I just wanted to wish him a belated Happy Birthday (12/1). Haven't seen him on this board recently.
Posted by HopefulRailUser (Member # 4513) on :
He's in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Will make landfall next Saturday.
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
Ah-hah! I'm glad to hear it...I was beginning to think something was wrong. Thanks, Vicki.
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
I wish it were possible to do email and Net surfing cheaply from aboard ships at sea. Not yet, I guess.
Posted by HopefulRailUser (Member # 4513) on :
Actually Frank and Norm have been doing regular emails describing their trip. They try to use local wifi when in ports and can use the internet on the ship at a price. But in the Atlantic crossing the internet becomes very spotty at best for several days.
They are having a great time as always.
Posted by sbalax (Member # 2801) on :
Good Morning, All --
I just spotted this post.
Smitty--
Thanks for your concern.
Vicki--
Thanks for letting folks know where we were!
The internet connection on the ship was actually pretty good this time, especially during low usage periods like meal time or early in the morning or late at night. We also had no trouble finding free or very low cost connections shoreside.
As "Elite" members of Celebrity's frequent guest program we each got a $49.00 internet package free. That was a total of 180 minutes. We also got two large bags of complimentary laundry and other perks not the least of which was a hosted cocktail party (5:00PM to 7:00PM) each night. Two Martinis at $8.50 each per person really adds up to a big savings on 27 nights onboard.
We also had "OBC's" (Onboard Credits) from Celebrity (Shareholder Credit -- $200.00 per cabin on the first cruise and $250.00 on the second) and our travel agent. On the second cruise we ended up with a negative balance of $5.16 which Celebrity refunded to us!
We had great ports in France, Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands and a day between cruises in Southampton where it was 0 degrees Celsius. Friends picked us up for day trip to Salisbury.
We now have nothing booked until a Spring Transatlantic from Miami to Rome on Celebrity Reflection -- the newest and last of the "S" Class ships.
We didn't do any train riding but did see some very slick trams. The most impressive was in Bordeaux where the power comes from a "third rail" that is only powered when the cars are directly above it. At other times you can step on it with no problem.
Frank in cloudy and damp SBA
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
27 nights on a cruise ship?? Wow!! Sounds like a lot of fun. And you sure have those "deals" figured out---they owed YOU money at the end---I'll bet that doesn't happen very often.
So then if you own stock in Celebrity, they give you on-board credits? Is there a minimum amount of stock you must own, or would one share do it?
Posted by HopefulRailUser (Member # 4513) on :
100 shares Smitty. Carnival Corporation has the same benefit which applies to all their brands such as Carnival, HAL, Princess, Cunard, etc. It's a good deal. The amount depends on the length of the cruise.
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
Thanks--that sounds like a pretty good deal!
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Oh well Miss Vickie, you have done better than some of those professional stock pickers out there:
CCL, SPX Year to Date CY12; I guess the shipboard credit can be thought of as an "extra dividend".
Finally, and leave it to me to wonder, I guess you must hold those shares directly as distinct from within a brokerage account. Also I would wonder if those "dividends" are included as Qualified Dividends on your 1099-DIV and I further wonder that if the shares are held within a Qualified Retirement Plan (IRA et al) and the shipboard credit is used, would such constitute a withdrawal from the plan with the tax consequences being inclusion in ordinary income AND, if the taxpayer is under age 59.5, a premature withdrawal subject to an additional 10% penalty tax.
Posted by HopefulRailUser (Member # 4513) on :
The shares are in my brokerage account, we do get quarterly dividends which I much declare on my taxes. Bought the shares at $32. They immediately went down quite a bit but are now above that level. Don't know what would happen if you put the stock in an IRA but I don't think the credit would affect the account as you suggest. It is more like getting a bit of a discount on your fare.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Interesting Miss Vickie; presumably when you bought the shares to be held in your brokerage account, you gave them a Trade Ticket; I would guess that after that it's "honor system" that you still hold the shares.
I guess you are "safe" so long as your broker does not include that credit as Dividend Income. I think your position that if in a Blue Moon it was ever challenged, I'd consider contending it was a fare discount (and that cruiselines award shipboard credits for any number of reasons) to be a reasonable and defensible position. After all, you have bought something from them; and they chose to give you a discount.
I would think that same line of reasoning could also hold even if the shares were held within a Qualified Retirement Plan.
Posted by sbalax (Member # 2801) on :
At the RCL "family" (Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara) you must submit a current brokerage statement each time you apply for the Shareholder credit. If you are already getting an OBC from the cruise line you are not allowed to "double dip". It's OK if the other OBC is from a travel agent.
Interestingly, when I use a pass to fly the value is considered "taxable income" for my partner. When he flies on a pass, it is not. Luckily, he has never asked me to pay him back for the tax liability. On our most recent flight LAX-LHR the "value" would have been over $6,000.00.
Frank in sunny and clear SBA
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Frank, what business of theirs is any portion of your portfolio?
I guess you could establish a separate account holding only your position in RCL within such, but that seems a bit extreme.
I'll bet some just pass the benefit rather than disclose their portfolio.
But that having been said, I do feel an "oblige" to disclose positions I hold here that could represent a conflict of interest in material I post - especially since so many of my postings take a pro-industry position often adverse to those of passenger train, especially long distance passenger train, interests.
Posted by sbalax (Member # 2801) on :
It's the only stock in that account.
Frank in dark and cool SBA
Posted by HopefulRailUser (Member # 4513) on :
When I send my account info I black out all but the Carnival holding. They just need to see that stock and the owners name and the date of the report. I scan the result and email it to them.
And CCL has one advantage over the RCL benefit in that you can combine that credit with others such as the credit for booking one trip while on another one, called a Future Cruise Credit.
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
Ah, that's very interesting! So if you are on a cruise, you can book ANOTHER cruise and they will give you a "deal"? Is this on all of the major cruise ships, or just a few? I can't believe we are here in 2013 and I'm still talking about taking a cruise and haven't bit the bullet yet. I want to take one so badly after hearing you guys talk about it. I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to wake up, open up your sliding glass door, and look out at a vast open ocean. That must be so surreal, although for the "veterans" I guess you're used to it.
What is the best part about cruising----the ship and just being on-board, or is it the land tours that you take? And I have one question for the experts: When a cruise ships pulls into a port of call, is everyone required to vacate the ship and "go do something"? What if you're just happy being on the ship and you want to nap, or lay by the pool, or whatever----can you do that? And if you do remain on-board, is food available or is everything shut down? I know it's a rookie question, but I don't know how these things work.
Posted by HopefulRailUser (Member # 4513) on :
Smitty, you know I tried to get you to come along on the Alaska trip round trip SF last summer. Princess will be running those cruises again this year.
Indeed, you can stay on the ship in port, you can do anything you want to. There is always food and something to do. Sometimes it is nice to stay on board as it is quiet with most people gone off to see the port.
The best part of cruising is just that, you can do anything you want. Participate, don't participate; eat in one of several locations or even have room service; sleep in or get up early and exercise. You unpack once and everyday is different, a new port to visit, a sea day to relax.
We will get you onboard sometime.
Posted by sbalax (Member # 2801) on :
Smitty--
Vicki said it all. You pretty much do what you want to do when you want to do it.
Food is pretty much available 24 hours a day. A few cruise lines have started charging a small fee ($2.00 or $3.00) for room service between 2:00AM and 5:00AM.
Just about the only mandatory thing I can think of is the Muster Drill which is held shortly before sailing and which everyone must attend or have to make up later.
Give it a try!
Frank in cloudy and cool SBA
Posted by smitty195 (Member # 5102) on :
So this is getting better and better! I didn't know you were so "free" to do these things. I sort of pictured a big tour group leaving the ship every morning, even if you didn't want to go. And they have room service, too? I had no idea---that's pretty darn neat.
Vicki: I've got the AAA "Sojourns" book, and they have two full pages dedicated to advertising the cruises that depart out of San Francisco this year. Some are round-trip SF to SF, and others are SF to someplace else. I would love to do SF to SF to keep it simple. Hmmmmm.......