TheMichael

Nice writeup. I've been both to Alaska and on the Discovery, although not both at the same time, and loved them both. The reason Victoria seems like an afterthought is that it kind of is - a cruise on a vessel under a foreign flag (the Discovery is Bermudan-flagged) that starts and ends in a US port must by law stop in a foreign port. So Victoria is basically an obligation. It's one of those nonsensical modern laws passed in (checks notes) 1886.

Was on the Emerald only weeks ago, and they were using the unsalted butter, which I was perfectly happy with (especially since it was ideal spreading temperature). I'm sure you could ask for salted if you desired it.

Listen, this was a web glitch. Not a rescinded "casino offer" nor some kind of promotion or (especially not) the website somehow recognizing that you had a rough financial issue on a previous cruise. Glitches happen all the time. Every website that sells something has had them. The FTC will tell you the same, as will any lawyer. You don't believe me or think I'm a "paid troll," go ask them. File it under "would have been nice if it happened." It didn't hurt to try, and if it turns out to be a glitch then oh well, life goes on. Really? I mean, really? Quite an insult to your fellow CC members who have given smart guidance here. Better that maybe don't believe you're somehow aggrieved in this situation - the savvy folks among us hopped on that glitch too, but the difference is that they knew there was a very good chance it wasn't real. I looked for that $0 deal myself, just in case I might "win the lottery" and end up with a free cruise, because we all would love a free cruise! If it hadn't already been fixed by the time I got to the site, I'd have taken the chance - but I understood it was just a chance, and I refuse to be a "victim" when that chance doesn't pan out.

Luxor is fairly unique in its issues (those pyramid rooms were not going to seem "luxury" for long, with the gaudy theming and saggy drapes and "inclinatiors" that became rather rickety very quickly. Once MGM bought the place, its position in the hierarchy was kind of set. However, it's a great budget-priced spot and the rooms are being (slowly) renovated. If you do the M Life Rewards it's cheap to eat at Diablo's, which is pretty damn good, and the walkway to Mandalay Bay means access to some great spots (Ri Ra!). I did once get upgraded to a tower suite where I couldn't tell if the primary scent was cleaning solution or cat pee, though.

I've seen where the BC legislature has tried to pass a law banning/limiting cruise ships in the Inside Passage, but so far that's been unsuccessful. Lots of ports can be somewhat dicey depending on conditions - especially tender ports. Another example is Puntarenas, Costa Rica, where the captain let us know that there's a fixed window where the ship can dock/leave based on the tide (pier runners beware 😀). This is definitely smelling a lot like HAL made a mistake when the sailing was initially planned. I get the feeling the crew were plotting the course according to instructions to take the route they took, only to have it brought to their attention too late that HAL promised the Inside Passage to the passengers. The fact that HAL is not showing future sailings of that cruise with an Inside Passage run also suggests the error may have been in promoting that in the first place.

On the Westerdam to Alaska in September we were asked on the first day whether we needed twice-a-day service. (When put that way, I wonder how many people say they don't even if they would prefer turn-down.)

I'd recommend using them on Planks and Steamers. We loved them both. (they're "pop-ups" at the back of the buffet - check the schedule to see which is open on which days). In my experience the Salty Dog Gastropub is kind of meh. Unfortunately the Emerald doesn't have a Gigi's/Alfredo's pizza/pasta place, which we love on other ships.

This part is kind of "cry me a river." We all suffered during the pandemic (well, except the tech companies, but they have their own related stuff to answer for). The cruise lines are continuing to take on debt, now to expand for the new customers and, as I discussed, are treating the current wave of record-breaking travel like a stream that will never dry up. Something to think about: if their stated changes are solely to make up for pandemic losses, their plan should be to immediately change things back once they've recouped the losses, right? Has anyone anywhere stated that? (Answer: of course not, because they're not going back.) This is one spot where we don't disagree too much, but then again, I like the simpler things in life. Give me a double shot of espresso, a deck chair facing the ocean, and a warm breeze in my hair (or a rainy sea day, seat by a window, and a lot more espresso) and I'm good. I can find something tasty in any dining venue, and anyone who can serve me with a smile is appreciated. I do see the cutbacks though. One cleaning per day means fewer stewards needed. Staffing at counters doesn't seem to be quite enough to handle all but quiet times (moreso on other lines than HAL, but the issue is industry-wide). And the upsell on HAL in particular seems to be especially aggressive (I've never felt so pressured to get studio photos - I could write a whole post on that).

Okay, thanks. I was going off HAL's future itineraries for the Japan-Alaska route, which all end in Vancouver. (Maybe that was the confusion, and possibly why they haven't scheduled one that ends in Seattle for the next couple of years?)

I'm sorry I didn't make the point more obvious - record revenues being made despite cutbacks in almost every area should have rung a bell, but I'll explain: You see, in business, normally cutbacks indicate a lack of profit from current customers. However, the tourism industry is currently enjoying record numbers of customers; business has never been so good. Yet even so, the industry is cutting back in every way possible while charging more. Immediate shareholder value over long-term goodwill. To elaborate further, IMO if history shows anything, it's that this will not end well for the industry, with people (especially Americans) putting much of their "revenge travel" on credit, and those being the customers who really didn't care about the cutbacks. The rest of us who travel regularly have already become more discerning, but it didn't matter while everyone else was buying up those hotel rooms and airplane seats and cruise ship cabins, making it a double whammy when the credit comes due and the YOLO money dries up.

I think the record profits being realized by the tourism industry in general suggest that any "recovery" is being made on the backs of travelers.

Going to agree with most others that 10% FCC is a more-than-generous bonus for this, especially, as others have also said, that the value of the inside passage vs. the west coast of Vancouver Island is debatable (with the sole exception that the western path can be much rougher when the weather is bad). Also, regardless what the Captain said (he may have been valiantly shouldering the blame), if it were a simple mistake on the crew's part, the guide would still have been booked far in advance and not unavailable. Such things are not spur-of-the-moment. Also (and this may have been covered, excuse if it has), it's odd that Victoria seems to have been a planned part of your itinerary - it isn't normally included on inside-passage runs that end in Vancouver. If it was part of the itinerary when you booked or in subsequent messages, that would perhaps be a clue that HAL actually (mistakenly) had the ship taking the westernmost route long before the crew were even certain. It's most likely that the captain didn't see HAL's error until the last minute...which might have been on him, I guess. Cruise lines don't give compensation when whole ports are missed, much less a slightly different route taken. Consider this a big win.

He sounds great. Are those entertainers exclusive to that lounge? Most of the lines I've been on will "cycle" entertainers between areas of the ship.

From what I understand it's basically background music - are they slipping in some rock or dance bands?

Thanks for the clarification. I'm still a RAV4-with-sunroof and Courtyard guy, though. 😀

In all fairness, this may not be the best place to look for "regular folks" traveling in inside staterooms, by the mere fact that CC is kind of a bastion of longtime/hardcore cruisers - for many, cruising is not an occasional treat, it's their primary leisure activity. Inside cabins aren't steerage. They're maintained to the same extent as the rest of the ship, they're just smaller and don't have windows. You can still get room service and have it cleaned every day. The bed is probably even similar to one you'd sleep on in a suite. There is zero shame in eating in the MDR or even the buffet - to most people's tastes the food can be really tasty (and you can send back anything that isn't, and try something else). The entertainment offered is the same for all passengers, as are excursions. Anyone can pay for spa services, but shipboard services are always more expensive for what you get than the average range on land. Luxury is what you make it - there are plenty of places to get away from the hordes on a ship, if that's what you wish, no special lounge required. And there are plenty of places on a ship to stand and watch the waves with the wind in your hair and a drink in your hand. There will always be a market for the Yacht Club, just like there's a market for Rolls Royces and Four Seasons hotels and Gucci and Chanel. I get it, but I have no desire for any of that, and wouldn't even if I won the lottery. My one "luxury" is the cheapest cabin I can get that has natural light of any kind. The GF and I realized recently that we hardly ever used a balcony when we've had one, so it's usually an oceanview. As such, there are certainly times I've felt like a bit of an outcast here - never been in more than a regular old balcony, eat in a specialty restaurant maybe twice per cruise at most, and enjoy just sitting at one of the bars people-watching (oh, the people-watching on a ship!). But on the ship itself, I've made friends and fun acquaintances (the opposite of "social outcast"), had more than my fill of great food and drink, and have seen sights and places I'll always remember. That's what life is about, whether you're in the bowels of the ship or in the seagoing equivalent of a penthouse.

$50 sounds more than fair for the inconvenience of having to be brought a second appetizer (complaining about encountering pot smokers should get you a tidy $0). I don't see the problem, those are things I'd just expect to mention so they can fix them, not in hopes of extorting a significant reward. Glad you're happier on Virgin (looking forward to trying it myself, have heard good things except for bed quality, which might be a dealbreaker if true). Personally though, leaving a cruise line that I was otherwise happy with for just those two things would effectively be cutting off my nose to spite my face.

Starbucks in specific has actually worked to change that (one of the positive things they've done - don't get me started on how they kneecapped their loyalty program). It used to be that I couldn't use a Starbucks card at an airport or grocery store or Vegas casino, but now they all take it and can even redeem rewards. And as said, the Princess FCD program is still great. Last cruise, we bought ours on the TV in our stateroom. 😀

Oh, the drama!

One day, I'm going to compile an anthology of "cruise thing happened/significant compensation must surely come of this" instances. Also, you can tell the Americans in the thread because they're the ones more concerned with lawsuits than how this would happen or updates on the people involved.

And it's all of those things (plus rent on a prime location, advertising, etc.) that make your city's "prime" steakhouse or upscale bistro so much more expensive than the 50-year-old hole-in-the-wall that nevertheless makes some tasty food. Speaking of which, you know what they say about averages: Take a bar full of bus drivers, add Bill Gates, and the average patron's net worth is hundreds of millions of dollars. The better meals on a ship cost much more than $15, while the deck pizza or mystery chicken at the buffet...

Weather is by far not the only reason - there could be: - Port issues (damage to a pier, striking dockworkers, bridge collapse in harbor) - Decision by the country/locality to reduce or not allow cruise ships (Bar Harbor and San Juan del Sur are two I can think of offhand) - Civil unrest or other unsafe public situations (Labadee) - Issues with the ship that cause it to miss its "window" For example, our recent Emerald Princess cruise from LA to Ft. Lauderdale through the Panama Canal had to miss San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, because authorities had banned cruise ships (and looking at past news stories, they have only allowed a small number since 2000). I see in CruiseMapper that port visits are scheduled again later this year, but that might also be tentative.

If there's one thing you find out from a cruise food thread, it's that everyone not only has different tastes, but also have different ideas of how things work. 😀 The bottom line for the OP is that it doesn't matter one iota whether it's the same kitchen if it's different food. On some ships the main galley serves more than one venue; on other ships it doesn't (in fact, on many ships you can see the buffet kitchen at work preparing various items). People "believe" grills don't get cleaned when they actually do (and that a flat-top grill that cooks both beef and chicken makes the beef somehow taste like chicken - I'd like to know how they believe that bit of chemistry works). People "believe" specialty dining isn't "worth it" - what even middling land-based steakhouse will serve you appy and soup/salad for $39 these days, much less the rest of the meal?. The one thing I'd both strongly agree and strongly disagree on is whether to eat some meals at the ports instead. Some ports have some amazing local food. If I was on a cruise around Japan I'd probably never eat on the ship at all. 😀 But in many ports, unless you know the area or have a trusted recommendation (not Yelp), the food can be bland, pedestrian, and downright disappointing enough to make you realize that "ship food" isn't so bad after all.

Comped balcony vs. comped obstructed balcony is not exactly a cruise-ruining difference, and if you think that’s bad, you should see how other lines move passengers around. As I said, taking a comp offer has virtually no downside if it turns out to have been in error. That point still stands. Anyone who gambles should understand the concept of +EV. And EV applies to pretty much every aspect of life. An “error offer” is the definition of +EV.

What is this concept of "over-consuming espresso" of which you speak? 😀 I think my recent cruise on the Emerald topped out at about 10 shots one day - always doubles. (At home my normal consumption is a full pot of strong, home-brewed coffee, so not far off.) My behavior always changes on vacation, whether on a ship or a plane/road trip. I drink a bit more, eat a bit more, and somehow both relax more AND adventure more. That's why they call it "vacation." Now, I'm not staying in 5-star hotels or drinking top-shelf, but I don't need those to enjoy myself, while I do enjoy trying a variety of food and getting an occasional slight buzz if I'm not driving.