njmomof2

My mom just got a casino rate offer.  Turns out when I called to check, the price of the current BOGO50NRD rate is lower than the casino rate!  They would give her the additional $50 off that came with the offer though.

She's also a base level player, this is the first time that she's received an offer.  Went into clubroyaloffers and there was one from May that she never even knew about...never got an email or a snail mail offer.

It was a bit disappointing for her, but she's not a big player, maybe $400 or so per cruise, but she was pretty excited thinking that she might get a better cabin rate.

Good morning.

I have first time cruisers going to Bermuda in June on Escape.  I'd like to tell them options for transportation off the ship when it docks (at the Dockyard?) so they can figure out what they want to do and how to do it.

I believe that there is a free ferry to St. George, is that correct?  Also, if they want to go to Hamilton, there is a "for fee" ferry as well, all from the same place?  If someone could confirm this and perhaps tell me the cost if they want the ferry to Hamilton, I'd appreciate it.

They are looking at some excursions, haven't discussed that with them yet, but I'd at least like to give them some basic information on getting off and getting around when they first arrive.

For some reason, I just haven't had a lot of clients going to Bermuda, and probably none on NCL. 

Thanks for the information.

Ryano, she's a beauty and you're lucky to have her in your life, assisting you in being more mobile.  She is a true service dog.  The one we saw on Freedom a few years ago sitting in a stroller in a captain's costume while we dined in a specialty restaurant was not a service dog.

It makes me wonder if the lack of notices in cabins and last minute changes to venues are all somehow designed to present a picture of low interest and attendance, thereby giving a reason to discontinue hosting these events by the cruise line.

I also think that if you're group is active, plan one that works for your group on your own. It's way more fun that way.

You will definitely have to pay up front with your medical insurance, but Royal uses the std US billing forms so it's easy to get reimbursed. It is out of network though, so no negotiated costs and you will probably pay 20% of total

 

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For me, the key item in your post is "out of network". I have medical insurance through Cigna but I have "in network" benefits only. If Royal bills as out of network, I have no coverage at all. And my mom only has Medicare, and they definitely don't pay out of the US, so we'd be responsible for full amounts.

That's exactly what I'm thinking is happening. So I would get nothing from the insurance company, regardless of type of coverage. Work related was included in the original insurance, but we upgraded to include cancel for any reason.

If you have CFAR, then it shouldn't matter. But I'd review the policy documents anyway to determine if the policy states that "you or a traveling companion are denied vacation from an employer" is considered a "covered reason". The difference between the two isn't that it's not covered, it's the amount you get back.

Covered reasons give you back 100%. Non-covered reasons (hence the "cancel for any reason" coverage) only gives you back 75% or 80%, or whatever your policy allows.

As an example, the Allianz policy I sell used to cover work related issues under what I call the "standard" plan. They changed their coverage, and if you wanted work related, you needed to upgrade to CFAR coverage, which costs more. That meant that under the CFAR coverage, a work cancellation was a "covered reason" and you'd get 100% back if you needed to use it. But, if you woke up and decided day of that you didn't want to go, or your dog or cat was ill and you couldn't leave them, you could cancel under the "any reason" option and get back a percentage of your costs.

You need to review the policy coverage details, and then you need to call the insurer back (or your TA who should understand this stuff and run interference with the insurer for you) and get to the bottom of what you need to do.

Work related reasons are not always covered under travel insurance. Many times, you need to purchase a cancel for any reason policy to get the work coverage.

If the PP has CFAR coverage, and she's 1 week out from her trip, and gets the letter from her daughter's employer denying her the vacation time, then the insurer gets involved.

Now, when she cancels the daughter with the cruise line, the daughter's fare becomes a "cancellation penalty". That means that the OP is now sailing as a single. And the cruise line can now add a single supplement to her fare, because the daughter's fare is no longer in play.

The insurance company then should be next in line, and they should refund the daughter's lost fare, plus they should cover any single supplement that the cruise line charges to the PP for sailing on her own.

At least that's what I've seen happen. People wrongly think that the second person's fare is paid so why would they charge the supplement; because the fare changed to a penalty amount when the cancellation occurred. Now, the cabin only has 1 fare charged to it.

Hope that makes sense.

Well, first of all, your screen name is hilarious. Second, the insurance is called Allianz Travel Insurance, which I think is through RCI. My travel agent had recommended it, said it was very good coverage. It was $118 for the two of us. Since she did all the paperwork, I really don't know much more than that.

 

I see you also have experience with arm fractures. How long was your son in his cast?

I'm so, so sorry about his injury. Thankfully, he's young and will heal quickly. And kudos for having insurance.

Allianz isn't through RCI. While you can buy it independently, it's also a product we as agents sell our clients, so that's why she offered it to you. It's great and provides excellent coverage, especially since you can get the pre-existing condition waiver as long as you purchase it prior to final payment, and you were medically fit to travel on the day you buy.

Kids heal and ships sail. Sending healing vibes his way.

I'm not a fan of NRD, especially since I travel with my mom and kids, so there is always the chance that I'll have to cancel. Case in point...I had Adventure booked for 8/10 sailing out of Bayonne. Unexpectedly needed a new roof when the kitchen ceiling started leaking. Then mom ended up needing a hip replacement. Since I had refundable booked, I was able to cancel with no penalty. And my prices were still lower than anything that had been advertised, including NRD.

I just don't see how Royal continues to offer this program and now has taken away one of the only "perks" of the option. Even Carnival with their Early Saver pricing, offers you the ability to get the lower price up until 2 days before sailing. That's an incentive in my book. Royal's option...no incentive to book. I'm willing to pay a bit more to know that if the unexpected happens, I can cancel.

If you have you and DS in one cabin, then immediately next door DD and her cousins, then immediately next door to that the parents of said cousins, you don't need an adult.

If you and DS are in a cabin and the parents of the cousins are in another close by, and the kids are across the hall in another cabin, you can do that too.

You can certainly book your under 21 kid in a cabin on their own as long as it is next door to or across the hall from your cabin.

I hope your family member can cruise with you and understand you will be sad if she cannot but that is why one purchases insurance. Why do you think the cruise line should offer anything?

We purchase insurance for every cruise and quite frankly I am disappointed when I read that the cruise line offered something back to a passenger who chose not to spend money on insurance. I wonder why I spend the money.

 

If you had no homeowners insurance and had house damage, would you expect any business to pay for your repairs?

 

Life happens and we need to prepare for interruptions and that is why folks purchase insurance. I had to cancel 2 cruise after final payment and my insurance covered all the costs. I had no idea I would be diagnosed with major medical issues just prior to the cruises. The insurance is a small price pay for peace of mind.

 

I know this post sounds cold, and I apologize for that and hopefully you will purchase insurance for future travel.

 

Best wishes.

 

M

In this instance, the OP's DIL might not make it because her boss appears to want to cancel her already approved vacation. In order to be covered for a work related issue, one has to have purchased a specific type of insurance policy that has the work cancellation rider. I know that when I do insurance, my main policy does not cover work related cancellations; I need to upgrade to the CFAR insurance to get that coverage.

I have not done that, as my job luckily has not acted in such a fashion, so once approved, it's done. And most people believe that once they get their time off approved, they don't have to worry. Unfortunate that the boss feels the need to do this.

[quote name=mdsgu;56521173 It's my understanding' date=' right or wrong, that cash handed to a staff member is theirs to keep and is not pooled.

[/quote]

It is my understanding that this is incorrect. If you remove the auto-gratuities and hand cash to your room steward, they must turn it into the pool. They cannot keep it and I believe others have said if they do, they can risk their jobs.

If you leave auto-gratuities in place, and tip over and above, they CAN keep that money for themselves.

Someone with more experience will either confirm or deny.

Wow.

This is an interesting read:

http://www.cruiselawnews.com/2018/03/articles/worst-cruise-line-in-the-world/ncl-raises-gratuities-again-the-greedy-gets-greedier/

 

Esp: "Regarding the Norwegian Sky & Norwegian Sun, gratuities will increase from $18.99 to $19.99 for cabins & from $21.99 to $22.99 for suites, per person per day."

 

$20 / day...

 

Soon, we'll all be cruising for free, just $100 / day for Gratuities... ;)

IIRC, the Sky has all inclusive drinks for their sailings, so that probably accounts for the additional service charges that are added. I'm not sure about the Sun but that might be it as well.

Unless OP is confusing the $100/pp additional amount for the change from a double cabin to a triple cabin with the fee for non-refundable bookings.

I would call anyway and ask them what the additional $100/pp was for. If someone confused a change in cabin type with a cancellation under the NRD rules, then you shouldn't be paying it. If it's for changing from a double to a triple, then there's not much to be done.

OP, it's important to remember that a sofa in a cabin doesn't mean that the cabin can accommodate 3 people. You can't just have a third person sleeping on a sofa if the cabin is only rated for double occupancy. The third person must have a dedicated berth (be it a sofa bed or Pullman).

Please let us know what they say about the charge.

I have the Klymit Static V linked above and take it on all of my cruises. Great insurance against a bad mattress and no toppers available.

Can someone comment on how these inflate? I looked online but I'm not seeing how that works. At 1 lb it's lightweight and probably easy to bring along.

I have to agree that making friends with the staff on the rock wall and flowrider has always been something my boys have done. My younger one is also big on the rock wall and it's one of the reasons he enjoys the walls on ships other than Oasis class. Those ships use belaying ropes, so you don't get that interaction from the staff and all the cheering and direction you get when someone is at the bottom. On one of our trips, he was there so much, they gave him a toolbelt and told him to go up the wall and start tightening the handholds!

Your redheads are beautiful, as is your middle son, and your pictures are lovely. Your enthusiasm came through in your report, and I'm sure you'll be back on a ship soon.

I really enjoyed your trip report. It makes me sad that we had to cancel our August trip on Adventure, but a new roof is pretty important when living in NJ LOL!

I can understand just how deep the love for your son goes. I stare at my boy and feel so much love at times I wonder if my heart will explode. The bond we have is incredible.

 

Inside cabins [patooey!] only exist for those of us too cheap to spring for balconies. When I told my son that we were getting an interior, he said, "Ummm...I prefer balconies." Apparently, my 11yo has a sense of superiority when it comes to cabin selection. So I showed him the price difference, which quickly shut him up.

And I thought I was the only one that had a kid with the balcony superiority! We've done OV cabins before, but when I've mentioned it in the last couple of years, I get "I cannot sail in anything other than a balcony." Sure kid, good thing you're working at McD's and earning your own money. You can pay for your own balcony next time LOL!!!

The non-refundable fare rules are any change to ship and/or sail date is considered a cancellation and you'll pay the $100/pp penalty for that change. Since you're not pregnant at this time or expect to become pregnant and be past the 24 week cutoff for sailing in December, you're probably going to have to pay the penalty.

I'm sorry.

You have redheads! I love redheads! My mom is one so I'm especially partial to redheaded kids.

I'm excited by the enthusiasm of your group. Looking forward to hearing about more of your trip.

And I agree with you about the desserts. It's kind of like the dessert display case in most diners and restaurants. Pretty to look at, not so much to eat. And I'm not a coconut fan so the Ranger cookies don't do it for me. I'm partial to the chocolate chip ones. And anything that resembles chocolate melting cake.

Can someone give an updated status on the B&J "Sweet" cabin? My client is reading in blog posts that they took out most of the theme stuff in the cabin and that it's just like any other, and that people have had trouble getting their vouchers for the ice cream and that Royal has been reluctant to honor the perks of this cabin.

If there isn't anything special, it's fine since they were going to book promenade anyway, but I'd like them to be prepared. They are leaving this weekend.

Looking forward to reading your real time review, as I have clients/friends on this sailing as well, so I'd like to know how weather is, activities and if the ship is as great as when we last sailed her.

Sounds like you two will have a wonderful trip. So glad to hear Lisa is recovering well and almost back to normal.

I also have 2 kids, also both rising juniors, same as yours. Lucky you that you're able to get away without them. As a single mom, I don't get to do that, mostly because I feel guilty going somewhere they love without them, and partly because they're both home over the summer.

We've sailed Freedom a number of times, she's our favorite ship. We had originally planned to sail this itinerary in August, but changed to Adventure out of our home port because it was easier on my mom (who travels with us). Now, of course, we ended up cancelling that as I needed a new roof (and mom goes in for hip replacement surgery this Wednesday).

Looking forward to your trip report.

At present and for the foreseeable future there is no visitor access to the Arizona Memorial due to structural problems discovered last month with the boat landing pier at the memorial. It could be that your tour was cancelled or the number of visitors on the tour were limited because of that. While there are a number of other exhibits at Pearl Harbor, including the battleship USS Missouri, which was brought to Pearl Harbor because it is where the surrender ending the war with Japan was signed.

 

It's safe to say that virtually everyone who visits Pearl Harbor wants to visit the Arizona Memorial. Not being able to do so really cuts back on the emotional impact of a visit there. Unless you've done it you can't imagine how moving and humbling it is to pay your respects there. I would never say "don't bother going if you can't visit the Arizona Memorial", but a visit to Pearl Harbor won't be the same without it.

 

Roberts Hawaii is one of the largest, if not the largest tour operators in Hawaii. You might want to see if they have a tour that can accommodate you. We took this tour that included Pearl Harbor when we stayed in Honolulu:

 

https://www.robertshawaii.com/oahu/tours/uss-arizona-city-tour/

So given this structural issue and needed repairs, has anyone seen a timeline for reopening of the Arizona Memorial? I have clients travelling on POA at the very end of September, so I'd like to give them advance warning if they will be unable to do the memorial before boarding the cruise.

I have not looked at the consumer booking end of Royal's booking engine, but others have reported that if you go through the booking process, past entering the guest names, you should then have the option of selecting the refundable deposit.

And if you change sailings, you will lose $100/pp of your deposit, so better not to do that if you can avoid it.

Unlike many of the people who posted here, when I sail with my kids, we only sail Royal. My kids are diehard Flowboarders so if there is no Flowrider, they might as well stay home (and have said as much). So when we cruise as a family, it's on a ship with a Flowrider.

Now, for me alone, or me and mom, I'd be perfectly fine on another line. Have done Carnival and did a travel agent overnight on Vista when she came to NYC. It's a lovely ship, absolutely loved Guy's, Blue Iguana. Really wish Royal had some of the different included dining options that you find on the larger Carnival ships. I definitely have enjoyed the deli on our Carnival sailings, and would love to do Cucina for a lunch option. Now, on a sea day, I'm in love with the Tutti Salad Bar on Royal, but a port day, other than Windjammer, nothing much available, so Carnival definitely has that going for it. And of course, nothing, and I mean nothing, compares to Warm Chocolate Melting Cake!

I agree that we're all lucky that there are different lines offering different experiences so everyone can be happy. Unlike many, I am not wowed by Oasis/Allure. I had hoped that we'd love it, but it was just Freedom on steroids. The extra additions were just not things that our family loved so we went back to Freedom class. And I've had Beef on Weck in Buffalo so I don't agree with those that love it at Park Café. But again, it's great that there are so many options for everyone.

I wish I could get rid of my kids at some point and get back on a Carnival ship, but there is nothing out of NYC and it's easier for my mom these days to sail from nearby. So we've done Anthem twice since we were sailing during winter; otherwise I can usually get her on a plane to sail out of Florida.