Two bills, one collection agency — and zero options
Before Sophia Mei books a cruise online through Travelocity, her screen goes blank and she loses her reservation. Or so she thinks. A phone agent helps here complete her booking, but soon it’s clear that she has two reservations for the same cruise. And before long, a collections agency is after her to pay for both tickets. What should she do?
Uh-oh, my anniversary cruise is sunk
Steve Azadian’s 25th anniversary cruise is already booked using his Marriott award points. But now the hotel won’t let him take his vacation because it isn’t renewing its agreement with Carnival. Can it do that? The rules say, “yes,” but Azadian thinks Marriott is wrong. Who’s right?
Oops! Princess warns passengers of unsafe drinking water in Canada
Princess Cruises has some explaining to do. The cruise line earlier this week warned passengers disembarking from the Royal Princess in Canada to “be careful with local food and stick to bottled water” — a warning typically reserved for ports in developing countries.
Feds launch border crossing ad campaign at game, with mixed results
You might have missed it — I almost did — but at last week’s National Football League opening game between the Giants and Redskins, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) launched a $12 million public service campaign designed to both alert Americans to the new requirements for crossing the border for foreign travel, and explain the document options Americans have.
Cruising with Hanna: what to do before setting sail
Tropical Storm Hanna and I are scheduled to arrive in the Bahamas at about the same time. She’s tracking west-northwest at about 10 knots, according to the National Hurricane Center, and is expected to strengthen into a hurricane in the next few days. I’m scheduled to leave Port Canaveral on Royal Caribbean’s Sovereign of The Seas tomorrow for a four-night Bahamas Cruise.
The worst place on a cruise ship
What’s the worst place on a cruise ship? If you ask regular cruisers, they might tell you to avoid the cigar bar or the Lido Pool area. But for me, it’s the art auction area.
Cruise passengers battered by unethical surcharges
Cruise lines are taking a hard line when it comes to fuel surcharges. Consider the recent case of Ron and Gwenda Bennett, who paid a £900 deposit on a £9,000 Mediterranean cruise but were told by the travel company that a surcharge was also due.
For cruisers, winter vomiting virus makes a rare summer appearance
Looks like the winter vomiting virus is making a rare summer appearance. A suspected norovirus infection is said to have afflicted 112 passengers on a Holland America Alaska cruise last week. It’s one of three off-season outbreaks that have plagued the cruise industry.
Summer travel: worse than after 9/11?
When tourism officials compare anything to 9/11, you pay attention. When they say it’s worse than 9/11, you rethink your travel plans.
Update: Norwegian has video surveillance of Mindy Smith’s fall
Norwegian Cruise Line now says it has video footage from a ship’s surveillance cameras showing Mindy Smith’s fall from the Dawn.