Celebrity Apex…..cruise ship

[Neeves]

We have been for many cruises since and would probably have one booked now but the travel insurance costs almost more than the cruise.

Deaths at sea are not unknown, which s why their fridges are 6' deep. You would think cruise companies could be more accomodating and offer cheap funerals at sea as part of the package (after all they do allow weddings) - then wives could save on the insurance costs and you would be assured that your wake would be well attended.

Jonathan

 

[Neeves]

There is plenty of money to be made in effluent control from cruising ships - you just need a good prosecutor and keep AIS records, or a snitch.

Princess Cruises fined US$40 million for ‘magic pipe’ used to discharge oily waste

Jonathan

I was recently in Guadeloupe, and cruised to Les Iles des Saintes, which are quite small islands/

this smaller cruise ship anchored there for a day. I googled it - it is operated by the Ritz Carlton hotel chain. They call it a "yacht".

It's a 240 or so passenger ship, so small by cruise ship standards

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection

View attachment 192168

240 passenger, presumably,y a similar number of crew - didn't they hear what happened on the Titanic which had a dearth of lifeboats.

Jonathan

 

[Bouba]

and you would be assured that your wake would be well attended.

Jonathan

Is that where the term ´wake’ comes from ?

 

[Poignard]

Deaths at sea are not unknown, which s why their fridges are 6' deep. You would think cruise companies could be more accomodating and offer cheap funerals at sea as part of the package (after all they do allow weddings) - then wives could save on the insurance costs and you would be assured that your wake would be well attended.

Jonathan

The cruise ship I was an engineer in had a refrigerated morgue. I can't remember if it was 2 or 4 berth.

One old passenger died during dinner and was deftly and discreetly removed by the purse and a steward.

It was rumoured among the crew, who tend not to hold passengers in high regard, that his wife finished her dinner, and later tried to negotiate with the purse for a refund of part of her fare on the grounds that her late husband would not be consuming any more food and drink. She withdrew her request when the purser pointed out that the refrigeration plant for the morgue would have to be switched on, and that would consume electricity which she might have to be charged for.

 

[Stemar]

One old passenger died during dinner and was deftly and discreetly removed by the purse and a steward.

It was rumoured among the crew, who tend not to hold passengers in high regard, that his wife finished her dinner, and later tried to negotiate with the purse for a refund of part of her fare on the grounds that her late husband would not be consuming any more food and drink. She withdrew her request when the purser pointed out that the refrigeration plant for the morgue would have to be switched on, and that would consume electricity which she might have to be charged for.

Hmm, what did she sprinkle on his dinner?

 

[capnsensible]

I was recently in Guadeloupe, and cruised to Les Iles des Saintes, which are quite small islands/

this smaller cruise ship anchored there for a day. I googled it - it is operated by the Ritz Carlton hotel chain. They call it a "yacht".

It's a 240 or so passenger ship, so small by cruise ship standards

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection

View attachment 192168

It's fab to be there if any of the Star Clipper fleet are around. They often do a 'sail through' of the Saints will all sails up and show off strings of lights on. Lovely sight.

 

[Wansworth]

Hmm, what did she sprinkle on his dinner?

Perfect setting for an Agatha Christie tale……

 

[capnsensible]

There is plenty of money to be made in effluent control from cruising ships - you just need a good prosecutor and keep AIS records, or a snitch.

Princess Cruises fined US$40 million for ‘magic pipe’ used to discharge oily waste

Jonathan

240 passenger, presumably,y a similar number of crew - didn't they hear what happened on the Titanic which had a dearth of lifeboats.

Jonathan

Cruise ships clearly have to comply with SOLAS regulations regarding life saving equipment.

Pe4haps you overlooked the liferaft canisters visible in the picture. There will be the same number on the other side. The ships tenders, one of which you can see engaged in transfers are rated to carry an often large number of passengers. Which is why they are used as tenders when anchored off.

 

[Stemar]

Perfect setting for an Agatha Christie tale……

I'm reading one at the moment. Maybe that's why I thought of it.

 

[Neeves]

Cruise ships clearly have to comply with SOLAS regulations regarding life saving equipment.

Pe4haps you overlooked the liferaft canisters visible in the picture. There will be the same number on the other side. The ships tenders, one of which you can see engaged in transfers are rated to carry an often large number of passengers. Which is why they are used as tenders when anchored off.

I know about liferaft canisters but for a vessel charging their clients serious money and travelling to locations without serious recovery resources I'd expect most clients to be accommodated in tenders. I had noted the, small, tender on transfer duties and did also consider it would take a long time to move 240 passengers any distance to shore, for example Easter Island, Santorini. As you will be well aware one of the major grouses on cruise ships are the inevitable delays in moving passengers to and from shore at tender ports (many of which, the ports (like Easter Island), do not treat the passengers tenderly. Many cruise ships are the height of comfort - but the tenders are seriously basic.

But....cruise ships, like HM Naval vessels and the Titanic - they don't sink.

I'm sure the vessel complies with SOLAS, it would be unable to operate otherwise, but wonder if they have sacrificed tender space for a further 2 or 4 balconied cabins

Jonathan

 

[capnsensible]

I know about liferaft canisters but for a vessel charging their clients serious money and travelling to locations without serious recovery resources I'd expect most clients to be accommodated in tenders. I had noted the, small, tender on transfer duties and did also consider it would take a long time to move 240 passengers any distance to shore, for example Easter Island, Santorini. As you will be well aware one of the major grouses on cruise ships are the inevitable delays in moving passengers to and from shore at tender ports (many of which, the ports (like Easter Island), do not treat the passengers tenderly. Many cruise ships are the height of comfort - but the tenders are seriously basic.

But....cruise ships, like HM Naval vessels and the Titanic - they don't sink.

I'm sure the vessel complies with SOLAS, it would be unable to operate otherwise, but wonder if they have sacrificed tender space for a further 2 or 4 balconied cabins

Jonathan

I don't believe they don't know what they're doing......

 

[Neeves]

I don't believe they don't know what they're doing......

Of course they know what they are doing - its a commercial venture, making money. Tender ports are cheaper, no or lower, port fees. If its rough cancel the port and then 'steam' more slowly to the next port, saving money. If its really rough anchor up, cancel the next port - rather than bash into seas (its called taking the clients comfort into consideration)....etc. The magic pipe was a great scam - until it wasn't (as you imply - they knew exactly what they were doing) as would head office who would want justification for the expense).

As you know the biggest expense on a cruise ship is not food, entertainment - its fuel. Save fuel you gain Brownie points (though most of the time head office determines vessel speed, and hence fuel usage).

I'd summaries by saying its an unromantic business


But the clients are happy as they don't see it as that unromantic business (and certainly never knew, or know, of the magic pipe). They get the chance to visit Easter Island, Antarctica, Alaska, even the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, North Cape, Monaco, Suez and Panama Canals, lots of famous bridges and St Petersburg - that otherwise would stay on their bucket lists.

The critics and cynics have no romance or they have accumulated an inordinate amount of money to be able to visit my itinerary listed above other than by cruise ship.

Jonathan

 

[capnsensible]

In some med ports there is a lucrative business in renting local tenders to the cruise lines. In peak season there are often several at anchor most days.

 

[Laser310]

Cruise ships clearly have to comply with SOLAS regulations regarding life saving equipment.

Pe4haps you overlooked the liferaft canisters visible in the picture. There will be the same number on the other side. The ships tenders, one of which you can see engaged in transfers are rated to carry an often large number of passengers. Which is why they are used as tenders when anchored off.

They had two of those yellow tenders, but I think only launched one. I would think the ship would be eager to get everyone off, as it seems unlimited food and drink is included in the fare.

However, very few passengers went ashore - I think partly because there were occasional power outages in town the day the ship was while they worked on the cable to Guadeloupe, and shops couldn't sell anything when the power was out.

One evening, we had a lovely dinner in town, but when we finished, the proprietors were unable to process any form of payment, although they were able to remain open and serve food. We stopped by the next afternoon to settle up. I have to admit that I wondered if the table of about 10 from a currently unpopular country to the east of Europe did the same. Their bill was probably EUR 2500, at least, with the wines they were drinking - not an insignificant amount for a small business like this one. They were sailors, not mega-yachters, so I have hope that they returned.

 

[seeSimon]

Bouba's post (#10) set me wondering if any cruise liners are still being built in the UK.

View attachment 192105

Of course not...even the new isles of scilly ferry is being built overseas, Vietnam I believe.

However, fincantieri shipbuilders, in trieste is a world leader in this business.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

A friend of mine is a third officer on a cruise ship (Adora Magic City) doing trips out of Shanghai to Korea and Japan.

Couple of points she has told me about! First, NO contact between maritime crew and passengers. I know that because I considered taking a cruise so I could see her (no, not like that - she's the daughter of a friend of my late wife, and we and later I have always taken an interest in her career). She said that she wouldn't be allowed to see me.

Second, on Chinese cruise ships, gambling is where the money is!

 

[Chiara’s slave]

The maritime crew on Cunard boats certainly talk to passengers. That's quite an odd one. My daugher on law worked a couple of trips with Royal Caribbean. The only oddness there was quite funny. The passengers couldn’t be allowed to see her in her working gear, ie coveralls. So she’d have to change clothes to walk from one part of the ship to another. Female deck uniform was white skirt suit snd heels….

 

[AntarcticPilot]

The maritime crew on Cunard boats certainly talk to passengers. That's quite an odd one. My daugher on law worked a couple of trips with Royal Caribbean. The only oddness there was quite funny. The passengers couldn’t be allowed to see her in her working gear, ie coveralls. So she’d have to change clothes to walk from one part of the ship to another. Female deck uniform was white skirt suit snd heels….

On my friend's ships, it seems that there's a complete disconnect between the hotel side and the marine crew. Besides, I can't imagine her in a white skirt and definitely not heels! She's not at all that type. There's strong prejudice against women officers in Hong Kong and I think also in China; after qualifying she had some difficulty getting a job. But she likes working on cruise ships and I'm quite sure she wouldn't like it if she had to interact with passengers.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

On my friend's ships, it seems that there's a complete disconnect between the hotel side and the marine crew. Besides, I can't imagine her in a white skirt and definitely not heels! She's not at all that type. There's strong prejudice against women officers in Hong Kong and I think also in China; after qualifying she had some difficulty getting a job. But she likes working on cruise ships and I'm quite sure she wouldn't like it if she had to interact with passengers.

My DiL has a certain amount of social anxiety, I think. She prefers the bit where her small team fx the electrical gear to talking or orange Americans. She seems to have little difficulty in getting jobs, that was the strangest! She worked for P&O ferries til a few years ago, you know that story.