Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,171
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Post by Neil on Mar 10, 2008 9:52:25 GMT -8
Took a round trip on the 'Renaissance yesterday, after doing a quick round trip on the 'Capilano, leaving Horseshoe Bay around 5:30, and not leaving Departure Bay until about 8:20, delayed further by taking on stores.
Aside from the issues of where these ships should have been built, and the question of their appearance, there's no question that the Coastals will be very popular. In terms of the onboard experience, they are superior to the old originals that they are replacing, in every way.
Easier loading on the vehicle decks, and more room for larger vehicles. More seating- yesterday's sailings were full, with little commercial traffic- yet the boat didn't seem crowded, although summer will bring more foot passengers. More variety of seating arrangements, with a minimum of facing seats, which are usually wasted anyway as people monopolize them by putting their feet up. Three food outlets, with excellent viewing from the main cafeteria. Spacious, covered promenade deck, and the solariums at either end of the roomy sundeck give plenty of usable outdoor space even when it's raining. Generally good layout of amenities. Less vibration and noise. No one will ever mistake a Coastal for a cruise ship, but they're fairly well finished, and certainly a world better than the grotty old Vs.
If there ever was a 'tripping hazard' on the car decks, it certainly has been rectified. Every sill, step, and ramp is well marked and painted, and you would have to be a real oaf to stumble over anything.
Don't know if anyone's mentioned it, but I suspect a very popular spot in the summer will be the many floor to ceiling 'windows' on the upper car deck. They're basically like recessed balconies, with decent windbreaks, and a guardrail providing a space quite large enough to set up a reclining lawn chair or a couple of regular ones, if ferry crew doesn't object. The quiet ride means you can hear the water as the ship sails along. Nice little extra.
Thought it was amusing that one of the four languages giving the elevator load limits was German. Yes, I know the ship was made there, but in B.C., German must be far below fourth in terms of most common usage.
The 'Renaissance made an agonizingly slow, crooked approach into the berth at Horseshoe Bay. Guess the crew still hasn't got a perfect feel for how she handles.
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Post by Dane on Mar 10, 2008 10:30:28 GMT -8
ahhh, but German tourist are abound in the summer ... seriously ..... Great to hear the new ship is doing so well, I am going out on Thursday or Friday of this week for a first sail.
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Post by queenofcowichan on Mar 10, 2008 11:00:28 GMT -8
I did make the 10:30 and 12:30 pm sailings Yesturday on the Coastal R, more info coming as I am busy uploading pictures at the momennt.
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Post by BreannaF on Mar 10, 2008 11:04:21 GMT -8
It is so nice to be now seeing pictures of the CR with actual people aboard. That's what makes it ours......
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Post by queenofcowichan on Mar 10, 2008 11:10:40 GMT -8
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Post by Low Light Mike on Mar 10, 2008 18:13:35 GMT -8
Took a round trip on the ' Renaissance yesterday And now for the important question: - Did you find any cheese-cake at any/all of the 3 food outlets? If so, did the slice of cheese-cake provide you with a super-sized version of awesomeness? Could you tell how full/empty the SeaWest Lounge was on the trips?
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,171
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Post by Neil on Mar 10, 2008 19:18:46 GMT -8
And now for the important question: - Did you find any cheese-cake at any/all of the 3 food outlets? If so, did the slice of cheese-cake provide you with a super-sized version of awesomeness? Could you tell how full/empty the SeaWest Lounge was on the trips? Actually, it was the chocolate cake with raspberry sauce I was looking for. Despite having visited Baskin Robbins before getting on the ' Capilano. If it weren't for running, I would weigh about five hundred pounds. Shockingly, none of the three outlets had what I was after. A scandalous deficiency worse than any 'tripping hazard'. BC Ferries has brazenly chosen not to observe the SOLAS-98 standards for dessert availability. There appeared to be lots of room in the SeaWest Lounge- I guess bluebloods were in short supply on the sailings I took.
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Post by Mike C on Mar 10, 2008 20:56:32 GMT -8
They had Nanaimo bars... that's all I cared about.
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Quatchi
Voyager
Engineering Officer - CCG
Posts: 930
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Post by Quatchi on Mar 10, 2008 21:35:38 GMT -8
OK I noticed this as I was looking through my pictures, which are generally the same as everyone else's except for this. Did I miss an 19+ lounge somewhere? ;D
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Post by Scott (Former Account) on Mar 10, 2008 21:42:21 GMT -8
There was a bunch of people who were drinking or were drunk on the 7:00 from Departure Bay too. A lot of them were drinking while watching the hockey game and the majority of the areas where TV's were located reaked of alcohol...
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Post by DENelson83 on Mar 10, 2008 22:51:48 GMT -8
Uh oh... Ferries should crack down on that kind of behaviour on board. Some of those people may have driven onto the vessel, and we all know what happens when a person drinks and drives...
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Post by Low Light Mike on Mar 11, 2008 5:10:36 GMT -8
OK I noticed this as I was looking through my pictures, which are generally the same as everyone else's except for this. Did I miss an 19+ lounge somewhere? ;D ....Once again, Kyle is on the same trip, lurking in the shadows. (prepare for a straight-written comment that tells us the full names of who he was with, while skiing at some specific resort, along with their BC driver's licence #'s for proof... ;D) (I'm only joking that this is Kyle... ;D..)
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Post by kylefossett on Mar 11, 2008 6:09:40 GMT -8
I wou;dn't drink that crap beer. I am a Nelson Brewing Company fan. Especially the Faceplant Winter Ale. You are going to have people drinking alomost everywhere. If you are going to drink on the ferries then be smart about it and use a cup.
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Post by Northern Exploration on Mar 11, 2008 6:53:45 GMT -8
I know you BC folks will roll your eyes, but did any one have a Triple O?
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Post by queenofcowichan on Mar 11, 2008 10:13:15 GMT -8
I have just uploaded 9 videos of my Coastal Renaissance Trip. Parts 3 and 4 are tours of the Sundeck and the Passenger deck with a Special Treat for the Queen of Esquimalt Fans (Part 8) I also have a video of the Queen of Coquitlam arriving at Horseshoe Bay from Langdale Found here: www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=Novabus9228 NOTE: In Video #7 I was standing up in the forward Solarium when the ships Horn blew be sure to have you computer speakers turned up, The horn starts at the 26 second mark of the video.
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Post by Mike C on Mar 11, 2008 18:42:30 GMT -8
I wou;dn't drink that crap beer. I am a Nelson Brewing Company fan. Especially the Faceplant Winter Ale. You are going to have people drinking alomost everywhere. If you are going to drink on the ferries then be smart about it and use a cup. Time to bring out the red cups! - Like Scott mentioned, on the 7:00 pm sailing the elevator reeked of alcohol, and the stern solarium was a beer garden. Didn't see any inside though. If you're going to drink on the ferry, try not to have too much... it isn't a bar, but there's nothing stopping you from having a little fun. (that little comment might get me into a bit of trouble, but oh well...)
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Post by Kahloke on Mar 11, 2008 18:52:17 GMT -8
Since I couldn't do the inaugural sailing last weekend (major bummer!), I'm going this weekend. My plan now is to drive up to Vancouver Saturday morning, catch the 12:30 CR sailing out of Horseshoe Bay, then take the 3:15 Rte 30 sailing (that's Queen of Cowichan, right?) from Duke Point back to Tsawwassen, mainly because I've never done that route before. Does anyone have an idea of how crowded these sailings will be (vehicle-wise - I will be driving on)? Should I make a reservation for the 12:30 HSB-NAN sailing just to be safe? Lastly, are any other forum members planning to be on that sailing, just out of curiosity?
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Post by Nickfro on Mar 11, 2008 20:10:52 GMT -8
You will not have a problem with the 315pm out of Duke Point (yes, the Cowichan), sailing wait wise. As long as the CR isn't deeply behind schedule at that point, you should make it there with plenty of time to spare. I'd allow 20 minutes drive time between terminals. As for the 1230, you should be ok but I would recommend getting there well in advance. I think spring break might begin this weekend, which makes the route busier Friday evening and Saturday morning.
Great videos, QueenofCowichan! I'm somewhat surprised that they don't give any verbal warning that the ship's whistle will be sounding. It's not like it's a Spirit Class horn! I like these classic horns on the new ferries.
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Nick
Voyager
Chief Engineer - Queen of Richmond
Posts: 2,078
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Post by Nick on Mar 11, 2008 20:14:00 GMT -8
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Post by Kahloke on Mar 12, 2008 4:40:43 GMT -8
You will not have a problem with the 315pm out of Duke Point (yes, the Cowichan), sailing wait wise. As long as the CR isn't deeply behind schedule at that point, you should make it there with plenty of time to spare. I'd allow 20 minutes drive time between terminals. As for the 1230, you should be ok but I would recommend getting there well in advance. I think spring break might begin this weekend, which makes the route busier Friday evening and Saturday morning. Great videos, QueenofCowichan! I'm somewhat surprised that they don't give any verbal warning that the ship's whistle will be sounding. It's not like it's a Spirit Class horn! I like these classic horns on the new ferries. Thanks for the info, and thanks to Nick for the link to the calendar. I'm actually thinking of changing things up a bit now, for a few reasons. I think I'm going to do the trip the other way around and take the 10:15am sailing from Tsawwassen to Duke Point, then do the 3:00pm CR sailing from Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay. For one, it won't be as tight of a connection; two, I'll get to ride Queen of Alberni on the first sailing, which is something I've been wanting to do; and three, I don't have any pictures of the Tsawwassen terminal, so that will be a good oppourtunity to take pictures there. I rode Alberni once many years ago (back in the 80's), but I don't remember much about that trip. That calendar indicates that this Saturday (the 15th) isn't one of the busy days for either route, but I'll probably still arrive early at Departure Bay. I suspect that many of the CR sailings will be somewhat busy just because she's the new ship. Thanks, everyone, for the good information!
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Post by queenofcowichan on Mar 12, 2008 10:31:56 GMT -8
I just missed the ships horn as we were departing Horeshoe Bay because they gave no warning. But I was prepared and waiting as we were heading for the Gap. I knew the perfect spot, right under the mast in the Solarium. The only thing that pssed me off was doing the Passenger deck tour when 2 ladies came out of the washroom right into my path and it took them a second or two to make up thier minds which way they were going to go. I notice they need some windbreakers beside the doors on the side of the ship on the Sundeck. When I opend the door it kind of Flew open because of the wind and was hard to shut. Another thing I noticed, On the sundeck they removed the "Built by Flensburger" Sign. Now I think this is a blatin disrespect for the Shipyard and the Shipyard workers who built her. See Hear: s104.photobucket.com/albums/m196/shiptracker/Coastal%20Renaissance/?action=view¤t=PIC_0129.jpg Therefor I want to say my Thanx and Congrats to Markus and all who built a fine ship. !!!!!
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Kam
Voyager
Posts: 926
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Post by Kam on Mar 12, 2008 12:04:08 GMT -8
Hey, what the hell! I didnt notice that! Thats just not right!
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Post by DENelson83 on Mar 12, 2008 13:25:30 GMT -8
I think they removed the "Built by Flensburger" sign as a sign of respect for BC workers.
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Nick
Voyager
Chief Engineer - Queen of Richmond
Posts: 2,078
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Post by Nick on Mar 12, 2008 16:03:38 GMT -8
We noticed that at the Victoria open ship. You can see where the paint doesn't quite match either. I am disappointed they did that, it is the shipbuilder's right to have their name on their ships.
While I haven't sailed on her yet, thank you Markus, and the rest of FSG, for a job well done.
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Post by DENelson83 on Mar 12, 2008 17:21:26 GMT -8
Besides, there's still the shipbuilder's plaque in the interior of the ship. That will never be removed.
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