rkacruiser

Thank you so very much for your very kind post. It is very much appreciated.

I wish I could be there. Thanks for your informative historical post about the railroad history along the New Jersey shore. Sailing along Manhattan, New Jersey gets ignored by most guests. I know much less about the rail history along the West side of the Hudson, but, I do know and remember bits and pieces that make me have some appreciation to what that side of the Hudson has contributed to the maritime history of New York harbor. The old Hoboken piers of HAL, the Maxwell House Coffee clock, the significance of Ellis Island (which, I think, has been underappreciated for years), and the miracle landing in the Hudson of that US Air flight: so much history!

Wasn't it Buffet who has said "if you don't understand it, don't invest in it". All three of them finished the day up with CCL up 7+%, the most of the three. Why? The news from the CDC has to be one reason. And, based on the recent Morningstar report for CCL, a 5 Star rating could be a reason. I don't know what the ratings are for NCLH or RCL.

I had my 4th shot as soon as I could earlier this year and am awaiting directions as to what do to next. I expect shot #5 of some kind of "new and improved" vaccine to be recommended. If so, I'm ready!

That's the first I have heard of that! Source of your information please?

That's the first I have heard of that! Source of your information please?

I appreciate the information. I was unaware of that since I don't have a Cruise Atlas or an Alaska cruise brochure (if they exist). I wonder since HAL is now sailing from Whittier, if that made a difference in including Hubbard with Glacier Bay.

But, breakfast in the MDR is even better regardless of the time. 😀

Anyone who has visited the Galley, and particularly during the sometimes offered Behind the Scenes Tours and have had a chance to speak with the Executive Chef and others in the Galley, has to understand the "madhouse" (as you correctly describe it) that takes place. From the beginning of the dining service to its end, working in a small area, the job has to be most stressful. That is one of the reasons that I fully support the cruise lines' concept of an automatic gratuity applied to the guest's account. A bit of that gratuity goes to these men and women whom, as guests, never see, and, unfortunately for many new to cruising, never think about. Thank you, Chief, for your thoughts and insights!

Agree. We are going to see a very divided population regarding travel, I think. There will be those who come to believe that it's time to move beyond our fears of Covid and are willing to accept an additional travel headache and travel/cruise. There will be those who believe: no way, Jose! I am unwilling to accept the risks until those risks are mitigated to either like they once were or something close to it. There may be those who don't want to lose the money that is invested in their FCC. They will finally decide to book a cruise before those credits expire. There will be those who choose to let their FCC expire. And, then, there are those very experienced long term cruisers who have been regulars for many years. Some have sat at home during the pandemic watching the sands of time pass down the hour glass. Wanting to travel; could not. Now, yes, they could. But, the desire, their physical capabilities, their heath may cause some of these Mariners, etc. regretfully think: my time for travel has passed. The cruise lines will no longer be able to depend on those Mariners, the Captain's Circle folk, etc. to make bookings. This situation that the cruise lines find themselves is unique in their history. New leadership at RCI and CCL gives me faith that these companies will be winners when the race is over--if it ever is.

Agree. And, there are comments in the report that are encouraging as to bookings for 2022 second half and into 2023. There is an overhanging cloud for the booking vacancies that remain. That is the amount of FCC that are outstanding. As time goes on and these FCC are not used, they will expire. Not a Morningstar comment, but one by me, given the continued Covid issues (seemingly become more serious again) and the on-going mess with air travel, will many/most of these FCC that have not been used ever going to be used?

Thank you for your answer to my questions. It is possibly a productivity/efficiency issue why what I am going to suggest could not be done. Either the Steward who brings the dirty dishes/food waste to the dishwashing area or a crew member working in that area separate the trash from the food waste before the spraying of the food waste into the garbage disposal system. I envision that this separation could start at the Steward's station. I have seen plates being scraped onto one plate. A sugar packet, a cracker wrapper could be removed and placed in a different location at the station. (At least on HAL, waste baskets in the staterooms have two areas: one for recyclables and one for trash. Is this not possible at the Steward's stations?)

Have you read the most recent Morningstar's report about CCL? How can you explain their 5 Star rating for the company?

My experience on during a partial transit on the Eurodam in January, 2020 was using the old canal. During part of the transit, the new canal can be seen. It helps when there is one of the huge container ships is transiting.

I have observed what takes place in the "garbage" area and the sorting that the crew try to do. Is it not practical to try to remove, as well as possible, what is disposed in "trash" and combine that with the trash that is incinerated? If such separation of such items is not practical, then, what is the purpose of separating trash that will be incinerated from other trash that won't be?

Another example of poor parenting. Those parents will regret what they are doing now as the kid gets older. (If they ever figure out why they are "having" issues with an older child.) Too late now, but a contact by you with a Front Desk Officer was warranted.

I experienced 2 mini-facials and a shave on a HAL cruise and a disposable was used. I enjoyed the first one so much that I booked the second one. I did not look at the spa services list on MSC, so I don't know if it's available or not. If so: do it!

They have gotten much higher paying jobs in other businesses. What I don't understand are why some of the young people (i.e. college students) are not fulfilling some of these jobs. OK, maybe they don't pay a great deal of money/hour, but they pay money. When I was a college students, I was working for $1/hr or even less if it was a commission type job, if I could get the job. And, I was thankful for whatever I earned. Is my lack of understanding due to a generational difference? Or, is there too much affluence that some college students enjoy?

A small floral arrangement with a note from "friends in cabin XXX" would be another idea. I have sailed on one cruise when neither of us knew we were going to be aboard and first met on the elevator during embarkation. Our reaction when we saw each other probably caused the others on the elevator thought we were nuts!

Use a travel agent. Pricing may be better, maybe some perks will be offered because you are giving them your business, and they may even be able to have some special fares/packages that are available only for their clients. If problems occur before you sail, possibly during your cruise, or afterwards, they may be able to be of more help and solve whatever issue it may be much more easily than if you tried to do it on your own.

I think you made a wise decision. Staterooms under the Lido Deck can be expected to more noisy than those on other decks. When the Vista Class ships was introduced, (Zuiderdam was the first of that Class), the Signature Suites on Deck 8 were priced higher than the other Signature Suites. A few years later, their pricing category dropped and the lower deck Signature Suites were put into the highest priced category. There had to be a reason for that and desirability of the stateroom would be my guess as to the reason.

Good luck with that! Just more time to dream and to plan.

Great! Probably two areas on that itinerary that you will visit are Fjordland National Park and Milford Sound. I wish for you the same great weather that I have enjoyed each time I have visited those areas. The Sounds of Fjordland are my favorite, but Milford Sound is lovely in its own way, I think.

They had been overextended for quite some time.

Thank you for your post. I read a good deal of sadness in what you wrote. I empathize. These years since mid-March 2020 have been years of disappointments and loss of friends and relatives for me. There has been little good to expect. Crackers or no? A trivial concern, but, thank goodness we can discuss the "concern" on CC in a friendly manner while we remember "what was once was".