Fouremco

I would have thought that booking a pilot was like booking a berth in a port, something that was done months in advance by HQ staff. So "they" may not have been a reference to himself or the ship's officers. As for compensation, per the contract you aren't entitled to anything, so a 10% FCC of your cruise is pretty generous IMO.

Indeed. When we plan a cruise with our kids and our grandkids, we look to RCI, but when it's just my DW and me, we book with Holland America. Or Celebrity on occasion. A few years ago we booked a seven-day HAL Alaskan cruise departing Vancouver in mid-September. But there was a teachers' strike that year, and the ship had far more children aboard than I've ever seen on a HAL ship. I wouldn't say that they spoiled the cruise, but there was a very different ambiance aboard.

Not Ottawa, at least not as yet. The only airports with Express currently are Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. This webpage provides a good overview of their varying hours of operation, terminals and other points of interest: https://princeoftravel.com/guides/express-security/

Yes.

Unfortunately, that doesn't apply to all Canadian airports. Here in Ottawa, Nexus members go to the head of the line for security, but are then required to pull laptops, remove shoes, etc., along with all the non-Nexus passengers.

I'm not aware of any other Canadian credit card currently following this practise.

As a general comment, I think that there is some minor confusion with respect to exact reporting requirements today, brought about by the introduction of new programs (e.g. Nexus), new technologies (kiosks), different approaches depending upon means of entry (flight, drive, boat [with variations: pleasure, ferry, cruise], bus, train) and the reduced requirement for completing a Declaration Card. Unfortunately, CBSA has yet to compile a single, comprehensive website that would enable someone to quickly determine what is expected of them given a combination of factors.

Well, the price has dropped about $4 over the last couple of months, so while it isn't COVID-level pricing, it's not too bad.

None on my MacBook running Safari, but I too run an ad blocker.

While we've had umbrellas when booking a Vista suite, I've read a number of posts written by passengers whose umbrella were nowhere to be found. Take rain gear or your own umbrella, just in case.

On my MacBook using Safari, I still can't access Boards in a normal window, but I can access all other parts of CC. By switching to a private window, I can access Boards as well. Very strange, and hopefully CC will come up with a remedy soon.

Although a regular cabin, we sailed in 8080 aboard the Nieuw Statendam. As you can see, it is adjacent to the stairs and elevators, and we were concerned about the possible noise. In making our final selection, however, the balcony size and cabin location outweighed our fear of potential noise. As it turned out, there was absolutely no disruptive noise, and we couldn't have been happier with our decision. Ours was a 14-night cruise with a full passenger load, but still no noise from those waiting for or exiting the elevators or staircase.

From the Canadian AMEX website: If the charge is not in U.S. dollars, the conversion will be made through U.S. dollars, by converting the charge amount into U.S. dollars and then by converting the U.S. dollar amount into Canadian dollars. If the charge is in U.S. dollars, it will be converted directly into Canadian dollars.

Definitely. The ports of call forums are full of posts discussing/mentioning specific tour companies. Ditto roll calls. Go for it!

My preference is always to have passenger cabin on the decks above and below me. As 4166 is located above the Vista Dining Room, I'd not consider it. In the event that it makes a difference to you, this cabin only has a shower, no bath. On the other hand, I enjoy stern cabins, and 7149 would be a good choice IMO. Personally, I wouldn't pay the extra money for 6115. We'd rather maximize the number of cruises within our travel budget and forego the extra space and perks associated with a signature suite.

There are lots of posts discussing/mentioning tugo, not all on this forum. Use "everywhere" for your search parameter and you should find 'em all.

Fortunately, there are multiple dining venues, and no one is denied a meal. I've cruised with many groups aboard, of varying sizes, and have never gone hungry. 😇

There are innumerable websites that discuss the features of the many Canadian credit cards, and all say the same thing: AMEX Cobalt charges a foreign exchange fee. More importantly, your cardholder agree says the same thing. The difference between this card and the majority of other cards charging an FX fee is that AMEX hides the fee by incorporating it in the conversion rate instead of listing it as a separate item. Rogers used to do that with their Mastercards, but changed to direct conversion to CAD a few years ago. Hopefully AMEX will follow suit in due course.

When you purchase any type of beverage package, RCI automatically charges you an additional 18% for gratuities. If you look at your receipt for the packages you purchased, you should see that amount reflected. You will not be charged anything further.

On a TA or any other cruise, a port stop is an integral part of your itinerary. That's very different than the situation when a passenger lands in a foreign country while in transit and then continues on to a final destination. For a cruise, it's not the destination, it's the journey.

Like you, I assume this applies to air travel, not cruises. There are very, very countries that a cruiser visits for over 24 hours. Rainy day in a rainy week... But the lawn is greening up nicely. 😇

LOL. I agree, there are no "Amex Amex" cards without FX fees. While I like my Amex Cobalt card, it stays in my wallet when travelling outside of Canada.

I agree with @lx200gps. Head to Old Montreal or the downtown core as soon as you arrive. A much better choice of accommodation and restaurants than you'll find near the airport.

The Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card charges no foreign exchange fees.

The right of "innocent passage" through the territorial seas of a country is granted to ships of all states under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). This means that ships can traverse the territorial waters of a coastal state without entering its internal waters or calling at a port facility, as long as the passage is "innocent" and not prejudicial to the peace, good order or security of the coastal state. Passage through its territorial waters does not constitute a visit to the coastal state. On the other hand, while there is a right of innocent passage through territorial waters, no such right exists for internal waters, where the coastal state has full sovereignty. Passage through the internal waters constitutes a visit to that country. If you were to draw a line connecting all of the outermost islands constituting the Bahamian Archipelago, all waters lying within form the internal waters of the Bahamas. Assuming that your ship entered these waters, even though you never tendered to HMC, you are considered to have visited the Bahamas. NEXUS doesn't have its own definition of what constitutes a "visit", but when in doubt, I'd always recommend including a country. It certainly won't hurt your application, and avoids any possible need to justify why you failed to include a country.