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SelectSys

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  1. Yes, I know your feelings about the tool. It is definitely not the best. I have been able to get it to work, but it is hard to control as it continuously tries to replan thigs that are already set. Thanks, I will take a look at this tool.
  2. All in all I think the vloggers provide a decent service to the cruising community at large and can be helpful to those planning travel. I look not only at cruise content, but content for air travel and general destination information as well. In the Ben and David case, my understanding is that MSC has asked them to help develop guidelines for future filming by vloggers on board their ships. I think this looks like a win-win for both Ben and David as well as MSC. At least in the cruise business, the impact of social media must be material. I find it interesting that MSC, which is a multi-billion euro enterprise, didn't dismiss Ben and David out of hand as their online presence yields influence and vloggers must help drive MSC business in a material way.
  3. Okay - I guess you just need to bet that a ticket will be available around the time you need it. My hope is to have as many real dates and flights locked in as I have seen using the online planning tool that not all flights have RTW space available. Thanks again for all your good information.
  4. Thanks again for all your good information on this subject. Like @happy cruzer, your information has triggered me to start planning the planning process for a OW RTW ticket. One struggle that I am having is how to plan for flights beyond what is visible in reservation system's schedule? I have been researching a ticket initiating in Tokyo in the fall and the tail end of the trip falls off what is currently visible schedule in 2025.
  5. Have you ever been to Bar Andaluz? It's worth a visit if you haven't been and the margaritas there are quite good as well.
  6. Not really although I have seen her speak a little on TV. I guess those people on the segment spent beyond their means at some point to get themselves into trouble. The one financial advice book I read a long time ago had at its core the premise to live below your means and everything will turn out okay. Obviously, not everyone believes in that strategy and they end up providing entertaining content for the Suze Orman show.
  7. Amen to that. I guess it's just part of their business model. If memory serves me correctly, I think they also pocket those fees when you try and change the date of a non refundable ticket.
  8. I believe just about everyone on this board is most likely very rich in an absolute sense compared to the world at large. Even though I don't really know how the underlying data was collected, I welcome everyone on the board to try the calculator at the link below to get an rough-order idea as to where you might fit in globally: https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/how-rich-am-i
  9. Ok, I said it was simply person's claim.
  10. Define well and by which standards? You do realize that the whole cruise and shipping industry "exploits" wage differences between various parts of the world to deliver their services? Filipino deck hands and cabin stewards have different ideas as to what it means to be paid well {i.e., take the job) in comparison to people working in the US, UK, Canada, etc. I agree that everyone on the ship's crew should eat well and healthily. Amazingly, in looking a bit about this issue on line, I have seen anecdotal information that scurvy is a possible issue in some crew member diets on very long contracts. I am actually 100% in agreement with this statement even though we likely disagree on how and what to change. However, that would venture into politics so I'll pass on saying more. Regardless the refrain from the popular Talking Heads song, "Once in a Lifetime" seems apropos: "Same as it ever was, same as it ever was Same as it ever was, same as it ever was Same as it ever was, same as it ever was Same as it ever was, same as it ever was"
  11. It actually doesn't have to exist. Other means of distribution and advancement exist although they tend to be less efficient and eventually lead to decay.
  12. Worthy? What do you mean? As a human or as an employee? Do you see any difference? Does it bother you that the ship's officers are compensated more and have better living conditions than most of the crew? You certainly can exercise free will and not book any more cruises if you like.
  13. Everything in life involving some form of commerce tends to have one group subsidizing another. The most basic example, albeit dying, of this is a postal stamp. It doesn't matter how far the underlying letter goes, the price of the stamp is the same even the costs too deliver the letter change on where it is going. Personally, I am happy to know that people who gamble and drink help keep my base cruise fare low. Is it fair that drinkers and gamblers subsidize me? I think so as everyone onboard is there by choice and is free to do as they please - passengers and crew alike. BTW - Maybe on luxury lines people can eat 2 48oz steaks at no additional charge. I can attest this is not the case on a mass market line
  14. According to the link below, the amount spent per day feeding the crew is only 1/3 that of the passengers. https://crew-center.com/economics-food-aboard-cruise-ships#:~:text=While passengers may receive a,affordable%2C food to crew members. "Daily Cost of Food (DCF) To appreciate the disparity in food quality, it is crucial to understand the concept of the Daily Cost of Food. Both passengers and crew members receive a daily allowance for food and beverages. For example, on an all-inclusive cruise I worked on, each passenger was allocated a daily allowance of $1.34 for alcoholic beverages. This means that, on average, each passenger should consume alcoholic beverages worth approximately $1.34 per day. As one might imagine, some passengers exceed this limit, while others consume less or none at all. When averaged across all passengers, the allowance hovers around $1.34. This principle applies not only to passenger food but also to crew food. However, the significant difference lies in the daily cost of food for crew, which is notably lower. While passengers may receive a daily allowance of $12-$15, crew members are typically granted only $5 per day."
  15. And now you know one of the key reasons why most of the crew isn't generally permitted to dine in the passenger venues regardless of line - money. Potential crowding of passenger spaces is another reason too.
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