amenuensis

6 hours ago, LilyT said:

Thank you for the update. Can you tell me what was the dimension of your photo that was ultimately accepted?

Yes, it was 431 x 575 pixels, 138 KB

On 1/30/2024 at 2:17 PM, tottenhamfc said:

Can we please get an idea of who is approved and who has a visa. Include days it took at different phases if you know. Nobody seems to be getting anything in the last week or so.

Received my evisa in an email Feb 3! So it took 9 days total. My timeline:
Jan. 26 started application
Jan. 28 got email stating "Photograph is not in compliance. Provide a new one, not selfie, white background, dimension 413x531 pixels" (it was a photo I took myself and sent to online service to make compliant")
Jan. 29 got a better photo taken at Staples "Passport Studio" and made sure they knew it was for Brazil EVisa because they have the proper specs for all countries.
Jan. 31 I checked online and saw the photo was accepted and my status was "Approved"
Feb. 3 - Received email with E-Visa attached.

On 12/25/2023 at 6:29 AM, Mercruiser said:

Apparently, Van Gogh, and anyone like him, is not welcome in Brazil.

 

Ha ha - I was just realizing that my passport photo was taken before I had ear surgery 2 years ago, so that my left ear looks different now. Hopefully my right ear will be enough proof of identity!

I first learned about the Halifax explosion when we were on an RV road trip and listened to an audiobook "A Wedding In December" -- the novel was set right after 9/11 in Massachusetts but WAY more interesting to me than the main plot (a group of friends reuniting a la The Big Chill) was the story-within-a-story, a novel one of the friends was writing that centered around the Halifax Explosion and its after-effects. Made me want to learn more, so I will read that book "Barometer Rising" before our Canada/New England cruise coming up in October.

3 hours ago, Brighton Line said:

What is your sailing time on your documents?
Most sailings have been listed as 3 pm so 2:30p arrival you would not be allowed to board as the manifest has to be given to Customs at least an hour before sailing. 

 

Our ship departure time is 5 pm from port, so I think we're good. 

We will be flying into NY the night before we sail, and staying at a hotel in Brooklyn. The next morning we'd like to drop off our luggage at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal early and then meet some friends for brunch a few blocks away (Port Defiance Bar & Restaurant), then get back to the cruise terminal by no later than 2:30 pm to board the ship. I think from what I've been reading it will be okay to leave our luggage with the porters, but has anyone done this? Some of the posts I've read suggest waiting until about 11:30--by which time the debarking passengers and luggage are cleared out. Others say it's okay to drop luggage off earlier than that and the luggage will be fine. Any advice will be appreciated! 

You're probably on the ship now, I am behind on the blog, but I will eventually post more!

A work in progress, I am trying to do travel blog about the cruise with photos here: https://wordpress.com/view/jackiestravelblog432753637.wordpress.com

We're in room 338 and there are 4 outlets (2 plugs each) incuding the bedside clock. and one of the 4 outlets of course is in the bathroom. We had plenty of storage space for our clothes, lots of hangers but I could use a few more which I will ask for. We easily slid our two large suitcases under the bed with room to spare. I saw bikes but I don't know how many there are, also umbrellas.

1 hour ago, Cruizer Diana said:

Did many people have a test that wasn't accepted? 

Can you ask the people checking the tests if they accept a NAAT test as a PCR test?

Thank you!!

Diana (3/14/22 sailing)

I am just seeing this. I will ask but I doubt it. We got our PCR test in NOLA testing site it was easy and close (on Canal St.) and we didn't pay anything because we chose the 24 Hour PCR test. The 15 minute one was $60. We took the test at 10:20 am and got our results the next morning via emailed PDF. I didn't even have to print it out I just showed it to the checkin person on my cellphone.  I see they are changing their policy soon? There was a couple there that hadn't gotten tested yet and they said they could get tested at the hotel for $20, which was news to us! 

Anyway we are on board and just completed the muster drill and so far so good. My only caveat is the Hilton room where we checked in was FREEZING and you're in there for awhile on one line then another, so wear a jacket! I had a sweater on and I was still cold. Also if you don't want to stray far from the hotel waiting to board the boat, there is a Riverwalk Shopping Mall that you can walk to without going outside, theres an inside walkway connecting the Hilton to it and there are lots of stores and food courts etc. It's a little convoluted to get there from the lobby but I just asked the concierge. I'll keep trying to post, the wifi seems fine but we are still docked in New Orleans.

We are flying out from California March 3 to New Orleans for the March 7 American Queen boarding NOLA to Memphis, so we can't do PCR test at home to be within the 3 days, but I found a close walk-in (not drive-through) testing site right on Canal St. https://www.nolacovidtesting.com/ and they are cheaper than the Gretna site that AQSC recommended; I called and the woman said it's $60 for the rapid PCR ("results within 30 minutes") and free for the 24-hour PCR (but that is for US Citizens with insurance). They are walk-in and don't require an appointment but say it is preferred, so I made appointment on that site. They did not send me a confirmation email so you if you  make an appt. write down their confirmation number. 

1 hour ago, adstz said:

We are booked for the American Queen Memphis to New Orleans October 11-18, 2021.This is a rebook from October of 2020 as it was canceled.

It includes pre cruise hotel on October 10 at the Sheraton Memphis with embarkation on the 11th.

Since we are planning on before and after stays we decided to look at what AQSC was offering.

Here is the info I have found about the pre stay package in Memphis:

The pre stay is at the Peabody Memphis. You don't move to the Sheraton Downtown. It is 2 nights. The dates are the 9th and 10th.

But you already should have one night included since it in in your cruise fare!

(It includes 2 breakfasts, 1 dinner, some passes and transportation and $50 on board credit to use.)

For $699 per person.

Ridiculous.  Be aware that you are paying twice for one of the nights if you book this. I can think of a few better things to do with $1400 (for 2).

Exactly what we thought (we're going in May on the American Queen NOLA to Memphis). We thought it was 2 extra nights but nooooo. So we made our own arrangements for the 2 extra nights.

Excerpt from article:

"Lawless adds that, if continuing operations under Chapter 11, a company will usually seek authorization from the court to keep their commitments to their customers. In other industries, this has allowed retailers to continue to honor gift cards and service warrantees, even while bankrupt. For the cruise industry, it means your cruise line could continue to embark passengers, sail and even honor vouchers, while reorganizing through the courts.

"It doesn't strictly follow the bankruptcy code, but the creditors involved want to get paid the most," says Lawless. "And they know that their best chance is for the company to continue to provide services to their customers."

Here's an illuminating article about cruise lines going bankrupt. Chapter 11 bankruptcy allows them to continue operating so I'm less worried after reading this....

https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=5323

Yes we also were concerned about that possibility, but we took a leap of faith and accepted our TAs offer of a future cruise credit for our aborted Mississippi River Cruise. I remain optimistic that things will open up and there will be a lot of pent-up demand and yes, maybe even MORE people will opt to river cruise within the US than go out to sea in the bigger ships, although I still hope to do both. 

Anybody going on this cruise? We just booked it, first time doing a River Cruise anywhere.

I highly recommend the North San Diego County towns of Vista, California or Carlsbad, California. Both are reasonably close to downtown San Diego, ocean, mountains, desert, everything without the crowds. Cute downtowns, lots of charm. Can't beat the weather. Check it out. :D

Hi everyone

 

We are from the Gold Coast Queensland Australia and will be cruising from Sydney to Seattle in April 2018. We will staying in the California Coastal/Pacific Northwest for around 5 months.

 

We are looking at staying longer term in places so that we can really absorb the American lifestyles and not be a tourist but travellers.

 

We do intend doing an Alaskan cruise whilst there and probably spend about a month up in Vancouver Canada, but the rest of the time has yet to be decided. We are thinking around San Francisco might be nice but we are open to ideas.

 

We are seeking guidance from West Coast locals who can recommend places (ie suburbs/towns) to live short term but also places to avoid.

 

Any assistance appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Mark

This is my favorite cruise photo, my son Danny enjoying the slide on the Carnival Elation, cruise to Mexico in 2003. Hope this works and you can see it I can't see it in Preview