Aquahound

For some reason, I have not found this to be a problem. 

I've sailed a couple cruise ships that I referred to as tubs or barges.  I can only imagine how triggered some people got over that.  🙄

I wonder if folks sailing the QM2 get bent out of shape when people call her a ship and not a liner.  

For what it's worth, another definition of suite is the personal staff accompanying a VIP.  So, if the room perks include a butler, concierge, etc, technically you are booking a suite.  Just sayn'.  😉

41 minutes ago, jsn55 said:

No question that there are fabulous suites in hotels and on cruiseships.  My point is that calling any room a suite is dishonest.  Experienced travellers know the score, but others are taken in, and end up paying too much for inadequate accommodations.

Hardly something to get so worked up over.  

Squeeze 2 double beds, a vanity, and a bathroom into your master bedroom closet at home, and you'll get an idea of 4 people in an inside cabin.  

Given the relative size of a cruise ship cabin compared to a hotel, I have no problem with their idea of a suite.  

3 hours ago, dolittle said:

Key west is not Venice locals will always find good reasons why others should stay away . In fact turtle's are having a boom in most of Florida .I am glad that you are into saving turtles (I am a huge turtle guy myself saving the eastern box here in Pa.)I wonder how much you cared about this before you moved to Key West.

Is this supposed to be some sort of a joke?  I sure hope so because if not, you're about to be schooled yet again.  During my 20-year Keys residency, my wife ran a business that was lucrative due to tourism.  All of my neighbors, in some way or another, depended on tourism.  Several of my friends either ran fishing charters, owned restaurants, or worked in the service industry where their tips came from.....can you guess who?  Uh, tourists.  Even my snowbird neighbors rented their homes during the summer months to tourists.  So no, Keys residents do not want to stop tourism.  Context is key here, so pay attention.  They don't want megaships because of the congestion downtown and because of the environmental impact.  Period.

And as for the turtles, I spent 30 years in the USCG where I protected marine life both before, during, and after my time in the Keys.  

Anything else you'd like to say?

1 hour ago, Mary229 said:

And that was the issue in Key West.  The town’s impact also impacted the state and the state had and does provide a lot of funding to the city, some of that to build the port facilities which had brought much of the prosperity.  It seems Bar Harbor must not have accepted a lot of funding for port activities from either the state or federal government so have not been challenged by those entities.  

And there lies the irony. There are 3 docks in Key West. One (Mole) is owned by the Navy. Another (Pier B) is privately owned by Margaritaville Resort. The third, city owned pier (Mallory), can only accommodate small ships….ships not much larger than the prohibition set by the voters of Key West. The most commonly used pier is Pier B, so the bulk of that port charge revenue is going into Margaritaville’s pockets. 

For Juneau, the major car rentals are at the airport.  I recommend taxi or uber from the port to the airport.  It's not that far.  

For Skagway, do yourself a favor and stick with Avis.  The only exception I would recommend in Skagway is Klondike.  They rent new electric Mustangs.  Otherwise, you are likely to get stuck with a piece of garbage.  I used Drive About once, and a friend used Affordable.  Both delivered to the dock, which was nice, but the cars were junk.  Never again.  

People who get so bent out of shape over something so trivial should probably seek prescription meds.  Seriously.  

For what it's worth, a ship meets the definition of a boat.  It's like square/rectangle.  All ships are boats but not all boats are ships.  

6 hours ago, dolittle said:

Very few people were born in Key West most have moved to a big tourist town then turn around and say ''there are to many people here'' .

Uh, no.  I lived in the Keys for 20 years and was not born there.  The issue with cruise ships goes much deeper than just how busy Duval St gets when there are 3 large ships in town.  Maybe a little education will help bring things into perspective.

The dredged shipping channel that runs from the reef line to the port is about 7 miles long.  It is surrounded on both sides by shallow flats that are covered in seagrass, which are turtle grounds.  Years ago, a local politician who happened to own a couple of the busiest bars on Duval, wanted to widen the channel by dredging and destroying those seagrass beds in order to be able to accommodate modern behemoths.  Part of the reef would have been dredged as well.  So yeah, destroy nature in order to put more money into his own pockets from bar revenue.  While that measure failed, it is not soon forgotten.  I, who absolutely loves cruising, also aggressively fought it.  

Today, despite that measure failing, the increased ships and people are having an adverse impact on the reef.  So please don't be so quick to assume that its only as simple as the number of people.  There's usually a much more pressing issue at hand.  I believe Venice also has a legitimate reason as well.  

19 hours ago, sqaq0804 said:

I'm trying to research which ships are just railings without glass. I don't like looking at the ocean through glass especially when they aren't that clean. So far I've found Allure of the seas and celebrity summit, are there any more?

Are you referring to glass below the railing?  If so, both Allure and Summit are glass.  There might be a few balconies that aren't glass, but the vast majority certainly are glass.  

39 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

What seems to be often lacking in these discussions is that one's personal preferences do not necessarily define what others might value (or not value).     

So, are you saying that's it ok if I see no value in booking Oceania?  😉

On 8/30/2023 at 7:44 AM, DaveOKC said:

Do we still need to use this for Vancouver airport arrival and Alaska cruise?

Thank goodness that ridiculousness is no longer required.  

On 9/3/2023 at 3:27 PM, Ferry_Watcher said:

I would have been there - upstairs.  So happy that enjoyed your pre-cruise visit to Seattle and that the check-in was efficient and friendly.  It is a really good group of people who work at Pier 91. 

Agreed!  I have nothing but praise for you and your coworkers at Pier 91.  

Radiance has a far better itinerary.  One-way cruises that sail the Canadian IP are far superior to Seattle cruises.  

Since the Quantum cruise is from Vancouver to Seattle, I'm assuming that's the first cruise of the season, since their normal itinerary is round-trip Seattle.  If that's true, you won't get anywhere near Dawes Glacier due to ice.  You'll need binoculars to see it.  

On 9/1/2023 at 5:23 AM, Cruise till you drop said:

 

Wanting to finally do Alaska in summer 2025.  Don’t plan to do the land & sea this time and just do 7 day sea.  Also we want to end up in Vancouver for a few days post cruise (but would also consider pre cruise).

 

We are platinum on Princess but lately been more partial to Celebrity.

 

Wondering if anyone has experience and advice on

1) sailing Celebrity or Princess

2) do a closed loop or southern route that ends up in Vancouver

3) Weather if we go in early to mid September

Like you, I'm more partial to Celebrity.  I much prefer their ships over Princess.

Glacier Bay is a wonderful day but truth be told, one of my favorite AK cruises was a southbound Celebrity Millennium cruise from Seward to Vancouver.  While Glacier Bay is great, Hubbard Glacier is far more impressive than any of the single glaciers in GB.  

However, since this is your first AK cruise, I recommend an itinerary with GB, so would probably lean toward Princess.  

On 8/27/2023 at 7:06 PM, MississippiMom said:

If you are a Princess fan, how do you pick the ship?  Am I just going to need to watch one YouTube video after another? 
Currently leaning toward Sapphire Princess, southbound.

Of the Princess choices, Sapphire isn't terrible.  At least it has a Skywalkers Lounge for panoramic viewing.  It's not as nice as the Crows Nest on HAL, the Sky Lounge on Celebrity, or the Viking Crown on RCI....all of which face forward rather than aft.  But at least it's there.  And while you do certainly want to be outside at a glacier, there is still at least 7 days of the cruise where sometimes relaxing inside is better.

IMO, the one-way cruises are also better than the round trips.  

I kinda miss the days of everyone's photos displayed on the walls and having to search for ours.  Some of the photos were hilarious.  It was obvious some people were caught by surprise or really did not want their photo taken.  

But on the other hand, I prefer that photographers be static where we go to them.  I never did like the dinner interruptions.  

Post COVID, I have only sailed RCI......not because I prefer them so much over others, but because I tried a Quantum Class ship for the first time and loved it so much that I returned 3 more times.  My experience regarding entertainment was not what the op experienced on whatever line they sailed.  The entertainment was phenomenal, and I saw no cutbacks in that department whatsoever.  

And yes, prices are up but considering cruise prices haven't changed in 30 years, I don't find it to be that big of an issue.  

On 8/25/2023 at 3:38 PM, a.madruga said:

we are still stuck between HAL AND PRINCESS!!! first time to Alaska what helpful ideas on going early to anchorage or Fairbanks and due tours on our own 

ones experience is deeply appreciated

I prefer HAL for AK.  The only advantage I give Princess is entertainment....which is far better than HAL.  On the other hand, HAL's cabins are better, balconies are larger, and the ships feel far less crowded.  Plus, many of the Princess ships sailing AK have no indoor lounges with panoramic views.  HAL has the beautiful Crows Nest lounge.  All in all, I think HAL is superior for scenic cruising.  

If Carnival is your style of cruise line, I recommend looking at NCL sailings that cruise GB.

18 minutes ago, emmajo said:

Which cruise line?

Royal Caribbean.  I also cruised HAL to AK a few years ago with a beverage package and was not charged then either.  

I've had a drinks package on every one of my last 4 Alaska cruises.  Not once was I charged an extra tax....not in the embarkation port of Seattle, and not anywhere in Alaska.  

I cannot recall a single incident of going back on board for the sole purpose of eating. 

7 hours ago, K32682 said:

It is one thing to see the site of a disaster that happened centuries ago. It is macabre and creepy to get a vicarious thrill at the site of a disaster like Maui where there still may be unrecovered bodies. 

Agreed.  What happened in Lahaina and what is still happening today is indescribable.  I can't imagine enjoying myself as a tourist out whale watching, or whatever else, while people are mourning the loss of their loved ones and while those search and recovery teams are enduring the absolute horror of finding bodies in a condition no one should ever have to witness.  If people want to support the people of Maui, give to the Red Cross.