Fouremco

Rogers ($12+tax per day), Bell ($13+tax per day), Telus ($14+tax) and other Canadian carriers have daily US roaming packages. If you only need to use your phone twice, a roaming package on each day might be cheaper than buying a SIM card. Depending on your airport, it might be cheaper to take a taxi than to pay for a roaming package (or SIM card) plus the cost of the uber.

DW and I each use a small Eagle Creek packing cube to keep our meds in at home. On Sunday morning, I take the cubes out of the cupboard and fill our 7-day pill boxes. When we travel, we simply grab the packing cubes, add the pill boxes, and put them in our suitcases, knowing that we haven't accidentally left any of our meds behind. When either one of us has had to be admitted to a hospital, either at home or during a cruise on one occasion, grabbing the bag knowing all the meds were there made the process very simple. Another advantage is that if we are delayed heading home at the end of our travels, we always have an extra couple of weeks' worth of our meds. If any prescription is running low before the start of our trip, we renew it to ensure be have that two-week buffer. As a pill container takes up the same amount of space in the packing cub whether it has 7 pills or 21 or more, there's no downside to having the extra amount.

You might be better off researching snorkeling websites than seeking information on CC. I've been on a couple of excursions where cruisers raved about what any experienced snorkeler would have assessed as "so-so" at best. Here are just a few links: https://www.snorkelingdives.com/?region=Oahu https://loveoahu.org/activities-things-to-do/snorkeling/ https://www.tropicalsnorkeling.com/snorkeling-hawaii/

Like @inkling808, I use Preview on my MacBook to edit the PDF. I takes only seconds to add the information. I then print two copies for each checked bag, one for the outer pocket and one for the plastic sleeve luggage tag.

You might find this article helpful in trying to decide whether to book directly with Holland America or with a travel agent: https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles/what-to-expect-on-a-cruise-booking-a-cruise-with-a-travel-agent There are also many threads discussing the pro and cons of booking directly vs. booking with a TA. Given your comment that "I also don't want to ever have to hassle with calling Holland America direct if there is an issue", I'll mention that one of the benefits of booking with a TA is that they assume the responsibility of dealing with the cruise line. In fact, if you book with a TA, the cruise line won't deal with you directly. The bottom line from my perspective is that a cruise line's booking agents are working for the cruise line, while a TA is working for you.

Good point. It seems to be an ongoing problem with CATSA being unable to hire or retain sufficient personnel. So lanes remained closed and equipment unused. If they ever get up to full strength, there would be officers available to deal with the individual while those operating the metal detector would continue to keep the line moving.

CATSA and Transport Canada have launched a new program that will benefit Verified Travellers. These include: Program benefits Improved screening experiences are available to you depending on location and checkpoint, including: · Leaving permitted liquids, aerosols and gels in your carry-on · Leaving laptops and electronics in your carry-on · Keeping shoes, belts, light jackets and headwear on · Keeping small items in your pockets · Access to dedicated screening lines, or front of the line service (including for certain co-travellers) Full details can be found here: https://www.catsa-acsta.gc.ca/en/verified-travellers

I didn't find anything on the Curaçao board, but when I broadened the search parameters to "everywhere" I got lots of hits. As you say, a broker with not very good reviews. It seems that my concerns just from perusing the website were well founded.

I haven't booked with them to date, but I have researched a few possibilities on their website. I found that to be a bit of an exercise in frustration due to conflicting information on the website. For example, if I search for excursions by port, 14 different tours are listed for Oranjestad, Aruba, but if I input my details and search based on my itinerary, it shows zero excursions for Oranjestad. Moving on to Curaçao, there are 8 tours listed when searching by port, including one that is quite appealing. It operates 7 days a week, departing from the cruise port, but if you plug in your itinerary information, it says you can't book this excursion as the "tour conflicts with you itinerary". Of the 8 tours they offer daily from Willemstad, only 1 comes up if you do a search based on your itinerary. I'll be interested in the comments of those who have actually taken one of their shore excursions to see if my concerns over the website issues carry over to the tours.

They continue to make this request: CBP and CBSA are asking the NEXUS members begin their application renewal 364 days prior to their membership expiration date. https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/nexus/renew-nexus#:~:text=CBP and CBSA are asking,to their membership expiration date.

As the websites of the US and Canadian government departments responsible for the NEXUS program both say that you don't need to do so in person, I'd suggest that the single agent you spoke to was mistaken. As you have lots of time before your new passport is issued, why don't you reach out to CBSA and ask them? Here is their contact information: https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/contact/bis-sif-eng.html

The Allegiant website refers to "Niagara Fall / Buffalo, NY (IAG)" if you check either flight origin or flight departure. IAG is the airport code for Niagara Falls International Airport, not for the Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF).

There must be some misunderstanding here, as my DW and I, along with other posters here, simply updated the passport information on line. This information comes directly from CBSA: Update your residential address and passport information You do not have to go to an enrolment centre to update this information with the CBSA, unless it might affect your eligibility for NEXUS membership. If these updates will not affect your eligibility, change your residential address and passport information on file using the Trusted Traveler Programs (TTP) System operated by U.S. Customs Border Protection. https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/services/travel-voyage/prog/nexus/update-miseajour-eng.html From US Homeland Security: Can I update my passport/lawful permanent resident card information in TTP? Yes, you can update any passport or U.S. lawful permanent resident card that is associated with your TTP membership. If the document information is not already associated with your membership, or your name has changed, you must go to a Trusted Traveler Enrollment Center to add that information. https://ttp.dhs.gov/faq

Yes, as I said, Royal was 2014, which is 9 years ago. It was HAL that stopped in 2017, 6 years ago, as I pointed out in post #129.

Royal announced the ban in 2013, but with an effective date of January 1, 2014.

Six years, not ten. Holland America allowed smoking on balconies until 2017. In January, It started banning balcony smoking on a ship by ship basis until May 6 of 2017, when the Prinsendam became the final member of the fleet to undergo the ban.

Sorry, but you are incorrect. GPS acquires its position information from satellites, not from cell towers. Neither wifi nor cellular access is required for GPS to know your position. As for its ability to show you your location, there are numerous apps that provide that functionality. For example, while connected to the internet (cellular data or wifi), you can go to Google maps and download a map or maps of the area in which you will be travelling. When you are out of cellular/wifi range, you and use the downloaded Google map and it will provide you with location functionality. This isn't something new or exciting. Hand held GPS units with built in maps and no internet/cell/wifi connectivity whatsoever have been around for a long time. I spent years using GPS for Search & Rescue before cell phones had even been invented. The technology was simply adapted for cell phones in the fullness of time, just as camera technology was.

Your GPS will function whether or not you have cellular or wifi service. Google enables you to download maps with which you can navigate using the GPS alone. However, there is less functionality than if you used Google or Apple maps with cell service. Still, I've used Google maps on countless cruises when we've rented a car and needed to navigate a route. Also when we've explored new cities on foot, and it's always nice at the end of a long day to find the quickest route back to the ship.

My experience is dated, but if you are considering the MDR, you should be able to arrange for a table of 10 and possibly 12. Specialty restaurants vary. As @CDNPolar suggests, you'd be better off posting on the Celebrity board. 73

To the best of my knowledge, the vast majority of the groups receive no government funding. Even if they did, that wouldn't make their members "government employees".

The information you have quoted in post #20 is intended for a broad international audience. Depending on a cruise passenger's citizenship and passport, there are numerous levels of travel authorization required to enter the US. As a Canadian citizen travelling on a Canadian passport, no visa or ESTA is required. Even a passport isn't required for your US entry, as there are several alternatives to prove your Canadian citizenship.

Good to know. We'll need a ride to our car rental next year, and positive comments are very helpful when choosing.

The only country that requires an ESTA for some visitors is the United States. ESTA, or Electronic System for Travel Authorization, is an automated system that determines the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). There are a number of terms that people are treating as interchangeable, but just as not all tissues are Kleenex, not all travel authorizations are visas or ESTA's. This website does a pretty good job of listing most of the common authorizations and their application: https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/markets/digital-identity-and-security/government/eborder/electronic-travel-authorization

If his lawyer is going to notarize the consent form, you might want to consider having the lawyer prepare the document and not use the cruise line form. The more I read it, the more concern I have over possible "what if" scenarios. The form states: I (we) authorize the above adult to consent to any necessary, routine or emergency medical treatment during the aforementioned cruise, if a qualified medical person advises such. But what if some medical emergency arises at the port city prior to embarkation, when you have not started the cruise? For example, you fly in the day before the cruise and something happens. Will the medical facility accept liability for proceeding based on your consent for which you have no authority to provide? Rather than focussing only on the cruise, IMO, the consent document should explicitly cover the period of time during which the child will be in your sole and direct care. Whatever steps you take, I hope you both have a wonderful time!

Yes, you need to be a member of one of its Affinity Groups. You can check here to see if a group to which you belong is associated with Medoc: https://travel.johnson.ca/jwb_medoc_equote_external/travel/medoc/groupsearch.faces While the National Association of Federal Retirees may be one of the bigger ones, there are many groups other than retired government workers. For example, my DS is insured by Medoc as a member of the CBC Pensioners National Association, while a close friend has Medoc coverage as a member of the College and University Retiree Associations of Canada (CURAC). Plans and premiums vary from group to group.