fhmoore

We were on the Constellation on a Northern TA when my FIL died while we were on or 2nd of 4 days at sea. We had to fly home for Newfoundland. You can imagine how hard and expensive it was to find a flight with little notice from there! We had Travel Guard. Within 3 weeks of our return we received a check for all incurred expenses...one-way flight from Newfoundland, refund of our return flight segment from Newark, the cost of ship-to-shore calls to arrange a flight home, $200 for trip interruption AND a refund of our 4 remaining cruise days!! We just had to fax copies of requested documentation.

More similar to you situation was a non-cruise trip we had planned to Cancun. The afternoon before our morning flight my mother fell in here assisted living facility and broke her hip. Within two weeks we had a check again! I had to have the doctor write a letter saying the health problem and that I had her POA and Medical POA. I had to send the documentation of the cancellation cost of anything that incurred it...flight, hotel and even the tickets for the basketball tournament which was he main reason we were going. All costs were included in the check amount.

I swear by travel insurance. I usually get Travel Guard or Allanz.

Hang in there and hope all works out well.

Here's the link to Norfolk's cruise info website, specifically Park and Cruise. Most of the hotels listed are near the airport. The Sheraton is in downtown and you can walk to stuff including the USS Wisconsin and Nauticus. This site has all info you may need to take advantage of downtown Norfolk! It lists restaurants too. An interesting one is Freemason Abbey that is in a converted church. There are harbor cruises that take you by the Naval Base that are fun. The best seafood restaurants are not downtown,

http://www.visitnorfolktoday.com/park-cruise-packages

We are a festival crazy town. There are two festival weekends in October....Children's and Wine. Depending on which weekend you're here you may get to partake! Here's the link for Festevents.

https://festevents.org/events/2015-season-events/

Tours of the Norfolk Naval Base-largest in the world.

Right next to the cruise terminal is Nauticus- (Nauticus.org Lots of of fun stuff especially for kids) and the battleship Wisconsin which you can tour thru Nauticus.

Virginia Beach or the Ocean View beaches

Virginia Beach Aquarium is terrific. http://www.virginiaaquarium.com/

Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown and Busch Gardens is about 45 minutes going North on I-64.

As far as hotels and restaurants if you let me know where you'll be flying home from I can give better suggestions.

I can give you a list of hotels that do a Park and Cruise deal that would probably do just Shuttle and Cruise!

What are these Casino Offers I;ve heard people mention. Are they for people who have cruised before who play a lot in the casinos?

If you pre-buy one of the beer packages, are they in your room on ice when you board?

I've hear folks on this forum mention buckets of beer . Is that the same as the beer gift pack you by from the Fun Shop prior to the cruise?

Thanks in advance!

Thanks, Momin5! I like having more floor space.

For five nights we can sleep in single beds! The other question, if you don't mind, I like to read before falling asleep. If you do the L shape does one of the beds line up with one of the reading lights in the right place? I was hoping to have a Kindle Paperwhite by then but in case I don'.....t!!!

I've seen pictures posted with what looks like 3 bed layouts in interior Fantasy

cabins......

L- shape with one bed on "exterior" wall and the other against another wall. This layout looks like there is a dead space under the TV shelf??

As a King running parallel with deck hallway just past the desk.

As singles with bedside table between them.

Can you request a certain configuration? The only choice I saw when I booked was either together or apart.

Insuremytrip.com is terrific. You can call their toll free number and one of their agents will help you pick a policy.

My new credit card (a MC) has the basic coverage also but it is only for "Common Carriers" which means cruises, airfare...not hotel stays. Our cruise in July, I am depending on that but talked to insuremytrip.com agent who helped my buy medical and evacuation insurance which is not included in the CC coverage. it was only $46 for the two of us for our five day cruise. My biggest fear is needing medical evacuation. That can be upwards of $50-100,000 easily.

We've had to use travel insurance twice. My FIL died while we were on a transatlantic cruise on our second of four days at sea between England and Newfoundland. The cost to fly home from Newfoundland at the the last minute was outrageous. Within two weeks of submitting our claim we received a check that reimbursed the one-way flights from Newfoundland, the cost of our unused original flight home from Cape Liberty, $200+ for trip interruption and for the four unused remaining days of the cruise. My mother fell and broke her hip 18 hours prior to our leaving for an all-inclusive Cancun trip in 2013. Received a full refund within three weeks. I SWEAR by travel insurance.

I think we will do Paradise Cove, I will not snorkel but my husband will, My main question is how is the beach "floor".....is it rocky? Or, are there places you can walk out into the water that's sandy? Thanks!

How much time did you have at the beach?

In Freeport I want a good swimming beach with no rocky/slimy "floor"and my husband wants good snorkeling (has his own gear) either off the beach or a snorkel boat option from the beach/resort's water sports facility.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

How was the beach "floor"? I don't want a rocky/slimy bottom to walk out!

We did a tour in Freeport recently with Jeff of Bahamas Interisland Tours to Gold Rock Beach and Lucayan National Park (he does other tours also). I must say it was one of the best tours we have taken, and he was really good about making sure we got back to the ship in plenty of time. Our cruise was scheduled to leave at 1:30PM, and he had us back by 12:30PM.

I saw the "jeff" tour and it sounds great. I was hoping you could help me with your personal experience. I'm having some hip/back problems and want to know how far you had to walk to get to the beach since it sounds kind of remote. Also, how long is the ride to where you start?

I'm going to post this question on the port and Fantasy forum also but hope someone who's been to Freeport lately can give me some advice. In Freeport I want to go to a good swimming beach (no rocky or slimy bottom!!) and my husband wants good snorkeling (either from the beach or the beach offering a boat to reef or such). Any suggestion is greatly appreciated!

I'm going to post this question on the port forum also but hope someone who's been to Freeport lately can give me some advice. In Freeport I want to go to a good swimming beach (no rocky or slimy bottom!!) and my husband wants good snorkeling (either from the beach or the beach offering a boat to reef or such). Any suggestion is greatly appreciated!

I'm likeBlondie35, We will catch the hotel shuttle from our Park and Cruise hotel. Can't you just drop your luggage at the "luggage tent" that I've heard mentioned and then have hotel shuttle drop you at the terminal since you won't have a car and need to go to the warehouse parking lot/garage?

I'm confused (as usual).... I can't figure out about early saver. Do you only look at Carnival quotes or if you find a lower quote from, say, Expedia will they look at that? If yes, how do you provide the other website's quote to Carnival???

What is a casino rate? First time on Carnival and not familiar with a lot of Carnival stuff.

I posted this elsewhere before I found this forum. We've done a cruise line's "eat Whenever" plan! Anyone who sailed the Fantasy lately what time do you think is the best to get little or no wait time? We like to eat around 6:30or so. Would that work??

Also, Is it true no hair dryers in regular cabins???

We will be cruising on the Fantasy in July. We haven't tried any of the cruise lines' "Dine whenever you want to" plans. I've heard varying opinions on it. I was hoping someone recently off the Fantasy has input on when the best time is to go to the MDR and have little or no waiting. We like meeting other cruisers so size of table is of no concern, Our preference is to eat between 6:30 and 6:45. Any help greatly appreciated!

I noticed there was not an "hour by hour" like listing of things like trivia, dance lessons etc. Is it that my new computer with One Drive (that I' still flummoxed by!) that I'm still opened only four pages and there were more??

It would not be the Bermuda itinerary since I want to be on the ship for my BD. More that I wanted a ship comparison!

Actually have decided to go on the Fantasy from Charleston since I have cousins that want to go with us and they live outside of Charleston.

Not sure if this is where I should post this but hopeful I will get some input!

My 65th birthday is July 24. All of a sudden I decided I want to go an a cruise for this momentous event! I usually book more like a year ahead so this is nerve wracking to be scrambling for a perfect fit.

I want to leave from Baltimore so we can drive four hours and not have to deal with flying. The choices are the Grandeur to Bermuda, July 17 or Bahamas, July 24 (but having to travel on my actual birthday) or the Pride on the 19th which allows me to be on the ship for the big day.

If anyone has been on both....is the Grandeur enough better to travel on my birthday or is the Pride a good choice. We've been on two RCCL cruises but only on one Carnival. The Carnival one was the first cruise we ever did back in 1988 on the Festivale which I'm sure has become a coral reef deep in an ocean somewhere!

Any opinions are greatly appreciated!

I have a question I haven't seen answered anywhere...we're getting ready to book the Grandeur from Baltimore for my birthday in July. If we do the $55 day Premium package haw many days are you charged? The ship leaves on a Friday at 4PM so basically that's only 6 days. But, I guess you're charged for 7?? If so it may be better to do it on the ship Saturday morning so it's definitely only a six day charge?? I know...picky, picky picky!

Another question....the Premium package does NOT include coffees??? You have to add on the Replenish deal???

How's the iced tea on the Grandeur?? That's my drink of addiction!

What a fowl mouthed discussion!