NotThePest_Too

Having done extensive travel in my career and having done a lot of speaking engagements, I frequently shipped printed materials to the hotel to simplify the process.

 

 

Most big chain hotels (Marriott, Hilton, Holiday Inn, etc.) will happily accept packages addressed to arriving guests and store them inn their bell stand storage room. Typically they will want you to have a confirmed reservation and be a member of their frequent guest program. I've also done the advance shipping method for cruise luggage to Ft. Lauderdale when sailing from there.

 

 

Some cruise lines (Princess, for example) also offer advance shipping of luggage directly to the ship. I haven't used that feature, but will definitely consider it on our next cruise out of Ft Lauderdale.

I've just priced out Luggage Forward for a multi-city delivery and pickup. I'm on 49 day cruise FLL to LAX around South America. I will also be juggling a case of custom T-Shirts for those in the Roll Call who want them. We are up to 22 shirts with four months to go so I don't know how big that box will be. I also want to shop for personal items and I'm into essential oil and carrier oils that I use to keep me healthily.

Ramona

The issue is not so much the hotel (where acceptance/storage/security/cost does vary) as it is the reliability of "general" shipping methods (e.g., UPS/FEDEX/DHL) when compared to a very specific/focused luggage valet service where that's all they do.

The NY Times even did an article on this a couple of years ago. I think FEDEX now offers some specific luggage program. But, i know of no cruise lines that recommend FEDEX over their own "partners" like Luggage Forward.

Umm, Luggage Forward uses FedEx and/or DHL, look it up.

Ramona

For informational purposes only:

1) Grace period for cruise lines: There is none. Final Payment is FINAL PAYMENT.

2) Grace period for Travel Agents: Usually 33 days before cruise line's FINAL PAYMENT ( At least My cruise TA).

3) Travel Agent's Grace Period is 20 days before their (My Agent) deadline. (I don't know if this is a soft deadline or a hard one).

I posting this based on my current experience. I received and email today, September 2nd, 2018 advising me of the Agent's Final Payment deadline (September 22nd).

So I've resurrected the dead Horse but now I'm letting him die again and burying him. May he rest in peace.

Ramona

Third Brooklynite chiming in!

Hi again Ramona! So envious of your terrific South American trip. I wish i could go!!! Nice to hear from a person who likes her own company, like me!!

I'll be on Regal Princess Nov 1, not solo.

 

joseyp

Brooklyn in the House! Whoot, whoot! :D I'm going to say something that may start WW III and get me flamed. We don't want to be alone... wait for it... Because we cannot stand our own company so we look for distractions from others wanting others to entertain us. We would rather eat with people we can't stand then to eat by ourselves.

Will4Reals your posts are a breath of fresh air. I too am traveling solo (I'm taking my 2nd every cruise this coming February 2019). I go by myself often when it gets in my head to do something, go somewhere, etc. I detests the, "tsk, tsk, tsk" sounds of those who look at me and feel sorry because "You're going by yourself." I realize they are projecting their insecurities onto me and they really don't lie themselves which is why they can't stand to be by themselves.

I posted this today on the Solo Roll Call discussion:

"

Solo and Single... and loving it! In 154 days I'll be on the Royal Princess 49 day South America Grand Adventure. I'm not concerned about meeting up with other Singles and/or Solos. I'll be busy leading up a fast paced Chair Aerobics for 22 folks on my Roll Call Group; arranging Pickleball play for 17 newbies and veteran players and going on 20 out of 24 shore excursions as of today.

Life is Good and I'm not ashamed, nor concerned nor afraid of being lonely (I'll be with me, myself and I ~~~ 2 is company and 3 is a crowd) and I know how to be alone without being lonely. In fact one can be alone in the middle of a crowd.

Ramona

I'd always assumed darling daughter :p

Dear, darling, dangerous, dumb, delicious, dastardly... ect. There's a lot to choose from. NOTE: Im just being a little light hearted with the letter "D". brought to you by Big Bird and Seseme Street.

Ramona

what is a dd?

 

 

Sent from my SM-G960U using Forums mobile app

dd = dear daughter

Ramona

In the USA there is a Business Law called the LAW of AGENCY: Employees of an organization represent that organization thus their actions or inactions represent that organization and are seen as an extension of and part of organization.

Ramona

"Grace Period" is probably the difference between the carrier's actual Final Payment date and the date the Travel Agency has set up as their Final Payment date.

Case in point - I have a sail date of Feb 2, 2019; the final payment date is October 5th, 2018; however, my TA is requesting September 25th as the Payment Date. The difference, 10 days, may be considered as a Grace Period, a false one, but a Grace Period. The Travel Agent has to transfer the payment to the cruise company and the ten days gives them time for such things as power outages, staff absences and/or vacations, etc. as well as a 24 hour confirmation that payment is in their account. When you pay electronically, the payment is actually confirmed between 8pm-12am the day of payment and is listed as "pending" until the time specified. The agency then transfers that payment to the cruise line. In total that is a 48 hour process.

Ramona

I set up a reminder in my phone calendar to remind me monthly to make my payment. Last cruise I used a TA and she had my cc on file and I would call her or email her on how much to pay. I would get a receipt emailed to me the same day. I always pay mine off 3 weeks before the due date. I keep an excel spread sheet with running totals on how much has been paid and what is still due.

(y) This. I also put everything in my Outlook calendar with notices alerting me up to three weeks to one day before. Heck all my excursions are in my calendar and even my sea days all set to alert me at least one day before.

Ramona

One problem with Hopper is that it doesn't do "multi-city" itineraries.

But your issue is not everone's issue. We have access to many different tools that essentially perform the same thing so we can approach a problem from a different perspective .

Ramona

First there is an App for that called Hopper it is in both Android and IOS (Apple shore). It used an algorithm that uses past flights, day(s) of the week, airport traffic, etc. etc. that calculates possible flight costs. You enter your dates, flexible or inflexible, then leave it alone. It will send pop up messages on your phone from time-to-time stating the cost of tickets as of the pop up date, whether they will go up or down and whether it is a good time to purchase your tickets or to hold. It is pretty accurate.

2nd Didn't see where you live, but short of a holiday season, school break time, in the United States, Tues, Wed, and Saturday is the cheapest days to fly in that order as business travel counts for the airlines busiest travel time and the law of supply and demand are working.

I have a cruise in 2019 that leaves on a Saturday. I'm flying in on a Wed. and planned using the money from the cheaper ticket (same place different day) to pay for accommodations; however, I kind of hit the lottery as my TA scored a airline cruise perk and the ship is picking up the cost of my flights.

Ramona

This may be a dumb question but what size did you print the e-visa for Brazil. I just got e-visas for Brazil and the PDF file is for a 11.7x16.5 inch document.

I printed mine out on 8.5 X11 standard paper. If you do a print preview it shows two pages but the eVisa only needs one sheet. Once printed out, I cut the actual document out. The pdf file may be "large" but the actual eVisa is not.

Ramona

Just booked my first international solo cruise ever to South America and Carnival. I will be cruising on Celebrity Eclipse in 2020 to celebrate my 50th birthday. This will be a 14 day cruise. Will spend three days in Rio enjoying the Carnival Festival.

 

 

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I am doing solo in S.A. on Royal Princess 2019 (49 days). For Carnival time we will be in Chile (March 4th, Puerto Chacabuco; 5th, Puerto Montt)

Ramona

Oh come on, we all thought this thread was dead...

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Forums mobile app

It's alive; it's alive. Ressurection is real :D

Ramona

I'm really enjoying reading your journey. It feels like I was there with you. Thank you so much for sharing.

Ramona

Day 8 (August 27, 2017) At Sea:

 

\

I

For dinner, it was rice, corn with carrots, and a tough beef minute steak. We lent Bogdan our True Lies DVD. In return,he lent us four DVDs, The Artist, Slumdog Millionar (actual spelling since the DVD jacket is in German), Excellence Conference 2002 with Dr. A.R. Bernard (a four DVD set), and The Wonders of Creation Reveal God’s Glory..."

 

 

 

 

This was a pleasant surprise as I was a member of CCC (Christian Cultural Center) where Dr. A.R. Bernard is Senior pastor.

I generally agree with your post. Kids should not be allowed to run wild on a cruise ship or anywhere else in a public place. The one item that I somewhat disagree with is your comment about taking over a swimming pool. Pools on ship tend to be crowded and if kids are using the pool and fill it up, not a problem, but if they "terrorize" as you characterize, that is the problem. We rarely see this problem on our cruises, since the shortest cruise we take is 7 days and most are two weeks or longer.

 

My kids tended to be a bit hyper, but somehow we managed to go to a restaurant and make it through without terrorizing the other patrons. This was before the cyber revolution when people used to interact with each other instead of falling in love with their electronic devices.

 

I must admit that when I visit my grandchildren ages 11 and 8, that I mentally curse the electronic devices that are almost a wall between them and grandpa. If I get 10% of their time, I am lucky. Also, they tend to interrupt me all the time.

I think this is more a product of having two career intensive parents that get worn down by active kids and haven't rounded out their parenting.

 

This is the age we live in and at the age of 70, I can say that it hasn't always been this way. Part of it is our culture as well. Still, the cruise line should be able to do what is necessary when the parents can't get the job done.

What is in society is also onboard the ship as the population comes from...well, you know.

My daughter-in-law took at the time my one grandchild, a girl, to the HOA's pool. The other mothers where having their own little gossip clutch; pity party, organ recital (Pick one or all) and not watching their kids. After the third time pulling one of their kids up out of the water, she went over to them and told them they really needed to watch what their children were doing. They treated her as if she was their paid babysitter and one cursed her out.

I've heard, "Never demand from others what you are unwilling or unable to do for yourself." Can you imagine what would have happened if she didn't do anything to pick up the kids out of the water. My granddaughter was four at the time and since the age of 6 months had swimming lessons and my D-I-L still watched over her like a hawk.

Ramona

Some thoughts:

1) Private practice determines public performance

2) Self-discipline and self-control need to be taught and modeled by parents. You cannot teach something you cannot do yourself. Good manners are mostly caught and not taught. Children pick-up what they see at home.

3) If children, especially teenagers, cannot master internal self-control; the state will use concreate and steel as an external control.

Ramona

You may be interested in this Thread: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2468533

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Ramona

Water aerobics is extremely fun! The routines are usually done to the beat of loud music so maybe that is why it is seldom conducted. I've never seen it but I would join in if I had.

Loud music, or music with a heavy beat is integral for aerobics to help sustain rhythmic movements.

Ramona

Ramona - thanks for filling everyone in on all the effort it takes to be a Zumba instructor. Whether you teach CrossFit, Zumba or Jazzercise, or Group Exercise, it’s an effort of love.

Ahh! Thank you so much. After a lifetime of bad eating, wrong lifestyle choices, I waited until I got into my 60s to become a gym rat. High Cholesterol and blood pressure,, Type II diabetes and a desire not to continue to be sick and tired of being sick and tired...I did a lifestyle change. I have at least 17 people on my Roll Call to participate in Chair Aerobics classes on my 49 day S.A. Grand Adventure in Feb.

Ramona

My niece and I used our 2 year E visa in January. No problems at all. We were at Iguazzu crossing back and forth from Argentina to Brazil. Customs had no questions. It worked great.

hm9912, Howard, I hope this answers your question and relieves your concerns.

See you at the Meet & Greet!

Ramona

My children accompanied me on a Prncess Cruise and were disappointed that there was no Zumba. They went to a class that sounded Zumba-ish. It was Zumba but apparently Princess won’t pay for Zumba licensing so the instructors cannot call it Zumba. With the limitatins on Princess internet, the instructors can’t keep up with the Zumba music requirements. They said it was a good class.

Not sure what you mean by licensing but one, a person, has to be certified by the Zumba powers that be in order to teach Zumba. They take classes, are tested and more than likely have to present or do a demo class.

I'm certified to teach Group Exercises and there are different National (USA) certification organizations. Zumba, Yoga have their own process.

Ramona