IRMO12HD

I'll use this as a timeline and (sort of) live blog for my experiences using Space A travel as a means of getting back home (to Eastern Washington state) after a Transatlantic cruise. First, a few notes: I am retired so will be Cat VI. My cruise takes place in mid April - early May, before the main PCS season begins and the (DODDS-Europe) school year ends, so (theoretically) I won't be competing with as many AD and Cat 2-5 travelers. My cruise ends in Civitavecchia, Italy on a Sunday, with a port stop the day before in La Spezia, Italy, so I should be able to see and use the 72-hour schedules for the relevant terminals. I have booked a refundable flight via Delta just in case I don't catch a hop, which gives me a way back (and, if they need it, a viable return ticket to show the Schengen authorities) My main concerns: 1. Where, when and how I will get a Schengen stamp for my arrival in the Schengen area. We have four port stops before reaching Civitavecchia, all in Schengen countries. They are: Portugal (Azores), Spain (Malaga, Cartagena), and Italy My concern is that two of those four stops occur on a weekend, so I will have to find an office/agency that is open. 2. I usually book travel in advance, but since I'm not sure where I'll try to catch a hop first, I'll have to "wing it" for either train or air travel to wherever I hope to fly out of. 3. I'm still wrestling with what kind of luggage I'll bring; carryon only, or one suitcase and my trusty backpack. Next up: what I have done (or am doing) to prepare.

I've sailed once on Norwegian at the discount rate -- owing to the low cost of the cruise itself (7 night Seward AK - Vancouver BC), it wasn't substantial, but was enough to pay for a couple of drinks aboard (I declined the beverage part of the Free at Sea). I will say that I was impressed by the degree of detail they put into recognizing their military passengers. Other discounts, a patch, a challenge coin, extensive welcome packet, a reception). I was happy with my pre-cruise and my cruise experience.

So far my spreadsheet is developing a clearer picture (well, maybe -- it's Space A, after all!) of where my best chances of catching a hop back to the States after my TA cruise might be. Definitely Ramstein is the best possibility, but the travel there from Rome is continuing to provide a few wrinkles. In about two weeks I'll start sending out my emails to the different departure points, bearing in mind that the Navy Air Stations use a different signup period (up to 45 days in advance) from the Army and Air Force installations, which have a signup period of 60 days.

I appreciate your details! I'll be on Odyssey in April for the Transatlantic, and will have six sea days in which to explore :-)

A little bit more than two months until I head across the Atlantic, and put (hopefully) the Space-A perk to the test. I've been monitoring flights (scheduled and non-) and have a pretty good feel for what my options will be as far as catching a hop back to CONUS. I still haven't resolved my concerns about how/when/where I can get a Schengen stamp in my passport -- will be checking in every port! I still have my return ticket on Delta in case Space A doesn't work out -- but it's refundable, so I'm hoping!

Thank you! Our first port stop in Schengen is Punta Delgado in the Azores. According to what I can find about Schengen stamps, that's where I should get one.

Thanks for the background! What you experienced in Germany is exactly what I'm trying to be proactive about. Our first stop in the Schengen area will be Punta Delgado in the Azores, so theoretically that is my first port of entry into Schengen, and where/when I should get the stamp. I just haven't been able to figure out who to check with to see if it will be possible. Frankly, I'm not a "passport stamp collector," I just want to make sure that I grease the skids as much as possible. Great advice on maintaining hard copies of my transportation documents; will definitely do that.

Thank you!

I am paying for my son and DIL's cruise to Alaska this fall. If I purchase a travel insurance policy for them, or if they purchase it, will they be able to claim reimbursement if the trip is cancelled due to medical, etc? That's what I want them to be able to do, but am not sure how it works if I pay for the cruise.

Me, three!

Well, more than 3 years later I'm still asking the question -- has anyone used Space A to get to or from a cruise? I'm hoping to test it out this spring after a TransAtlantic from Florida to Italy. I'll post my results. @USN59-79, I think that if you're retired military, you and your spouse (assuming both of you have military IDs), can fly together as Category VI. She could not, I believe, fly Space A on her own.

My DH and I will be on the westbound portion; I'll be interested to see how the card room in the "Windjammer Annex" will look. I also wonder if there's a place to do jigsaw puzzles. On Voyager's TA from Copenhagen to Boston, the puzzles were in one of the alcoves. Very busy place, with two puzzles going at a time

Thanks for the advice -- I will definitely check as soon as we board.

I've been reading all of the comments, and definitely appreciate all of you registering your thoughts and preferences! We're booked on Serenade for the Westbound Panama Canal (Miami-Los Angeles) and this time I booked the 3-night dining package for both of us. This will be our first cruise as D+, so I'm new to the BOGO deal, but will be researching it. Under the 3-Night package, I booked dinner for the second day, but recognize that we won't find out where it is until we board. I personally love Izumi, and we've never eaten at Chops or Giovanni's Table, so I'm inclined to accept the reservation if it's for Izumi or Giovanni's Table, or change it if it's for Chops. Then, we can figure out where to use our other two "nights" from the dining package, and where to use the BOGO.