grk
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Post by grk on May 12, 2014 17:17:23 GMT -8
Carnival Miracle pod problems have caused her to cancel the port call Victoria tonight, May 12. She has been unable to make the speed necessary to dock and provide the passengers a chance to go ashore. Instead, she will anchor about 22:30 at Royal Roads. Ships officers will bring paper work ashore to have Canadian authorities process her arrival in Canadian waters. Once completed she will sail over to Port Angeles to embark the pilot for the voyage down to Seattle. This action puts her in compliance with American shipping regulations. It was originally thought that by skipping Ketchican that she could make Victoria about 14:00-18:00 but this has proven to be a challenge on this voyage. This evening Pacific Princess is floating out of the Esquimalt Graving dock and heading off to Vancouver.
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Koastal Karl
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Post by Koastal Karl on May 12, 2014 22:16:51 GMT -8
I was planning to see the Miracle arrive in Victoria this evening as she was suppose to arrive at 7:30pm till midnight. We are sailing on this ship in September for 16 nights from Vancouver to Hawaii to LA so I have been looking forward to seeing the ship in Victoria. I did manage to see her this evening she arrived just off the Ogden Point Breakwater about 10:15pm or so. I guess she will be sitting there for a bit before heading to Seattle. I dont quite get this whole speed thing as they say her service speed is 21 knots but she was doing 20 knots earlier then she was down to 18.5 later this evening. But would 1 to 2 knots really make that much of a difference??? I dont know though how fast a knot is though? lol! She did go to Ketchikan on this trip and will be the next trip but after that Ketchikan has been cancelled throughout the summer months. It also looks like the Pacific Princess is out of the drydock and just off the Esquimalt Lagoon her destination says Vancouver.
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grk
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Post by grk on May 13, 2014 0:57:11 GMT -8
The ship has confirmed that they will repeat this evening's procedure next week. Rather than dropping the anchor (and thus incurring harbor fees) they will drift off the breakwater while paper work is completed ashore. For the remainder of the season, 18:30 arrival is scheduled, but apparently this optimistic.
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Koastal Karl
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Post by Koastal Karl on May 13, 2014 7:14:30 GMT -8
Well the rest of the cruises this summer are skipping Ketchikan and arriving in Victoria at 3:00pm till 11:00pm instead of 7:30pn to midnight!
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grk
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Post by grk on May 14, 2014 15:00:01 GMT -8
That would sure be good news for the passengers! So far no changes have been entered into the traffic system yet; but that does not have to occur until 48 hours prior to arriving in local waters. I'll watch the boards looking for that change.
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Koastal Karl
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Post by Koastal Karl on May 17, 2014 22:41:16 GMT -8
Looking at the cruise ships on Siitech it seems to me that certain routes like the Alaska Cruises the cruise ships seem to sail in packs as you would see with some animals, lol!
Right now the Golden Princess and Westerdam are side by side heading north out of Seattle along the West side of the island both are doing around 21 knots with the Golden Princess slightly in the lead. Also the Zuiderdam and Coral Princess are both heading north up Georgia Strait together nearing Little River Comox right now both out of Vancouver!
I remember on our 16 night Panama cruise from Seattle to Fort Lauderdale on the Infinity. Once we left San Diego we were convoying south with the Millennium and we were with her in every port and through the Panama Canal till about Colon and then she stopped somewhere in the Caribbean and we stopped somewhere else. I just think it's cool to see cruise ships travelling together and it's a really neat sight to see too!
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Koastal Karl
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Post by Koastal Karl on May 19, 2014 7:53:28 GMT -8
Hey Mike when you gonna take a cruise on one of those beauties??? lol!
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Post by Low Light Mike on May 19, 2014 8:07:32 GMT -8
Hey Mike when you gonna take a cruise on one of those beauties??? lol! We're getting a little bit closer, every year. Train trip is probably going to happen before a cruise trip, and both are sometime in the 2-6 years-from-now window.
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Koastal Karl
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Post by Koastal Karl on May 19, 2014 8:16:22 GMT -8
I think a cruise would be cheaper than a train trip. Everything is included on a cruise. I dont know about a train as I have never done a train trip before.
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Post by Low Light Mike on May 19, 2014 8:30:33 GMT -8
I think a cruise would be cheaper than a train trip. Everything is included on a cruise. I dont know about a train as I have never done a train trip before. I think a cruise is probably cheaper than a multi-day rail trip, especially Rocky Mountaineer. I'm not sure how a verandah suite on an Alaska cruise would compare to Silver-Leaf Rocky Mountaineer. (my 2 preferences) I could do the research now, but I'm not in a rush. But we don't need to stick only with what's cheapest.
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Post by Mike C on May 19, 2014 9:12:21 GMT -8
I think a cruise would be cheaper than a train trip. Everything is included on a cruise. I dont know about a train as I have never done a train trip before. I've done both, and I personally liked the train more than cruising. If you purchase a room or roomette, the food is included. While cruises definitely have more things to do, the scenery by rail is uncomparable, and it also promotes a more social atmopshere. Mike's right - it's not always about what's cheapest, but what provides the most value to you personally.
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Koastal Karl
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Post by Koastal Karl on May 19, 2014 9:12:40 GMT -8
Well that is fine if you have lots of money. When we go on cruises we get the cheaepest cabin which is an inside cabin. We can do more cruises that way if you go the cheapest way as we are not in our room a lot so that is all we need. Yeah a verandah suite would be nice but not affordable for us. The Alaska cruise is awesome. It's definately is a lot cheaper than taking the Alaska Ferry lol! But that is my preference as I love cruising but's not for everyone.
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Post by Low Light Mike on May 19, 2014 11:00:33 GMT -8
(housekeeping - I've moved today's "cruise vs. rail" discussion here) -------------
I did some research of cost comparison of 2 dream trips for me; which I hope to be able to do in the next few years:
Rail: Rocky Mountaineer's Vancouver-Calgary trip, in September, Silver-Leaf (mid grade) service: $3,340 for 2 people. - this is a 2 day trip, 1 night hotel included, and on-rail meals included (breakfast & lunch)
Cruise: Holland America's Volendam, in a verandah suite $4,524 for 2 people - this is a 7 day Alaska cruise, departing from Vancouver, up to Glacier Bay.
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Lest I be misunderstood here, these trips are expensive and would be in the "trip of a lifetime" category, not an every year occurrence.
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Post by WettCoast on May 19, 2014 14:46:50 GMT -8
I'll weigh in on this subject too. I am with the Mikes in that I am more partial to rail than the big ship ocean cruising. On the other hand, I am with Karl on going with the cheap cabins. I too spend little time there except to sleep, shower, etc. Save your money so as to allow for decent shore excursions.
I would love to do the Rocky Mountaineer such as the trip Mr. Horn mentions. I would like even more to do the RCP but that is 'ouch expensive' (unaffordable for someone with less income than Bill Gates) & trips are not being offered at all currently.
As far as ocean cruising goes another trip is a long ways off for me; perhaps when I am 70, in ten years & I am too old & feeble for other trip ideas. I would like to do another European river cruise such as what my wife & I did on the Rhone River (France) in the summer of 2012. On my bucket list is the 2-week Rhine & Danube cruise which I believe would cost us in excess of $5000 CAD per person.
I am not inclined to do another Alaska cruise. What you see from the ship is not all that much different (for the most part) than what I can see during everyday life in BC. Contrary to what Karl said the 'up front' cost of an Alaskan cruise is not really 'all inclusive'. You can expect to spend 50% over & above the up front cost paying for shore excursions, drinks with your meals, on board purchases, etc. All those things are optional but port stops will be very tedious without doing shore excursions (just browse cruise ship owned jewellery stores?).
I was disappointed by the fact that my ship spent most of the time during daylight hours in port hence we didn't see as much Alaskan/BC scenery as I would have liked. The cruise ship companies (e.g. Carnival Corp) want to deliver you each morning to another shopping opportunity where you can part with more of your money which will find its way back to the cruise companies.
I was less than pleased with the routing of the ships to & from Alaska. Seattle-based ships send you both ways via the west coast of Vancouver Island & the middle of Hecate Strait. There is hardly anything to see. Vancouver-based ships at least take you north up through Georgia Strait, etc, before hooking into the middle of Hecate Strait. Travel ought to be via the Inside Passage all the way, which is lovely. Mr. Horn, my advice to you is to avoid any cruise ship itinerary that does not do the Inside Passage. I understand that Disney cruises stays in the Inside Passage.
Last but not least, If I was to do another Alaska cruise it would not be on the Volendam, or for that matter, any other HAL ship. No, I don't have a grudge against them; my trip last year was not a negative experience. I would probably opt to go with Royal Caribbean just because their vessels seem more appealing to me, or maybe even Disney (are they crawling with small children, though?).
Another ocean cruise for me will likely be somewhere far away from the west coast of Canada & Alaska, somewhere tropical just maybe.
Just my nickel's worth...
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grk
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Post by grk on May 19, 2014 15:25:02 GMT -8
This summer all Holland America ships use portions of the Inside Passage as far as Prince Rupert,northbound. The others all sail Hecate Strait.
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grk
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Post by grk on May 19, 2014 16:04:40 GMT -8
Alaska cruises do not have to be expensive! At present, Holland is selling 7 day round trips for just under $400. Two summers ago I sailed on Zuiderdam for $599 with a balcony, booking about a month in advance taking advantage of sell offs seen on "Best Bets" on the 18:00 evening news. As for Rocky Mountaineer, I did the eastbound several Septembers ago, in Gold Leaf. While it was awesome, I have enjoyed VIA's Canadian almost as much taking this train to Toronto each January for the last several years. It does lack the CP Rail route which is superior through the Selkirks and Rockies. The dome makes the difference on both rail lines. Silver Leaf was not on the market then, but a stroll through Red Leaf made me very glad I opted for the dome experience. Cheap cruises can be found on "Vacatons to Go" then select the "90 Day Ticker", and scan the Alaska listings.
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Post by Scott on May 19, 2014 21:31:56 GMT -8
Figured I'd chime in with my opinion based on recent experiences. You can do either train or cruise cheaply. Personally, I'm with Mike and would rather have a verandah on a cruise ship. Sure there are lots of places to sit out on deck and lots of activities, but nothing beats being able to walk out of your room and enjoy the view or fresh air without putting your shoes or getting out of your pajamas! I've only sailed once, on Holland America, and I've heard their rooms and balconies are a bit larger than norm, so perhaps that influences my opinion.
It's hard to make price comparisons. You can get good deals on cruises, but a regular priced cruise can be high and like Jim pointed out, get even more expensive once the cruise has started. VIA Rail is quite expensive, especially when you get into the sleeper class, although all your meals are included in that. Amtrak, I've found, is quite a lot cheaper. You could do a round trip from San Francisco to Chicago, for instance, for less than one way from Vancouver to Toronto. Since our three-stage trip to California, I've been "planning" (more like "dreaming") my next Amtrak trip. Sleeper class is quite affordable when you consider your meals are included. The only downside I found with train travel, is that after a couple days it starts feeling "long". You can't get up and walk around like on a cruise ship and the station stops are usually too short for anything more than stretching your legs. The views are awesome though... always something to look at and often-changing scenery.
- John H
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grk
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Post by grk on May 24, 2014 3:05:09 GMT -8
I see that Celebrity Millennium and Century, along with Disney Wonder have amended their voyage plans to now sail the inside passage as far as Prince Rupert for the remainder of May, June and July. August and September remain Hecate Strait.
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Koastal Karl
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Post by Koastal Karl on Sept 1, 2014 10:39:22 GMT -8
Does anyone know much about the Jones Act??? I am on a Facebook page specifically for our cruise in three weeks for people to meet and chat. One person was staying that they tried to book the cruise before our Hawaii cruise but had to cancel cause apparently your not allowed to book back to back cruises??? The two cruises both start and end in different countries. The Alaska starts in Seattle ends in Vancouver which they wanted to do then the following cruise starts in Vancouver and ends in LA after Hawaii. They werent allowed to do that. I am just interested in the reasoning for this if anyone knows???
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Post by Starsteward on Sept 1, 2014 10:56:13 GMT -8
The first 2 cruises are fine as you state. Both starting or ending in Canadian or American ports. You're a bit confusing when you say: "and ends in LA after Hawaii. What's the port of departure for the Hawaii cruise? There shouldn't be a problem booking back to back cruises, as long as the arrival from one cruise isn't in Canada and the start of another one is also in Canada but finishing in an American port. It's the Hawaii portion that needs a bit of clarification.
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Koastal Karl
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Post by Koastal Karl on Sept 1, 2014 11:28:07 GMT -8
The cruises I am talking about are the 8 night Alaska from Seattle to Vancouver then the 16 night Vancouver to Hawaii which are the two cruises this person tried to book. They are doing the Hawaii cruise but they just couldent book the cruise before for some reason which would make two back to back cruises. The Hawaii cruise starts in Vancouver and ends in LA! It seems kinda stupid!
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Post by northwesterner on Sept 1, 2014 11:30:04 GMT -8
The first 2 cruises are fine as you state. Both starting or ending in Canadian or American ports. You're a bit confusing when you say: "and ends in LA after Hawaii. What's the port of departure for the Hawaii cruise? There shouldn't be a problem booking back to back cruises, as long as the arrival from one cruise isn't in Canada and the start of another one is also in Canada but finishing in an American port. It's the Hawaii portion that needs a bit of clarification. That's exactly the problem. The guests in question wanted to do back to back the following itinerary ... Seattle -> Alaska -> Vancouver (Alaska Cruise ends... stay on board for back to back) Vancouver -> Hawaii -> LA (disembark). I did a little poking around, and while the cruise line may be saying this is due to the Jones Act, they may be taking the easy way out. It is illegal to be transported between two points in the United States via a foreign country (and on a foreign carrier). For instance ... I cannot fly Seattle - Toronto - New York on Air Canada. That violates international rules of cabotage. The more typical one where passengers (and airlines) get tripped up is to a US territory in the Pacific. For instance Seattle-Seoul-Saipan on Korea Airlines is not bookable. But Seattle-Tokyo-Saipan (on Delta) is.
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Koastal Karl
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Post by Koastal Karl on Sept 1, 2014 11:52:20 GMT -8
Well I dont know if they wanted to stay onboard. If you had to get off anyways and check in again for the next cruise why couldent you do that?? I would think that would be okay??
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grk
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Post by grk on Sept 1, 2014 13:58:40 GMT -8
The Passenger Services Act/Jones Acts would not look at these as 2 voyages but just as just one as no distant foreign port was visited; with boarding in American and disembarking in America (Seattle to Honolulu), whether or not they chose to go ashore in Vancouver. Vancouver and Victoria are not classified as "a distant foreign port". For voyages sailing from and returning to the same American port on a foreign flagged vessel, it must make a stop in a "local" foreign port. It is because of these same regulations that cruise ship stop in Victoria, not because they want to, but because they legally must visit a foreign port of call. The Hawaii cruises out of California all stop in Ensenada Mecico; the US Virgin Islands/Puerto Rico cruise stop in St Martin, Grand Turks or Bahamas; and the Alaskan trips stop in Victoria.
These regulation were not meant specifically for passenger transportation, but are protectionist legislation for the American Merchant shipping companies and crew. Without these laws you would find the much cheaper Asian fleets moving good to Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico from mainland America. As it is now, all ships doing that must be built in the US, registered in the US, crewed by Americans, and the companies registered in the US for taxation purposes.
Cruise lines are very actively lobbying to have the cruise industry exempted from these regulations, and that would spell the end of the cruise business in Victoria and Vancouver. Most of Vancouver's departures are one way to or from Anchorage as these can not utilize Seattle. Vancouver would be left with a few ships doing round trip rotations. Victoria would probably not see a single call!
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Koastal Karl
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Post by Koastal Karl on Sept 15, 2014 18:11:36 GMT -8
We will be leaving on our 16 night cruise to Hawaii Thursday on the Carnival Miracle out of Vancouver to Hawaii ending in LA. I cant say enough how bad we need this vacation. We have a total of 10 sea days on this cruise. 5 there and 5 back plus 6 days in Hawaii. If we depart Vancouver at 5pm how long would it take to reach the open pacific by Neah Bay WA?? Just curious! We are so looking forward to the sea days for relaxing as we are gonna be busy when we are in Hawaii touring around.
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