SpeedNoodles

I would forget my key card in the slot EVERY TIME. Ugh.

HotWire didn't work for me in Seattle because I couldn't narrow down the area of search to where we wanted to stay, or I would have gone that route. oops, that was Priceline. I didn't try HotWire.

My airline (Sun Country) doesn't even release flights much farther than 4-6 months ahead of time.

I'd love to try Southwest, but I can't cope with not being able to reserve my seat(s) when I book.

Yes, but you have to choose the cabin, and then put guest names/dob/ph #s in - then it takes you to the page where you choose your dining option, if you want to prepay gratuities, then gives you the option of the refundable fare (an increase of over $900 on my last booking). I just use fake names and just don't hit "submit". It's a pain. Probably easier checking with the TA, but I get bored at night so I check it frequently. I'm not going to bug her unless I know I have something to bug her about.

Drive me around, tell me stuff, and let me sloth it the whole way? Sign me up!

Thanks! I want to look into it for future cruises. We found such a fun hotel in Seattle that I wouldn't dream of giving it up, but there are future cruises (at least that's the plan ... crossing fingers).

Where do you learn about RCL hotel deals?

Those are good hotel prices. We booked our Seattle hotel for June a few months ago and couldn't find anything in the area we wanted to be under $265 (so we paid $265, lol) and will be spending a lot of time walking and with an Uber (we're going in a couple of days early to have some fun in Seattle, our favorite town, and to let the DH's flying anxiety meds wear off (he doesn't remember anything that happens within the first about 24 hours after he takes them).

I'm really not worried about any sort of conflict or anyone not paying. It would just be more convenient for everyone to have separate accounts. It's not a very expensive cruise, so if someone has to cancel, the other two can easily absorb the other person's fare. It's inexpensive enough that I could absorb it myself if I had to.

I just wish you could check the refundable price without having to put names/dobs in - it's such a pain (but at least it's doable).

I'm cruising out of Florida that week, too. It's just too early for me to think about airfare. It seems to be best within 120 days.

Seriously, I'm lucky I have the two that I have. They are great, I just don't like to owe much at the end of my cruises, so that's what I meant about not putting up with it. Get it all paid and out of the way ahead of time. They are both new cruisers so they're pretty malleable still.

Well, I'm hoping to be able to have all of this taken care of from home and not have to see a check in counter like I had on Mariner (we'll be on Navigator). We will all have credit cards. I'll just have to talk them all into paying their gratuities ahead of time - I'm not putting up with doing it at the end. That's wholesale unacceptable.

I have a cruise booked with 2 friends (sharing a stateroom) and I'm wondering how billing will work. For instance, if I prepay my gratuities, and one or both of them choose to not prepay, will their individual credit cards be charged at the end of the cruise? Are individual credit cards tied to their respective human's sea pass card? Room service, etc?

We had to get the pre-existing condition one for our Alaska trip and for our particular policy i believe we only had 14 days after booking to do it. I'm sure it varies from policy to policy.

I just figured you REALLY meant it!

I'm all for the concept of a free press - totally on board. But mon dieu, they can be such idiots.

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2019/04/02/royal-caribbean-cancels-three-oasis-of-the-seas-sailings-due-crane-accident

Ok. Now the Snuba gear isn't the full helmet - it's more of a mouthpiece that's attached to hoses. The Sea Trek is the full helmet (at least all of the excursions that I've seen).

Congratulations - we're taking our 25th wedding anniversary cruise in June on Ovation! The app can be useful, but it's not always accurate (the deck plans themselves would be, but information on activities may not be). I usually double checked things with either the Cruise Compass or on the video boards that are on every floor near the elevators.

Soooo, we both live near Delta hubs....

Yeah!!!

Ooh, I'm doing the Western Caribbean on Rhapsody in Feb 2021! I'm really looking forward to it (too bad it's sooo far away still!)

I'm so relieved. I was reading one of your earlier blogs and you kept using "KSF". For the life of me I couldn't figure out what the heck it meant. Mystery solved. I can return to my regular programming (which, let's face it, just consists of reading more cruising blogs).