mjobtx
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Just a cautious approach for me. I would rather know than wonder.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Forums mobile app
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Who warned you this? Oceania? Really???
I find this hard to believe since Oceania lets you bring alcohol on board and does NOT hold it until the end of the cruise. I have never heard that if the porters handle the cases they would be handled differently than any other luggage brought to your room.
Mura
Two different Oceania customer service reps on two different occasions informed me of their official 3 bottle rule. They stuck to the 3 bottle rule as though it was strict. In the Cruise Critic forums, I was told that they 3 bottle limit, while official is not a hard and fast rule. Several people cautioned that I should carry my wine on with me rather than let the porters handle it because the wine would be in my control and not subject to an over zealous, well meaning ship employee. I chose to err on the side of caution and stay in control of my wine.
Michael
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"Like a few others in this thread, I own two of these https://vingardevalise.com/ and take them on almost every trip. If I am carrying wine on board, I keep the cases with me so I have control of my wine. I was warned by others and Oceania that if I let the porters handle the cases, they might wind up being held in the cargo hold until the end of the cruise."
So you suggest that we should bring our 12-bottle wine carrier with us as we board? Of course, it's a bit larger than a typical carry-on. Not sure if it would be able to go through the scanner. How does that work?
The cases we use https://vingardevalise.com/ are 4 wheel spinner cases. They fit through the scanner just like any other suitcase would. Ours went through with no problems at all.
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StanandJim;
FYI, O was offering more cash back than the cost of the cruise for those willing to exit the cruise, considerably more. These were not passengers on the waitlist, but passengers that had reserved and paid for a cabin where Oceania had oversold, via guarantees, those cabins.
Yes, they did offer other cruises with upgrades and all sorts of goodies, but for those that held out the cash offers ran well over the amounts paid for the cruise.
Adventures like that is why my TA says they are significantly reducing the cruises where they will sell "guarantees".
pinotlover,
Unrelated to any Oceania issues, but your handle is interesting. I have crossed paths on wine bulletin boards with fellow wine lovers using that handle. Maybe our paths have crossed somewhere before - an offline maybe?
Michael
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We had several days in Brazilian waters. The ship made several announcements and reminders about the VAT before we entered their waters. My wife and I drink wine with dinner every night but we buy it by the bottle. I worked with the Executive Cellar Master on board and selected our wines in advance. It is just a matter of doing a little planning.
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I think you will find that the offers will either be reduced or increased based on how well a particular cruise is selling. If there is a lot of unsold cabins, offers often get better but you must read the new offer very carefully. It usually gives something but sometimes also takes away so you have to look at the value.
On our last two cruises, I was able to improve our offer. The tariff was reduced on both. The last time it was after final payment. Work with your TA. You can't get what you don't ask for.
On our last short cruise (10 day on the Marina), we upgraded to an OS from an OC for a very reasonable amount. We decided we would never get another chance on our budget to stay in an OS so we went for it. I realize that is a self-initiated improvement but if a cruise is selling out, upgrades are possible at significantly reduced rates. The upgrade to the OS was made three weeks before departure.
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There has been several posters mentioning the spa. I might have missed it but everyday the spa has some special. My wife and I have taken advantages of the reduced cost specials several times and there has always been availability.
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Like a few others in this thread, I own two of these https://vingardevalise.com/ and take them on almost every trip. If I am carrying wine on board, I keep the cases with me so I have control of my wine. I was warned by others and Oceania that if I let the porters handle the cases, they might wind up being held in the cargo hold until the end of the cruise.
You do have to be aware of the laws of the country where you are disembarking however. While the risk is small, you might get stuck paying duties. In Buenos Aires, customs paused for a long time when screening my wine suitcase but eventually let me pass without asking for duty. If you are returning with wine from Mendoza, Argentina, be aware that many of the bottles are very heavy and it is very easy to exceed your economy baggage allowance of 50lbs. Both of my wine suitcases (one with 12 bottles from Mendoza, the other with 12 bottles from Uruguay) were overweight. The Mendoza case weighed 67.1lbs.; the Uruguay case weighed 57lbs. We were traveling in Business Class so we were okay on weight. If we were in economy, the excess weight charges on our airline would have cost less than the cost to ship wine home from Argentina and Uruguay so the cost was a non-issue to us.
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We own a dedicated wine suitcase. It looks just like any other hard-sided, 26" rolling suitcase. It has specialized styrofoam compartments holding 12 bottles very safely. We've taken it to Europe, Hawaii, etc. No problem. Expensive but if you want to travel with wine a lot, worth it. A fellow CC turned me on to it. Here's the link: https://vingardevalise.com/
On the other hand, we've also purchased six bottles in port, had them boxed in a standard six-pack shipper, slapped a luggage tag on the box and dropped it at the curb along with all the other luggage - that works just as well if you don't need to travel via air to get to your embarkation point. Rereading your post, looks like you can drive to the port -- take a 12 bottle styrofoam shipper - no problem. No secrecy required.
I have two of these cases newbie60. The brand new Version 4 of the 12 bottle case is now available and I will probably get one but I want to wait a few months to see if they launch an upgrade program. The new case has an integrated TSA compliant lock, larger wheels on the handle side of the case, a lift handle on the bottom, and they have slightly increased the length of the inserts to accommodate some of those Alsatian wine bottles I have struggled with. Can you tell I have been reading their site. Always looking for an upgrade. In the 18 months I have owned my cases, I have saved hundreds in wine shipping costs and been in control of my wine the whole trip. I have also saved over a $1000 in wine costs by carrying on bottles on each cruise.
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Our experience was not with India but Brazil. Carried the old passport with the Visa and the new passport for entry. This is the same procedure the U.S. uses for foreign visitors requiring visas and as far as I know, almost every country uses the same rule. There is a process for transferring your visa to your new passport. Visa services can do that for a fee of course. As for us, we travel with the old and new passports. The caveat is that the name in both passports and the visa must be the same. If the visa was issued in a maiden name and the new passport in a married name, you have an issue to deal with.
The validity of an existing visa does not expire if holder acquires a new passport (if old passport has expired or is damaged), as long as personal particulars and nationality of the holder have not changed. The visa holder can travel carrying old passport with valid Indian visa along with new passport.
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We are cruising in a couple of days. Is it to late to buy insurance for an elderly person? And what do you have to purchase ? I'm a bit confused. do I have to buy 2 different types and from companies? He's had some unexpected medical issues recently and I'm not sure if any of the insurances will cover if something happens. Any information will be appreciated[/quote
Another option is to call this company. Their phone number is at the top of this page.
https://www.insuremytrip.com/ You have to decide what kind of coverage you want. They can help.
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Your are welcome.
I don't know anything about the Slate, but the very best thing you can do is get a benefit brochure mailed to you, and discuss the details with the Chase folks.
Thanks again. You are right. Card companies have so many variations and that don't all have the same benefits.
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The Chase Sapphire Preferred and the JP Morgan Palladium cards both offer Primary Auto Rental Coverage Worldwide:
E.g., the Chase:
"Auto Rental Coverage
Your Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver has been enhanced from secondary coverage to primary. So if the unexpected occurs, you can now rely on an enhanced level of coverage. Decline the rental company’s collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your card. Coverage is primary and provides reimbursement up to the actual cash value of the vehicle for theft and collision damage for most rental cars in the U.S. and abroad.*"
E.g.:
Thanks for the info notjaded. I think I have a Chase Slate around here somewhere but I didn't read the fine print in that multi-page document I received. It will save me $24.95 to use it. I probably don't have the document anywhere. Does it cover all countries unlike AMEX? Italy is one I can see driving in. The others, probably not.
Michael
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We have had an AMEX card for over forty years and often use it for rental cars in Europe. As to paying extra for the Premium...one needs to consider if it is worthwhile. Even the regular AMEX coverage (not the Premium) becomes primary outside the USA (for most of us) since US auto insurance gives no coverage. The Primary aspect is only worthwhile if renting a car within North America. The higher coverage limits are worthwhile if you rent very expensive cars...but most normal rentals are easily covered under their regular coverage. We assess our situation before every trip, and if we see a specific reason to get their Premium Coverage we simply activate that on our account (and often cancel it as soon as we return home).
One problem we have with AMEX is that it does not give coverage in several countries (such as New Zealand and Australia, and certain other countries in Europe such as Ireland and Italy which are covered by either our MC or Visa. So it is not a one card fits all kind of thing...and one is well-advised to look at each situation (in advance) and find the best insurance solution.
Hank
Hlitner, you are absolutely right and I never said it was a one stop shop. I was only offering one of many alternatives. I also disclosed exactly what countries were not covered. For me, it is absolutely worth the nominal charge to have American Express take the primary position instead of the secondary one. It makes the entire process much faster. I only have one company to deal with - American Express. My other cards from Visa and MasterCard are secondary coverage so I have to file with everyone else first before I turn to them. It takes far more work and much longer for me to get reimbursed. That is why I use the American Express Premium Car Rental insurance.
For those of you driving in 6 countries excluded from AMEX's coverage, of course it isn't an option. For those of you that don't mind having to file with one company, wait for the outcome, and then turn around and file all over again with your Visa or MasterCard issuer, by all means don't use American Express. As for me, file once and only once is worth $24.95 per rental up to a 42 day rental and it is far superior to buying the incredibly expensive coverage offered at the rental counter. I had one experience several years ago with filing with a Visa issuer. They required that I file with my automobile insurance company first, obtain the denial, and then file with them. Long drawn out affair. Never again.
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Definitely legit. Your TA can offer what they want to offer. You just need to understand what it is they are offering. Are they offering OBC above what the cruise line offers. On my last cruise, the cruise line offered OBC as did the TA who offered additional OBC. The OBC offered by the TA was refundable. The OBC offered by the cruise line is never refundable. It is a use it or lose it perk.
Of course using up my OBC has never been difficult. On my 24 day Cape Town to Buenos Aires cruise I had a total of $1850 in OBC. Nothing left at the end of the trip even though my gratuities were prepaid. On cruises where gratuities are not prepaid like my next one, they will come out of my OBC. Getting the best deal is all about understand the math.
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You got me on that one. My last few cruises have been on Oceania. The have coin operated laundries on several decks and detergent was free.
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Finding out who is doing what shore excursions outside what your ship offers is easier done by locating the Roll Call for your ship and your particular cruise. You will likely find people that have posted excursions that need more bodies.
I have been doing that for our upcoming Oceania cruise Monte Carlo to Venice. Join your Roll Call.
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All of our cruise decisions are driven by itinerary. Of last, Oceania has had the itineraries of most interest to us: Cape Town to Buenos Aires, Monte Carlo to Venice, Singapore to Rome.
We did a 14 day in the Baltic on Celebrity and a Yangtze River cruise on Viking and the obligatory Caribbean east and west on NCL.
All driven by itinerary. The loyalty programs I have looked at offer very little unless you practically live on the cruise lines' ships. Kind of like getting a 10,000 mile gift from your favorite airline. Nice but what can you do with it?
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In my personal experience, cruise line cancellation is never as comprehensive as policies you can locate by visiting insuremytrip and other similar sites. It is always more expensive for the coverage you get. It is like an expensive dealer pack at a car dealer.
Next time visit insuremytrip and compare coverage among several policies. Take the time to understand what you are getting. Don't trust the policy to give you what you want. Cancellation for any cause is usually only available if you purchase the insurance within 14 days of making your initial deposit. Cancellation for work is an extra cost option available on some policies as well. The most important coverage you will have in these policies and the one you hope never to need is the medical evacuation coverage. If you do need to be medically evacuated it will cost you six figures. Make sure you are covered. The other losses you can probably withstand. Medical evacuation, unless you are very wealthy, not so much.
There is no substitute for reading what is covered and making a decision on how well the policy meets your needs. It isn't a point and click decision and it is an important financial one so do the research.
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I have a qualifying American Express card and I have subscribed to their Premium Car Rental Insurance plan. For a flat $24.95 per rental up to a 42 day rental, you have complete CDW coverage and American Express is primary for theft and damage. You pay when you rent. Not a monthly charge.
Copied from the American Express website - Coverage is worldwide, except for vehicles rented in Australia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, and New Zealand.4
Coverage is for up to 42 consecutive days (up to 30 consecutive days for Washington State Card Members). Coverage automatically extends to other eligible American Express Card Account(s) when you enroll one of your Card Account(s). (Note: not all accounts are eligible, for example Corporate Cards).
Like all insurance there are some exclusions for certain types of vehicles and uses but definitely worth checking out if you have an AMEX card. The exclusions are no different than with your other CC companies but this coverage is more complete and AMEX is primary not secondary on the claim.
I should say that there is a $19.95 per rental option but the extra $5 provides a lot more peace of mind.
No CC covers liability.
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Comprehensive trip insurance with a large medical evacuation coverage. Don't leave home without it.
Chances are you won't need it. But chance it is. If you do and have it, you survive the financial outlay. If you don't, you may not.
I have used my trip insurance only once. It would not have bankrupted me not to have it but in the end it cost me nothing on that trip. The rest of the time, I had peace of mind.
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Mike this is not a new problem. We had the same issue last summer and the site or some of its functionality was not available for days.
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well comea time.... when Imoved to Hawaii ant is was 28 yearoldf Heitz Marthas 1974 bought from joe Heitz got $500 for2....sold for $7500 and a case of Cayms special Select 1991.. 3000. .... it would NOT survive in Hawaii..
ANd beside I have had many Boredeaux sPomerol earily 60's a and realize thatafter a few moment's of enjoyment... the kidneys takeover...Too your pooably agood sort.... but would you want to share bottls that fcost over n$3000 a pop
friend ship onlu goes so far... and reality. Most of my wines now start at
.... current cellar is rich in 82-@011 Pomrel
I am at a loss for words.
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Nexus is the Canadian version of Global entry.
Understood. Just not the same thing as was intimated.
NEXUS
The NEXUS program allows pre-screened travelers expedited processing when entering the United States and Canada. Program members use dedicated processing lanes at designated northern border ports of entry, NEXUS kiosks when entering Canada by air and Global Entry kiosks when entering the United States via Canadian Preclearance airports. NEXUS members also receive expedited processing at marine reporting locations.
Nexus won't help a U.S. citizen re-entering the U.S. from any country other than Canada. Global Entry also is a qualifier for programs operated by other countries like Mexico and the Netherlands. Still have to apply to those programs and jump through their hoops but Global Entry is the qualifier. For people who travel on business, this is a big advantage.
How to Use OBC?
in Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Posted
OBC from my TA is refundable whereas OBC from Regent is not.