cowmilker

1 hour ago, sail7seas said:

 

 Your reasoning for having the shot   now   makes good sense and is sound  logic.   (  IMO)

 

It made sense for us.  Other people might come to a completely different decision. The important thing is knowing that when you go to a travel clinic (and it doesn't matter if it's Passport Health or any other clinic) you will get the information you need to make the best decision for you and your circumstances.

If you go to the CDC website (https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellow-fever-vaccination-clinics/state/kentucky), you'll see 41 places in Kentucky where you can get the YF vaccine.  The problem is that isn't true right now.  There are actually two places, and both of them are in Louisville.

That page is obviously not correct. 

The correct page is this one: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/search-for-stamaril-clinics

Our consultant said that the determination as to who got the Stamaril vaccine was made based on the sheer numbers of YF vaccines that had been given by any facility prior to the shortage. The higher-traffic clinics got Stamaril, the lower traffic ones (in Kentucky, that was 39 out of 41 clinics) did not.

We live in KY.  Our choices were two: either Passport Health or the University of Louisville's Travel Clinic. We chose the latter, even though there was hardly any difference in the price, solely because the U of L is not for-profit.

The consultant (a nurse-practitioner) went through everything with us in great detail. We are 70 and 80, and therefore could have gotten a waiver for the YF vaccine.  We opted to get the shots though. We are both healthy right now. Who knows what our health will be like two years from now and we thought it was a bad decision to effectively limit our access to the world over a shot. 

She gave us all the pros and cons, went over the risks we were facing either if we didn't get the shot, or if we did. The decision was ultimately ours to make.

The situation right now is that there is an acute shortage of the vaccine.  The one that has been through the FDA approval process is unavailable.  The substitute is made by the same company and is called Stamaril.  It has NOT been through the whole FDA approval process, and thus has provisional approval (or something like that). Stamaril is used all over the world except in the USA, but because we don't have our usual vaccine and are using Stamaril, well, that's caused a shortage of Stamaril.

The FDA restricted the places where you can get Stamaril.  This has been the situation for the last two years and our consultant believes it will probably be the situation for the next year or so.  Who knew it could take so long to build a new lab and make more vaccine, but that's the case.

In addition to Stamaril, we also got typhoid vaccines.

The cost was $75 for one of us (for the visit), and $50 for the other one.  The vaccines, however, were pricey. The total bill was $755.  That is cheaper than getting yellow fever, but still caused me to gasp slightly.  The good news is that once is forever.  In addition, we are getting TDAP tomorrow (we had to wait a full month to get that after the Stamaril) and at some point, Hep A (which has to be given in two doses), although those are available at pretty much any pharmacy. And in the fall, we'll get flu shots to boot (we've already had the pneumonia series).

We got our doses of Stamaril on July 19.  It's given subcutaneously (it's a live virus, which is why it can have some side effects) and does not hurt or make your arm sore.  A couple of days later, I ran a slight fever and had a pretty serious headache which lasted about 24 hours.  My husband had no side effects of any sort.  The risk of more serious problems is real, but very slight (and if you're under 60, the risk is very, very slight).

The last repositioning cruise we did ( Rome to Miami) cost us a whopping $37 pp pd (not including gratuities).  This was way less than airfare and ever so much nicer.  We'd just come off of two very port-intensive cruises in the Med and it was so nice to have all those sea days ending with a lovely day or two in Caribbean.

When I first started reading this forum, this subject was one of the first things I read about. I took everyone's advice. We always arrive at least one day early for a cruise, and only book a flight home (domestic) in the evening of disembarkation day.  Overseas, it's always overnight at least before leaving.

I know that a 14 day cruise really means 16 days minimum.  I factor that in when I book it.

It was the best advice and well worth the time I spent reading. I will always be grateful to those of you who stressed this over and over again.

I don't want the HSC included because it would make the cost of the cruise higher  and thus my insurance would be more expensive. I don't need to insure the cost of the HSC.  If I don't cruise, I won't be charged for it.

No thanks.

We did this in Civitavecchia  on three different ships. We went from HAL (20 days) to MSC (ugh - 7 days) to NCL (14 day TA).  It was all preceded by a week in Rome at an AirBnb.

It's no problem at all, even in Civi.  We did have to exit the port and go to the shuttle place with the tents, wait for the bus to the next cruise just like we'd never been on a cruise at all yet.  It was a little bit miserable on the day we went from HAL to MSC because it was pouring rain but that's something unavoidable.  There was a bit of time waiting for the Meraviglia that was anxiety-producing because they simply couldn't dock until mid-morning due to the weather.  There were real questions about whether or not the ship would dock at all, and the port people were all preparing us for the possibility that we'd have to be put on buses and sent to Naples.

We did it this way because the different ships went to different ports. There were only two overlaps (Barcelona and Marseille.)  The combination made for a very thorough cruise  (!!!)  of the Mediterranean followed by a wonderful relaxing TA to Miami.

We did the Kdam in the Med last fall.  It was our first cruise with HAL (NCL before that).

We loved the Koningsdam and HAL, so much that we're booked for two more cruises this fall/winter (including the 77 day trip around South America).  Kdam is a little bigger than we prefer, but it's still great.

You'll have a super time.

I find this fascinating. We live in KY and it gets hot here in the summer. Our A/C is set at 78 degrees all summer long.  We never move it.

We haven't left during the summer, so we've never faced the issue of what to do with the A/C, but I suspect we'd run it way up, or even turn it off entirely if we were going to be gone for a long time.  A/C is not necessary to keep your house from falling apart (we lived without it for a very long time).

And oddly enough, we spent 10 years living in Alaska, so we're not exactly hot weather lovers.

Winter is another story. We're leaving this winter in mid-Dec and not returning until late March. I'm trying to figure out where to set the heat pump.  In AK, we had a temperature sensor that would turn on a light in a window visible by our nearest neighbor if the temperature in the house went below wherever we set it.  And we'd set it LOW (like 45 degrees or so), just enough to be sure that the pipes didn't freeze.   This time, we have a friend who will be at our house daily to care for livestock, and he'll check the house, but there is still no need for it to remain warm.

It's working fine for me.

Just now, TriumphGuy said:

Your broker probably doesn't like it because he doesn't make much money on a 100 share trade. But you reap the benefit of up to $250 OBC, for every cruise you take. Have to add that into your ROI. 

Nah, he wasn't enthused because Schwab has CCL listed as a hold, not a buy. But lots of other sources list it as a buy and even a strong buy.  With our potential in dividend and OBC income, the stock value has a long way to dip before we're hurt at all - and I just don't see that happening in the near future.

In addition, we have most of our investments in managed accounts and can't just buy whatever we want using them. I bought the shares in a separate account.  I managed all our investment stuff for many years, but we finally succumbed to managed accounts because I tend to obsess and life is too short for that.

I just bit the bullet and bought 100 shares the other day. I'd been watching and waiting and figured that it was as low as it was likely to go (which means the bottom will almost certainly fall out, because I am not a soothsayer).

With as many cruises as we have booked at present and looking at the several we want to book for later on, and factoring in the dividend, it just seemed like a no-brainer.

Our broker didn't like the idea, but after discussing it with him, I just went ahead and did it myself and didn't ask anymore.  LOL

11 hours ago, sevenseasnomad said:

  We have enjoyed each dinner in the PG, but we also find the main dining room more than adequate in choices and quality, although during recent cruises we have noticed a large cutback in the portion size.  

This is really a very good thing.  When we first started cruising, my primary care physician read me the riot act. He was horrified that I would come home having gained weight after every cruise. He gave me a lecture about portion control, about how I didn't have to eat every time food was placed in my field of vision, and how he wanted me to walk that deck for a reasonable length of time after every meal, no exceptions.

I took his advice to heart and came home weighing not a single ounce more.

But one thing I learned on that cruise was that what I saw as tiny portions was plenty of food.  I knew I could get two servings if I wanted, but his words were ringing in my ears and I didn't and then I realized I didn't need them.

I came home and began to adopt "cruise ship portions" at home.  I still don't lose weight on a cruise, but neither do I gain any.  And due to "cruise ship portion control" combined with the treadmill, I've lost 50 pounds. 

23 minutes ago, Hawaiidan said:

This is standard practice with  ALL the CCL corp lines  even Seaborne     The fare  they advertise does not include port charges and taxes and are subject to change.     ....Its how they suck in bargain shoppers who are attracted by a low price..  Not reading the fine print.       You sign up with any CCL  corp line  they are rubber rates and you agree to it in their contract....  Sorry 

Other Cruise lines give a firm total all inclusive price and what you pay is set in stone... its guaranteed.

Uh, no.

https://www.ncl.com/faq/cruise-fare-includes

Your cruise fare with NCL does NOT include port taxes etc.  It's stated clearly that it does not.

7 hours ago, Hawaiidan said:

You have a good point..If you use nothing but the main dining room and buffet and drink Lemonade and Ice tea..i f you can  have the discipline...    and go bare bones...   your right. 

.       

And that is exactly what we do. We book inside guarantee cabins. If we want a glass of wine, we buy it. Occasionally, we purchase a wine package.  We've once (on a TA) booked the spa for that portion of the cruise.  If I want a cocktail, I buy it.  We've never eaten in a specialty restaurant and unless it's free, we never will.

It's not about discipline. It's about the fact that neither of us need all those extra things, and we can cruise way more often and for way longer if we don't buy everything in sight and if we keep the dollar/per/day figure down.  We're perfectly happy in an inside cabin. We've been upgraded twice to OV cabins and they're nice but neither of us is willing to pay any sort of big bucks for that, and certainly not for a balcony.

We tend to DIY when it comes to ports, and have only ever taken one ship's tour, ever. We do private tours if it's warranted, but look for a way to DIY first.

I suspect we're not alone.

11 hours ago, iflyrc5 said:

It was more than swearing - it was a lot of vulgar and sex related language.  Certainly not family friendly and we did have about 6 kids in the audience.  The CD should have stopped the show.

Ah, well, thank you for clarifying that. It's hard to judge stuff like that without knowing exactly what was said, since what offends some people is not offensive at all to others (and vice versa, sometimes).  I suspect that some people would refer to me as "vulgar."  🙂

I absolutely love PMJ.  I'd be on the front row.

It's just different stuff for different people.

And I swear, a lot.  So I wouldn't be offended in the slightest by swearing.

5 minutes ago, HAL4NOW said:

 

I have seen a couple YouTube videos that take you all away around the promenade deck on the Koningsdam and the changes seem to be a toss-up for me. Since I generally used the promenade deck to walk and enjoy the scenery near the water, I won't miss the loungers, but I think I will miss the unobstructed views that are more prevalent on the smaller ships.

I have walked around that promenade deck on the Kdam a whole lot (enough to rack up 15,000 steps on sea days) and it was fine.  Yes, there are some narrow places and you have to sort of maneuver around people from time to time, and it's always nice when everyone walks in the same direction (!!), but you see plenty of ocean. 

9 hours ago, Btimmer said:

We board the Maasdam next week for a long voyage and I'll be blogging daily and will share my honest impressions of what happens there.  I think I'm pretty level headed, and the EXC program has really been hit and miss.  I miss Dr. Carey and the crew from the FLL to Polynesia cruise last year, really like Kevin and Lance and Ross in their roles that we observed.

 

BTW, my blog address is http:// timmerseattletosydney2019.blogspot.com

 

Tim

Tim, your link doesn't work.  I tried everything I could think of, including removing the space you have before the word "timmer".  Still nothing.

Okay, I tried this 

https://timmerseattletosydney2019.blogspot.com/

and it worked.  🙂

Okay, I spent a bit of time on the phone with my TA who also was on the phone with HAL, and he managed to come up with a price revision that saves us very close to 25% of the original price (and I'm factoring in the extra OBC).  Honestly, I think it's enough money to pretty much pay for any spending we'll do off the ship, and our OBC will more than cover gratuities.

I fiddled around with the idea of txing to a different cruise (a little shorter and a good bit cheaper) but because of the dates involved, we'd have spent our savings on land killing time while waiting for embarkation on our second, bigger cruise.

I think we can live with this.  (12/18 sailing)

At this point, I'm sort of tired of thinking about it.  LOL

Anytime dining is all we've ever done.  You just walk up to the desk like you would in any restaurant anywhere on land. They'll ask for your card, and scan it, and then ask you if you'd like to share a table.  Say either yes or no.  Then you're shown to your table (or perhaps there is a brief wait, but we've never had to wait for long).

As far as time is concerned, it's "anytime." 

🙂

And we've never made a reservation so I really don't know how that works.

That is exactly what we had to do with NCL.  We kept our same cabin, didn't have to pack or move anything, but we had to leave the ship briefly.

Frankly, it was a good feeling to do that.  Everyone else was leaving (poor people!!) and we were the lucky few who were staying on board.  LOL

We did the same thing, awhcruiser.  Lots of times cruises are offered as one long trip or broken into segments and can be booked that way.

But I'm getting ready to book three B2B cruises, on the same ship, that are not segments but truly separate cruises. I assume when I do this that I will pay three separate down payments and have three different booking numbers.  If that is the case, then I will assume that everything else, including wine bottles, will be treated as three different cruises. If not, I will be finding out why. 🙂

I don't know about HAL, as I've never done it, but when we've done this before (NCL) we got new key cards for each of the B2Bs (we did four of them).

1 hour ago, penaddict said:

Is decaf coffee available? Also what type of sugar free packets are available?

Yes. My husband drinks it and never has a problem getting it.  I often get decaf tea as well.  We use Splenda, so I know it's available.

In addition, our local weather forecast is spot on most of the time. We live in farm country and raise cattle and we notice the weather a LOT. It matters to us. We pay attention to it. Weather forecasters do a fabulous job.

But as Happy pointed out, weather is not climate.

3 hours ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

 

In Christianity, worship is the act of attributing reverent honor and homage to God.^[1] In the New Testament, various words are used to refer to the term worship. One is proskuneo ("to worship") which means to bow down to God or kings.^[2]

Throughout most of Christianity's history, corporate Christian worship has been liturgical, characterized by prayers and hymns, with texts rooted in, or closely related to, the Scripture, particularly the Psalter; this form of sacramental and ceremonial worship is still practiced by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican churches, as well as some Protestant denominations such as Lutheranism and Methodism. In Evangelicalism, worship is viewed like an act of adoration of God, with a more informal conception.

 

Have you heard of right to assemble peacefully , freedom of speech or freedom of religion ? They were written to protect people like us from people like you who would restrict or eliminate those rights if given the chance . HAL does business in America and is subject to the same laws . I worship in private and in public and have the right to protest  something if I don't like it the same as you , hence this thread that you are writing on .  But I'm not trying to restrict your freedom as you are ours . There are many groups that HAL endorses by giving them space and time to meet and allows the people to know When and Where to meet that are not for profit so it's not only about profit . God help all if cruising becomes only about profit .

 

 

 

 I don't see anyone trying to restrict anyone's religious expression at all.

HAL is not a religious organization. It's a business.  If they choose to assist you in your choice of religious expression, well, that's great.  If they don't, well, it's their choice.  Should they offer prayer mats and calls to prayer for Muslim passengers?

The laws doesn't have anything to do with this.