GeezerCouple

A hotel (or cruise ship) will need to double check that the occupant of a room with a constant "do not disturb" sign up is okay, even without a Covid situation. There are a variety of problems that could be unseen if no one has entered or even viewed the inside of the room. For most of them, if the occupant has some sort of communication, such as by phone, that would suffice. However, for other possible problems, including a hidden communicable illness, that alone wouldn't suffice. RM

My last post about this. A broken bone is almost *guaranteed* to get you a paid travel insurance claim. You don't need to be "home in bed" to be unable to travel. (Our first claim was for DH's eye emergency. He did most of the driving to and from all of the assorted medical appointments. He worked most of the time we would have been traveling. Although he is, yes, "older" - indeed, I suppose "geriatric" although he's still at the same University now helping with a new graduate program - the medical problem was not an "age" problem.) You are convinced. You should *not* get travel insurance! Please don't dissuade others who may actually benefit from it. You've made your point about your beliefs. What color ink did those travel insurer claim denials you received use? GC

This, for sure! Also perhaps, check a bit on what medical documentation has in fact been accepted for full refunds due to medical reasons. We are among many who have had these claims accepted several times, and without nonsense, for large claims. And all I can say is, none of our claims involved iron lungs. Or anything remotely like that. None of the claims required burdensome records. And none of the claims were "challenged", although I'm sure the insurer could request more information, if they felt that was necessary. Each claim required that a physician fill out a very *short* form giving the medical reason, and then also (sometimes) include a bit of corroborating documentation. For example, when there was a medical emergency for DH - on our first insured trip - all that was required was the signed form including a written description of the medical condition from the physician. Ooops, there was a "complication"... the physician forgot to sign it! So we had to request another copy with his signature, which was simple. (That was, of course, not the fault of the *insurer*!) The most recent full refund for medical reason was due to very elderly MIL landing in hospital shortly before our planned departure. We had hoped (and hoped) that she'd improve enough that we could still go, which was also *her* strong preference. At almost the last minute, the cardiologist told DH something like, "I think you should stay *here* now!" So we did. That claim included the same short physician form, and a page or two from MIL's medical record (some test results in this case) to document her condition. Note: I have read here (on CC) of people who were seemingly incensed that they were expected to "share protected medical information" (some complaints even invoking HIPAA). Nope, it's NOT *required* that you share any such "protected"* medical record documentation. However, it's also NOT *required* that the insurer pay the claim if you haven't submitted the documentation as required per the terms of the coverage. If one is going to object, then absolutely, don't waste any money on insurance if one won't complete one's own side of the agreement (which is spelled out clearly in every copy of the travel insurance terms and conditions that we've ever had). *To be clear, HIPAA in NO way prohibits someone from sharing one's OWN medical records. GC

How did the insurer tell you to proceed, in terms of what type of claim and how it would be paid. Also, whether there even is a chance to "change to a different date". That's not likely to be up to the insurer. How it works, and "how well it works", may vary with the insurer and the specify type of policy you may have. That is, asking a group of people "how does your health care insurance work" may not necessarily be helpful for *your* situation, etc. I hope your sister is fine and has a comfortable recovery! GC

You may get more experienced eyes to respond if you post this in the disabled cruise travel section of CC: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/114-disabled-cruise-travel/ As for the TSA, and airlines, there may also be information at: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/77-cruise-air/ Some of the answers may be airline-specific or even country-specific, so you might want to include the airline name(s). Lots of people travel with those these days. GC

I had never heard anyone else complain about it, although I also never heard anyone claim to enjoy it. No one seemed to mention it. I'm not sure "how it is supposed to be used"... this must be the first time I've ever wished a seat (!?) had come with instructions. 😉 GC

It's like a hot tub, but much larger, and rectangular shaped. One can move about much more than in a regular sized hot tub. The one on Riviera has an odd seating area along one side with some jets. I didn't find it all that comfortable, but we both love the warm water and the space. Usually, there was no one else in when we were there; occasionally one other couple, and there's plenty of room for that. GC

Welcome to CruiseCritic! "Could we just order from the specialty restaurant in our room at an earlier time if we prefer?" 😁 This is one of the two things we most use our Butler for! We really love a few of the "specialties in the Specialties". So first, yes, ask them if you can change a reservation or make a new one, etc. The more notice you give them, the better the chance. But we don't press the "in restaurant" request, because we also love just relaxing "at home" with the food served. They will serve per course or all at once, as you request. We use the Butler a lot, as we also often (even more than the above) request breakfast. We'll give a nice FULL list our our requests the day before (we eat a big breakfast, and often don't do much for lunch, even if we stay on the ship). Just write down what you want. It does not need to be on any "room service menu" or such. We'll ask for it to be brought at a certain time, and there are few things as "vacation like" as waking up to the aroma of coffee and bacon, plus the very gentle clinking of some china! Note: We tell the Butler that any "privacy" sign is NOT for them, but for anyone *else*. We ask that they knock/ring and then come in. IF we do want privacy, we'll simply bolt the door. This works well when there is a "real suite" with separate bedroom, but also with the... faux suite (?) that is really one larger room, etc. The Butlers are professionals, and they can handle this very well (or so far, we've found out, and not just on Oceania). They can be incredibly quiet (not totally silent, obviously, and there's no way to avoid the coffee/bacon "problem" if one wants to sleep in. 😉 But if we are already awake, or if we mumble, "Good morning", we'll get a pleasant reply in kind. Note: We always tell them that we are almost always flexible with respect to precise times unless we mention otherwise, so IF we've requested a time that is unusually busy, please change *our* time if we haven't mentioned any tight timing... no problem. When we meet them the first day, we also hand them a brief (bullet list type) intro letter, to let them know about food allergies*, about the "just walk in" policy, etc., and also if we want things like always having an extra two bottles of sparkling water ready to go, etc. And when we give it to them, we say something like how we know the first afternoon/evening is very busy, so please read it *later* and we can answer any questions tomorrow, etc., plus the usual "greetings", etc. We got that "letter" idea here on CC before our second "recent" cruise, in 2014. We also learned about travel insurance here on CC, a year earlier, and thank goodness (!); do at least consider that. There is another section of CC devoted to it. Every time, the Butler has returned either later on the first day, or early the next day, with our note and a pen, with a question or two, and thanked us for it. Of course... I can't imagine them complaining about it, right? So whether they laugh at us or not, at least we've done our part to help them to help us, etc. They can really make a big difference for those who enjoy their services. (There are others who don't want to be bothered, etc., and that's fine for them, of course.) BTW, we can also have a wonderful cruise on a line/ship that doesn't even have minimal room service. We adjust; it helps to have the appropriate expectations, obviously. ENJOY! * We also notify special needs at any cruise line in advance about any special assistance or attention requested. I'm sure it's already kept on file, but we prefer to keep it current, or to update it if necessary, as there are times things have changed. GC

Thanks. Good to know no changes. That T pool on Riviera is one reason we don't choose Marina, although we would for compelling itinerary reasons. 🙂 GC

Hi LHT28, My query was in response to ChadNKate's comment, which seemed to apply to recent changes on Riviera's spa deck. GC

A few years ago, we spent about 2 weeks in Japan, including some major cities, and also some relatively off the beaten track. In all but one case, our large bags were sent ahead, the evening before, so we just kept and used our carry-on, and then brought that with us. The one place where we didn't do that was for the two nights we spent at a Buddhist Monastery. So we had the large bags sent to the *next* place, and just used our overnights for the stay. The service (forgetting its name) has a logo that includes a cat carrying a kitten by the scruff of its neck, and we had glimpses of those small trucks almost everywhere if we bothered to look and notice. SO convenient! The only other place I remember having that luxury without special arrangements was when we took the scenice (Oh SO scenic!) train from Oslo to Bergen. Our bags were waiting for us in the hotel in Bergen. Nice. GC

Bringing back memories... On Noordam Nov/Dec, 2019, Auckland to Sydney. Loved it! Thanks. 🙂 GC

We don't do (or "we do", depending upon item/activity) many of those things no matter where we are. GC

They changed the Therapy Pool on the Riviera? If so, are there any current photos? We made very good use of that... nice a warm, and not an "enclosed feeling" like with a shared "whirlpool tub". In fact, even better, there was almost never anyone in there with us! GC

Jersey42 raises a very important point! In some cases, and possibly often when from the cruiseline or another vendor (bundled with a trip), if you look at the wording, it may not include the word "insurance". It may be a vacation "protection" offer or perhaps some sort of "guarantee/assurance", etc. IF it does *not* include the word "INSURANCE", chances are very good (er, bad!) that it is not, in fact, insurance. The same protections don't apply, and it's also likely that the "terms" are quite different if one compares carefully. In that case, not only is the traveler probably getting less helpful "coverage", but the state insurance commissioner's office/etc., probably won't be able to help, as it wouldn't be "regulated insurance". We have always purchase our travel insurance from a third party vendor (in our case, Travel Insured, through TripInsuranceStore) after reading about all of this almost 10 years ago, just before our first "big trip" (non-business trip!) after our honeymoon. And thank goodness, as that cruise/resort combo was cancelled at almost the very last moment, and was one of our largest claims. Anyway, for several years, neither of us realized that we had "insurance" but some of the other types of "coverages" being discussed here might *not* be actual "insurance". I had just assume it was ALL "insurance"! Point is, if the "coverage" isn't insurance, it also isn't "regulated", so I suppose anything goes, or, at least, anything the vendor can get away with...? We were lucky with that first claim. We had insurance that covered pre-existing conditions. We aren't sure if what happened was or wasn't due to a pre-existing condtion, but we can very easily imagine that a vendor would try to claim it was, and we'd have a hard time proving otherwise. Fortunately, when we spoke with TIS folks (several times!), they mentioned that, among other things. Given that we both have assorted "things" that developed as we, er, "grew up" 😉 we made certain that all of our travel insurance covers pre-existing conditions, full stop. It's difficult enough that the actual insurance can be difficult to understand at first, but add to that the coverages that aren't even actual insurance, and the situation is just asking for confusion or worse! NOTE: That Carnival link Jersey42 included above leads to a description of "Carnival Vacation Protection". The first one listed is: "TRIP CANCELLATION (*Cancellation Fee Waiver Program non-insurance feature provided by Carnival Cruise Line)" The next part listed *is* "travel insurance". The third part listed is, again, "non-insurance services..." GC

Do notify Oceania in advance. We've found them to be *very* careful about dietary allergies/restrictions. So give them advance notice so they can be prepared.as well as possible. (We've found them very responsive to special requests that weren't medically necessary, but "just a preference".) I'm sure there are some others here who can tell if decafe is always just as available as regular. And I'll ask DH. (He sometimes drinks decafe at home, but I don't know if he did that on any cruises.) GC

Oh... so good to know! We were on the Trollfjord, and have such good memories. We'll look into these! 🙂 GC

With timing like this, I'd forget the "Oceania logistics". The *last* thing I'd want, IF we were trying to get that flight, is to have to wait for a bus/van to fill up with others, and then perhaps make several stops at the airport or go to one main stop that might not be near *your* terminal. It might not be a huge airport in this case, of course. IF you really want to try for that flight (and I am NOT familiar with the area/airport to have any specific knowledge), I'd suggest trying to be among the first off, and head straight to a taxi, and then to the airport. Things might go like a charm, early arrival/clearing/etc. Or not. However... we would be fully prepared to miss the flight, knowing that we gave it the best try possible, *if* we were going to give it a try. We personally always allow extra time, not only so we don't have to rush, but if we are in a foreign area, there *will* be something to occupy us for another day or two, so we might as well enjoy it while there! No need to rush or to stress about it during the cruise. Win/win. And we have the same approach prior to a cruise. We always arrive comfortably in advance, at least one night, and often several, depending upon whether we are making the area "part" of the trip. "Worst case"? How about a visit to the Blue Lagoon to relax the rest of the day! 🙂 Or find something that appeals to you, of course. Good luck! GC

DH, the coffee connoisseur of our household, loves Baristas, on the Riviera (that's the only O ship we've sailed, and we love it). The Barista at Baristas tends to get to know him, and after asking for the same thing a few times, and then the Barista would ask DH when he walked in, soon it became just if DH smiled and nodded. 🙂 And... Baristas tends to have some very nice biscuits, pastries... etc. Am I remembering correctly that they had Madeleines, or is that wishful thinking? Possibly chocolate Madeleines?? (I used to make those, but I don't find them elsewhere, and being a card-carrying Chocoholic...... 😉 ) DH would often return from Baristas with a treat for me. Or several! And then there is the surf and turf at Waves. I remember reading about that before our first O cruise, and wondering what all the commotion was about. Well...!! Yes indeed! Yum! There have been some other threads here about the general food. We wouldn't be surprised if things aren't quite up to par due to the various Covid issues. We also happened to find some of the Specialties, well, special. Another "thing" I kept hearing about before our first O cruise was the "Sea Bass" at Red Ginger. Oh my... Oh, I miss all of that.... hopefully we'll be back soon... ENJOY all of it! GC

And... the travel agent is NOT an insurance specialist, travel or otherwise. Would you prefer to purchase home or car insurance from the home builder or auto manufacturer, or from an insurance agent/broker who specializes in that type of insurance? We strongly recommend using a broker. They will not be bound to one particular insurer, so they have more flexibility in helping you compare different policies and figure out which fits your particular need best. GC

We simply tell any food prep situation (restaurant, cruise...) that although A (DH) and B (me) are indeed food allergies, that "cross contamination is NOT a problem" and that separate prep is NOT needed... we just can't have 'pieces' of A/B on our plate. But in general, for food allergies, they probably still need to do at least some separate prep... they can't extract extra salt once the dish is made, nor bother taking out sesame seeds from <whatever>, etc. I suspect that they want to be overly cautious rather than the reverse, and especially with certain allergies that can have life-threatening reactions. "Tree nuts" and "shellfish" allergies *can* be of that dire type, even if they aren't in your situation. I can understand them being careful. Also, there's a reasonable chance that there are others who may need the same special prep, and if so, that's going to happen anyway. My food allergy is an unusual one, so it's unlikely others would have the same request/need. Fortunately, it's an ingredient I can usually "see", so what I usually need to do is avoid things like "mystery meat loaf", which isn't something I'm likely to order anyway. 😉 DH's is an ingredient that can't be "seen", so he does need to rely upon the prep. And we ALWAYS remind the waitstaff when we give a food order, and we ALSO always ask, "This is the <RESTRICTION> RIGHT?" when it is served. Better safe than sorry! GC

You should find out *exactly* what is included in the ceremony/etc., or if any extras are available with or without extra cost (if there are any you want). Will there be others with you, for example? More importantly, ONLY *you* can decide if it's "worth the charge" to *you*, especially since you don't know the preferences or price points/income/etc., of others here. $250 sounds pretty inexpensive for a private, special celebration of a meaningful occasion, but again... what does it include? GC

[emphasis added] Ah, thanks. I misread what you had written as meaning that flights couldn't land *between* 0432 and 0602, which seemed very odd indeed. What time do the noise restrictions begin, and are they staggered at all, like for the flights that can land between 0432 and 0602? Many thanks, as always. The information you share with us is very much appreciated, and also interesting! 🙂 GC

Okay, I'll bite! I understand the situation about slots available, regardless of whether it's due to weather or staffing or whatever. However, IF it's staffing and starting times/etc., shouldn't that be incorporated in the scheduled departure/arrival time? Weather delays or snafus at the airport, yup, understand that. But I'm intrigued: What is special about "between 0432 and 0602"? I knew there were night restrictions, but I definitely assumed they started well before 0432. And also, what's with the "2". Thanks! Curious GC 😉

Call the airline. They can (or most can/will?) help with special seating requests for medical/disability reasons. They will typically also let someone traveling with you sit next to you. But call soon. Some airlines block some seats for this purpose, so you may not see the availability on the seating chart. (Bulkhead for wheelchair, etc.) But they may release those seats as the flight date approaches, rather than risk having them remain empty. Make SURE that you see the appropriate reservation in your email/ticket, and it's the correct seating. GC