drsel

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

The issue with Princess (and most cruise lines) is that when you set-up your online account (which is become a necessity) they generally ask for your full mailing address.  And even if that was not required, you will need to use your address when you enter a credit card.  The Princess "Ocean Ready" app requires your zip code when adding any credit card.

I am not sure how my Aussie friend deals with the credit card issue and I cannot reach him at this time.  

Hank

can't you choose to pay by cash and avoid giving your credit card information ?

16 minutes ago, YourWorldWithBill said:

No. Well, I'm trying to give a simple answer. No agent has ever checked the address or even studied the passport. The check in is actually done by scan of the page with your picture.

Thanks what about Princess, is it the same?

On 7/9/2023 at 9:32 PM, Hlitner said:

That may or may not be the case on a specific booking.  There is a lot of competition here in the USA, and this means different agencies (especially so-called discount cruise agencies) sometimes offer different deals.  There are times when an agency will offer pre-paid gratuities and/or generous on board credits (OBCs).  On some cruises our perks (tips and OBCs) have been in the thousands of dollars.  That is why we have long suggested that wise cruisers "shop around" among multiple high volume reputable cruise agencies.

 

There are also some cruise lines (HAL is one example) that may have restrictions on cruisers, from outside North America, booking with a North American agency.  We have an Australian friend who is a very frequent HAL cruiser.  Aussies are not normally permitted to book HAL cruises through North American agencies.  But our friend simply uses a Canadian address (it belongs to a friend) for his bookings in order to get the much better deals and he has been doing this for many years.

Hank

This is one of the important terms and conditions mentioned on the booking invoice by a US travel agent--

NON-US/CANADIAN CLIENTS READ IMMEDIATELY:

The following cruise lines, HOLLAND AMERICA, OCEANIA, PRINCESS, MSC and COSTA now prohibit all travel agencies located in the United States from selling cruises to citizens of certain countries other than the United States and Canada, UNLESS they have a residence in the U.S. or Canada at the time of purchase and can provide documentation of such.

Also, your past passenger account number must have a US address listed in the cruise line record.

PLEASE BE ADVISED, if you do not meet these requirements, the cruise line and / or (US travel agents name) will cancel your booking and any penalties will be solely your responsibility, and (US travel agent) will not bear any costs or responsibilities.

When you booked this reservation, you checked (online bookings) you were a US or Canadian resident and / or citizen; or you gave your booking agent (phone bookings) a US or Canadian address.

If you now have a residence in the US or Canada but your past passenger record at the cruise line does not, it is your responsibility to change it, or the cruise line will cancel your booking when they check your past passenger information against this reservation and have the right to assess a penalty.

11 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

I think the only problem with HAL would be that you would be issued a different 'Mariner Number' for the US address and lose out on any benefits already accrued. 

Passport details are not required for making a booking and only for check in.  But not all those living in US have US passports, so I do not see a problem there.  At check in the agents are only checking that you have a valid passport, it is not an interrogation.  As a fallbacky ou could send a mail (post) to yourself at the friend/relative's US address and ask them to mail you back the stamped envelope, which you could keep in your wallet as 'proof' of living at US address.

Looks like a good idea,  but I'm not sure if the HAL agents will ask for any US address proof at the time of boarding.

(Maybe any non North American who has sailed on HAL can enlighten us)

On 7/9/2023 at 9:32 PM, Hlitner said:

There are also some cruise lines (HAL is one example) that may have restrictions on cruisers, from outside North America, booking with a North American agency.  We have an Australian friend who is a very frequent HAL cruiser.  Aussies are not normally permitted to book HAL cruises through North American agencies.  But our friend simply uses a Canadian address (it belongs to a friend) for his bookings in order to get the much better deals and he has been doing this for many years.

Hank

What if a passenger from a country outside North America books a Holland America cruise with a North American travel agent 

BUT 

His passport clearly mentions his/her address outside North America?

Then how can he use the North American address of a friend or relative on the booking ?

It will be completely different from the address on his passport!

29 minutes ago, Mike981 said:

I've never thought about it this way.

I am also looking for that unicorn. For me; in today's world when things can go sideways in an hour, I need more help than I did in the past. For my next trip I am doing it solo, but I plan to connect with someone at Celebrity to at least have a contact person.

If you want a high discount travel agent or you want to use the bidding site to find one, then you have to be sure which particular cruise and cabin you want.

You can't just say

"I want a Mediterranean Cruise, which one do you recommend?"

because there are hundreds to choose from.

Even the choice of cabin is your personal decision, the agent cannot decide for you.

However there is a website which ranks the Cruises according to price per day including port fees and taxes. 

If you book through a travel agent then the cruise line has to pay that agent 10 to 16% of the commissionable base fare.

In which case, the cruise line representative will not help you .

you have to talk with the travel agent only

20 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

I think she did, he just doesn’t like the answer 

Yes you are right, she decided that she will miss the first cruise and join me for the second one. (back to back, same cabin same ship, different itinerary)

But I am still trying to convince her to follow the good advice of so many on this group and give early deliveries (12 days earlier) in zip lock plastic pouches in sealed containers, so as to keep the marzipan fresh.

I also requested her to make some marzipan now and taste it everyday and see if there is any change in taste or appearance over 12-14 days.

Thanks everyone for your valuable advice and good wishes  🙏

38 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

This sounds incredibly condescending.

OP prefers to have his money "work for him", rather than what...? needing to "work so hard for money", as his wife needs to do?

Wow

She doesn't *need to*, but she wants to work so hard, because it gives her self satisfaction and fulfillment 

19 minutes ago, CunucuMom said:

Sounds like you had some compelling reasons (not your fault) to book the March 2024 sailing.  That said, you've received several wise suggestions in this thread and it seems you lean towards prioritizing your wife's business over the opportunity to travel together.  If that's the case, enjoy a wonderful cruise and hopefully your next vacay will fit both of your schedules. 

Thanks.

She is planning to miss/waste the first cruise and fly to Sydney alone to join me for the 2nd Cruise.

29 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

It’s not clear exactly when the OP’s wife knew what.
 

In any event, what I find rather astonishing is that the OP actually booked these cruises without first discussing them with his (or her) wife and having it be a joint decision. (If I’m mistaken about that, I hope the OP will correct me.) I know everyone’s marriage is different, but my wife and I plan our trips together; I can’t imagine booking a trip unilaterally. 

Okay so it's a little complicated.

these 2 Carnival Cruises were booked in 2019 along with a Princess cruise from Brisbane.

Both Carnival & Princess cancelled all 3 cruises due to covid.

And all 3 were rescheduled for 2022.

And then (only) Princess again cancelled 2022 and offered a lift and shift of the same itinerary to Mar 2023.

So we had to also change the 2 Carnival Cruises to just before the Princess cruise in Mar 2023, because we can't visit Australia twice in 2022 & 2023.

And then Princess again cancelled 2023 and offered a lift and shift to April 2024 with 5 nights extra thrown in for free. 

So we again had to transfer the 2 Carnival Cruises to March 2024, just before The Princess cruise left Brisbane to go to Tokyo.

It had to be in Mar 2024, else the holiday would be too long

But Carnival had a deadline for using the FCCs on cancelled Cruises and that deadline was October 2022.

32 minutes ago, 2wheelin said:

OK, I’ll take the opposite view to most of you. She knew about the cruise before expanding her business. It may have been the logical thing to do to her but that’s on her. It’s up to her to be more flexible and work with you to find a solution. If her business is that important to her, she should not be upset if she won’t accept any of the many perfectly logical solutions. It then is not unfeeling of him to go alone if he is comfortable with that.

And I would say the same if it were the husband who did not want to leave his work or business. We see that all the time where the wife goes alone because he needs to work.

I feel sorry for her because she works so hard for her money, (it's takes a lot of effort to stir the marzipan and a lot of skill for the artistic decoration) ;

while I prefer to make money work for me.

The giant online Travel agents earn 10-16% commission only on the commissionable basic Cruise fare, excluding port fees and taxes.

The exact amount depends on their volumes.

They usually give the customer 6 to 10% of this commission as a discount or onboard credit.

10% discount or onboard credit would be given to customers booking the most expensive cabins while 6% would be for an inside cabin.

So I recommend a travel agent who will give you 6 to 10% discount or on board credit out of the commission received as well as provide free cancellation and free changes to your Cruise

8 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

So Easter falls at the end of your cruise. 

 

What I meant was, go ahead and test her sweets /make a dozen of them so you can each test one a week for six weeks.  Then you'll have solid knowledge about how long they "stay good".  You can't go wrong by testing /knowing.  

I am sure they will be quite okay to eat,  because Christmas marzipan has lasted more than a month anyway inside the fridge;

but she doesn't want them to sweat when taken out of the fridge.

8 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

 But the biggest question was the first one I asked:  Has she already accepted orders for Easter 2024?  

No she accept orders 20 days prior only

Easter falls during the second Cruise.

See accepts orders only 20 days prior to Easter

24 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Thoughts:

 

Has she already accepted orders for Easter 2024?  If not, you have no problem!  Just don't accept orders.  Her regular customers may be disappointed that their favorite treats aren't available, but her reputation will not be damaged.  If her business is growing as you say, people will still want sweets in future Easters.  

 

If she has already accepted orders, let's think about timing:  When would you need to fly out vs. when is Easter?  Surely you're not talking about more than a week.  If she delivers /ships them the day before y'all leave (along with a note about storing them in the refrigerator), they should still be good.  

 

Your wife says they need to be last-minute fresh (and she knows the ingredients), whereas another poster here says they should be good for six weeks.  You need to NOW, while you have ample time to make decisions, test the product!  Have her make up a dozen of her Eater candies and taste them ... one each week for six weeks.  The she will know what happens to the quality over the course of several weeks.  

 

Last thought:  With business growing, has she considered taking on a partner for busy holiday times?  She could train someone to use her methods ... or she could do the preparation /store them in your refrigerator and hire someone JUST to manage di

It's only a matter of 12 days before Easter, not 6 weeks

27 minutes ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

I have to ask the question, didn't you know about the cruise/Easter conflict before you booked?  Because I'm pretty sure the date of Easter didn't change.😉

I didn't realise that it was clashing with Easter.

Many years ago we holidayed during Easter, but at that time she used to get orders only for Christmas sweets.

So almost all of December we are at home for the main Christmas season 

11 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

 

This assumes that she isn't better than her competitors. Your claim is that she makes the best cakes and sweets. Her customers wouldn't abandon her because she missed one holiday. And frankly, people who use small and locally owned businesses understand that they aren't big corporations that can hire people to work 24/7.

 

It's your money. It strikes me as odd that you would have scheduled a cruise during a holiday if that's her busiest time. It makes me wonder if this business didn't exist 2 years ago when you booked it. She may be taking undue pressure on herself for what seems to be a very seasonal business. 

Actually her business is growing.

2 years back it was mainly Christmas sweets. 

Easter orders only increased this year 2023, so she expects even more orders in 2024.

Since last Christmas she told me not to put any ads on WhatsApp groups anymore, because she has enough orders and limited capacity 

16 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

. Advising her customers many months ahead that she will be unavailable for Easter orders might be a little disappointing but would certainly give them time to make other arrangements.. 

This is what she would never do.

she does not want to lose her customers to another competitor

8 minutes ago, mrgabriel said:

I completely understand your wife wanting to maintain the integrity of her business. It's her reputation. 

 

I would hope that my husband would take the  hit on OBC and travel with me. And check the calendar before booking the next cruise. (BTW - this is a constant issue in our household. One books something at a time when the other one can't go and we then have to scramble to change plans.)

We all need to enjoy life to the fullest BEFORE we run out of good health or time, both of which are inevitable and a certainty

19 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

This is still several months away. Why not take on an assistant in the meantime that she can teach the recipes to? If this business is so important to her that she would rather miss a cruise than disappoint her customers, having someone to assist if there is an illness or injury would be a good investment. 

Actually her mother is an expert at making marzipan and taught her everything.

Her mother is available to make marzipan, but is unable to write the fine wordings and decoration which is so important for presentation.

She also hires three maids to assist her, but they are not able to manage without her.

26 minutes ago, ShipsandDipper said:

This would be my vote.  My relationship with my husband is worth more than $900 Aus. worth of cruise credit. And I would be VERY unhappy with a spouse who booked a cruise that conflicted with one of my two busiest times at work, called my business a “silly reason” to not cruise (rather belittling), and went without me.  

She says that she will fly alone to Sydney  and join me for the second Cruise 8 days later, but 4 days before Easter.

She says she can manage to deliver the marzipan orders 4 days before Easter, but not 12 days before Easter.

But I would love her to be with me for both the cruises, because it will be boring to Cruise alone (1st cruise) and also a waste of her cruise ticket + $80 penalty 

55 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

So this is not an economic decision.  I understand growing a business especially one that requires unique creative and intellectual skills.  Have you actually talked to someone at the cruise line?  I have been able to switch weeks penalty free.  You might want to try. 

Yes my agent and I had a 3 way conference call with a Carnival manager.

All FCCs had to be utilised /applied to any Cruise booked by December 2022 and sailing before Mar 31, 2024.

Hence, in Dec 2022 I booked this Cruise in March 2024 which was the last month for using FCCs .

6 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

How important to your lifestyle is that seasonal marzipan income?

Good point ☝️

it is not so much the income, but the importance of giving the freshest products to her customers.

If they are not fresh, it would harm her business and reputation.

She gets a lot of fulfillment and satisfaction by being in demand for cake and sweet orders for Christmas and Easter, because she makes the best sweets with less sugar and more nuts

Princess is excellent, if available 

5 hours ago, TiredTrucker said:

 

The auto gratuity is slightly more expensive, as is the initially ticket cost, to go NCL.  The cost of the "free" perks appear cut-and-dry at $350 for the beverage for each room that takes it, and $35 for the dinner package.  We are fine with these charges.  However, if there are charges I'm missing please point them out.

 

On Carnival there are no included dining at all so we would pay full price if we indulged in that, in addition to gratuities.  And while the Carnival Cheers is arguably the better drink package the cost would be more than double what we will pay for the "free" one on NCL, and we can't drink enough to make it worth taking at that point.  Carnival does let you bring cans of soda and juice onboard and I do appreciate that.  The consensus does sound like Panorama is a "funner" ship, and I do understand that's subjective.  I think the onboard music options on NCL are more to my interests, as is the decor and overall look of the staterooms, and more laid back attitude and international dining options (as well as 2 "free" specialty dinners).  Meanwhile my wife and kids are possibly more interested in the lively Carnival atmosphere and having more included onboard eateries to choose from at any given moment.

 

Decisions, decisions.  But as this is our first cruise and we have no firm expectations going into it so I'm sure either choice is going to be a fun experience.

You will certainly enjoy both cruises.

if I were you I would try to do both of them after spending so much on airfare.

however if you don't have the time, then I would choose the one which is easier on the pocket.

Royal Caribbean Navigator is better than both, but unfortunately it's not available.

You don't need to pay for the Carnival cheers package

These alcoholic packages are more profitable for the cruise line

6 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

Does she *personally* need to do the deliveries, and right ON Easter, or "how many days before"?

Couldn't she have an assistant, even if a very temporary "assistant", do the deliveries on the "appropriate" day(s)?

She couriers the orders or the customers come and pickup.

She says she can't deliver marzipan eggs, bunnies etc 12 days prior to Easter because her customers need to gift them to family and friends on Easter Sunday itself.

Hence they will not be fresh after 12 days, and she will ruin her reputation and goodwill