Shorex

Packing folders here. My husband uses them for long sleeve shirts. They come out of the folder ready to wear. I use a smaller size for my Columbia shirts that I use for shore excursions

By now it's clear that some travelers love them, and some don't. I'm in the "don't leave home without them" category. My bag for checking on the plane is actually designed to perfectly fit the ebags cubes. Couldn't be simpler. Rather than try to explain how they make my packing and unpacking more efficient, have a look at some of these youtube videos. Here are a few, or search youtube for yourself.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8Aw-DNzbCo

 

 

 

 

But just to ram home a point...........

Most cruise lines are very crafty about their phraseology, they tell you that you need a visa to go ashore on your own (true) but that you don't need a visa if you book a ship-sponsored tour (also true).

What they fail to tell you is that you can go ashore visa-free for a tour pre-booked with one of the many excellent local govt-approved tour operators.

 

Princess is slightly different. They don't mess with crafty phraseology - they simply lie by saying that the only way to go ashore visa-free is by taking a Princess tour. Grossly untrue, and they know it !!

 

You do have to pre-book, because the tour ticket that the local tour operator e-mails to you (or the ship's tour ticket that's given to you aboard the ship) gets you through immigration without a visa.

You don't have to pay with your booking - the local operators trust you, you pay (USD or roubles or plastic) during the tour.

 

Note that you can only go ashore visa-free for the tour/s that you've booked. A tour ticket for day one won't get you through immigration on day 2.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=192

 

JB :)

 

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Thanks for this very specific clarification of the facts regarding visas for Russia. This subject comes up over and over as cruisers going to Russia for the first time make inquiries. Some years ago there was a back-and-forth on the Crystal board because a first time Crystal, first time Russia cruiser could not get a straight answer from Crystal customer service on whether she needed a visa to take private tours. It became clear that the phone agent was simply following instructions. That's yet one more example of the value of experienced posters like you on cruise critic -- someone else has already done the detective work.

The bottom line here is your definition of "best." Does it mean cheapest? That generates one set of responses. Does "best" mean total hand holding? That generates a different set of responses. Help us out here - tell us what "best" means to you.

Best is booking air directly with the airline. That way you have complete control over your reservation and there is no middleman. Cheapest may (or may not be) to use some iteration of "cruise air." In that case the "cruise air" department acts as your travel agent - a middleman.

It's a stupidly phrased question that make you guess at what question they are actually asking. Personally, I would respond with "this question must have been written by Franz Kafka, because only he would understand the answer." There is no answer that makes sense to a nonsensical question.

By George, I think I've got it. The message isn't "avoid AA for cruises." The underlying message is "be a smart educated consumer, understand the terms and conditions of what you are purchasing, and be willing to accept the consequences of those terms and conditions." And even better - that same message applies not only to air, but also to your cruise ticket, your travel insurance policy, your hotel, your excursions, and so much more.

Right now it's merely political gamesmanship. Nothing for anyone to fret about - just watch and wait. Speculating how cruise lines would handle visas for EU countries if visas are ever required is just too many layers of speculation to bother with.

Yes, they do routinely report. There is a threshold amount for reporting. The ship will obey to law as to this situation. Customs officials have latitude as to whether to charge you for exceeding your exemption -- the one you encountered let it go.

 

"Duty free" goods that you purchase on the ship simply means the store on the ship did not have to pay import duty or some taxes, so they can offer a lower price to you than you would get at a department store at home, who would pay duty and pass the additional cost on to you. It is a common misconception a duty free purchase means you are not required to declare the items to US customs, or to pay an appropriate amount if you are beyond the exemption allowance.

 

A few years ago we were on the final segment of a world cruise where a lady spent about $10k on jewelry at the ship store. She was shocked, shocked that the ship disclosed the purchase to customs and she had to pay. Lesson learned.

Cognitive therapy. Not being facetious. You get " dizzy and nauseous just thinking of the ship." Cognitive therapy.

 

From WebMD

 

"Cognitive therapists believe that the way we think shapes our emotions. If we expect the worst to happen and routinely focus on the negative, this can become a self-fulfilling prophecy."

To allow this, Choice Air would have an incredibly foolish business model. Who knows? Call and ask.

Like the stock market, past performance does not predict future weather results. Be prepared with layers for wind and rain, and enjoy the weather as it comes.

Do not under any circumstances wait until arrival and then just get a taxi into Bangkok. You will be ripped off to an astounding degree. Look at Trip Advisor or just google "Laem Chabang to Bangkok private transfer". One such company is My Driver, owned by Sixt, a reliable company we have used in several locations, both domestic and international.

It's true that Thanksgiving day is a better day for flying than the day before. Every point of airport contact, i.e., parking/drop off, check-in, bag drop, security, and boarding will be very crowded on Wednesday - even in the late afternoon. However, most of the time all those masses of people do make their flights. Just plan on arriving at the airport earlier than you normally would and expect long lines.

 

Your other option would be to kennel the dogs on Wednesday and fly on Thursday. I would recommend making a final decision sooner rather than later. Last year we flew on Thanksgiving day having purchased tickets about 9 months ahead. By September the prices for our air tickets had tripled and hotel rates had also increased significantly.

Now that you have received advice from the medical experts on this forum, you can talk to your pharmacist or medical provider and get professional advice.:)

 

Spot on. When I need a medication I don't take a poll of random strangers to see what they prefer.

Addressing but one of the various issues raised by the OP:

 

The question of "who gets the refund" pops up with some regularity on this board.

 

A poster on Quora provides a clear explanation of why Cruise Air (who is acting as your travel agent) gets any refund, not the passenger. Essentially it's "follow the money." The passenger pays the third party agent (Cruise Air), the third party agent pays the airline. Any refund flows from the airline back to the paying third party agent, and from there to the passenger - because the travel agent "owns" the reservation.

 

This except is from an answer to the question: "Are you better off booking flights directly through the airlines, rather than [a third party]?"

 

"The root-cause reason to book with the airline is a feature of airline reservations — somewhere between a technical and policy attribute — that a reservation has an “owner” (usually the person who created it or the last person to edit it). No one but the “owner” can edit the reservation, or transfer control to someone else, or perform certain administrative actions like cancelling a trip or issuing a refund.

You’ve seen the risks of this “ownership” model if you have ever called an airline and said “hey, my flight is delayed, can you book me on another one?” or “hey, my plans changed, I need to change this trip” and they have replied “I see you booked this through a travel agent, we don’t own this reservation and cannot edit it, please contact them”."

 

The entire response is worth a read if you want to be more educated on the pros/cons of using a travel agent such as Cruise Air.

Take one Seabourn cruise and you'll never want to go back to Celebrity. If you have air to accommodate either cruise, then you could spend a few extra days in either Barcelona or Rome.

 

On Seabourn there is no tipping, no extra charge for any specialty restaurant, some dishes designed by Thomas Keller, open bars (no charge), free flowing wine at dinner (no charge), in suite frig stocked with your preferences (no charge), a deck party like none you've ever seen before, and more.

 

Yes, the Med is port intensive and it is a personal decision. Mine would be Seabourn, hands down. Full disclosure: we've done eight cruises on Seabourn, one on Celebrity, even so, Crystal is our preferred line. But we would be happy to be on any Seabourn ship anywhere.

I agree with the other posters that, as a citizen of the UK (or US) you may take advantage of the 144 hour visa free entry into China (Shanghai) with the intent of taking a cruise (within 144 hours) from Shanghai where the first port is not in China.

 

1. You should have your cruise tickets handy when you check into your China bound flight. You will need to prove to the airline check-in desk that you are eligible for the visa free entry. You do this by presenting your ongoing cruise tickets.

 

2. When you land in Shanghai, go to the immigration desk at the far right of the big hall. You will see a large sign that reads in English "144 hour transit visa." Don't waste time in any other line. Once again be prepared to show your cruise tickets proving that you will be leaving via cruise ship within 144 hours. If I remember correctly, even for that line we had to complete a form. (Also have your hotel information at the ready.) A stern faced immigration officer will carefully inspect your documents, and with a show of reluctance, wave you through.

 

Cruise lines will shy away from giving definitive information because visa requirements change rapidly, a general answer may not apply to your specific situation, and they do not want the liability if they provide a wrong answer.

 

One more confirmation of the process (do read the details):

 

Shanghai General Station of Immigration Inspection

Your ship's daily newsletter (whatever it is called) will tell you the latest time to be on board. Generally, it is 1/2 hour before sailing if the ship is docked. It may be 1 hour before sailing if the ship is tendering. Independent excursion companies are mostly cognizant of getting you back to the ship on time. You will not know with certainty until you are on board the vessel.

Now for seat assignments for the trans Atlantic. If you are on AF metal (meaning that Air France is the operating carrier) and AF is the ticketing carrier, then use the AF locator code to find your flight(s) on the AF website.

 

Wait. What do mean "will be in economy more than likely"? If you purchased your tickets you know the class of service. Do you have a connection in CDG or AMS? Still too many variable for a clear answer. Basically you need the locator for the operating carrier. If that differs from the ticketing carrier, you will need to make some calls to get the applicable locators.

I hate camping (yes, I have experienced camping), therefore I do not go camping. I do not disparage or debate with the people who love camping. I will enjoy and appreciate their happiness and camping stories. If someone disparages my enjoyment of cruises, I can ignore them, either online or in person.

 

Each to their own, and each to respect the choices of others.

Depends.... on the cruise line. On Crystal the trans-ocean cruises sell out rather quickly. The per diem rates are lower than port intensive cruises and there is so much to do. Often the TA's will have a theme such as Jazzdagen or Wine and Food Festival. Factor in more time for the ladies who love to dance and the bridge players who love more sessions and you'll find a sold out cruise.

Just about every navigable river with several hundred miles of interesting shores has already some form of traditional river cruise. (I'll define "traditional" river cruise as one that has overnight accommodations for at least two nights). You can choose from India (Ganges), Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Peruvian Amazon, Brazilian Amazon, Canada (St Lawrence), Scotland (mostly in Lochs and canals), USA (Mississippi, Columbia, Snake), Russia, China, Egypt, all of western and eastern Europe, Botswana/Namibia (Chobe)....I'm out of steam, there are probably more.

 

Top of my list to try is Lord of the Glens in Scotland.

No one wants to make you "feel bad." Many posters are shocked! shocked! when only after the fact they realize that their coverage is not what they assumed. Your contracts for the cruise and for your air are limited to the details of "terms and conditions." Ignore them at your peril and then "feel bad" later for neglecting them. And the information about BA (and some other airlines) seat assignment policy is simply factual. Welcome to the real world.

Sit :eek:? I've been on 20 plus cruises and I've always had to stand outside, even when it was cold and raining.

 

Depends entirely on the design of the ship. If I remember correctly, Seabourn has the drill in the main dining room, Silversea uses the theater and a lounge, Crystal musters outside on the Symphony and inside on the Serenity. On the ships that muster inside, at the conclusion of the informative demonstration, guests are lead by crew to where they would actually board the lifeboat. Remember, muster means to assemble and take roll call, not abandon ship.