klfrodo

Or,

to satisfy all religions, the cruise lines stop providing any and all religious services and stay in the vacation business. That way there's no discrimination of any sort. Allows them to pursue other revenue generating opportunities to said venues and gives the lawyers a break.

12 minutes ago, Markanddonna said:

I think Catholicism is one faith that absolutely requires a priest to officiate. Most other mentioned faiths are generally perfectly fine with a lay leader.  Therefore, it shouldn't be that difficult for a ship to allow it since they provide nothing except the room.

Do you also feel that at the same time that the ship is offering a priest and space for those of the Catholic faith, that at the same time they also provide a pastor for those of the Protestant faith, an Imam for those of the Muslim faith, a Rabbi for those of the Jewish faith, a Lama or a Monk for those of the Buddhist faith, A Swami for those of the Hindu faith, and also a Granthi for those of the Sikh faith?   What about the Wiccan faith?

Thats a lot of accommodation and space utilization.

Providing space for gatherings to accommodate all religions on a cruise ship presents significant challenges. Cruise ships, by design, have limited space which must be allocated efficiently to balance passenger amenities, safety, and operational needs. Accommodating every religion's unique requirement for worship and rituals would require diverse spaces, each tailored to specific needs such as prayer rooms, meditation spaces, or even larger halls for congregational gatherings.

Plus, there's no revenue. Only expense.

@CDNPolar

Must be a Canadian thing. I've currently have a policy locked in for a trip that is more than a year out. The trip is for August 2025. I locked in the policy in April 2023 to ensure I get the pre-existing condition waiver.

3 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

0. When the loss incurred is directly or indirectly caused by a travel provider default, the reimbursement of your insured travel expenses is limited to the amount indicated on your insurance certificate, up to a maximum of $7,500 per insured person.

    

Interesting question. I highlighted the above section regarding the default.

My policy from the US has a "definition" embedded in the policy for the word "default"

(can't copy & paste)

It basically defines it as total cessation of operations due to insolvency with or without the filing of a bankruptcy petition.....

My initial thoughts would be there is some kind of recovery process but not under the default provision. The cruise was canceled for other reasons than the company insolvency probably.

Looking forward to hearing others thoughts.

For educational purposes only

With your vast 20+ years of experience, could you share the top 2 or 3 mistakes people with travel insurance make that either cause you to SMH or cause the biggest problems with their claims. Also, share what they could have done differently to have made the claim process easier.

Or, maybe you've covered this in a blog that you could provide a link to.

Thanks

I'll give my experience and maybe a couple of suggestions.

I look at travel insurance as a risk sharing venture. Not that I want to lose money or give it away, but what can I afford to lose vs. what can I not even attempt to risk. 

Airfare - If I have to cancel do I lose it all or will my airline just give me a credit I can use for future flight?

Hotel - Instead of pre-paying, can I just make the reservation and pay when I get there?

Cruise - Can I afford to eat the cost of the cruise if something comes up?

Medical/Evacuation - Can I afford to pay up front for any medical emergency that may arise and then transportation back home?

Myself? Fortunately, I'm in a place where I can risk everything but the medical. Medical can bankrupt me. Therefore, I share the risk for any potential medical emergency. The rest, I self-insure.

In your case (and we don't know much about you), you can buy the insurance now and then as known additional cost that you want to insure are finalized, you can call the insurance company to increase your coverage.

But also know that if you require any pre-existing medical condition waivers or a Cancel for any Reason rider, you may be required to cover ALL nonrefundable costs. The need for this is based on the rules and regulations of the state you reside in.

Just be educated on exactly what cruise line air arrangements are and more importantly, what they are not. Many many people find that cruise line air arrangements make travel simpler and more affordable. However, there can be pitfalls if one is not aware.

Myself? I might consider cruise air when all my miles run out for international travel. It's not even a consideration for domestic travel.

The following link provides great information about cruise line air and deviation. The thread is old but still relevant today.

4 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Try....

 

www.insuremytrip.com

 

Lots of options offered there.

Actually

for Canadians, the correct URL is Travel Insurance - Quote, Compare & Buy - InsureMyTrip.ca

You might want to go to the Insurance board here on CruiseCritic.

I'll also put out a call to @CDNPolar who may be of some help.

One of the problems that you "may" be running into is that cruise line policies include CFAR (Cancel For Any Reason) coverage. I know at one time, there was a certain Province in Canada (and a couple of States in the US) that did not allow policies with CFAR to be included because they didn't feel that CFAR coverage fit their definition of insurance.

DOT also just set up or has had set up a website to check by airline what their current policies are.

Can be found here

Airline Customer Service Dashboard | US Department of Transportation

Along with what's already been said, please define "Worth It" to you.

Out of 100 people, there are probably 100 different answers to Worth It.

Does the Carnival Venezia have a sports bar like Royal Caribbeans Playmakers on the ship?

Gotta love all the hardcore apologists coming up with any defense imaginable with their unwavering support NCL. Or any other cruise line for that matter.

NCL's Free at Sea is nothing more than a marketing tool. Just as Carnivals "Fun Ships" is a marketing tool.

NCL's drink package works for some but not all. Carnivals drink package works for some but not all. RCCL's drink package, same as above.

The sycophants need to give it a break. NCL may be good, but they are not the best to all.

5 hours ago, PartyPlannerLady said:

 

We get several hundred minutes free every cruise and have yet to ever log in.  I am on a cruise.  The LAST thing I want to do is have my nise stuck in a computer.  We run a computer - /internet - web design and hosting business but we are smart enough to have folks who can run things for a week without us like most good business people do.  No one NEEDS to be on line during a cruise.  Unplug and enjoy the real world that is out there!

When someone else decides to pay for my cruise and travel experience, I'll actually be concerned about whether I'm meeting their standards or not.

Until then, you do you boo boo and don't worry about me. I'm doing fine.

If OP wants to truely understand the NCL Air program, or any of the cruise line offered air programs, check out the link at the Cruise Air threads here on CruiseCritic. The thread is old, but the information provided is still applicable today.

Basically it's a consolidator air program. You can save money and most of the time it can work out fine. But there are downsides to the programs that could come back to bite you in the wazzu.

I just ask that you educate yourself, and then do what works best for you.

Basically, the Free at Sea is a marketing strategy. Nothing is "free". The base price is bumped up to offer these "Free at Sea" options, however, these options are very basic. These basic options will satisfy many of the more experienced cruisers. However, if you desire a more enhanced experience, you'll find that you'll need to reach a little deeper into your pocket and just upgrade your internet package and drink packages.

Don't even get me started on the Air package.

6 hours ago, iamtrustworthy said:

Hi klfrodo,

 

I've had more than a few customers on world cruises who have had trip interruptions and neither Royal Caribbean and Holland America are refunding port fees and taxes to my customers who returned home early.

 

So far, no one has let me know if the cruise lines did anything different and all the claims are still being settled.

 

Steve Dasseos

Well, you are a reliable source. 🤣 Thanks for sharing.

is this limited to “World Cruises”? Or are you finding the same thing with the more standard cruises that are less than 14 days.

Please share a link to this reliable source that port fees and taxes are no longer refundable.

I was of the same opinion as you.

Had my first experience with Digital ID this past week.

Let me start by saying that myself? I embrace technology. There are usually some pitfalls when first introduced, but in the long run, it improves day to day activities. 

The application I used is called Airside. I came across it on my Alaska Airlines app after I booked a trip to Cabo. I had never heard of Airside and actually had not heard of Digital ID. For the Alaska Airlines flight to Cabo, AS indicated that if we downloaded the Airside App and submitted our travel documentation (ie Passport) there would be no need to physically present our passports prior to boarding the plane. (The Airside app sends verification to AS 72 hours before the flight).     I'm thinking, "how in the hell does this work?"    Well,,, what I "think" I have come to understand is that Airside is an approved Digital ID (from Homeland Security??) to share digitally your data with the new facial recognition programs used at airports and probably other places. I've recently learned that using this Digital ID can be used at TSA checkpoints rather than using your DL or passport and will be RealID Compliant as long as the document in the Digital ID app that you use to create the QR code is RealID Compliant.

There are a few things about this technology that makes one question the usefulness, but as time and improvements are made, in a few of years it could obsolete the hard copy passport.

OBC cannot be assigned to a specific expense.

It’s just a credit to your account. Whatever expense hits your account first will subtract from the credit.

But yes, if the gratuities hit your account while there is still a credit, the gratuities will subtract from the credit.

Most likely Marco Polo. 98% sure. 2% remaining for disclaimer

My opinion and personal experience only.

My TA sells insurance. And makes a small commission. But, after 10 to 15 years following this particular board, I can guarantee that I know more about the intricacies of travel insurance than my TA does (not to say I know it all. I still get confused a few times.). If questioned about is this covered? is that covered? the response would be to call the insurance company. If asked do I file a claim under trip delay or trip interruption? They wouldn't know. What they do know is that having travel insurance is important.

The next question is probably why I use the TA then. Because they are friends and treat us like family. GREAT on the travel/pricing/OBC/follow-up departments. Just weak on the travel insurance department.

So, my opinion is the broker who can guide you to the coverage that is most important to you and your needs. A good broker will also be just a phone call away to assist if needed when filing a claim.

Calling @iamtrustworthy to the white courtesy phone please.

11 hours ago, KyleClark said:

I have an upcoming cruise which is comped.  I just have to pay the port charges and fees.  Can I take a policy out for $500pp solely for the medical in case of an expensive medical emergency?   Running this back in reverse, (I'm learning here)  Can I take out a policy for $500pp just for the medical even if my trip was expensive in which I know I would absorb the trip cost in case of cancellation?  

That's how I do it. Then again, my State allows this. YMMV depending on the regulations set forth in "Soprano Land".

I also choose to risk the cancellation, etc. I do choose the trip cost at $500. If I run into a Trip Delay or a Trip Interruption situation (which I have), then I am covered up to 150% of trip cost. Thats enough to pick up a hotel, uber, and a few meals while we wait for our next available flight.