macruisefan

But you do have airfare and cruise fare that has to be figured into the price of the specialty restaurant;)

 

That's kind of ridiculous. Why should I have to consider airfare and cruisefare when considering the price of a specialty restaurant? That's like saying if I fly to San Francisco for a weeks vacation, I should expect the fancy restaurants to be cheaper than here in Boston because, hey, I did have to fly there and pay for a hotel room!:confused:

It's actually not really a picture of the zipline. It's one of those magic eye prints. Stare at it for a few minutes, then let your eyes focus beyond the screen. Look! A Unicorn!

Uh, Celebrity has the same thing. Not sure how you missed it but we never do. Plus, the beverage offerings are better than with RC.

 

 

 

I've always had sourdough bread on Celebrity. Not sure why you didn't.

 

 

 

Wow, you've got me on this one. I've never had coffee-making facilities in any cabin on the 29 cruises I've been on. Guess I need to upgrade to an even better cabin.

 

 

Oh, you mean the Mall of the Seas? One of the reasons why we will never cruise an Oasis-class ship again. Too claustrophobic.

 

 

 

Wow, I would think that an additional course would be a good thing.

 

 

 

You also forgot to mention that diamond-level cruisers on RC only get 30 minutes of free internet vs. 45 minutes on Celebrity. I'd say the Elite level perks are far better than the Diamond level on RC.

 

 

There's always one homer around here who takes someone elses honest and fair review as some sort of personal insult. Congratulations jt1120, today you get to be that homer....:p

[quote name='Giorgi-one'] Finally, I do not use cost/benefit analysis when my health and life are at stake[/QUOTE]

Sure you do! That's exactly WHY you have looked at the situation and decided it makes sense for you to buy insurance. Much of what you said before this line IS cost/benefit analysis.:)

[quote name='SPacificbound']
I found by reading through coverages that all we really wanted was medical and med evacuation with pre-existing condition. What we bought was through Travel Guard for medical with pre-existing conditions, and Medjet for evacuation.

[URL]http://www.travelguard.com/travelinsurance/international.asp?intcmp=clc-001-Nav-2-International[/URL]

[URL]http://medjetassist.com/[/URL]

[URL]http://www.insuremytrip.com/[/URL][/QUOTE]

That's about where I am. The medical evac is a nice one to have. And like I mentioned, the nice thing with MedJetAssist is you're not buying it for a trip, but a period of time (packages for several years) no matter what you do or where you go.

I think the issue that clouds this so often is people blending their thoughts on making sure they are covered for a medical issue with the ability to cancel a trip and get their money back. These are both important, but really should be thought of separately.

Cancellation coverage is an extremely variable concern. I frankly never bother. I'm relatively young, relatively healthy, and don't have any high probability immediate concerns (i.e. sick relative, etc...). But that's a PERSONAL decision. In the unlikely event that something caused me to cancel, I suspect whatever it was would make the concern over lost money seem minor.

In contrast, I think anyone being in any situation without adequate health coverage is foolish. But this has nothing to do with travel. This is true at home as well. A lot of people get really cheap, really lousy health insurance and are then shocked at how little things are covered. Traveling is no different in this respect. But first, find out what coverage you already have. Just buying travel insurance by saying "better safe than sorry!" when you may not in any way be improving on what you already have is ridiculous.

Bloody Mary!

It really depends what you're after. For me, it's The Ritz-Carlton on the beach. Quick cab or limo ride from the airport, same to the port. Top notch service, beautiful rooms. Just the perfect way to start a vacation!

but the small amount you pay for insurance is worth the peace of mind

 

But if you are already covered by your existing insurance, then that insurance is already offering the same piece of mind. ;)

Most health insurance does not cover you once you leave the country.

 

Medicare and Medicaid will only cover you in the 50 states. However, most other insurance plans in fact DO cover emergency care oversees. The coverage, which requires you to pay for services and seek reimbursement (the foreign facility won't work with your insurer) will usually be equivalent to what you have at home. So, if you have a $100 co-pay for an emergency room visit, or perhaps a $1,000 deductible, they will deduct those from what they reimburse.

 

But the assertion that "most health insurance doesn't cover you once you leave the country" is in fact incorrect.

This debate has and will go on forever and ever. No matter how many people want to argue why it's not a good investment, or how many people want to argue "better safe than sorry", there is no single right answer.

 

If you want to make an informed decision, try this:

 

First, decide WHAT you are trying to obtain coverage for. Are you looking to make sure you're covered for medical care abroad? Are you after medical transport back home if something happens? Are you after cancellation coverage? If so, are you after it in case of certain medical eventualities? Or are you after blanked coverage for any reason?

 

Second. And this is the step that many here who always get insurance seem to skip. Check with your current health insurance provider and see what kind of coverage you currently have. Most people will be surprised to find they are actually very well covered. However, they usually have to make the payment and then get reimbursed from their insurer. However, this isn't much different than a lot of travel insurance products on the market.

 

Third, decide what your level of comfort is with regards to risk. As with any investment, travel insurance involves various risks and rewards. And only by looking at your own financial situation and comfort level can you make an educated decision.

 

Personally, I have chosen to purchase international medical transport coverage (I bought mine through MedJetAssist, but there are others to look at as well). I travel quite a bit, and this covers me any time I'm away from home with regards to getting me back to the medical facility of my choice from anywhere in the world. I paid a one-time fee, and I'm covered for the length of the agreement (the longer the agreement the less per-year, but you pay up front). In addition, I am comfortable covering the interim expenses if I need medical coverage overseas, and am happy to have the quality health insurance I already pay dear for reimburse me.

 

As for cancellation protection, I consider myself self-insured. I am confident that even if I should be unlucky once and lose the cost of a cruise due to last minute cancellation, I will come out ahead over the long term. In other words, I didn't find this to be a worthwhile part of my investment portfolio.

 

If, on the other hand, someone has health issues or family circumstances that make the possibility of cancellation a lot higher, or they are personally not comfortable with the potential financial loss, then insurance might be a more appropriate investment.

 

There is however, NO single right answer. Although people here will argue until they are blue in the face that there is.

groups who think anyone outside there group is a potential criminal LOL

 

I don't need to be part of a group to do that. I always assume everyone is a potential criminal! Just like when I drive, I assume every other driver is either drunk, distracted or just an idiot. Better safe than sorry!:D

Good food in the specialty restaurants.

 

A week with very few kids on board.

 

A Crown Loft all to myself.

 

Enjoying a cigar on the balcony of said Crown Loft. (and yes, I'll probably still do this unless someone specifically asks me not to!)

Allure, has Samba Grill and Ritas Cantina, Oasis has the Solarium Bistro and Seafood Shack. I can tell you right now none of those 4 restaurants are any good, so it really doesnt matter.

 

One person's opinion, not widely held. Most people speak highly of Solarium Bistro and Samba Grill as fun alternatives. Ritas and Seafood Shack are much more casual with the seafood shack obviously relying on frozen seafood specialties (a lot of breaded and fried...) and Rita's is rather pedestrian Mexican. Nothing bad, but nothing spectacular.

No. They are only going to repair the Azipod/propulsion issue. Allure will still go to Europe in 2015 for her extended dry dock maintenace period.

 

I haven't seen any mention one way or the other about this. How do you KNOW they won't adjust the drydock schedule? Seems to me if they are taking her out of service for an entire week, they might consider doing some other work as well, and then bump the European drydock back a few years. I'm just speculating though, as to the best of my knowledge, RCI hasn't said anything. Do you have some source that makes you certain of this, or are you just making the assumption based on what you've previously heard?

I respect your lamentations, but the letter you have drafted will likely be summarily disregarded as it reads like that ramblings of an angry senior citizen one might find sitting on a park bench complaining about how things aren't like they used to be.

They have been sending this same B.S. on other ships including the Allure on Oct 27th sailing. Get there at 11AM as planned. You should have no problems. We got there at 10:30AM and it was fine.

They started that B.S. during the government sequester months back and nobody is smart enough to put a stop to it. (or doesn't want to)

 

The OP isn't talking about Oasis or Allure. The Independence is returning from Europe. Maybe things will go fine, but if there was ever going to be a delay, this is when it will happen.

 

My suggestion is to do what I always do. Take your time, go somewhere for a nice lunch, and then board in the afternoon. No need to sit in some terminal only to still not be able to access your cabin when you finally board. You're going to have plenty of time on the ship, make the boarding day a bit more leisurely.

I'm now up to three voicemails and two emails....

...In the last half hour. The voicemails come from a junk number, all 1's. The texts from 893-61.

 

All five items giving the same nonsense warning to not show up at the port before 12:30 because of government budget reductions.

 

Really RCI? Five messages?

[quote name='beer1234']Am I wrong in the assumption that on newer ships you're treated a bit better.[/QUOTE]

I don't think you're "wrong" in that assumption. I just think it might be a somewhat hypercritical view. It's kind of like going on Grandeur of the Seas and feeling cheated because you didn't get to use a FlowRider, or wander through Central Park. Each ship is unique, and newer ships will inevitably have opportunities not immediately shared by older and smaller brethren.

Evenually they will have a dedicated lounge on each ship, but to try and do that in the interim in a makeshift manner may seem reasonable, but those in the know have decided it's not prudent.

Beware if you are ordering cabin decorations...make sure you know what you're getting.

 

DS and DIL are on their honeymoon on Jewel of the Seas. I ordered the Just Married decorations for the cabin. I have seen them many times on other ships and know that the door sign says "just married"...I've also seen some that say "honeymoon". And the inside decorations were supposed to be wedding bells.

 

What they actually got was red hearts with cherubs and the door sign says "celebrate love". They look like valentine's decorations :eek:

 

Now I know the website says styles are subject to change, but if I'm ordering a product that is called "JUST MARRIED" decorations, they should say JM on them. I don't care if they changed the design, colors, etc. but they should not change the wording without changing the description on the website.

 

To me this would be equivalent to ordering Happy Birthday decorations that don't say HAPPY BIRTHDAY :rolleyes:

 

Anyway, after calling gifts and gear and getting a supervisor, I was told this is the new Just Married decoration...what??? I'm guessing they're also using the same one for anniversary decorations. Anyway, they were nice enough to refund my $31.

 

I know many of you say buy your own at the dollar store and do it yourself, but my kids sent me the birthday decorations last year and they were such a nice surprise and I enjoyed them all week, so I thought it would be nice for the honeymooners. :D Not to mention that obviously I didn't go on the honeymoon with them so I wouldn't have been able to decorate it myself;)

 

#firstworldproblems

No way, I am sorry but I would be firm on that. I would be discrete when I left, no one would be offended. I would go and register my protest at the Guest relations or with the Concierge.

Personally I think it is a form of child abuse keeping children up that late, these dinners run to almost 11:00. Children need their sleep. Also they would be bored and would differently change the whole atmosphere of the dinner. Sorry, children should not be allowed every where.

 

 

I totally agree with you that they should not be there. However, your assertion that it is child abuse, and that they need their sleep is a bit over the top. It's a vacation, and sometimes on vacation, kids do things they otherwise wouldn't. There is nothing "abusive" about keeping a child up until 11:00 for a special occasion. It only means the parents are going to pay the price the next day!

 

So, no children absolutely don't belong at the Chef's Table, and I too would strenuously (albeit discreetly) object. But abuse? That's just a bit much.

When Chef's Table first was created, it was 21 and over, because it is specifically courses paired with wines.

 

WHY this was ever changed in any way eludes me.

 

I just looked it up within the booking system for my upcoming Oasis reservaton, and it says expressly, "All guests must be over the age of 21". Interesting, I wish they'd make up their mind!

When Chef's Table first was created, it was 21 and over, because it is specifically courses paired with wines.

 

WHY this was ever changed in any way eludes me.

 

I'm sure it was changed because they weren't able to sell it out without loosening the restrictions.

on the other hand it is awesome to be a kid, be invited to this kind of atmosphere and have the good manners and appreciation to enjoy the event.

 

I was exposed to a lot of nice dining opportunities as a child and teenager, and I enjoyed them thoroughly. However, my parents would have never taken me somewhere I was expressly not allowed. There are plenty of great opportunities to do this with kids. No need to do it where it is billed as child-free.

The original issue was whether children should be included at the Chef's Table. I say no. This is a small-group dinner, and part of the experience is interaction with the group who happens to share your table. When children (or teens) are included in such a group, it changes the dynamic of the experience. It is no longer the same experience for which people "signed on" and paid a premium price.

 

Furthermore, it isn't an age-appropriate experience for the children, and I can't imagine they'd be particularly enthusiastic about tasting foods that are aimed at the adult palate.

 

Those are good arguments, but they will be challenged by the egocentric parents who can't fathom that everyone doesn't think their kids are as totally awesome as they do.

 

The simple reason this shouldn't even be a debate is that RCI bills this as an adults only event. I don't care what the thought process is. They say no kids, so no kids. Anyone arguing otherwise is just being selfish.