Robinsoncruiseso

Prices are “usually” less the day fares are released than they are between final payment and sailing. Exception is for the really short one to two day cruises.

5 hours ago, Luckiestmanonearth said:

May I ask what would possess people to want to cruise with an infant ?

 

They definitely won’t remember the experience and the parents need to be tending to the baby constantly so that can’t be very much fun.

 

Maybe I just don’t get it.  Can someone explain it to me

We are taking our 13 month granddaughter, and her parents, on a cruise. Parents get to play and we get days to visit with our granddaughter. Staying on the ship in non-stroller friendly ports while her parents enjoy exploring port. Grandparents dream cruise. 

10 hours ago, Lindaru said:

For medical reasons, I cannot fly.  We are very limited, too.  We drive from central Idaho to Seattle and there is only one option for a Princess Cruise which is the inside passage Alaska.  I suppose we could drive up to Vancouver, B.C., if it was a return trip.  I need to research what we can do with Seattle being our only option.  Driving to San Francisco would be a lot longer and harder on us due to the added distance.

 

There are also round trip coastal cruises from Seattle and Vancouver (limited but they do exist)

Check with a good local TA. They should be able to get you more specifics on any cruise line/ship you may be considering. Some major changes have been happening such as the new adult only Virgin Cruise line or the Holland America partnering with Rolling Stone and the Classic Rock clubs with live bands on their ships.

I normally eat lunch in dining room after embarking, so bathing suit would no be appropriate. But if you are heading straight to the pool...have at it.

If the cruise line has flex flights and you do not have to pay until final payment date. Book away. Monitor and reface if they drop. If you find a better deal direct with airlines, then cancel with cruise line. I do this all the time.

On 7/30/2019 at 11:22 AM, TNcruising02 said:

I have a locking beach bag (Kyss Bag) that can be locked after being zipped up and also locked to the beach chair.  I have also used a small portable locking safe (Safeco portable locking safe).  When I used the portable locking safe, I put it inside a normal beach bag and locked everything to the chair so that it wasn't obvious there was a safe.

Love the KYSS bag

Port fees and taxes are around $250 to $275 US for seven days. Gratuities around $103. If you look for fares in the $399 range, which are out there, you can do it. Also, if you do one way, you can get Allegiant between Bellingham and anchorage for about $100 per person (including luggage).  Find a good TA to keep an eye out for you.

On 8/1/2019 at 10:00 AM, sparks1093 said:

The security officer at the Manhattan terminal recognized my EDL from Vermont at a glance (the US flag makes it recognizable). The cruise personnel are trained to be able to recognize these things.

One short cruise, my dh and I only brought EDL (WA) and our NEXUS card. Not sure why we did not bring passport. Anyway, in Los Angeles, they would not accept either and said I needed passport. Well obviously, they were incorrect. I sent off an email to their superiors when I got home and they replied back and told me to carry a copy of their response stating EDL was compliant as well as the actual policy.  This was only a couple years ago, so not all agents know the acceptable documents. Now I bring my passport, NEXUS, EDL, boaters card, and Costco card 

just to be safe. 

Think of it this way. If you do get moved to a connecting cabin...you now have an extra knob to hang your hat, bag, jacket.

My vote, as if that matters, is for the Jewel. Smaller, more intimate, nicely refurbished. 

I like to visit IC then take food to the future cruise computers and plan my next while I nibble

On 7/26/2019 at 12:32 PM, thetaro said:

 

I am sure money grows on tree and Cruiselines want to give them away so TA can give you a kickback.

I never said Middle man is evil. I am saying it's obsolete in 2019 where everyone has internet.

TA does not provide added value to most people but is there to cost Cruiselines money which would be reflected in your fare. 

TA is a dying industry, so enjoy it while you can. 

Not sure where you get your statistics, but TA traffic is actually increasing. Internet is being used for research, then TA’s clean up the confusion from misleading pricing.

On 7/26/2019 at 12:23 PM, Toofarfromthesea said:

No we don't pay for it, ironically YOU end up paying for it.  We could take the exact same cruise as you, but pay several (sometimes many) hundred dollars less than you by using a 'middle man'.  

So, how did I 'one way or another' pay for using a 'middle man'? 

One of the reasons the cruiselines can pay the commission they do, from which all the perks - and a clue, perk is another word for money -come are people who book direct for whom no commission need be paid.  So, 'one way or another' you paying full fare to the cruiseline frees up commission money to pay my TA a better commission rate, and I get a share of that.

So, thank you for subsidizing my vacation.
 

 

****like****

23 hours ago, christieSF said:

Ha.  I am so used to doing everything online that I didn't think to meet in person!  I can definitely see how that would be a big benefit and living in San Francisco, I bet we have some really good ones.  Do you know if there is a time limit before I have to switch the reservation to the TA?

You have 90 days from the time of booking provided you are still outside the penalty phase. Do make sure you find a caring TA. Make sure they have access to Carnival’s booking engine, that they regularly check for price drops and participate in all the perks Carnival provides to travel agents/advisors, such as upgrade programs for their clients.  Don’t be afraid to ask them about their own travel experience. Find an agent with a passion for travel and who will share that passion in each and every booking. Before I became a TA, I booked 30+ cruises direct or used an online agency. I know how much work I did on my own with those bookings and I throw myself into my clients bookings with an equal amount of enthusiasm.  I am sure there are many many other TA’s with the same desire to assist. I know you will find one.😎

Yes, you can contact MSC or your travel agent and they can mark your cabin as do not upgrade

OP, you have a little time. Meet with three of the top storefront TA’s.  An in person TA can provide benefits which far outweigh any on board credit.  

On 7/24/2019 at 1:16 PM, UM-Fan said:

 

My TA was adamant that they can't process a payment with AmEx. I even asked if they wouldn't just mind calling the cruise line and processing the payment through them and I was told that they couldn't do that.  I do know when I use any other card with my TA, all charges are shown as being billed through HAL.  So I don't get why they couldn't do it with AmEx.

Funny.  I am a TA and I can apply an AMEX payment online Through HAL’s TA booking engine. No additional charge to our agency.

As other posters have stated, it should show on your folio as a credit...specifically refundable credit.  Should you also have non-refundable credit, that should be used first automatically.  If any refundable credit should be left at the end of your cruise, it will be refunded.

On 7/14/2019 at 3:53 PM, fastpitchdad said:

In SeaTac a Courtyard View is probably preferred 🙂 . 

Lol.....

Hotels near the airport are less expensive than in downtown Seattle.

I think the closed loop no passport rule applies only to cruises in North America. You would need a passport for round trip to Asia. Also, you will be able to get off the ship in Victoria if on Alaska RT from Seattle.  That is if you are not banned from Canada for any reason, ie DUI.

As each agency negotiates their own contract with each cruise line, I would pause from “being the messenger”. This is for two reasons.

1. Your information may not be correct.

2. If it is correct, travel agents should be due the courtesy to find out changes to any programs from their agency owners.

As we do not discuss specific TA’s on this site, perhaps we should also not discuss their contracts.

Weather will be very similar to Vancouver. Bring one extra layer. We do not feel the cold as much. I made it in May with just my Columbia fleece as my main warmth.  Do bring hat and gloves

I have Verizon unlimited plan and can use in Canada. At times while sailing up Sunshine Coast (between mainland and Vancouver Island) you may pick up a cell signal from land. You will for sure be good in Alaskan ports. For those without coverage in Canada, we sometimes bounce off Canadian towers here in Washington, so always check to make sure you are not roaming

I live in one of those Enhanced ID states. I have an enhanced drivers license which allows me to cross into Canada. I also have a NEXUS card so I can jump across whenever I need a Tim Hortons fix. I also have a passport book. I use all of them for very different reasons. When I travel I never remove my drivers license. It would be less inconvenient to replace my NEXUS card, so I use that as ID. Always bring passport, almost never show it to anyone...again use NEXUS. We all have our own way of doing things. I think if I did not have NEXUS, and passport card was only a few dollars additional, I would use that as my ID when I travel. (Unless I needed to show passport book for international travel)