Odds and Ends

Just a few things as the last few days slip by.

1) I received another upsell offer from Holland America.  My first one was to go to a balcony (Vista Suite as they are called on Amsterdam) from my ocean view cabin for $12,000.  Evidently the computer (which likely generates these offers) didn't understand that if I turned down this offer, I was not going to accept one at a higher price.  My second offer was for $14,698!  No surprise that it too, was turned down.

2) The people on my Cruise Critic roll call are a talkative bunch and at least ten of us are writing blogs.  There will also be a "Live" thread on Cruise Critic. 

I am hoping that some of those who do not want the commitment of time and money to write their own blogs will contribute to this "Live" thread.  It is also a great way to read about different experiences all in the same location.  Anyone can read this thread on Cruise Critic ( https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2578061 ) but if you want to respond, you must join.

Before we set sail on Thursday (!!!), I will add the addresses of the other blogs for anyone who wants to keep up.  Look at the "Blogs I follow" at the bottom of the page.  I also have blogs on the list for the 2018 Crystal and Princess World Voyages.

3)  For those of you who might be new to blogs, scroll down to the bottom of the page.  There you can sign up to get an e-mail every time I post something new.  Keep in mind there can be hours or even days when the Wi-Fi is very poor or even non-existent and I might not get to post every day.  Eventually they will show up.

4) Due to the vagaries of Wi-Fi at sea, I have not been very good at responding to comments left on the blog in the past.  My goal is to try to do better this time around.  Please don't feel slighted if I don't always succeed!

Smooth sailing until next time!

The Devil is in the Details - Part 2

What am I going to see? – At each port you must decide what activities you are going to do.  The cruise line offers hundreds of excursions on a world voyage.  You can also set up private excursions (you or someone on your cruise contacts local tour operators) or just go out and explore on your own.  For this cruise there is a fourth option.  My travel agency sponsors a number of excursions that are fairly similar to the HAL ones but are slightly cheaper and, for the most part, have smaller groups. 

In many ports that I have been to previously I often “do my own thing”.  Also, if the port city has a “Hop-on, Hop-off” (HOHO) bus tour I will frequently do that.  These are great because you get to see the major sights with commentary and can get off at any stop where you want to explore more and then get back on a later bus.  I am planning on going on at least two HOHO buses. 

I also take some private excursions set up with people I meet on-line on Cruise Critic.  I have signed up for five on this cruise.

For the majority of ports on this cruise I will be taking ship excursions.  The huge plus for a ship excursion is that the ship will not leave you behind (yes, it does happen – check out some of the You Tube videos of “runners” trying to make it back to the ship) if your tour does not come back on time.  The ship excursions are the easiest to do because they plan everything although they are almost always much more expensive than the other choices. 

I often wait until I am onboard to purchase my ship excursions because you often hear suggestions from others onboard as to what is good and what is not.  The only ones I usually book in advance are ones that I would be very upset if I did not get to do (sometimes these excursions fill up fast).  Planning for excursions usually starts shortly after booking for me.  I make lists and add and delete over the weeks and months before the cruise.

My cruise is 113 days long – does that mean I have to bring 113 outfits? - Of course, the answer is no.  Ships have laundry and dry cleaning services available for a price.  Most of the ships that do world voyages also have self-serve laundries.  On my first world cruise I would set aside three to four hours to devote to waiting for a washer, using the washer, waiting for the cycle to end, waiting for a dryer, and then waiting for it to finish.  Then I had to take everything back to my cabin to fold or hang up (and some of it was so wrinkled I had to go back and wait for an iron).  About half way through the cruise I got resentful of “wasting” those hours.  After all, if I want to wash clothes I can do it at home!  That is when I started sending out my laundry.  On HAL they offer a small bag (in which I can stuff 15-20 items) washed and pressed, coming back folded or on hangars (my choice) for about $20.  They also offer an unlimited laundry service for a set price.  I opted for the unlimited this time and I already purchased it (I thought it was a real steal for $189).

Medications - Everyone I know on a world cruise takes a small pharmacy of over the counter medications.  Some of these are hard to impossible to get when you need them so it is better to pack them “just in case”.

Most people who have the time and money to do a world cruise are older and with that comes a variety of issues that require prescription medicines.  You can usually work with your doctor and prescription plan to get enough for your world cruise.  Luckily, I don’t have to take any prescription meds.  I did have my doctor prescribe antibiotics for the infections to which I am prone.  Going to the ship’s doctor usually costs about $100 just to make the appointment and more for any meds you might be given and any subsequent visits.  Also, on my first world cruise the medical center ran out of almost all medicines before the four months were up so I like to go prepared.

The dreaded “V”s (vaccinations and visas) – Most itineraries do not require any specific vaccination (although if you look at the CDC website you would wonder if it is worth leaving home).  My first world cruise required none but for this one a yellow fever shot was required for entering some of the African countries.  I also spoke with my doctor to see what he would recommend.  Since typhoid is common in many of the countries, I took a series of (very expensive even with insurance) pills.  We discussed malaria pills but he said dousing myself in Deet bug spray should do the trick since I will not be spending a night off the ship.  He also suggested inoculations that were not specifically travel related but important to keep you healthy anywhere – Prevnar, Shingles, and a flu shot.

For most countries who require a visa (great way for them to make money), the ship can procure your visa and add the cost to your onboard account.  There are a few countries that require each person to apply for their visa in advance.  You need to fill out a very detailed application on-line and send your passport (or if you live close enough, visit their consulate) along with passport size pictures of yourself.  India, China, and Brazil seem to be the worst ones to get.  I had to do India and China on my last WV.  Luckily, the only visa I had to get in advance this time was for Australia and it is a simple on-line application which gives you an ETA which is electronically linked with your passport.

Mail - Lots and lots of mail will accumulate over the course of four months.  The postal service will only hold mail for a month.  You can pay about $20 per week to have the USPS box up your mail each week and send it to someone you designate.  On my last world cruise, my daughter picked up my mail (she only lives 2 miles away).  This time I am going to stop the mail twice and she will pick it up the other times.

Anything I forgot to cover?  Let me know if you have any questions.

Smooth sailing until next time!

The Devil is in the Details - Part 1

Whenever going on vacation there are numerous details that must be considered, planned for, and completed.  On a World Voyage that number multiplies.  I have broken this post into two parts as it turned out much longer than I had originally envisioned it.

How do I book my cruise? -  Basically there are two ways to book a cruise – you deal with the cruise line directly (on the phone or on-line) or you have a travel agent do that for you.  Some people prefer booking their own because they then “control” their booking whereas if you use a travel agent (TA) you must go through them (the cruise line will not talk to you directly).  I have always used a travel agent.  Back in the dark ages (pre-Internet) it was basically the only way to go.  There were dozens of brick and mortar travel agencies where you could pick up brochures and get advice.  Now these are becoming slowly extinct.  Today many people who use a travel agent use one they have never met with whom they talk on the phone or through e-mails.  My last TA was in Maryland and my current one in Seattle, Washington.  One major advantage of a travel agency is that you often receive perks you would not get booking yourself (see my post on “Why I Chose HAL”).  I also feel that the TA knows the ins and outs of dealing with the cruise lines and if there are any problems, knows who to talk with to solve them.

Insurance – I used to travel all over the world with no insurance.  Like many young people, I thought since I was healthy I didn’t really need it.  Once I retired and was on a fixed income, I realized that any illness or accident could bankrupt me.  Medicare does not cover me outside of the country and neither does my supplemental insurance so travel insurance is a necessity.  I often use insuremytrip.com or TripInsuranceStore.com to compare coverage and costs.  In buying travel insurance you must decide what is important to you.  For me, I want good medical coverage, emergency evacuation (like a helicopter picking me up and taking me to a hospital), repatriation (returning your remains in case you don’t make it through the cruise – on my first world cruise we had at least four people pass away before it was over), and cancellation coverage (after final payment the cruise line only refunds a small percent or, if very close to departure, none of the cost of the cruise). On a thousand dollar cruise I could afford to lose that.  On one that costs tens of thousands, not so much. Travel insurance often costs 8-10% of the cost of your vacation and that percentage increases dramatically as you age.

Money Matters – I pay my bills on-line, have automatic payments, or pay a year at a time so that is easy. 

Since world cruises often start in early January and run past April 15, how you are going to complete your income taxes has to be considered.   Some people who take world cruises file for extensions so they can complete there taxes upon returning home.  Before my first world cruise, besides writing a will, I gave my daughter power of attorney.  Because of this she can complete my taxes for me (and she is nice enough to agree to do it!) and take care of anything pertaining to my house.  I also had her added to my bank accounts. 

As to cash to spend in the various countries, I usually get money from an ATM.  They are usually easy to find (sometimes even in the cruise terminals) and you will get the best bank rate for currency exchanges.  Traveller’s Cheques have just about gone the way of the dodo.  Some cruise lines will not accept them as well as many merchants.  You can also get currency before you leave home through a local bank.  I bank at a credit union that does not deal in foreign currencies so I have to get mine at AAA.  This is usually the most expensive way to change money because exchange rates are horrible and they often charge a handling fee.  Luckily, many countries (especially in tourist areas) are happy to take US dollars. Most stores and restaurants take credit cards so often you don’t need any of the local currency.  (Be sure to ask your credit card company if they need to know where you are traveling so they don’t block your account.)  You can also usually get local currencies on the ship but again the exchange rate is very much in their favor.

Stay tuned for Part 2.

Smooth sailing until next time!

Luggage Pick-up

As mentioned before, one of the perks that Holland America offers to full World Cruisers in certain categories of cabins and who book at least six months early is luggage pick-up.  If you are in a suite you may send as many cases as you wish but for my cabin the limit is two.  There is no maximum weight.  There are restrictions as to what you can ship.  No valuables, alcohol, tobacco products, weapons, electronics, hazardous materials (which includes aerosol cans), combustible materials, recreational equipment, or medical equipment is allowed.  

My pick-up date (and from talking on my roll call, everyone on the cruise's) was December 18 between noon and 4 pm.  I was sent an envelope from Fed-Ex at the end of October with special labels in it to be attached to my luggage and further instructions.

The FedEx driver arrived on the 18th at about 12:15 (again almost everyone on the roll call had about the same pick-up time) and he had both bags in the truck and was on his way by 12:20.

Using the tracking information I found that both bags had arrived at the sorting facility in Fort Lauderdale by Tuesday afternoon and delivered to the warehouse (to be stored until the ship arrives on January 4) by 2:19 pm on Wednesday the 20th.

Holland America also pays to send the two cases back at the end of the cruise.  It is certainly going to be nice not to have to schlep three big cases and a carry-on through the airport like I had to do on my first world cruise.  I may get so used to this that I will pay to have the cases sent if I don't get it included in my booking!

Smooth sailing until next time!

Documents

On Monday, December 11, I received a phone call from my travel agency saying that my cruise documents were being sent by FedEx and should arrive on Wednesday.  Just at the stroke of noon on Wednesday, the FedEx man delivered them. 

In the HAL vs. Cunard comparison, HAL definitely wins on presentation.  Cunard’s documents came in a large bound booklet with the luggage labels in the back – too large to take with me.  HAL’s comes in a reusable travel wallet and is the right size for packing.

In the packet was a mix of notices from HAL and from my travel agency, including…

• A note from my travel agent
• A spiral bound book with information about the cruise and luggage tags
• Information about arrival in Fort Lauderdale (where I will be picked up and taken to the hotel)
• Information about the cocktail party and dinner the night before the cruise sponsored by the travel agency
• Phone numbers and addresses to leave for family members at home
• A booklet entitled "What you need to know before you go"
• And, most important, my boarding pass

When I first pre-booked this cruise it was 85 weeks away and now there are less than three weeks to sail-away!

Smooth sailing until next time!

Cruise Critic

Disclaimer - this is basically the same post about Cruise Critic that was on my first WV blog (why reinvent the wheel?).  I have edited it somewhat. 

You will see a number of mentions about Cruise Critic as the cruise continues so here is a little background information.

Love to cruise?  Do you know about Cruise Critic?  The name may be confusing, making you think it is nothing but people complaining about their cruise.  But actually, Cruise Critic is a community of people interested in cruising.

 

Many people find Cruise Critic when they are looking for reviews about a cruise/cruise line/ship.  If you are reading the reviews, remember to take them with a grain of salt.  They are very subjective – what one person finds unforgivable might not bother another person.   Very few cruises are going to be totally horrible or totally fantastic.  A good rule is to eliminate the top 20% and the bottom 20% of the reviews.

 

For me, the best part of Cruise Critic is the “Community”.  This is where you will find dozens of forums covering just about any aspect of cruising.  Here are just a few of the forum topics:

First Time Cruisers

Disabled Cruise Travel

Solo Cruisers

Cruising Technology

World Cruising

Photography

Most of the mainstream cruise lines have a separate forum where you can ask (and answer) the questions of fellow members.  Sometimes these discussions can become very heated and the board moderators have to step in and encourage everyone to “play nice”.

There also are “Roll Calls” where people who are going to be on the same cruise can chat with each other.  Roll Calls are interesting as some of them become very popular and others just sit there.   I have been very lucky to be on some great roll calls.  We have discussed all kinds of topics of interest as well as getting to know each other.  Although I am traveling solo, I do not feel like I am traveling alone because of all the great people I have met on the roll call.  On most roll calls a "Meet and Greet" will be set up so the people who have been talking on the internet for months can finally meet in person. 

If you need to find out information about your ports of call, there is a forum for that.  This is a great place to find out some of the best places to visit (or avoid) as well as reputable excursion providers.  Cruise Critic is owned by TripAdvisor which is another great site to learn about the places you will be visiting.

One of my favorite forums is the “Cruise Fashion and Beauty”.  Almost everyone on the forum is positive and helpful (even if they disagree).  There is even a recycling thread where people offer clothes, shoes, handbags, etc. that they have grown tired of, don’t fit any more, or they are just downsizing their closets.  If you are the lucky recipient of an item all you have to do is to send a check for the shipping to the giver and post a picture of yourself and the item on the thread.

So, if you are interested in cruising, give Cruise Critic a try.  http://www.cruisecritic.com/   You can read all the information but must register in order to post.

Smooth sailing until next time!