DCThunder

No. If you book through Costco Travel, the premium is 5% of the insured amount and you can do it all online. If not booked through Costco Travel the premium is 6.5% of insured amount and you have to call Cover-More. You do need a Costco membership, however. I haven't had to file a claim with them, but the insurance coverage is very good, IMHO.

Travelling eastward is why Phileas Fogg made it back to London on time...

Interesting. Thanks for the information. I sort of took it for granted that a mini-fridge would be in the cabin. I can live without one, I'll just want the steward to fill the ice bucket several times a day.

The cabin description for my Large Oceanview on Zaandam says there's a "mini-bar" in the cabin. Doesn't that indicate that there's a fridge?

I was on the same sailing on Oosterdam and although I'm an Episcopalian, I attended the Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Easter Sunday Masses and appreciated them greatly. HAL also was giving two physics professors/astronomers a lift home from doing research at an observatory in Chile and they gave a series of lectures astrophysics and astronomy stuff, including evenings of sea days on the top deck with the ships lights out to stargaze. That was one of the highlights of the trip. So it's not an either a priest or an enrichment speaker thing.

Yes.

Nope, that's what I used in November/December to compliment bartenders and cabin stewards.

Exactly. Cunard offered me flights on either American or United and the cost was over $100 more than what I booked directly with American. And on AA, I don't have to connect through ORD.

If you are a member of the big warehouse store that also has a travel agency, you can purchase travel insurance through a Zurich Insurance subsidiary called Cover-More. You can do this even if you don't book through the warehouse store TA. Cost is 6.5% of the insured amount, and 5% of insured amount if you booked through the warehouse store TA. Policy coverage is better than Princess and is usually less costly, even if you have the "platinum coverage for standard price" due to Princess status. There doesn't appear to be an age cut off, although the benefits are reduced somewhat after a certain age. You might want to check them out if you're a member.

Exactly right. You can get paper (remember that!) forms at Guest Services and fill them out in while on the cruise to give specific kudos to crew members who've done an especially great job for you. I've heard that the paper forms are even more valuable than the post cruise survey because it's usually real-time feedback. After I broke my ankle on Oosterdam (HAL, I know) and visited the Medical Center for treatment, I filled out the paper form to tell them what a great job they did for me. I ended up with a handwritten thank you note from the head nurse and a complementary plate of chocolate covered strawberries delivered to my cabin.

And Stardust, the Hoagy Carmichael song, was written and first recorded in 1927!

Thanks. That's what I found out yesterday. I ended up booking directly with the airline as the price was less than through Cunard Air.

Thank you.

So I need to ask my TA to add the ability to use Cunard Choice Air to my booking?

Thanks for these points. I went ahead and booked the cruise yesterday, getting a pretty good deal from the TA that also sells tires, wine, and gallons of mayonnaise. Now I just need to get my flights to Vancouver booked. I'm confused at how to look at flight options for Cunard Air. When I go into My Cunard with my booking #, I don't see a place where I can put in departure dates and see flights. Is this something that Cunard doesn't offer? Any guidance would be appreciated. @3rdGenCunarderI have sailed to Alaska before (on HAL) so I'm aware that popular excursions book up early and am already looking at getting a couple booked. I try to stay away from ship excursions, but will be looking at what the ship has to offer.

I'd be surprised if it's shown more than once, even on a 16 nighter. On 2 7-day B2B, it might be shown twice. And yes, they reserve the seats for OTB

I saw Phantom in the Opera House at the Kennedy Center in DC. Obviously, a road company, so the sets weren't as elaborate as those on Broadway. But still a grand production.

I saw it once on Island. It's a nice enough show, but once is enough. "Phantom" finally closed on Broadway, so there's hope that OTB will too...

Are you on the total eclipse of the sun cruise?

Not to give the Princess monetization department any ideas, but they could be making the MUTS loungers pre-paid reserved seating for Super Bowl Sunday or other big sporting events shown on MUTS. $25 per lounger from 4:00 pm until the games over times however many loungers there are, could be bigly profitable!💲😉💲

Thomas Kinkade's art is a representation of what life was like in "the olden days". Except the "olden days" were NEVER like what is depicted in his paintings. It's no different than the Hollywood version of the "Wild West" with gunfights taking place nightly on the streets of Dodge City or Deadwood. We'd all like to think that American small towns always looked like a Kinkade painting, but the truth is, they didn't. I'm no art critic but the dreamy, idealized version of American small town life in the early mid 20th century simply doesn't appeal to me and never has.

I am considering booking a Cunard sailing in Alaska in June 2024. I've sailed a lot on Princess and Holland America and would like to experience Cunard. I've been reading some of the threads here on Cruise Critic and have watched a video or two on Cunard sailings, but am interested in what advice or tips you Cunard veterans might be willing to pass along. For what it's worth, I'm an American, a solo traveler, retired from a career in NGO administration, and in my early 70s. TIA!

Roger that. Obviously, you've done some research! 😉

This is really good advice. You should also research at the price increase to go to a Oceanview, as sometimes the delta over an interior isn't that great.

But, but, but, the art auctioneer assured us that the $15,000 Peter Max they were selling would appreciate in value! Are you telling us that they'd LIE????? :sarc: