Just not feeling it...can't figure out why.

[haply]

We alternate between AI's and cruise vacations. We have recently found the AI's vacations in the Riviera Maya very reasonable. We get much larger rooms/living areas, great service, good kids clubs, activities, etc. for a bit less than a cruise price. You will not visit different ports as in cruises, however with the port-times becoming shorter, less of an issue for me. We will choose cruises within driving distance during holidays when the airfare prices are higher. Still enjoy the "bling" of cruises. Don't want to start a heated debate between the cruisecritic and tripadvisor crowd however....

[luvtheships]

Are you sure about that?

 

 

Yes.

 

For example let's say you have a heart condition that is under control and you have the go ahead from the doc to cruise

 

Then you have a heart attack while on vacation

 

That's a medical issue covered under the medical portion of your policy

 

Think logically...your doc says go and enjoy....your heart issue was more than 60 or 120 days back(look back period)

 

It's no longer considered pre existing

 

Also if you are fit to travel when you buy the policy that too is what matters

 

It doesn't matter if you had a heart attack 2 years prior ....if you are fit to travel when you buy the policy and have not had any related issues during the look back period which is the immediate 60 or 120 days prior to policy purchase you are covered

 

Remember to buy the policy of course with 14 days of initial deposit

 

 

 

Fwiw most people have pre existing issues once a certain age and that's why you buy travel insurance ...for your medical issues should you take I'll while traveling

 

And that's why it's smart to not prepay anything that's non refundable such as hotel

 

 

Read your policies carefully and buy the right one and yes the older you get the more expensive the policy is

 

It's the medical/trip delay/trip interruption part that matters once the trip commences

 

It's the pre existing part that matters before the trip commences so that should you need to cancel you get airfare and cruise fare back

 

Either way and however you want to interpret it...

 

Pre existing conditions are considered pre existing only if you sought and received treatment for that condition during the look back period

 

Realistically...is a person who is 5 years in remission...considered sick ? Nope. The cancer is only considered pre existing if treatment was sought during the look back period or the person was not fit to travel at the time they bought the policy

 

Is a person who had a heart attack in June then books a trip for the following spring...but books it 30 days after the heart attack... still sick? Yes ...according to the insurance company because the heart attack was during the look back period

 

Had that person waited say 8 months to book the trip and has not had any complications during the insurance look back period considered healthy? Yes and the heart attack is not considered pre existing

 

 

Yes it's complicated no doubt.

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited November 14, 2016 by luvtheships

[sanger727]

We like to alternate land and cruise vacations. We have done the Mexico AI, I'm sure you will enjoy it and realize it comes with its own set of headaches (not bashing AI, but all vacations come with headaches, think you are just burnt out on the cruise ship headaches :) )

 

We don't repeat cruises, we enjoy having our hotel transport us from island to island and provide food, drinks, and entertainment. But we cruise for the ports. You may find that finding an new itinerary with new islands to look forward to may help. Or book a couple land trips for the next few years until you get the cruise bug again.

[CRAustin]

Sounds like you need a kid free vacation just the 2 of you. There are many quite places when cruising you just need to research each ship. Of course the Haven offers less crowds and the private adult areas and spa. Since my kids are grown I don't go near the slides or rope courses. I did a land based vacation with my 5 kids in their 20s this past summer and I needed a vacation from that vacation[emoji849]

[tgirl25]

I loved my last cruise! I really did. So I can't figure out why I can't get excited about taking another cruise. Every other time I got off the boat, I was looking for the next boat I could get on.

 

I have cruised out of New Orleans twice, and my kids are begging me to go again, but I just can't get excited about doing the same cruise a third time. Instead of getting excited about the sun and the sand I think about chair hogs and the clamor of the buffet.

 

I have cruised on "smaller ships" in the NCL line: Star, Sun, Jade, but when I look at the bigger ships, instead getting excited about rope courses and waterslides I think: wow, that is a LOT of people that are going to be in my way.

 

I have cruised out of Venice and Copenhagen, but when I look at NCL's international offerings, instead of getting exited about seeing new cities and visiting new countries I think: the way things are changing, are any of these itineraries still viable in 1 year or 2?

 

Every time I get my email with my insider deals I think: hey: this will be the time they offer something that will grab me. And every time it is the same old same old.

 

So, I figured I am just jaded and sated. To try to whet my appetite for cruising we are going to do an all inclusive land vacation in Mexico over winter break. I don't have to worry about tax on the beverage package, the kerfuffle over bringing my own soda, or paying the discretionary surcharge for each of us. I'll bring a few small bills for the occasional tip and I'll be done. With airfare for the six of us, it comes out about the same as we have paid to drive and cruise in the past. Plus, at our resort, we are split across three rooms, so maybe I'll not have to trip over my teenage boys stinky shoes in the middle of the night...something i was not able to avoid in the tight confines of our rooms on board.

 

As much as I am NCL loyal and an NCL cheerleader, I think they have added a few too many minuses without giving me enough extra bang. If they could come up with a new itinerary out of a port I could easily drive to, or come up with a deal that really works for me, then maybe I would get my "cruise-jo" back...but for now, it just isn't there. I am cruising with a family and so many of the deals are for the first two passengers in the cabin...that doesn't really do it when you are travelling with your mom, your husband, your adult niece or nephew and your two teen agers.

 

I figure one of two things will happen by switching to a land vacation: it will be so wonderful and I won't cruise again, or I will be booking my next cruise from the internet cafe off the lobby.

 

So, NCL...the gauntlet is down: entice me! Win me back!

 

Hope you have fun at your AI, I would love to do one of those myself. Personally I would if you want to cruise again start looking across all lines. I also dread doing the same itinerary and prefer to book new ports. The only way you might be able to do that is if another line going from your preferred port has different stops. You may love the different line, you may not but just the fact that it is different might be enough.

 

Personally I do love the bigger ships, there is just more to do and I honestly have never seen much of a line of anything. It took me years before I would even try Carnival, I had always heard it was the lowest of the lowbrow and would not be fun(I pictured the cheap state rooms in the Titanic movie). Tried it because it had the right price point and ports, it was great and have been back 2 more times with another booked. It has now taken me a long time to return to NCL as my 1st experiences were not good, hoping I love it.

 

RCCL was great, but I wish their prices would come down on the ships I would like to try. Azamara was amazing, but I can't afford her anymore...

 

Being brand loyal is great for the cruiseline, but it will get you stuck into a rut as far as cruising until you choose that this is one you always want on.

 

Anyway, don't give up, enjoy your AI and perhaps when you come back to cruising you will have some idea's on how to make the next cruise better for you...

 

Is chair hogging really that bad on NCL? I thought it would be worse on Carnival but I was always able to find a lounger near the pool and didn't see alot of chair hogging going on. I do go off season though generally, but have not really run into that at all