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Post by Ian on Mar 8, 2008 21:08:15 GMT -8
Does anyone have pics of the pacific buffet on the spirits. Also, why did BCF chose to put in sitka coffee lounges vs pacific buffets in the coastal class.
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Post by DENelson83 on Mar 8, 2008 22:37:50 GMT -8
The Coastal Celebration will have a Pacific Buffet. The Buffets are only offered on Swartz Bay-Tsawwassen, because route 1 is more heavily-used.
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Post by ruddernut on Sept 20, 2006 0:30:00 GMT -8
Why don't they drop the complementary coffee, pastry and newspaper, make them extra and drop admission a few dollars? Not everybody who wants to relax in a quiet and comfortable section wants to sip coffee, eat pastries and read a paper.
And how about they lend pillows and blankets for those who request them, like they do on airplanes?
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Post by Retrovision on Sept 20, 2006 0:52:15 GMT -8
I know I wouldn't pay just to access a lounge with inferior reclined seats and a pillow+blanket. I have, however, often noticed many 'suits' (buisness folk) utilizing the lounge, and am not surprised, as this is *the* ferry link for people working with the provincial government who don't wish to pay the exorbitant cost of the helijet helicopter service or the seaplanes. I personally use the SeaWest Lounge on occasion, and feel that I can narrowly get my full money's worth, when I want a relaxing start to a trip to the Island by having a secure place to leave my bag, access to as much Starbucks Coffee as I am in the mood for (if it's not hot, demand a fresh pot, as Starbucks has pulled their coffee from theatres, etc., for much less), a kick-start of carbs, numerous BC and national papers, and, most of all, no noisy kids, teenagers, or crowds. I wouldn't use the service if I wasn't given access to all of these features. ...Then again, like many of you, I also so happen to be an addict of good coffee; not that I consider the effects of the caffeine and antioxidants in coffee to be anything but beneficial, in moderation of course (it is widely accepted that most North Americans get the majority of their daily intake of antioxidants from coffee).
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Post by Low Light Mike on Sept 20, 2006 8:46:25 GMT -8
Is there a rule about cell-phone use in the Seawest Lounge? Cell-phone-zombies (ie. dead to in-person conversation / alive to electronic conversations) are a big ferry pet-peeve of mine in the general lounges (and in the rest of life too). I would hope that there would be some enforced rules about cell-phone use in the SeaWeed Lounge. www.boloji.com/workshop/012/ww12s.jpgCoastal Skier: Mr. Horn!!! you know better than to hotlink! shame on you!
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Post by Mac Write on Sept 20, 2006 13:53:05 GMT -8
I would use the SeaWest Lounge™ if they provided pop since I am not a coffee drinker (never touched and never will).Now add chairs that can go back to like 45º+ and it would make a nice place to catch up on some ZZZzzz's. Along with it being quiet and mellow in there.
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Post by Political Incorrectness on Sept 20, 2006 14:48:58 GMT -8
With the SeaWest lounge, I think that you should not be restricted to the area for the whole sailing to make your dollar worth it, but allow going in and out. Second, get better chairs, something that would be as comfortable as a buisness class on an airline or first class (something like on british airways comfortable) that recline back to create somewhat of a bed. How to get people up? Make sure someone has a megaphone ready when arriving.
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Post by ruddernut on Sept 20, 2006 16:40:46 GMT -8
With the SeaWest lounge, I think that you should not be restricted to the area for the whole sailing to make your dollar worth it, but allow going in and out. Like with a wristband, or just a hand held pass? If hand held pass, should more than one person be allowed to use the lounge with same pass, just as long as they're not in it at the same time? If so, then more reason to make the reading materials and refreshments extra, so multiple people don't just use the same pass to hoard them.
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Post by Political Incorrectness on Sept 20, 2006 16:49:16 GMT -8
Wrstband is impersonal to me IMHO. A pass I would consider is your receipt with your full name on it (first and last that is) and it should be non-transferable.
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Post by kylefossett on Sept 20, 2006 17:59:11 GMT -8
Wrstband is impersonal to me IMHO. A pass I would consider is your receipt with your full name on it (first and last that is) and it should be non-transferable. when i have used the lounge i have been told to hold on to my receipt for reentry if i had to go to the bathroom or something
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Post by Retrovision on Sept 20, 2006 19:16:43 GMT -8
Oh no, they don't let you goto the washroom once you've paid the fee, nor do they remember the faces of the few people who use the lounge or even let you back in once you've paid, they would never do such things that make it worth the money... ...when I want a relaxing start to a trip to the Island by having a secure place to leave my bag... Of course you can wander the ship and goto the washroom, etc. Although the seats do have a limited width, and only a few of them (the ones facing the stern) recline, they want to make this service as attractive to potential users as possible (if, and it's rare, they don't remember your face because of a change of staff, just use your reciept for re-entry), and will do much to help convince you to return to the lounge... Just remember to demand fresh coffee, as I have had to in the past.
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Post by Retrovision on Oct 7, 2006 13:18:01 GMT -8
The Spirit of Vancouver Island's SeaWest Lounge:
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Doug
Voyager
Lurking within...the car deck.
Posts: 2,213
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Post by Doug on Oct 7, 2006 14:18:42 GMT -8
Looks nice in there.
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Post by poeticlives on Oct 8, 2006 10:13:29 GMT -8
Important considerations:
The coffee, paper and passtry are tactical. To keep it quiet in there, they'll make you drink and eat. And I haven't met any people yet in my lifetime who are content to talk while reading unless they're reading to the semi-deaf, blind passenger next to them.
What would we do if we do if we could enter the Seawest Lounge for free or close, and didn't have the noise-eliminating measures affecting us?
We'd make noise. We're either kids or kids at heart here anyway.
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Post by Mac Write on Oct 8, 2006 21:27:35 GMT -8
Pop would shut mr up. But sadly they don't offer any pop.
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Koastal Karl
Voyager
Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
Posts: 7,747
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Post by Koastal Karl on Oct 8, 2006 21:47:51 GMT -8
You can get pop anywhere else on the ship. Most people dont drink pop in the mornings. There are plenty of other stuff to choose from.
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Post by ruddernut on Oct 8, 2006 21:54:42 GMT -8
If they're going to charge you for a drink anyways, pop should be available as an alternative.
Not everybody drinks coffee.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Oct 9, 2006 8:17:45 GMT -8
If they're going to charge you for a drink anyways, pop should be available as an alternative. Not everybody drinks coffee. Fancy bottled water, at least. I'd expect a variety of drink choices, not just coffee.....although I'd be drinking the coffee.
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Post by Mac Write on Oct 9, 2006 10:30:07 GMT -8
I don't drink Coffee/tea. Why should I have to by pop by the glass+pay for the SeaWest Lounge? The Buffet includes pop in the cost I can't see why the SeaWest Lounge doesn't.
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Koastal Karl
Voyager
Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
Posts: 7,747
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Post by Koastal Karl on Oct 9, 2006 11:23:10 GMT -8
I agree pop is unhealthy and you can get it in the vending machines/snack bar, Cafeteria and Buffet, so having no pop in the Seawest Lounge isent the end of world.
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Post by Mac Write on Oct 9, 2006 19:18:51 GMT -8
Well it stops me from using the SeaWest Lounge, and many others.
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Post by Retrovision on Oct 12, 2006 11:55:00 GMT -8
Well it stops me from using the SeaWest Lounge, and many others. I think that's an attitude of the average passenger that they're actually trying for. If they can run the lounge at a profit by targeting a specific market, then I doubt they'll change what works. In this case, if they added features that would make the lounge appeal to a wider market, they could easily alienate the the audience who they can actaully make the largest profit from by eliminating the key-appeals to the buisness-traveller such as quieter and fewer customers in the lounge.
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Post by Low Light Mike on Mar 19, 2008 18:20:59 GMT -8
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Post by Low Light Mike on Mar 19, 2008 18:38:16 GMT -8
And here's something that I found from this website: www.quiet.org/noiseletter/winter2008/page3.htmI think that I'll be visiting the SeaWest Lounge, the next time that I'm on a busy winter Friday-night Route-2 sailing on the Rennaissance.
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Post by ferryrider42 on Mar 19, 2008 18:45:24 GMT -8
I’m happy the staff member confronted the client. From my point of view, employees from all across Victoria / Vancouver are getting afraid to address situations like this. I partly blame the now common “client first” policies for this.
You can likely see how situations like this develop. An employee addresses a client, and the customer then goes and complains about a lack of courteous service to a manager; it becomes a classic “my word against his word situation”. So kudos to the person who took action.
Now, for what would make me use the Seawest-Lounge more would be complementary internet access. Instead of using the Seawest-Lounge to do computer work, I usually simply go to the Buffet and grab me a personal table; even if I don’t intend to eat anymore then the occasional desert. It’s typically just as quite, and stocked with pop ;D
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