Fouremco

Absolutely not. If my travel agency started to charge such fees, I'd definitely find a new one. I realize that there are other agencies that follow a similar approach, but as long as there are good agencies who don't, I will continue to avoid the former.

On the other hand, you can access and download that information from your TA's website in many cases.

According to Perplexity, these are the hurricanes that have hit the Bahamas over the past 10 years: Hurricane Dorian: August 24 to September 5, 2019 - This was a Category 5 hurricane that caused massive destruction in the Bahamas, particularly in North Abaco, East Grand Bahama, and West Grand Bahama. Hurricane Irma: August 25 to September 13, 2017 - This Category 5 hurricane passed over Inagua and South Acklins islands in the Bahamas, downing power lines, knocking out communications, and damaging homes. Hurricane Joaquin: October 1-8, 2015 - This Category 4 hurricane meandered over the southern Bahamas for over two days, causing extensive devastation and storm surge that trapped hundreds in their homes. Hurricane Matthew: October 3-9, 2016 - This Category 5 hurricane caused massive destruction in Haiti and also damaged several islands in the Bahamas. Hurricane Humberto: September 12-20, 2019 - This Category 3 hurricane affected regions like Crooked Island, Rum Cay, San Salvador, Cat Island, Harbour Island, and North Abaco in the Bahamas. Based on the foregoing, your odds seem better leaving a couple of weeks later, in October. Whether it's worth spending the extra $400 is up to you, but if I was in your shoes, I'd probably pay it. It's a bit like flying into your embarkation port the day before your departure and paying for a hotel and meals, rather than flying in on the day of your departure. It costs more, but it improves your odds of not missing your cruise.

Yes, your understanding is correct. Unfortunately, adherence to the rules is not always enforced.

Which is great if you have priority boarding. Otherwise, it just means a longer wait in the terminal. But that's rather a moot point for us, as there are always at least 2 of us travelling together, and paying HAL for each person separately can work out to be quite a bit more than a taxi or uber.

For those without Global Entry, NEXUS, etc., the ArriveCAN app can be a time saver at those Canadian airports that have an expedited line for ArriveCAN users. As a result, with the 140% increase in NEXUS fees later this year, some posters have indicated that they won't renew and will revert to using the ArriveCAN app.I imagine that frequency of travel will have an influence on whether or not to renew at the higher price. While some Canadian airports offer an expedited line for ArriveCAN users, I've not heard anything with respect to Canadian cruise ports.

@shipshapegirl's post #6 includes three different phone numbers. You might want to try calling each of them to get a better sense of timing and the overall process. Good luck!

You should also find your Roll Call and post there. Others on your cruise are likely to have looked into available excursions.

Don't forget to check pricing for monthly parking. Sometimes, when your stay is over 2 weeks, a month's parking is cheaper.

The Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site is situated in the town of Baddeck, which lies on the north shore of Bras d'Or Lake. Excellent location for a sail as part of an excursion.

Whether or not we had a good deal in the past, a 140% increase for any government fee is still a significant jump. Typically, an increase of this magnitude would be phased in over a period of time.

Wow, $50 USD to $120 USD is a significant jump in price. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/nexus-application-fee-increase-1.7161215

It might be challenging finding one-way cruises to and from Hawaii that are a few days apart. You might want to consider take a cruise for one leg and a flight for the other.

You might want to post this question on the HAL forum as well. Unlike taking items ashore, which is controlled by government legislation, taking items aboard is primarily governed by cruise line regulations.

You also have the option of going to Guest Services and paying cash in USD.

I've asked the development team to look into it. Shhh, don't tell my DW! 😇

Do take the time to find out all the things that your hearing aids can do for you. It varies with what model you have, but with mine I can stream any sound (phone call, music, video, etc.) from my iPhone, iPad, MacBook and my LG TV.

The Netherlands and Norway are both Schengen area countries and only require your passport to be valid for three months beyond your departure date. While HAL recommends using a passport with six months validity post cruise, it is not a requirement.

No need to feel stupid. With multiple credit cards offering a wide variation in perks and points for this or that, I'm sure that we've all realized after the fact that we should have used a different card for a particular purchase.

Using both doesn't create problems but provides no benefit to NEXUS holders. If you like filling in forms, go for it! There has been no ArriveCAN requirement since October 1, 2022, and the press reported that widely at the time.

Not all VISA cards offer this perk. These do: CIBC Aventura Gold $100 Aventura Visa Infinite $100 Aventura Visa Infinite Privilege $100 Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege $50 USD TD Canada Trust Aeroplan Visa Infinite $100 Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege $100 Aeroplan Business $100 Others may now, so check with your issuer. The rebate is automatic.

If you use the ArriveCAN app to provide your information, and then go to a NEXUS eGate/Kiosk, they can not access your ArriveCAN submission. Consequently, you've wasted your time and tied up the ArriveCAN computer system unnecessarily. From the CBSA's ArriveCAN webpage: Note: At this time, travellers cannot use the Advance Declaration with NEXUS kiosks. https://www.canada.ca/en/border-services-agency/services/arrivecan.html

The problem with a blocker is that those who use their cell phones quietly to send email or read the daily news are no longer able to do so. Deal with the 1% who are abusers and leave the 99% courteous users alone.

I don't recall the exact dollar figures, but for an RCI cruise earlier this year, the Canadian cost for a beverage package was also a lot higher. As RCI and Celebrity are both Royal Caribbean Group cruise lines, it may simply be an RCG business practise, using a conversion rate highly favourable to the cruise lines.

I don't think that the issue is the cruise line, as HAL offers hundreds of cruises where you wouldn't experience these "problems". You know full well that short cruises at that time of year will attract families, so simply avoid those cruises. It's like complaining about all the cars when you choose to drive somewhere during rush hour on one of your city's busiest roads when you could have chosen to drive earlier or later in the day.