How does everyone handle long cruises like over 30days?

[SargassoPirate]

1 hour ago, pompeii said:

We recently sailed 50+ days on the Royal and the mail hold was a little tricky since the USPS will only allow you to put a hold for 30 days. They want you to put in a change of address if it's longer than 30 days.  I asked my mailman if there was a way around it and he gave us a form to complete.  Told us to fill it out with the dates of our travel and mark that we would pick up the mail when we returned (instead of him delivering it) and leave the form in the mailbox for him.  He said it was out of the ordinary, but he would make sure it got held, and he was true to his word.   

 

Other than that, everything else is covered above.  The main thing is having all your bills on autopay and put in payments ahead on the ones that don't send ebills.  

Regarding the hold mail, we live in a very rural area and have had the same carrier for over 20 years.  I place the hold mail card in the box as a formality because I usually see him once or twice a week.  Regardless of how long we are gone, he holds our mail and delivers it when we get back. 

 

He also gets a nice tip at Christmas time.

 

My WWII veteran father taught me that you always be nice to the people who handle your mail and prepare your food.

[PescadoAmarillo]

11 hours ago, MacMadame said:

You don't take your laptops? I need mine to edit photos and videos to post online. 

We seldom use them, just taxes and big spreadsheets. We’re almost completely reliant on our iPads/iPhones now. 

[pompeii]

9 minutes ago, SargassoPirate said:

Regarding the hold mail, we live in a very rural area and have had the same carrier for over 20 years.  I place the hold mail card in the box as a formality because I usually see him once or twice a week.  Regardless of how long we are gone, he holds our mail and delivers it when we get back. 

 

He also gets a nice tip at Christmas time.

 

My WWII veteran father taught me that you always be nice to the people who handle your mail and prepare your food.

Exactly the same with us!  Not so rural but outskirts of city, and have had our carrier for many years, and his father had the route before him!  We tip him with a local grocery store gift card at xmas and he seems to appreciate it.  🙂

[BabySarge]

USPS has a paid service you can use for mail when you are going to be gone for more than 30 days which is the maximum they are "allowed" to hold your mail at the post office.  Some people are lucky enough to have a local post office or postmaster who will agree to hold it for longer than those 30 days, but I think they are few and far between now days at least here in the northeast.  The other thing you can do, this is what we for the 2023 WC as it was 111 days and the price for the paid service had gone up, you can put in a TEMPORARY change of address and have your mail forwarded for a specific period of time, up to six months, I think.  Go to www.usps.com for more info on both programs.

 

We generally drive from our home in DE to FL to pick up the cruise ship and rather than leave our car in FL for weeks or months we do a one-way rental down.  While the cost of rental cars has increased significantly it is still cheaper than parking, easier than flying, and as we always get to the port a day or two prior to embarkation day returning the car is not an issue.  Driving also means we are not restricted with how much luggage we can take.

 

My only other piece of advice to add to the very comprehensive list @PescadoAmarillo gave was double check the expiration dates for ALL your credit and DEBIT cards.  I had checked that information on our credit cards but not sure why I never realized our debit cards had expiration dates, so I never bothered checking them.  It wasn't until we were in the middle of the Suez Canal, and I opened up an e-mail from our bank telling us our new debit cards were in the mail because our current ones were expiring.   Not that we were using them on the trip but once we landed in FL if we wanted to access our accounts via ATM we couldn't.

[2 cruises a year]

On 12/24/2023 at 4:04 AM, skynight said:

I have a person watch my home and collect the mail. Almost all my Bill's are on auto pay. The few that are not I pre pay. I over pay credit cards to cover expected expenses. The post office will stop your mail, max 30 days. Parking. I would call the Crown Plaza and the Double Tree to determine their parking fees with a pre cruise stay and just accept as a cost of the vacation. I have been on these extended cruises. It takes lots of planning.

I prefer the Crown Plaza, they have indoor parking.

[MacMadame]

15 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

My smartphone does all of that, plus whatever banking I need to do.    No need to carry the laptop.

I can't deal with the small screen with my bad eyes. 😄 Also, normally when I edit video, I use a second monitor so a smartphone is a dramatic downgrade.

 

12 hours ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

We seldom use them, just taxes and big spreadsheets. We’re almost completely reliant on our iPads/iPhones now. 

Ah, an iPad can have a screen that is almost as big as my laptop so I can see that.

[Torfamm]

On 12/23/2023 at 10:49 PM, Therese S. said:

We are booked on the Grand for 33 days next year sailing to Hawaii and the Soiuth Pacific.  I love the Grand especially the pool in the aft.   Ive been trying to figure out what to do with our pets, paying bills, worried about the house for so long , and more important paying for that many days of parking as we plan to drive to San Pedro.  

 

Well now we’re seriously considering cancelling this cruise and taking the even longer 54 day on the Island Princess to the South Pacific, New Zealand, Australia cruise in 2026, thats adding on 21 more days Whew.   Now my head spins just thinking about how to handle things at home.  The parking cost for that many days could pay for another cruise!   I think this is a once in a lifetime chance for us to see ports we probably would never think about visiting.  We have taken a 28 day before and it was difficult for our son to watch our pets, check on the house for that long with working, etc.  

 

So how do you long many days cruisers handle life that goes on at home?  Do you drive to the port and pay for daily parking?  

We love sea days so those don't bother me its just being away from home for so long.  

 

Has anyone taken Amtrak from Sacramento area to San Pedro?

I would approach it by

1. Setting up auto payment or online payment for all bills.

2. Forward mail to a trusted friend or relative who lives nearby for me to pickup when I return.

3. Sign up for USPS informed delivery so you can see what’s in your mail daily and also for alerts from UPS.

4. I’d arrange for someone to check on my house probably once a week. You might need to think about how to compensate that person. If you have a house cleaner for example, they might be an option. 

5. If you must drive, renting a car will probably be cheaper than paying for parking.

6. Pets probably need to be boarded somewhere in my opinion, not left in the house to be checked on for that period of time. A lot depends on the pet though. Options are very different for a gerbil than a dog or cat, or fish in an 80 gallon tank. Anything that only eats live food is especially challenging.

 

[minnesotasisu]

We didn't know if we could handle a 30 day cruise either so we booked a 29 day cruise (15+14B2B)

[DCThunder]

I'm sure it goes without saying, but make sure you bring enough of any meds or supplements you may be taking.  Trying to get an RX refill in some foreign port will not be fun!

[PescadoAmarillo]

2 hours ago, DCThunder said:

I'm sure it goes without saying, but make sure you bring enough of any meds or supplements you may be taking.  Trying to get an RX refill in some foreign port will not be fun!

Prescriptions written by doctors not licensed in a country usually can’t be filled.  This includes getting prescriptions written by ship’s doctors filled in a US turnaround city. I used to take two weeks extra but after COVID I would take four weeks extra. 
 

While we’re on this subject, if you have a dental emergency, you or the ship’s doctor can request Guest Services contact the port agent about setting up an appointment in a port. But if you speak the language in the port, it’s really easier to find one yourself. Just search Google maps for dentists near the port. I still get birthday emails from Beacon Cove Dental in Melbourne, Australia. 😆

[skynight]

Our mail is delivered to a central mailbox locations within our gated community. Those that deliver change frequently. Some are USPS employees, some are temporary. There are a number of people here that house watch. I pay to have my house watched and to pick up the mail. It's a small charge.

[Hlitner]

We handle long cruises and trips (often about 2-3 months) quite well, thank you  :).  But the OP asks a great question and when we started taking long trips (about 18 years ago) we wish we had gotten some guidance from others.  Everyone's home life is different, but one does need to give a lot of thought to that issue.  Since we are frequent travelers, we no longer have pets or plants.  That is helpful.

 

These days, things are so much easier because much can be done online.  Go back a year (and even 2 years) before your trip and look at your check book, bank accounts, and major credit card accounts to refresh your memory about what financial transactions happen during that same time period.  If you have not already done so, set up utility bills, credit card bills, and most other recurring bills so they can be handled online.  Direct debit options exist for many utilities and most credit cards can be set up for auto payments.  

 

Mail is an issue that needs to be solved.  The USPS will only hold mail for 30 days, although some post offices have been known to make exceptions (ask your post office).  If not, you can either have a trusted person handle your mail, or consider getting a mail box to which you can have your mail forwarded.  The irony about post offices is that although they generally do not hold mail for more than 30 days, if you get the smallest mail box (at the post office) you can keep stuff in that mailbox for a very long time :).

 

Make sure your home owners insurance has no issues with leaving your home for weeks/months.  This is not normally an issue in the USA, but we have heard that it can be a problem in Canada.  You might be required to have somebody check on your home on a routine basis.  We also suggest shutting off your water (at the main cut-off valve) and you might want to shut down your hot water heater (this can save you some money).  Also consider putting cable or TV streaming services on suspension (or cancel) and you may even be able to suspend your internet service (and still keep your e-mail) if you have a provider such as Xfinity.  Also give some consideration to your cell phone service.  If you have T-Mobile you are most likely all set!  Otherwise, you might want to buy some kind of expanded service/coverage.  

 

Also give consideration to your health insurance.  Many policies will not give you any or much coverage outside the country.  You should also have evacuation insurance (some credit cards cover this or you need to buy it).  

 

Hope this gets you thinking about various options.  I can tell you that after dealing with this stuff for nearly 2 decades, it has become routine and somewhat easy.  

 

Hank

[SargassoPirate]

42 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

We handle long cruises and trips (often about 2-3 months) quite well, thank you  :).  But the OP asks a great question and when we started taking long trips (about 18 years ago) we wish we had gotten some guidance from others.  Everyone's home life is different, but one does need to give a lot of thought to that issue.  Since we are frequent travelers, we no longer have pets or plants.  That is helpful.

 

These days, things are so much easier because much can be done online.  Go back a year (and even 2 years) before your trip and look at your check book, bank accounts, and major credit card accounts to refresh your memory about what financial transactions happen during that same time period.  If you have not already done so, set up utility bills, credit card bills, and most other recurring bills so they can be handled online.  Direct debit options exist for many utilities and most credit cards can be set up for auto payments.  

 

Mail is an issue that needs to be solved.  The USPS will only hold mail for 30 days, although some post offices have been known to make exceptions (ask your post office).  If not, you can either have a trusted person handle your mail, or consider getting a mail box to which you can have your mail forwarded.  The irony about post offices is that although they generally do not hold mail for more than 30 days, if you get the smallest mail box (at the post office) you can keep stuff in that mailbox for a very long time :).

 

Make sure your home owners insurance has no issues with leaving your home for weeks/months.  This is not normally an issue in the USA, but we have heard that it can be a problem in Canada.  You might be required to have somebody check on your home on a routine basis.  We also suggest shutting off your water (at the main cut-off valve) and you might want to shut down your hot water heater (this can save you some money).  Also consider putting cable or TV streaming services on suspension (or cancel) and you may even be able to suspend your internet service (and still keep your e-mail) if you have a provider such as Xfinity.  Also give some consideration to your cell phone service.  If you have T-Mobile you are most likely all set!  Otherwise, you might want to buy some kind of expanded service/coverage.  

 

Also give consideration to your health insurance.  Many policies will not give you any or much coverage outside the country.  You should also have evacuation insurance (some credit cards cover this or you need to buy it).  

 

Hope this gets you thinking about various options.  I can tell you that after dealing with this stuff for nearly 2 decades, it has become routine and somewhat easy.  

 

Hank

Good point about health insurance, Hank.  Medicare doesn't cover outside the US.

[Hlitner]

33 minutes ago, SargassoPirate said:

Good point about health insurance, Hank.  Medicare doesn't cover outside the US.

That depends.  Some of the Medicare Advantage Plans include some urgent/emergency worldwide coverage.  But we have long suggested that anyone on Medicare should purchase decent international coverage.  I have also been critical of many of the insurance options sold by the cruise lines since they do not generally include sufficient medical coverage.  

 

Hank

[LeeW]

BabySarge mentioned the obvious thing for us.  I have cheap rental car rates from the employer I retired from.  For any trip over 3 days it is cheaper to rent one way twice (in our case to and from airport) than it is to park at the terminal.  Helps that I am within 10 minutes walking distance from the local rental outfit, but it isn't a big deal to pick up the car the day before and only pay for one day rental.  Check the price of rentals and figure out if it pays to park or not.  There is an inconvenience factor picking up after a cruise, but we've also done that quite a few times and it isn't that bad.

[whee-sailing]

For your pets I would suggest something like Trusted Housesitters (rather than boarding them). Pets are almost always happiest at home and you get the added benefit of someone looking after the home. Especially for such a long trip.

 

(Full disclosure...I am a sitter on Trusted Housesitters and sitting with a cat right now so perhaps am a little biased.)

[SargassoPirate]

12 hours ago, Hlitner said:

That depends.  Some of the Medicare Advantage Plans include some urgent/emergency worldwide coverage.  But we have long suggested that anyone on Medicare should purchase decent international coverage.  I have also been critical of many of the insurance options sold by the cruise lines since they do not generally include sufficient medical coverage.  

 

Hank

Correct.

 

At Pirate Manor, we rejected Medicare when we hit the magic age and kept our Blue Cross/Shield coverage because of better coverage and international coverage.

 

We've run into lots of retirees who think it's mandatory to sign up for Medicare and then ended up having to add supplemental coverage when they could've maintained their previous coverage.

 

Just like with anything else in life, you gotta put the pencil to it.

[Hlitner]

The key thing about international healthcare coverage is that all the plans (with the exception of certain providers who take Geoblue) are indemnity plans.  Folks need to pay their own medical bills (usually before discharge) and later seek reimbursement.  When DW needed some urgent outpatient surgery in Japan, the last stop before we left the hospital was accounting where we had to settle our bill (thousands of dollars).  Fortunately, we have high credit card limits, so it was not a biggie.  I teased the accounting folks that we would need to empty bed pans if we could not pay our bill and they were not laughing.

 

Hank

[DCThunder]

38 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

The key thing about international healthcare coverage is that all the plans (with the exception of certain providers who take Geoblue) are indemnity plans.  Folks need to pay their own medical bills (usually before discharge) and later seek reimbursement.  When DW needed some urgent outpatient surgery in Japan, the last stop before we left the hospital was accounting where we had to settle our bill (thousands of dollars).  Fortunately, we have high credit card limits, so it was not a biggie.  I teased the accounting folks that we would need to empty bed pans if we could not pay our bill and they were not laughing.

 

Hank

This is no different from dealing with charges from the Medical Center on board the ships.  All medical center charges go on your shipboard account and get settled up on disembarkation.  When I broke my ankle in Buenos Aires, the ship took x-rays and gave me a boot.  They also arranged for me to see an orthopedic doc in Montevideo the next day, including a cab to the hospital.  After seeing that doc, I had to pay out of pocket for the hospital and doctor charges, and the ship charged their services to me separately.  When I got home, I filed all the paperwork with my travel insurance provider and was reimbursed 100%.

[disneyochem]

On 12/23/2023 at 7:49 PM, Therese S. said:

 

Has anyone taken Amtrak from Sacramento area to San Pedro?

Lots of great advice!  I want to give you some feedback on our experience riding Amtrak.

 

We frequently take Amtrak from the Sacramento area to LA and San Diego for cruises.  Once in LA, we just Uber to San Pedro and stay at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and walk to port the next day.  Round trip cost for two on Amtrak is around $200 and is about 7 hours each way.  Cost of Uber normally costs us about $70-100 (RT to/from port).  So it generally costs us about $300 in travel costs to sail out of San Pedro.  (For a San Diego cruise, we get on the Pacific Surf Liner and stay the night in San Diego.)

 

The worst part about the Amtrak journey is the bus transfer from Bakersfield to LA over the Grapevine.  So you go from the train to a bus to an Uber.  It works for us since we travel light.  After cruise, we also just Uber to the train station and do the journey in reverse.  Hubby is tall (over six feet) and really enjoys being able to walk around and stretch during the journey.  Amtrak does experience frequent delays so be sure to build that into your planning (or have a Plan B).

 

For our last cruise out of San Pedro, I priced out the cost of a one-way car rental (our home town to LAX) and ended up just driving and then Ubering to the port.  Cost a bit more than Amtrak (about $100 more) but it was convenient for that particular trip.  For our April 2024 cruise, we’re taking Amtrak both ways.

[Bubbeh]

On 12/24/2023 at 5:12 PM, beg3yrs said:

When we turn off the water we also turn off the water heater.

Us too.

[gwhitti]

On 12/27/2023 at 9:56 AM, DCThunder said:

This is no different from dealing with charges from the Medical Center on board the ships.  All medical center charges go on your shipboard account and get settled up on disembarkation.  When I broke my ankle in Buenos Aires, the ship took x-rays and gave me a boot.  They also arranged for me to see an orthopedic doc in Montevideo the next day, including a cab to the hospital.  After seeing that doc, I had to pay out of pocket for the hospital and doctor charges, and the ship charged their services to me separately.  When I got home, I filed all the paperwork with my travel insurance provider and was reimbursed 100%.

Would you mind saying who your travel insurance provider was? Thank you so much.

[IndyKid]

I just wish I had the time and money to be able to afford a 30-day cruise.

 

Someday......😑

[DCThunder]

On 12/31/2023 at 1:37 AM, gwhitti said:

Would you mind saying who your travel insurance provider was? Thank you so much.

It was Generali.

[gwhitti]

On 1/4/2024 at 10:42 AM, DCThunder said:

It was Generali.

Thank you so much for getting back to us on this question.