CaroleSS

28 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

You must have not paid for expedited? I submitted my renewal very end of February and received it middle of April, so 6 weeks total. 

No we did not pay for expedited. At the time, they were saying 7-9 weeks, so felt that 4 months would be plenty!

I will admit that when we hit the 12-week mark, I started to get a bit jumpy! 🫣

On 5/20/2023 at 2:33 AM, Tinknock50 said:

So exactly how many weeks was it when it arrived in the your mail box from when they received your application?

DH submitted his renewal mid-January and it took 13 weeks until it showed up in the mailbox. We have Global Entry so I thought it would be quicker as there should have been less to check.

The news is reporting that it is taking longer to process now and waits are long. Plan on it taking longer than expected and don't expect any country to give you a "bye" with 3 months left.....then you won't be disappointed. Websites are all over the place with expiration dates, they all contradict each other. Some passport officers will let things slide, some won't and some airlines might deny you boarding. It makes traveling difficult and quite stressful!

Moral of the story......plan ahead. Look at your passport NOW!

7 minutes ago, gotcha3 said:

Doesn't make ANY difference. I was just asking the question, sorry to have disturbed your sensibilities!

 

Wow, someone needs a vacation!

I just don't get why people feel the need to flaunt their status...especially when you admit it makes NO difference.

I don't think your CC status shows up on the Seapass card.....but it's been a while since we've sailed. Plus, why would they put that on your card and what difference does it make?

@omeinv/Harris.....you are SOOO right! People don't/won't read the thread before asking a question. I find this prevalent on many platforms. I belong to a Facebook group about an AI in the Caribbean and it is the same questions posted over and over and over again. Unfortunately (on that particular group) I feel that people don't want to put forth any effort to help themselves by doing the research, so will post a question instead expecting others to spoon feed them the answer (things like, "what is the weather like in December", "will it rain during my stay", "what room is the best").

Just a follow-up, not that it is relevant, but closing the loop as they say.

our port times have changed. We are now scheduled to depart at 9pm with an 8:30 "all aboard". Given the new time and walking distance, I'd rather not risk not making it back to the ship in time, so we will have to skip the festival.....boo!

Guess that just gives us a reason to return another time, huh?

1 hour ago, cdn_tbird said:

Mine just said I get to steer the boat on my next cruise..... Great just what I need... To pay for a working vacation. 🤣

Mine said I could be SVP of the IT department......I deleted the email real quick!

16 minutes ago, Cruizerguy said:

My email said 50 points

Wow, mine says 30. Wonder why the difference???

3 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Respectfully, I would argue that many of the people in the categories 1-6 should reconsider cruising altogether as coming down with an infection that is more difficult for them to fight, be it covid, flu, noro, or whatever...it's just not worth the risk IMO.

Those same people have been cruising successfully for years.....decades even! It never stopped them before. What you are suggesting is that no child should ever cruise again? That older folk quit cruising....smokers? I don't think many will agree with you on that. Plus, I would think that common sense would dictate to someone with a significantly compromised immune system wouldn't book in the first place. 

4 minutes ago, SPacificbound said:

They did give her a choice, and she chose that she and late husband would stay on the ship.

Do you think the outcome would have been different had the morgue been functional? The body might have experiences "some" issues, but I think the decision to store the body in a food locker is the deciding factor.

BUT, if the locker was empty and the same temperature s the morgue "would" have been, then that's a different story. I need more details!

If you think about it, the cost of repatriating the body fro Puerto Rico would not be cheap. 
 

I can only imagine the Captain talking with the widow and telling her not only is her husband is dead, but it will likely cost her $5-6,000 to have the body sent back home. If she did not have insurance, that, plus the cost of a funeral back home, might be a financial hardship.

BUT....given that he knew the morgue wasn't functional, he should not have given her any choice....but it is hard to NOT think with your heart at such times.

5 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

Serious question, is burial at sea an option here if surviving spouse agrees? I’m guessing no, logistics and liability reasons I would assume would prevent. 

I actually thought the same thing, but can think of several issues (mostly legal ones):

1-no official certificate of death, i.e. cause of death, certifying MD (unless the ships doctor can do that?)

2-re: death certificate, what "country" (other details) would be listed.....and would it have to be filed once they arrive back in home port (without the accompanying body)

3-I don't suspect they have a crematorium aboard and I'm pretty sure it isn't possible to just pitch the body overboard, so not exactly sure how the burial would occur.

I'm with you that a burial at sea would be a good alternative, but as you mention logistical and liability (and legal) reasons would likely prevent one.

But, this just goes to show that vaccinated, boosted, masked......still sick. Germs prevail!

As others have mentioned, Covid is here to stay. Testing serves little purpose (as you should be careful about sharing your germs anytime you feel poorly!)

Before Covid it was Norovirus.....which is still with us, just no one posts about it anymore. Germs are everywhere. Wash your hands often, keep your hands away from your face and enjoy your cruise!

Thank you @nzdisneymom for the update!

a few quick questions:

How much were the food offering? (a range perhaps?) 

Could you make a "grazing dinner" out of them or should we eat beforehand?

@mahdnc You are da BOMB! Thanks for all the great info.....on lots of threads!

We are on the Equinox sailing on May 27, an 8-nighter. My Daily Planner has very few things listed and certainly not whether it is a Chic night (or dress attire). I'm trying to plan accordingly, but - is not making this easy on anyone. Why can't they just tell us when the chic nights are?

Appreciate the feedback.......they are still beautiful!

22 minutes ago, thebaehrs said:

How was he notified? Email? 

I keep checking my Junk folder as I'm sure I've missed MY notification!

@mahdnc I would love to make the tumblers, but am concerned about the thickness of the sides. Are they thin enough to actually use as a drinking glass?

Your creations are beautiful!

42 minutes ago, MarKay525 said:

Should we take bets on whether the IT department will improve!

I don't need a Magic 8-ball to say an emphatic NO!

Re prices: all I've read is that the prices are going up. I've watched our class for a while and it has never gone on sale.....so buy now. You can always cancel and rebook should the price drop. Also, don't forget to call to book as there is a 5% Captain's Club discount.....every little bit helps!

@nunuc2000 Thank you for your efforts! Let us know what we can do to help (call as well to keep the pressure on).

A picture of the items and prices, although some are hard to read.

Also, don't forget to ask for your 5% Captain's Club discount (only available if you call in tho).

As Georgia Peaches says, you have $120 each to apply to your piece. If you want a more expensive piece, you pay the difference.....and don't forget a nice tip for your "helper"!😀