Picking the next cruise and questions about the result

We got back from our three month long winter trip last week just in
time for this snowstorm coming up to Maryland.

Bob and I are both tired of traveling. I have temporarily lost my
enthusiasm for seeing another museum or historic house. We put about
9000 miles on the car, and overcame several mechanical failures. Plus
my mom who is 96 got sick and went to the hospital just before we got
back this year, and I probably should not be gone for such a length of
time again.

But I think by next fall we will be ready to go again. Bob doesn't
want to drive a car so far, and an RV is out of the question. He also
doesn't want to fly mostly because the 9-11 response has gotten really
out of hand.

So I've been looking at cruises that would be a good price, that
visited places we wanted to go on smaller ships where we could drive
to the port from southern Maryland next winter. I picked four
possibilities

NCL Crown out of NYC
Grandeur of the Seas out of Baltimore
Maasdam out of Norfolk
NCL Majesty out of Charleston

I eliminated the Crown (which we really like) because we don't really
want to drive to NYC - it is too far, and the last cruise from there
is too early in the fall (October 22nd). If it was Philadelphia like
last year, or Baltimore like the year before I'd do that in a minute,
but not from NY.

I put Majesty on the back burner because she apparently leaves from
there all winter, plus it takes about 10 hours for us to drive down
there which is too far for us to want to do in one day - we've done it
many times because our son lives near there, but it is hard. Also
we'd have to figure out what to do with the car while we were gone. I
feel that it adds a lot to the cost of a cruise if we have to pay
parking of $10-12/day for the car.

So that left Baltimore and Norfolk. I explored the costs for three
cruises - Grandeur of the Seas repositioning cruise on Nov 19th
(including Thanksgiving, but I don't really know what we will be doing
for that this year - usually we meet at our daughter's house in
Ellicott City), and Maasdam on December 11th or her Holiday Cruise
starting December 22nd.

Grandeur of the Seas out of Baltimore was a good price, but she is
probably a bigger ship than I really want, plus she ends up in New
Orleans. We went to New Orleans in December 2004 before Katrina and I
am reluctant to go back And the ports except for Grand Cayman are all
places I've been before. We couldn't stay with family there like we
can in Miami or Charleston, and we'd have to fly back

I liked the look of the Maasdam. I considered doing back to back
cruises (both the Dec 11th and the 22nd) but that would mean we'd be
away for a month, and Bob doesn't want to do that.

To make a long story a little shorter, I have booked on the December
11th cruise, although the Holiday Cruise was very attractive to me.
One thing in the favor of the December 11th date was that this cruise
visits three places I want to go - I'd like to go back to Barbados
(haven't been in 10 years), and I've never been to Dominica or St.
Kitts. And the other one didn't go to St. Kitts. We have an inside
cabin on the Main Deck.

The travel agent thought that I would like HAL better than NCL,
because he says they don't charge for everything extra, but I'm not
really sure about that - I like the Freestyle Dining and we didn't pay
anything extra for anything because we don't want those things that
NCL charges extra for.. I wonder, How much of a problem will a set
time for dinner be for us?

My question about the ship has to do with internet on the Maasdam. I
assume they have it. How much does it cost? Is wireless available
and where? How slow is it?

My other question is - we've taken the HAL insurance because of my mom
and the possibility that something might happen to her that would
prevent her going. Generally I eschew insurance, feeling that if I
can't afford to lose the money then I shouldn't go. I've only had a
verbal indication of what the insurance includes. Where can a get a
look at the actual text?



grandma Rosalie
http://www12.virtualtourist.com/m/4a9c6/

In article ,
Rosalie B. wrote:

We got back from our three month long winter trip last week just in
time for this snowstorm coming up to Maryland.

Bob and I are both tired of traveling. I have temporarily lost my
enthusiasm for seeing another museum or historic house. We put about
9000 miles on the car, and overcame several mechanical failures. Plus
my mom who is 96 got sick and went to the hospital just before we got

I put Majesty on the back burner because she apparently leaves from
there all winter, plus it takes about 10 hours for us to drive down
there which is too far for us to want to do in one day - we've done it
many times because our son lives near there, but it is hard. Also
we'd have to figure out what to do with the car while we were gone. I
feel that it adds a lot to the cost of a cruise if we have to pay
parking of $10-12/day for the car.

How close is the kid? If not on any kind of schedule, why not head out
a couple days early and spoil the kid or grandkids for a couple of days.
Is he close enough to ditch the car there?

Grandma,

Is training to port an option if you don't care to fly or drive?

You are wise to be very careful to read the terms & conditions of cruise
line insurance. In my experience, their policies are often more restrictive
than those available in the third party marketplace with regard to coverage
of pre-existing conditions and risks involving non-traveling family members.
For the terms and conditions of HAL's coverage, request a copy, of course,
but in the interim, check out the terms and conditions of the online
specimens by inputting "cancellation" in the website's search engine.

Internet charges, when we cruised with HAL over the summer, I think it
was 50 cents per minute, and large number minute packages were available.
However, I suggest you monitor that issue right up to time via cruiser
reports on the HAL forum at www.cruisecritic.com You've probably noticed, as
we have, that cruise lines (and their sub-contracted vendors) frequently
change their Internet pricing structure. Also, folks will be able to address
the wireless issue for you.

Because you use the Grandma handle, I can guess you might be 55 and thus
eligible for Elderhostel trips. (I'm not far from 55 myself!) Just thought
I'd throw that out there if you haven't investigated their programs (great
website, www.elderhostel.org ). My parents have done a couple now and have
been very favorably impressed. They offer such diverse travel
opportunities--sport, adventure, cooking, crafts, etc.--not just your
typical sightseeing & museum visiting. I suspect that there are a number of
travel programs within a reasonable travel distance from where you live.

Happy researching & planning,

Diana Ball
near Houston, TX

Kurt Ullman wrote:

In article ,
Rosalie B. wrote:

We got back from our three month long winter trip last week just in
time for this snowstorm coming up to Maryland.

Bob and I are both tired of traveling. I have temporarily lost my
enthusiasm for seeing another museum or historic house. We put about
9000 miles on the car, and overcame several mechanical failures. Plus
my mom who is 96 got sick and went to the hospital just before we got

I put Majesty on the back burner because she apparently leaves from
there all winter, plus it takes about 10 hours for us to drive down
there which is too far for us to want to do in one day - we've done it
many times because our son lives near there, but it is hard. Also
we'd have to figure out what to do with the car while we were gone. I
feel that it adds a lot to the cost of a cruise if we have to pay
parking of $10-12/day for the car.

How close is the kid? If not on any kind of schedule, why not head out
a couple days early and spoil the kid or grandkids for a couple of days.
Is he close enough to ditch the car there?

Yes he is close enough to ditch the car there, but he is having
marital problems and so I'm uncomfortable about that situation. We
generally go down and stay on the AFB there instead of at his house
when we visit him and the grandchildren.

grandma Rosalie

"D Ball" wrote:

Grandma,

Is training to port an option if you don't care to fly or drive?

In order for us to get to a train station, we would first have to
drive 80-100 miles and we'd still have the problem of what to do with
the car at the departure station.

You are wise to be very careful to read the terms & conditions of cruise
line insurance. In my experience, their policies are often more restrictive
than those available in the third party marketplace with regard to coverage
of pre-existing conditions and risks involving non-traveling family members.
For the terms and conditions of HAL's coverage, request a copy, of course,
but in the interim, check out the terms and conditions of the online
specimens by inputting "cancellation" in the website's search engine.

Internet charges, when we cruised with HAL over the summer, I think it
was 50 cents per minute, and large number minute packages were available.
However, I suggest you monitor that issue right up to time via cruiser
reports on the HAL forum at www.cruisecritic.com You've probably noticed, as
we have, that cruise lines (and their sub-contracted vendors) frequently
change their Internet pricing structure. Also, folks will be able to address
the wireless issue for you.

Because you use the Grandma handle, I can guess you might be 55 and thus
eligible for Elderhostel trips. (I'm not far from 55 myself!) Just thought
I'd throw that out there if you haven't investigated their programs (great
website, www.elderhostel.org ). My parents have done a couple now and have
been very favorably impressed. They offer such diverse travel
opportunities--sport, adventure, cooking, crafts, etc.--not just your
typical sightseeing & museum visiting. I suspect that there are a number of
travel programs within a reasonable travel distance from where you live.


Yes but within a reasonable travel distance of where I am is cold in
the winter. I want to go where it is warm in the winter. Those
programs are very much more expensive and involve way more traveling.

Happy researching & planning,

Diana Ball
near Houston, TX

We have been doing AFV which is space-available condos available to
retired military. But Bob is spoiled by cruising on his own boat,
where he doesn't have to pack or unpack all the time, plus they've
raised the rates on these until they aren't such a good deal anymore.
grandma Rosalie

On 3/21/06 9:12 AM Rosalie B. did the "monkey dance", then made these
writings:
We got back from our three month long winter trip last week just in
time for this snowstorm coming up to Maryland.

Bob and I are both tired of traveling. I have temporarily lost my
enthusiasm for seeing another museum or historic house. We put about
9000 miles on the car, and overcame several mechanical failures. Plus
my mom who is 96 got sick and went to the hospital just before we got
back this year, and I probably should not be gone for such a length of
time again.

But I think by next fall we will be ready to go again. Bob doesn't
want to drive a car so far, and an RV is out of the question. He also
doesn't want to fly mostly because the 9-11 response has gotten really
out of hand.

So I've been looking at cruises that would be a good price, that
visited places we wanted to go on smaller ships where we could drive
to the port from southern Maryland next winter. I picked four
possibilities

NCL Crown out of NYC
Grandeur of the Seas out of Baltimore
Maasdam out of Norfolk
NCL Majesty out of Charleston

I eliminated the Crown (which we really like) because we don't really
want to drive to NYC - it is too far, and the last cruise from there
is too early in the fall (October 22nd). If it was Philadelphia like
last year, or Baltimore like the year before I'd do that in a minute,
but not from NY.

I put Majesty on the back burner because she apparently leaves from
there all winter, plus it takes about 10 hours for us to drive down
there which is too far for us to want to do in one day - we've done it
many times because our son lives near there, but it is hard. Also
we'd have to figure out what to do with the car while we were gone. I
feel that it adds a lot to the cost of a cruise if we have to pay
parking of $10-12/day for the car.

So that left Baltimore and Norfolk. I explored the costs for three
cruises - Grandeur of the Seas repositioning cruise on Nov 19th
(including Thanksgiving, but I don't really know what we will be doing
for that this year - usually we meet at our daughter's house in
Ellicott City), and Maasdam on December 11th or her Holiday Cruise
starting December 22nd.

Grandeur of the Seas out of Baltimore was a good price, but she is
probably a bigger ship than I really want, plus she ends up in New
Orleans. We went to New Orleans in December 2004 before Katrina and I
am reluctant to go back And the ports except for Grand Cayman are all
places I've been before. We couldn't stay with family there like we
can in Miami or Charleston, and we'd have to fly back

I liked the look of the Maasdam. I considered doing back to back
cruises (both the Dec 11th and the 22nd) but that would mean we'd be
away for a month, and Bob doesn't want to do that.

To make a long story a little shorter, I have booked on the December
11th cruise, although the Holiday Cruise was very attractive to me.
One thing in the favor of the December 11th date was that this cruise
visits three places I want to go - I'd like to go back to Barbados
(haven't been in 10 years), and I've never been to Dominica or St.
Kitts. And the other one didn't go to St. Kitts. We have an inside
cabin on the Main Deck.

The travel agent thought that I would like HAL better than NCL,
because he says they don't charge for everything extra, but I'm not
really sure about that - I like the Freestyle Dining and we didn't pay
anything extra for anything because we don't want those things that
NCL charges extra for.. I wonder, How much of a problem will a set
time for dinner be for us?

My question about the ship has to do with internet on the Maasdam. I
assume they have it. How much does it cost? Is wireless available
and where? How slow is it?

My other question is - we've taken the HAL insurance because of my mom
and the possibility that something might happen to her that would
prevent her going. Generally I eschew insurance, feeling that if I
can't afford to lose the money then I shouldn't go. I've only had a
verbal indication of what the insurance includes. Where can a get a
look at the actual text?



grandma Rosalie
http://www12.virtualtourist.com/m/4a9c6/

Hi Rosalie,

You'll love HAL. I'm a laid back kind of person and thought I'd have
problems with assigned seating and dining times. My sister being more
experienced said "Take the later or last seating. When you are in port
you won't want to rush back to the ship for an early seating, unless
that's when the ship sails. When you are at sea the hors'dovers are sooo
good and will hold you until that later seating. If you absolutely have
to dine at a different time, the Lido Buffet usually offers similar to
the main dining room. You can always do that."

One of the nice things about assigned seating, you're with the same
folks for each dinner. If you get a good table, you'll look forward to
chatting with your dining companions. You may even do an excursion
together! And if it happens that your table is a dud, if you ask early
before the first seating they may be able to switch you.

The Pinnacle specialty restaurant is usually very good. You might want
to have your TA reserve a seating for the first night, if available.
Most of the time on the first night, Pinnacle bills at a percentage less
then the normal fee.

Iced Tea and Water are unlimited and free. If you enjoy a soda
frequently, the Fountain Card is a good investment. It gives you
unlimited soda for the length of the cruise. On my last cruise it was
$25 or 27.

Dominica has yet to be spoiled by over exposure to tourists. It has
reefs for diving, several breath taking waterfalls, thermal pools and
the "boiling lake".

--
________
To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address.
Brian M. Kochera
"Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!"
View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951

Brian K wrote:

Hi Rosalie,

You'll love HAL. I'm a laid back kind of person and thought I'd have
problems with assigned seating and dining times. My sister being more
experienced said "Take the later or last seating. When you are in port
you won't want to rush back to the ship for an early seating, unless
that's when the ship sails. When you are at sea the hors'dovers are sooo
good and will hold you until that later seating. If you absolutely have
to dine at a different time, the Lido Buffet usually offers similar to
the main dining room. You can always do that."

Thank you for the specific advice. I've already taken the early
seating because that's when we eat. I figure the Lido Buffet will do
for the days (if any) when we get back to the ship too late.

One of the nice things about assigned seating, you're with the same
folks for each dinner. If you get a good table, you'll look forward to
chatting with your dining companions. You may even do an excursion
together! And if it happens that your table is a dud, if you ask early
before the first seating they may be able to switch you.

This worries me a bit because I didn't find anyone that I really
wanted to dine with again and again on my other cruises. But I did
want to talk to folks and not just be by ourselves. Maybe we will be
the ones that make the table a dud :-(

The Pinnacle specialty restaurant is usually very good. You might want
to have your TA reserve a seating for the first night, if available.
Most of the time on the first night, Pinnacle bills at a percentage less
then the normal fee.

That's an interesting idea. I'll think about that. We've never eaten
in any specialty restaurants. I just couldn't decide that I wanted to
do that far enough in advance to make a reservation.

Iced Tea and Water are unlimited and free. If you enjoy a soda
frequently, the Fountain Card is a good investment. It gives you
unlimited soda for the length of the cruise. On my last cruise it was
$25 or 27.

We don't drink sodas - mostly water, iced tea and hot tea. So a soda
card isn't something that we will need.

Dominica has yet to be spoiled by over exposure to tourists. It has
reefs for diving, several breath taking waterfalls, thermal pools and
the "boiling lake".

That's what I'm really looking forward to - it is going to be a
problem to pick excursions for that stop because there are so many
things I want to see.

grandma Rosalie
http://www12.virtualtourist.com/m/4a9c6/