trav25
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Posts posted by trav25
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Heard they are going to Bangkok and will disembark Thursday that time.
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3 hours ago, Viv0828 said:
we don't buy cruise insurance. we self insure as do many others. even if we did not get a refund for our cancelled feb 15 cruise, we would have been ahead rather than buying insurance on all our previous cruises.
everyone needs to cost it out and see what works best for them.
we always have a medical policy. we can afford to lose a few thousand dollars if we miss a cruise but we cannot afford hundreds of thousands of dollars for a medical emergency.
Your medical policy...what was is that? When I broke my leg on a trip, the foreign hospital didn’t want health insurance card from another country, didn’t want the trip insurance info and wouldn’t take credit cards. Cash only. Then you file loads of paperwork back home and wait to get reimbursed. I got paid from Allianz (broke it in the country before boarding) and from the ships insurance for not being able to make the trip.
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No news today from HAL or our friends on the ship.
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Wonderful to hear from you. Thank you for taking the time to write in detail.
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5 hours ago, Ivy86 said:
Can you put the link for the forum ? Thanks for the info
I’ve been watching that too. It’s hard to do a link, at least for me. I found it by googling Tripsdvisor Santiago Chile forum.
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16 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:
If you purchased the Viking Travel Insurance, you must read the terms & conditions carefully. While you pay the premium to Viking Cruises, the cruise line is only liable for benefits payable under Part A - which basically is the trip cancellation/interruption portion.
The medical/health component is covered in Part B. This is under-written by Arch Insurance company, under the name of Trip Mate Inc. All medical/baggage/personal effects claims must be submitted to Trip Mate, not Viking Cruises, in accordance with their claims notification guidelines. Therefore, all benefits payable under Part B will be received from Trip Mate, not Viking.
Forgive me I meant Tripmate. Believe me I know the difference. Tripmate is the insurance you get if you sign up through Viking. I had Tripmate pay (minus the cost of insurance) and Allianz pay for the non cruise portion. I fell going into the city before starting the cruise started.
Trying, ineffectively, to make the point that people buying Tripmate insurance should check to what it covers if you are doing an onshore excursion with a private company in a foreign country.
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Best to ask Viking direct but I am planning on getting private travel insurance for any part of the trip that isn’t a Viking sanctioned flight, transfer or excursion. It goes by how much each thing (flight, transfer, excursions) costs. For anyone in the US, think about....getting hit by a car in a foreign country while on a private excursion or falling a breaking a limb while on a private excursion. There was a ton of paperwork when I got home both for Viking and for the other insurance. You have to show how you paid for each thing. Credit card statements, bank account statements, etc. etc. That said, I imagine Viking would pay if you just walked off on your own around town. Up to you. Ask the question to the cruise ship before assuming that an injury on a private excursion is covered. Just ask. Doesn’t hurt to ask.
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Something to remember when booking a private excursion. You need to buy an outside private health insurance policy and you need to do it at the same time (there might be a week or two leeway) for the insurance to cover pre-existing conditions. I you slip and shatter your ankle, like I did, outside of the cruise ship on a private tour, no help. Foreign countries could care less about your insurance. They sure aren’t going to bill. Cash only. My insurance co no longer even pays out of state! My husband’s does not pay out of the country. All expenses get paid by you but you get reimbursed later if you did it right before the trip. Worth a thought.
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On 7/20/2019 at 9:28 PM, Liz Masterson said:
This winter while I was stuck in bed with a sprained left ankle and a broken right ankle I found a great blog by a woman... I think her name was Susan... who had done both the 2018 and the 2019 Viking world cruises.
I am am trying to find it to recommend it for a friend who enjoys reading travel blogs. It has a name like Passport something.
Does anyone have the link handy?
Are there any other similar blogs you would recommend?
Wow, I shattered my ankle in Japan when I went early for a Viking cruise to China. Flew home for surgery of a trimalleolar fracture and ligament repair. I can't imagine recuperating with both feet injured. I'm so sorry. I do remember laying in bed doing a whole lot of research while pumping my legs so I didn't get a blood clot. Surgery was in October and I am doing well. Good luck! It will all be good.
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I am really glad you brought this subject up. There are 6 of us going soon. We will be gone from home about a month. We using texting for the kids at home but for each other, it is nice to know that WhatsApp withdrew without WiFi. I will have to practice that. Good suggestion for Viking to consider a intra-ship communication method.
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As I lay in bed with with my foot elevated, as it has been since September 29, I got a huge laugh out of your response when you talked about how the travel insurance co now knows our bank balance and what we charged on our credit card the months we charged things!!! Thanks for the laugh. I was aghast to send them all of that but that is the way it goes. I did ask one if they needed a copy of the policy they issued! They said no. With tripmate, we could not download as easy as Allianz so we had to mail a huge packet. I would never do expensive travel without insurance. Now I see that optional tours with other operators would be an issue. Thankfully I didn’t have that but worth knowing.
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Unfortunately, I now know more than I want to about trip insurance. On our trip I fell and broke my ankle in three spots. Had to fly home for surgery and rehab.
We had two insurance policies. Allianz to cover the business class flight (we did on our own) and a week we did on our own before a Viking cruise. We had Viking's tripmate for the cruise portion,
First of all, insurance is a MUST. I know now that if you do a private tour on shore with a group other than the cruise, you should have a separate policy to cover anything not done while on a trip sponsored tour.
Keep all receipts in a file. That includes the credit card or e-check statement that shows you actually paid for the trip. Flights, tours, cruise all with billing statements showing you did pay. Both companies wanted this information eventually.
I found the Allianz claim site easier to navigate. That said, they are the ones who keep asking for info. No email. They expect me to look and when it says more documentation needed, you have to call. Then you have to call and call some more with each new documentation they need.
Tripmate SEEMS to have come through 100% in that they say both my husband and I will be reimbursed minus the insurance cost and the claim is closed. That said, I have not gotten a check but I am told it will be emailed this week.
I know we have 2 more paid for trips and seeing as some of them are paid way ahead of time, you need to copy your billing statements and put in a file or you are searching archives to figure out what month and year for the exact billing.
Just FYI. Wish I had known.
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A cruise line like this you don’t generally find the hungover party people. Most of us are well traveled and enjoy meeting other people and care more about the ports and traveling than late night partying. It’s wonderful fun and better than the ships who nickel and dime you. They don’t have a formal night. We can do that at home and don’t want to waste luggage space. I learn a lot from other travelers.
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That’s what they wanted from us too. Crazy.
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Well... I went on our trip early to Japan. We were visiting a temple when I fell 4 days before our Viking part of the trip began and broke bones in my ankle. I am currently at home with my leg elevated (24 days of elevation so far) after surgery. Submitted claim through Tripmate. I’ll let you know how it goes.
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We got Hep A and did the live typhoid vaccine for China. Not required.
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We loved both lines but if it says anything, we have three Viking trips planned. Only one is ocean and we have only done one ocean with each of these lines, although the Azamara was a back to back trip.
Viking ocean has included shore excursions. They are fine and sell more. We found that the main restaurant served the same food as the buffet and wound up liking the buffet better. We took most of our meals there. Specialty restaurants are included unless you want to buy a better wine pairing.
A couple of things that Azamara did really well was to teach everyone to fist bump only and that the passenger would see the crew do that too. They said “there is always flu somewhere in the world and the world comes together on a cruise ship.” The emphasis to clean hands was really great. We liked the piano bar on Azamara too. Loved, loved Azamara white night as well as the special onshore night each trip (can’t remember the name). What a treat!
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I’ll have my phone for pictures and so the kids can text something urgent since we will be gone over a month. Not using VPN to read emails or anything else. Just have VPN in case of an emergency (maps or something) .
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We are going on the oct 7 undiscovered China. I am bringing my iPhone. Verizon is charging $70 a month for phone dialing and texting. I am not planning on turning on any WiFi or using free China WiFi. I am going to download a VPN in case I need it for emergencies but VPN is illegal in China. From what I read, the government will read everything coming and going and you aren’t allowed and social media or any google (including gmail). I’m just tuning out but my kids can text if it is something urgent. Nothing political.
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Hands down for the most professional, accurate private guides, look into Context Travel. They use Masters or phd level guides, usually from the universities. We use them in Budapest and Prague.
We love this level of information so well we have used them in Rome, Florence, Naples, Venice, Amsterdam, Montreal, Sydney, and are signed up for 4 in Japan. Contemplating one in China if we have time on our next Viking cruise. They will give you extra help and guidance if you need it too.
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After our Amsterdam to Budapest cruise, we stayed in Budapest for 3 days, went to Cesky Krumluv (2 nights) and then to Prague.
We used a private driver to go from Budapest to Cesky and again to Prague. Can't remember the name but it was wonderful. Stopped any time we wanted to (old communist boarder crossing from Austria to Cheque) and ate at a great out of the norm restaurant in Austria. We looked into buses, trains and planes and found a private guide was the cheapest and it was a great way to go.
You get more bang for your buck in Prague. In both of those main cities, the key to our trip was a private guided tour by Context Travels. Absolutely made our trip. Budapest was made so much more interesting doing a small walking tour with a phd level guide. Budapest was bombed heavily during WWII and rebuilt by the communists. Loved both cities! The guide in Prague from Context was able to take us places we would never have known about.
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We never had a full bus while on included excursion (ocean cruise). River cruise tours were mostly walking with a lot of free time. Some of the Ocean bus tours were ok but I really loved River cruise walking tours.
Agree. River cruise tours mostly good but included ocean tours not most not great on the Homelands cruise. Arrange your own or pay for other excursions.
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Thanks for sharing this good news! I'm on the Sky in a few weeks too! We signed up for the 2 day faberge tour with Alla in St. Petersburg. Did you hear any comments about that one?I was so torn about both of these tours. It does everything your tour did except for the Yusopov and St. Isaac's Cathedral. We're these places so significant/interesting/beautiful that we shouldn't miss them? We could always to the Faberge Tour at night. Did you do a night time excursion with Alla in St. Petersburg?
Yusopov palace was the least favorite thing we did. All of us agreed that was not worth it.
The rest was absolutely stunning! Super glad we went on a small tour. We got into the hermitage early and didn't have to wait outside at Catherine's Palace. That leaves more time to see other things. We loved the two day Alla tour.
That said, we wasted money booking the Viking Russian folk dances because, for us, we were exhausted and were getting ready for the next day all day tour. We stayed on the ship, are and went to bed early. Had to be outside passport control and waiting by 8.
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Some things we didn't know when we booked our Alla tour:
1. $3 (US) per person to take pictures in the Ysupov museum. The museum guards are strict. So have that cash on you.
2. Recommended 10% (guide) and 5% (driver) tips cannot be put on the credit card. Everyone in our bus used credit cards. You pay that at the end of the first day. So have Euors or dollars with you.
The Alla 2 day tour were jammed packed touring but they have it timed so well that we avoided crowds. Had the Hermitage to ourselves for a long time before the crowds came. Wonderful two days.
By the way, we are LOVING this ship and everything about it. The staff is unbelievable. Very, very happy!!
Corona virus : cruise or postpone?
in River Cruising
Posted
One of the things I think about is the number of trained medical professionals who have gotten the virus and some have died. You don’t hear if 34 year old and 29 year old MD’s dying of flu. I think there is a reason people, certainly the medical profession,is treating this as serious and potentially devastating. Certainly to people over 60.