Posted on 12/01/2013 2:23:10 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
The cruise-line industry is a rough business.
Every time a passenger ship leaves port with a guest cabin unoccupied, that's money the cruise operators are never going to see.
Last week Micky Arison, the longtime chief executive of Carnival Corp., announced that he will be stepping down; revenues at the world's largest cruise-ship line have been falling. Arison will remain as chairman of the firm, but a new CEO will step in.
Cruise companies have always had to contend with uncertainties in the economy, which sometimes make travelers cautious about planning leisure trips, and Carnival has faced widespread unpleasant publicity in recent years. The Costa Concordia, owned by a subsidiary of the corporation, ran aground and partially sank off the coast of Italy in 2012, killing 32 people.
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The way he explained it to us, he had parted company with the corporation that employed him; we got the impression that this was not voluntary on his part. He had been given some severance.
So, he told us, he had figured out a way, for a relatively small amount of money, to live, for a while, like a king. Like a sultan at sea.
He was now, he said, residing virtually full-time on cruise ships -- eating gourmet meals, lounging in the sun, listening to music and going to stage shows at night, sleeping in freshly made-up beds with the oceans of the world lulling him to sleep.
How could he do this?
Each week, he explained, he'd get on his computer and do searches for cheap, last-minute cruise deals. There are websites that specialize in exactly that....
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Vacations to Go is a good site but there are others. You can usually get the same deals at any large travel site.
Also, you don’t necessarily have to wait till the last minute to get good deals. We booked a cruise last July and watched the cruise line website for price adjustments. Price went down by about 20% for about a week and then back up. Called the cruise line during the drop and they adjusted my fare to meet the drop. Booked early and got the cabin I wanted and got the ‘sale’ price too. Just have to watch.
Also, most cruise lines make sure the travel agencies do not discount their fares but the travel agencies can give you On Board Credits (OBC), money you can spend while on board for booze, etc. Booked a cruise through Costco and got a $450 OBC which I would not have gotten had I booked direct with the line.
Need to watch closely though. Sometimes the cruise lines or travel agencies will offer various deals (maybe OBC or free booze) but will increase the price to cover the deal. A few weeks later the deal will go away and the price will drop too.
One final thing. Some cruise lines will offer military discounts (princess has a standing offer of $100 OBC on almost all cruises). Some are more restrictive. Some offer OBC if you own the cruise line stock.
You need to research to get the best deals.
You were there to work. And you didn’t pay big bucks for all those sailings. :)
We were guests.
First, courtesy of the US Army.
Then as a supplier to Interlake.
I went once and although I enjoyed it I would not go again.
I had to wear "survival pants"--elastic waistbands.
No amount of walking took care of the MOUNTAIN of food consumed. Now, older, I know that cruises aren't worth the expanding waistbands. It's an activity for the young and VERY active or the old and not-very-hungry-anymore.
No kidding. And these people are paying to go?
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The DuPont spent 1974 and 1975 in the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia for an overhaul.
Cmdr. C.D. Collis assumed command in Autumn 1975. In January 1976, the DuPont relocated to D&S piers, Norfolk Naval Base, and commenced sea trials in the Virginia Capes.
From 1976 to 1979, the DuPont made the following cruises and port visits:
Carribean Refresher Training – February 1976 to April 1976
***
That is good advice for most travel. My wise mother once said, you should keep an open mind when traveling. She was right.
And if you are traveling overseas, you have to remember that other countries don't do things or have the same comforts as we do. You have to be flexible and willing to adapt.
Carnival has received the worst PR for a spate of mishaps in recent years, but the truth is that every cruise line has had some misfortune at one time or another. These bad events just didn't make it to the media. However, cruising is safe — it's not the Titanic. In fact, as a result of the Titanic, various measures were put into place to assure passenger safety. And all ships are equipped with computers and what not to spot any trouble (eg. a hurricane) so it can be avoided.
I recommend for those who have never cruised before to take a short cruise first — say, a 3 day cruise from Florida to the Bahamas and back. That was my first cruise. It gave me an idea of what cruising was like and what to expect on any future cruises I might take. But if I found out I didn't like cruising, I was stuck on the ship for only 3 days instead of 7, 10 or more days
I’ve been around some pretty wealthy people. The thing I noticed, which is opposite of how this guy lives, is that they don’t have to do any planing. They decide to go on a vacation the day before they go, and they decide where they’re going as they drive off. Hawaii, skiing, tour of Europe, wherever, the staff takes care of it. And there are always a couple cute college girls along to help with the kids.
This guy’s life is nothing.
Here is a tip for any cruise, but especially Alaska.
At every port, rent a car.
The drive up to Whitehorse, Yukon was very memorable.
You betcha.
bump vacation/cruise info
I know of three couples that are retired that “live” on cruise ships for cheaper than any apartment you would live in.
For instance, there is a 14 day cruise on Dec 6 from Savona, Italy to Guadeloupe on the Costa Mediterranea $392.
That is $28 a day.
That is less than I pay for rent.
Bookmark for bucket list.
The big ship experience was on the Sovereign of the Seas (now scrapped). We had about 1,800 passengers and everything was luxurious. We hated the sit down dinners. Somehow, the Royal Caribbean line had assigned people from our geographic location to this one table and we found them not a lot of fun. At the time, Royal Caribbean did not have the informal buffet option. One of the high points of the cruise was the cigar bar in the ship's library after the evening meal where you could enjoy a premium cigar and a good adult beverage.
To those not familiar about cruising, the cruise fee includes room, maid service, entertainment, and food. It doesn't include drinks — and they command premium prices for even the bar liquor. No, you cannot bring your own.
Windjammer used to have a more civilized way of handling drinks. Prices were around $2 to $4 per drink and you carried a paper “doubloon”. As you drank, the bartender punched the appropriate number of holes. When the number of punches were done, you bought a new “doubloon”. My fondest memory was my first cruise on the S/V Polynesia. As we were getting underway for the week, the ship's 26-foot motor whaleboat pulled up to the gangway filled to the brim with cases of Heineken’s beer!
There is a definite need for the small, informal cruising represented by the Windjammer Cruises. The problem with the big ships is they completely change the island experience into a mega mall kind of shopping. On my last Windjammer (1997) we pulled into Philippsburg, St. Maarten. There were three cruise ships anchored there getting ready to disgorge about 4,500 tourists on the town. We beat the rush and picked up our ‘round the island tour minibus. When we got back to town, we couldn't get within eight blocks of the pier due to the milling hordes. I commented on this to our driver. He said to me: “This is nothing. On Thursday we're expecting five cruise ships.” That summarizes the damage done to these islands by the cruise industry.
I told Mrs. JimRed that I’d take her on a cruise- when they let me DRIVE!
“The real danger of a cruise, is the amount of food you could consume in any given day.”
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On my first cruise, the director said that cruisers come aboard as passengers and leave as cargo. So very true. First 7 day cruise I took, I had gained 6 pounds by the time I came home. As I became more experienced, I also became more selective about what, when and how much I ate.
The last cruise I was on had cut out the midnight and late buffets so popular at one time. Plus most ships have fitness rooms, aerobic classes and the like, but if you’re not a gym rat, shore excursions burn up some calories with all that walking. You can also find some healthy dining options. The trick is that you have to take responsibility, make the right decisions
The World: Residences at sea (Live-on cruise ship)
http://aboardtheworld.com/reside
6 Reasons to Consider Retirement on a Cruise Ship
http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/On-Retirement/2010/11/05/6-reasons-to-consider-retirement-on-a-cruise-ship
But it felt good
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