retiredand happy

18 hours ago, cruiseej said:

I appreciate ALL the comments, even those which say if we're worried about the weigh limit we're packing too much. We're continuing to think and rethink about what to pack. 😉

 

Let me ask this question about dinners. I know there's no formality on an Antarctica trip, and I'm happy about that. But I'm often cool in the evening in a restaurant or bar; a basic button-down shirt isn't always warm enough for me. So I'm trying to decide what to take for my "evening layers". If I took one sport jacket — for a warmer layer as well as being slightly more dressed on some nights, even with jeans — would I be completely out of place? (Consider we're traveling over Christmas and New Years, if that makes any difference.) Otherwise, a couple (I mean two!) sweaters would likely be what I bring for warmer clothing aboard the ship. And since the cruise is 18 days, I'm reconciled to using the ship's laundry.

 

@retiredand happy In terms of the weight limit, I know there's a reasonable chance every checked and carry on bag won't be checked and weighed. After all, they don't weigh the human cargo, so the aircraft weight limits can't be that tight! On the other hand, I've also read the horror story of some people's luggage being left behind because of a flight being at its limit, and I don't want too be "that person" who endangers someone else's cruise, or my own cruise, by ignoring the weight rules. That's why I'm asking all the questions. 

 

I imagine the weather in Antarctica is variable; it might be in the 30s or even 40, but it might be colder. (Just like when cruising to Alaska in the summer: I wore t-shirts some days because it was so warm, while passengers other weeks have had temperatures 20-30 degrees colder.) 

I was on the smaller Explorer last year. You are likely on the Wind. I will be doing the Wind to the Arctic in August, 2023. Regarding the sport coat. If you have room, you certainly won't look funny wearing it at dinner. On our cruise, I didn't see anyone wearing a sport coat. On the other hand, we weren't there over the holidays. It really comes down to what you have room to pack. If something has to go, it would be the sport coat, but keep the sweaters. 

You are correct, it is not possible to determine what the airline will do on your specific trip, so guessing is just guessing. I know there was a lot of angst amongst the passengers on my trip about the luggage weight. In the end, it was not an issue since the bags went from a truck from the hotel directly to the plane.  The size of the carryon was more important than the weight because of the configuration of the plane. I was very careful not to get carried away, and kept my weight to just a few pounds over. 

Getting dressed for the shore excursions is a "fun" process. It takes 7-10 minutes to get all the layers on and have them in the right order. When you are fully dressed, you walk like the first explorer to the moon. They are VERY strick about having the life jacket on properly and in the proper order. You need your hands free to board the zodiac, so the backpack is worn on your back until you get in the zodiac. We saw passengers who put their backpack on first and then their life jacket over the backpack. That's a certain trip back to the boot room to get redressed. Protecting the environment was very important. All the clothes you were wearing to shore had to be vacuumed to remove any foreign material. They did this 2-3 times during the trip. Your boots had to be thoroughly cleaned in the boot room after each shore excursion. The boots were inspected before you were allowed to get on the zodiac on every shore excursion. Usually about 10% of the passengers were sent back to the boot room to clean all the penguin poop and dirt off their boots. The same applied to your waterproof pants, if they had penguin poop on the bottoms. The weatherproof backpack that SS provides is large and heavy duty. It protects your equipment from getting wet in the zodiacs. You should plan on getting wet in the zodiacs. Some days the water is smooth as glass. Other days everyone got a mouthful of sea water. Extra gloves in your backpack are a good idea. The SS parka and the waterproof pants and the heavy boots keep you dry. When you buy your waterproof pants, get the ones that unzip or unsnap at the bottom so they fit over your boots. That makes getting dressed so much easier. 

The pictures below are a sample of what is to come. I am the guy in front of the elephant seal. You will talk about this trip for years to come. It is spectacular. 

14 hours ago, Catlover54 said:

 

The OP specifically said 

 

" . . .If you feel we don't need to pack so much for a 21-day trip, please don't lecture me on that; I've read many posts about what to take and not to take, so that's not what I'm asking. . . "

 

He/she likely does not want  "come on folks" or  "50 lbs is plenty of weight" advice about what works for you (even if it makes sense to you).  People have their individual preferences, habits, health issues, and bodily concerns.  The weight limits for a cold climate, combined with the headaches of a connecting flight on top of the other risks and concerns, are one of several factors that makes us (especially my DH) pause about booking Antarctica. 

 

 

 

 

 

Just so I don't get hollered at for my post, I am directing my comments to everyone EXCEPT Cruiseej. I did this trip in November, 2021. We were the very first commercial flight from Santiago to Puerto Williams. The owner of the airline was on the flight with us to celebrate. A lot of press and champagne. A very memorable trip.

I received the same warning about the weight limits. I can't promise that 2022 will be the same as my flight in 2021, but my carryon weighed about 21 lbs (it was a rolling backpack with all my electronics and meds) and my 1 checked bag was 57 lbs. Our luggage was picked up at the hotel in Santiago and we never saw it again until we were on the ship. I did rent the boots from SS, so that cut down on the weight. They fit perfect and I didn't have to deal with a pair of boots with loads of penguin poop in my suitcase on the way home. We had about 80 people on the 18 night trip and only a small handful had their own boots. I brought my own waterproof pants and the rest of the cold weather gear. The parka that SS supplies is great. I was surprised how warn the weather was. We had a low of maybe 28 and a high of about 40, and that was November. The only time you get cold is on the long zodiac rides in the open water. When you are on land, you are hiking, and you find yourself shedding clothes. I did use the laundry service on board a couple times, but I also overpacked and brought some clothes back that I never wore. I was on the Explorer and I packed nice dress slacks to wear for dinner. After the first day, most guests were wearing jean and very casual clothes for all the meals. In some cases we would get back to the ship from an excursion and there wasn't enough time, or energy, to change for dinner, so most people just shed the heavy clothes and wore what they wore on the excursion for dinner. All my nice dinner clothes remained on hangers in the closet. If I had to pack again for this trip, I would easily hit the 50 lb limit, if I was willing to use the ship's laundry once or twice. I am doing the Arctic in 2023, and I know I will be able to meet the required 50 lb weight limit for the charter flight at the beginning of the trip. I realize that everyone has their own set of travel idiosyncrasies, but travel to Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falklands is a different kind of trip. Again. please don't holler at me. This is directed to anyone else who might be taking this spectacular trip.

I did Antarctica in November (the Arctic next year). I bought boots on sale and then realized how heavy they were to pack, so I decided to rent them. After reading other posts, I decided I didn't want the weight or the used penguin poop (cleaned or not) in my suitcase. I bought the waterproof pants and hiking poles because they are light weight and easy to pack. The boot rental was the best money I spent. Remember, you will have items to pack coming home that you didn't bring with you, such as a bulky parka and a nice waterproof backpack and water bottle (all 3 were provided "free" for Antarctica). You might look a little strange getting off the plane in Southern CA wearing your Arctic parka😎

21 hours ago, cruiseej said:

Does anyone know what, exactly, this translates to? Since we have our own boots from a previous cruise and will be lugging them with us, luggage allowances are of genuine interest! 😉

I was on this flight in November with 18 nights on the Explorer. I was on the inaugural flight. We flew to PW on DAP (the charter). The service was great. More leg room on this plane. Private lounge area away from the main passengers. They didn't weigh our carry-on luggage and mine was way over the weight and size limits allowed by the commercial airlines. My checked bag was about 8 lbs over the 50 lb limit and no issue. All in all it was a very pleasant flight. From the airport in PW, we loaded on vans at the plane and directly to the ship. I have never flown into Ushuaia, so I can't compare the difference. 

On the Explorer in November, 2021, the chart sold for $2800. There was spirited bidding and a lot of laughs. There were 80 passengers on that 18 day trip.

15 hours ago, TLCOhio said:

Appreciate ALL of these various comments and follow-up regarding upcoming and potential Antarctica sailings.  We were looking at and seriously considering a Seabourn sailing for 21-days that started in Argentina, had five net days in Antarctica and then nicely sailed up the western coast of Chile.  BUT, Seabourn just recently scrubbed all their late 2021 and early 2022 sailings for this region.

 

Have not heard exactly as to how Silversea is navigating to adjust their offerings in this area.  BUT, even as late as this afternoon, SS has not posted on their website with these adjusted offerings.  Would like to see and examine the SS specifics.  Any ideas for why the delays in these SS postings??

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 242,564 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

This was posted by a SS executive on a SS Facebook site about a week ago. It gives some idea of their plans. 

Conrad Combrink

Great to see how observant our guests are!!!!!  happy to Provide clarity.

1. We are lucky, our ships Silver Cloud and Silver Wind are like greyhounds. They are fast. So even without reaching their maximum speed we can still crossed the Drake in 2 days as planned from Punta Arenas.

2. Yes absolutely The Falklands are requiring a 10 day “at sea” scenario to allow us to enter their territory. They consider Antarctica and South Georgie “at sea”. So we will reverse the itineraries where needed. South Georgia is open.

We will communicated he changes / reversal of the itineraries soon.

Very interesting statistics. I wish my city was as safe as the cruise ships. I look forward to my November expedition cruise. I will be doing all the things that I should have been doing in the past, but ignored: wash my hands often, sanitize often, keep my fingers away from my mouth and eyes and keep out of other people's personal space. 

It may be dependent on how busy your SS travel advisor is and days off. I have been in communication this week and had no trouble. Have you tried email to your advisor too? As we read the news, we see that these hackers are trying their best to disrupt businesses and government. No business wants to be a victim of this kind of attack and they work hard to get their IT systems up and running as soon as they can. It does take time, as we have seen in the news from other companies who have been victimized. I am new to SS, but everything I have experienced and heard shows me they are a premium company. Your cruise is in 2022. They will do the right thing for you when you are finally able to contact them. I am sure they are concentrating on cruise issues for cruises happening in the near future. SS did not get the good name they have by not taking care of their customers. They will take good care of you too.

I had the same experience as harbourside. I was dealing directly with Viking, not an outside TA, and they moved me to the Mars, but on a reverse itinerary. I also had a 7 day pre-cruise trip booked and they moved that too, to the beginning of the trip instead of the end of the cruise. All prices remained the same, including BC air with Viking. The direction of the trip didn't make a difference, and it was a painless process with Viking doing all the work. I was happy to see that they honored the prior pricing for everything.

M&P Germany. I see your reference to the Europa2. Although I am an American, I have done 10 cruises on the E2. The last one was in 2019. I love that ship. A lot of fun memories. I have a copy of the music they play while leaving port saved on my computer and play if often. I may just carry my blue and white E2 tote bag on my November SS cruise 😂

The Wind looks kind of lonely in this video, but I know she will be beautiful when they are done. I am looking forward to my 11/20/21 cruise.

alolewis I am booked on that cruise too. I think we will both be drinking wine at home. I moved this trip from last year to this year thinking "what go wrong in 2021." I am waiting for Silversea to contact me with options. Unfortunately, I have 3 trips planned next year, so this won't fit into 2022. 

I'll take a stab at replying to your question. I'm sure that if 15 people answer, you will get 15 different points of view, based on personal circumstances. Here is why I buy travel insurance and why I generally buy CFAR:

• I struggle with CFAR every time I buy a policy for a trip. Some trips I buy it and some I don't.
  
• I also have a Chase Sapphire credit card and I have reviewed their policy.
  
• Most of my trips are considerably over the maximum coverage provided by Chase ($20,000), so I need more coverage than they offer.
  
• Chase does not cover CFAR
  
• Chase does not cover for pre-existing conditions. I travel with a person who is on kidney dialysis. Many people have a pre-existing condition. I don't want to go down that rabbit hole with any insurance company whose primary mission in life is to deny a claim.
  
• Chase won't honor a claim if you are "traveling against the advice of a physician." I'm not sure I want to fight that battle either. Since I don't have a crystal ball, I can't predict what might happen in the future regarding health. I may not be in the hospital, buy my doctor may tell me I am a fool to take this trip.
  
• I found that cruises book up very quickly so I often book a cruise 12-18 months in advance. I just don't know what might come up in that time that would prompt me to cancel the trip, so I opt for CFAR; particularly if I book way in advance. Just this week I bought a travel insurance policy for a trip in September, 2018, and the cost of the trip is $35,000. I bought CFAR for that trip. If I book a lower cost trip and I am traveling within 3-5 months, I may not buy CFAR.
  
• I am on Medicare so I need the medical coverage provided by travel insurance. My supplement only covers $50,000 in medical for foreign travel. I always buy a minimum of $100,000 medical and make it primary. As a side note, I also carry a separate medical evacuation insurance policy that will bring me back to my home in a medical jet, if necessary.
  

This may not answer your question, but these are my personal reasons. I am sure that many people could make the argument against buying any travel insurance. It's all a matter of your personal risk tolerance.

Terry, it was great meeting you on the 2 Norway cruises. I enjoyed our talks. Sorry I didn't get to say much to you on the 2nd cruise. I had friends join us that I met on a Viet Nam trip in 2012. The ship was great as usual. I booked my 6th cruise on E2 for next March. I hope to meet up with you again on a future cruise. Safe travels.

Richard

My review on my recent Norwegian Fjords cruises is now available.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=541091

We have just returned from a week on Europa 2, cruising in the Western Mediterranean. I can confirm that the speciality restaurants, except for the French one, were open for lunch each day. The Weltmeere, though, was closed - perhaps because during a port-intensive cruise in very warm weather (as this was) many passengers will be ashore, while those on board probably prefer the Yacht Club (which was busy whenever we used it). We went to Weltmeere on three evenings and it was pretty quiet even then.

My only negative comment on the food was that the menus in the restaurants were rather heavily focused on meat – presumably reflecting German tastes. We are not vegetarian but would have welcomed more non-meat choices. The selection in the Yacht Club was excellent, though – as was the quality.

Drinks prices were very reasonable – helped for us, of course, by the weak Euro. But we did not get a beverage credit – I don’t know why and didn’t think of asking . Actually, our bar bill was modest –helped by free drinks at receptions and in the cabin.

A few other comments on what was overall a most enjoyable week.

We chose this ship and cruise because my partner needs dialysis, which is available on certain Europa 2 cruises (and which was delivered to a very high standard). We were, I think, the only British passengers: there were a few Americans and a handful of others who were not German speakers. But the ship is fully bilingual. The staff were very helpful at all times. As an example, my partner uses a walking stick and when we were in the Yacht Club she was nearly always approached by a waiter/waitress offering to take her food to the table.

As we weren’t using the inclusive flight package (because the flights go to/from Germany) we made our own travel arrangements. This meant that we needed to arrange airport transfers ourselves. This was easy in Barcelona but quite expensive in Civitavecchia because of the distance from the airport. However, in Barcelona we were able to use what HL call a welcome lounge – essentially a large lounge in a city centre hotel where we could leave our luggage (we had five hours to spare), enjoy complimentary tea/coffee/soft drinks, and get a free transfer to the ship at around 4pm. That was very useful.

Smoking didn’t worry us once we remembered not to sit on the port side of the Yacht Club outside area.

Our suite was remarkable for an entry-level cabin. It’s hard to see why people would want to spend more on something bigger – but some obviously do!

Happy to try to answer any questions.

I saw your reference to dialysis. I think you got on the Europa2 when I got off. I sailed from Lisbon to Barcelona and departed on July 4th. I have a friend who is on kidney dialysis and this wonderful service allows him to travel and enjoy the world without worry. I spent 23 days last year on the E2 and booked 16 nights next year in Norway. Dr. Westerman and Dr. Rittich are not only great doctors but super guys. It's amazing that a dialysis patient can travel in such luxury and still undergo dialysis. When the 4 of us left the E2 we spent a week in Barcelona. He did dialysis in Barcelona and had a very good experience. All the best to you and your friend who is on dialysis. We may meet up on a future cruise.

The review by f2s makes interesting reading.

 

While I agree that soundproofing between staterooms is disappointing, the review does not alter my opinion that the Europa 2 is a superb ship with staff for whom nothing is too much trouble, and with food that is truly excellent.

Very interesting review. Some things were hard to dispute (the mattresses were 2 pieces to make a king bed). I never asked for the senior sommelier, so I can't attest to whether he had a menu to discuss. My neighbors must have been boring because I didn't hear a peep out of them. My room was always spotless and I suspected that there were little elves everywhere because as I left something out of place, the little elf put it back where it belonged. I am slightly embarrassed to say that I ate my weight in lobster. I was impressed that they took the time to move the balcony cushions inside every night and put them back out every morning. I was so impressed at the clean crisp look of the senior staff. I even commented to other guests, who I made friends with, that the staff must change uniforms 3 times a day to keep that great starched look. They looked so professional compared to other cruise ships that I have traveled on. I guess the bottom line is we all have different expectations when we travel. I was so easily impressed with the Europa2 that I am going back in 5 months for more lobster.

retiredand happy,

 

Thank you for such a detailed, and helpful, particularly with the odessawalks website, response.

 

Perhaps Hapag-LLoyd has retained Yalta, and Sevastopol in the online itinerary in the hope that by September of next year the situation in the region will have become normalised.

 

The listed itinerary also features Sochi in Russia.

 

It will be disappointing if Yalta and Sevastopol are substituted, but it will not be a deal breaker.

 

Constanta might provide me with an opportunity to see more of Romania.

 

I am looking forward to renewing my acquaintance with the superb Europa 2.

Sochi was also a part of our trip. It was an interesting visit. There was one German tour to the olympic site, but they did not offer it in English. When I asked our guide about missing it, she laughted and said, "why would you want to travel over 1 hour on a bus to see an empty building when you can see all the beautiful sights in Sochi?" Our English speaking guide filled up our time with a walking tour of the city, a tour to the Sanatoriums and a tour of the botanical gardens. I can't say my visit changed my opinion of Putin:), but the people were very friendly and the visit was well worth the time. I have a nice picture of the Europa2 sitting in the port in front of the olympic rings. When I look at it, it brings back good memories.

Hopefully things will calm down so you can see at least some of the Ukraine. I feel sorry for the locals in those cities, because so much of their economy was based on tourism.

retiredand happy,

 

With regard to your Black Sea cruise, did the Europa 2 actually call at the Ukrainian Ports of Call?

 

If so, were there any problems with shore excursions?

 

I have booked this cruise for September 2015, and the itinerary still lists these Ports.

English Voyager,

They cancelled Sevastopol and Yalta about 6-8 weeks prior to sailing. We still went to Odessa. I know that many people cancelled the trip because they really wanted to visit Sevastopol and Yalta. Although I would like to have seen these cities, it was not a deal breaker for me. They substituted Constanta and Sinop as alternate stops. Neither city is a hot spot for visitors, but it beat cruising the ocean for 2 additional days like some of the other cruise lines did. The fact that there were only 225 passengers on the ship, made the journey seem like we were on a private luxury yacht. It made up in a small way for not visiting the 2 scheduled ports.

We were in Odessa for 1 1/2 days. The ship only offered a 1/2 day tour in English so I planned ahead of time to hire a driver and guide for an entire day. After doing some searching I found Odessa Walks, run by Olga. (www.odessawalks.com). Our tour guide was Julia. They were such a pleasure to work with and very attentive and professional. The city was beautiful and the people were super friendly. We saw no hint of the troubles that we have all read about. The cost of the tour was incredibly cheap for the service that we got. Originally I booked the tour for myself and the person traveling with me. I met 2 British ladies on the ship and they joined us for the tour. It was a good way to spend 9 hours in Odessa. The following 1/2 day, I ventured out on my own and looked around the city near the port.

I can't say that I disagree with Wripro. You need to decide whether visiting Sevastopol and Yalta are a deal breaker for you. A lot can happen in 9 months in that region (good and bad). If I had to look into my crystal ball, I would guess that your cruise may look more like mine did than the one that they are showing in their brochure.

As a side note, when we were in Odessa, Julia told us that we were only the 4th ship to visit the city that year. Our ship drew quite a crowd in the port; partly because of her beauty and partly because the locals were excited to see a cruise ship in port. The Europa2 held a party for about 50 of the top officials in Odessa. It was fun to watch them touring the ship with their mouths open in amazement. When we were in the city with Julia, a group of about 30 junior high school age students ran up to us and presented us with large cut out smiley faces that they had made. They asked it we would pose with them for pictures. They crowded around us while their teacher took several pictures. All in all, Odessa was one of my favorite stops.

I hope your trip pans out for you because traveling on the Europa2 is a great experience.

If you look on Facebook HL has posted pictures from the Christmas market from my trip.

 

 

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Hypercafe, I read your review with interest and it brought back good memories of my 21 days on the Europa2 in September. I noticed that there were questions about the number of English speakers on your cruise, so I thought I would chime in since I had 2 completely different experiences on my 2 cruises in September. On the 14 day Black Sea cruise, there were only 6 English guests on board (2 Australia, 2 England and 2 US). There were only about 225 total guests on the ship. Even with only 6 people, the employees made us feel like we were the only ones on the ship. This trip had shore stops almost every day. In many cases only 4 of the English speakers went on the English speaking tours. In every case we had our own personal English speaking guide and an employee from the Europa2 travel department on the tour. It was very personal and very much like having hired our own private guide. In many cases, we would be on the same bus with the German guests going to and from the site, but once we got to our location, we split off into our own small group.

On the 2nd cruise which was 7 days in the Aegean Sea, the ship had the largest number of English speaking passengers that they had ever hosted (135 out of about 450 total passengers). This changed the dynamics of the trip. We went from being catered to, to being 2 out of 135. The service was still excellent, but it was a shock to get on a bus where everyone was speaking English after experiencing the prior 14 days. I guess being 2 out of 135 is still better than being 2 out of 3000 (as you can see, I am addicted to small ships). This brings up the topic of traveling with a group of Germans. They are so organized. They show up on time, they do as they are requested and they are polite and respectful. Everything seemed to run effortlessly during the first 2 weeks. On the second trip, I missed being surrounded by all Germans This may make sense to some of the readers :).

On both trips I was able to socialize as much as I desired. When there were only 6 of us, we tended to stick together during many events and even the meals. When there were 135 of us, we picked the people that we wanted to socialize with. We were never placed at a table in the dining room with non-English speaking passengers. Many of the German passengers spoke English and were very polite. It was just hard to tell who spoke English and who didn't. There were several situations when someone would surprise me by starting a conversation in very good English.

I like both of my trips on the Europa2 so much that I am going back for a June Cruise and traveling with other family members.

One last comment about the ship. On one occasion one of the passengers asked the Captain how the ship received the 5 1/2 star rating. The Captain said it is easier to show you during the cruise than it is to try to explain it to you. At the end of my 21 days, I understood how they received the 5 1/2 stars and I hated to get of that beautiful ship.

If a traveler likes luxury and is looking for something a little different, I would recommend the Europa2.

My last comment will not apply to very many people, but the Europa2 offers kidney dialysis for patients who have kidney failure. The person I was traveling with has kidney failure and this ship offers luxury travel to a person who otherwise may not be able to travel. On the first cruise, there were 4 dialysis patients, 2 nephrologists and a kidney tech. The medical service was more than first class.

Yes, I sailed on the 6th. Just got home today. Whole thing was great, ship is beyond awesome and space is unmatched on any ship I have been on. I will make a review soon.

 

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Hypercafe. I'm gald you enjoyed your trip on the Europa2. I was so happy with the service that I have booked another cruise in June. I was anxious to read your review, but I can't find it. Probably I am not looking in the right place. Maybe you can point me to it. Glad you are back with good memories. I know that many of the crew members who were on the ship while I was sailing for the 3 weeks this summer we very anxious to visit New York while the ship was in port.

Well, I went ahead and purchased the policy from AXA Assistance USA since it appeared to be a reliable company. It has a good record with the BBB and is the company used by both MetLife and Aetna for their travel insurance plans.

 

I would have used Steve if he had been within $100 or so but the difference was over $400 which was almost 50% higher.

 

Thanks for the info about Steve--hopefully, I won't have to find out how AXA pays their claims...

I was wondering if you ever found any additional information on AXA Assistance? I started this post with asking for information on Tin Leg. Fortunately I didn't need to find out whether my decision was right or wrong for my trip this year, since I didn't need to file a claim. I need to buy travel insurance for 4 of us for my next trip. Since there were so may complaints about Tin Leg, I thought I would shop around. AXA came in the cheapest with CFAR coverage (considerably cheaper than anyone else except Tin Leg). As you pointed out, it is difficult to find any information about this company. When 4 people are booking a trip 8 months out, I would feel more comfortable with CFAR coverage, but it is so expensive with everyone other than AXA and Tin Leg. I sure wish there was a way to sort this out.

Your post got my interest since you mention Medicare. As most folks know, Medicare does not pay claims for services outside the USA (or its territories) except under a couple of very limited circumstances. So since Medicare will deny any foreign incurred claim, any secondary policy with foreign coverage essentially becomes primary. So we are really curious as to what "extra level of coverage" you get by paying for primary coverage?

 

Hank

Hank, sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I was on the cruise for 3 weeks. Thankfully I will never know how good or bad Tin Leg insurance is, because I didn't have to use them for any claims. The reason I bought primary coverage is for 3 reasons; (1) I am on Medicare and my secondary coverage is only $50,000 for international travel; (2) I like the idea of not having to deal with a claim to Medicare, the denial, then a claim to my secondary policy; (3) the person traveling with me has a very serious pre-existing condition. When things go wrong, they can go very wrong and I might need the coverage that this policy provides. I also buy a medical evacuation policy "just in case", since I don't want to be stuck in the nearest hospital that can handle the crisis, when I need the medical care in the US. I found after my original post that travel insurance is a controversial topic. I am a novice at all this, but I am a researcher and I try to make the decision that is best for my particular needs. The only question that is up in the air for me is how good is Tin Leg if you truly understand the policy that you bought and you meet all their conditions. As I read through many posts regarding travel insurance, I found that some people didn't understand the policy provisions or didn't follow the rules and then were upset because the claim was denied. I need to find a company that follows the policy provisions and will pay when all the policy requirement are met. I really haven't read anything so far about Tin Leg that indicates the contrary. Luckily I've got a few months before my next trips to keep researching. I've used CSA in the past and was happy with their policy too. I selected Tin Leg this year because of the cost of the total package that I bought.

Retired and Happy, how was your trip?

 

Tom

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Tom, the trip was great. The ship is beautiful and the service and food is even better. It really lives up to its 5 star plus rating. The 2 cruises were very different. The first 2 weeks from Athens to Istanbul in the Black Sea had only 230 passengers (less than half full). I guess the problems in the Black Sea scared off many people. There were only 6 English speakers on that cruise. They spoiled the 6 of us with attention. Dinner with the Hotel Manager, dinner with the International Hostess, almost private tours with our own English speaking guide. They really treated us first class. The second cruise from Istanbul to Athens had 135 English speakers and a total of 430 passengers. They said that this was the largest group of English speakers that they have hosted. Every employee we talked to was nervous because they wanted that cruise to be perfect. Everything went off without a hitch. I just had to share everyone with 134 other people. I got spoiled on the cruise before because the specialty restaurants were always available, "my" table on the back deck of the Yacht Club was always there, the best seats in the theater for the shows were always available, 3 employees were always there to pull my chair out and push it back in again. You get the picture. I liked the ship so much that I have tentatively booked 2 cruises next summer. There is only 1 reason why I wouldn't keep the trips and it is the cost. I traveled this year (and probably next year) with a friend. We need 2 beds in the cabin and on the Europa2 they only have 1 large bed in the cabins. The beds can't be separated. This doesn't work for 2 friends traveling together. I tried a rollaway this year and it just didn't work space wise in the cabin. The Hotel Manager made a "special arrangement" for me this year that took care of the problem. That won't happen again. Next year I would need to book 2 cabins and that makes the cost of 2 cruises very expensive (particularly when you add in the airline tickets and the shore excursions). The friend who is traveling with me is on kidney dialysis and the Europa2 is one of only a few ships that offers this marvelous service on the ship. The care that they give is hard to buy at any cost. There are several large cruise ships that also offer this service, but I am not happy with that type of cruising. I am more into small ships and riverboats. When I add the need for kidney dialysis into the equation, my choices are limited. I'll need to make up my mind pretty quickly if I plan on keeping my reservation on the Europa2 for next year. I know that you will love this ship and your upcoming trip. If you have any questions about the ship or how things worked, let me know and I will be happy to answer them.

I believe tomorrow you start you adventure on the beautiful Europa2. Have a great trip

 

Tom

Tom, you have a good memory. I leave this morning. Retired and Happy is Packed and Ready. Once I see my suitcases come off the airline carousel in Athens, I will be Relaxed and Happy. I am looking forward to my trips on the Europa2. Hopefully the Black Sea area will be calm while I am there. Thanks for the note.

Richard