Clairescurtains

I fell and broke an arm last year on a European Carnival cruise, ended up going to the ER in Belgium The cruise lined did not charge me anything for setting the break and a splint as I fell due to a trip hazard, the Belgian hospital only charged 156 euro for x/ray and another splint.  

I had AIG insurance that did reimburse me for both the ER and the cab rides back and forth but it took them about 6 months to finally pay. 

For my next cruise I chose the NCL insurance, with the low deposit, I feel like I am self insured on that and we do have Medjet ins as well. 

Another thing🤪 do people go around with money to tip in various venues?

In the past the only place I have given cash tips was at the past guest parties so the waiters are aware of my location so they will return😆.

I have usually given our room steward and any special waiter some cash at the end of the cruise, too.

Sorry if this is a naive question but we haven't sailed NCL in many years. We have usually pre-paid tips or what NCL calls a service charge in advance but it doesn't seem to be broken out on our reservation information even though I asked for a total bottom line price. Should I expect the additional $280 added to our final bill? I certainly don't mind paying this amount as the crew deserve compensation but I was led to believe that the total we were given when booking was, in fact, the total.

My DH has Jr on his passport, I would like it gone since his father died years ago. I understood that the Jr wasn't applicable at that point. We just renewed his passport and just left the name as is for simplicity.

Some of my ids have my middle initial but my passport has my maiden name since I have no true middle name. It has never been a problem and hopefully won't be in the future. Everything is on my CC so the Jr shouldn't be an issue, I hope.🫣😬

If I remember correctly [it has been a few years] the brewery was an upward spiraling ramp with no easy way to exit until you reached the top floor which was basically a huge bar with nice city views. 

The Hoho bus is good. If you aren't a beer drinker the brewery is a huge waste of time. The Book of Kells is interesting as is the whole area in which it is housed.

Any new comments from those of you that just disembarked?

What time were you able to get off the ship and through customs?

How did you get to your airport and how long did it take?

I hope you all had a wonderful cruise.

I would love to hear more as well.

I would particularly like to know about disembarkation at the various ports and on the return to Dover.

I know he ship is supposed to return at 5:00 but when were you able to actually get through customs to the bus/taxi departing area. 

I actually like the pre-paid tips, with your time dining there are different waiters at many meals, with pre-paid tips they all get something and I don't feel bad about not giving the last dinner's waiter an envelope.

They may have increased but so have salaries in most places. 

I plan on taking an at home test prior to flying to Europe [if neg] then taking another the day we arrive since we leave the US 4 days in advance of our cruise. I figure if I am negative on Monday I will still be on Tuesday.🤔  

4 hours ago, kwokpot said:

Various ports have restrictions on whether you can or can't walk from the ship to the main Port terminal. Today's stop was in Zeebrugge. The Port doesn't allow anyone to walk themselves from the ship to the main terminal, it has to be by shuttle bus. There was only 1 bus,which was free to ride, hired by Carnival to get passengers from the ship to the main terminal. 

A friend on your cruise mentioned a shuttle for $20, per person into Bruges, is that in addition to the free one or ?

I would love to know what time people are getting off the ship and to the transportation area. I have booked a car for 6am but that may be ambitious. 

On other cruises people are awakened early, early and i expect the same this time but I would love to hear from the voice of experience.

3 minutes ago, M&A said:

We are sailing on the Pride back to back Sep 2nd - an email from Carnival that testing is required for this B2B, required for all Euro/UK sailings

So you are talking about the future, not what is occurring right now.

5 minutes ago, M&A said:

Not on the Pride 

Please advise what your experience has been and where in the world you are. 

We did the Pride to Hawaii several years ago, the your time dining was upstairs and regular dining was downstairs.

How is everything with the ship, the ports, the food, everything?

We are cruising later in the summer and would love to know it all.

1 hour ago, Harters said:

A quick Google finds four nail places in the town centre - Lush Nails, Nail & Nail, Nail Blossom & Beautiful Nails. I'm a tad surprised to see so many in a smallish town but then I suppose it's a growth industry. LOL.

 

I've not looked further to see if they are open on Sundays but, if you find one that suits, I'd recommend making an appointment rather than taking a chance on a walk-in.

Thanks, I didn't even think of google.

An appointment would be great however knowing when I will be available might be difficult being at the mercy of the b2b process.

I am doing a back to back cruise out of Dover this summer and would like to get my nails done on the turn around day. Are there walk in nail parlors in Dover like there are in the US? I think there will be plenty of time since I do not need to change rooms but probably will have to walk off and on that day.  

I will be a Sunday which might or might not make a difference.  🤔

I think you can still order a continental breakfast in your room with your chosen time frame. I hope you can since this is great for early excursions.

I was less than impressed, it was served to our table of four and it was a very skimpy serving.

When we boarded at Barcelona there was actually a duty free store between security and the gangplank. I understand there is a new dock.🙄

We took lemoncello aboard when in Italy and somewhere else, don't remember what or which port.

At the time security was conducted by port officials rather than CCL and they really were unconcerned about what you took aboard as long as it wasn't weapons or drugs.

Thanks for asking this, I have carried on liquor [no CCL liquor police at the on ramp] on a European cruise in the past, I hope to again but don't know if it is still possible. 

Have the free big bottles of water in the cabin for Platinum gone away? 

10 hours ago, nlktx49 said:

On the Dream last month I got a HUB alert at 5 a.m. to tell me not to miss the Lightning Art Auction at 1 p.m.!!! When I went to Guest Services later the snotty man at the desk told me to give him my phone, he messed around with it than said he didn't see any proof of that happening! After basically calling me a liar he turned his back on me and walked off. This was just one of many "unCarnival" things that happened on that cruise. Will never cruise on Dream again, may not ever cruise again - and this was my 25th cruise!

 

How sad, don't let one bad apple spoil all your fun.

I was able to turn off alerts on the app so it is not alerting me any longer.

5 hours ago, maryann2 said:

Tested positive today.  Glad I am home.

Neg Saturday morning and Negative yesterday.  Runny nose and sneezing. Like a cold.

No fever.

I'm sure I picked it up on the flight from BCN to London or at Heathrow where everyone was coughing and sneezing without masks. 

So sorry you got sick, I hope it doesn't amount to much and that you recover quickly.

I almost always get a cold when I travel, germs from other parts of the world that I haven't developed an immunity to.