jamessemaj

I think you are not being in the least bit selfish, but I do wonder why you made the offer to your parents in the first place. Too late now, but it seems that might have just opened a can of worms. Not to offend or be accusatory, but you knew the dynamics at play, including your parents reluctance (refusal?) to cruise even from their own city and the child"s discomfort at being away from them not to mention the difficulty in dealing with him. I would try to set it all aside and tell mom that you didn't intend to assume full responsibility for the child, and sorry if she is unhappy with that.

It still means that you have made an interest free loan to the government - even if the refund is $520, you have still been out an average of $260 for the "whole year". The topic here is about using a refund to pay for a cruise - which means it is likely to be a lot more than $520. Additionally, many of those who do not take the trouble to closely figure their estimated tax and wind up having too much withheld as an interest-free loan also wind up paying interest on outstanding credit card debt - meaning that they are being hit twice for their carelessness.

The tiny interest foregone as a result of overwithholding is not in the same league with carrying a credit card balance. Carrying over a balance on a credit card and paying interest on it is major league financial disaster, time for serious financial counseling. I am guilty of overwithholding and don't see it as a big problem, but never ever have I carried a balance over on a credit card and even the thought of it horrifies me. Anybody in that financial state would do well to use any refund to help get their finances in order rather than apply it to a cruise.

Bottom line, a cruise is a great way to spend a refund. I don't look at it exactly that way, but consider all liquid assets available and a refund is just a part. I have tried in the past to minimize withholding but did get fined once for not withholding enough, so I increased the amount of withholding and get a refund.

As others have pointed out, interest lost is so minuscule as to not be worth the bother. So to the OP, I say, yes, I sort of use the refund for a cruise.

Thinking of a tax refund as a windfall to fund a vacation is really screwy thinking. It is your money that was overpaid, interest free, that you are getting back without interest. If it helps to think of it as a bonus for a vacation, fine. But in reality, you can either afford the vacation or not, regardless of a tax refund.

It was a good decision to not have the wedding on the ship. Tell them that. Also, direct them to this thread with the unanimous vote that a cruise is a great honeymoon choice. Maybe you need to choose more informed and sophisticated friends. Congratulations on your marriage, have a wonderful honeymoon.

Seems like a great time to practice lifeboat drills with the crew. Load 'real' passengers, drive them to safety, good check of the motor and steering.

 

Maybe the passengers were really crew taking their shore day, as part of the practice?

Exactly. Further, the life boats seemed to me to be more expensive and sophisticated vessels than the private tenders. Engines need to run to be properly maintained. I don't know why they wouldn't always be used for tender.

I don't remember how many tender ports I have been, maybe 4 or 5, but use of the ship life boats, either exclusively or in conjunction with local private tenders, is what I have always experienced. Princess and RCI. It didn't occur to me that the life boats weren't always used. The ships have also lowered additional life boats for crew safety drills but which were not used for tender.

The Catholic canon applies to Catholics. I know many Catholics who ignore it and take communion not having been absolved by confession, or who live in a state of sin such as divorce or who knows what other violations of a pure state to participate.

RCCI for some reason contracts with retired Catholic priests to provide religious services on cruises. In my experience those priests are willing to provide religious services to all who wish. In fact, although I don't think it necessary, if asked, I doubt that any I have met would deny communion to all who wish it, Protestant, Catholic, or other.

Christians come in many varieties and on an RCCI cruise, I am sure the intent is to provide a common means of Christian worship. They happen to contract with Catholic priests.

The OP, not being Catholic, is not subject to Catholic canon law or theology and is fully within her rights to take communion in her own way. I doubt that the priest even knowing that would deny her. But why ask and who would know? It somehow would diminish the service? I don't think so.

BTW, I am not even religious, but enjoy sitting in the back of the venue and watching and listening out of curiosity, but don't care to take part beyond that. It is often where the handicapped sit and twice I was offered communion when it was brought to the handicapped but I declined.

Edit: The last cruise I sat in on the Catholic mass, the priest didn't like the time provided by RCCi in the morning, so RCCI told him the venue was tied up at the time he preferred in the early evening and they could only provide a space in a bar lounge. I observed sitting at the bar smoking and drinking. There were other nonparticipants there who were all quiet and respectful. Fond memory.

I understand that it was about abuse from our perspective. Their religion and culture may not view that as abuse. I would also stay out of the situation unless their lives were in immediate danger. Getting involved may have had even worse consequences for them later. Point being is that on Egyptian soil, what is acceptable or not and what is legal or not may be completely different than what is normal or legal in other cultures. We have no business assuming that we as Americans are always right.

 

Oops - and back on topic again....

Actually, you did make several comments in support of what I call child abuse, and then softened to now direct to a cultural perspective. Not to mention your blatant political perspective. Now you offer to go back on topic. You are the one who got way, way, way off topic, my friend, and it was most inappropriate.

Thanks for responding, happy birthdays and retirement. But...not caring to be in the limelight seems contrary to a surprise not in favor of. I'll let it go.

My reluctant suggestion would be to plan a gathering in Ft. Lauderdale for the kids and family since one lives in Florida. I guess the cruise would be the surprise beyond that, but it would be a beginning.

Not to highjack the thread, but ask out of curiosity, why? I don't care for surprise events, and don't understand why some do. Just ignore my question if you find it offensive, sorry for that, but I would appreciate an answer.

According to Catholic rules, only Catholics in good standing (baptism, confession, etc.) are allowed to take communion in their service. But I can assure you that there is no vetting process in the line to communion and I have never heard of anybody being denied. Also you can be sure that probably half of the people taking communion are not in good standing for one reason or another. It is your spiritual experience with available resources and I suggest you follow your own conscience.

As we have seen from one poster's revelation, the gift giving is not about benefiting the recipient, but all about his "feeling good about myself" needs. That poster commented that they don't even care what the recipient does with the gift - leaves it behind, gives it away, or throws it overboard. Whether the recipient gains value in the gift is not important at all, as long has he goes home feeling all sanctimonious about himself.

I agree and wonder at how shallow a person could be to derive a sense of satisfaction not really caring whether the recipient even wants the gift. Giving the gift is the most important benefit regardless of all other considerations? Pretty cheap satisfaction and sense of worth. I know there is a common belief that a money gift is somehow derelict in gift giving, but I have never quite understood that logic.

We gave up on walkie talkies years ago. We now bring our megaphones instead. They are much more effective in irritating the maximum number of people with the minimum of effort.

 

That is a good one. Made me think of people on cell phones. Just pretend you have a connection and talk to the family like you usually do on the cell phone...can you hear me now??? Drives me nuts in the airport on the way to the ship.

You can get food poisoning anywhere. Food at the ports are not more risky.

Another fashion "faux pas" often mentioned is socks with sandals and that is what I sometimes prefer to wear. Don't care in the least what others think. Most Speedos and other swimwear I have seen cause me to avert my eyes for the unpleasant sight but eye aversion is easy to do. Hawaiian shirts are an easy call for me personally, as in what is the problem? I can explain what my problem with fashion around the pool, but will refrain.

Super Shuttle is great. I didn't know they served Houston to Galveston, but if they are available, I always go with them. It looks like you have it covered although the 3 hr. wait will not be fun. Hope you have a great cruise.

Flights to Hobby would be mostly Southwest and I believe you need to check their site as search engines don't include them (if SW serves your area). Otherwise, I think the best suggestion would be to stay at a hotel near the airport and take the cruise line shuttle the next day. Also, although the cruise line may offer a shuttle from Bush Int'l., be sure to see if they have a shuttle from Hobby because if they don't Bush may be better for you even though it is farther to the port.

Cruise stops of 1 - 3 days just touch the surface. If you like history, art, architecture, culture, there would be no end to the numbers of interesting days.

I have done it and thought it was great value compared to bar prices. I bought it on the ship at guest services desk.

I don't care to be herded around on a bus, but mostly it's a "been there, done that" thing. I traveled extensively when I was younger, full of energy and wonder before I ever took a cruise and the boat is the destination for the most part now, although I usually walk about in the port.

There are a lot of Jamaicans working on ships everywhere. Many work in the bars. I go to the other bars. Enough said about what I think of Jamaica and Jamaicans.

On RCI there are two desks which handle seating. One follows availability and the other arranges seating. They encourage reservations, but if not, there may be a wait. Shared tables are encouraged.

On NCL there is just one person handling all seating and shared tables are not a priority.

I had no problem on RCI, but gave up on the MDR on NCL because I don't care to sit alone in the MDR and just went to the buffet.

In both cases, buzzers are available if there will be a wait. On RCI they were offered without asking and I would just go to the bar to wait. On NCL I didn't even know they were available until I saw one later.

So, I was OK on RCI, not happy on NCL with the seating in the MDR. Just my experience on two ships.

I've done both several times and enjoy both very much. Which I do next just depends on what pops up and my mood. I tend to be an impulse booker. I have also done an independent hotel stay at a Marriott in Cancun and enjoyed that too. On cruises I prefer longer repositioning cruises as opposed to the standard Caribbean type. I haven't been to an AI in Cozumel, but stopped there on my last cruise which was a reposition form LA to New Orleans, and based on that brief stop I would more likely go with an AI in Playa del Carmen, Cancun, Tulum, or one on the Pacific other than Cabo.

Those who find the question "irrelevant" should just move on to what they find to be "relevant" questions and not bother with smug know-it-all responses. I posted earlier that worry over dress as a tourist is not a matter of great concern to me, but I did not mean to imply in the least that the issue is not worthy of exchange and discussion. I am a little put off by the rude and dismissive manner of some responses. Just a little vent on my part about this tendency of some people.