missyflov

On 3/29/2021 at 4:35 AM, lizzy41 said:

Hi, I have just booked a cruise and am looking for information on the ports.  Would like to know if there are things to see do around the ports or if a shore excursion is needed.  Ports I am interested in are Mossel Bay, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Durban, Walvis bay and Luderitz.  Any information on these areas would be appreciated.  I prefer to do private shore excursions but giving the current situation regarding cruising and covid may opt for ship tours on this occasion.  Its quite a way out but I love to plan and have got lots of tips from these board before that have helped make my vacations special.

 

Which cruise are you on? I'm solo too on NCL Jade South Africa cruise leaving Jan 2nd, 2023.

I book through USAA and they use Travel Insured. They have their own USAA reps that deal exclusively with their members which makes it easier to deal with when making a claim. There is usually an extra $25 fee to make the medical primary. It is not always the cheapest, but when I had to make a claim, they walked me through all the paperwork so I could make sure to get reimbursed for everything I could. Even little stuff I didn't think about, like laundry expenses. I love USAA. 

24 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

When we needed to get home from Japan because of a medical emergency, Delta had no problem charging us nearly $10,000 (per person) for a last minute business class airline ticket (bus class was necessary for medical reasons).   Sometimes the airlines can be nice....but other times they will hit you when you are down and just keep hitting :(.

 

Hank

This is the number one reason I buy travel insurance every time I travel. My mom was medically evacuated from Switzerland after nearly two weeks in the hospital. A nurse was sent out to fly back with her. They flew in business class and I flew in economy. The travel insurance company arranged everything. All told, the medical issue caused nearly $40k in expenses that we didnt havecto worry about. Best $600 for both of us ever spent.

I live near San Diego and I have ot heard of a free shuttle from the airport to the cruise terminal. There is the Wyndam Bayside Hotel shuttle, as one person said. there are free shuttles to the various parking lots which do go to both the port AND the airport so I suppose you could use that unless they check to see if you have a reservation at a car park. For a paid option, an Uber or Lyft might be the cheapest option as it is usually a $5 to $10 cost to go the three miles.

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I dined in Tamarind with a friend who had severe food allergies and they accommodated her very well. As did the MDR and Pinnacle. For the MDR, she would request a copy of the menu at dinner the evening before and make notes on what modfifications she needed. They didn't m8ss a beat. She spoke with Pinnacle and Tamarind ahead of time so they could look into what might trigger her allergies. The, when she made her selections she knew what she could and could not have.

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I have one thats plugs in to my cell phone USB charger. It's wonderful.

I am very interested in knowing where you got this. Do you have a link or a picture?

A snake. But it IS an emotional support snake.

Just kidding.

I'm bringing a lightweight binder with plastic sleeves to slip little bits of papers and receipts for each day. I started doing this for the trip after my mom got sick and I needed to itemize stuff for the travel insurance reimbursement. I also can get a good gauge of my daily spending and secure mementos for my travel journal. But a snake would be cool too.

I used the Navigator App on the NA in December and I didn't remember a chat option. I look forward to using it on my future cruise next January. I have to say, I did find the times for things to be off from the daily sheet they gave us. The trivia times often did not match up and the dates and times the future cruise rep was supposed to be there also were incorrect many times, not that he was actually there at the times the sheet said either. Did anyone else experience this?

I liked the Billboard better than the BB King lounge, personally. How it compares to the old piano bar, I do not know because this was my first cruise. The two pianists at the BO had themed nights in which they played certain types of songs like "British Invasion" or "The 70s." They had a playlist, but they said it was not set, just a list of "approved" songs for that theme. They also had a request night and were allowed to play whatever was requested.

The BB King band was very talented and the female singer was incredible but it was the same R&B songs every night. It make sense for the genre, but since I am not a huge R&B fan, I found it redundant.

The Lincoln Center music was very good too and was more classical themed. There was a cellist that was just breathtaking, but then I am partial to the cello.

For those wondering, trivia was in one of the following places: the Gallery Bar, the Billboard Online, the BB King Lounge and the Ocean Bar (though only twice in 14 days). It was fun, though we found some errors in some of the "correct" answers. I tried to do it every night.

Those are my observation.

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Here are some pictures of the atrium, including the chandelier.

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Were the veranda cabins refurbished- new carpeting and furniture? Fingers crossed. Thanks for the review!

I was on NA for Christmas and New Year's. I had a veranda room, not a suite. The furniture was all new except the desk area. The carpet was new too. It was extremely clean and comfortable. It did not appear that the bathroom had been updated except for the countertop and some glass shelves which looked completely new.

They don't seem to push the hand sanitizer as much any more.

Allan

I was on the NA over the holidays and they pushed the hand sanitizer like it was an accessory. Every time I entered the Lido Marketplace, the reservations person would remind people to use the hand sanitizer. Same for the MD. I'm not sure about other lines because this was my first cruise, but I am on a Carnival cruise in April and I'll see how they do. I wonder if they are as vigilant.

I personally do not mind being served at the buffet. I never really waited very long, and I always felt they over served me since I often had to ask them to only put a small size scoop instead of a whole ladle full. And I always got served faster than in the MD. That was routinely a 2 hour meal, while the Lido, even with the waiting was 30 to 45 minutes tops.

My DH and I are very interested in this as we will be on an 18-day cruise. My concern is that I suspect there are a lot of 4 and 5 star members on this cruise and that it will sell out before we are able to board and to get to the spa. Any suggestions?

I was able to get it on my first cruise, no mariner stars. I boarded about 12:30pm, dropped my carry on stuff in my cabin, changed clothes and wandered upstairs about an hour and a half later. I was able to sign up without issue. Not sure if it's always like that.

Sounds like a very relaxing thing that would be feel great! Is there a Hydro Pool on the Koningsdam?????

Not sure. I've only ever been on the NA.

I took my first ever cruise on the NA in December solo. I met several people that I have been chatting with and I just booked the 22 day SA/Antarctica cruise with a lady I met on there. Traveling solo can be fun, if expensive, because you are accountable to no one. But She will meet people. It's inevitable as you are on a ship. People were so incredibly friendly. That cruise was the best decision I have made in my adult life.

On board. They will have people offering it at the spa. I would head there first as there are limited spots so it's not too crowded. On the NA they put a sticker on the back of my card. When you go to use the spa, you hand them your card and they'll give you a lockeer key and a card to access the hydropool area.

I was on the Nieuw Amsterdam for the December 22, 2017 to January 6, 2018 cruise. A 14 day pass for one person was $249 and I think $349 for a couple. I thought it was worth it. I used it every day, sometimes more than once a day. Used it every evening after dinner (I did the early seating). I have a bad back and sometimes get swelling in my feet if I walk a lot. The pool did a lot to relieve that. I am going on the Zaandam in 2019 for the 22-day SA/Antarctica sailing and I read that they have/will have the hydropool. I plan on getting the spa pass again. The warm stone chairs are also great to just sit and watch the scenery.

42 year old solo female traveler. First time cruiser too. Will be taking 14-day Caribbean cruise on HAL Neiw Amsterdam starting on December 23rd. I am very excited and looking forward to it.

As a first time cruiser, what was the best advice you received? What was the most useless advice?

For me, tights have always referred to the more sturdy, and usually more opaque hose. I grew up doing dance and this is what we referred to them as. Pantyhose are more sheer and made of thinner material, in my experience.

If it is a plain dress, I like patterned tights. I do not like pantyhose because they run too easily in my opinion and I have long nails so they snag more easily. If it is a more elaborate dress, I do go with plain texture and find that tights hold up better to sequins and glitter on a dress. Pantyhose get snagged a LOT by sequins.