TiiiSailor

I was reading the Vasa Museum site and saw that you cannot tour the ship itself. The site said that except for the rare occasion or museum workers onboard visiting has never been allowed. I know that while on a business trip in 2004/5 we spent over an hour onboard the ship. We weren't special visitors. There were many other visitors on the ship. We all were wandering around, freely looking at everything. Maybe I was at the wrong website. Has anyone else been on the ship?

You see this in most European, Middle Eastern, and South American airports. Everyone I saw had a sign saying if TSA (or the local equivalent) removes the wrap for a security check, the original wrappers will rewrap the baggage. The reason everyone I talked to about having the wrapping done gave the same answer - pilferage once the bag is out of their sight.

I'm sure it will be good enough to sit outside on my Australia cruise in Radiance in December

If your itinerary takes you south of Australia or the southern half of New Zealand it may be a bit chilly. Not cold enough to prevent sitting out there, but your hot/warm food will cool off very quickly.

Tim

As terrible as I feel for the OP, I don't feel this is the TA's fault at all.

 

Should the TA have provided reminders? Yes...a good TA would do that. Even my PCC at HAL gives me a call 1-2 weeks before final payment to double-check with me on the timing of my payment and verifies the card to be used.

 

But it's not the TA's RESPONSIBILITY to remember when final payment is due. It's your vacation, the consumer should take some responsibility for making sure it happens.

 

Now, that being said, I would hope that IF the TA dropped the ball in not making those reminders, he/she will work as hard as possible to get the cruise back at the original rate.

 

My in-laws went through this years ago with an RCL cruise....a partial Panama on Brilliance. They were so excited, and about two weeks before contacted their TA because they were still waiting for their flight information to FL for embarkation. Imagine their surprise when the TA said their cruise had been cancelled because they didn't make final payment. They thought the TA was just going to use the credit card they provided for their deposit a year earlier, the TA was waiting for them to call and authorize payment. Total miscommunication and misunderstanding.

 

They were offered the chance to get on the cruise but again, at prevailing rates. They passed, and just re-booked for the following year at the same time. They accepted that it was partly their fault for not following up.

I hope they didn't use the same TA. TA's are paid by the cruise line because they're supposed to do some of the work for the line.

If the ban came to pass, the answer would be that you wouldn't take a laptop. You'd bring a tablet (so long as they remain allowed) or you'd rent a laptop at your destination if you really needed one. People will be very upset with this, but it seems like that's where we're heading.

TSA is actually discussing banning any electronics bigger than a cell phone, including tablets and digital cameras.

Per AARP:

Some states have raised privacy concerns, saying the ID requirements may produce information on individuals that can be compiled in a national database. “This is a game of intimidation being played out between Congress and the federal government and state governments, with ordinary citizens being squeezed in the middle,” Edward Hasbrouck of the Identity Project, a privacy advocate, told the New York Times in December.

quote]

 

This is not a valid concern. Yes, you are required to bring a lot of documents to prove you're a citizen and resident of the state issuing the Real ID license. The issuing authority reviews each required document for compliance, but nothing is copied or data from the documents entered into their computer.

That is true but don't call it an "Enhanced" license. It is a Real ID license.

Thanks. I had been also reading another article and contaminated my posting here with thoughts from the other reading.

Although Connecticut drivers licenses are not listed in the states that are not yet compliant, you must bring a lot of documentation when you renew your license to get a compliant, "enhanced" license. If you show up without all the documentation you have the option of returning at a later date with it all to receive a compliant license or just receive a non-compliant license.

Those that only travel by air once in a while will most likely miss this upcoming requirement and be in for a rude awakening when they do after this is implemented. Hopefully the airlines will have a notice/reminder when this starts.

That's a shame the 30 & 40 year olds were uncomfortable in the CL. We were on a 14 day cruise around New Zealand in March 2017 and used the CL. There were at least two couples in their 30's in the lounge that were part of the group each evening. One of the couples had three young children they were worried about bothering the others in the lounge. But to most of us it was like having well behaved grandchildren to talk to and watch have fun. The best night was when the children had been to a magic program during the day and wanted to show us their newly learned tricks.

I'd stick with it, I think you will be fine. Plus, along the way cabins are bound to become available, so if you keep an eye on it and find a cabin location you prefer, switch over.

 

I totally get it - the week I am sailing all suites bar a few JS were sold in under 24 hours!

Suites seem to be going fast these days. I booked our next cruise the second day it that particular cruise was open and only two GS's were left. I took one and the other was gone the third day.

A friend of mine had previously booked two cruises with some okay deals. They called their TA to take advantage of this third day free sale, and found out it would cost $1000 for one and $700 more for the other one. Need to watch these "sales" carefully. Sometimes they're nothing more than a marketing ploy.

You don't need a visa as long as you're on a RC excursion/tour. You will not be able to roam free in St. Petersburg WITHOUT a visa. (I'm booked too!)

It doesn't have to be a tour from RC. Any tour group licensed to give tours in St. Petersburg is the same as getting one from RC. The only time you need a visa is if you desire to go it on your own and walk around St. Petersburg.

Traveling in Australia/NZ will be the same as at home. RCL has onboard facilities if you want some time to yourselves. The only issue I'd see, is how does the baby do during long flights? Our flight home, the shorter of our trip to Australia was a 13 hour flight to San Francisco, a 3 hour layover, followed by another 5 hour flight to New York.

That does help! I'm sure something will change between now and next year :). When it comes to suite perks they are apparently different on each ship so it's difficult to determine what is available from the standard list of suite perks and there isn't much posted about Radiance specific perks. Thank you so much for the info!

Suite perks can vary based upon what suite you booked. We were in a GS and had all the perks listed: concierge lounge with continental breakfast, appetizers at lunch and dinner, "open" bar 4:30 - 8:00 PM (I put open in quotes because the drink selection was not as full as at the pay bars - but plentiful), a new benefit for Radiance - breakfast in Chops for GS, owner, and royal suite guests and pinnacle C&A (a nice small setting with personalized service), concierge to answer questions, make and change reservations for dinner, tours, etc., reserved balcony seating at the shows in the Aqua Theater until 15 min prior to the show (there was actually a member of the crew to check your sea pass card to ensure you were authorized to sit there), priority/head of the line boarding for tenders when leaving the ship, debarkation lounge prior to final debarkation at any time you desired (escorted off by the concierge), and a free tour of the bridge on a sea day. There may have been more, but those are the ones that stick out in my mind.

M&M onboard Radiance,14 Mar sailing out of Sydney, occurred the first sea day. Saw some unofficial discussion of the date in the roll call before we boarded, but received the official notification in the arrival paperwork in our stateroom. The M&M started with the assistant cruise director giving a short talk and the handing out of a gift (RCL notebook and pen) to all in attendance. Iced tea,lemonade and a tray of fruit and cheese were in the room. People that knew each other talked in groups, but no passing of the microphone to let those on the roll call get to match faces to the names. Talking to others at the M&M, and during the cruise, M&M success is helped by the crew participation to break the ice, but really comes down to the attendees getting around to mingle.

Can't judge the success or failure of this one, as I don't have any thing to compare it too. I had a good time and met a few people. So that was a good start.

I didn't buy a drink package, I got it free on NCL and even though I'm not a drinker it was nice to get whatever few drinks I did have free plus soda and everything else. I would choose a different package next time though.

To everyone else, thank you for the replies. Interesting information.

It wasn't free drinks. Everyone paid for the drinks in the cost of the cruise. So you having a few drinks over the length of the cruise paid for those that had many drinks a day and added to the profit (and there's nothing wrong with profit) made by the NCL.

Just like those on RCL that have access to the Suite, Concierge, and Diamond Lounges having "free" drinks. Those drinks are paid for in the cost of their suites or in the multiple cruises paid for to reach diamond status.

Excitedly, we walked down the hall searching for 1566, the Sir Francis Drake Suite. We couldn't wait to open up the door!

Do you have any menu pictures? I'm wondering if the menu's have different items than the Alaska cruises.

Thanks,

Tim

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I can understand the chair hogs being upset, but it's a little embarrassing for them to lash out when they are clearly in the wrong. You'd think they would slink away a little ashamed of trying to do what they did.

 

Tom

They're not ashamed in the least. It's their right to claim the chairs since they've paid for a cruise and should be treated like they own the whole ship.

I wonder if these people are just as rude when at home?

Haoie,

Thanks for the AAT feedback.

Tim

Haoie,

Would you post the menus and give details on the All Access Tour?

Thanks,

Tim

Wow! I didn't realize RCCL was hurting this much for money. If it's really from RCCL look out. There are enough people that will pay for the seemingly cheap path to all the perks that were previously earned. RCCL is fishing to see what the market will bear, as their ships are already sailing with mostly full ships. As long as the passengers will pay more, the prices will continue to rise.

I've only seen this when flying to the Galapagos Islands. About half way through the flight the attendants walk through the plane opening the overhead bins. Once they are all open they then walk through spraying into the bins over the passengers heads. My wife breathed through her scarf and I through the top of my undershirt. I think those actions gave us a false sense of protecting our lungs than doing much good.

We are considering a cruise that would include crossing the Tasman Sea. Friends of ours who have been avid cruisers have quit cruising since their experience on the Tasman Sea. Apparently it was horrible for them and they both swear they will never cruise again. :eek: These people have spent about 300 days cruising, and so they have some experience in varying conditions. They said that the have never ever experienced anything as rough and unpleasant as their Tasman Sea days. They are not shrinking violets either -- he is an Emergency Medical Tech, she is a psych nurse.

 

My husband and I are fairly okay with rough seas, but are concerned given our friends' experience and reaction.

 

I know weather is weather, and sea conditions are sea conditions. But this is a concern for me. Was their experience typical or an anomaly? Or is it just luck of the draw, how things might be for us if we do this cruise?

Take a look at the website in the below link. If you have more than a year before the crossing, you can check the seas for the period of time you'll be traveling. Then again it is weather and predicting always involves some percentages of error.

http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/charts/viewer/index.shtml?type=sigWaveHgt&tz=AEDT&area=Au&model=CG&chartSubmit=Refresh+View

Click the arrow above "Monday" and it will animate the wave height, going out a week in advance.

Tim

Cairn Mom,

I agree with you that most people, including me, come to this and other travel websites looking to make theirs or others travel experience better. What I've found is that there are postings that need to be overlooked for many reasons. I usually skip over a percentage of the top posts giving glowing reports and the bottom posts giving totally negative reports. Then look at the ones in the middle, still having to weed out the chaff.

In todays social media world too many posters use the ability to remain anonymous to go overboard. Someone wanting to post a little humor should also include an "LOL" or the such to let people know they are kidding.

Here's a link to a weather website that shows the current wave height and the predictions for the next week. I followed this through the past Feb/Mar time frame to get an idea of the type of seas we may experience next year. But then having spent almost 20 years going to sea in the navy I know why we would, kiddingly, call the meteorologists - weather guessers. They'd tell us if we didn't like the weather, just wait it will change soon. Once you get to the website, you can animate the screen to see the predictions for the next week.

http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/charts/viewer/index.shtml?type=sigWaveHgt&tz=AEDT&area=Au&model=CG&chartSubmit=Refresh+View

Tim

This is nonsense. The effectiveness of seasick medicine has ZERO to do with the direction of the waves. The medication helps the balance in your inner ear - that's what causes the dizziness and nausea. Meclizine is often handed out for free on board ship. The most important thing is to take the medication as soon as you begin to feel ill and lay down. It is important to eat- dry crackers,plain pasta, toast. An empty stomach will make it worse. Ginger ale is good, but too much fluid is not good. Ginger is reported to help with nausea.I take Bonine ( meclizine) every day,and my husband wears the transdermal scop patch. I hear the Tazmin sea is rough.Let me know we have this cruise booked for 2018.

Cairn Mom - After reading the different links about Australia and New Zealand, both here and other websites, I've learned to recognize the Australian/New Zealand sense of humor. :)