applequeen

Did you find any options for Valdez. My group is considering a bus tour with this group https://www.valdezkeystonetours.com/ . There isn’t a lot of info available about them but the few reviews I have found are positive. It seems to cover a lot of things for a reasonable ( compared to ship options) price.

Thanks for the advice. There were so many points to consider (and unknown potential travel issues). In the end I dropped the NCL coverage and went with Allianz to cover the entire trip. We are more likely to have issues getting to/ from the cruise compared to the cruise itself. I can't think of anything other than a covered reason that would make us cancel the cruise at the last minute. 

Right. My flights were paid using a credit I had. The rest of the family’s flights were new purchases. Flying is a nightmare most of the time and I just want to protect us as best I can. I had to file a complaint with DOT to get a refund last year. AA was refusing to refund a flight I cancelled (I had clearly booked a refundable fare… it was unbelievable. I even confirmed with customer service before I cancelled). The entire experience made me want to cover and cover again all my bases. 🙂

We have high credit limits so paying upfront for anything not filed directly with BCBS is ok. From what I read about the pre existing conditions it applies to the 120 days prior to the plan’s purchase. Other than some urgent care type (cold/ flu stuff) we haven’t had any tests or procedures so it shouldn’t be an issue.

everything I read seems to indicate that 3rd party insurance is generally cheaper with better coverage. I am probably overthinking the entire thing.

Thanks! To clarify a few things

If I book the Allianz plan I would no longer have the flight policy (which I didn't expect much from anyway). The Allianz plan I would book would replace the airline policy and the NCL policy to cover my entire trip (flights, hotel, cruise, etc.). 

We'll be in Alaska most of the trip (other than a few days in Vancouver). My insurance (BCBS with out of network option) will likely cover anything that would happen in AK. I also can't think of a single pre-existing condition. We don't really take medications or have any health issues that would impact our ability to travel. I guess it's possible we could be diagnosed with something between now and the trip. I'm mostly worried about something like Covid preventing us from going but it looks like Allianz has epidemic coverage.

The NCL "Cancel for any reason" is what gives me pause but as long as the Allianz plan would reimburse for anything NCL doesn't cover (because I won't have coverage with NCL) I think I am ok (aren't I)? That's really my question. Does the Allianz policy cover me? I see that NCL will issue a credit for 75%. I would rather have 100% of my $ refunded and I think that is what I would get from Allianz.

Anyone? I need to move forward with this decision and I would appreciate any advice that can be provided.

We have a cruise planned and I want to make sure we are covered as far as insurance. For several years we declined insurance coverage and (thankfully) had no issues. My medical coverage has decent international benefits and we are generally healthy. After a flight delay almost made us miss a cruise last year we have reconsidered our need for it.

We have a fairly complicated itinerary compared to most of our previous trips which were closed loop and usually involved us driving to/ from the port. Our upcoming cruise involves 3 flight connections to get to the departure port, 2 nights pre-cruise hotel, the cruise itself, land travel to departure airport, 2 nights hotel there, and finally 3 connections for flights to get home.

I originally booked separate insurance through the airlines for the flights. It was through Allianz. I added the standard NCL coverage to the cruise booking.

After considering the total cost of this trip I wondered if it might be best to book a separate policy that would cover the entire trip. I'm way past my date to cancel the flight insurance but Allianz said if I booked another policy through them that they would refund (and cancel) the flight policy. For that reason I'm focused on Allianz since I would otherwise be past the date to cancel and I don't want to lose $. 

If I cancel the standard coverage from NCL https://affinitytravelcert.com/document/pdfs/NCL_Standard_Generic_COI_7_21.pdf and book the One Trip Prime option from Allianz https://www.allianztravelinsurance.com/find-a-plan/onetrip-prime.htm I could save a couple hundred $. I looked at the annual plans but (for this year) it doesn't make sense for us. There are times when an annual plan might work but for various reasons we likely won't have much non work related travel .

Is this a good plan? Should I keep both policies? I really like the potential to save $ with the Allianz policy but not if it's going to put us at risk if we have to cancel. Will there be any issues with NCL if I miss the cruise and have coverage under the Allianz policy?

You are 100% correct about the smoking!!! I was shocked at how bad it was on the pool deck (I stayed on the other side because of it). I noticed it inside around the casino too (and adjacent floors) but the outside area really bothered me. having the smoking area in the middle of deck 15 seemed odd to me. It took up a space that could have been used for shady chairs (something badly needed). The smoke covered that entire side of the pool deck. 

The wine selection was terrible. I'm normally a wine drinker and the complete lack of pinot noir was odd. On cruises I tend to drink more mixed drinks and only wine at dinner so it wasn't a big deal but I did notice the lack of selection. I made do with the shiraz and malbec options and it was fine for a glass or two each day but it does seem that wine selections are very limited for the package compared to what other lines offer. 

Here are my post cruise thoughts...

If you purchased the arcade pass you should KEEP IT (I'll explain below). 

 I wish I had bought it before the cruise. I was told by guest services at the beginning of the cruise that I could purchase it once the credit ran out. When I tried to purchase it I was told that I needed to have bought it on the first or second day.

Having the pass and the credit is a great combo. The pass pays for the non ticketed games but the credit can be used for anything (including the ticketed games). The arcade was a great place for my kids to make friends and they could go there while we (adults) did something else.

Overall the lack of Splash Academy had a small impact on our cruise. Having kids on the older end of the age range made a huge difference. They both met friends and we gave them a small amount of freedom on the ship (we knew exactly where they were going and when they would be finished). The ability to do this obviously depends on the age and responsibility of your kids. The movies and activities in the Atrium were great (not all were family friendly but several were). 

There were several packs of kids running amok on the ship. It didn't feel any worse than usual although I did yell at a few who almost knocked me down. Parents need to teach their kids how to behave in these situations. These weren't small children who don't know better. These were probably age 8+ and could easily have injured someone. A few times the parent was right behind them and could see how their child acted. These people give all of us parents/ kids a bad name on cruises. 

We purchased some Future Cruise Credits if that tells you how much we enjoyed the trip. 🙂 

I agree with all of us. We all had a wonderful time overall but there were a few little things that could have been better.

The extra sea day and the shortened port added a lot of "ship time" with somewhat limited daytime activities (that appealed to my family). There was a good variety but just not things that would work for a family with kids. It was hard to find things we could all do together without someone being bored. We did enjoy the movies in the atrium and some of the games and activities there. The pool/ slides were difficult because it was so crowded. I've been on enough cruises to know it's just part of being on a cruise but I was surprised that it felt so crowded at such limited capacity. Can you imagine how it would be on a normal cruise?!?

I am so thankful that my kids were on the older end of the Splash Academy age group. They both met some friends and were allowed small amounts of freedom on the ship. It gave all of us a break from each other. It's a big ship but it's very easy to navigate and so we never had problems finding our group. 

I agree with the Howl at the Moon comments. I understand that type of behavior is normal for many dueling piano bars but it got a little out of hand on the one (and only) night we attended. I guess it's one of those things where the performers should remember that just because you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD. I wonder how many decided not to make a request because they were worried someone would outbid them? 

Harvest Caye is beautiful but the sand is terrible. It was impossible to walk on (shells and rocks). I did love that there were so many umbrellas and places to get shade. I will take the rough sand for the shade! It was pricey but if what I understand is correct, the Belize gov requires that NCL use local vendors/ employees on the island. This is so important as it allows Belize to realize a positive economic impact from our visitation to the island. Tourism is a huge source of revenue for many of these countries and keeping us off the mainland and on an island where everything is controlled by the cruise line isn't smart for Belize. Perhaps NCL could provide information to passengers explaining this (if it's true) and highlighting how spending $ on the island benefits locals. 

We purchased some Future Cruise Credits so we'll absolutely be sailing with NCL again although I doubt I would do Western Caribbean again unless it was just too good of a deal to pass up. It was a wonderful week overall and definitely worth the price we paid. 

My big complaint about not stopping (after learning that it's been 4 weeks) is that it seems like the itinerary needs to be changed to a port that is easier to accommodate.

The combination of pier direction and winds (is it a seasonal weather pattern?) seems to make this an iffy stop for the Breakaway. I would love to know the percentage of times it makes it versus when it doesn't and if there is a pattern for certain months. I understand that if winds were too high to dock safely it probably wasn't safe to tender either. 

The ship felt really crowded on the sea days. I can't imagine what it would have been like at full capacity. 

Is there nowhere else we could have gone instead? When my Carnival cruise missed the Half Moon Cay stop due to wind we went to Nassau instead. Is there another option close to Roatan that could be a back up port (or replacement port for new itinerary). 

I heard someone explaining why the smaller ships can dock despite winds but the larger ships (like Breakaway) can’t. It made it easier to understand why we could see others docking but we couldn’t make it. I guess it’s a “pro” in favor of smaller ships. 
 

it’s been a gorgeous day onboard. 

Does NCL use the pier? I thought this was a tender port for us. 

28 minutes ago, ceilidh1 said:

Can you share how the credit is handled? is it just a generic $100 credit on the account, or is it linked only to the child's card/somehow restricted to arcade? For example, could my kid use it to buy ice cream or something? Thanks!

It shows up as $100 arcade credit. It only works for the arcade (no games at Osheenans).

My kids have probably 50 arcade charges from yesterday. Our onboard balance didn’t change so I guess they aren’t quite at their limit. You have to watch because there is no way to know when it is used up. I guess we will know when our balance increases when they play games. 

We were sunblocked and ready to go. I had a feeling we weren’t going to make it based on the forecast (and how rough the water was during the night) but was hoping it was wrong. When we saw the turn on the navigation channel we knew it wasn’t happening. 😞

Does anyone know if there are plans to build a pier since this seems to be an ongoing issue?

On 4/6/2022 at 11:05 AM, applequeen said:

I called and was told that it can only be used in the arcade. I guess we will find out how it works when we get onboard.

 

We were planning to buy Arcade Packages for this kids and I asked if the credit could be applied to the cost of the package. It also can't be used that way.

 

I guess we'll see how long the credit lasts and then purchase a package (if we want it) for the rest of the trip. 

 

I'll try to check in next week and let ya'll know how it's actually working. 

So it looks like my kids blew through their credits in about an hour today. It’s fine though. There is plenty to keep everyone busy. So far I am pretty impressed with some of the family activities. We have taken advantage of several of the things in the Atrium during the day.

The only time I miss Splash Academy is at night. Last night the grownups put the kids to bed and went to Howl at the Moon for about an hour. The kids were passed out but had a phone they could text if they needed us. They are almost 10 and 12 so it wouldn’t be an option for younger kids. 
 

Having kids on the older end of the range is definitely a game changer. It would be much more difficult with younger but it’s been a wonderful cruise so far. 

I called and was told that it can only be used in the arcade. I guess we will find out how it works when we get onboard.

We were planning to buy Arcade Packages for this kids and I asked if the credit could be applied to the cost of the package. It also can't be used that way.

I guess we'll see how long the credit lasts and then purchase a package (if we want it) for the rest of the trip. 

I'll try to check in next week and let ya'll know how it's actually working. 

We received our letter too. We sail Sunday (4/10). 
 

You all can see that I have not been pleased that the programs are still closed. I do think the $100 is a nice gesture. I don’t know how long it will last but it’s a nice treat for the kids and does acknowledge that having the programs closed is a disappointment for families. We were planning to buy the arcade package for them so maybe we will shave off a day or two from the package.

I am over being mad about this. I don’t like how it was handled but it’s not going to ruin our trip. There looks to be several kids on our cruise and I am sure they will make friends. 

10 hours ago, kjpn44 said:

Not sure why unvaccinated kids should have no place on a cruise.  They’re in school with unvaccinated classmates everyday.  I don’t think that’s any different than the splash academy. Teachers have to be vaccinated and kids don’t.  Pretty much same rules for the cruise.  If you’re vaccinated you should be protected. 

I am very pro vax for my family but understand it is a personal choice. The difference is that a cruise is a high risk area. An outbreak can shut down the cruise (or multiple cruises). I don’t worry about any of us getting seriously ill but I don’t want to end up quarantined or see cruises shut down again. It’s better to be extra cautious so cruise lines can reestablish themselves. 
 

I live is a very low (one of lowest in the nation) area for Covid vaccinations. We are living with the risk and I am ok with it. My kids are probably a few of the handful of vaxxed kids in their classes. It’s fine with me but a cruise is just a different environment. 

3 hours ago, FAMILYCRUISER514 said:

If you booked your cruise last July, not only did you know at that time that Splash Academy was closed, but NCL was only sailing at 100% vaccinated. So at the time you booked kids 5-11 couldn't even sail. You choose to take a gamble that kids would even be allowed onboard. 

 

As a parent, traveling in 2 weeks, with my vaccinated child I wish NCL was still %100 vaccinated, with the ONLY EXCEPTION being the 0-4 littles.

I assumed (correctly) that my children would be vaccinated by the cruise. If they were not I would have cancelled/ rescheduled. I booked using the credits from previous cancelled cruises and didn’t pay a penny more until my final payment in Feb (after kids were vaccinated). It was a low risk gamble since I could book with the credits.

other cruise lines have their childrens programs open so it’s hard to understand why NCL can’t make it work. It never occurred to me that they wouldn’t be open once kids were vaccinated. 
 

Does anyone actually believe that not sending an official update to booked passengers is ok? They send emails about upgrading, reservations, etc. so they know how to contact us! Just posting it to a section of the website that booked passengers may not thing to look isn’t the best way to notify people unless your goal is to be purposely vague. 

I agree with you. If vaccines are required for adults they should be required for everyone who is eligible to receive one. The only exception at this time should be under 5s. I don’t understand requiring for adults but not kids over 5. Either require for everyone who is eligible or require it for no one (I am very pro vax for Covid).
 

We will be on board this time next week and I plan to have a wonderful vacation with the family. We will see how things go and will consider the experience when booking future cruises. 

I like the $100 credit. We sail on the 10th on the Breakaway but I haven’t seen anything yet. A credit would be a really nice gesture for many families.

I have been pretty vocal about my disdain for not having these clubs open. I have decided to stop worrying about it and just focus on enjoying the cruise. I am so thankful my kids are on the older end of this age range (9 and 12) because it’s much less of an issue compared to trying to entertain younger kids for a week on a ship full of activities geared to older passengers. I really feel for those families. 

29 minutes ago, styles27 said:

Where did you see this? We’re sailing April 15th with our 8 yr old grandson and have not received any formal announcement. 
The only info about it that I saw was the closure would be lifted March 31, 2022. (From NCL website)

 

We sail on 4/10. I called (again) today and was told it would be "open" for our cruise. I asked them to define "open" and they clarified it was open for family play (stay with the kids) but not for drop off. 

9 minutes ago, styles27 said:

It clearly states that they’re closed on the NCL website 🤷🏻‍♀️
 

I don't believe the current language was available when we booked in July. You should also check the date. It says through 3/31(or at least it did the last time I checked) . We sail after that date. We actually sail in less than two weeks. It would be nice if there was information available when I look up my reservation about my actual booking. A simple message that says "We are sorry but at this time it appears that Splash Academy will not be available for your trip." would have gone a long way for many of us. I have these notifications for other things (port changes, gratuity increase, etc.). Why silence on Splash Academy?

I think my complaint (and many other parents) isn't that it is actually closed but that we were told it would be open. I have yet to hear anything official from NCL about a cruise I leave on in less than 2 weeks. We've been notified of other things but there is total silence on this topic. My cruise planner told me prior to my final payment that it would be open by our cruise. If I can' t trust her (an NCL employee) who can we trust for accurate information? Many of us booked (and/ or made final payments) based on incorrect information. 

At what point should we have received an official notice from NCL? This is a major amenity for families and hiding vague information on the website isn't really how any of us deserve to be treated. It's too late for many of us to cancel or reschedule. Other cruise lines have their clubs open so it is very difficult to understand why this one has chosen not to. 

9 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Problem solved. You have a choice too. Book Disney.

 

 

You are correct. I do have a choice for future cruises. I booked my upcoming cruise to use up the credits I had with NCL because they refused to issue refunds for the 2 cruises they cancelled (one due to Covid and the other for some unknown reason... it was cancelled 18 months before we were to sail). We chose NCL for those two trips due to the itineraries (Pacific Coastal) which were not options with other lines. 

I have chosen to sail on Carnival 2 times in the past 6ish months. I absolutely do have a choice for which cruise line I sail once I have gotten this one behind me. This is my 3rd NCL cruise. I have 5 with Carnival. My son (one of the kids that is missing Splash Academy) owns a few shares of RC stock. He's asked that our next cruise be on that line. NCL really hasn't earned any loyalty from me. I am sailing them now because I have to if I don't want to lose $. Is that really a way to ensure people return? Future choices are based, in part, on past experiences. 

Y

9 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

That seems a bit dramatic.  I suspect you are going to be very unhappy when cruise lines remove the vaccine requirements for all adults. Are you aware that some cruise lines are allowing for religious exemption and recovery documentation? It's only a matter of time.
 

 

 

Yes, I am aware. I'm actually totally fine with that. I live in an area with very low vaccine rates so a cruise ship is actually safer for me. My point is that if the requirement is enforced for adults it should also be enforced for kids 5-12. If the COVID risk remains high enough that adults are required to be vaccinated why shouldn't that requirement apply to anyone who is eligible for a vaccine? Either require it for everyone or require it for no one. 

9 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

As of March 23rd, only 27% of children ages 5-11 are fully vaccinated. In spite of your personal opinion, Family cruise lines like NCL have no choice but to allow unvaccinated children onboard. It's business 101.

 

 

Yes they do have a choice. If parents with 5-12 kids want to cruise they can get their kids vaccinated. How is requiring it for this group any different from requiring it for adults? Anyone eligible to be vaccinated should be. Failure to do this endangers everyone on the ship. 

If DCL can require it for families there is no reason NCL can't. https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/why-cruise-disney/experience-updates/us/

If NCL cared at all about welcoming families they would open Splash Academy. I don't think anyone can call them a "family cruise line" at the moment. It's clear families are not a priority for them at all.