ScriptOhio

You might want to consider this place:

TownPlace Suites Boston Logan/Chelsea 

30 Eastern Ave.

I'm staying 1 night(tonight)  before a HAL cruise. I booked this place for ($188.00 + $22.00 taxes = $210 (Marriott Senior Discount). Now I booked the cheapest room that they had and it is still a suite with a full kitchen. The price even includes airport transfers and a breakfast. I'll see how good the breakfast is tomorrow morning. Their shuttle was prompt and it is only about 10 minutes from the airport. I priced Uber from the hotel to the cruise port and it was in the $21 range; however, that didn't include a tip. Now that was an afternoon price: I guess the morning price could be a little more. There is a silver line bus stop (i.e. Eastern Ave) is just across the street. You can take the silver line busses to the cruise port for $2.75 pp; however, it will involve carrying your own luggage and changing busses. Everything is the room is clean and everything works including the air conditioner. The listed check in time is 4 PM; however, I arrived at 1 PM and got a room, The only negative is that the isn't a whole lot of restaurants/stores within easy walking distance.

Just sayin': This place is a "steal" in Boston for $210. 

On 4/13/2020 at 10:42 AM, SWFLAOK said:

 Interestingly enough there have not been any additional travel advisories out of PG since the March 27th update. The ship did a loop out to sea and came back in recently. I wonder if they went to make water, or exchange the water for something else, or just limbered things up a bit to keep the bottom growth off. 

 It is at least what 6500nm to Singapore from Papeete. Backing up from the 5/20 sailing date, and assuming 2 weeks for the drydock, that means they have roughly 22 days (not including Singapore to Bali return here) to get to Singapore. 
At 6500nm/22 that is about 300 nm/day or about 12 knots which is reasonable but, that is a 24x7 cruise. I don't know what the boat's range is and it is at least another 900-1000nm from Singapore to Bali where the BN cruise starts. 

Are things are looking kind of tight for the boat to cover all that ground and get the drydock done?

Re:  Interestingly enough there have not been any additional travel advisories out of PG since the March 27th update.

There is an April 23, 2020 update (however, it's basically worthless as it really doesn't say anything new):

April 23, 2020, Update

Ia Orana!

We hope that you and your family are safe and in good health during these unprecedented times. We look forward to resuming our voyages in the near future and continuing to offer our guests exceptional cruise experiences in Tahiti, French Polynesia, Fiji, and the South Pacific. 

If you have any questions regarding an upcoming sailing, please contact your Travel Advisor, call us at 800-848-6172, or send us an email at customerservice@pgcruises.com. Our team is at your disposal to assist you Monday – Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PST.

On 3/15/2020 at 5:37 PM, CAL7 said:

I'm likewise confused. If a cruise company changes the itinerary (e.g. cancels ports of call), then that is not unusual and I believe we passengers are without recourse.  However, canceling the entire cruise, for whatever reason, should entitle us to a 100% cash refund.

 

Can anyone explain if that is wrong? And why? 

Here's the links for Paul Gauguin's terms and conditions that you may (or may not) have agreed to when you booked. The links do not specify when they were last changed/updated, so you really don't know what they were when you actually booked unless you happen to have printed out a copy at time of booking. Regardless, this is what they are imposing on the current passengers now.

https://www.pgcruises.com/ms-paul-gauguin-passenger-ticket-contract 

https://www.pgcruises.com/reservation-policies

I found this article on the Diamond Princess:

Photos inside the Diamond Princess cruise ship, where thousands of passengers have been quarantined for a week because of the coronavirus outbreak
https://news.yahoo.com/photos-inside-di ... 00309.html
In addition you can click on the included twitter sites for more pictures.
The policy (below) doesn't make up for the quarantine, etc.; however, it does appear that Princess is doing the beat that they can given the bad situation.

On 8/19/2018 at 1:30 PM, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

There's a trip *to* Bali, but none *from* Bali, at least not listed now. There's Fiji-Bali, April 11-27th, then Fiji-Societies, starting June 6th. That leaves April 28th-June 5th blank, 38 days.

FWIW,  there is a "from" Bali cruise; there is a 17 night full ship charter on the Paul Gauguin from Bali to Fiji (20 May 2020 to 6 Jun 2020)

How do you get mariner credits besides cruise days?

The basic formula is very simple: one Cruise Day credit is given for each actual day sailed (each overnight aboard a Holland America Line vessel is considered an actual day sailed). So, for example, a 7-day cruise results in 7 Cruise Day credits. For Holland America Line Alaska Land+Sea Journeys, a Cruise Day credit is granted for total tour days, including days touring on land. Pre and Post packages are excluded. Cruise Day credits are non-transferable.

These credits apply to all guests, including 3rd and 4th guests in a stateroom for suite bonus only. In addition, there are two ways to earn bonus days:

• Suite Bonus Earn double Cruise Day credits when you pay a published fare for a spacious suite or penthouse on your next cruise. For example, a guest who pays published fare for suite accommodations for a 10-day cruise earns 20 Cruise Day credits.
  
• Onboard Spending Bonus Effective with cruises on or after September 18, 2009, one bonus Cruise Day credit will be granted for each $300 in eligible onboard purchases. This is calculated on the combined folio charges for all guests on the booking, regardless of who signs each charge and who pays the bill. Only the first two guests on the booking receive the limit of one bonus day for each day sailed; 3rd and 4th guests on the same booking do not earn the onboard spending bonus.
  

Does Holland America still provide a daily newspaper each morning with the daily flyer about things to do that day? Much easier to find out what happened in the world by scanning the daily printed news rather than sitting in front of a TV waiting for a news broadcast.

 

Yes, it's been a few years since we cruised to Alaska on HAL. Many thanks for your help.

 

QUOTE

Yes, they still print the 8 page mini NT Times paper. Also, you can read the NY Times (at least as much as is in the daily paper) on their website off the ship's internet for free. It along with the HAL website are complimentary (with no login required).

Just sayin': I just got off the Koningsdam and (overall) is actually exceeded my expectations. However, I was in cabin 5018, it is an inside cabin on deck 5 forward. I thought that it would be fairly quiet even though the main theater is on decks 2 & 3 below it, since deck 4 is in between. If noise bothers you and you go to bed before 11 PM you might want to avoid this cabin as you can hear the drums and bass from the evening shows and it can be fairly loud especially for the "production shows". Oddly you don't hear the singing, any announcements, and/or any other instruments. For whatever reason it is just the low pitch noise. The show room (i.e. World Stage) has a drop down section in the ceiling where dancers can drop down on a rope or swing. If you look at the deck 4 floor plan there aren't many rooms in the forward area. A section in deck 4 is probably like the top of an elevator shaft with an access door for the entertainers and the hoist operator. So the noise readily gets into this area of deck 4 and comes up into deck 5 rooms via the space between the walls and/or the air duct system, etc. Anyway the evening shows are usually 8:30 to 9:15 and 10:00 to 10:45 so that is when you hear the noise and it is only the shows with drum and bass music (recorded or live). Also, I have no idea which (if any) rooms around 5018 are similiarly effected.

Just sayin': Currently (for dinner) the upstairs is assigned time and table; and the downstairs is "anytime dining". After about 1/2 and hour thay may place anytime diners upstairs at an empty table or sooner if they have a record of the passengers at an assigned table eating in a "speciality restaurant" that night.

Obviously you want to say in Rome. The hotels and prices for Rome hotels seem to change frequently. I'd say check out the (discount) hotel booking websites. Unless you expect to have a rental car, I'd recommend choosing a hotel close to Termini Station.

However, just sayin': For anyone wanting a recommendation for a place to stay in Civitavecchia. There is a great bed & breakfast called: La Casa Sul Mare. There are only 4 rooms; but all have an ocean view balcony. Also, the place is conviently located close to the train station, the cruise port, restaurants, the beach, and a laundromat.

I was on the Royal Clipper last July. (Prior to the final payment) I just called the cruise line and got the better deal.

FWIW, on the the last 2 cruises departing from Port Everglades the taxi driver did not want to use the meter. They wanted to tell you the rate is $20. Monday, (2 Apr 2018) I told the driver to use his meter that the rate is less than that (i.e. around $16). He agreed, but said that it comes to about $20 with a tip. I told him when I asked what the fare was he didn't say "$20 including tip" he just said "$20", which implied that he would expect an additional tip. He made some "snide" comment that I spend several thousand dollars on a cruise and worry about a couple bucks extra for the taxi driver. I told him it is not the money, it the principle of the thing; I just don't like to be taken advantage of and/or "ripped off".

My husband and I will be on the April 10, 2018 Panama Canal cruise on the Coral Princess. Been checking out some excursions. Any suggestions, especially for Costa Rica?

We did the Thumbs Up 10 in 1 tour off the Coral Princess in Punta Arenas two weeks ago and they were excellent. I posted this on another travel bulletin board:

Excellent Cruise Ship Excursion

We were on their 10 in 1 tour for our Punta Arenas port stop on the Coral Princess. It actually exceeded our expectations and was everything that they advertised. The price and amenities were buch better than the ship's similiar excursions. It was a very good overview of the area. The included lunch was great and we saw numerous animals. It was $70 per person, we had people in a real nice 20 passenger Mercedes van. Our guide was Canadian who needless to say spoke perfect English.

We did the Thumbs Up 10 in 1 tour off the Coral Princess in Punta Arenas two weeks ago and they were excellent. I posted this on another travel bulletin board:

Excellent Cruise Ship Excursion

We were on their 10 in 1 tour for our Punta Arenas port stop on the Coral Princess. It actually exceeded our expectations and was everything that they advertised. The price and amenities were buch better than the ship's similiar excursions. It was a very good overview of the area. The included lunch was great and we saw numerous animals. It was $70 per person, we had people in a real nice 20 passenger Mercedes van. Our guide was Canadian who needless to say spoke perfect English.

FWIW, check out this link:

Half Moon Cay - Bahamas Bonefishing

https://diyfishing.com/2015/01/09/half-moon-cay-bahamas-bonefishing/

There is a nice little wine shop in the Channelside entertainment complex, which is located immediately adjacent to the terminal usedby Carnival. They have a pretty good selection, ranging from cheaper stuff to pretty high caliber/high price. Very friendly staff/owners. Iirc, website is www.tampawinedesign.com. If you're at either the Embassy Suites or Marriott Waterside, it's your closest option. There's also a Publix fairly close to those hotels.

 

If you're in one of the Ybor hotels, you could hop on the trolley & take it to the Channelside stop, which is about 1/2 block from the wine shop.

Just sayin': Wine Design closed in 2013.

http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2013/07/24/wine-design-latest-victim-of.html

Does anyone have the Tiramisu recipe from the Carnival cookbook they are willing to share?

From a Carnival promotional email:

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 fl. oz Grand Marnier

• 8 oz sugar

• 20 oz mascarpone cheese

• 20 lady finger cookies

• 10 egg yolks

• 4 cups heavy cream

• 3 fl. oz marsala wine

FOR COFFEE SYRUP:

• 2 fl. oz Kahlúa

• 1 cup water

• 2 oz sugar

• 2 oz instant coffee powder

TO PREPARE:

• Got a double boiler? Use it to prepare a sabayon

with yolks and sugar. Cream the mascarpone

cheese and mix into the sabayon. Add the

marsala, Grand Marnier and whipped cream —

fold in the sabayon mixture and keep it in the fridge.

• To make the syrup, dissolve the instant coffee in

hot water, mix the sugar with Kahlúa and let it cool

in the fridge.

• Soak the lady fingers in the coffee syrup and

arrange one layer of cookies on the bottom of the

serving glass.

• Using a piping bag, pipe the sabayon mixture into

the cup, as shown in the picture.

• Arrange an optional garnish - pictured above

we've got chocolate ruffle, marbled chocolate

flakes, cocoa, sugar rocks and marzipan

coffee beans. Fancy!

Just sayin': The Oosterdam's departure from Tampa made the local newspaper....

Cruise ship scrubbed for Norovirus, leaves Tampa for Caribbean

Friday, November 18, 2016 6:25pm

A Holland America cruise ship departed from the Port of Tampa for a trip to the Caribbean on Friday after being scrubbed for a suspected Norovirus outbreak on it's previous trip.

The ms Oosterdam was sanitized then inspected by workers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before it left as scheduled for a seven-day western Caribbean cruise.

A number of passengers aboard the ship became ill with symptoms consistent with Norovirus on a 15-day trans-Atlantic cruise that departed from Civitevecchia, Italy, on Nov. 3, according to a statement from Holland America.

Norovirus is circulating throughout North America and can be easily transmitted if personal hygiene is not maintained, the company said.

Of the 1,843 passengers and 796 crew members on board, 86 passengers and 18 crew became ill with vomiting and diarrhea, according to the CDC. Holland America said only one passenger continued to exhibit symptoms.

The cruise line enhanced its sanitation procedures once the virus began to spread, officials said. Railings, door handles and elevator buttons were disinfected, passengers were told to wash their hands and use hand-sanitizing gels placed throughout the trip, and those exhibiting symptoms were confined to their cabins.

Incidents of Norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships are rare, affecting an estimated 0.008 percent of all cruise ship passengers, Holland America said in a prepared statement.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/health/cruise-ship-scrubbed-for-norovirus-leaves-tampa-for-caribbean/2303412

Do you not like the robes HAL provides? I'm happy to use theirs. More room in the luggage for my gala night clothes. :D

Also, if you use their robes they will happily replace them with clean ones anytime during the cruise (i.e. basically free laundry service on the HAL robes).

:p

New newspaper account (i.e. update of an appeal)....

Cruise ship worker gets more than 30 years, again, for attacking passenger

A former cruise ship worker who sexually assaulted and tried to kill a passenger told a judge Tuesday that he is having a tough time dealing with the violence he sees every day in prison.

Pujayasa has spent the last year or more at a federal prison in Texas that is nicknamed "Bloody Beaumont" because of its violent reputation, Assistant Federal Public Defender Chantel Doakes told the judge.

Despite that, Pujayasa has taken advantage of every educational and self-improvement opportunity in prison, she said, including taking anger-management courses.

Pujayasa told the judge he knew he deserved to be punished but begged for mercy and said he dreaded returning to the Texas prison: "Every day, I have to witness people fighting and I have to protect and take care of myself in the troubles that come to me."

Pujayasa was previously sentenced to 30 years and five months for aggravated sexual assault and attempted murder but he was back in federal court in Miami on Tuesday to be re-sentenced.

An appeals court ruled earlier this year that the judge did not adequately explain his reasons for imposing a more severe punishment than the 14 to 17 1/2 years recommended by sentencing guidelines. Those guidelines are intended to make sure people get similar punishments for similar crimes.

U.S. District Judge Jose Martinez imposed the same punishment — 30 years and five months — on Tuesday but explained his reasons in greater detail.

He said the extra punishment was appropriate because Pujayasa's actions were so extreme and the effect on the victim was so severe, leaving her with post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression and physical and cognitive difficulties caused by her injuries.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/browa ... story.html

A few years ago I had a bad cabin on the Oosterdam too:

 

Just a "word to the wise": you do not want to book cabin #4154 on the Oosterdam. I booked an inside guarantee and was assigned it. During moderately rough seas some of the the ship's structural components might "flex" and you will can hear a thump sound. It is no big deal in most of the cabins; however, in #4154 it sounds like someone is actually throwing a basketball against the back wall. The wall (and picture) even vibrate. Apparently whatever is flexing (i.e. beam, support, brace, shaft, and/or steel panel, etc.) is attached to and/or is striking the room's back wall; which is only about 2 feet from the bed. It happens every time the ship pitches and/or rolls, etc. There is noway an average person could sleep through it.

I was just watching John Heald's live feed and his report on Half Moon Cay which comes from HAL's vice-president of Caribbean relations who says that HMC has sustained no damage, the horses are fine, and that little piece of paradise will be open for visitors again. Yay!!!

 

Smooth Sailing ! :) :) :)

See the video:

“I just heard from Holland America’s VP of Caribbean relations, Matt Sams” Heald reported, “who told me the good news and the bad news.”

The good news? "There was no major damage done to the Bahamian resort by the storm."

The bad? “The wind has blown Half Moon Cay a little bit away from where it used to be. Half Moon Cay is now located just off the coast of Cleveland, Ohio.”

I've been looking at the website and cannot find any Sea of Cortez cruises. Have those ones been discontinued?

Azamara Quest* has one (12 nights) for 9-FEB-2017 - 21-FEB-2017

*use to be Renaissance's R7 ship.

I can guarantee you would never see the refund of independently booked air. The airlines have their own policies and I can just about assure you wouldn't give a "dam" about whatever a cruise line may have done. Their policy is their policy. The tickets are next to always non refundable and non transferable and a change fee is required to rebook the value of your ticket on something else. Most airlines will only refund a non refundable ticket of you can produce a body and death certificate of a passenger on the booking or MAYBE an immediate relative. Literally parent, spouse or child. MAYBE.

 

As for the add a month in case a trip is starting early, there's two flaws in that logic. 1) I know some can but I would expect that the VAST majority of people of the age and means to travel the world do not do month long or greater vacations. 2) Even if they book a year out because they will travel for a month prior to the cruise the 331 day rule applies to the return flight date. Not just when the trip has to start by. Very few people would voluntarily spend more to get a one way ticket and then much later on book another one way ticket. It's more money, not nearly as convenient and can result in more fees (double in fact) if you have two separate tickets booked (each ticket will carry its own rules and own fees).

 

100% refund on any cruise fare lid I absolutely agree with. And an onboard credit is nice for the inconvenience/frustration. I believe for most 7-14 day cruises it usually ranges $75-200 depending on the category you book...? I know it is variable.

 

But to expect full refunds, them to somehow override the airlines and the airline policies AND provide "significant compensation" on top of that? Why stop there? Don't you want a ship named after you? A cruise where you can play captain? Maybe your own charter for just you and your 30 closest friends? There's definitely a limit of what is reasonable and I feel that the current approach is more than reasonable

Just sayin': Well, back in 2006 I did get one from Princess. I was booked on a transAtlantic cruise on the Star Princess; a few months before the cruise the ship had a serious fire which required extensive repairs. The fire was in the Caribbean and the repairs were to be done at a ship yard in Germany. This necessitated Princess cancelling several cruises including the one I was booked on. I received a full refund for the cruise, 25% off on a future cruise in the same category cabin, and a full refund (from Princess) for my nonrefundable air. I did have to submit documentation to Princess to show what I paid for the air and that it was nonrefundable.

On the Volendam this past April, sometimes in lieu of the Dive In fries; I just grabbed a couple bags of potato chips by the "prepared sandwich area" in the buffet line.