Ichiban Nekko

YAY!!! We so want to do Voyage of the Vikings. Email to our PCC already sent! 🥰

Good Morning Dailyites! It’s a beautiful start to the day here in Central VA. Nothing like coffee on the patio and reading yesterday’s and today’s fleet report. The special days all look very interesting — polka dancing is always fun, but it has been decades since I last indulged. All the F&B suggestions look so interesting. I am so thankful that our regular contributors continue to expand my horizons each day.. Despite living in Southern Africa for a year in the early1980s, I never made it down to the Cape. I don’t think I have ever met an individual who has visited had anything but a very positive memory of their time there. The photos some of you will post later will be gorgeous, I am sure. Sadly, as time goes forward, the chances of us making that trip diminish. Sigh. So many places to visit or revisit, with a lessening amount of time. For those on the Cares list, you are in our thoughts. And to those on the Celebrations list, we rejoice for you. In seven weeks, we will be starting the trip to Quebec City. We will have three nights there before boarding the Zuiderdam. We feel as though this trip has been on the books ‘forever’, and are really excited that it now qualifies as imminent. Best wishes to all, -Cat & Dave

Good Morning Dailyites! A great start to the day here (65F) to watch the sunrise and burn off a little fog in a nearby ridge. Coffee tastes particularly good at times like this. DH declared it a 'romantic start to the day' -- I'm all for that 🥰 We are thinking about heading out to Charlottesville to take in a film. So many choices right now. All the IMAX screens have gone to Oppenheimer (definitely on The List) and Barbie sounds like a hoot, but DH is such an Indiana Jones fan, I suspect that will be our target. Bonus: Costco, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods are all within spitting distance! All of which are definitely not options in our town of 5,000 souls. Love the F&B suggestions today! I have bookmarked the recipe, would definitely try the drink on a BHB, and enjoy the wine (especially is someone else is buying) 😉 The historical marker is very interesting: it would take another 27 years to get to Confederation in Canada. Sending positive thoughts to those on the Cares list and applauding those who are celebrating. And wishing Bon Voyage to those lucky enough to be boarding or are already on board a BHB. Cheers everyone, -Cat

@0106 Tina - Your meatballs have inspired me to widen our horizon and try something new. We are omnivores, but your endorsement prompted me to look carefully at the first recipe. It is now bookmarked for future consideration. Thank you so much. The Fleet Report continues to be Daily Reading for me most days. I continue to be very appreciative of all the information, photos, and memes, so special thanks to all the regular contributors. You brighten the days of others, even when dealing with challenging events. We are looking forward to a mini-break with cruising friends next week, in a non-cruise environment. Zoom & FaceTime are wonderful, but it will be terrific to catch up in person. Navigator advises us that we will board the Zuiderdam in Quebec City about 10 weeks. At this stage of life, we don't like wishing time away, but getting past the 'anticipation' stage will be fabulous! Wishing all Dailyites a wonderful weekend and Bon Voyage to those who are about to board or are already on board a BHB. -Cat

I recently sent in two requests via email with PDF attached. One response arrived the following day; the second one was responded to on the same day! Attached is a copy of the CCL Shareholder Benefit information for all the lines valid on sailings through July 2024, with contact info. -Cat CCL Shoreholder Benefit to 7:2024.pdf

I had problems yesterday using Chrome browser. When I used Safari, it all worked. I haven't checked today. -Cat

Hi Jacqui! Sending you belated Canada Day 🇨🇦 wishes from the 4th of July part of the continent 🇺🇸 Change is good, right? (At least that's what they told me when I was still in the work force 🙄). So... Our December 2023 sailings on the Nieuw Statendam can be erased. And then they can be replaced with, taah daah!... Embarking December 15, 2023 Rotterdam 21 days (B2B with December 22 Tropical Caribbean) As always, thanks so much for ALL that you do for all of us! -Cat

@GeezerCouple Excellent points! Thank you for your clarification AND the reminder to read it ALL. I personally have found when I am not certain that I completely understand the text, answers are usually immediately available using a chat button/email/phone call with the insurance company.

@as.rogers Thanks for following up to let us know you have recovered. @Jersey42 Your post contained a lot of excellent information in a concise and readable format. I suggest to anyone reading/following this forum, that they read post #34. It can potentially clear up so many misunderstandings. Thank you so much!

We cancelled a cruise with Azamara on April 3rd. Since we were aware that they are having website issues, we were pretty relaxed about the refund due us. After 5 weeks, we submitted an online request for an update on our refund using Contact Us on the website. Response? Crickets. Today, I have been on hold on the phone since 9:30 am, hearing canned sales pitches, but no human being so far. If I was interested in booking a World Cruise, I would be researching other lines. This is sad.

@St Pete Cruiser Thank you for taking the time to update us on your situation. I cannot begin to imagine what you have been through so far and hope you continue to improve so you can return home, sooner rather than later. It is very kind of you to give such a full-throated endorsement of Noordam's Medical Unit and its staff. Although our encounter with the Nieuw Statendam MU in November was much less dramatic than yours, we certainly appreciated their professionalism and caring while in their care. -Cat <<<HUGS>>>

Good Morning Daily-it’s! Did I actually make it to Page 1? Wow. Starting the day with reading the Daily is such a pleasure. Such a positive, supportive group of people who brighten each and every day Thank you all. Special thoughts going out to all on the Cares list. Let’s hope it starts contracting. @0106 How ‘bout them Os?!!! Let’s hope that April’s momentum carries through the season. best wishes everyone, -Cat

@Hlitner Hank -- I have been following your blog with interest. Your approach to port activities is a great primer for most of us. And your writing and descriptions are terrific. Thank you so much for taking us along. Your comment regarding future cruise line choices resonated in this house. Ten years ago, when we were avid Celebrity customers when we sailed from Shanghai to Alaska. It was a horrible experience and tainted us in our cruise line choices going forward.. We encountered exhausted customer-facing staff near the end of their contracts, missing food/drink items, poor service, a general lack of management presence, among other things. One vignette to demonstrate: at dinner in the Olympic Restaurant (then the only specialty dining), we were presented with an 'Amuse Bouche' by the chef. It consisted of a small Melba Round cracker with a schmeer of plain cream cheese. Needless to say, we were not amused. Apparently, a lot of other passengers felt the same way and shared those feelings on the post-cruise guest survey. The company hired some consultants to follow up on the surveys. I spent more than 45 minutes on the phone with them, discussing not only the shortcomings we experience but also to highlight some things we thought were done well or very well. Our traveling companions from CA had a similar follow-up experience. And then? Crickets. We did do a 7-day Caribbean cruise with X after that and it was good. But the damage was done and we have not booked with X again. We have often wondered if other people on that sailing acted in a similar manner. It is interesting to me that your experience, like ours, was on a trans-Pacific repositioning cruise at the end of a season. We would love to try Seaborn; however, our banker has differing thoughts, LOL. If you do not to book with HAL again, it will definitely be their loss. Also, it will be a loss for those of on on the CC HAL board who enjoy reading your threads. Wishing you many wonderful cruises in the future, -Cat

Thanks to OP for starting this thread and sharing experiences. So glad all was resolved, since that sure was a chunk o' change you ponied up initially. We had a very positive experience with the Medical Unit on the Nieuw Statendam last November. I wouldn't call the facility an Emergency Room, but agree more with the Urgent Care term. We were extremely impressed by the quality and amount of technical services. We simply cannot say enough good things about all the staff in the unit who we interacted with. In addition to the excellent medical staff attending to DH, we really appreciated the Doctor personally talking with our 3rd party insurer. He made it absolutely clear that the facility at Grand Turk (our next stop) was inadequate and that we should be taken to the US by air ambulance. We were flown to Florida and went to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. By the end of the week, we were on a flight back to Virginia. The coverage we chose included primary medical (rather than secondary). Consequently, the costs of the air ambulance and attending RN and tech, all medical costs in Florida were paid by the insurance. We did pay HAL for DH's time in the Medical Unit. After submitting our claim (with receipts), we were reimbursed not only for our Medical Unit costs, but also our lost cruise days (we were medically disembarked on Day 4 of a 21-day cruise) and all costs incurred in Florida (hotel, Ubers, meals, new airfare, etc) in about two weeks. I would also like to tell people that the HAL staff on board were absolutely wonderful during this stressful time. They offered meal services for us at any time, helped with accounting, etc. Our head room steward (already burdened with too many cabins to maintain) offered to pack our bags for us - a kind offer that we declined. However, he absolutely insisted that he personally take charge of our bags to ensure they were with us at disembarkation. Without trip insurance, I cannot begin to imagine the costs we would have had to cover. It was beyond disappointing to curtail this long-anticipated cruise. At least we didn't have to pay for a vacation we didn't have and/or all the associated costs with returning home. We have bought trip insurance for years. We will continue to do so. This is our way of saying that we hope you do too.

Thank you RNB! We are very sorry that we weren't able to connect last year. However, we figure it can't happen twice (can it?), so we have again booked on the Nieuw Statendam, December 17-January 7th. And we are also on the Zuiderdam out of Quebec on Sept 30th. All sorts of opportunities, ya know? 😉

@Mr. Boston I just now read about the loss of your brother. We send our deepest condolences to you and all your family. <<<hugs>>>

Good Morning Daily-ites! We have been in France for a few weeks. Consequently, I am way, way behind in my CC reading. And on this thread, there are so many days, quotes, recipes (food & drink), fabulous photos of ports - some of which we may never see in person -- to catch up on. We took a tour that started in Paris, then proceeded to Normandy (including Juno Beach), Brittany, the Loire Valley, returning to Paris. It has been some years since we've done a group tour. We spent at least two nights at each stop and added extra time in Paris at the end. We had a fabulous Tour Director and Driver, who ensured we had full days with so much to see and learn. The food and wine were, ahem, very nice too 😉 Our phones tell us that we put in 10K+ steps each day, which helped offset all those great croissants, etc. After we untangle all the mail, finances, etc., associated with this adventure, we will focus on our upcoming Zuiderdam cruise from Quebec. One aspect we are looking forward to is not having to have our bags out and be at the bus by a certain time - except of course on the dreaded Disembarkation Day, LOL. Best wishes to all, - Cat

Hi Jacqui! We are going to try and do 21 days on the Nieuw Statendam again this December. Hopefully, no medical disembarkation at Grand Turk this go 'round, LOL! Big motivator is to do Xmas/New Years with some great friends - who we first met on a December Circle Hawaii on the Zaandam some years ago. And yes, we definitely have trip insurance 😉 Details: Embarking: December 17, 2023 Ship: Nieuw Statendam Days/Name: 21 day Southern Caribbean Seafarer/Explorer Holiday Wishing you all good things for you upcoming cruises! And thanks for all that you do here on CC. You truly are such a gem. -Cat & David

@Hlitner Hank - Looking so forward to following this. Japan is such an interesting place and Tokyo is an amazing city. What a great time of year to visit. Thanks so much for taking the time to include of all us tagging along.

Good Morning Dailyites! I became a member of the Way Too Early Club today. Not for the first time and probably not for the last time. But it is so annoying. Coffee made, dishwasher unloaded, bills paid, etc., which now gives me time to catch up with the Fleet Report (my guilty pleasure). @StLouisCruisers You have been doing an amazing job while Rich is gallivanting around the globe! Interesting days and quote. I look forward to reading more about the F&B suggestions. We haven't been to today's destination. However, @StLouisCruisers great photos have ensured we had a quick virtual visit. And with no jet lag. Looking forward to the Cares & Celebrations posting. We are coming up to six months in our new home and new town. Most of the To Do's have been scratched off the list. However, new items seem to get added. Hmmm. Just received a notification that @RedneckBob has posted. That will definitely put a smile on my face, if not an outright guffaw. Have a great day everyone! -Cat

Hi Jacqui, Sadly, we have decided to cancel our 31 day South America on the Oosterdam, boarding 05MAR2024. We are sure you understand when we say that one medical disembarkation is more than enough for us (and that was only in the Caribbean!). BTW, I think I see a 'rogue entry' on your fabulous list under N Amsterdam - 23MAR24 -- we are listed but not part of that sailing. As always, thanks for all you do. -Cat & David Oosterdam- 05-Mar-24 - 31 day South America, Inca & Panama Canal Discovery Ichiban Nekko -DH’s 1st visit to Latin AmericaRotterdam - 08-Mar-24 - 9 night Southern Caribbean wdw1972N Amsterdam - 23-Mar-24- 7 day Western Caribbean seagarsmoker Ichiban Nekko - DH’s 1st visit to Latin America

I apologize for the length. This is just a recollection of our personal experience. We have filed two trip insurance claims. The first was a few years ago for a small (approx $150 billing) from the cruiseline’s medical unit. Reimbursed very promptly after submitting claim. I ‘think’ we were covered by Berkshire Hathaway. Claims process and personnel very helpful and professional. The second claim related to our planned 21-day cruise in Nov-Dec 2022. DH started feeling crummy the day after embarkation. The following morning, he made an appointment to be seen at the Medical Unit. Many tests were run (no Covid or flu for either of us) and he was diagnosed with pneumonia and a possible pulmonary embolism. The physician recommended medical disembarkation at our next port - Grand Turk - the next day. The doctor worked tirelessly with our 3rd party insurance to arrange for an air ambulance back to the USA/FL, since the facilities at Grand Turk could most charitably be described as ‘limited.’ Ambulance to airport, jet to FL with RN, ambulance from FLL small airport to hospital in MIA for both of us all done Tuesday. DH discharged Thursday. We flew home on Friday. Throughout this adventure, we were each tested for Covid & Flu A&B approx 8 times. All negative. Same after we returned home. We think he came in contact with the pneumonia either traveling to FLL (two airports) and/or during our overnight in FLL. We did not mask and probably should have. After I submitted our claims for Medical Expenses and Trip Interruption to Travel Insured, reimbursement was in our bank account three weeks later. The only change in the amount resulted from my error (double counted one item). Their forms were straight forward and relatively easy to complete == I had receipts for everything. They covered all the ambulance/jet/care costs directly. Every phone call, every email responded to promptly with helpful and professional staff. Lessons Learned for us going forward: - Continue to purchase third party trip insurance with primary coverage. Since we both are well into our ‘senior’ years, the odds of either of us making a claim increase. - Make that purchase within two weeks (sometimes three) of first deposit to cover ‘pre-existing conditions.’ - When looking at coverage, scope out Insuremytrip.com; squaremouth.com; etc. to get a sense of what coverage costs how much. Each trip is different. Since Travel Insured met our requirements for this trip (and most), we went through our home/auto/life insurance (USAA) and obtained a slight discount. For us, having trip insurance relieved so much stress. I cannot imagine having to organize (and pay for!) repatriation on our own. And thanks to our coverage, the costs paid for the remaining 19 days of the cruise, expenses in MIA, and flight home were all covered The final insult would have been to pay for the cruise when we didn’t get to enjoy it!! Hope this helps others going forward.

He was gloriously gorgeous in his prime. A true star of the six-team NHL.

Roy - Sending best wishes that you feel better soon!!

@kazu Jacqui -- Thank you so much for taking the time and immense effort to bring us up to date. Once again, your demonstration of grit is a masterclass to the rest of us. We are truly happy that you are on your way home, despite an awful itinerary. And to read that you had full confidence in the medical care you received in PVR. So many of us here on CC hope that once you are in your own home and see your physician that things will improve for you. Please try understand that so many of us want so desperately to be of assistance to you. You are so loved by so many. And just to take the saccharin edge off it: I hope any legal advisor has a really 'edgey' manner. If nothing else, to ensure you recoup most or all of the princely sums you have had to come up with throughout this horrific episode. With true admiration, -Cat