Tango99

On 10/1/2023 at 12:46 PM, PixieMom3 said:

We are on NCL Encore in November and will be here from 6am-1pm. A few in our party have mobility issues so I’m wondering if there are things to do right near we get off the ship.  There is always the option of a cruise excursion but if there are things to see/do without that we would prefer that.  Thanks in advance.  

There’s a nice shopping area, very simple, laid back, low pressure right after the wander along quite a long pier. Nice outdoor patios for coffee, drinks, and wifi. We’ve done this twice. You can make it all, slowly, a couple of hours. Now we’re ready for a tour maybe by cab. Trouble is I couldn’t find any at the end of the main drag. They must have their own spot. 

6 hours ago, kellk said:

Just returned from a Mediterranean cruise and had to check in for an AC flight out of YYZ to our home city.

Was surprised by a new lineup (once we did bag drop) before entering the security lineup where our carry on roller bag was seemingly laser measured for size.

Many people in the lineup had their bags rejected as not meeting AC carry on size limits, like us.  We ended up having to pay $50 for that bag (sent to another lineup to see an agent who tagged our bag and collected the money).  

This same roller suitcase has successfully made it onto many flight and into the overhead bins onboard without issue before.  We were always under the impression that this suitcase met the airline size requirements for carry on, and in fact had been purchased with that in mind.

 

Anyone have similar issues with AC?  I wondered if the tag we had on the bag was the culprit in not meeting the laser's requirements?  Seems like a new money grab to me and I wasn't impressed.

Another perspective…the wheels and that seemingly innocuous side and top handle of carry-ons all add to the dimensions. Not to mention a teeny tiny bulge. I haven’t used a carry on for a long time for that reason, so I just pay for my stowed bag. But I still need to find a spot for my tiny backpack and medical bag as people cram everything they can into the overhead bins. Laser tech is very precise in capturing the slightest deviation that’s out of scope. And who am I to argue this one, when so much time is spent boarding passengers with oversize carryons. (And that isn’t the root cause of ACs current issues with just 4 of the 8 international airports out of use for that purpose). 

On 10/4/2023 at 9:21 PM, Luv2cruz1000 said:

Any experience with Ez air. Princess has identified our home airport as Toronto. We have been able to book one way Detroit to Anchorage and got very reasonable flights. My problem is if I try to put in return from Vancouver to a Canadian city it says that my current air booking excludes flights to my home city.( I wanted to see return flights) Talked to Princess and really got no solution. ( other then cancel my flight and rebook....no thank you! Only really want to see my pricing with EZ air.)Anyone done a one way to Alaska and been successful to book with EZ Air?

You can see if the booking can be made as a multi city. As the original flight puts you into Detroit I’m guessing another air partner is involved. So you might try Vancouver-Seattle-Toronto or via Detroit, or Chicago. 

3 hours ago, Dancer Bob said:

Medipac, and I presume all others want an emergency contact. Will they expect this contact to make decisions for you- DNR, removal of life support, probably a bunch of other things I haven't thought of? If this person isn't willing to make these decisions, can they use this as an excuse to deny coverage?

You just state your emergency contact person when booking. It’s assumed this person is knowledgable in the next of kin who would know the people who can say where and how to meet the patient. They may not have PoA (Power of Attorney) for health decisions and if there isn’t a PoA the ships medical team are more than well equipped and can be trusted with the care and well being of the patient with the intention of their being kept alive. When they reach land the patient may be taken to hospital from the ship. You need to show your insurance coverage and contact info at that company so they can be made aware of claim. You’re likely to have to pay up front but having the med centre advise your insurance when stuff happens will help coordinate benefits. The captain has a lot 

10 hours ago, latebuyer said:

My parents may have to travel in canada as my dad is still having tests due to my dad’s heart condition but they are wondering if they could get out of province insurance instead of the global travel insurance. I found a cruise where all the ports are in canada except the last port so i thought maybe they could leave early to stay in canada. But would the cruise ship have canadian or american doctors on it so they need the global travel insurance anyways?

The insurance could get complicated and expensive to recoup costs if anything were to happen on board ship or on excursion. Be assured the medical team are well equipped so they could even treat your dad in their medical centre until the end of cruise. Or he may be transferred at the next port for hospital treatment. If this is a cruise in the east it’s also likely that you’ll be travelling in international waters as the cruise ship meanders overnight. Maybe through US, or even a swath of waters of France around St Pierre et Miquelon if your in the Gulf of St Lawrence and out to the Atlantic. For peace of mind your dad should be cleared by his cardiac specialist to cruise, or any cautions explained. Some companies have just a 90 day post op wait period. So insurance may in fact be doable. If all goes well hope they have a lovely cruise. 

7 hours ago, Fouremco said:

I've posted this on the RCI board as well, but in the off chance that someone knows a workaround, I'll post it here as well.

 

 

 

Our son and our son-in-law both have their birthday next month, and I was thinking about giving them gift certificates that they could use for our family cruise in January. Searching the RCI website, the only page (https://www.royalcaribbeancertificates.com) I could find on buying gift certificates says that they are available for US residents only:

 

I called the Help number, and they confirmed that the recipients of the GC must be a resident of the US, although the purchaser doesn't need to be.

 

I'm not sure that I understand why I can buy a wide assortment of gifts for them, but not gift certificates. Can someone explain the rationale? Or better yet, provide a workaround?

I think the issue is that the gift card has to be redeemed before cruising. They cannot be redeemed on board. They may be using a US broker that can’t manage the exchange transactions and bank charges. We’ve had gift cards from family in Canada applied to our on board account on NCL and on CCL. When we we sailed with RC they tried but couldn’t make it happen so we got a nice gift in our Christmas card. 

6 hours ago, Sominex said:

Hi all, planning a cruise from Fort Lauderdale, FL next March; do cruisers still ask for an egg crate topper to be placed on their bed?

 

Also, are the doors magnetic so I can put our name on the entry door?

 

Thanks all,

 

BJH

When I see full names it’s just cringeworthy. You don’t mention the cruise line but in my experience it has never been the practice of cruise lines. Our stewards always have taken the time to get to know us by name … so posting for all to see serves no purpose and can be a vector to privacy breaches. Just my 2CW. 

5 hours ago, JoyMBee said:

Hi everyone, I know this is a popular topic on here.  We will be in Europe for 12 days in Oct. I've been doing some research and I'm thinking that I won't buy any sim card or data.  We will use Whats App or Messenger to stay in touch with family at home, we will be together so won't be calling each other.  We are on a river cruise so will be partaking in their tours/excursions.  There is wifi on the ship and hotels.   Staying two nights before the cruise and one night after.  We will need transportation to the airport but I have heard from others that the hotel will call you a taxi.  I think it is $15 a day to add it to my current cell phone plan.  So am I missing anything?  Any reason I need a cell phone or data?

 Check what services you already have on your phone. Sounds like you have data already if you are already using What’s App and Messenger on board and in hotels. But check anyway. When you board the airplane turn your phone to airplane mode to avoid inadvertent calls once you reach Europe. (Airplane mode prevents your cell service provider from tracking you using wherever you are on the planet. It’s also essential to use that while on board ship.  Only turn off Airplane mode when you really need to call home. It might cost you just 15-16$ a day but that includes your regular data (assuming you have it already). Keep in mind that daily Roam like home (or whatever the daily out of country rate plan is called)  starts and ends in the time zone you’re in. So you might need to leave your phone on for a while longer if you’re waiting for family to get gone from work. There’s a 6-7 hour time difference minimum depending on where your home is and it could be 9-10. Best to leave airplane mode on if you get stuck anywhere and then you can snag wifi close by (hotel, coffee shop, restaurant, bar, etc…ask for their password) and use to wifi call or email or messenger whoever you need to pick you up and the landmark and/or intersection where you are. Or just ask the hotel to call a cab. Enjoy your cruise. A.

17 hours ago, mattR said:

Have always booked my cruises directly with the cruise line but I head people seem to get better deals going through a TA lots of times.  How do I find a good Canadian TA?  

I haven’t. Going to the cruise line direct I found I had an immediate point of contact for assistance with price drops, anything newsworthy that needed attention like their cancellation, changes in ports, etc. I’d much rather check out my own options than through a consolidator or a group or TA that might offer some deals….knowing the scope is limited to their own best interests. And that may include better offers to some, but not all in their quest to garner loyalty. That does come at a cost to one of bookings. 

If you’re heading to US ports and need cell service to call anyone who isn’t on WA, your cellular provider will have daily rates for US around 12-14/day that’s charged only if you use it. So keep your phone in airplane mode when in port in the US or you’ll incur charges if, for example your furnace people call you to schedule annual cleaning, or the Diabetes association wants donations, or your dentist calls you to change an appointment months away….etc. Enjoy! 

20 minutes ago, broberts said:

 

Read the cruise contract, (they are all the same in this respect), it is a passenger's responsibility to determine and obtain whatever documentation is necessary. Failing which boarding may be denied without compensation.

 

Staying aboard in a port doesn't negate the need to have a visa if required for entry into the country.

You’re right. Mea culpa! Just have to look at Vancouver for evidence of that. But in the case of the OP the rules that come into effect October 1 were only announced this week. To their credit the OP is doing whatever they can for the requirements to be met. The cruise line could offer some sort of reprieve…like you said in some words, the Canadian contingent is comparatively small …in which case compensation might be minor. And I’m sure that the cruise line wouldn’t be affected by Egypt doing anything bigger in retaliation….. here’s hoping that those affected are all able to get things sorted.  And that they’re all aware of what is now required. 

3 hours ago, broberts said:

 

Out of 2,000 - 3,000 passengers I would not expect the Canadian contingent to be more than a few dozen. While a cruise line may be willing to exert some effort, ultimately it's a very small problem in their universe.

I just arrived at this thread. While I would normally agree that it’s a small problem for the cruise line, it could be catastrophic for any Canadians travelling without essential documents. Especially as they’d be considered foreign nationals in a country where documentation and approvals are now being demanded in retaliation for some real or imagined political misdemeanour. The authorities are not exactly the same as we’d know of at home. There are times when I’ve travelled to some iffy countries in the Middle East and Asia, alone and on business and have had no issues. It’s pretty telling that the Embassy here isn’t replying calls or messages. It would be hoped that they would be busy trying to find a way to offer assurances to the few cruisers caught up in the political dilemma ….  In this case, I wouldn’t even want to get off the ship in Egypt, in case I couldn’t get back on. But I would plan to cruise to all the other countries destinations unless Azamara won’t let me on…then I’m guessing it might on their dime. 

2 hours ago, gold1953 said:

Have any fellow Canucks figured out the best way to fly for  Tampa cruise departure? I am in Halifax and very complicated and expensive. We usually sail Celebrity and there is a good TA going from there in March

You might want to check out the very few direct flights from Halifax via Ottawa to Tampa. Unless you can get to Tampa direct from Halifax by then. Most airline flight schedules change at least every 3 months. They’re synced but far from what we had. Have you thought of a layover in Philadelphia or Newark? You’d have to book a couple of days out anyway as the weather is still not predictable at end of March. If you’re able to do an overnite and add a booking you may still be ahead. Love TAs. They’re worth the extra $ for one way. Or you could even look at a “multi city” option to get you to Tampa and back to Halifax from wherever in Europe you want to leave from. Yes. It’s a lot of planning. I like to have bookings done but I wait till around the 3 month mark as new routes are opening up all the time. Sometimes planning is part of the fun. You can find flights on Expedia and make notes of the flight details and play with that closer to time with the airline sites. Make lots of notes. You can save $$$ and/or at least Mel informed decisions. 

1 hour ago, LHT28 said:

I see  non stops to /from FLL  in Dec    but later  in the afternoon

 depends on your dates

 

Beats  AA 😉

 

Thank you for checking and sharing. If I remember correctly, the “to” works because we like to have 2-3 days safety net to get there. The “from” schedule would mean a 1-2 night stay at the end. That’s the frustration of our capital city - still with only one or two direct flights to FLL a week. And nothing to MIA. Fingers crossed in a week this might change and I’ll be jumping on it! 😎

We haven’t booked ours yet for December. Still looking for direct flights. Anything to avoid YYZ. The schedules might improve in September. 

19 hours ago, bortman23 said:

 

Thanks! I'm aware, i've used their wifi for work before, and it got the job done, I don't need anything too high quality 😉

Gotcha! 

6 hours ago, bortman23 said:

Thanks for all who responded. I was mainly asking of times when I'm not in port. Basically I'm debating whether or not I'm going to pay for the unlimited wifi (I'm on NCL so I have the 150min).

 

Our ship leaves on a Wed from Quebec City, with two sea days during the week, where I'll need to be connected for work. I have a great roaming plan that gives me a huge amount of roaming coverage in Canada and the USA. I guess the real question is how far coverage usually extends off shore in Gulf of Saint Lawrence.

 

Thanks for sharing all the coverage maps, seems like I might have to bite the bullet and buy the package even though I only need it for a couple days...

 

TY!

Unlimited wifi is only going to cover you for excess minutes. It’s not a guarantee of quality or uninterrupted or hi speed service for work. Chances are your days at sea are the days that (not quite) everyone else is on line catching up. Your at home roaming plan is not a guarantee. I live in Ottawa and my home cell tower is in Quebec. Other times I’ve been in Cornwall and picking up signals and roaming on the US side of the St Lawrence river.  That was Bell and Telus. I don’t want to be a downer but I’m thinking you might best upgrade to top tier service if there is one….or take a couple of days off an enjoy yourself. Just my 2CW

3 hours ago, PatandStu said:

Checking flight prices for Nov cruise out of Miami. Nothing direct, so Montreal or Toronto. Prices are ridiculously high. Any suggestions on when to book for best price?  Think Fort Lauderdale flights are cheaper but still $700 pp plus seat selection & baggage. 
We have 2 elderly parents with us, one in a wheelchair so we cannot fly early am or have long layovers which reduces our options dramatically. 

FLL is definitely less $ and there are direct flights from Ottawa. I’ll start with the return. The advantage direct with elderly parents is the ease and short transit from the plane through customs on the return trip. Mind you direct flight days are limited. And yes Tuesday is less expensive but I don’t think there’s a direct that day. Make a note of what you see on line so you can look it up again.  Montreal has been a zoo and is improving. Toronto no fun at all. You definitely need to prebook wheelchair assistance both ways regardless of airport selection…. for both mum and dad. Even if they object. They will be pretty tired as it’s a long day if you plan to return same day from the cruise. And when you start your journey it’s nice if it’s easy.  On that note… always try to fly in a day or two early. It avoids snow delays and worries and enables getting acclimatized to the heat and sun. Well worth the extra days to relax before embarking if you can enjoy that.  We’re looking for pre Christmas. Hope you find a good option. 

3 hours ago, neeuqdrazil said:

You can also frequently find free wifi - airports and hotels generally have wifi available, and I think many ports do as well, which mean you don't need your phone data at all. 

That’s best way. 

6 hours ago, lakelivin2 said:

Will my Canadian phone and phone number work if I want to order an Uber ride to/from port?  Or do I have to purchase an American sim card?  Thanks!

You may not be able to connect even with a US daily rate plan if your phone is 3G.

Att and t mobile are not supporting 3G technology on cell service. So if you can set your cell service choice to another US cell phone carrier with LTE you may be okay. 5G phone no problem. 

6 hours ago, latebuyer said:

I heard of an american receive a 10% off promo code in the mail and wonder if any canadians received it. This may be too much to hope for on top of amex promo but just checking.

Might have been a Casinos at Sea offer. NCL do not issue promo codes. I know that Carnival do, but rarely.  Ive read quite a few times that in the US there is a way to buy a gift card at a discounted cost and the gift card can be applied to the cost of cruise fare and/or used for OBC once on board. One of the organizations I see most often that offers this occasionally is AARP. And you don’t have to be 60 to join. Though I looked into that for a Carnival cruise on the CARP site and couldn’t find it. I did find one on a broker type site called Raise that was recommended but the cost of the deal was to get 500 value for 450 …admin fees made up the other 50. A lot of it is smoke and mirrors. 

6 hours ago, JillK said:

I have also posted on the NCL board but thought I would try here as well....

 

Does anyone know if you have paid in a currency other than USD, if the prices in the Cruise Planner are locked in at the exchange rate at time of booking or if it is variable monthly depending on the prevailing rate? 

 

In the past when I booked a Royal cruise in CDN dollars, my cruise planner exchange rate was locked in at the rate at the time I booked. In that case it worked to my advantage as the Loonie lost a lot of ground between the time of booking and cruising so we were able to realize that savings. 

 

As it stands the exchange has slightly improved since booking and I'm curious if I should just look at buying any time between final payment and cruising (assuming the rate is locked in so it doesn't matter when I book) or waiting to see how the dollar performs if the rate is variable.

 

This is my first time booking with NCL in CDN dollars and I didn't write down prices in the planner I was seeing when I first booked so can't compare to be sure. 

 

Thanks! 

It’s been my experience that the only time our exchange is affected is for on board purchases…. the cost of those is shown in USD on the on line account.  We switched our NCL account to Canadian a long time ago. What you see when you set up your cruise and on your confirmation is what you pay for your fare, taxes, port fees, gratuities on the FAS etc. And OBC issued at the time of booking, and any FCC credits are issued at same value you originally paid (even though they could be up to a year old). Cruise Next are issued at the rate you buy them and last 3 years.  On board purchases are itemized in USD and converted to CDN for you to pay any balance. We always set up and prepay the service charge as it’s not worth the hassle of checking rates. NCL Montreal is where the banking is done so we pay an extra day or two before pay in full date to to be sure our payment reaches them. 

2 hours ago, Middleager said:

I got this on an Amex card.  My wife also got this on her Amex card (different type of Amex card).

 

It says not valid on bookings made through third party travel agents or travel sites, including Amex travel service.   But in the past, when buying through TAs, the charges still show up as payment to NCL.  So I wonder if paying through our TA for an upcoming Nov. cruise would qualify.  Or if it's only for booking direct with NCL, then we have to look at some future bookings.

 

==

Details

Spend at least $1,000 in qualifying purchases using your registered Card at www.ncl.com/ca/en/vacations by 19/08/2023 and earn a one-time $250 statement credit. Registration cap applies. Terms apply.

 

Offer Terms

Note: As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, travel restrictions may apply. Please check the latest government advisories and Norwegian Cruise Line policies before booking.
Only the first 20,000 cards to be successfully registered are eligible for the offer. When you click on the applicable link, you will be redirected to the merchant website.
The registered Card account must be in good standing. Must first register your Card to the offer and use same Card to make qualifying purchase(s) by 19/08/2023. Date format is DD/MM/YYYY. A purchase made during the offer period prior to registration of your eligible Card in this program is not a qualifying purchase. Your registration of an eligible American Express Card for this offer extends only to qualifying purchases on that Card.

To be eligible for a $250 (CAD) statement credit, one single qualifying purchase or cumulative qualifying purchase(s) that total at least $1,000 (CAD) after taxes and applicable fees, must be charged to your registered Card online at www.ncl.com/ca/en/vacations during the offer period and subsequently posted to your account. In the case of a purchase made during the offer period, it may not qualify if the registered Card is charged by the merchant on a different date, and that date occurs after the offer ends.

Offer valid on cruise bookings made online at www.ncl.com/ca/en/vacations. Excludes onboard purchases, Norwegian gift cards, food and drink packages, travel insurance, shore excursions, and transportation to and from the ship. Not valid on bookings made through third party travel agents or travel sites, including American Express Travel Services. Purchases must be made through the Canadian version of the merchant’s website and in Canadian dollars to be eligible. Offer is non-transferable. You can earn a maximum of $250 (CAD) in statement credit/s per registered Card during the offer period.
Statement credit will be applied to your registered Card account within 90 days after 19/08/2023, provided that American Express receives information from the merchant about your qualifying purchase(s). American Express may not receive information about your qualifying purchase from the merchant until all items from your qualifying purchase have been provided/shipped by the merchant. Statement credit may be reversed if qualifying purchase(s) is returned/cancelled. If American Express does not receive information that identifies your transaction as qualifying for the offer, you will not receive the statement credit. Unless expressly stated otherwise in the offer, the following transactions are not qualifying purchases for this offer: purchasing a merchant’s goods through a third party, such as through concession stores in department stores, payment account or service of a third party, a card reader attached to a mobile phone, online aggregators that sell goods of other merchants or if the merchant category is otherwise not identified. A statement credit does not constitute a payment and does not satisfy the requirement to pay the minimum due on a credit card. The Basic/Primary Cardmember must continue to make separate payments of at least the minimum due in accordance with the Cardmember agreement and account statement applicable to their registered Card account.

In the event that you replace your registered Card through Amex Bank of Canada or other participating American Express card issuer (as applicable) during the offer period, your participation in this offer will end and you will need to re-register for this offer.
For full terms that apply to registering your Card in the program, see Program Terms.

Looks like lots of small print. Here’s my take after a quick glance. Your final payment date is some time in July/August so at 120 days to your cruise there’ll be no benefit on that one.  Looks like there’s $XX purchases to be made to qualify for the increments of 250.00.  The credits will be available on the statement 90 days after August 19 2023. They can only be used for on-line bookings at NCL.com. (Mind you, they do have an excellent chat line if you have questions about your new booking and may also refer you to an NCL PCC (personal cruise consultant). They are great but they may not be able to  help with questions if you were to need to change the new booking, etc.

22 hours ago, CGinMTL said:

Hello fellow Canadians,

Does transport Canada have  a passenger rights law for buses as they do for airlines ? I have looked but can find anything 

.

I am looking for info before I contact Greyhound.

.

Here is my story if you want more info 

.

Friday May 26th, my party of 6 ( plus another couple) 

Had booked the 11:30 pm  bus Montreal to Boston 

.

Greyhound forgot to schedule a driver and officially cancelled the bus at 12:30.

.

No effort was made to replace / reschedule that bus 

.

Officially, we were offered 

Vouchers and 15 % off our next trip 

The next bus was leaving at 8am and we would have arrived too late 

.

When we contact Greyhound, we will ask for a full refund ,( and get help from credit card if they push back )

.

But was wondering if we are entitled to some other form of compensation.

 

In the end, we rented a car and drove to Boston. 

Made it with 15 min to spare

( Cost for minivan was approx $450 cad . Will be are plan A in the future ).

.

The other couple got the last 2 plane tickets at a cost of $600 ea.

.

Thanks for any help you can provide 

 

That’s awful for you but happy you made it to your cruise on time. Hope you had a great time with everyone. As someone said rules are provincial as Greyhound is dropping off the map in other provinces. No harm in trying for compensation and make a formal claim for all out of pocket expenses through Greyhound and then the ministry in Quebec.  Though they’ll push you to travel insurance, maybe through your credit card. That may have a timeline for claims so take that into account as well. And there may need to be individual claims made for the cost of air as well. 

Preferred seats are 5-6 rows directly behind the first 10-11 rows. They’re roomier and can be separated by the half curtain or bulkhead. I don’t recommend those if you’ve mobility issues. But for the price you also have choices of beverage incl wine and beer, snack, and lunch which is not part of the economy fare. They’re really worth in on the shorter haul flights. Happy landings!