Jonny Rotten

We like Norwegian. They are a cheaper cruise and the open bar makes it a homerun. We went on 2 Celebrity cruises and they are classier with a  higher end vibe and the passengers seem to fit that bill as well. Rolled up face towels on ice when getting on board each stop, better food, things like that. We'd like to go on another Celebrity cruise but Norwegian's price point keeps us coming back. 

1 hour ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

I suggest that you contact a travel insurance broker, someone who can explain the pros and cons of various insurers and policies, and can also help you find the best (not necessarily perfect!) policy for your specific concerns.  (That is, some people have elderly relatives at home, or might have last minute work obligations, etc.). We use www.TripInsuranceStore.com but there are others.

But *call* them.  The only summaries cannot capture everything about each policy and they can't help you find the best for you for any special concern.

 

Now, about your concerns, as stated...

It seems a bit (to me anyway) that you are asking for a lot.  "Life happens", and not everything can be predicted or insured.

 

CFAR (Cancel For Any Reason) probably comes closest.  (We always get that and although we've have quite a few claims, we've never used the CFAR part.)

However, at least for the 3rd-party policies we are familiar with, CFAR only pays 75%, but at least it's cash, not credits of some sort with time limits.

 

We've NEVER had a "fight" about our claims, and a few of them have been large.  If your reason for the claim is a covered reason (including having the CFAR coverage) AND you have receipts and documentation, then I'm not sure why there would be a "fight" from a reputable insurer.

(A lot of complaints I read seem to be because people didn't read the fine print and tried to submit a claim for something that wasn't covered in the first place.  Or they object to disclosing some necessary documentation.  For example, if the claim is based upon a medical event, then the insurer certainly has the right to verify that the "event" was as described.  OTOH, we always get coverage that does NOT exclude pre-existing conditions.  That can make a huge difference in a medical claim.  There is no need for the insurer to wade through stacks of past medical records to determine IF the claim is in fact due to a pre-existing condition.  So much easier, so much faster...

 

And for anything where you get a refund, such as being able to re-bank miles/awards, well... no, there won't be insurance for that.  You get your miles/awards back.  Fees to re-bank them can be covered, although there is a limit.  (We've found that limit to be very close to the cost to us to re-bank the awards, so it's worked out for us.)

 

You also want to look into the Trip INTERRUPTION coverage, for "if the ship is already sailing".

Keep in mind that this coverage isn't only for cruises.  There can be reasons to want to interrupt a trip for a land vacation also.

 

You seem to have a very negative attitude about travel insurance to start with, and I'm a bit concerned that if you approach any claim in a negative fashion, it might not go well.  (I've read about people who get enraged about being asked for medical reports to back up a claim based upon a medical event.  That response to an insurer.... just isn't going to go well.  They have a right - an obligation - to verify that any claims are valid, and that shouldn't be a surprise.)

 

GC

Thanks for the long response. I'll look into travel brokers and the company you mentioned. I've never bought TI so have no idea where to start or how it works. I'm not negative about TI but after reading the many many complaints about the insurance Norwegian offers I'm not feeling confident using them. Plus Insurance is a business and like every other type of insurance there job first and foremost is to not pay. But there must be some better than others   

 

Straight to the point. 

When booking a cruise what is the best company to go with that will cover everything if there is an issue HASSLE FREE. 

Reading horror stories about NCL insurance (AON Infinity)

Examples:

Booking flight with miles will they be returned

We need to get Covid  tested before walking on the ship. We fail and already flew 12 hours for nothing and need to sit in a hotel for 10 days 

We get Covid right before we leave home

Covid comes back and we need to go on mandatory excursions that we would never do and want to cancel everything but the ship is still sailing

Country's we are going to have some sort of lockdown and they reroute the cruise and we want to cancel

 

What insurance will pay up for flight, hotel quarantine, cruise without a fight assuming everything is provable 

Am I looking for cancel for any reason? Seems like it

Are there add ons I need to book with the insurance?

 

Never got trip insurance but it almost seems like a necessity these days  

 

Just keep believing the news and things will get better....because they tell us, therefor it is

Also the number one authority on the virus who we trust with our lives just came out with a children's book to capitalize on his 15 minutes of fame. Which really helps with his credibility and trust 

None.....they cancelled my cruise 

33 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

 

Reading the many threads on Cruise Critic you are an outlier. Not only are the overwhelming majority getting vaccinated when they are eligible they want all their fellow passengers vaccinated. So it is not why "anyone" would get vaccinated......almost everyone else is willing to be vaccinated. You should reflect why you are in a minsicule minority who are on this forum.

Why would I need to reflect on that?  It's a cruise forum that's supposed to be a fun place. You don't really think this site is going to have any bearing on injecting my body with anything do you?  

I would never inject my body with anything just to go on vacation.....That was the question. I can't believe anyone would actually do that. They make Sci-fi movies about things like that,,,,,so never 

2 hours ago, SelectSys said:

I was actually thinking about the hotel route as I was typing my answer.  I expect my first trip after lock down to be somewhere on the beach in Mexico.  This seems much more likely than a cruise at this point.

I just got back from Mexico 3 weeks ago and might go back in 2 weeks. It's "open" they might not say it on the news but believe me all the bars and restaurants and beaches are cranking......zero talk of Covid or politics anywhere. Nothing but a good time......It is so refreshing I cant even tell you.    Playa del Carmen Mexico  

When we cruise we want to see the world, that's why we cruise. Sitting on the ship is not even an option for us. We're the first ones off and the last ones on.  We book all our cruises strictly by the ports...then cruise line then of course the open bar 😁 We also want to do things on our own terms. Let's stop here, lets stop there. An excursion would be downright brutal for the way we like to do things.....we have done guided tours but that's totally different and only takes an hour out of our day. We have the " we may only be her once in our lives" attitude   

 

20 minutes ago, Donald said:

I work for the CDC when not working onboard a ship.

The CDC makes “very strong recommendations” about what and how ships in European ports do things. If those ships do not comply, they or their sister ships suffer on inspections in US ports. 

So maybe the rep was correct....Not by law, but if you don't conform we'll make your life a living hell....sounds about right these days....conform or pay the price. SMH

I didn't mean if you were staying on the ship and missing ports. I assumed that was pretty obvious

Could very well be miss information, and it sounds like it is

Either way it still sounds like all ports will be mandatory paid excursions. Which is a deal breaker for us. No chance we would ever do that

This was news to us a bit shocking and totally disappointing

 

6 minutes ago, ldubs said:

Why would the CDC have anything to say about a cruise in Europe?  

The rep said said it was their agreement with the CDC they made last fall 

 

I just called Norwegian to ask about our summer Europe cruise.  

They said as per there CDC guidelines ALL ports would need to be on an excursion. I asked if it was free due to it being mandatory and not by choice. They said we would need to pay full price just like normal. First off we don't like excursions and to add insult to injury they are  forcing us to pay for something we don't want.....looks like we're cancelling our cruise. Not to mention I'm thinking this would double our cruise price. No FREAKIN way. What a disaster 

 

Are other cruise lines forcing this rule?

I can't imagine anyone going along with this

Cruising is dead this summer

2 hours ago, Ashland said:

What cruise line is "giving away" this cruise?

Norwegian. Istanbul to Venice.  9 days, beverage package, 3 specialty dining nights and wifi for $2400 for two people including gratuities for the perks. We thought that was a steal. We had a small credit which brought it down to $1000 each out the door.  We thought it was a homerun deal.

 

We just booked a mid summer 2021 cruise around Europe, Turkey, Greece, Croatia.

We can cancel 2 weeks before the trip for a credit but who knows what will happen with the flight if we need to cancel (not booking flight for a long time)

The flight costs more than the cruise so that's a real concern.

 

 I know it's all speculation but wondering  if people think mid 2021 will be on track, I'm thinking by then there will be a vaccine and any luck no issues. We're aware of the ship restrictions, Buffett ETC and are OK with that even though it kinda sucks 

 

They're practically giving away the cruise with ALL perks included.....we couldn't say no.

Full refund until late February

 

Jonny Rotten, we've been on lots of cruises and this past July might be one of the best. We met great people, the ports were amazing and the service great. You can look at cruises in our bio. If you want true luxury, I'd sail a luxury line like Seabourn, Crystal, Regent...but if you are looking for itinerary the Spirit can't be beat. There will be more party activities that a 21 year old might enjoy on NCL as opposed to a more laid back atmosphere. We've never sailed Celebrity but I've heard great things about the food. That could be a bad for you but food is so subjective so that's hard to predict. The cabins are showing some age but a dry dock is occurring this spring I believe.

As far as dress, shorts and flip flops are not permitted in one of the dining rooms or in Le Bistro so just choose that as your option the night you dress up.

We only used room service for the free breakfast in the morning. We filled water bottles to take ashore from the tap which was fine.

Thank you for the feedback.After much back and forth we booked the June 8th out of Rome on the Spirit.Our thing was "how often are we in Europe" never.We came here to see stuff not hang on the ship.I'm sure well be more than happy.Not a single day at sea and most ports don't leave till 7.So a shower dinner and a few drinks and we'll be sleeping and off to a new day.The ports look so amazingly fantastic it may just be the trip of a lifetime.Were more than OK with the smaller older ship...This is going to be a long year of waiting

This is great timing.We are booking European cruise this week.We narrowed it down to 2 cruises. NCL Spirt has the best ports and not a single day at sea(10 days) Celebrity Reflection has lesser desirable ports.We sailed Reflection and loved the classy grandeur of it. We are VERY concerned Spirit is small outdated and lack luster.

Things I've found out about spirit:

You need to pay for room service $8 each time

No bottled water unless you pay $2.50 each even with a drink package

It sounds like if you want lobster you need to pay extra which sounds crazy because the whole idea of a cruise is to eat your heart out.What does ALL inclusive Mean?? What other "hidden" things are there?

I get that Spirit is more laid back but if I'm dressed in slacks and a polo or a jacket and tie on captains night is it possible Ill be sitting next to someone in shorts and Flip Flops which would be weird?

These are the things stopping me from pulling the trigger on Spirit. Are my issues justified? I'm trying to give my 21 year old daughter a once in a lifetime "luxury wow factor" type trip

I understand the water and room service stuff is minimal but no one at NCL mentioned anything when I originally called and asked if there were any extras.I found out through my own research and only after I called back did they confirm it.With Celebrity everything is free.I ask these things because Ive only been on 2 cruises both with Celebrity and both were over the top.So I'm actually scared I'll be disappointed with Spirit.I'm not knocking Spirit as I've never cruised the ship.I guess I'm looking for reassurance the ship is over the top awesome before dropping a ton of money on the cruise plus the ridiculously overpriced flight...The good is easy..its good.Whats the bad?

Thanks guys! I appreciate all of the input!

 

May I ask a couple follow up questions...

 

This seems to be a hot/sensitive subject on the threads, but we are pretty casual people (not pajamas or anything like that in the dining room) but my husband is a shorts year round kind of guy. I understand Celebrity has a bit more a dress code than NCL. Will we fit in on Celebrity? :)

 

Also, we love people of all ages and love talking to anyone, but just wondering if there will be people our age on the ship? Just trying to get a feel for the general population of the ship?

 

I really do appreciate your help!

Dining Room for me was a polo shirt and slacks every night and fit in.Formal nights are a different story.I wore a brown jacket slacks shoes a button up shirt and tie.I thought I looked real good like I was going to a wedding. Out of the 100's in the room I was the only one not wearing black and most had full blown tuxedos.I wasn't renting a tuxedo for a week.I actually felt out of place walking to my table.So yes definitely a dress code at diner and nightlife at the bar.Like I said before.Its a classy type ship.I you went to the bar at night in shorts you would feel out of place.Daytime is a different story.I wore my bathing suite all day.The ship has an older crowd for sure.TONS of 60's and 70's but plenty in 30/40 /50 range as not to feel weird.Someone actually died on the ship LOL.Not many in there 20's.Who can afford a cruise in there 20's not many....This is for Celebrity

Hi there!

 

So sorry if there is thread somewhere with a similar question, but my husband and I are looking to go on a cruise to Hawaii next year and have found similar itineraries on the Norwegian Jewel and the Celebrity Solstice... Wondering if any of you have advice for us!

 

We have been been on one Norwegian cruise but never Celebrity yet. We are in our early 30's, love lazy sea days by the pool, enjoy trying new restaurants. We've read a ton of reviews on both ships and can't decide which we should do! :)

 

Any suggestions?? :)

 

We did a 12 day European cruise on Celebrity Equinox and a 7 day Caribbean on Celebrity Reflection.I have nothing to compare to but the service,ship,food was top notch.Classy would be the word I would use.We sat with the same people for the entire 12 days in in Europe.They were an older couple from England (70 ish) They said they've been on many cruises and thought the food was the best they ever had.Were 45/38 year old couple.Almost no kids at all on the ship made for a nice adult type cruise.