3308 replies to this topic

[Bingo]

I am waiting for the ice to disappear at the North Pole.

[Nparker]

I am waiting for the ice to disappear at the North Pole.

Why wait? http://www.cruisenor...ASAAEgLcUfD_BwE

[lanforod]

Nparker- I highly recommend the 2 week celebrity cruises to the south Caribbean

[SimonH]

My choice is always smaller ships and prefer HA. Holland America average age of cruises is 56 rarely inundated with children. More staff per passenger ratio..

Smaller, but not small ship cruising ie Seabourn , Silverseas etc.

I experienced the worst tendering experience ever on a HA cruise ship. One tender station for 2000 passengers. 4 hours later people were still queuing to get off. I will never sail with them again.

[Nparker]

...I experienced the worst tendering experience ever on a HA cruise ship. One tender station for 2000 passengers...

Tendering ports are the worst regardless of cruise line.

[Hotel Mike]

Yes, tendering ports are a big problem for all cruise ships. I've been on some pretty rocky tender transfers. I recall that some woman broke her leg getting off the tender. Of course if you are on the smaller ships like Simon mentioned, you can sometimes dock at smaller piers.

[SimonH]

Tendering ports are the worst regardless of cruise line.

 

Tendering ports are the worst regardless of cruise line.

Not true. First time in 30 years I have sailed on a cruise ship that had only 1 station open. Most medium to large will have at least 2 stations in operation, thus cutting the wait times by half.

 

Oh and to clarify, I worked in the industry for 25 years, so I've sailed on a few.

Edited by SimonH, 13 August 2017 - 04:29 PM.

[VicHockeyFan]

Limited tenders seem like a hassle, why not lower the life-boats and use them?

[SimonH]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y94gp0TTQ4w

 

4,250 passengers, 2,100 crew.  Coming here every week next summer.

http://bliss.ncl.com...RACK81317_NA_NA

 

Complete with race track

[Hotel Mike]

I noticed the Wyland signature for the marine life painting on the bow. I wish he would come back to Victoria to brighten up his wall on the Guild building. 

[Jackerbie]

 

Greg Wirtz, president of the Cruise Lines International Association in the North West and Canada, says Vancouver is lagging behind other cities, such as Seattle, that are investing heavily in their port infrastructure.

In May, port officials in Seattle unveiled a $30 million renovation at the Bell Street Cruise Terminal at Pier 66.

"We've kind of done the opposite in Vancouver. We've disinvested in facilities," Wirtz said.

The Port of Vancouver shut down the Ballantyne Pier to cruise ships in 2014, leaving Canada Place as the city's only remaining cruise terminal.

http://www.cbc.ca/ne...emand-1.4243518

 

 

Another interesting tidbit from this article: Explorer of the Seas cannot dock in Vancouver due to the height of the Lions Gate Bridge, so it goes to Victoria instead.

[VicHockeyFan]

Another interesting tidbit from this article: Explorer of the Seas cannot dock in Vancouver due to the height of the Lions Gate Bridge, so it goes to Victoria instead.

 

The Explorer of the Seas ship from Royal Caribbean International has had to bypass Vancouver for Victoria because the ship is too big.

 

 

Not perfectly accurate I guess.

 

It comes to Victoria instead of doing zero foreign ports (except Vancouver).  So it goes Seattle > Alaska > Victoria > Seattle.   Does Victoria/BC still win then?

 

It'd be nice to see a few Vancouver-based cruises stop here, that would be impressive.  We only get half the ships we could have here.

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 14 August 2017 - 12:50 PM.

[VicHockeyFan]

As for the Lions Gate Bridge issues, we now have a crack team of bridge lift-span experts here in town we can ship them to help build an opening segment atop the bridge.

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 14 August 2017 - 01:28 PM.

[HB]

Another interesting tidbit from this article: Explorer of the Seas cannot dock in Vancouver due to the height of the Lions Gate Bridge, so it goes to Victoria instead.

It is not by.passing Vancouver. It is home-ported out of Seattle on the Alaska runs.It is not going to Victoria "instead" .

 

You may want to read up on  the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (Jones Act) requires that all goods transported by water between U.S. ports be carried on U.S.-flag ships, constructed in the United States, owned by U.S. citizens, and crewed by U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents. The Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886 states that no foreign vessels shall transport passengers between ports or places in the United States, either directly or by way of a foreign port.

 

You may also want to look up Cabotage.

 

The height of the Lions Gate bridge has nothing to do with it . It is the height of the ship.

[Mike K.]

Vancouver is off the map as far as the next generation of cruise ships is concerned, that's for sure.

[VicHockeyFan]

The height of the Lions Gate bridge has nothing to do with it . It is the height of the ship.

 

That's a very bizarre statement.

[HB]

Ok Thanks Captain duly noted.

[HB]

Panama Canal is wide enough for ships that can fit into it others which are too wide go around it. Not an issue with the Canal...nor is the issue with the bridge...the bridge is doing just fine 100% of ships that go under it go under it fine. If NCL decides to build something too high it is the ships' issue not the bridges issue

Edited by HB, 14 August 2017 - 03:13 PM.

[Bingo]

Some of the new cruise ships will have telescoping decks that when lowered will allow them to pass under the Lions Gate Bridge.

They will also have slide outs that will expand the width of the ship once they have gone through the Panama Canal.

Right it's all nonsense, but here are some of the real facts.

http://www.travelpul...uise-ships.html

[LJ]

^The river boats cruising the Rhine/Danube etc. have collapsible wheelhouses to make it under some bridges.