wcook

Not a popular opinion, but the mainstream cruise lines are more similar than they are different. There aren’t a ton of choices for r/t Vancouver. Pick one and enjoy.

Im guessing you (or bridge officer) would have also called the coast guard. One of the craziest parts of the story is that the coast guard only became involved when one of the passengers was on the phone with her mom, told her mom what was happening, and the mom called the coast guard. The coast guard contacts the ship and the officers lie to the coast guard and say everything is under control. The coast guard didn’t quite believe them so sent a nearby ship to take a look.

I have a beagle. Although he has never been in an emergency situation, I know how he will react. He will beg for food.

Reminder, this was not the case of a otherwise fine captain panicking during an emergency. This was a captain with a pattern of inappropriate behavior that was known about by both corporate executives above him and bridge officers below him. All of whom enabled him instead of protecting the ship and passengers from him. On the day of the crash his actions both caused the accident and prevented the safe rescue of many passengers. Again, aided by butt covering and incompetence both above and below.

C and F are essentially interchangeable. In the rare circumstances they aren’t, C is slightly more universal.

I had a long post written out, but I think it’s better to agree with an above poster. Read the official inquest report. Warning: it will piss you off greatly. So many people behaved badly. Side note: There have been a couple airline incidents where passengers were furious that the captain not only wasn’t the last person but actually pushed people out of the way to be the first person off a “crashed” airplane. Turned out it was the first officer doing exactly what they were supposed to do as they were going out to make sure things were safe for evacuating passengers. So while the Concordia captain and senior officers deserve every bit of the scorn they received (and more) it’s often hard for passengers to judge.

LOL. That wouldn’t go over well on a cruise with friends, would it. I’m just used to giving the speech on big family trips to the yutes and that’s the language I use.

This will be sent to the RCI board, but in general ships don’t sell daily drink packages. You usually have to book by the second day. On a four day they might not even allow that. Keep in mind RCI charges a fortune for the package and drinks in general. If you just buy drinks as you go you can burn through a lot of OBC quickly. But to answer the generic question, I use OBC for the daily service charge. It’s as good as cash that way.

Simple… tattoos. Side note: I happened to be reading an article early today from a nation park completist visiting the one in American Samoa. Sounds spectacular, but a huge PITA to visit. Hope you make it someday. I wonder if any cruises go there.

Rome is pretty easy to tour on your own. You will find many write ups and advice. Florence is a pain in the ass to get to on your own. People do it, but, personally, I’d only go to Florence on a cruise stop if I had a burning desire to see Florence. Consider Lucca as an alternative. Unfortunately, even Lucca is a bit tricky to get to via public transportation from the port. We rented a car which worked out great, but isn’t for everyone.

Must have been fun trying to go back to sleep.

Boo. Lousy cruise. Boo. Booooo

Honestly, I don’t think lines are that different between regions. If you like somebody in the Caribbean, you’ll probably like them in Europe.

Siri says 272 days. Seems way to long. Should I check her math?

I can’t help with info, I always love a toast. I raise a tasty adult beverage in your direction. Salute!