wcook

Kids: We don’t want to go unless there will be lots of other teens on board. Parents: OK. Since there’s no guarantee we’re sending grandma to watch you guys while we go alone. Try not to get in too much trouble. And did we mention that with the money we are saving not bringing you we’ve upgraded to a super nice suite!

Regardless of who is to blame and what compensation is appropriate, it sucks for the passengers and I sincerely hope things get better.

Because passengers are getting sick of the low advertised price with tons of nickel and diming. One of the joys of cruising is the all-inclusive pricing. It’s why cruises don’t charge for shows or the MDR. It’s one thing to charge for “splurges” such as a spa treatment or specialty dining. But things that are common everyday items, they should be included. IMO.

I thought this was a nice video explaining the rules/details (from 2023) and lots of video showing the experience on a glacier day. EDIT - Just noticed you are on the Sapphire. Different class of ship so things will be different. But I’ll leave the link.

It took me a while, but I’ve realized cruising is not the way to visit bucket list destinations. Especially as the more exotic the destination, the more likely things are to go wrong. Cruises are great for visiting Cozumel, where if you miss port, oh well, we’ll have have sip margaritas by the pool on ship. Not so great for the person who has dreamed their whole life if visiting a particular port.

Interesting. Never been to Alaska but assumed formal night was when you wore your nice flannel.

Never seen it, but looks fun.

From a cruise standpoint, you can’t beat the private “islands.” If I can only pick one, Disney’s Castaway Cay.

Depends on if the “tradition” is captain goes down with the ship, or captain is last to leave the ship.

And this is why I always go a naked cruises 😉

Can you find any trip reports from people who did that sailing in prior years?

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.

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.

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 like to book my cruises directly with the cruise line. But my last two cruises I’ve been unable to book the cruise I want direct and had to go through an online travel agent to book.

Ship: You have an outstanding balance of $23.47 and can’t leave until it’s paid. Me: Oh, gosh darn, I’m completely tapped out. I am stuck on this ship. Woe is me. Ship: And your drink package is cut off Me: Wait! I just remembered I have another credit card. I guess I can leave.