ldubs

Timing on this thread is funny because we just sent in the renewal yesterday. It was about $225 including the expedited surcharge. I don't think I should have been charged for the mug shot, but they insisted I pay. 😀

A closed loop cruise out of a US port can be done with an ID and birth certificate.

You are missing that it isn't just about not being able to afford it. It is about spending money on something that is not needed. A family of four has the option to spend $660 on passports that are not required, or use the perfectly legal documents they have on hand. If they choose the latter, of course they should go on the cruise.

There was a baby at the post office yesterday. The PO worker had them leave the baby in the carrier. She put sheets of white paper behind the baby's head then took the pic. It was a community effort to get the baby to look towards the camera. haha.

Except of course everyone, given the choice, would opt for first class over economy. 🙂 I do understand your point. Though I think there is a difference between judging personal choices of artwork and expressing concerns about business practices. Otherwise, sure, if you enjoy it and understand what it is, then why not. I sure don't lose sleep over justifying the things I enjoy.

Thanks for posting this link. We have never been on NCL and are considering a cruise next year. I was totally confused on the website.

While they may or may not be of legal drinking age, an 18 year old is no longer considered a minor. So, yes you are correct. An adult cannot give a minor (under 18) alcohol. That would seem to apply even on Carnival Australia. And, of course, minor or not, no one should give a drink to someone under the legal age.

Isn't almond milk perishable once opened? If so, it seems odd they would say to bring a supply, then, a few sentences later, say all drink items must be non-perishable. Not being an almond milk user, I'm pretty sure I'm missing something.

I'm not familiar with Buy Nothing. If we get to the point we want to donate we won't have an issue.

Passengers are allowed to bring food on the ship -- except for certain kinds of food.

Because the crew prefer homemade cookies over cash gratuities. 😀

I think the issue is wanting to move from mostly inclusive to la carte but not knowing what the prices are up front makes it a difficult decision. Some things, like beverages for those that want them, are unfortunately not covered on the cruise line website. If one is new to a cruise line and not familiar with the jargon, it can be difficult. I experienced that on the NCL site today. Cruise Critic is indeed a better resource.

We got our previous one at the local CVS drugstore. This time we thought we would just drop by the PO since we had to mail the package anyway.

Even if you upgrade to a more inclusive package it may not be clear. If you venture over to the Princess forum, the amount of confusion about what is included in the package options is astounding. I would happily provide a pricing guide, but only for a fee of course. 😀

Free rubber ducks for everyone!

I actually just got back from our local post office to get photos and drop the passport renewal packages off. There were quite a few people getting passports. I chatted with someone that drove over from a town 35 miles away. They said their local post office had a two month wait for passport appointments. We didn't even think about making an appt.

We downsized from a 2-story to a 1-story. The objective was to eliminate stairs. As it worked out the living area in the new place is actually a few square feet larger. The garage is smaller. The workshop disappeared. Now, that is funny!

We used National Express bus from LHR to Southampton. I would do it again in a second.

I think what you are asking for is reasonable. Though there are some practical considerations. Showing what is included or not included is one thing. Showing all the costs of "not included" items may not be practical. For example, showing the cost of all beverage options is not practical.

Normally we would wait. This time were are renewing 14 months early because we have booked travel stacked up. If we wait we could find ourselves in the dreaded 6-mos window. We want to be able to pull the trigger on trips. We will have to remember to update the new passport number on GE and other places.

Competitive advantage from providing something that is in high demand? Clearly the cost has to be covered in base fares.

This is an interesting comment and deserves some attention from the cruise lines. The info is there and there are optional packages. It does require some effort to figure things out. It seems to me it would be to the cruise line's benefit to make this kind of information easy to access and understand. I'm guessing they don't realize this might be an issue.

I agree with what you are saying. I think we should all agree moving forward when someone says something is "free"we will understand it has the same meaning as included in the fare.

I honestly doubt I have anything 100% cotton. I have been migrating towards UPF clothing these days. Some of which might have come from the Caribbean (just to keep the thread on track). 🙂

The wording is kind of strange -- "we kindly request that guests are not allowed . . ." But the meaning is pretty clear. You can bring them but you can't hide them.