GeezerCouple

Post Captain, above, described two methods for redeeming awards/miles/points for actual airline tickets. We have always used the second method, which can yield *very* good "value" for the awards (in terms of cash price to amount of awards). And it can work with a lot of airlines and airline partners. Although it does take a bit extra work (and yes, it can seem quite confusing at first), we've had some phenomenal business and first class flights on top international airlines. For starters, use Google for information such as "Amex airline partners" (Amex doesn't have an airline, obviously, so this is different than how the other cards tend to work), and you'll see the full list. Also Google 'Amex airline partners awards chart" or similar. For the airline-affiliated cards, such as the AAdvantage Citicard (American Airlines), do the same thing. But in this case, you could use the points on AA or on a partner. We've used awards for many international trips with AA points, but *never* flown on AA equipment. And as mentioned above, there is also the opportunity to transfer awards to a partner airline, but from their, get ticketed on yet another partner airline. There is no way we would have paid cash for quite a few of the premium trips that we took on airlines like Cathay Pacific or Singapore Airlines. And there were some trips that we wouldn't have taken if we couldn't get those comfortable beds (our aging bodies are less forgiving than they once were....). There are sections on www.FlyerTalk.com about using awards. (Be aware that there are a few grumpy souls on FT; just ignore them!) With the Chase cards, if both spouses get a new card, the points can be transferred at no cost to the other spouse. So one only needs to "keep" one account open, after collecting two bonus awards. Note: We always keep the accounts open at least one year before closing them, to avoid the risk of having the points snatched back. (I have no idea how often they do that, but we use those points enough that we just don't want to risk it!) Just double check the "airline partners" (and *their* partners!) whenever you are applying for a new card, given your interest in using the awards for flights. Enjoy your travels! GC

If this is critical, or the timing is critical, make sure you have a Plan B in case the ship needs to skip a port... GC

Welcome to CruiseCritic! When did you book that cruise? NCL has a deadline for transferring a reservation booked directly with them, to move it to a travel agent. It used to be 60 days, and I think they changed it to 30 days. What the "value" is to book with a TA vs. a cruise line can vary. There isn't any single answer to that question. GC

"...If you find the same tour for less elsewhere, we will offer a 110% of the price difference back to enjoy in the form of non-refundable onboard spending money...." Have you spoken with anyone who has used this guarantee? It's possible that should one make a claim, it would turn out that "the outside tour is *not* identical to the cruise ship's tour" and the claim is denied... Or it could be that the ship's tour isn't as comprehensive, or, as is indeed often the case, it's a much larger group, in a bus, vs. the private tour which might be in an SUV with 2 or maybe 4 passengers. I'd just be cautious about relying upon such assurances. But there certainly could be times where it is exactly what it appears to be. GC

Be careful and read all the terms of your initial contract. There may be costs to "refare" after a general price decrease (or for some other reason). And this also may depend upon your country of residence. The "way it works" in one country may be very different from in a different country. Just *doublecheck* before canceling if you are planning to re-book. GC

No one "FORCED" you to take the "better deal"... It seems that you *could* have taken a shorter cruise (it's a bit difficult to understand, but perhaps the "two Carnival Cruises to March 2024?)? It seems she *could* have had a "once in a lifetime trip", but perhaps not the "longest one being offered" (perhaps longer than originally planned, although that isn't critical as long as there's a solid "trip of a lifetime" included in the possibilities). Were you originally planning to see *both* Australia and Japan? Or is this combo, as wonderful as it is, now offering more than you originally were planning? ETA: Many of us would have arranged a way for you to join your wife (both go together) for the best possible criuse/trip. I don't see that seriously discussed. Sometimes the best plans just... don't work out, but there's a "next best", given the constraints. GC

I would CALL the specific cruise line ASAP. Some lines are very, er, stringent about changing names (for any reason) because they don't allow "passenger changes" after a certain date, or they charge extra. And some try to make it like a cancel and re-book. Hopefully you'll get a rep who understands it's the same passenger with a legal name change, and there won't be any difficulties. The timing could make the difference between this being simple... or not... Also, IF you have a passport in the same name as the cruise reservation, one possibility is to leave things as is, until after the cruise and *then* change the passport name, etc. GC

There are a few websites like this. I'm not sure if they all give the *exact* same information, and please keep in mind that they earn their money when people click on their links. So that probably affects how they position things on each website, etc. Here is a start: https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=compare+credit+card+perks&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 They should give similar results. It's an "It Depends" type of answer for any specific person/people. Do you want points that can be used on specific airlines, or cash back, for starters. Do you want a bonus for signing up? Those can vary from approximately 50k to 100+k points. Will you use it enough to warrant an annual fee (AF)? A hefty annual fee? Want to take luggage on flights without extra fees? Access to nice airport lounges when connecting between flights? Some of the best perks are with the expensive cards, but if those particular perks aren't what *you* want, then there's no reason to pay the extra AF. That goes for any card/program. No matter how highly any "recommendation" site or person ranks a card, it may or may not be a good fit for you! IF you are getting points/awards, and not cash back, try to avoid losing the points if you think there is any chance of using them. You may not get enough points for, say, a RT air ticket to <place> right away, but if you use that card and get 1-2 points per mile, over a few years you might be surprised. [We've had glorious international business and first class air trips on top international airlines to some very distant locations to catch cruises, even though we haven't used the points for any cruises themselves. 🙂 ] We've been using credit cards awards for quite a while, and we have two main cards in good part because each has a mostly different group of "airline partners". There's a bit of overlap, but the two networks give us access to *most* (not all!) airlines. Some of the *best* ways to use the points are often on airline PARTNER airlines! However, there are a very few airlines that aren't in either network. IF that were an airline we thought we'd be taking, then we might try to get a card that does include that airline (directly or as a partner airline). Some of this sounds confusing. Uh, that's because it *is*, at first! And especially getting awards tickets on those partner airlines. But we do it for every foreign trip, be that to Norway/Italy/other European destinations, Japan, Hong Kong, New Zealand/Australia. [We have used an "awards service" for quite a few of these, especially for the more exotic locations or most premium cabins. www.FlyerTalk.com has a separate section about these services.] Here endeth todays lecture! 😉 If you think the cash back is the easiest, then do that. But try to get *some* useful perks from any card you get. And then don't let that card (or those cards) expire without transferring the points or just making one small charge to keep the card "open". And then, soon (or later?) ENJOY the perks, whatever they are! GC

You should probably ask this on the Cunard section of CC. I seriously doubt if they would let two people share one beverage package. Every cruise line whose "rules" I've read prohibits that. However, with the limited amount of drinking you do, it would probably behoove you to just pay for each drink. Also, are you sure you'd have to pay for *all* of those drinks ("hot drinks"... would that be tea or hot chocolate, or coffee with breakfast or with dinner costing extra)? GC

Has she seen a dermatologist? I can easily understand a rash from sitting in a hot tub, especially if for a prolonged time (and especially if it isn't maintained quite right). But to continue on and off for months afterwards... that should be looked at, regardless of the cause. GC

You specifically asked about whale watching 🙂 Have you tried Google? I just tried the following https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=whale+watching+wheelchair+accessible&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 and didn't even specify location. I expected to see listings for Alaska, but the first one was for Boston area! https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g41580-d578654-r135023726-7_Seas_Whale_Watch-Gloucester_Cape_Ann_Massachusetts.html Will you be arriving a day in advance (always a good idea anyway!)? And the NE Aquarium website https://www.neaq.org/visit/accessibility/#mobility shows that: "Whale Watch accessibility: The Aurora, Asteria, and Cetacea Whale Watch boats offer wheelchair access to the main deck, including the exterior bow, stern, gallery, and a wheelchair-accessible restroom at the rear of the main deck." And that probably leaves from downtown rather than Gloucester, which is on the north shore of the metro area. Enjoy! GC

Yes, do start inquiring to find a private guide now, for Christmas. And make sure they understand the capabilities of your grandparents... will they want to walk much, be driven by some of the sights, etc.? That's one of the advantages of a private tour/guide. We do that; I have minor mobility issues, so we can rest as needed, without worrying about others getting annoyed... or worrying about being left behind. If your grandparents are likely to be more interested in some areas, buildings, etc., than others, this is the perfect time to have something customized for them. That will at least make the most of their special day in Rome. We sometimes mention the types of places/activities we are interested in, and then ask the guide if they can think of other things that might appeal to someone with our interests. That sometimes gets some great suggestions (and sometimes not...). GC

No thanks! 😉 And by the way, welcome to CruiseCritic! 🙂 If/when we look for online reviews, we'd try to focus on places that specialize in the type of good or service. And even then, as mentioned above, people are usually more likely to take the time to complain rather than to praise. And I'd like to take a moment to all: Please DO try to mention the praises as well as the complaints. We sometimes will send an email to a Corporate HQ about someone who went above and beyond. We almost always get a response, usually with "sincere" thanks (yup, it's probably a form letter, but sometimes someone went to the trouble of mentioning some specific we mentioned). We started doing this when, a long time ago, I had a "Cellular One" (ah, memories!) rep who FINALLY fixed an ongoing and very troublesome problem. I wanted to compliment her to her supervisor, so I said (without thinking, obviously), "May I please speak to your supervisor?" DEAD SILENCE! I suddenly realized that she must have wondered why I wanted to complain about her! So I quickly said, without waiting for any comment from her during that silence, "I'd like to pass along a compliment about you; I'm so grateful for your help with this..." I could hear her letting her breath out! That supervisor was a bit chatty, and at the end, mentioned that this rep would be invited with all other reps who "got a compliment from a customer" to the "monthly awards luncheon", where they'd get recognition and some sort of special compensation. Who knew!? Just a few days ago, DH did the same for a rep at another vendor, and he was told that it would be put into the reps file AND also would result in some other compensation. (We usually do not hear anything about that.) Apparently those praises are quite special. And after sending an email to CVS HQ about an unusually pleasant head pharmacist, with a comment about how he must be carefully hiring similarly pleasant people, that the entire store was so nice that we drove beyond the closest CVS, etc... ... about 3 weeks later, when we were in to pick up an Rx, and he asked for the name, as soon as I gave my name, he stopped, grinned ear to ear, and said how happy he was to hear we were pleased with the service. He still goes out of his way to greet us if he's on duty and notices us in the store, even if we aren't right in front of him. Sorry for the digression. We are VERY likely to file a complaint when due, but we therefore feel we should also give credit when due... GC

We've been on quite a few cruises on several different cruise lines. I never heard of "Trustpilot"; don't remember reading about it here before. What is it? GC

Whoa. I'm not aware that anyone is suggesting "not washing hands" or avoiding soap! 😱 Yes, washing hands is *very* important, and that includes using some type of soap, not simply a quick rinse in water. There was a discussion about this some time ago, albeit without the two links above in the first post. We do *not* use those bulk dispensers unless there is no choice. (We might if we knew for certain [but how?] that they were always refilled with new pouches of fresh product, and NOT "topped off" each time... and NOT accessible to tampering. There are some crazies or oddballs <or select term of choice> out there.) However, just the simple accumulation of some minor contamination that sits there building up, with slight additions over time, with a container that is never fully cleaned (or so infrequently as barely to count) is not something we want on our bodies. Not if we have a choice... and we usually do. We always bring our own soap and shampoo or any lotions, etc., whenever we travel. We have an extra impetus for this: DH has severe allergies to some of the likely ingredients, especially fragrances/etc. So if we are bringing those items for him, I might as well also use them or have my own. We have small travel-sized containers that are always ready to go. As for "what's the most gross item in hotel/cruise rooms? We think it's likely the TV remote. Those get used by everyone. They can't easily be cleaned, especially with all the nooks and crannies with those buttons to push, etc. So we bring some large, thin baggies (not a thicker ziploc, although that would also work, and we always travel with several extras of those, too, which have a variety of uses). The remote goes in one of those straightaway, and it's very easy to use with the baggie/plastic covering. In a public washroom, if we don't have our own soap with us, yes, we'll use a dispenser for our hands, but it's not going all over our bodies like in showers. On day trips/excursions, we usually have a tiny bit of soap with us; there are too many places where there just isn't soap available. Note: We save the various sizes of little "end slivers" of soap bars, and bring a bunch with us on extended trips, and slip one or two into a tote, along with some tissues, a wrapped/sealed snack bar, etc. That usually includes a few "roll ends" of TP, which can be flattened for easy carrying. These things can come in handy in some surprising places! GC

Heh. We like to add a land trip to either begin or end a cruise! 🙂 We at least almost always spend an extra night or two in the general port city/area before and after, and usually end up with one of those being a more extensive stay. Thus far, we've never gone straight from an airport to a ship or from a ship to an airport. And we prefer to do more than just the "one night" before/after a cruise. We especially try to spend even more extra time locally before a cruise if there is any concern about missing the cruise, such as with winter weather or such. Much better to spend a few days in the general area of the port city before a cruise than to spend that time with an airport shutdown, fretting about making the cruise.... GC

What type of points are these? I'm not sure that "all points" are handled the same way. We've only used airline points from associated charge cards (and also Amex Membership Rewards). We've been able to re-deposit (re-bank) the awards points if for some reason we weren't able to take the flight. This was always done prior to the flight, so I'm not sure what would happen if one was sick and missed the flight. And I don't know about whether "rewards hotel reservations" can be cancelled with the points re-deposited. We *were* reimbursed by travel insurance for the modest fee to re-deposit the points. GC

This has been the odd part from the beginning, being so reticent about "revealing" (!?) which cruise line it is. It would be very weird for us to write at length about Cruise Line Abcxyz but never actually write "Abcxyz", instead always referring to a generic "CL". And then... OP not responding with the name when that is brought up, especially when no one else is able to help out with the name of a "CL" that requires TAs. GC

Unless I missed something, you have continued just writing "CL" (for "CruiseLine")? Why are you withholding the name of the cruiseline, especially if you want answers (or guesses) about why *they* "require a Travel Agent"? We can't possibly even guess without knowing exactly which cruise line you were working with. I can't remember ever reading any lengthy posts with complaints about a cruiseline without any mention of which line it was. And if I've overlooked where you named the line, my apologies. But if so, then why resort back to the anonymized "CL" instead of using the actual line name? At first, I thought "CL" was one I wasn't familiar with, and I actually tried to find the name using Google. 🙄 If others also tried that, although I suspect no one else was silly enough do that, then that wasted their time, too. Any/all of this would have been done in an attempt to --> help you, by the way, in hopes of finding out more about their policies. If you read other posts just about anywhere on CC, you'll see that others are not reticent about "naming names" if they are unhappy about the service from a particular vendor, be it the cruise line, the specific ship, or some other vendor. [Specific TA names can't be posted, but that's the only restriction, and your question is about a cruiseline's policies.] To answer "why a cruiseline" (any cruiseline or a specific cruiseline; your question could be understood either way) would do something is an almost impossible question to answer, because they rarely provide rationales for their requirements. But in some cases, those with experience may know some "behind the scenes" specifics, or perhaps even published rules (although that still might not answer the "why"). However, without your sharing the name with us, we are all at a bit of a loss to try to help you with your question. GC

As I wrote early in this thread "After all, if things do get forgotten or some communication fails, it's *our* trip that is at jeopardy, etc. 😞" And that's the bottom line. The TA may have lost the commission, but WE would lost the trip itself *and* what might be a good part of the total cost! Even IF the OP was somehow "made whole", what does that actually mean in a situation like this? Getting the money all refunded? That would be great, but the aggravation... ...and the trip is still long since gone... Any associated plans and costs are also done and gone. What's the saying about how a fraction of a gram of prevention is worth a ton of cure? 😉 This was actually an "easy one": just a note on a calendar with a reminder, plus perhaps ask someone else (perhaps who is also planning to go?) to help with reminders. There are times when situations like this end up in trouble for reasons that could not be avoided easily or perhaps at all. This was not one of them. GC

There are some controlled substances where the limit IS "30 days" per refill and not, for example, 90... ... under normal circumstances. There are also rules (state, DEA, etc.) that require that any "first" controlled substance Rx be restricted in amount (such as only 7 days) or *must* be with a written script, meaning "not by phone call". To the best of our understanding, all - or almost all? - of these restrictions can be overridden in urgent situations. That would require that the prescriber and the pharmacy agree to the need, etc. But there is almost always a way to arrange for an exception. (I'm sure there are some meds where this is not possible, but most of those meds probably aren't usually written for people who are likely to be traveling.) We've had to deal with this, and I guess we are fortunate to have long term physicians, medical records in the same system for decades (that is, we are "known" as are the underlying medical and Rx needs). A few of the ways we've had this handled, although not yet for very long trips, include to get a "vacation override" from the insurance/etc., to have an Rx written at a higher daily dose so it will last longer when taken at the regular dosage or to so this for a few months planning ahead, and keeping the extras for the trip. Other ways are to get insurance approval for more days' supply, often simply for "longer vacations", which is the actual need. Also, about a year or two ago, the regulations about controlled substance was somehow changed (or treatment of them changed?) such that there was more recognition of individual needs. Our teaching hospital is still trying to get the word out with more re-training about this. But even then, it doesn't mean the providers will "do anything except what they have always done..." 😠 In general, it can be difficult to determine exactly where the actual "restriction" is. A physician could claim it's the pharmacy or the insurance; one of those could point to the physician; and all of those could point to "drug laws" whether they exist or are accurately understood or not. GC

It's not just the size without regard to the cruise line. You are only considering the relatively mass-market cruise ships. There are some very nice smaller ships on smaller cruise lines, such as the previously mentioned Oceania, as well as the somewhat more luxe ships/lines. These are likely to be more expensive, unless you are getting the higher priced suites. The different ambiance (and lack of crowding) on board is considerable. GC

Welcome to CruiseCritic. Unfortunately, you probably won't like most of the responses to this question. We always make a note on calendars about any due dates. And for "biggies", I also put in a "pre-reminder" about a week in advance. Yes, it's ultimately your responsibility, like any bills such as car payments, rent/mortgage, or insurance. In some cases, reminders or bills are sent. But even then, a reminder could get interrupted somehow such that you don't get it, or don't get it in a timely fashion. In fact, IIRC, some of the time, we do get automated reminders about the deadlines, but by the time those arrive, we've usually made that particular payment. I worry about what if one of us is sick or unexpectedly traveling or busy with something else, or if the payment doesn't go through for whatever odd reason - or lack of reason... So we try to avoid last minute payments of anything. It would only "be the travel agent's responsibility" IF you had an explicit (written!) agreement with them about that. And even then, I'd have my own reminders. I wouldn't want to need to litigate something like that if they didn't do it, or didn't do it right. After all, if things do get forgotten or some communication fails, it's *our* trip that is at jeopardy, etc. 😞 As for "why the travel agent", my understanding is that is primarily to help people learn about and select from the various travel choices. (Why were you using the travel agent?) GC

I *very* seriously doubt that "a particular cabin is double-booked"! (I suppose it could happen occasionally, but quite by mistake.) The extras would be the "guarantees" that need to be accommodated (or they might be offered "a better deal", also). (Any "wait lists" will probably be staying home on a cruise like this...) Some pax may find they've been put in a different cabin of the same or better category, plus some extra "incentives". As passengers take the "better offers", the cruise line can shift remaining passengers around, and perhaps upgrade some people to make it all work out. If they keep sweetening the deal, they'll end up with the needed cabins and suites. We had a remarkable offer once. We were already PH. It was still PH, for a longer cruise AND a *very* nice cash refund. Nowadays, we are much more flexible, but then, we were not. It wouldn't have been our favorite itinerary, but the sweetened offer was... SO sweet... we may have jumped ship. 😆 And then later gone on something like our initially planned cruise. GC

These "things" that never or rarely get properly cleaned, such as patterned bedspreads or "accent" pillows, etc... Yuck. In any hotel (and also on a ship, which is a floating hotel), we kick them off the bed, pile them up in a corner, and then request that housekeeping remove them and NOT use anything like them during our stay. Nowadays, more and more hotels use the white duvet covers or extra sheets, which is just perfect. Those bedspreads are disgusting. There are still often those fancy decorator (!?) pillows, and they are on the floor immediately, in a corner until we see housekeeping or the steward, etc. And our experience has been that a room can be cleaned "more completely" if there is a medical issue. We always speak with housekeeping (hotel) or special needs (cruise), who ask what is needed. It's also on the special needs form we send in prior to any cruise. I also like the idea of using extra sheets... Thanks! GC