Err.. How do I contact INS or whatever to get this done?

[LOLyourFace]

[edit 1]
ok, just got off the phone with travelocity agent and they said I need to contact INS or whatever to check my parents' VISA status (they're on permanent residency) and contact my local Korean embassy if multiple entries are allowed in foreign countries... how on earth do I do this? I'm absolutely stomped!

----[original post]----
Need your HELP! Want to send my parents to a cruise! ***I need all the help i can get!***
Around 3rd and 4th week of this July.

My parents work their asses off for us children. They truely redefine the words 'love'. They live like the typical first generation immigrants: working very hard (60 hours a week) and having no fun.

Me being the oldest son and turned 21, I want to say thank you to them by sending them to a cruise. Even if that means I have to swipe my credit card.. I think a nice 5 day cruise down to carribeans would be nice. Now, I want you guys to help me to find the good deals and good experiences you had.. lemme start with the questions:

1. Where's a good place to go? Carribeans? Bahamas? Anything else? I want to hear from first hand experiences..
2. Errr.. just what do you do in the cruise all day? (the days you're not visiting islands, well what do you do in the islands? do they just let you off by yourselves or is there like a group tour/activity?)
3. What's a good company? I did a quick search on travelocity.com and Carnival sounds pretty good for their prices..
4. I'm looking to spend $2000~2500... keep in mind that we'd be Flying from MA to FL to even get on the cruise.
5. any tips or advices on anything regarding the trip? unforeseen expenses, procedures, must have experiences, concerns...? keep in mind, I absolutely know Nothing about cruises!! And I want you guys to help me out..
6. any anandtech hotdeals-like websites for cruises? what do you recommend? through websites or agencies?

Thanks.. I cannot wait til the day I drop them off in the boston airport.. oh man... i love them so much.. i know my mom would certainly cry..

 

[Turkish]

I can't help you at all but it's a great you're doing such a nice thing to your parents. We all have to pay back sometime

 

[guapo337]

very nice. you are the man.

 

[MeanMeosh]

don't spend the entire $2500 on the tickets to the cruise... if you're doing stops and stuff, the tours, etc. cost you money... and memorabilia and stuff. also, depending on the length of the cruise, you should leave an appropriate tip for your waiter (you'll have one assigned to your table) and the people who clean your room and stuff (not required, but nice). do make sure to add all these extra expenses when you're making an expenses list.

=) you're a nice son. cruises are nice (we did a 14 day one on the west coast of europe).

 

[HappyPuppy]

I'm going to show your post to my 21 year old son!

 

[LOLyourFace]

MeanMeosh

thank you all but i don't deserve the credit until i actually get their butts on the plane. Could you specifically answer the numbered questions please? I have so much to know before I start feeling comfortable. I want them to have nothing but the best time of their life.

 

[MaDDinGO]

one thing you can do to save some cash is to take a crusie that leaves directly from MA or NY. There are several cruises that leaves from Boston and NYC that goes to Bermuda for 7days. Visits a few islands and comes back. I believe Norweigan and Royal Caribbean does this. The price ranges from 499-899 pp around this time. Try travelzoo.com, icruise.com, travelocity, or expedia. Watch for port charges and fees which can cost a few hundred dollars itself.

I just booked a 5nt cruise on carnival to go to canada next week for only 299 with port charges. So keep a watch out, many sites prices can vary greatly for the same cruise.

 

[LOLyourFace]

Originally posted by: MaDDinGO
one thing you can do to save some cash is to take a crusie that leaves directly from MA or NY. There are several cruises that leaves from Boston and NYC that goes to Bermuda for 7days. Visits a few islands and comes back. I believe Norweigan and Royal Caribbean does this. The price ranges from 499-899 pp around this time. Try travelzoo.com, icruise.com, travelocity, or expedia. Watch for port charges and fees which can cost a few hundred dollars itself.

I just booked a 5nt cruise on carnival to go to canada next week for only 299 with port charges. So keep a watch out, many sites prices can vary greatly for the same cruise.

directly from MA? you probably get to spend like one day in the islands? hmmmm...choices choices..

 

[MeanMeosh]

1. Where's a good place to go? Carribeans? Bahamas? Anything else? I want to hear from first hand experiences..

any of those islands are nice... like i said, i went to europe, so not sure about the carribean islands.

2. Errr.. just what do you do in the cruise all day? (the days you're not visiting islands, well what do you do in the islands? do they just let you off by yourselves or is there like a group tour/activity?)

you can either lounge around on the board, lie around, etc, or go around the boat. ours (splendour of the seas) had a putt putt golf course, couple of clubs, a casino, multiple swimming pools, full size gym, and an observation deck. depends on the boat. on the islands, you can either go off by yourself or go on several activities / tours that will be planned (these cost extra money)

3. What's a good company? I did a quick search on travelocity.com and Carnival sounds pretty good for their prices..

dunno, the one cruise i went on was royal carribean, i liked em a lot.

4. I'm looking to spend $2000~2500... keep in mind that we'd be Flying from MA to FL to even get on the cruise.
5. any tips or advices on anything regarding the trip? unforeseen expenses, procedures, must have experiences, concerns...? keep in mind, I absolutely know Nothing about cruises!! And I want you guys to help me out..

from previous post:
don't spend the entire $2500 on the tickets to the cruise... if you're doing stops and stuff, the tours, etc. cost you money... and memorabilia and stuff. also, depending on the length of the cruise, you should leave an appropriate tip for your waiter (you'll have one assigned to your table) and the people who clean your room and stuff (not required, but nice). do make sure to add all these extra expenses when you're making an expenses list.

as for the tours and stuff, you'll book them once you get on the boat and get going. umm, lets see... on our boat, all the food was free... but they charged you for the drinks (both non alcoholic and alcoholic). that's how they make money off it =P make sure your parents don't tend to get seasick. also, the boat rips you off on exchange rates for local currencies!!! look around for best deal before exchanging money! that's all i can think of at the moment.

6. any anandtech hotdeals-like websites for cruises? what do you recommend? through websites or agencies?

no idear at all... we just went directly through royal carribean's website. depending on the number of people and rooms, they'll give you deals... like the first two people in the room that sleeps four might be $x and the next two people in the room might be half that price.

 

[goog]

Originally posted by: LOLyourFace
Around 3rd and 4th week of this July.

My parents work their asses off for us children. They truely redefine the words 'love'. They live like the typical first generation immigrants: working very hard (60 hours a week) and having no fun.

Me being the oldest son and turned 21, I want to say thank you to them by sending them to a cruise. Even if that means I have to swipe my credit card.. I think a nice 5 day cruise down to carribeans would be nice. Now, I want you guys to help me to find the good deals and good experiences you had.. lemme start with the questions:

1. Where's a good place to go? Carribeans? Bahamas? Anything else? I want to hear from first hand experiences..
2. Errr.. just what do you do in the cruise all day? (the days you're not visiting islands, well what do you do in the islands? do they just let you off by yourselves or is there like a group tour/activity?)
3. What's a good company? I did a quick search on travelocity.com and Carnival sounds pretty good for their prices..
4. I'm looking to spend $2000~2500... keep in mind that we'd be Flying from MA to FL to even get on the cruise.
5. any tips or advices on anything regarding the trip? unforeseen expenses, procedures, must have experiences, concerns...? keep in mind, I absolutely know Nothing about cruises!! And I want you guys to help me out..
6. any anandtech hotdeals-like websites for cruises? what do you recommend? through websites or agencies?

Thanks.. I cannot wait til the day I drop them off in the boston airport.. oh man... i love them so much.. i know my mom would certainly cry..

1. No real preference Bahamas is good for a 3-4 day cruise from/to Florida.
2. You get some days where you have several hours at port, where you can go on optional excursions, wander around etc. off ship. Some days are entirely at sea.
3. "Carnival is known for a sizzling neon décor, pulsing nightlife, catering to an active clientele" snatched that from a travel website, depending on your parents this may not be the best choice. Holland America is good for older, "less fun" types.
4. A cruise deal for under a week should easily be within that budget.
5. Most things on ship are included, anything off ship is optional and at your own expense. As noted in an earlier post beware of port charges and other additional (non-included) costs.
6. Websites already mentioned, keep an eye at your local travel agencies there are lots of deals on cruises, especially last minute.

 

[LOLyourFace]

what the heck is a port charge?

 

[TwinkleToes77]

Originally posted by: LOLyourFace
Around 3rd and 4th week of this July.

My parents work their asses off for us children. They truely redefine the words 'love'. They live like the typical first generation immigrants: working very hard (60 hours a week) and having no fun.

Me being the oldest son and turned 21, I want to say thank you to them by sending them to a cruise. Even if that means I have to swipe my credit card.. I think a nice 5 day cruise down to carribeans would be nice. Now, I want you guys to help me to find the good deals and good experiences you had.. lemme start with the questions:

1. Where's a good place to go? Carribeans? Bahamas? Anything else? I want to hear from first hand experiences..
2. Errr.. just what do you do in the cruise all day? (the days you're not visiting islands, well what do you do in the islands? do they just let you off by yourselves or is there like a group tour/activity?)
3. What's a good company? I did a quick search on travelocity.com and Carnival sounds pretty good for their prices..
4. I'm looking to spend $2000~2500... keep in mind that we'd be Flying from MA to FL to even get on the cruise.
5. any tips or advices on anything regarding the trip? unforeseen expenses, procedures, must have experiences, concerns...? keep in mind, I absolutely know Nothing about cruises!! And I want you guys to help me out..
6. any anandtech hotdeals-like websites for cruises? what do you recommend? through websites or agencies?

Thanks.. I cannot wait til the day I drop them off in the boston airport.. oh man... i love them so much.. i know my mom would certainly cry..

1) I went on a 7 day cruise of Eastern Carribean in March. I had a great time. Though i didnt prefer the stop at the Dominican Republic. (avoid that one)

2)You can go to shows (comedies, game show, bingo), sit in the sun, go swimming, eat, eat eat, drink, and when you are out in international waters you can shop on the cruise ship and gamble in the casino.

3)We went on carnival. I would definitely use them again.

5)Dont forget obligatory tipping. You have to tip for everything just about. When the guy grabs yous bags off the shuttle bus at the port. when they drop you off at the airport. When we went the cruise alone with our sail and sign card (they dont take money on cruise ships) we spent $400, $200 of which was tip for their dinner staff fr the fine dining.

Shore excursions are also something they would want to do. they run anywhere from $20 and up. But they can go snorkelling, swim with sting rays, scuba diving, or just city tours. If they dont want to do a group excursion they can get off the ship and go out on their own as well. They just have to be back at a specified time.

I actually booked our honeymoon cruise through Sears Travel. They had the lowest rate compared to other travel agencies.

OH, and one more thing. you can buy a bottle of wine/champagne/balloons or whatever before they disembark (you can do this online for carnival) and they will have them in the room waiting as a surprise for when they get there.

Edit: I did the carnival Paradise (totally non smoking ship) we had no port charges. Islands we went to were Bahamas, Dominican Republic, and St Thomas/St John.
Feel free to message me if you want more info.

 

[goog]

Originally posted by: LOLyourFace
what the heck is a port charge?

"PORT CHARGE - An assessment, which also includes port taxes, collected by the line and paid to a local government authority."


Cruise FAQs courtesy travelocity.com

 

[anno]

what a good boy you are!

I think carnival is a good name in the cruise business.. see if you can research the particular ship and find out how old it is.. there are probably cruise websites/forums that will have discussion of the exact cruise/ship you're considering.

they have pools and activities.. music, entertainment, game rooms, gyms, all that kind of stuff to do on at sea days.. and you can pretty much eat 24/7, if that's what you're wanting to do.

I've only been on one cruise and.. that was in '74.. a greek ship (we cruised the adriatic.. sicily, malta, and 3 ports in what was then yugoslavia).. it was ::wonderful::.. your parents will love it.. so relaxing. I know from hearing the experiences of others that they have a lot more things to do on ship now than they did then, but.. it was wonderful without that, that'd just make it better for those who need more to do. make sure they have a couple good books or magazines for just lounging on deck on those at sea days.. that was probably my favorite part.

personally, I don't think I'd want to cruise to the caribbean in july though.. in the summer I'm looking for mild temperatures.. it's in the winter that I want to be warm! if it was me and summer, I'd want to cruise alaska.

we're going to do a cruise next christmastime (2004) to celebrate our anniversaries.. our 25th (10/79), my sister's 25th (6/80) and our parents 50th (9/54).. christmas because with kids in high school and college and grad school, one of which is planning to be in australia february/july '04, that's pretty much the only time we can be sure nobody will have a conflict that will prevent them from going! I don't expect to have much to do with the planning of it, my sister is a control freak.. but I'll read the responses to your thread with interest.

 

[AgentBehemoth]

I think what you're doing is great and I hope they have a great safe time but I wouldn't go on nor would I ever want anyone I know/loved going on a cruise. I found this

Laws May Not Protect You
Although you are boarding a ship in a US port doesn?t mean you are protected by our justice system. Most ships are registered in non-US countries and travel in territorial waters where US laws might not apply. The cruise industry does not report crime data consistently, if at all, to the FBI or have a database of which ships have the most crime problems. Shipboard crimes sometimes fall into a "no man's land" of law enforcement. A crime can occur between two people of different nationalities, on a ship from a third country, and in the territorial waters of a fourth country. The governing law is the International Maritime Law and is not as well developed as US law. Reporting a crime on board a cruise ship doesn't mean anything will be done or that the crime will ever be investigated. The FBI is the only US law enforcement agency that can investigate a major crime but only if it occurs in International waters, otherwise crimes are reported to the jurisdiction of the closest foreign country and to the embassies of the parties involved. Prosecution of crime, in many cases, will be left in the hands of the local port authority where no one can predict the outcome.

Be aware that if you or your child gets into trouble on board a ship or in a port, you may be held accountable to the laws of a foreign country. The thing to do is to stay alert, be cautious, and stay safe while at sea. For details on the safety record of your cruise ship or how your ship will handle problems such are lost luggage or crime acts, contact the cruise line directly and ask for written disclosure of their policies and regulations. You can also contact the Cruise Lines International Association in New York City who represents the twenty five largest cruise lines for more information.


here,


CrimeDoctor

check it out.

 

[LOLyourFace]

just browsing travelocity..

mm.. so tempting.. i don't even wanna research, I just wanna get the appropriate deal and present them the tickets...

 

[LOLyourFace]

Originally posted by: AgentBehemoth
I think what you're doing is great and I hope they have a great safe time but I wouldn't go on nor would I ever want anyone I know/loved going on a cruise. I found this

Laws May Not Protect You
Although you are boarding a ship in a US port doesn?t mean you are protected by our justice system. Most ships are registered in non-US countries and travel in territorial waters where US laws might not apply. The cruise industry does not report crime data consistently, if at all, to the FBI or have a database of which ships have the most crime problems. Shipboard crimes sometimes fall into a "no man's land" of law enforcement. A crime can occur between two people of different nationalities, on a ship from a third country, and in the territorial waters of a fourth country. The governing law is the International Maritime Law and is not as well developed as US law. Reporting a crime on board a cruise ship doesn't mean anything will be done or that the crime will ever be investigated. The FBI is the only US law enforcement agency that can investigate a major crime but only if it occurs in International waters, otherwise crimes are reported to the jurisdiction of the closest foreign country and to the embassies of the parties involved. Prosecution of crime, in many cases, will be left in the hands of the local port authority where no one can predict the outcome.

Be aware that if you or your child gets into trouble on board a ship or in a port, you may be held accountable to the laws of a foreign country. The thing to do is to stay alert, be cautious, and stay safe while at sea. For details on the safety record of your cruise ship or how your ship will handle problems such are lost luggage or crime acts, contact the cruise line directly and ask for written disclosure of their policies and regulations. You can also contact the Cruise Lines International Association in New York City who represents the twenty five largest cruise lines for more information.


here,


CrimeDoctor

check it out.

sorry but you're just paranoid

 

[LOLyourFace]

WTF

from Travelocity.com:
Adult passenger 1 Only US or Canadian citizens allowed
Adult passenger 2 Only US or Canadian citizens allowed

My parents are not citizens but on permanent residency! Are you kidding me? Do they HAVE TO BE citizens to go on cruises! It can't be!!

 

[AgentBehemoth]

I hope you're right.

 

[LOLyourFace]

please help.

 

[RossMAN]

Good luck.

I've had to deal with those INS retards with my wife's emmigration to the USA from Australia.

Finally said fsck it, went down under and got married there, was actually faster than doing it here.

 

[bunker]

Go through this, you should be able to find an answer somewhere!
http://www.immigration.gov/graphics/fieldoffices/boston/aboutus.htm

As far as the cruise:

Carnival is mostly for the younger crowd. Sort of known as the "party" cruise line. My wife and I went on Norwegian 3 years ago and it was wonderful.

As for the location, it is getting to be pretty damn hot down in the Caribbean this time of year. Consider an Alaskan cruise.

 

[isekii]

Originally posted by: RossMAN
Good luck.

I've had to deal with those INS retards with my wife's emmigration to the USA from Australia.

Finally said fsck it, went down under and got married there, was actually faster than doing it here.

:Q internet relationship ?

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: isekii

Originally posted by: RossMAN
Good luck.

I've had to deal with those INS retards with my wife's emmigration to the USA from Australia.

Finally said fsck it, went down under and got married there, was actually faster than doing it here.

:Q internet relationship ?

Yep, we met in a chat room of all places, LOL.

She visited her 3 summers in a row, then I proposed, flew there in August 2001 (3 weeks before 9/11) and we got married.

 

[isekii]

wow...
must have been pretty difficult