Turtle05

Thanks, this is all very helpful. If anyone has outside agencies they recommend, please let me know. My parents, who are in their early 60s, basically have two reasons they would cancel. My dad has had very slowly progressing kidney disease for about 20 years, and it's nearly progressed to the point where he will need dialysis. Additionally, my mom's job is pretty much always hanging in the balance these days due to her boss's age (she's a personal assistant). So, they would either need to cancel for my dad's pre-existing medical condition or my mom losing her job. Honestly, if they would accept, my husband and I would cover if the latter occurred, but obviously if my dad is too sick to travel, there isn't anything I can do about that. So with that being said, obviously that money going towards future cruise credit is not helpful.

I have seen mention of this elsewhere. Is this a real thing? Is it really ANY reason? My family's reasons for possibly needing to cancel pretty much all fall under stuff you can't cancel for with regularl Princess coverage. Does Princess offer a "cancel for any reason" insurance? If not, does anyone have recommendations?

What is "NOT on the the table"? I have purchased the card for my spouse in the past, she enjoys the specialty coffee's, I enjoy the fresh brew "drip", never a problem getting one of each at any point, no punch for my fresh brew, a punch for the specialty.

Just buying one coffee card and sharing it....I'd rather us each just have our own....

Thanks for the clarification, I get it now,:)

So much is lost while communicating electronically. In my other post I meant to say sharing a coffee card is NOT on the table....

What free do you mean. All specialty coffee is a punch from the card which sells for about $35 on board or $22-$24 on ebay. Specialty coffee is NOT free.

Yeah that's why it's in quotes...fifteen "free" if prepaid with the punch card... I guess that was poor word choice.

Sharing is really on the table. My husband can have his own card if he wants. I was just more wondering about the various drip coffee options with the card.

Quite honestly the comparisons on here are ridiculous. A cruise ship hardly compares to a mall or city in this case. I can stuff a kid in my car and be in another state in about an hour. That is not the case on a cruise ship. I do understand it may not be extremely hard to snatch a kid and get them somewhere private, but if ground rules are established, that can be avoided. I agree with others that is depends on the kid. I'd establish some method of instant communication, such a walkie talkies or cell phones. I understand some cruiselines offer cell phones for this exact reason, and they are essentially glorified walkie talkies. I'd also recommend parting with your child in a public area and encourage them to always stay in more populated areas, i.e. they should not be wandering in the halls where the staterooms are. IMO that is probably the best opportunity for a predator to harm a child. The second best is probably bathrooms, so just have them be alert in that type of situation. Situational awareness is key regardless of age, to include "listening to your gut." Tell them something along the lines of, "if something or someone doesn't seem right, walk away."

I have a few questions about the coffee cards. I have seen the thread ref possibly not being able to use the, for ice cream. While that would be nice, that's not my priority.

I am a coffee fiend. I need it daily to function. We are doing an Alaskan cruise on the Ruby, so I will enjoy it even more with the chillier weather. My husband is intermittent on his coffee drinking, but he also enjoys a good Chai, so the prospect of fifteen "free" specialty drinks is appealing to him, though fifteen might be a lot. I am primarily interested in the drip coffee.

I have read that the free drip coffee is not very good and appears to be hard to come by, as it's all the way on the fifteenth deck. Is this true? Where does the punch card allow me free drip that is not available free to other passengers? Is it just the international cafe?

This isn't a question but more of a statements. Feel free to log your own opinions, particularly related to different poplar cell phones on the market.

For clothing, you are in a great position. Check out post-winter sales this year on outdoor clothing. I have a ski jacket system that has a medium weight water proof jacket and a fleece that goes underneath. I believe my husband has a three-layer system. If you aren't picky about colors, you can probably get a good deal once winter starts coming to an end. We both have good hiking shoes (not boot style), and I have some military-issue (not the standard military style you are probably thinking of) lower cut boots I'm giving my mom. You can buy cheap fleece glove and hat/headband combo at Walmart. I use these for running and other outdoor cold activities. For me, I prefer a headband instead of a hat because of my hair, but most men would probably prefer a hat. As someone who spent a total of a decade in military school and in the military, I highly encourage proper clothing. Things just aren't fun when you are wet and/or cold.

Consider taking some non-drowsy Dramamine with you. Just pop one every morning when you get up, and you should be good to go. I took some prior to a 17-mile kayak trip in Hawaii, as it was highly encouraged by the tour guides. I'm not sure if I would have been seasick otherwise, but a tube of Dramamine is about $4. Cheapest insurance you'll ever find IMO.

Hey Firsttimer, I dropped some notes in our roll call reference tours I've done before and observations from all the reviews I've read. Look into the non-ship sponsored tours. Budget Queen is a very active member of this forum, and per her screenname she always has great recommendations on how to get the best for your money. I'm sure she will poke over here with some great advice, but if she misses this forum, you can send her note.

Awesome, that is what I figured. Thanks everyone!

I booked the earliest recommended flight out for my Alaskan cruise (round trip from Seattle). My flight is at 11:30. I currently have a transfer from the ship to the airport, but do you think I should just grab a cab or book some other sort of transportation? I've read some disturbing reviews that make me anxious about this.

Thanks for this review! I'm planning an Alaskan cruise with my parents as well! I've selected the Ruby because a round trip works better for us, and the recent low reviews have made me nervous!

We were on a ship a few years ago. We befriended an elderly, 84 year old woman. She told me her story of being left behind in Turkey.

She was traveling alone, but did share a cabin with someone she did not know prior to the cruise. In Turkey, she took a ships tour for the day. When she was dropped off, she had to walk thru a market area to get to the ship. She became lost. She did not walk very fast, and was a little unsteady. She was late getting back to the ship. The crew went to her cabin and spoke to the other woman, who said that she went shopping. She did not. She had some problems with this roommate prior to this. So, the ships crew thought she left after the tour to go shopping, and left her there. The next stop was to by Istanbul. The port agent came to help her. He brought her to the Embassy, where she obtained a new passport. While there, she met a young couple who went to dinner with her, and later dropped her at the bus station. The ships agent helped her arrange bus transportation to Istanbul.

She was first upset, but after boarding the bus, decided that it was a great experience. She loved the bus trip and watched some movies on board. The bus arrived prior to the ships arrival. She waved hello to the ship docking. It all worked out well for her. I would have been hysterical! Of course, she wanted nothing to do with her roommate from that point on.

Oh my this poor lady. She sounds really sweet and not too bothered by it other than the bad roommate. I get so anxious about being late that the thought of missing the ship might actually send me into cardiac arrest!

Thanks for sharing! I'm mildly obsessed with visiting Sitka, as I'd like to visit beyond the usual three ports every shop goes to. :D

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2016/03/28/uk-tourist-rescued-after-trying-to-swim-to-cruise-ship.html

This is certainly ironic given that someone just said "don't try to swim for the ship, or you'll get pulled under water." :eek::eek::eek:

I saw a lot of interesting judgments based on a vague description of the knee injury. I know the OP said injury and not surgery, but my DH had ACL surgery, and he could hardly ride in the car for a couple weeks. There's absolutely no way he would have been able to fly for a cruise. Maybe get more info before you basically say, "suck it up, buttercup, a cruise on a bum knee is better than nothing."

Wow! I'm surprised they didn't kick a parent off the ship (to take charge of the missing 15 year olds) before setting off on-time.

I'm more surprised the parents didn't remove themselves from the ship.

Goodness, this does bring up a lot of valid points! I'm glad I stopped by this thread! I guess most people have the "it can't happen to me" mentality, which I guess is only a certainty if you don't get off the ship. :)

That was a pretty serious diatribe there. I think cruiselines nickel and dime everyone, not just so called second class cruisers. I've had rooms sized from balcony through owner's suite, and for the most part, I have not noticed a difference in service. I did appreciate the "suite guest only" areas on certain cruises, especially those that felt more crowded than others. I will agree that there may be a perceived feeling among suite guests that they should be treated better. Recently on another thread, the OP was rightfully complaining about their room steward, and another poster basically said that if they wanted better service, they should have gotten a suite instead of an inside room. I wholeheartedly disagree with that. As far as suite guests getting more outside of the room, perhaps people should be made more aware that suite perks extend beyond having a bigger room. I disagree that it's necessarily a class thing, as I do not think the price differences are anywhere near as ridiculous as the difference between a coach and first class flight. As stated, I've stayed in suites several times, but I have never flown first class. People choose how they spend their money. Some would rather save money for excursions, drinks, and other things, so they opt for a smaller room.

I've sailed the Liberty and Allure. Both were "the latest and greatest" when I sailed each of them, and I felt the crowd more on the Liberty, particularly in the WJ. The Allure had way more shows, and I absolutely loved having the ability to pre book all shows and spa appointments. I would certainly sail a Freedom class ship again, but if all things were equal for itinerary, pricing, etc, between a Freedom class and an Oasis class, I'd go Oasis class every time.

Bring a can of air freshener as well. Cabins can be small, and there are times a can of spray can be greatly appreciated.

There's an amazing product out there called Poopourri. You spray in in the toilet before going, and it traps the bad smell. It's $10 for a small bottle at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

Is there a reason you don't have any Oasis class ships on the list? I did the Liberty several years ago, and two years ago I took my DH on his first cruise on the Allure. We liked adventure, and we thoroughly enjoyed the Allure. With that being said, I would definitely sail a Freedom class ship again, but do consider the Oasis class if you haven't already. There is so much to do on board, and I really felt like it was less crowded than the Liberty.

My first cruise was Voyager, and I loved it! I did the Liberty a little bit after, back when she was "the latest and greatest." She was great, but crowded! Really the only difference I saw (besides crowding) was the flow rider and better shows. Better is relative, though. Obiovulsy being the newest ship at that moment in time, they had the best ice show, but the Voyager ice show was fine, too. I have since sailed Allure, which I loved, but I would still sail a Voyager class ship. We are considering the Adventure for the southern Caribbean!