Posted on 03/25/2019 5:46:00 AM PDT by C19fan
“I cherish the memory of 40’ swells and 50-knot winds off the coast of Halifax.”
You will appreciate this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ylOpbW1H-I
How Dangerous Can Ocean Waves Get? Wave Comparison
NH90 and Sikorsky-76 both have over 400 mile range, sufficient for cruise ship rescue efforts. Also, lifeboats are fully enclosed capsules.
A few years ago, I took the Queen Mary 2 transatlantic both ways and the Med. A year later, did the same thing, both trips to Southampton first (day trip including Stonehenge and Salisbury) Canary Islands and Medeiros. The QM2 is an ocean liner, much sturdier for the ocean than most cruise ships. It's very formal, very British. It was an incredible, efficient way to see those places once in a lifetime, and ship life was very full of intellectual and cultural opportunities, plus the usual amenities.
Would I do that again? No. It's gotten too pricey for my budget and it's a long time away from my routine. But I'm sure glad I had those two experiences!
IF they are US flagged vessels they have to abide by the laws of the Jones Act. That means minimum wage, unemployment benefits, safety conditions, OSHA, work mans comp, etc. That is why these floating hotels can offer a much cheaper “vacation” than staying in the resort in the US.
Priceless look on everyones face when the fully loaded Coke machine breaks loose from the port bulkhead, tips over on its face a slides all the way across the mess deck and smashes into the port bulkhead. Easily could have killed 4 or 5 of us.
Hurricane strapped it down in place and FREE SODAS for everyone! (Even the coupla free beers the XO put in there!)
The Queen Mary 2 seems like the experience of a lifetime indeed.
Like anything else in life “you get what you pay” for applies to cruises, vacation rentals, diners out, etc.
I think Conde Nast rates cruise ship companies. I am sure you can find ratings on the internet. I am also sure that the ones that advertise the most are not the highest rated.
I believe there are some companies similar to Windjammer Barefoot still around. I think they have 1-2 ships. I have read about them. Our cabin in the Windjammer Flying Cloud ship was 6’ wide and 10’ deep including the toilet/shower combo. It was where you slept, changed, showered and other Honeymoon related activities. You needed to go outside to change your mind.
Also, if you get two or three other couples together it is not that expensive to charter a sail boat in the Virgin Islands. Plus the reason it is so popular is that there are so many islands that you are typically protected from the swells/waves of the Atlantic ocean. Therefore, sea sickness is not an issue. They also charter these large catamarans that are much more stable than a regular sloop single hull sailboat. The other great thing about the BVI’s is that they DO NOT TOLERATE drug smuggling in their country, unlike the Bahamas.
Andrea Doria? Isn’t that the one they did the song about?
Maybe but you are ‘probably’ thinking of the ‘Edmund Fitzgerald’, a Great Lakes ship
I love Edmund Fitzgerald’s voice.
Ok, but this Edmund Fitzgerald was immortalized by Gordon Lightfoot (BUT I am sure YOU know that) <: <: <:
Yes, that was part of the problem. If the anchor had dragged, and they often do, the ship would have met the lee shore and it would have been tragic.
Good episode....I didn’t remember the dialogue but did remember G getting aced out of the apartment...
Thanks for the ‘heads up’ refresher course.
I hear ya.. but.. Wifey and I have sailed at least a couple dozen times together, this is in over almost 4 decades of tarvel, never had an incident other that a Coast Guard medivacs in Alaska in calm seas.
The engines always ran well, we never scraped bottom or ran into the docks intentionally or otherwise. I don’t think we’ve ever had a full blown norovirus tainted trip.
I’d say we kind of feel left out,, not getting our moneys worth.. but as long as the Captains keep the ships off the beaches and reefs and avoid rough seas, we’re in.
The Panama Canal awaits us later this year,, unless the Ring of Fire or a wayward Cap’n plug it up before we get thru.
You’d think with so many engines , that how could they all fail at once? I bet them engineering and propulsion fellars below were squeezing their lucky rabbits feet more than ever. I know the crew was.
The Cap’n of this ship made the call .. and blew it.. They need a new meteorologist too.
You think they got those portholes so you can look out them at the lovely ocean?
No!
That’s for when the engines give out.
Then your cabin attendant comes to your room with this really long paddle.
You stick your paddle out the window.
The gay cruise boat goes by honking their horn.
The drummer from the Jersey Boys revival gets out a couple of big drums and starts banging on them.
The Captain starts yelling “Stroke! Stroke!” And the cruise director pulls out a whip and then the real fun begins.
“Put your backs into it you scurvy dogs!”
And all the drunks are on the right side of the ship and they’re passed out so the boat just keeps turning clockwise circles.
And they think the chocolate buffet makes up for everything.
They can just shove their chocolate covered herring.
I’m afraid of treasonous, Marxist Democrats. That’s why I joined FR.
56 assuming worst case, i.e. maximum distance from land, all 2000 are injured and no support vessels are capable to assist and no life capsules deployed. Includes refuel and pax offload time.
Cruise ships have better forecasting methods than some of the land based stations.
Last year returning from Bermuda to Boston the Capt. came on TV and showed how we would be in 70 mph winds if we stayed the normal course.
He decided to crank it up and get back a day earlier ,and stay tied to the dock for a day rather than put up with bad offshore weather. It worked out well since the winds were high in port.
He also related a story to us of a sistership a year earlier tHAT had a similar situation but the forecast was for 50 mph winds and they stayed the course and offshore they got hit with winds in excess of 100 mph.
The Capt. was not going to risk that. - Tom
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.