^

I thought I would also email them, to check if regulations were still in place here in Australia that prohibit us to utilise their service:-

Exert from their reply:-

.....Thank you for your email. We are certainly able to assist you with shipping from Australia to the United States, as we have found a way to work with the customs regulations in place in Australia.

 

The pricing is as follows:

From Australia to the United States

Pick up fee: $50.00

Luggage: $6.95 / LB

A 44 LB (20 KG) piece of luggage for example would cost approximately $355.80

(Final rates are based on actual weights and dimensions verified during the shipment process. Billing weight is generated by the greater of the actual weight OR dimensional weight of each piece.)

 

- The shipment includes door to door delivery; our agent will retrieve the shipment, wrap it in a protective plastic and clear customs on your behalf.

- We offer $1000 complimentary insurance, however you may purchase additional insurance for $19.95 per $1000.00

- Transit time is approximately 7 Business Days.

 

As part of our international service we will be clearing customs on your behalf.

To facilitate this, we need the following documentation from you at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled retrieval:

∙ A clear copy of your passport (picture page only)

∙ A copy of your flight itinerary

∙ An itemized list of the contents (estimates are fine, i.e. 4 shirts, 2 pants, 3 pair of shoes)....

As we will be travelling internally within the States for a couple of weeks before leaving on our cruise, which departs from SF, we are considering this forwarding service, so we don't have to carry around our bulky cold weather gear for Alaska.

We are thinking of using the Luggage Free service in May. Can anyone who has used this service to have their luggage shipped home from the ship, be able to please advise the process of the Luggage Free company collecting the luggage. Do they collect from us or can it be arranged with Oceania direct. Many thanks.

We also received one of these bags in our PH suite.

 

Dave

We also received one of the beach bags when we sailed on June 1, Athens to Rome. :o I thought 'everyone' on the cruise received a bag.