aborgman

Well yes - the very definition of lobbying is "seek to influence a politician or public official on an issue." - so of course merely providing input qualifies... but if you think the cruise industry wasn't (and isn't - on a DAILY basis, right now) taking people out to dinner, buying them gifts, etc... well, I expect you'll be disappointed when you find out the truth. Cruise Lines spent $24 million dollars on lobbying between 9/11 and the implementation of the WHTI. ...and they've averaged about $3.5 million a year on lobbying ever since - which jumped up to a $5.5 million in 2021.

Absolutely - and you still reduce the number who misunderstand by doing it. It's best that we don't engage in the "Perfect Solution" logical fallacy. Seat belts don't save everyone, but that doesn't mean seatbelt laws don't work.

That is largely correct. It also is not a law that prevents them from providing Cheers. Carnival could choose to buy enough liquor in those taxing jurisdictions to cover Cheers. They choose not to. Other cruise lines DO offer drink packages immediately. They pay extra cost for that - but they are not violating any law.

Eh - there are no guarantees out there - but UI/UX design and the layout of information and how it is presented can absolutely have a large affect on what percentage of people extract and retain the necessary information. You can't make it idiot proof - but you can make it more idiot resistant.

The proposed regulation... that went into effect 6 years after they closed the land border to DL/Birth certificate, while keeping cruises using DL/Birth certificate. ...and if you look through the analyses they used to make the decision in the 2007 regulation - it's largely related to costs. Loss in consumer surplus, Total Costs for U.S. Travelers Over the Period of Analysis, Probability Distributions of Total Welfare Losses, etc. are all of the analysis. ...as for who did they lobby? Congress, DHS, CBP... almost ALL of the financial information related to cruises came from cruise line industry groups, and they were significant submitters in the "public comments" phase.

Yeah - Carnival is just straight up lying there.

Because Carnival apparently hires people with no IT skills to run and manage their IT department. They can't even keep their sales website functioning 50% of the time. Their IT system is the "McDonald's Ice Cream Machine" of the internet. If they added extra functionality - it wouldn't work anyway.

Nope. In the past - nothing at all was required... then as global security changed in the 1960s-2001, each travel situation changed. ... and generally with no analysis at all, and with economics the biggest driver. You used to be able to go to Canada/Mexico or a cruise with just a DL and birth certificate. 2001 changed that... but the reason the cruise industry got to stay the same wasn't a careful security analysis. It was money and lobbying by the cruise industry.

The US will accept them when returning from those countries, but last I knew several of those countries wouldn't accept them for entry.

Yep... I know more than one person who lives in Detroit, works in Windsor (thus crosses the border everyday) - and have never flown on an airplane in their entire life.

EDLs ONLY apply to Canada. 5 of 10 states with land borders have implemented them (Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, Washington) and 5 have not (Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Maine). "Does the fact they have two different methodologies make sense?" Two? I'm seeing at least 4. ID+Birth Certificate EDL Passport Card Passport Book

No, there isn't. This is a choice by Carnival. Other cruise lines offer the drink package immediately from the same ports - they just charge you tax on every drink you get with your drink package.

It used to be $2 off 4, now $6 off 6...

$6 off on 6 beers in the bucket.

Right around $50 with included 18% service fees. I think it was $51.xx for the bucket of craft beers on Mardi Gras in February, and $48-$50 for a pitcher of Margaritas.

Yes, I'm well aware that Carnival and all the other cruise lines falsely call their fees gratuities/tips. That doesn't in any way change the fact they aren't tips/gratuities. Everyone should pay their service fees - because the crew are dependent on them... But they aren't tips. A specific definition of tip is "without claim or obligation".

...but the prepaid service fees aren't tips/gratuities. That being said - service fees incorrectly called tips/gratuities are part of cruising culture.

1) Airline credit IS NOT a refund. Literally not a refund under the law. 2) In the past you were owed a credit if your flight was cancelled. Now you are owed a refund if your airline cancels or significantly changes your flight.

Yes... I'm well aware that I got stuck with a contract of adhesion like everyone else aboard. The person I was responding to mentioned signing a contract though - so I thought maybe they were a special case, or just were saying untrue things to counter legitimate points from others.

...and the ticket contract says so now only because the legislature forced the airlines to do what was right.

It's not Carnivals fault. ...but if the same thing happened to your flight, you'd be legally entitled to a refund from the airline with no penalty.

You signed? I just got stuck with a contract of adhesion.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge had a clearance of 185 feet. The Skyway Bridge has a clearance of 180.5 feet. Clearance wise - they're functionally identical.

Yep... The Bay Bridge replacement took 11 years. The Skyway Bridge took 7 years. The Pensacola Bay Bridge took 15 years. The I-35 Bridge took over a year. Murrow Memorial Bridge took over 2 years. I'm guessing somewhere in the 5-7 year range for full restoration.

The Skyway Bridge has pier protection because of the collapse of the original bridge. ...but this cargo ship is 10,000+ tons bigger than the pier protection of the Skyway Bridge can withstand. I'm not sure there is any pier protection system that will stand up to boats once you start crossing the 100,000 ton mark.