Cruise Warriors

Gratuities and Tipping

Cristi Harris — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 02:46:13 +0000

For our upcoming cruise on the Ovation of the Seas, we purchased the non-alcoholic refreshment beverage package and the Unlimited Dining Package. Then one night, around 2:00 am I started wondering about gratuities for the waitstaff and bartenders (or baristas) and how much money I should expect to pay in tips. Should I just charge it to my SeaPass card, to be paid at the end of the cruise; or would the staff prefer cash? But wait. Didn’t I already pay 18% in gratuities when I bought the packages? How is that divided among the staff?

How does any of this work????

We are both numbers people, so let’s break it down. We were able to purchase the Unlimited Dining Package for $166.99 per person. Royal tacked on an 18% gratuity for $30.05 each. Our total for both of us for a week was $394.08. I feel like it was a killer deal. This dining plan allows us to eat dinner at any specialty restaurant every night, as well as lunch on sea days. This gives us ten opportunities to use the plan. In short, if we use the plan at every opportunity, the specialty meals will cost us about $20 a piece so $40 for the two of us. That includes the added, prepaid gratuity. So if we were to dine in specialty restaurants ten times, our average tip would be $6.00 on a $34.00 meal.

So, for specialty dining, we will definitely leave a cash tip for our waiter. Cash is king, right?

I realize that I can add gratuities for the restaurants to our bill and pay for them at the end of the cruise and we may well do that. I just like handing someone who has done an outstanding job a bit of cash. Because there are limited specialty dining options onboard the Ovation, we will probably be eating at each restaurant at least twice. I want the wait staff to know they are appreciated.

Now onto the Beverage Refreshment Package. Both of us are on medications that (strongly) discourage alcohol consumption, so we decided to get the Refreshment package instead of the deluxe drink package. It includes juice, soda, coffee drinks and mocktails, as well as bottled water so we should be fine. This package ended up being about a third of the price of the deluxe drink package. We paid $321.86 plus $57.82 for gratuity for the both of us. If we each get 30 specialty coffees / mocktails / smoothies during the week, that is about a buck a drink. To me, that seems reasonable. However, if we find we are getting a lot of drinks at one particular bar or coffee shop, I might be more inclined to hand a dollar or two to the person making our drinks.

Now I have a tipping strategy for our specialty dining and drink package. We always take some cash to hand to our room steward on the last day and of course our Uber drivers, the porters and any of the guides on port excursions.

We prepaid our ship gratuities, so we don’t need to worry about that.

I guess I just want to make sure I can take care of the people who are going to be taking care of me during our vacation.

Talk to me about your tipping strategies. Do you plan for tipping or just tip throughout the cruise like you would anywhere else? I look forward to hearing other approaches to tipping and gratuities.

Let’s CRUISE!

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Cruising with Diabetes 2022

Bradley Harris — Sat, 16 Jul 2022 02:36:06 +0000

Approximately 37.3 million or 1 in 10 Americans lives with Type 2 Diabetes, including Warrior One (Brad). Next week marks the third cruise we have taken since the diagnosis. We’ve learned a lot on the last two cruises we have taken, one on Royal’s Allure of the Seas and one on Norwegian’s Encore.

I can tell you that both cruise lines were very accommodating. Before every meal, your waiter will ask you if there are any allergies or medical issues that need accommodating. Brad follows a relatively low carb diet although nothing close to Keto. He knows what foods will spike his blood sugar and when is the best time for him to indulge. Our waiters are always quick to point out the NSA (No Sugar Added) desserts offered on the menu. Of course, the first time we saw an NSA dessert we both laughed about how the National Security Agency has their own special desserts on cruise ships. Most restaurants offer some menu item that is a hunk of meat with some veggies, so mealtime is usually easy peasy. Breakfast is super simple with eggs and some sort of breakfast meat. Can anyone say bacon? We both tend to avoid the foods included in what might be considered a Continental (carb loaded) Breakfast.

We do have to plan for in room snacks. As Brad’s blood sugar is pretty well controlled, he doesn’t experience too many spikes or crashes. There are times during the day, though, that a sweet snack is desirable, and you can’t always find a sugar-free snack in the afternoon. So, part of our precious packing space is dedicated to sugar free candy and Kind Bars. We are heading to Seattle next week to cruise to Alaska, so we are also packing some sugar free hot cocoa.

Taking and storing his insulin has never been a problem, as there is a mini fridge in most rooms. We do ask for a ‘sharps’ container so that we can safely dispose of any needles or lancets.

We will be sharing photos of the low carb meals throughout the week on Instagram. I know that there are some cruisers with much more severe diabetes that must really watch their blood sugar throughout the day and have high protein or a high calorie snack available if they spike or crash. I also know some who keep a strict meal schedule. We can really only document and speak to our experience.

Six more days.

Let’s CRUISE!

The post Cruising with Diabetes 2022 first appeared on Cruise Warriors.

Thrifty Thursdays for Cruising

Bradley Harris — Fri, 15 Jul 2022 00:05:22 +0000

Not everyone who cruises is independently wealthy. I would posit, in fact, that most of us sacrifice at least a little in order to enjoy vacationing on the high seas. As I like alliteration as much as the next writer, this will be the first in a series I am calling, Thrifty Thursdays for Cruising. We all like to save money and saving money can help us get on board our favorite cruise ships.

When I am not roaming the seas as Warrior Two, I disguise myself as a humble reseller. It’s a great cover. No one can guess my secret identity. Okay, that’s a lie. Anyone who knows me knows that the thing I love most in life, well other than my family, friends, and dog, is cruising. My love of cruising really is no secret. But, in real life I am what is known as a reseller. I resell mostly on ebay, but I have dabbled in Poshmark, Etsy, Mercari and Facebook Marketplace. At the time of this post, I only sell on ebay.

I started about ten years ago and, in large part, this is what allows us to cruise. I buy things at thrift stores, estate sales and auctions and resell them online for a profit. It’s mostly fun although a reselling business can take over your life…and your home, but more on that later. One of the benefits of reselling thrifted items is that I find cool things for our home and lives and often, these things can be used for cruising. I am excited to share some of my finds with you in the hopes that you might add thrifting to your arsenal of money saving tips.

Most of us book our cruises well in advance of embarkation so we have plenty of time to look for those treasures that will make our cruise special. If you have never shopped at a thrift store or a yard sale, I would encourage you to give it a try. You would be amazed at how many things you will find that still have the original price tags on them. It can be uncomfortable for some people. In fact, I had never been to a yard sale or a thrift store until I met my, now, sister-in-law. I grew up going with my dad to antique stores and flea markets to look for items for his golf collection but, to my knowledge, we never bought anything else second hand. Anyway, it is a little like treasure hunting and it sure is fun when I find something for cruising.

We will also share other money saving tips in Thrifty Thursdays and I will be excited to hear from you about ways that you save money for cruising. This week, I will show you a few of the things I got for our upcoming Alaskan cruise.

Rubber Ducks – I only recently learned about hiding rubber ducks on cruise ships. I will clean these up and add them to my stash that I plan to hide next week. The pink duck lights up! (25¢

Beach Towel – Yes, I am taking a beach towel with me on our Alaskan cruise. It’s supposed to be in the 80s at least a couple of days and I plan on swimming or at least hanging out in a hot tub. It makes it easier to find my chair in a sea of chairs covered with Royal Caribbean beach towels. Besides, it’ll look cute with my dolphin towel clips. (75¢)

Merrell non-skid Sandals – I almost never find shoes, much less Merrells, in my size when I am out thrifting. I will wear these to the pool and put them under the chair with my cool beach towel. ($2.00)

Black Panther Backpack – I decided that a backpack would be helpful as my personal carry-on for the flight and for our excursions. I started looking on Amazon to buy one and then I remembered that I had this one. Why yes, I do love Marvel. Wakanda Forever! ($2.50)

Crookshanks Plush Cat – Umm, it’s for my Lil Cruise Warriors (aka granddaughter). They recently visited Harry Potter World at Universal Studios and who doesn’t love Crookshanks? ($1.50)

Blue Beach Themed Cinch Purse – Yeah, I probably won’t need it on this cruise, but it’s cute, right? ($2.00)

Black Mock-Croc Passport Pouch – I love a tiny purse that only carries the essentials. (50¢)

Kinu Travel Size Toiletries – These are made for the ARIA Resort in Las Vegas. Believe it or not, I have sold high-end toiletries from upscale resorts. I picked these up a couple of months ago and actually had them listed but I just found out that non-suite staterooms on Royal don’t really offer any toiletries…so, I de-listed these and am putting them into.. ($2.00)

Ziplock Charm Collection Slider Bags – Y’all, I love these. I am one of those people who tuck their toiletries into Ziplock bags for travel. It’s boring but it has always worked to keep things from leaking in my suitcase. But now I have found CUTE Ziplock bags. Evidently, I am not the only one to use Ziplock bags for packing so they made these. I had never seen these before so I grabbed them. (50¢)

And finally…

Outback Synthetic Suede Cowboy Hat – Okay, so I bought this a couple of weeks ago and listed it in my store last weekend. I love this hat. I want to keep this hat. It’s probably a silly hat for a cruise to Alaska but I made myself a deal that if it doesn’t sell by Tuesday, I am keeping it. ($1.50)

Well, there you have it, ten thrifted items for my upcoming trip. My total spent? $13.50. Not bad.

So, get out there and see what you can find. I look forward to seeing your treasures.

Let’s CRUISE!

The post Thrifty Thursdays for Cruising first appeared on Cruise Warriors.

Contingency Plans

Bradley Harris — Thu, 14 Jul 2022 02:28:41 +0000

Contingency Plans

Travel isn’t nearly as much fun as it used to be. Looking back on it, I don’t really remember a time when it was fun. It may have been less stressful but getting from point A to point B is the worst part of any cruise for me. With the current state of air travel these days, my travel anxiety is at an all time high. We are flying to Seattle on Delta Airlines and lately, they have had many cancellations and delays. We are flying in a day early and hoping to spend some time with our Lil Cruise Warriors and their parents. They live just a few miles from Royal Caribbean’s terminal. Hopefully, we won’t experience any delays or cancellations. I want to spend every minute possible with my Cruise Babies (they would die if they heard me refer to them as babies as they are 8 and 10).

Of course, getting to the airport could be stressful as well. Our car has been in the shop four or five times over the last couple of months. Their fancy computer code readers can’t seem to figure out what is wrong with my Tucson. Denver International Airport (DIA) is about 90 minutes from our house, and I am having nightmares about the vehicle breaking down halfway between here and there. I hate flying out of DIA but the cost of flying out of the Colorado Springs airport was prohibitively expensive.

Then there is our dog, D’Argo. (Bonus points if you can tell me where we got his name.) We have a Rover host scheduled to take care of him while we are away but it’s a new host. Our old host was great but they PCS’d (military jargon for moved). The nerve! We usually drop off our dog the night before, but we forgot this time and my mind fills with ‘what ifs?’. What if this host flakes out on us? What if they have an emergency? We did not leave enough time to find a replacement if something goes awry. Update: We were able to change plans and will now be dropping off the evening before!!

But the biggest stressor, the one every cruiser is faced with, is the dreaded Covid-19 test.

We got our tests mailed to us from e-Med and we have used them before. The testing part isn’t what is so nerve wracking; it’s the possibility that one of us would test positive. We have done everything possible to prevent that outcome. I have barely left my house for the past week and when I do, I wear a KN95 mask everywhere I go. I even order my groceries online and have a worker put them in my trunk. Warrior One Brad) still has to work but he wears a mask anytime he is around other people. We are both vaccinated and double boosted. I don’t see what more we could do to avoid this plague.

In the grand scheme of things, I think we will be fine…I just can’t help worrying a little about things that are out of our control. We’ve done what we can to prepare and create contingency plans but for now…

The car seems to be running just fine. Sure, it needs a new engine, but we will cross that bridge when we return.

Rover hosts are thoroughly vetted, and Rover has contingencies for cancellations. We arranged an extra day at the beginning of our vacation just to add a cushion in case something goes wrong.

We are flying out on a Thursday, and I believe that the airlines are having less trouble during the week. We really can’t do anything to keep our flight from being cancelled, we can just plan to get to the airport in plenty of time and eat lunch after we get there.

As for Covid, I described above everything we have done to assure a positive outcome and a negative test result.

Everything else is in the hands of the Universe. We’ve made it 40 years, so I expect we’ll make it through this.

We are 8 days out, so…

Let’s Cruise!

The post Contingency Plans first appeared on Cruise Warriors.

Pre-Cruise Dieting?

Bradley Harris — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 01:15:59 +0000

Pre-Cruise

Pre-Cruise Dieting

I think we can file this post under #unpopularopinion. I did a quick search for pre-cruise diets or “What’s the best way to lose weight before a cruise?” I found all kinds of diets and ideas on how to lose weight quickly. As a fluffy cruiser, I can tell you that I have been serial dieting all my life. I have lost and regained the same 100 pounds several times. Here’s the truth.

Diets don’t work in the long term.

I would say that the worst time to go on a diet is prior to embarking on a cruise. Dieting signals a deprivation mindset to your brain. I am not going to go into a lot of science here, although if you want to see some of the academic research, I will link it below. Let me just say that it probably isn’t a good idea to deprive yourself for a matter of weeks prior to going on a cruise where suddenly you are surrounded by a cornucopia of delicious foods and giant servings. After several weeks of eating supposedly healthy foods you walk into a buffet, filled with carbs and sweets and other fried foods. Suddenly, you are starving. Your satiety hormones kick in and you find yourself filling your plate at the buffet with twice as much food as an NFL player would eat during training season.

Let’s face it, anyone who has ever been on a low-carb/paleo/Atkins/Keto/whatever diet will tell you that as soon as they are no longer on said diet, every carb-loaded food in the world begins calling out to them. When you board your ship, you will be confronted with every pastry known to man, ice cream, delicious looking rolls, pancakes, waffles, hamburgers with buns, French fries, pasta… Need I go on? Unless you plan to diet on your cruise, you probably don’t want to diet before your cruise.

So, what should we do? Knowing that most cruises involve a lot of walking, I would start there. Find a park you love or join a gym with a treadmill and just start walking. That way, you will be used to walking a mile or so by the time you board your ship, and you won’t have to crawl into your bed, exhausted, just from traversing the long hallways to the buffet. Next, I would begin a simple strength training regimen. Nothing too crazy but begin lifting dumbbells or use the weight machines at your gym. Be sure to find someone to show you how to use this equipment properly. If you have access to a pool, you might begin by swimming laps a couple of days a week. Find a good stretching routine. You can probably find an easy video on YouTube or pick up a yoga DVD. Just make sure it is appropriate for your level of fitness.

The point is to slowly build up stamina, muscle strength and flexibility. You aren’t trying to win any contests, you are just trying to make it so your cruise is more enjoyable. If you really want to permanently change your eating habits and run a calorie deficit, I suggest that you make an appointment with your primary care physician. Again, temporary severe nutritional deficits lead to rebounding.

If you find you enjoy a good workout, keep in mind that most modern ships are equipped with a gym and may offer workout classes for an additional cost. Many also have a walking/jogging track and a pool. This is a great way to keep up with your fitness goals.

I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. I have done a lot of research in the field and have reached the same conclusion that many academic studies have. Diets don’t really work. As many as 90% of those who lose weight on a restrictive diet will gain the weight back and as many as two-thirds of those who regain weight will gain more than they lost.

So, in short:

· Walk (or dance or swim or do any light cardio exercise)

· Lift some weights (and put them back down again)

· Stretch

· Drink plenty of water (but you don’t need to walk around with a gallon jug. Trust me.)

· Eat more veggies and fruit

· Go easy on the desserts and junk food

· Eat a relatively balance diet

· Eat more slowly and enjoy your food

Warriors train for battle but just remember, we are Cruise Warriors and must train for cruising.

So, until next time… Let’s CRUISE!

*Before starting any weight loss or fitness program, please consult with your doctor or other health professional.

**If you have a medically prescribed diet, you should stick to that before and during the cruise.

References:

UCLA Newsroom

“We decided to dig up and analyze every study that followed people on diets for two to five years. We concluded most of them would have been better off not going on the diet at all. Their weight would be pretty much the same, and their bodies would not suffer the wear and tear from losing weight and gaining it all back.””

“Evidence suggests that repeatedly losing and gaining weight is linked to cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and altered immune function.”

https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/Dieting-Does-Not-Work-UCLA-Researchers-7832

Research from Harvard University

According to a new study, popular diets simply don’t work for the vast majority of people. Or more accurately, they are modestly effective for a while, but after a year or so the benefits are largely gone.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/when-dieting-doesnt-work-2020052519889#:~:text=Some%20people%20don’t%20follow,as%20they%20consume%20fewer%20calories.

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Alaska Packing and Prime Day

Bradley Harris — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 02:27:40 +0000

For the past week or so, I have been making a list of things that I think we will need for our Alaskan Cruise. We have been on a few Caribbean Cruises, but this is the first time we are headed up north. While Alaska has been on my bucket list for years, I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that this cruise isn’t all about sunshine and pool bars.

Full disclosure, we live in Colorado, so we are used to extreme weather shifts, I have just never had to pack for them. We are supposed to be in Juneau two weeks from today and my weather app is showing a high of 66ᵒ with rain. Yes, I know. Weather forecasts that are set two weeks in the future are as reliable as time travel. I am just trying to figure out what to pack. Being from Colorado, we know all about layering. We also prefer cooler temps. As far as I can tell, it will be raining on our trip.

So, I have made a list of the things I need to order from Amazon for our cruise. I have been waiting for the greatly anticipated Amazon Prime Day to order our needed supplies. Amazon has a feature where one can make a new watch/wish list and name it. I have named mine Prime 2022. Catchy, right?

**This page contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you**

Here is my list:

Brad’s new windbreaker. (I stole his and now he needs a new one. He isn’t picky about brand, he just needs one to keep the rain off of him)

KN95 masks (We are isolating before the cruise and will wear our masks in the airport and the plane. If we need to go anywhere before the cruise, we will wear our masks)

Binoculars (We are determined to see whales on this cruise so we need whatever assistance we can get to see them well)

Rubber ducks (Oh, come on. Who doesn’t want to play the duck game?)

Over the door organizer (Ours will be a fairly small cabin so any organization help will be great. We are ordering a flame retardant one so as to comply with the rules)

Luggage scale (I never even knew these things existed. No more stressing about suitcase weight)

Luggage tag sleeves

I don’t really know if I will save any money by waiting for Prime Day, but I still have enough time to get everything delivered.

Looking back over my list, there really isn’t much that is Alaska specific. Most of these items can be used on any cruise, even one to, say…the Mexican Riviera. *Cristi winks at Brad*

As you are packing for your upcoming Alaskan cruise, can you think of anything I have left off? I notoriously overpack, while forgetting important items. Any help would be appreciated.

Until later….

Let’s CRUISE!

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Cruising with Children

Bradley Harris — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 01:05:48 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, a prominent cruise creator published a video questioning whether or not people should take children cruising during the cruise restart. It was, I believe, based on someone’s post who had recently cruised with MSC, a cruise line I know very little about. The poster complained that their children were bored and there were no activities for children on the ship. The video and ensuing comments also criticized parents who would subject children to cruising during a pandemic, possibly exposing them to Covid-19. As we were preparing to sail with our children and grandchildren (ages seven and nine), this video raised some alarms.

We were within one week of sailing with Royal Caribbean and as far as we knew, they were still operating their children’s programming. I had to call their customer service to ask about pre-cruise testing so while I had them on the line, I asked about children’s activities. I was assured that their Adventure Ocean was still operating. As far as the harsh criticism I was seeing on many cruising social media accounts for those taking children on cruises, I believed that my grandchildren would be safer on a cruise ship than most U.S. elementary schools at this point.

My kids paid for the cruise and are definitely ‘Royal Loyal’ and were also sure that their children would enjoy the cruise. While there was never a plan to cruise on another line, it is worth noting that at the time of our sailing, Carnival had cancelled its kids’ programming for children under 12 and Norwegian wasn’t allowing children on their ships at all. This was our granddaughters’ first cruise and they were just a little nervous. The youngest of the two told me that what she really wanted to do, day one, was visit the kid’s swimming area, which we did. I was impressed. There were never less than three lifeguards focused on the little swimmers and a fourth went around every 30 minutes or so, cleaning railings. Because Royal was sailing at a lower capacity and many children had already started school, the pool area was not crowded at all. We all had a blast.

On boarding day, we all attended the open house for Adventure Ocean, Royals children’s club onboard the Allure. It was bright and clean and very kid friendly. The hours were limited and each child could spend no more than 20 hours in the program during the cruise. We reserved the times for the girls when we knew we were planning on an event for vaccinated passengers only. We were unsure how excited they would be to be relegated to ‘day care’ while the adults (two of whom they hadn’t seen in almost two years) were enjoying ‘real’ cruising. Our fears were unfounded. They LOVED Adventure Ocean and begged to go back as often as we could get them in.

I wanted to add that I spent several years working with children in various circumstances. I was greatly impressed with Royal’s approach to their children’s programming. Somehow, they managed to completely engage the children in the activities and with the other children while physically distanced. The girls would come back and teach us games they had played and show us cool things they had made.

I hope we will have another occasion to cruise with these kids, or our other grandchildren for that matter. I want them to see cruising and traveling as an adventure but also as an opportunity to learn about other cultures and history. We were quite limited in getting off the ship with them and, in fact, they only got off the ship at CocoCay, Royal’s private island. There was so much to do there but not really an educational stop.

You have to do your own research. We cruised on Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas the week of August 22^nd. I can only share what we experienced during that sailing. The pandemic is still a fluid situation and there is no telling what the next sailing might hold. You will need to weigh the pros and cons and safety protocols for yourself and your family. No one can make that decision for you, especially a social media creator. Please keep in mind that many YouTube creators purposely sensationalize the current conflicts in cruising to boost their numbers. For the most current information, check with your travel advisor or the cruise line.

I can tell you, however, that this was definitely a good time and a great cruise line for our family.

The post Cruising with Children first appeared on Cruise Warriors.

Test Results

Bradley Harris — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 23:02:31 +0000

Test Results

It’s official! We are both Covid-19 free and we have the paperwork to prove it.

The process wasn’t as traumatic as I believed it would be. I mean, it’s just not pleasant to have a swab stuck up your nose, no matter if you are doing it or a tech is doing it. I found a Walgreens offering the NAAT Rapid test about 40 miles away. My appointment was at 12:45. The paperwork said to make sure I had the email, my drivers’ license (or state ID) and my health insurance card. It gave all these instructions about how I wasn’t supposed to roll down my window until instructed to do so and how I would have to hold my ID cards and paperwork up against the window so they could be read without exposing the technician.

I arrived about 20 minutes early and was expecting some sort of temporary structure and people dressed in hazmat suits. I drove around the building and there wasn’t anything like that. I pulled into the pharmacy drive-up because no one was in line. When the pharmacy tech asked how she could help me, I told her I had an appointment to get a Covid test. She asked for my date of birth and name and then rifled through a stack of paperwork. She then put a swab in the little exchange drawer and told me how to take the sample. I did and then stuck the swab back into the sleeve it had been in when she put it in the drawer. I put it back in the drawer and she said thanks and it should take five to twelve hours to get the results. I asked her if it was the Abbott test and she said it was. She never asked me for my ID or health insurance information.

I got my results in under two hours.

My husband went through the same process a couple of hours later. It was a little busier then but just as easy. He got his results in one hour!

By the time we got our results, Royal Caribbean had clarified their language regarding the at-home tests and we would have been just fine using those. Either way, I sure am glad we have that test behind us. Now, we are just waiting for our kids to get all of their results back. They took PCR tests so it takes a little longer to get the results. As a back-up, they have the Abbott at home tests (the kind that use a telehealth professional to proctor the test).

As the cruise restart continues down this rocky path, cruisers must be mindful of new protocols and be willing to jump through a few hoops. I figure we can count it as cardio.

Two days to go.

See you shipside!

The post Test Results first appeared on Cruise Warriors.

Top Notch Customer Service

Bradley Harris — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 01:29:45 +0000

It’s been a tough go for the cruise industry. Eighteen months ago, the industry basically shut down. Many of us have endured multiple cruise cancellations and have stories, tinged with frustration of being kept apart from our favorite activity on the face of the earth. It’s taken quite a lot of effort to get cruise ships back in the water, so to speak. We all have battle scars; passengers, employees, crew members and stockholders. Not everyone is handling this rocky restart with grace and patience and I am certain that some cruise line employees are bearing the brunt of people’s frustrations. Then there are those out there who are rooting against the cruise restart, altogether. I don’t understand those folks but evidently, they exist.

In the eighteen or so months since this all began; we have gone through three different cruise consultants with Norwegian Cruise Lines. I don’t know what happened to the three consultants who helped us through our cancellations and rebooking, but I am hoping they are all doing well. Today, minutes after I asked the Great Google how many days were left until November 21^st, our next Norwegian cruise, my phone rang. I looked down at my phone and the Caller ID read Norwegian Cruise Lines. Coincidence? Sure, if you believe in such things.

Today’s caller was my new cruise consultant from NCL, Ashle (no, I didn’t misspell it, that is how she spells it). She called to see if I had any questions about our November cruise or the one booked next summer. She wanted to make sure I had a way to reach her if I did have any questions in the next few weeks. She was absolutely delightful. I did have a couple of questions and wanted to verify how the flights into Miami would work. She answered all my questions with a professionalism that is often lacking in today’s customer service agents. She made sure that I was familiar with the current protocols, reminding me that everything is still a little fluid. We are vaccinated and aren’t planning on bringing any children on this trip so we are good for the moment. Since we have to get tested for the cruise we are taking this weekend, I figure we will be old hats at the whole testing thing if the need arises in November.

With all the confusion and changing protocols the industry is experiencing at the moment, it sure made Norwegian shine like the sun that I got a personal call to make sure I was set for our next NCL cruise. I just wanted to take a moment to show some appreciation to all the cruise line staff and crew who are doing the best they can.

It reminded me why I love Norwegian.

See you shipside!

The post Top Notch Customer Service first appeared on Cruise Warriors.

Testing, testing

Bradley Harris — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 00:47:20 +0000

Testing, testing, testing. Can everybody hear me?

This is only a test. In the event of an actual emergency…

So, scheduling/getting a Covid test in our area has not been as easy as we had hoped it would be. Truth be told, it has been a Royal pain. Don’t misunderstand me, I think that pre-cruise testing is a really good idea. I will feel much more secure boarding a ship when I know that all the passengers have been tested and no one actively has Covid.

My initial response to the pre-cruise testing requirement was only slightly stressed. We had a few weeks and I figured it would be no big deal. I looked around on the internet, though, and found that very few places
near us were scheduling appointments for the test. No worries, I asked my
doctor about testing and he said he would put in an order for one that I could take at the appropriate time. Great! No problem. He could write orders for both of us and we would be set. Only…

There was this nagging worry in the back of my mind.

So, when a popular cruise blogger/vlogger came out and told us all that there was an ‘at-home’ test that Royal would accept, we were quite relieved. We ordered a pack of them as a back-up. The tests arrived yesterday and I set them aside so they would be handy if we needed them. On a whim, I called my medical group this morning to see if we needed appointments for our tests or we could just show up for the drive-through testing. I was told we didn’t need an appointment but we did need an order from our primary care physician. No problem, I told her, we have them. Just as I was about to hang
up, I asked her what the turnaround time should be. She told me that it could take 2-5 days because they had run out of the rapid tests. My heart sank.

Well, at least we had the at-home tests so we were covered…or so I thought.

After chatting with my amazing daughter-in-law, I went back
to look at the terminology used on Royal’s FAQs about at home testing. What I read led me to believe that they did NOT accept any at home tests. At this point, panic set in. After some back and forth with my son, I sent Royal an email. I still have not heard back from them. In the meantime, my son was able
to chat with a Royal representative via Twitter and was told that they, indeed, do NOT accept these at-home tests, even when they are proctored online through eMed. My son immediately called me to tell me that he found a Walgreens about 50 miles away that had rapid test appointments available. I was able to schedule tests for the both of us, two hours apart. They were the last available tests that this Walgreens had. The results should be available within 24 hours and hopefully, this will be an accepted test.

It would be so much easier if the cruise lines would offer
testing at the port for an additional cost. I don’t mind having to be tested. I
don’t even mind paying to be tested. It’s just that the whole process has been
incredibly stressful. I know that once I board the ship, all this stress will
melt away into the past. But for now, it still feels like things could go
wrong.

So hoping this is a test that I can pass…with a negative result, that is.

See you shipside!

The post Testing, testing first appeared on Cruise Warriors.