ams cruiser

Well' date=' what you request on line is not always what you are assigned. On our first Princess cruise we asked for a table for 6. We were assigned to a table for 9. Fortunately I went to the maitre'd during the afternoon hours --when I learned of the table for 9, I had us moved to a 2 top.

 

It worked great! The tables for 2 on Princess are about 6 inches apart. The couple at the next table was lovely, and for all practical purposes, we were a party of 4. The nice thing about this was that if it hadn't been a good fit, we could have just kept to ourselves.

 

The more people at your table, the longer dinner will/might take. The servers will wait if someone isn't there unless others know that they went to specialty dining or whatever. They will wait till all the items from each course are ready, as they should. It just seems to drag on. And frankly, conversation at a big table is difficult. 6 is as big as I would want to go.[/quote']

 

 

 

That sounds like a good compromise!

 

Waiting for others at a large table sounds like a difficult situation for everyone, but especially the servers. If you're going to go to a specialty dinner, say you get a reservation in the morning for that evening, what's the best way to let the dining room know you won't be there? Can you call in or do you just stop by?

I have just booked an Alaska cruise for DH and myself on the Ruby Princess this summer. We would like traditional dining first seating, but are wondering what size table to request. The only other 2 cruises we have been on were years ago with relatives where we had large tables just to ourselves.

This cruise it's just the two of us, however, and we are on "uncharted waters" in the dining room. DH and I would be fine with a table for two, but are also open to dining with others and see it as an opportunity to get to meet some interesting people. We want to be able to relax and enjoy dinner, however, and not feel the need to make conversation if it doesn’t flow naturally.

I know this decision is strictly a personal one and there is no “right answer”, but I would be interested in hearing perspectives of more experienced cruisers about which table arrangements they prefer, and why.

The travel agent I spoke with suggested we might try a 6-top, and that we could ask for a change to a table for 2 after the first night, if it didn’t work out. Would this be difficult to arrange a switch, if, for example, we found ourselves seated with "The Bickersons"? :eek:

Thanks for sharing this!

We absolutely agree that http://www.TripInsuranceStore.com is great to help select from some vetted travel insurance companies (more than one type of policy from most insurers).

 

ams cruiser, I think you have a typo above (I've highlighted it in red).

 

I think you mean that TripInsuranceStore is a broker, not just a referral service, in that one can purchase the policy directly from them.

 

But you wrote that "trip insurance" is like a referral agency, when that is the insurance itself.

 

Sorry - don't mean to pick nits, but there are often people reading here who are just at the start of learning about travel insurance...

 

But getting back to http://www.TripInsuranceStore.com, we also had Steve help us greatly.

Our first claim was just fine, a couple of years ago.

 

But last year, we were overseas, and I was very sick and landed in the ER and observation unit overnight, and then could no longer travel for quite a few days.

It was a somewhat unusual situation (I'm not going into detail), and I wrote to Steve almost casually, asking if there *might* be some way to get these costs covered (not the medical; that was taken care of).

He contacted the insurer, and got back to us quickly telling us precisely which part of the coverage would be used in this type of situation, and how to write it up.

 

We had the claim approved - and we might not even have filed the claim had Steve not inquired for us.

 

GREAT service!!

Thanks for the correction! I am quite unfamiliar with insurance terminology, and broker is the word I was looking for.

Until I worked with Steve, I had no idea that a broker could be so helpful!

Glad things worked out for you as well, GeezerCouple!

After posting the same reply in all three threads, I just figured out (I think) how cross-reference them!

Try these links for a good discussion on travel insurance.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1371432

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2337926

I don't know how to cross-reference threads, so I'll just chime in (re-post from another thread) with my very positive experience with Steve at tripinsurancestore.com

I can't say enough good things about them. My DH used tripinsurancestore.com for a non-cruise, independent international trip last year. Due to a health emergency, he had to cancel less than 24 hrs before the trip. When we filed a claim with the insurance provider (trip insurance is more like a referral agency that pre-screens companies), the provider balked because one of our travel vendors refused to provide the right paperwork. (a small agency for independent travelers in Cheshire, England) Even though we had bank money transfer records, emails from the British agency with promises to send the paperwork, etc., the insurance agency was going to refuse payment. After many calls over several days that went nowhere, it occurred to me to call tripinsurancestore.com for help. They resolved my issues within a few hours and we got our full payment. The business owner, Steve, took care of this personally, and sent me a follow up email.

I learned something valuable from this. Having an insurance referral agent (broker) like tripsinsurancestore.com is a lifesaver in working out any problems with the insurance company. The insurance company couldn't care less about my individual case, but they wanted to keep a good relationship with tripinsurance store!

If you go to their website, they have a lot of information about what to consider in trip insurance. They also have a tool where you put in your information and you can run a spreadsheet comparing several companies they work with. If you have any questions, just give them a call. They really care about their customers, and they almost always answer the phone right away during business hours.

Believe it or not, I don't have any personal stake in this company. But they really helped me out in what was looking like a very helpless situation!

Can anyone recommend a good affordable travel insurance company?

I just posted this response on another thread recommending tripinsurancestore.com

I can't say enough good things about them. My DH used tripinsurancestore.com for a non-cruise, independent international trip last year. Due to a health emergency, he had to cancel less than 24 hrs before the trip. When we filed a claim with the insurance provider (trip insurance is more like a referral agency that pre-screens companies), the provider balked because one of our travel vendors refused to provide the right paperwork. (a small agency for independent travelers in Cheshire, England) Even though we had bank money transfer records, emails from the British agency with promises to send the paperwork, etc., the insurance agency was going to refuse payment. After many calls over several days that went nowhere, it occurred to me to call tripinsurancestore.com for help. They resolved my issues within a few hours and we got our full payment. The business owner, Steve, took care of this personally, and sent me a follow up email.

I learned something valuable from this. Having an insurance referral agent like tripsinsurancestore.com is a lifesaver in working out any problems with the insurance company. The insurance company couldn't care less about my individual case, but they wanted to keep a good relationship with tripinsurance store!

If you go to their website, they have a lot of information about what to consider in trip insurance. They also have a tool where you put in your information and you can run a spreadsheet comparing several companies they work with. If you have any questions, just give them a call. They really care about their customers, and they almost always answer the phone right away during business hours.

Believe it or not, I don't have any personal stake in this company. But they really helped me out in what was looking like a very helpless situation!

I have recently used https://tripinsurancestore.com/ . We are now of Medicare age and have BCBS supplemental insurance but were concerned that the medical coverage from our cruise lines plan was not enough. They were most helpful to locate what we needed for a similar cost.

I can't say enough good things about them. My DH used tripinsurancestore.com for a non-cruise, independent international trip last year. Due to a health emergency, he had to cancel less than 24 hrs before the trip. When we filed a claim with the insurance provider (trip insurance is more like a referral agency that pre-screens companies), the provider balked because one of our travel vendors refused to provide the right paperwork. (a small agency for independent travelers in Cheshire, England) Even though we had bank money transfer records, emails from the British agency with promises to send the paperwork, etc., the insurance agency was going to refuse payment. After many calls over several days that went nowhere, it occurred to me to call tripinsurancestore.com for help. They resolved my issues within a few hours and we got our full payment. The business owner, Steve, took care of this personally, and sent me a follow up email.

I learned something valuable from this. Having an insurance referral agent like tripsinsurancestore.com is a lifesaver in working out any problems with the insurance company. The insurance company couldn't care less about my individual case, but they wanted to keep a good relationship with tripinsurance store!

If you go to their website, they have a lot of information about what to consider in trip insurance. They also have a tool where you put in your information and you can run a spreadsheet comparing several companies they work with. If you have any questions, just give them a call. They really care about their customers, and they almost always answer the phone right away during business hours.

Believe it or not, I don't have any personal stake in this company. But they really helped me out in what was looking like a very helpless situation!

While CC does not have PM options, many regulars add their email address as a link in their signature profile. Just don't ask for recommendations.

 

Lynn

Congratulations! I hope to book my first cruise this month. And by "I", I mean my DW gets to make the phone call to Big Box TA.

 

Now you just have to keep tabs on the price to look for price drops.

In making our travel arrangements, "we" always means "me. :)

While CC does not have PM options, many regulars add their email address as a link in their signature profile. Just don't ask for recommendations.

 

Lynn

Got it, thank you!

First, I want to thank everyone one this thread for posting their much-valued perspectives and advice.

There was another wrinkle that ended up helping me out. When I first called Princess directly, the rep gave me the published cabin price and asked if I wanted to book. I thanked her but told her I wanted to shop around and think about it.

The next day, I received a voice mail and an email from a very nice Princess rep (not the same person I had spoken with.) I emailed him back and let him know that I was still shopping around, but asked for a quote in writing. He got back to me right away, saying there were new promotions starting that day. Later that day, he sent me a quote showing a price drop of $540 (for the two of us) for a B2 cabin.

I then went to check my Option B - Big Volume Cruise internet agency with a brick and mortar store. Their online price did not reflect any price drop as it is still less than Princess's price.

So I called a spoke with a very charming and knowledgeable TA for Big Box and told her about my lower Princess quote. She put in my information into the system, and voila! I was able to get the dropped price, with the same OBC credit offered with the higher price. ($355 from Big Box, and $50 from Princess). In addition, the $355 is completely refundable if not spent on the trip.

So by waiting a few days, reading Cruise Critic round the clock, and by the luck of good timing (!), I was able to book our cabin for about $100 (compared to $210 a few days ago) more than Big Volume Cruise Agency.

This made the decision easier for me as Big Box is more of a known quantity. The two TA's I've spoken with have been both knowledgeable and enthusiastic. (They do not work on commission.)

In the event there is a price drop, the TA told me to given them a call, and they would put pencil to paper to figure out if it would represent a better deal, all other things such as Sip and Sail and OBC considered.

So, again, thanks to all who helped out on the first step of my voyage! I am so excited and now have a lot of other questions about the all-inclusive beverage package vs OBC, dining room requests, but that is for another thread.:)

Please post what they say. I have no doubt we will use all of ours, but now I'm curious!

I just spoke with Big Box. The OBC is absolutely refundable, because "it isn't Princess's money, it's the travel agency's, so they have to give it back!"

Just realize if you book under a promo such as "sip and sail" and the price goes down, you may lose your promo.

 

Yes - I would prefer to pay the lower up front cost. I don't spend a lot of money onboard.

Yes, if we get the OBC instead of Sip and Sail, it would be $300. If we also go with Big Box, it would be another $405. Not sure would we would spend it on besides gratuities, a specialty dining meal, and drinks for my DH. I think we're going to look into booking our own excursions. I'll call Big Box and Princess and try to find out the definitive word on whether or not the Big Box OBC is refundable. (My 90 year old/100 cruises new cruising acquaintance swears it is!):)

Big box always picks up the phone right away or you can online chat with them. They can quickly get a Princess rep online as well. Price drop, just contact them and they will immediately contact Princess to verify. Most all sailings have OBC which is a percentage of the total fare. As far as refunded OBC, you should verify that with the club. It could be refunded on a cashcard or something. Also with your club membership you can get discount through travel guard on insurance. Yes you'll lose the current promo if you adjust your fare however you need to make sure the price drop is big enough to lose what you have. If you plan on taking $300 instead of the AIBP then you need to make sure the prices drop more than that or a combination of the price drop and value of new promo

Great summary of important things to consider. Thanks!

The 99 cent one is probably the same one I'm talking about. You have to buy 5 credits minimum, but even if you only use it on one cruise, spending $5 to save hundreds is a pretty good deal.

 

I found my cruise and bookmarked that page, then I check it every day or so. If you go to "Stats" on the top then you can go to the Past Prices tab to find the history. Hover over the price of your cabin choice to see a list of prices, click it to see a nice graph.

 

If that's not the same site (like, my instructions don't make sense), send me a PM.

Thanks, I'll check it out as soon as I book my cruise. (Easier said than done, but hope to make a decision soon...)

I'm pretty sure it isn't possible to get OBC on your credit card. IF the OBC is refundable (most types are not), the refund would be in the form of a check 4-6 weeks after the cruise. Be sure to open all the junk mail, the envelope does not come from Princess.

 

If you should happen to end up with non-refundable OBC, you can spend it on excursions, specialty dining, etc. or go to the casino and open an account, play as long as your nerves can stand it, then cash out.

I'm sure I won't have any difficulty spending OBC. I did see a couple of posts on Trip Advisor where people said that their Big Box TA's OBC was refunded at the end of the cruise. This was also confirmed by the 90-year old cruiser I met this week. Maybe I should contact Princess to find out before booking with Option A (or B!)

Thanks for the heads-up on both counts. I have a bad habit of tossing everything that looks like junk mail, before opening it.

No PM ability on Cruise Critic.

Be careful not to mention the tracking site. Even hints are against the rules.

Okay, thanks for the heads-up. (I guess I'm thinking of Facebook.)

Just out of curiosity - not as a way to circumvent the rules(!) - how do posters get in touch with each other if they want to have conversations that aren't public? (Not against the rules, just private!) Several years ago (the last time I was active on Cruise Critic) I think I remember seeing notes about posters sharing their Facebook in order to "friend" each other.

I flipped a coin and it came out tails--Option B. I just booked our next cruise through a large internet agency. The charge on your credit card is just like it would be for a hometown agency--put through by the cruise line. The agency receives its commission from the cruise line.

 

The big difference between the OP and me is that my cruise was booked after the final payment date. I booked it at a price I'm happy with and don't expect to be eligible for any possible price drops.

 

You may see price drops even for balcony cabins for an Alaskan cruise in July. Be sure to monitor prices for any acceptable level of cabin. For instance, we got to upgrade ourselves from an inside cabin to an obstructed view for our first cruise to Alaska when the price came down. You might get lucky and be able to move up to a mini.

I will keep checking, thanks! I'm somewhat limited in cabin choice due to my tendency towards seasickness (I actually got seasick one time standing on a dock watching the boats bob up and down!) - thus the need for something mid-ship with a balcony.

Question: If you had booked before final payment and had seen a price drop in the regular posted rates, would the big internet company have been able to offer a price reduction, or would they tell you that you were already getting a good rate?

I may need to borrow your coin! :)

I use a site to track current prices (it has a paid option, but I check it manually for free) and it also has past prices so you can see if a cruise has a history of price drops. There's no way to know for sure if your cruise will drop, but you can look at the history and if you see that the price for your cabin consistently drops 4-6 months before the cruise date, chances are good that it will again. Or maybe you'll see that other cabins see price drops but not the one you're interested in.

 

I don't know if I'm allowed to say the name of the site.

 

I'm planning on booking through your Option A after the current sales end (Sip and Sail doesn't apply to the cabin we're interested in and the Red White & Blue has a non-refundable deposit) and after viewing the price history using the site above I anticipate a $300-500 price drop pp while keeping the OBC.

That sounds great!

I don't know if you're allowed to post the site here. Maybe you could send me a private message, if that's allowed? Thanks!

I did a little Google search, and found something on Cruise Critic called "Price Drop" which sends emails every Friday, which doesn't sound often enough! I may sign up for another one I read about that will track one cruise for 99 cents. Their website reviews have some happy campers, and others upset that the updates aren't always current, so I'm not sure how reliable it is.

I am currently booked with big box store and have had no issues receiving price drops. I've talked with 3 customer service people since I booked and all have been great. The OBC does adjust based on actual price paid. My last adjustment dropped $145 and lost $15 obc. You also adjust to promo offered at the time, so if Princess isn't offering the $50 obc you would lose that too

That's good to hear! (The $50 OBC is from Princess, according to Big Box TA, so we wouldn't lose that.)

In a related question, do you find the price drops just by checking frequently, or is there an easier way to do it? I think I remember running across a website in which you put in your cruising info and they notify you of price drops, but I've been doing so much "research", it's all becoming a blur. (sigh)

The much hoped-for price drops wouldn't be a deal breaker. I would love to pay a lower price up-front with a TA I knew I could trust. Giving business to a smaller agency, with someone who provides personal attention, would be idea!

I prefer to use a real TA. My TA is located in another state but I can easily call or email her.

 

I would not book with a big box store.

 

Also, I prefer to have money off my booking price and not OBC on the ship.

Unfortunately, Big Box Option A, (who I know is, at least, trustworthy), only offers OBC. If you don't mind my asking, would you prefer paying the lower upfront price for Option B, even if it meant you might not get the price drops for Option A?

If Option B were a smaller travel agency with good customer service (similar to the out-of- state agency you mentioned) recommended by a friend, I wouldn't hesitate to go this route. I wish I had this "Option C"! :)

I was at a BBQ recently where I met a couple of very frequent cruisers, over 50 and 100 cruises, respectively (the latter was a very youthful 90 year old!). Surprisingly, neither one had a specific recommendation for a TA, and one even said he likes Big Box TA. (I think his wife used to do all of the travel arrangements, however, and he is now a widower.)

I know that we are not allowed to discuss specific TA's, but was hoping someone could recommend a way to find an "Option C" type TA.

I greatly appreciate the wisdom of Cruise Critic posters!

Beware the kindly online bid agent. Went that route once with misinformation and communication gaps resulting in having to contact owner. Even though the agent was "in" the office.

 

I am more confident in choice A. Can you ask to contact a specific agent at A? I found that while any agent could help in hurried situations, I had one to update an check in with for most contacts.

 

Blessings,

This is my greatest fear with Option B. (I wonder if your experience was with the same "three-time winner" agency! The owner of this one actually posted a response to a poster on TripAdvisor and offered to help directly with any of her travel plans, which I thought was rather impressive.)

Actually, I was really impressed with the young woman I spoke with at Big Box Option A. She seemed very knowledgeable, was very enthusiastic and helpful, but said that, if I called back again, I would get a random agent.

Definitely if you rebook for a lower price you will lose the perks of Sip and Sail. You have to factor that into the equation--are you better off with Sip and Sail and the perks/price of that deal or with picking up whatever the new deal/price is.

 

There is a thread here of different people getting different results of those calculations depending on the cruise dates and what promotion they got initially.

Thanks, I think I skimmed through the thread a couple of days ago. I'll have to read it more carefully, as I was a little confused as to how some of the posters managed to keep their old perks and get the new. (I think it was the Sip and Sail promotion.)

The Princess rep told me we could get $300 OBC in lieu of the beverage package, (I'll have to look through my notes to verify), so we'd definitely have to factor this into any price reductions.

Here is my experience, based on several cruises using an online agency that competes for your business - the price is always less than princess regular fare and always some OBC in addition, based on the cost of the cruise I assume.

Depends if the price I initially booked at was already quite low and then dropped more, there is less room to cut their commission so the drop they get for me is smaller, but still less than the posted rate. If I have booked when rates were higher then any future drops in price would result in my getting more of a discount.

Yes, this was a part of my dilemma. Option A (big box warehouse) clearly has room to drop. In an ideal situation, the fare would drop $400 and I would still keep the $400 OBC (I think!)

But if Option B's price is already $400 less (they aren't offering any additional OBC) , I don't know how a published $400 price drop by Princess would make a difference.

One thing I should ask Option B is why Option A told me that Princess would give me a $50 OBC (past passenger perk?) and why Option B didn't mention this at all. Also, Option A's quote factored in an AARP discount, which Option B's did not.

Thanks for your thoughts!

I just flipped a coin and it came up heads take option A. :eek:

Tony

It may come to that!