ysolde

Yes, of course I re-wear. On our next cruise, we will be spending a few days in Europe before settling down on a 16 day Trans-Atlantic voyage. We will both be re-wearing, and doing some laundry (well, having some laundry done for us on board). I will be packing a wardrobe where pieces all work together so that I can maximize what I have. And layer: the Mediterranean may be warm(ish) in early November, but Germany (where we will be prior to the cruise) can be chilly in late October, and the North Atlantic crossing in mid-November can be downright cold.

Interesting. DH and I will be on a Med cruise that will then be crossing the Atlantic, stopping by Bermuda along the way. The only way to get a Covid test two days prior to the ship's arrival in Bermuda would be if we got the test on board the ship itself. I wonder whether NCL will make those arrangements. Hmm . . .

Oh, this is such welcome news! Hello, Diet Coke!

Growing increasingly less comfortable with this. We have a TA coming up next spring (in April). The saving grace there may be that it has a stop in Bermuda, and, as I understand it, Bermuda is still pretty strict about requiring vaccination. Now, I feel like a fool because I have been paying off the cruise over time, instead of waiting to pay it off when final payment is due.

Wishing you a speedy recovery. I tested positive in January, just as we were supposed to fly down for our Regent cruise. We did have trip insurance, but never had to avail ourselves of it: Regent credited our payment toward a cruise we had already booked in 2024.

If someone specifically asks me for something, I will go out and buy it. But I tip with cash. Assuming crew members want or need things they have not asked me for is presumptuous.

This sounds about right. We scheduled a TA cruise in November to coincide with a trip to Europe we were taking anyway. We will just be heading home via a Mediterranean cruise that ends as a TA voyage. Sounds kind of old-timey, but it works.

I could and I sometimes do. But I don't (yet) need a fully accessible room, and I know that those are few and far between. I don't need the sit down showers. However, a larger shower, with more space to maneuver, does provide the level of safety I require at this point. I know other passengers have a greater need for the fully accessible cabins, and I try to be as respectful as I can be when making reservations.

The bathroom makes a difference to us. I have a mobility impairment, and really appreciate the bigger shower, where I simply feel safer. DH appreciates it because he likes a higher shower head (it's just a thing with him). We like the double sinks, which make it easier to get ready in the morning and wash up in the evening.

I have never traveled on Regent, or used Regent Air, before (my first Regent cruise got delayed by Covid earlier this year). I honestly don't know how some of these things work with Regent: for example, if my Regent Air flight gets cancelled or significantly delayed, and I fix the problem on my own, am I now liable for the cost of the flight? Isn't this the sort of thing that the airline is supposed to sort out with Regent? How proactive am I allowed to be in this situation?

We love a TA with lots of sea days. DH and I were on the Encore inaugural TA from Southampton to NY in November 2019. It was all sea days (I think a total of seven sea days on a nine day cruise, so other than embarkation and disembarkation, we were at sea). We set sail in a storm, making for some rough seas the first few days and nights out, but it was fun nonetheless: lots of days and nights playing board games and trivia and getting to know our fellow passengers; sitting in the Observation Lounge as the waves hit us; sleeping in late in the morning and enjoying a leisurely breakfast; getting together with fellow passengers for various pre-planned as well as impromptu activities; exploring the ship; spending time in the spa; hanging out in our balcony when the weather grew warm enough and just reading or journaling. It was a wonderful cruise and we both agreed that it was not long enough. We have since booked three more TAs (one one NCL, two on Regent) going forward. Two of the three have a more traditional cruise format before becoming a TA voyage. I think for us, it is becoming a habit.

You were in The Haven. Your butler could pack your luggage and unpack you in another suite or cabin. Whatever cabin they relocated you to, you could have been allowed continued full access to The Haven. Leaving you in a suite without a functioning toilet for days is completely unacceptable.

I'm so sorry. I tested positive two days before I was to fly down to Miami for my Regent cruise in January, in the midst of the Omicron surge. I called my TA (was on hold for awhile). Turns out, my TA was on vacation. I ended up having to deal with a manager at the agency, but he called the cruise line, and they dealt with the situation. It was all resolved within a few hours. Bottom line: whether you are dealing with your TA or a cruise line, make sure you talk to a person. It will get resolved.

Absolutely! I just think that people need to consider that you can get seriously sick or injured outside the US and you may want return to a hospital in or near your hometown for treatment, depending on the circumstances. There is insurance that can get you specific coverage for the evacuation in that circumstance. It is something to consider, particularly for those who travel internationally on a regular basis.

Ah, thank you. I was confused about that, then. I guess my husband and I are both fully vaxxed (my spell-check wants to say vexed, which would be a different story altogether) and ready to cruise!

And if you are ever really, really sick in a foreign country (for any reason, Covid or otherwise), and need to be medically evacuated, you should consider insurance such as MedJet.

Fully vaxxed has included one booster for awhile for purposes of these NCL cruise family, I think. I agree it's confusing, since (AFAICT -- I am not a doctor, nor is this meant to be or substitute for medical advice in any way), not everyone in the US has qualified for a booster, at least when it was first offered.

This is good news for us, as we are taking an NCL cruise out of Rome in November. Our Regent cruise, out of Miami, is in April, but I am hoping the testing requirements are lifted by then. Fingers crossed.

Then it's good news no matter what I end up drinking! Thank you!

Does anyone know whether we are allowed to bring a case of spring water from port? Or does Regent not allow that?

Sigh. I'll skip it until I know more. My immunity is a bit low, and I don't need to add mycobacteria to the mix. Those flourish in water tanks, pipes and taps, which is why I avoid tap water and ice most places, avoid hot tubs, and keep showers short. Oh, well.

Ah, yes, mineral (bubbly) waters. My husband likes those. But I do wonder whether they will stock spring (flat) water for you, now that they have switched to this system. I am trying to avoid mycobacteria whenever possible.

TBH, my DH has often said if we didn't have the cats to consider, we would hop on a world cruise in a heartbeat. But our cats are sensitive creatures who miss us terribly. And we miss them, of course. So it's short vacations for us.

Can you ask your steward to fill your fridge with a favorite spring water, among other items, or is this no longer allowed?

I agree with Flossie that if an accommodation cannot be reached with Regent, this seems like an issue for your travel insurance. I do know that when I tested positive for Covid in January, a day or two before we were supposed to fly down for our cruise, Regent and our TA worked it out so that the amount we had paid for that cruise was credited towards another cruise we had booked (in 2024). So now, that cruise is completely paid off, and we look forward to it. Our travel insurance never had to get involved.