Retirement Cruise Booked !!

[BuzzBuzzen]

Some of you may remember me asking when would Princess itineraries for 2024, 35 night, Sydney - Hawaii - Sydney be available. Well they are and we have booked, yayyyyy :). Club class mini suite , premier package all the bells and whistles.  Now the countdown begins , cheers, Buzz.

[MMDown Under]

1 minute ago, BuzzBuzzen said:

Some of you may remember me asking when would Princess itineraries for 2024, 35 night, Sydney - Hawaii - Sydney be available. Well they are and we have booked, yayyyyy :). Club class mini suite , premier package all the bells and whistles.  Now the countdown begins , cheers, Buzz.

congratulations!  Sounds luxurious!  Enjoy the countdown.  

[GUT2407]

Sounds great, something for you to look forward to for the next 18 months. We had it booked a couple of years ago, but Doctor made me cancel.

[MMDown Under]

7 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

Sounds great, something for you to look forward to for the next 18 months. We had it booked a couple of years ago, but Doctor made me cancel.

That is a shame  I have been keen on a cruise from Broome to Freemantle or visa versa.  A small ship is now doing it and I don't think I'm currently fit enough.  This is when ageng hits you. Of course you are in a worse situation, with ill health. 

[GUT2407]

30 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

That is a shame  I have been keen on a cruise from Broome to Freemantle or visa versa.  A small ship is now doing it and I don't think I'm currently fit enough.  This is when ageng hits you. Of course you are in a worse situation, with ill health. 

We did a round Australia on Diamond a few years ago 32 nights if memory serves included NZ and Bali is was wonderful, Dr would be happy for me to do it again as most of the t8me Medicare would cover me within a day or two.

 

But Hawaii, Insurance wouldn’t cover pre existing back. 35 days needing no medical attention, sure, this month alone, what 17 days, 4 trips to hospital, 4 more ambulance call outs, three trips to doctors, three fairly minor procedures. The costs would bankrupt us, now to be fair a dear friend said “That’s OK I’ll cover any medical costs (and they can afford to).

 

But the big issue was that Mrs G isn’t allowed fly so if we get to Hawaii and I end up in hospital, what does she do, hop on the ship and leave me behind? (As if) or we wait for the first transpacific we can get home, who knows how long that is, maybe a year. Worse financial position that the medical costs.

plus our last couple of cruises weren’t kind to the back, neck (and thus the m8ini strokes).

So cancelled it.

[MMDown Under]

2 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

We did a round Australia on Diamond a few years ago 32 nights if memory serves included NZ and Bali is was wonderful, Dr would be happy for me to do it again as most of the t8me Medicare would cover me within a day or two.

 

But Hawaii, Insurance wouldn’t cover pre existing back. 35 days needing no medical attention, sure, this month alone, what 17 days, 4 trips to hospital, 4 more ambulance call outs, three trips to doctors, three fairly minor procedures. The costs would bankrupt us, now to be fair a dear friend said “That’s OK I’ll cover any medical costs (and they can afford to).

 

But the big issue was that Mrs G isn’t allowed fly so if we get to Hawaii and I end up in hospital, what does she do, hop on the ship and leave me behind? (As if) or we wait for the first transpacific we can get home, who knows how long that is, maybe a year. Worse financial position that the medical costs.

plus our last couple of cruises weren’t kind to the back, neck (and thus the m8ini strokes).

So cancelled it.

I have told my American friends that I won't be visiting again (sad).  I used to go most years.  But the cost of medical attention, as well as insurance,  just makes visiting prohibitive for Seniors.  I have read stories of Americans who have been bankrupted by medical bills and had to return to live at home with their children.  Their medical is attached to their work - loose you job, you loose your medical. Their top medical is amongst the best in the world but not for foreigners.  

Your wife not being able to fly would just compound the problem.  

I knew someone dying of cancer who was given permission from his doctor to make one last trip to NZ.  His Dr said she would be on holidays over there at the same time anyway!   All went well 

 

[GUT2407]

6 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

I have told my American friends that I won't be visiting again (sad).  I used to go most years.  But the cost of medical attention, as well as insurance,  just makes visiting prohibitive for Seniors.  I have read stories of Americans who have been bankrupted by medical bills and had to return to live at home with their children.  Their medical is attached to their work - loose you job, you loose your medical. Their top medical is amongst the best in the world but not for foreigners.  

Your wife not being able to fly would just compound the problem.  

I knew someone dying of cancer who was given permission from his doctor to make one last trip to NZ.  His Dr said she would be on holidays over there at the same time anyway!   All went well 

 

The fried who offered to cover our medical did a cruise to Europe, paid a Dr and his wife (who was a nurse) to go with them, including their cruise and first class flights, made it half way, airlines wouldn’t let then fly, so chartered a private flight with two more doctors.

 

Unfortunately out of my budget, and as I explaineD to them, my friend not my bank.

[mr walker]

1 hour ago, BuzzBuzzen said:

Some of you may remember me asking when would Princess itineraries for 2024, 35 night, Sydney - Hawaii - Sydney be available. Well they are and we have booked, yayyyyy :). Club class mini suite , premier package all the bells and whistles.  Now the countdown begins , cheers, Buzz.

Wow, sounds great - certainly something to look forward to!! 

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 hours ago, BuzzBuzzen said:

Some of you may remember me asking when would Princess itineraries for 2024, 35 night, Sydney - Hawaii - Sydney be available. Well they are and we have booked, yayyyyy :). Club class mini suite , premier package all the bells and whistles.  Now the countdown begins , cheers, Buzz.

That will be wonderful. It's a lovely cruise, the mini-suites are very comfortable, and Club Class is great. 

 

The CC balconies on Dolphin deck are big but are not covered at all. The corner CC balconies on Caribe and Baja decks are small but are covered.

[joejoe 59]

6 hours ago, BuzzBuzzen said:

Some of you may remember me asking when would Princess itineraries for 2024, 35 night, Sydney - Hawaii - Sydney be available. Well they are and we have booked, yayyyyy :). Club class mini suite , premier package all the bells and whistles.  Now the countdown begins , cheers, Buzz.

Congratulations what a wonderful trip to look forward to 🚢🌴🍾

[florence11]

We have booked our hopefully retirement cruise in March 2024 on Celebrity Edge to New Zealand, 1st we are travelling from Perth to Adelaide, Melbourne ,Brisbane then Sydney fingers crossed if things go to plan we will then cruise and relax. 😁

[Cascade1]

We did Hawaii round trip from Sydney 35 days a couple of years ago pre-pandemic. Good cruise. While we have done a few cruises which have included USA ports we will not do USA again due to the travel insurance costs - over $1,000 extra just to include USA. Yes, I costed out a few comparable European cruises (length of cruise etc) and the travel insurance was over $1,000 less for Europe.

[MMDown Under]

3 hours ago, Cascade1 said:

We did Hawaii round trip from Sydney 35 days a couple of years ago pre-pandemic. Good cruise. While we have done a few cruises which have included USA ports we will not do USA again due to the travel insurance costs - over $1,000 extra just to include USA. Yes, I costed out a few comparable European cruises (length of cruise etc) and the travel insurance was over $1,000 less for Europe.

Smart decision. I have good friends in US and 'I've told them I won't be visiting anymore.