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Argh, damn college. Haven't visited CC for a while, and as I return, what do I see? Another report from Sarah! I'll be doing my best to follow this, though reading the first 8 pages made me miss my camera... (I come from a province here in the Philippines, and I'm studying here in Manila, the capital city. Sadly I didn't bring my camera-worst decision ever :( )

Goodluck with the midterms! Coming from a college freshie, I thought they would be quite a challenge, but they're not that hard. I found my high school exams harder TBH :D

Thanks! :)

 

I recall quite a few RCI boats have this blocky shape as well. Although the QE is the newest of the Cunard ships, its design does indeed differ compared to the QM2. It seems that the QE's shape is quite similar to the QV with its blocky shape, while the QM2 and the QE2 are similar with the slope in the back.

 

I never noticed before!

Yeah, QM2 and QE2 were built in the ocean liner mold-sleek lines, sloping stern, sharp bow. The design was to ensure year-round trans-atlantic service. QE and QV are built on Carnival's Vista Class cruise ship, with modifications. This was purely a financial decision due to the fact that ocean liners cost more to build than cruise liners.

Quite frankly, I do like RCI's designs. slight slope at the back, rounded stern. For me, their freedom class and radiance class actually looks more like an ocean liner than QE and QV. But then, beauty depends on the eyes of the beholder. Though if you want blocky cruise ships, try Norwegian Epic. :)

Sarah,

As usual, great photos. Though QE's shots from the tender just seem to continue to point out that she does not have the liner lines worthy of the Cunard colors. I know it's the result of the economic climate, but I wish Carnival opted for a cruise ship design that is less blocky. Even just a small, continuous slope in the stern from the waterline to the top would do great wonders.

How charming! I feel that this is an in depth study of food rather than the cruise. Just a small point but thank you for your opinion.

If you don't like the way Sarah writes, then don't read it. Simple as that. I'm sure a lot of readers, myself included, enjoy her writing style.

This is wonderful, we are already at day 2/3 of the cruise and it has only taken 3 months and 335 posts to reach this point.

Well, is anyone forcing you to read this? You gotta understand, that this is one of the most in-depth reviews here in the forums, and it's not being written by an adult with plenty of free time. This is coming from a teen with school and homeworks plus the usual teen stuff. Sarah here is doing an amazing job, if you can't appreciate it, then just shut up.

Wow! Thank you for taking the time to read both of my reports, Ced! :D It must have taken so long to read LOL. Nonetheless, thank you! Wow, you’re one of the only teens I’ve seen on CC thus far haha. I’m so touched that you could take anything away from my report and apply it to your photography :,) I’m not even that good LOL. Yay! That was the feeling I was going for! :) Thank you once again for your support! (go tell my Dad that haha ^^ thanks!)

 

:-D YAY CAMERA TWINS!

 

I have been using primarily Canons my whole life, so I’m a little biased toward them ^^. I haven’t had a Nikon before, but I’ve heard some of my friends in Photography say that they had found the settings and whatnot, much more complicated on Nikons than on Canons. I also agree that, if you aren’t as crazy as I am regarding the amount of pictures I take, I think normally, pocket digital cameras would be the ideal camera choice for regular cruisers. Only the extreme ones like me lug around a huge backpack full of camera equipment onto the ship! :D Ones like me (crazy photographer), professional photographers, hobby photographers and retired people who are interested in photography, are normally found running around with 5-6 lb cameras around their necks LOL. If you are not categorized under any of the above categories, the pocket digital camera is probably the one for you. :P

 

 

 

I do think we teens are a minority here in CC. And yeah, CAMERA TWINS! :D

For most cruisers, a pocket camera is definitely enough. But for some, including me(and probably you :D), the photography part is one of the more awaited parts during a trip. It's not a bother to carry those extra pounds of camera and lenses because it's a source of fun. :)

I have also enjoyed looking at some of the amazing pictures but I feel the Canon vs Nikon debate compares to the BMW vs Mercedes comparisons. I would be afraid to criticise one brand compared to the other for fear of any repercussions :)

 

My thoughts are that unless we want to use the specialist lens these DSLR's offer, the smaller digital cameras are an ideal choice for cruising.

Indeed the Canon vs Nikon debate is up to the person. That's why I said "I find Canon's menu and interface more intuitive and easy to use compared with Nikon." Then again, some of my fellow school photojournalists swear by Nikon. In fact, of us 4, 2 have Nikons and 2 have Canons. I guess it's up to the user. I'd really like to hear Sarah's side on this one, whether she has used Nikon and if so, which she prefers.

Regarding pocket digital cameras, I do agree that they are the ideal choice for cruising. These cameras nowadays can, in ideal lighting and environmental conditions, match the quality of dSLR's. Plus, they are way less bulky. I also find that the auto mode in pocket cams seem to adapt to conditions more easily than the auto modes of an dSLR. However, there are still times where a dSLR will provide better quality images, especially when used by someone with knowledge about the various settings. Again, this one depends on the user, whether they prefer the convenience of a pocket cam or the broader types of photos (i.e. panning shots, background blur, etc) dSLR's can offer. Plus, dSLR's shutter is quicker, which is crucial of you plan on shooting sports or any fast moving subjects.

Ced

My teen daughter wanted a camera for Xmas, so we got her an EOS 650 Rebel.

First dSLR for her? If so, nice choice. I find Canon's menu and interface more intuitive and easy to use compared with Nikon. And if I remember correctly, the 650D has the DIGIC 5 sensor, which allows for higher continuous shooting rate. What's her lens? :)

Just finished reading your Volendam report and the progress on this one. All I can say is, wow! As a fellow teen, I can relate to a lot of your points, and I've seen a lot of techniques in your photography and prose that I can apply to my role as the photojournalist and associate editor of our school newspaper. Also, the way you construct the report, it definitely feels as if I'm there cruising with you! Keep it up and I hope you get to go to more cruises so we can have more "live from" reports from you!

By the way, we've got the same camera, the EOS 60D. :D

Ced