"FREESTYLE" What it means.

[peg013]

Okay, let me get this straight... you have an advanced degree in business and you think 'W' is sometimes a vowel? :p ha ha ha ha ha Sorry, I couldn't help myself! I think you're pretty close with the rest of what you said, though, except I agree with other posters about your age estimates. I think the 'new generation' of cruisers you're talking about has a much higher average age (we just all look young because we're so happy and open minded). :p

 

Yes "W" can be a vowel....in fact it is in the word "vowel" see below:

 

'Vowels Y & W Made Easy'

 

A vowel is the sound in a spoken language were the vocal tract is open and there is no build up of air pressure between the vocal cords at the upper part of the larynx, i.e.; ah, oh, ee, ay, ow …. There are five true (they are only) vowels a,e,i,o,u, and sometimes y & w. Y and W can be a vowel or a consonant depending upon where it is in the word. In English orthography some letters may represent a consonant in some circumstances, and a vowel in others.

 

Diphthongs-- two vowel sounds that slide together when you say them. Example: ey - ā, oy-oi, uy-ī , au-aw, ew- ū ,ou-ow, ow-ō, W is always a vowel sound following another vowel and not starting a new syllable like bewail.

 

Rule of thumb for y:

 

As a consonant: The beginning of a word or beginning of a syllable - yard, beyond...

 

As a vowel: Y as long 'i' sound at the end of single syllable words - by, cry, fly, my…..

 

Y as a long 'e' sound at the end of a double syllable words - baby, carry, funny, windy….

 

Y as a short 'i' sound the middle of a word as it vowel - gym, myth & hymn.

 

Y taking the place of the 'i', ay at the end of a word making the long a sound - play, tray….

 

Y taking the place of the 'i', ey at the end of a word changing the sound to long a - hey, they..

 

Y taking the place of the 'i', oy at the end of a word - boy, joy, toy….

 

Y taking the place of the 'i', uy at the end of a word once again sounds like a long i- buy, guy

 

Rule of thumb for w: in 'wow' (wou) w is both a consonant and a vowel

 

As a consonant: The beginning of a word or beginning of a syllable - wagon, always….

 

As a vowel: In the English language there is not a word with a single w as a vowel. It always has a partner before it.

 

As with the y it replaces the u at the end of words and before an l or n -….

 

W taking the place of the 'u', aw at the end of a word making the au sound - claw, paw….

 

W taking the place of the 'u', ew at the end of a word changing the sound to long u - new, crew, flew,…..

 

W taking the place of the 'u', ow at the end of a word sound like ou in ouch- how, now, brown, cow, owl…

 

W taking the place of the 'u', ow at the end of a word sounds like long o - blow, crow, bowl

 

Vowel itself is an interesting word in which the w is a vowel (vou-el) the ou sounds like in ouch.

 

I found two word where the 'W' comes before the partner vowel. (1) geo·duck also gwe·duc (gōō'ē-dŭk') n. A very large, edible clam of the Pacific coast of northwest North America, (2) two [too]

 

I always wondered how "w" was used as a vowel...and now even those of us without advanced business degrees can explain it! I learned the same rhymen in grade school as OP.

[CalVulcan0608]

Okay, let me get this straight... you have an advanced degree in business and you think 'W' is sometimes a vowel? :p ha ha ha ha ha Sorry, I couldn't help myself! I think you're pretty close with the rest of what you said, though, except I agree with other posters about your age estimates. I think the 'new generation' of cruisers you're talking about has a much higher average age (we just all look young because we're so happy and open minded). :p

 

Actually Yes...W is considered a vowel in the english language when it modifies certain other vowels creating a "long" sound. For example the words "row", "low", and "bow".

 

So yes...there ya go.

[Dukegirl5577]

I found that I pretty much had the concept grasped after one night, also. That very first meal where my family and I got to show up at whatever time we wanted and meet with the new friends we'd made instead of some strangers that were assigned to my table was all it took to convince me of the merits of Freestyle.

 

Yeah, I really don't understand the posts where someone says it took them all week to figure out Freestyle or it took them until the 4th day, or whatever.

 

How difficult of a concept is it to understand? If anything, it would seem to me that the traditional cruising model would be the one that's difficult to understand. It's not like none of us have never been to a restaurant on land before... :rolleyes:

 

It's pretty straight-forward if you ask me. You have a variety of restaurant choices. Some are at no charge, others have a cover charge. You make your reservations for the cover charge restaurants and/or show up at your preferred dining time for the no charge restaurants. If you show up without a reservation, either they can accomodate you immediately, or they cannot. If they can't immediately serve you, they put your name on a list and give you an estimated wait time and hand you a beeper.

 

Rocket science, obviously.

[Traveller20074]

The part I like the best is the relaxed "eat when you want, dress like you want" I have schedules at home, I don't want them on vacation ;)

[retiredonthesea]

Yes "W" can be a vowel....in fact it is in the word "vowel" see below:

 

'Vowels Y & W Made Easy'

 

A vowel is the sound in a spoken language were the vocal tract is open and there is no build up of air pressure between the vocal cords at the upper part of the larynx, i.e.; ah, oh, ee, ay, ow …. There are five true (they are only) vowels a,e,i,o,u, and sometimes y & w. Y and W can be a vowel or a consonant depending upon where it is in the word. In English orthography some letters may represent a consonant in some circumstances, and a vowel in others.

 

Diphthongs-- two vowel sounds that slide together when you say them. Example: ey - ā, oy-oi, uy-ī , au-aw, ew- ū ,ou-ow, ow-ō, W is always a vowel sound following another vowel and not starting a new syllable like bewail.

 

Rule of thumb for y:

 

As a consonant: The beginning of a word or beginning of a syllable - yard, beyond...

 

As a vowel: Y as long 'i' sound at the end of single syllable words - by, cry, fly, my…..

 

Y as a long 'e' sound at the end of a double syllable words - baby, carry, funny, windy….

 

Y as a short 'i' sound the middle of a word as it vowel - gym, myth & hymn.

 

Y taking the place of the 'i', ay at the end of a word making the long a sound - play, tray….

 

Y taking the place of the 'i', ey at the end of a word changing the sound to long a - hey, they..

 

Y taking the place of the 'i', oy at the end of a word - boy, joy, toy….

 

Y taking the place of the 'i', uy at the end of a word once again sounds like a long i- buy, guy

 

Rule of thumb for w: in 'wow' (wou) w is both a consonant and a vowel

 

As a consonant: The beginning of a word or beginning of a syllable - wagon, always….

 

As a vowel: In the English language there is not a word with a single w as a vowel. It always has a partner before it.

 

As with the y it replaces the u at the end of words and before an l or n -….

 

W taking the place of the 'u', aw at the end of a word making the au sound - claw, paw….

 

W taking the place of the 'u', ew at the end of a word changing the sound to long u - new, crew, flew,…..

 

W taking the place of the 'u', ow at the end of a word sound like ou in ouch- how, now, brown, cow, owl…

 

W taking the place of the 'u', ow at the end of a word sounds like long o - blow, crow, bowl

 

Vowel itself is an interesting word in which the w is a vowel (vou-el) the ou sounds like in ouch.

 

I found two word where the 'W' comes before the partner vowel. (1) geo·duck also gwe·duc (gōō'ē-dŭk') n. A very large, edible clam of the Pacific coast of northwest North America, (2) two [too]

 

I always wondered how "w" was used as a vowel...and now even those of us without advanced business degrees can explain it! I learned the same rhymen in grade school as OP.

 

Gee, I didn't know I was going to get an English lesson this morning.

Thank You!:D

[peg013]

Gee, I didn't know I was going to get an English lesson this morning.

Thank You!:D

 

 

LOL, You know how it is, a lioness can't help defending her cub.....especially when he is right!

[srlafleur]

Some also tell you to get out of your stateroom the morning of disembarkation and wait 'til it's your turn in the theater or a lounge.

 

Just got off a HAL cruise in December on which we had open seating in the MDR and got to stay in our stateroom until our deparkation time window. The wave of the future, hopefully.

We usually enjoy dining at larger tables, but it sure was nice to be able to request a table for 2 after I came down with a cold and was feeling considerably less than social.

They did still have formal nights, which are fine with me. I usually get comfy after dinner regardless of the suggestion to maintain the dress code for the evening.

Maybe I'm dense, but I don't understand why people have a problem with Freestyle, open seating in particular. If you want to eat at 5:45 sharp every night, go for it! (and you may even be able to get the same table if you request it) If you want to dress formally, by all means...feel free! If you and your tablemates all agree, make arrangements to dine with them the rest of the week.

Where's the problem?:confused:

[mbisson]

The part I like the best is the relaxed "eat when you want, dress like you want" I have schedules at home, I don't want them on vacation ;)

 

Thanks for making this a much better topic than English (never my strong suit as a school subject) ;)

 

Gee, I didn't know I was going to get an English lesson this morning.

 

I'm just hopeful there is no test ;)

[pfisted]

Mark me as another who has never had a problem with NCL, and it's our cruise line of choice! We have sailed Disney (EXCELLENT, no complaints there!) and with Celebrity (UGH...never again!) so we have ventured out a bit. We love the FreeStyle concept and have gotten nothing but stellar service!

 

We too love DCL and abhor Celebrity and say never again and are very happy to hear that you like NCL. How does the freestyle work as opposed to DCL?

[CanadianTwosome]

Yes "W" can be a vowel....in fact it is in the word "vowel" see below:

 

'Vowels Y & W Made Easy'

 

A vowel is the sound in a spoken language were the vocal tract is open and there is no build up of air pressure between the vocal cords at the upper part of the larynx, i.e.; ah, oh, ee, ay, ow …. There are five true (they are only) vowels a,e,i,o,u, and sometimes y & w. Y and W can be a vowel or a consonant depending upon where it is in the word. In English orthography some letters may represent a consonant in some circumstances, and a vowel in others.

 

Diphthongs-- two vowel sounds that slide together when you say them. Example: ey - ā, oy-oi, uy-ī , au-aw, ew- ū ,ou-ow, ow-ō, W is always a vowel sound following another vowel and not starting a new syllable like bewail.

 

Rule of thumb for y:

 

As a consonant: The beginning of a word or beginning of a syllable - yard, beyond...

 

As a vowel: Y as long 'i' sound at the end of single syllable words - by, cry, fly, my…..

 

Y as a long 'e' sound at the end of a double syllable words - baby, carry, funny, windy….

 

Y as a short 'i' sound the middle of a word as it vowel - gym, myth & hymn.

 

Y taking the place of the 'i', ay at the end of a word making the long a sound - play, tray….

 

Y taking the place of the 'i', ey at the end of a word changing the sound to long a - hey, they..

 

Y taking the place of the 'i', oy at the end of a word - boy, joy, toy….

 

Y taking the place of the 'i', uy at the end of a word once again sounds like a long i- buy, guy

 

Rule of thumb for w: in 'wow' (wou) w is both a consonant and a vowel

 

As a consonant: The beginning of a word or beginning of a syllable - wagon, always….

 

As a vowel: In the English language there is not a word with a single w as a vowel. It always has a partner before it.

 

As with the y it replaces the u at the end of words and before an l or n -….

 

W taking the place of the 'u', aw at the end of a word making the au sound - claw, paw….

 

W taking the place of the 'u', ew at the end of a word changing the sound to long u - new, crew, flew,…..

 

W taking the place of the 'u', ow at the end of a word sound like ou in ouch- how, now, brown, cow, owl…

 

W taking the place of the 'u', ow at the end of a word sounds like long o - blow, crow, bowl

 

Vowel itself is an interesting word in which the w is a vowel (vou-el) the ou sounds like in ouch.

 

I found two word where the 'W' comes before the partner vowel. (1) geo·duck also gwe·duc (gōō'ē-dŭk') n. A very large, edible clam of the Pacific coast of northwest North America, (2) two [too]

 

I always wondered how "w" was used as a vowel...and now even those of us without advanced business degrees can explain it! I learned the same rhymen in grade school as OP.

 

Well, I thank you for the lesson. I have never ever heard of such a thing before in my entire life. I definitely won't argue with the explanation that a 'w' may participate in creating a 'vowel sound' in conjunction with other letters more commonly considered vowels, but I must say, I still don't consider it 'as much' of a vowel as 'Y', if that makes sense. From what I've been reading, it's what is called a 'semi-vowel'. A 'Y' can be used in words such as 'cry' or 'myth' as the one, standalone vowel in the word. In the modern English language, however, 'w' cannot. To me it's kind of like a nurse and a doctor... nurses help doctors; they have amazing skills and perform vitally needed tasks alongside doctors - but they're not doctors. They don't perform surgery alone (at least not in most English speaking communities), just like a 'W' doesn't perform a vowel sound alone - again, at least not in most English speaking communities! :p

 

I do apologize for laughing, though, since I was wrong. As I said above I have never heard 'W' called a vowel ever before, but I have seen tons of posts here where someone proudly proclaims their educational credentials and then proceeds to leave a post riddled with spelling and/or grammatical errors. I always find it very funny, since I know so many well educated people who can do amazing things - including a little actual rocket science - but who couldn't spell to save their lives. Unlike many people, however, I am happy to admit when I am wrong, especially when the admission is a result of learning something new. :)

 

As I explained above, while I do agree with its role as a 'vowel-sound facilitator' (meaning yes, I was wrong, and I don't mean to sound as if I think otherwise), I still don't consider it a 'real' vowel in the same way as the others. I'm a mathematician, not a linguist, and one of the reasons I love math is because there aren't any 'semi-even' numbers, or 'operations that become numbers if used in a specific combination'. Clearly logic does not play any particular role in the study of English!!

 

Interestingly, I think this discussion has actually provided even more support for the original statement - that anyone who speaks English should understand the concept of 'for every rule there's an exception'. :)

[CruisinEurope]

Well, I thank you for the lesson. I have never ever heard of such a thing before in my entire life. I definitely won't argue with the explanation that a 'w' may participate in creating a 'vowel sound' in conjunction with other letters more commonly considered vowels, but I must say, I still don't consider it 'as much' of a vowel as 'Y', if that makes sense. From what I've been reading, it's what is called a 'semi-vowel'. A 'Y' can be used in words such as 'cry' or 'myth' as the one, standalone vowel in the word. In the modern English language, however, 'w' cannot. To me it's kind of like a nurse and a doctor... nurses help doctors; they have amazing skills and perform vitally needed tasks alongside doctors - but they're not doctors. They don't perform surgery alone (at least not in most English speaking communities), just like a 'W' doesn't perform a vowel sound alone - again, at least not in most English speaking communities! :p

 

I do apologize for laughing, though, since I was wrong. As I said above I have never heard 'W' called a vowel ever before, but I have seen tons of posts here where someone proudly proclaims their educational credentials and then proceeds to leave a post riddled with spelling and/or grammatical errors. I always find it very funny, since I know so many well educated people who can do amazing things - including a little actual rocket science - but who couldn't spell to save their lives. Unlike many people, however, I am happy to admit when I am wrong, especially when the admission is a result of learning something new. :)

 

As I explained above, while I do agree with its role as a 'vowel-sound facilitator' (meaning yes, I was wrong, and I don't mean to sound as if I think otherwise), I still don't consider it a 'real' vowel in the same way as the others. I'm a mathematician, not a linguist, and one of the reasons I love math is because there aren't any 'semi-even' numbers, or 'operations that become numbers if used in a specific combination'. Clearly logic does not play any particular role in the study of English!!

 

Interestingly, I think this discussion has actually provided even more support for the original statement - that anyone who speaks English should understand the concept of 'for every rule there's an exception'. :)

 

nothing to add - just wanted to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this post.:D

[NSBFloridaRetiree]

30 was just a number. I'm sure there are people who are 45 and older who feel the same way, but generationally I would say the cut off would probably be much closer to 37-39 for the more "free" thoughts on cruising. Obviously everyone will be different and I'm sure there are 22 yr olds who want to go on a cruise for a lifestyle rather than a vacation, but I think the point was made.

 

I'm double 30 and enjoy the freedom and flexibility. But, we also enjoyed RCCL and Celebrity.

[*Wink*]

If "w" is a vowel, that's news to me. It must be like the "new math" they teach the kids today.. or is that outdated too?? What happened to a e i o u and sometimes y.. has that been changed too???

[CalVulcan0608]

Well, I thank you for the lesson. I have never ever heard of such a thing before in my entire life. I definitely won't argue with the explanation that a 'w' may participate in creating a 'vowel sound' in conjunction with other letters more commonly considered vowels, but I must say, I still don't consider it 'as much' of a vowel as 'Y', if that makes sense. From what I've been reading, it's what is called a 'semi-vowel'. A 'Y' can be used in words such as 'cry' or 'myth' as the one, standalone vowel in the word. In the modern English language, however, 'w' cannot. To me it's kind of like a nurse and a doctor... nurses help doctors; they have amazing skills and perform vitally needed tasks alongside doctors - but they're not doctors. They don't perform surgery alone (at least not in most English speaking communities), just like a 'W' doesn't perform a vowel sound alone - again, at least not in most English speaking communities! :p

 

I do apologize for laughing, though, since I was wrong. As I said above I have never heard 'W' called a vowel ever before, but I have seen tons of posts here where someone proudly proclaims their educational credentials and then proceeds to leave a post riddled with spelling and/or grammatical errors. I always find it very funny, since I know so many well educated people who can do amazing things - including a little actual rocket science - but who couldn't spell to save their lives. Unlike many people, however, I am happy to admit when I am wrong, especially when the admission is a result of learning something new. :)

 

As I explained above, while I do agree with its role as a 'vowel-sound facilitator' (meaning yes, I was wrong, and I don't mean to sound as if I think otherwise), I still don't consider it a 'real' vowel in the same way as the others. I'm a mathematician, not a linguist, and one of the reasons I love math is because there aren't any 'semi-even' numbers, or 'operations that become numbers if used in a specific combination'. Clearly logic does not play any particular role in the study of English!!

 

Interestingly, I think this discussion has actually provided even more support for the original statement - that anyone who speaks English should understand the concept of 'for every rule there's an exception'. :)

 

I couldn't resist not posting one more thing about this W thing.... here are two words that are used in the english language, while they are actually welsh words they have no english translation and are used as english same as several words from other languages.

 

"There are two words in the english language that use the letter "w" as a vowel. The first is "cwm" pronounced "coom" which is the basin at the bottom of a mountain sometimes containing a lake and the other is "crwth" which is an ancient celtic musical instrument."

 

While I will admit there is no way I would ever have a use for either of these words. They are "technically" english words.

[peg013]

If "w" is a vowel, that's news to me. It must be like the "new math" they teach the kids today.. or is that outdated too?? What happened to a e i o u and sometimes y.. has that been changed too???

 

It can't be too new.....that's what I was taught and I'm 55!

 

I couldn't resist not posting one more thing about this W thing.... here are two words that are used in the english language, while they are actually welsh words they have no english translation and are used as english same as several words from other languages.

 

"There are two words in the english language that use the letter "w" as a vowel. The first is "cwm" pronounced "coom" which is the basin at the bottom of a mountain sometimes containing a lake and the other is "crwth" which is an ancient celtic musical instrument."

 

While I will admit there is no way I would ever have a use for either of these words. They are "technically" english words.

 

I saw the above info also when I looked up my above quote (in fact I believe it was at the beginning of the quote above) but didn't include it because we'd never use it anyway and the quote was already really long.

[*Wink*]

It can't be too new.....that's what I was taught and I'm 55!

 

Well Dang! I must of played hookie that day! LOL

 

So it should be A E I O U and sometimes Y and very, very rarely, W :p

[Pianoman6582]

Sounds like a lost episode of Sesame Street To Me

 

First: You all have WAY too much time on your hands! (as do I....here I am reading and responding to all of this):p

 

Second: I am an Lapsed English Lit Major (ie - didn't finish the degree), and I've never heard of the W vowel stuff--I guess that was covered later on in the program.:rolleyes:

 

Third: Having said that, your explanation makes perfect sense.

 

Fourth: Having said that, I still think you made the whole thing up!:D

 

Fifth: If I have to start reading Cliff Notes and bringing my thesaurus and dictionary with me every time I log on here, I'm going back to online Su Doku and Blackjack.

 

And I thank you.

JAEIOU&SOMETIMESY&WK: never looking at his initials the same way ever again.:D

[*Wink*]

Sounds like a lost episode of Sesame Street To Me

 

First: You all have WAY too much time on your hands! (as do I....here I am reading and responding to all of this):p

 

Second: I am an Lapsed English Lit Major (ie - didn't finish the degree), and I've never heard of the W vowel stuff--I guess that was covered later on in the program.:rolleyes:

 

Third: Having said that, your explanation makes perfect sense.

 

Fourth: Having said that, I still think you made the whole thing up!:D

 

Fifth: If I have to start reading Cliff Notes and bringing my thesaurus and dictionary with me every time I log on here, I'm going back to online Su Doku and Blackjack.

 

And I thank you.

JAEIOU&SOMETIMESY&WK: never looking at his initials the same way ever again.:D

LOL PMan.. Great post. I'm with you, I think you and I are getting punked!!

[peg013]

Actually it didn't take any time at all to find the answer.....I googled it and found the quote above here http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_Word_uses_w_as_a_vowel

 

I knew it was considered a vowel from the "old quote" in GRADE school but could never have given all those examples. Guess I should have explained this when I first posted it.

 

LOL it has been fun. Anyone for a hot dog?

[CanadianTwosome]

It definitely has been fun, but just on a whim, I went to google.ca and did a search on 'Pages from Canada' only, and guess what? There was absolutely no reference to 'w' as a vowel here, so I guess that's why I'd never heard of it before. It's apparently not a vowel here in Canada. :)

 

CalVulcan, sorry; I may be open to the 'w as a [semi-] vowel' thing, but Welsh is Welsh. We actually DO have translations for those words - they're just phrases. It's like watching a dubbed Japanese movie - the reason it looks so funny is because in some cases for which we use a single word, they need a full phrase. :) It should have been a dead giveaway when you introduced them like this...

 

are used in the english language, while they are actually welsh words

:p

[Suni99]

I dont get it,can you all start over and please explain this whole W vowel thingy again but slower this time??jk

lmfao

[CanadianTwosome]

I dont get it,can you all start over and please explain this whole W vowel thingy again but slower this time??jk

lmfao

 

You'we a wascawwy wabbit!!! :p