The Great Escape - From Way Before the Beginning Until The End

[CruzinMel]

Good thing I type fast, or, Cruise Critic ate my post!

 

Well, more like, I probably hit the x rather than posting it, but I wrote a lengthy, considered, erudite, award-winning rumination on cruising with issues, and poof!  She is gone.

The Cliff's Notes version of the novella (do folks even know what those are these days?  must google) is this:  Mom may have Requirements, but she and I between us have Issues, and these Issues are giving me heartburn.

 

The easy issue is mine:  I have celiac disease, and must eat gluten free.  And no, it's not like I *want* to eat GF (no matter how much they try to make it taste good, GF bread and pasta do NOT taste right, so I don't understand anybody choosing this lifestyle, but whatever.)  I MUST eat GF, and I have the lab results and damaged intestinal villi to prove it.  As I would prefer to spend my vacation in a lounger rather than that fabulous bathroom, I'm being careful.  From past experience with Dad and stories I'm reading on CC, NCL does a fantastic job with gluten free eating.

 

Mom is trickier.  Mom's got neuropathy, which means that sometimes, she doesn't feel her feet and sometimes she feels some of them, but not enough to have the perfect balance of her youth.  Aging being a "use it or lose it" proposition, if you don't have good balance and you decide to walk as little as possible because you're afraid of falling down, despite what everybody else on the planet encourages you to do . . . one day you won't be able to walk long distances, and your family will be trying to figure out the best way to get you places on a cruise ship so you have fun and don't feel trapped in your cabin.  Mom's got a cane and a rollator, both of which we are bringing, but wobbly Mom + ocean waves = uneasy Mel.

Fortunately, NCL partners with a company called Scootaround that will let you rent a wheelchair (or a scooter, motorized wheelchair, rollator. . . all the wheeled things!) and will deliver it to your cabin so you don't have to wrangle it on or off.  I'm told you can also take the conveyance with you when you go off the ship - so I think that one is solved.  I noodled around on their website over the weekend, and am just about ready to reserve.

But excursions . . . ugh!  Here's the complaint for the day - there are lots and lots of resources, both here on CC, on NCL's site, and on the internets at large, for discussing traveling with mobility issues.  Know what there's not?  VIDEOS.  I can go on YouThing and look at every excursion, I can google maps of the ports, I can find pictures of everything that somebody ate or drank for 7 days and I can even get recipes for my beloved muesli . . . but I have yet to find a video of somebody in a wheelchair getting off a cruise ship and going on an excursion.  I've been reduced to watching excursion videos, estimating the length of the walk to the taxi or bus, and then squinting at the screen looking for wheels in the background.

Our itinerary has a private island day, and between DH and DD, we will manhandle her onto the tender and get a beach wheelchair if I have to stake one out at 9 in the morning.  But I want to get her to a beach on at least one stop - just one! 

 

Puerta Plata is a no - I'm sending the kids on a waterfall and zip lining excursion while DH and I tour the island.  Tortola is a big no - the stop is ridiculously early and short (6 am to 1 pm, and we practically are across the street from the stop of the day before?)  So that left St Thomas . . . and Havensight is a long walk.  (Although we are scheduled to dock at the closest berth, so that's a thought.)  St Thomas also, unfortunately, is where the 4300-odd passengers on our sailing will be joined by the nearly-7000 pax on Wonder of the Seas, so St Thomas is going to be a hot mess.  (I may rethink Tortola.)  I got desperate enough that I very nearly booked us into a condo on STT, if only to have a place for the day, but the checkins are all at 3 and 4 in the afternoon and that's too late.

I'mma keep thinking on this.  Y'all got any ideas?  

[CruzinMel]

PostScript - Guest Special Needs:

 

NCL puts a hyperlink in your cruise confirmation and other documents that will take you to the Guest Special Needs form, which covers everything from a riser on your toilet seat, to a sharps container for diabetics with injectable insulin, to sign language interpreters, service animals, DIY dialysis, allergies, special diets, and anything else you can think of.  The form is an online, fillable PDF and If you are wise, you will not be like me and forget to take a snip of your case # when you are done filling it out (although I did print it.)  Theoretically, we should hear something within 30 days, but I have their phone # if I don't.

I also did not mention that the Haven not only has fabulous bedding and pillows, but also will wheel you on and off the ship and to shows and (I have read but not confirmed) off the ship when they dock.  I am putting an email together for the concierge desk to make sure.  We shall see what happens.

[goldmom]

I would suggest looking into one of the cabanas or villas on the private island.  From what I've seen they are pretty close to the water, so Mom could probably get in the water and there is a tram from the dock to the villa.  It could work for that one beach day and Mom (and all of you) will get pampered.

The only issue is if they have to skip the stop due to weather you would lose your only beach day.  The crew will also help Mom get off and on the tender.

Hope you have a fabulous time!

[cruiseny4life]

There's a really annoying, awful Vlogger that I can't stand, BUT he may be really helpful for you as he's in a wheelchair and posts tons of cruising videos and experiences. I hope you're able to get past his snarky attitude and that the videos may be helpful to you.

 

https://www.youtube.com/c/Cruisingwithwheels

[CruzinMel]

4 hours ago, goldmom said:

I would suggest looking into one of the cabanas or villas on the private island.  From what I've seen they are pretty close to the water, so Mom could probably get in the water and there is a tram from the dock to the villa.  It could work for that one beach day and Mom (and all of you) will get pampered.

The only issue is if they have to skip the stop due to weather you would lose your only beach day.  The crew will also help Mom get off and on the tender.

Hope you have a fabulous time!

I've been toying with that, actually - great minds think alike!  I'm thinking about the villa - the one that would work out best is expensive, but it would have a bed if she wants to take a nap, and a bathroom, and a TV for DH if/when he gets beach bored and wants to check out a movie.

And definitely on the weather - I do NOT want her to spend a week at sea and never touch sand once.  

[CruzinMel]

47 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

There's a really annoying, awful Vlogger that I can't stand, BUT he may be really helpful for you as he's in a wheelchair and posts tons of cruising videos and experiences. I hope you're able to get past his snarky attitude and that the videos may be helpful to you.

 

https://www.youtube.com/c/Cruisingwithwheels

I will check him out - thanks!  I like a little bit of snark, but too much is too much. . .   

[vacation44]

I will be following along your journey and think you are off to a great start in sharing the details so far of your upcoming sailing.

 

As someone who often travels with their parent (in my case my mid-eighties father), I do understand it makes the vacation a slightly different experience and does add more planning.    However, I do cherish the times he has travelled with us.   

[helene109]

Love all your posts! We are on this sailing in April!

[FLcruisergrl]

17 hours ago, CruzinMel said:

Good thing I type fast, or, Cruise Critic ate my post!

 

Well, more like, I probably hit the x rather than posting it, but I wrote a lengthy, considered, erudite, award-winning rumination on cruising with issues, and poof!  She is gone.

The Cliff's Notes version of the novella (do folks even know what those are these days?  must google) is this:  Mom may have Requirements, but she and I between us have Issues, and these Issues are giving me heartburn.

 

The easy issue is mine:  I have celiac disease, and must eat gluten free.  And no, it's not like I *want* to eat GF (no matter how much they try to make it taste good, GF bread and pasta do NOT taste right, so I don't understand anybody choosing this lifestyle, but whatever.)  I MUST eat GF, and I have the lab results and damaged intestinal villi to prove it.  As I would prefer to spend my vacation in a lounger rather than that fabulous bathroom, I'm being careful.  From past experience with Dad and stories I'm reading on CC, NCL does a fantastic job with gluten free eating.

 

Mom is trickier.  Mom's got neuropathy, which means that sometimes, she doesn't feel her feet and sometimes she feels some of them, but not enough to have the perfect balance of her youth.  Aging being a "use it or lose it" proposition, if you don't have good balance and you decide to walk as little as possible because you're afraid of falling down, despite what everybody else on the planet encourages you to do . . . one day you won't be able to walk long distances, and your family will be trying to figure out the best way to get you places on a cruise ship so you have fun and don't feel trapped in your cabin.  Mom's got a cane and a rollator, both of which we are bringing, but wobbly Mom + ocean waves = uneasy Mel.

Fortunately, NCL partners with a company called Scootaround that will let you rent a wheelchair (or a scooter, motorized wheelchair, rollator. . . all the wheeled things!) and will deliver it to your cabin so you don't have to wrangle it on or off.  I'm told you can also take the conveyance with you when you go off the ship - so I think that one is solved.  I noodled around on their website over the weekend, and am just about ready to reserve.

But excursions . . . ugh!  Here's the complaint for the day - there are lots and lots of resources, both here on CC, on NCL's site, and on the internets at large, for discussing traveling with mobility issues.  Know what there's not?  VIDEOS.  I can go on YouThing and look at every excursion, I can google maps of the ports, I can find pictures of everything that somebody ate or drank for 7 days and I can even get recipes for my beloved muesli . . . but I have yet to find a video of somebody in a wheelchair getting off a cruise ship and going on an excursion.  I've been reduced to watching excursion videos, estimating the length of the walk to the taxi or bus, and then squinting at the screen looking for wheels in the background.

Our itinerary has a private island day, and between DH and DD, we will manhandle her onto the tender and get a beach wheelchair if I have to stake one out at 9 in the morning.  But I want to get her to a beach on at least one stop - just one! 

 

Puerta Plata is a no - I'm sending the kids on a waterfall and zip lining excursion while DH and I tour the island.  Tortola is a big no - the stop is ridiculously early and short (6 am to 1 pm, and we practically are across the street from the stop of the day before?)  So that left St Thomas . . . and Havensight is a long walk.  (Although we are scheduled to dock at the closest berth, so that's a thought.)  St Thomas also, unfortunately, is where the 4300-odd passengers on our sailing will be joined by the nearly-7000 pax on Wonder of the Seas, so St Thomas is going to be a hot mess.  (I may rethink Tortola.)  I got desperate enough that I very nearly booked us into a condo on STT, if only to have a place for the day, but the checkins are all at 3 and 4 in the afternoon and that's too late.

I'mma keep thinking on this.  Y'all got any ideas?  

Try Secret Harbour on St Thomas. It’s a quiet beach that most cruisers don’t know about. There are paved paths from the parking lot, through the little resort to the beach. There is a casual outdoor restaurant called the Patio. The water is very calm.

[FLcruisergrl]

4 hours ago, CruzinMel said:

I've been toying with that, actually - great minds think alike!  I'm thinking about the villa - the one that would work out best is expensive, but it would have a bed if she wants to take a nap, and a bathroom, and a TV for DH if/when he gets beach bored and wants to check out a movie.

And definitely on the weather - I do NOT want her to spend a week at sea and never touch sand once.  

The beach at the villas is a bit steep. She may have trouble getting down to the water.

[mpcaruth]

Maybe I missed it, but when are your cruising?  December?

[CruzinMel]

5 hours ago, FLcruisergrl said:

The beach at the villas is a bit steep. She may have trouble getting down to the water.

Oh, wow - that is not something I had considered - thank you!  I've been all over the GSC videos and maps, but the steepness of the walk didn't register.  

OTOH, if we have the beach wheelchair, it might be ok?

[CruzinMel]

3 hours ago, mpcaruth said:

Maybe I missed it, but when are your cruising?  December?

Yes - NYE!  We've been having discussions about water temps, too - trying to figure out how cold is too cold.  Being from Georgia, we don't have the cold-water endurance of our fellow travelers from the more northern areas.  Temps are supposed to be low 80's/upper 70's, which feels like heaven to me but I'm not sure about water.  More research!

Edited October 12, 2022 by CruzinMel

[CruzinMel]

5 hours ago, FLcruisergrl said:

Try Secret Harbour on St Thomas. It’s a quiet beach that most cruisers don’t know about. There are paved paths from the parking lot, through the little resort to the beach. There is a casual outdoor restaurant called the Patio. The water is very calm.

I think you very kindly mentioned Secret Harbour in another thread on the STT ports board - I've been looking at it, too.  I'm going to natter tomorrow probably about the great excursion debate. . . ugh.

[CruzinMel]

8 hours ago, vacation44 said:

I will be following along your journey and think you are off to a great start in sharing the details so far of your upcoming sailing.

 

As someone who often travels with their parent (in my case my mid-eighties father), I do understand it makes the vacation a slightly different experience and does add more planning.    However, I do cherish the times he has travelled with us.   

Do you have any advice for me?  The last time we traveled with her, she was more sprightly, but not much.  I read my 2016 review, and realized that she spent a large amount of time in the room, sleeping - basically, if we were active one day, she spent most of the next day resting except for dinner.

I'm worried that I am putting too much pressure on this trip to be an "experience".  The last time we traveled together as a family (aka with the children) was a weekend on St Simon's Island sometime around 2013 - everybody was just too busy and I'm at the point where I'm just bribing people to go on vacation with me, and I don't care.  "Here's a cruise cabin and an unlimited beverage plan, and I bought you an excursion - now GET IN THE CAR!"

[CruzinMel]

Oh, Amazon Prime, or, Christmas is DONE:

 

Thanks to Amazon, I have sewn up most of someone's Christmas presents - since we are cruising the week after the holiday, we are resolved to buy minimal, cruise-themed presents for those traveling.  It might get awkward when the cruisers see the other kids with a 5 foot high stack of guilt-ridden presents ("We're sorry you have to work and can't come with us, so here's the equivalent of your cabin in boxes!"), and they've just opened waterproof phone cases, snorkeling gear, water shoes, and a t shirt.

I have texted our Marine (DS22) and suggested he change his Christmas leave plans and cruise with us instead.  I'm his step-monster, so his mama may have something to say about it, but . . . he's a grown man Marine.  Surely he can put his foot down with Mommy, when Daddy wants to take him on a cruise?  😜 I wouldn't be able to get him into the Haven - it appears to be sold out and all my beds are spoken for - I'm not even bothering to bid on an upgrade, especially since the only upgrade is the Owner's Suite.  If he's out in the main ship, that would get us out of the Haven more, and we can still invite him to our cabin for family fun.  So, win-win. . . we shall see.  That would only leave the oldest, DS26, who can't take off during the holidays - and he'd rather have cash than boxes anyway. 

 

Christmas is looking pretty easy, as long as I hide Mom's credit cards.  She is an inveterate catalog shopper, she loves us all very much, and consequently we often end up with things you never would have bought yourself, occasionally in sizes you don't wear, and frequently with slogans or sayings you would not wear out in public.  Last year, I hoarded all the return slips from the boxes, and sent the really outrageous stuff back; she never questioned the refunds on her card.  There are only so many size 3x, faux-cashmere, bedazzled, reindeer sweaters I can stomach (I'm a 1x), and it's the thought that counts.

[FLcruisergrl]

18 hours ago, CruzinMel said:

Oh, wow - that is not something I had considered - thank you!  I've been all over the GSC videos and maps, but the steepness of the walk didn't register.  

OTOH, if we have the beach wheelchair, it might be ok?

We’ll, if it’s as steep as I remember, a wheelchair might cause issues for the person pushing it. If they aren’t strong enough to slowly maneuver it down, mom might have quite the ride right into the ocean!

[CruzinMel]

3 hours ago, FLcruisergrl said:

We’ll, if it’s as steep as I remember, a wheelchair might cause issues for the person pushing it. If they aren’t strong enough to slowly maneuver it down, mom might have quite the ride right into the ocean!

Well. . . that's one way to go swimming, right?  SPLASH!

[dcipjr]

We were at GSC back in September, and I don’t remember it as being particularly steep on the main beach. If you walk down a bit to where the cabanas are, the beach is a bit steeper there, but I don’t think it’ll be too bad.

 

The bigger challenge might be getting on the tender, as I don’t think they accept scooters. Is your mom mobile enough to get onto the tender?

 

As for water temperature, we were there in February once and found it cool but swimmable. It’ll likely be in the mid 70s when you’re there—not overly warm, but not frigid either. Maybe a “ooh! that’s cold!” when you first get in, then you get used to it.

Edited October 13, 2022 by dcipjr

[CruzinMel]

4 hours ago, dcipjr said:

We were at GSC back in September, and I don’t remember it as being particularly steep on the main beach. If you walk down a bit to where the cabanas are, the beach is a bit steeper there, but I don’t think it’ll be too bad.

 

The bigger challenge might be getting on the tender, as I don’t think they accept scooters. Is your mom mobile enough to get onto the tender?

 

As for water temperature, we were there in February once and found it cool but swimmable. It’ll likely be in the mid 70s when you’re there—not overly warm, but not frigid either. Maybe a “ooh! that’s cold!” when you first get in, then you get used to it.

That sounds a lot better, temp wise, than what I was afraid of!    We think she's mobile enough for the tender, if we are careful with her - she's not wheelchair-bound, but just can't do the long distances and her balance stinks.  Between DH and DS, they can get her on or off the tender, and from there I think it'll be ok as long as I can grab a beach wheelchair.  Thanks!
 

[CruzinMel]

I am DONE worrying about excursions!  Basically, because it's too frustrating, and I have mostly arrived at a solution, 78 days out.

 

Here's a funny for you:  DD needs to do 2 Independent Study classes so she can graduate from college in the spring, and she thinks she's going to do one over winter break.  My jaw dropped and she said yes, she expects to work on it while she's on the cruise.  When I scraped my jaw back up, I threw my head back and lauuuuuughed.  Yeah.  That's going to work.  Anybody want to guess how much actual studying she does?

 

GSC:  By now I have practically memorized the layout of GSC, and have rented an ocean-view villa in Silver Cove (did it this morning.)  There is what looks to be a hike to get from the tender area to the place in the shopping area where the golf cart thing will pick you up, drive you halfway to Silver Cove, where you get out and get back on another shuttle to go the rest of the way (??), but a beach wheelchair will save us.  Once there, the villa will have a bedroom of its own, a private bath, living room with movies, air conditioning, its own patio with table and loungers, dedicated loungers on the beach, food/beverages, and walking access to everything else on the island.  I told Mom she was going to get hauled off the ship with the first tender, and she could go right back to sleep once we got settled, then wake up and have herself lunch and a massage.  Based on the videos I saw, the ocean villas are actually closer to the water than the lagoon villas and it looked doable with a cane for Mom's balance.  Many thanks to folks who posted excellent GSC videos, especially the Well Aged Cruisers, who did a fabulous walking tour of GSC, starting with getting to the villas and then showing how to access the rest of the island on foot.

Puerta Plata:  I already got DD and DS the Damajagua excursion, and booked DH and myself for a Puerta Plata tour and beach time.  I think I'm going to cancel ours, though, if I can nail down which dock Escape will use for Puerta Plata.  It's well documented that Taino Bay is where Escape went aground back in March, and up until December she's scheduled to go back to good old Amber Cove.  The fine folks in the DR, however, have yet to update the January port schedules for either site.  If it's Amber Cove, I'm going to cancel the excursion for me and DH; that is a long, long pier, but we're going to throw Mom in a wheelchair or find a bike taxi and spend the afternoon hanging out at their pool/bar/shopping area.  Gosh, we'll just have to go back to the DR another day!

 

St Thomas:  Still up in the air, but trying to figure out a Mom-amenable excursion was making me nuts, so I backed it up a day.  Finding out that 7000 other people will dock there an hour after we arrive quickly put the kibosh on any thoughts I had about renting a car (I cannot handle DH when he stresses about time, and it would ruin the day for him.)  So it's either a ship's tour, or hopping off and hanging around the dock area.  If DD is determined to study (:D), we'll take her up the tram to Paradise Point, and then she gets to spend the day with Mom on the ship.  Sunset is going to be between 5 and 5:30 that day, which means that although that port time sounds deliciously long (11 - 7, oh my!), we'd really have about 4 good hours if DIY.  (But is a perfect evening to book an early dinner at La Cucina and watch the sun set over a glass of wine.)  Sadly, Senor Frog's is no more, but I'm fairly sure there are plenty of other options.  If nothing else we'll cab it to Magen's Bay or perhaps Secret Harbor.

 

Tortola:  Every single tour leaves between 7 and 8:30.  Do I REALLY want to get up that early?  Depends on how much I want to see the Soggy Dollar Bar.

And that, happily, gets me settled enough that I can quit obsessing.  All the passports are processing, and I'm still working on that concierge letter, and the Braves and Phillies are tied 1-all, which means I need to quit thinking cruises and focus on BASEBALL!

Edited October 13, 2022 by CruzinMel

[CruzinMel]

Movement on the Special Needs front:

 

In my email, there were 2 different replies from the Special Needs desk, indicating that they had received my request and saying what they could provide - very nice!  (Also interesting - NCL reissued our cruise confirmation, adding the special needs items on the page.)

 

For my gluten free needs, they don't recommend eating at the buffet, and theoretically, if I wanted to bring on some Kind bars (my go to when traveling, because they are GF, individually packaged, tasty and filling), it's ok - on an excursion that offered a meal, this is something I would definitely need to do, so it's comforting.  Now, we all know that I will eat at the buffet, because DH is a buffet fan - fast, easy and tasty.  On prior cruises, I've seen GF things and on Dad's last cruise, he made friends with the Chef, who always came out to meet him and bring him safe, tasty things.  So, I'm still not worrying too much about food on the ship.  From the email:

 

On the mobility accommodations front, also good news - the wheelchair request is in, and we are to contact a porter at the pier when we arrive.  There's some additional language that's a wee bit confusing - the email says to contact a porter, but then the very next sentence says you have to go through security first.  So. . . a little confusing, but we shall see. 

 

We will have the rollator with us, so whichever way it goes, we will be ok.  Mom insists she can walk anywhere and everywhere, as long as she can rest when she needs to; I remind her that yes, she can, but let's save your energy and not make the rest of the party (or ship) absolutely mental with the snail's pace and frequent, long stops, especially in a crowd.  She's GOING in that wheelchair.  Just because you can, doesn't mean you must.

 

Since we are not in an accessible room, I requested a shower stool and a toilet seat riser, and the letter says they will be in the stateroom.  All in all, so far, so good.

 

The letter also has the name of the Accessibility Coordinator who took our requests, and our case #'s, so that is very good for documentation.  All in all, I feel better!

Plus, the water shoes and snorkel gear and Mom's new swim bottoms came in . . . Mom wants to start packing and we're explaining that 76 days out is really a wee bit soon.  I must admit, however, that all my beach gear is packed.  . . is that awful?  IDC!  🙂

 

 

Edited October 15, 2022 by CruzinMel

[CruzinMel]

Time is slow like syrup when you're waiting for your cruise, isn't it?  Drip, drip, driiiiiiiiiiiiip.

OTOH, good things happen - our Marine wasn't able to change his plans, but our other son was able to finagle some time away, so we've added one more to the party!  (This is DS26; I've decided the kids are going to need nicknames, so say hello to Junior Mint (so named because he is a carbon copy of his father).  We've got him (DS26), our Marine (DS22), and the Percussionist (DS25.)  DD will now be Indiana Jones, as a nod to her history major.) 

All our beds are full in the Haven, so we've booked him out in the Real World in an inside cabin.  Jr Mint's reclusive, possibly imaginary, long-time, on/off girlfriend said she had to work, which doesn't make me sad - Jr Mint having bed space in his cabin means that if he and the Percussionist want to create a Man Cave, there's more room in the other cabin.

 

Today is the last day of the most recent 40% off promo, so I booked Jr Mint's cabin with just him in it. Apparently, after final payment (120 days out), you hit cancellation penalty time; you can always add to a reservation, but you would incur penalties in various percentages for cancellations.  If Jr Mint gets himself a roomie up to 3 days before embarkation, we can add them to the reservation, but if I had booked him into a Studio and then wanted to put him into a different cabin, I'd have incurred a penalty on the change. 

 

I was able to book Jr Mint's cabin myself (I was worried about how that would work) and our PCC is going to link the new one to our existing reservation.  (I lurve our PCC - if I could lure her away from her husband and marry her off to one of my sons, I would.)  The only downside is that Jr will have to embark by himself while we get on with the Haven folks, but he's a big boy - he'll manage without his step-monster.  Our PCC also dug up Mom's Latitudes number and linked it - I didn't realize this will be Mom's 5th cruise, and she's silver - she will put her Spa discount to good use!

 

(A word on Haven embarkation - I miss the pictures.  The last 2 times we were in the Haven, we never saw the pre-cruise picture people, and I miss that picture, when everyone is SO EXCITED to be going on vacation that they just glow.  It's worth it to get on the ship faster and earlier, but still. . . oh well.  The sacrifices we make!)

 

Once aboard, we will be able to bring Jr Mint to our cabin, and we are told that we can bring him to dinner in the Haven as our guest - we shall see.  In a fit of fancy, I bid on an upgrade to the Owner's Suite.  It won't sleep more people, but it's a lot larger and the balcony is TO DIE FOR.  The website says that suite is already sold out on our sailing, but as my favorite preacher said, "A closed mouth don't get fed."  I'm hoping the same fairy will offer me an upgrade bid opportunity on Jr Mint's cabin.

 

I'm going to have to rebook all my dining reservations for 6 people (I did most of them for 4).  I'm going to add Jr Mint to the kids' excursion in Puerto Plata, but there's plenty of room in the villa, so GSC is settled.  Jr Mint, like DH, prefers a bar to a beach, and hey - one more set of muscles to manhandle Mom around is helpful.

 

Meanwhile, I got my flu shot and Mom got her 2nd Covid booster; Mom has been so excited about the cruise that she's like a kid and if I'd known she'd react like this, I'd have booked one 2 years. . . oh.  Well.  Freakin' Covid.  Sigh.  Indiana Jones announced that she will spend the day in GSC reading in a lounger, and no one is to bother her.  I may change her name to Grumpy.  

[CruzinMel]

OH - Jr's cabin at double occupancy would have been about 800 bucks more than what I paid in total after adding on the beverage package and 1 specialty meal.  That single supplement is ouchy.  If we hadn't been past final payment, I'd have asked if we could pull the Percussionist out of the Haven room entirely, and book those 2 together in the inside, but since I got a 3rd and 4th person sail free promo, it's actually ending up about the same for those 2 options.  Weird, huh?

If Jr gets a roomie, we will pay the difference between single and double occupancy, and you can bet your bippy that I will be watching out for a price drop.  This sailing is pricing out higher (because:  NYE), but who knows?  There are still Haven rooms open, although the 2 BR Family Villas and up are showing sold out.

 

Escape is still in the Med, and does the TA the first 2 weeks of November; her first Caribbean itinerary of this season starts on the 19th.  After that, I will be on the hunt for dailies!

Edited October 21, 2022 by CruzinMel

[CruzinMel]

Ever wanted to know what happens when your kid swears they will be able to go on your cruise, so you book them a cabin after the final payment deadline, and then they CHANGE THEIR MIND?  (Because they were going to quit their job that doesn't let them take off between Thanksgiving and February, but their boss threw them more money so they stayed.)

Well, $1200 bucks is what happens - as in, we donated $1200 to Norwegian because yours truly was an idiot.  If I had not been an idiot, I would not have trusted Jr Mint, and would have made sure to get "cancel for any reason" insurance before I booked his room.  As I was not smart enough to do that, we lost at Cancellation Bingo and forfeited a chunk of change.  I am exceedingly ill about it, and part of me hopes he works through the holidays rather than coming down to what will be a frosty, present-light reception at Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

The only small silver lining is that we forfeited a % on the actual price of the cabin - if I'm understanding this right, the FAS package and other things were not included in what we forfeited.  So while I paid about $2700 for his cabin with the package, and we were at the 50% forfeit date, I'm getting back $1500 rather than $1300.  Yay.  🤑😐🤢

So, while I had intended this to be a pre-trip diary and a possible guide to what to do. . . it has turned into a guide on what NOT to do.  Get the insurance, people - get ALL the insurance, and get it when you book.

Our PCC is looking out for price drops, to see if she can get us anything to soften the blow; I'm not hopeful, but we shall see.  I think she's as bummed about it as I am - we started to hang on to the cabin and see if I could find someone who might want to go, but I wasn't willing to waste 5 more days and hit the 75% cancellation window. (ETA - I had already gotten the upgrade email and had put in bids on 3 categories of cabins; once the cancellation took effect, I got a new invoice, and an email from the Upgrade Fairy saying that they'd "noticed" things had changed on that reservation, so they canceled my bid.  Duh.)

 

Work has been busy, so the most I have been able to do is deal with the Jr Mint debacle and find the Shareholder Benefit Form (DH owns stock; he is trying to say that our "donation" to NCL is going to help his stocks.  🤐).  Going to send that out tomorrow.  We decided on what Scooter to reserve and are focusing on keeping Mom's spirits up - we told her she can start packing in a month.  Another poster here has indicated that Scootaround isn't dropping off mobility aids in the cabins any more, but rather is making folks pick them up at the terminal - that won't make me sad, actually, because it would remove the need for a porter to push her around in a wheelchair.  We shall see.  Indiana Jones and the Percussionist went and got the flu in 2 different cities, at the same time (they do that - it's really weird).  But we're about to hit 60 days, and things are getting REAL.

 

If you are also hyper-sensitive about downloading random links from Google, here is a gift - the Shareholder Benefit Form straight from Norwegian's website (or, rather, NCLH's).  Perhaps you are better at this than I am, but I had a tricky time finding it straight from Norwegian.  One notices that it would apply to Oceania or Regent.

Meanwhile, Escape is cruising in the Med at 16.4 knots, being followed by the Oosterdam.  We shall see her soon!

NCL_Shareholder_Benefit_Request_Form.pdf

Edited October 31, 2022 by CruzinMel