JRG

As for the funnel repair. This looked like a sheet metal job all the way. I was born with a Tinsnip in my hand and if you tell me haven't heard of one in decades you might be correct. A Solid Union Sheetmetal Foreman with a solid crew and a handful of journeymen (greenhorns to you) could have knocked this job our in 72hours if they didn't have to deal with the red-tape. Sheetmetal Union workers don't put up with alot of wasted baloney and they are not scared of the heights of the scaffolds. On a scale of 1 to 10 this is a 3-4, for a good Sheetmetal Man. "We get up early and we work all day, Get the job done and we like to play" "All Night Long....All Night Long"

As a continuance, you have the added complexity of like-kind accounting exchanges. And this is a very very complicated type of business transaction that very few CPA's even get a chance to deal with so it is far, far more compicated than you know. People can associate alot of common misconceptions when you used mortgage in this context, so yes, precision in language is preferred. We call it being brief and concise.

Its a longshot, but I would add ScrapOrSell to the horse race (what caused the fire) I'm going to set the morning line odds at 25 to 1. It's a longshot but it belongs in the race.

Not true JRG, DaVinci did not work on the Sistine Chapel, Michaelango did, but we know that he spent alot of time in the Vatican, and he must have seen some of the artifacts or writings that may have been censored by the church, no way to be sure. Could he have found something from prior civilizations that gave him insight perhaps and if we look carefully we might find some clue in the Biblical works, like the Last Supper. He was smarter than the average bear that's for sure, but did he have an advantage over other contemporary artists because of his other commissioned works, specifically for military purposes. but alas, I regress. The Sistine Chapel did not disappoint me on my bucket list.

Well said. Even if you don't like Vegas and are only driving thru, you still have to eat. So get off on Tropicana and have a Holsteins burger and fries and chocolate shake and get back on the road... ....in about half an hour, you will realize that you are missing some of the best non-gambling and foodie stuff around so you turnaround and go back jack and do it again, like the song says. We saw Steeley Dan in one their final shows so sometimes you get lucky with who's in town too. I like hanging out at the Bellagio Race book because you don't have to bet 3 times a minute, you can sit down and enjoy your favorite beverage (with a mininum bet usually $20) and you can peoplewatch while the slot machine players have their pulls and you really only have to bet once every 30 minutes or so.

Oops, then it would be too far to roll a bag up to LB. My bad. Thank you for pointing that out quickly. Probably end up last in the Amazing Race too. Good thing I'm not driving the ship.

I'll second everything said here and add what we do as we live fairly locally. If you are traveling light enough and have the kind of energy that people on the Amazing Race have, then this may work for you. When you dis-embark from leg 1, you can roll your bag across the street (Front St.) and catch the Silver Line J which is an express Metro bus which will get you to downtown LA in about an hour, traveling along the Figueroa corridor. It used to be $2.00 pp but with inflation it is now probably $2.50pp but it is the Greatest Deal on Earth as far as getting in and out of the Port of L.A. That means that you can choose from alot more hotels along the corridor and maybe catch a special but more importantly, you will be able to eat at places like Olvera Street (authentic LA pueblo/mex) or something like Phillippe's roast beef sandwich down the street. Better still, you are connected to the Metro so you can get to most common places that you've seen on TV or the movies safely, (for a day pass price) or even end up in Griffith Park staring up at the Hollywood Sign. That's probably a reach but this is LA and nobody walks in LA unless you are using the Metro or you are making a video for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. On the way back you can stop at Tommy's on Beverly and Rampart for the best Chili-burger in the world. By that time, you may not even need a hotel as it might be morning and you could wait out at a nearby park and get their early to be the first ones there and that's good if your playing the Amazing Race because you will not be eliminated from the games. My point is, this is the affordable way to see LA on a stayover and get in and out of the Port really easily. Check the bus schedules to be sure

Now please don't think this post went unnoticed. I noticed it. It's a longshot but there is some substance to your logic. Gutsy call. If there is any movement or late money on this horse please let us know.

It's definitely more aerodynamic now, according to the latest pictures

Your post is really important so thank you. It's not always easy to share bad news of a cruise with the big HAL fanbase, but you are providing timely information on how things are right now to cruisers of all lines too. We were not booked on HAL for this years Med cruise to Venice and I'm glad we cancelled because now some of my fears are being confirmed. Hopefully it gets better soon but the part about getting on board and not getting food is a big one. The double-antigen test shuffle has a smell of profiteering too IMO.

And this is why we have little or no Art from the Spanish Inquisition? But back on topic....we were a little underwhelmed by the DaVinci Museum in Rome. It is one of those places where you may find alot of information, but little authenticity if you are looking for that. I liked it because it gave you some insight to the Codex libraries, specifically the Codex Leicester. Someday I'm hoping to find some time and see if there is anything about the Pyramids in there that Leonardo either missed or left our intentionally, when he was doing his work in the Sistine Chapel and other parts of the Vatican.

A very good write-up. This is one reason why I like Picasso very much, because his lifetime is so close to ours, we can grasp easier those historical elements that you speak of in the period pieces. I grew up next to the Blue Boy as a kid, who lived at the Huntington LIbrary, but I never sought to know much about the period he lived in, he was just 'famous' As I said a few posts before, we are into Bronze, (we have 1), but it is a Remington and you can touch and feel (and dust) it so it is more fun than a poster of the Mona Lisa. That's how my brain is wired as far as Art goes but I like the way you express it. Bravo! correction-----its is a replica Remington, it is not an original, it is a replica.

I can't believe its been 9 years and 1 pandemic since we've sailed Eclipse to Alaska so I'm sure alot has changed but. Have Fun and ask for the Goats Cheese Souffle ahead of time if you are so inclined (not the other cheese souffle though).

What a beautifully prepared review and trip report. Thank You

There were too many quotes and I wasn't sure. Its all hair splitting anyways. I just feel for the cruisers who have been cancelled and who are on the fringe because we know how that feels and to lose it because of a non-covid reason makes it that more difficult to not be frustrated. That is really the main concern here for me. I'm glad it looks like they are getting it fixed, but it is still a horse race to find out what the cause is. I'm tempted to have my man Mondo show us his work on my GT-R type exhaust because he is the one whole will explain why the leaky flange gasket theory doesn't make practical engineering sense. One does not mess with Mondo unless you have a good explanation.

And the fix won't just be an aluminum box over the pipes, as suggested in a premature evaluation. The Whale Tale Fin Stays.....Its part of the package.

Its shape as a funnel camouflaging an exhaust pipe or two is aerodynamic in its design but... When it is attached to a vessel the size of this ship and because of where it is located it does not perform an aerodynamic function. In other words, if it is attached to a dinghy or whaler, then one could theoretically para-sail over Bar Harbour or even Coronado Island (on a sunny day). I'm joking of course but you get the drift.

We all know that we get alot of great informaton from our on board engineers. The problem is that we also get some malarkey mixed in here and there, so we have to stay frosty and help them out when we can. for instance, there are some engineers who think the wing is aerodynamic. I say no chance it is aerodynamic yet the posting from the "real marine engineers" says something different. So I am telling you. Stay Frosty

I can't imagine anybody drilling down any farther than where this thread is, when it comes to understanding the funnels function. I think the previous posts say all there is to it. That being said, maybe we should think about what the actual cause of the fire was, while we wait for the results of the investigation...I think it may have started by one of the above. 1) a flying bird got lodged in the vent and ignited 2) grease from all the great Steaks carnival serves* 3) a mylar balloon got caught 4) some other UFO got stuck and ignited. I don't think it was the soot buildup itself that caught fire, because normally you can't ignite a soot pile with a blowtorch (don't try this a home) . So, it is more likely that something with a relatively low flashpoint got caught up in the wind and perhaps got caught in the tail and ignited. That is what I think. If it ends being a soot fire because of grease from the galley, its because Carnival serves up the best Steaks at sea and you can order them from the MDR for $20 and alot of Carnival regulars do this, so they do get more grease up their tail than the average cruiseline, IMO. You have to be an experienced cruiser to know that Carnival steaks are the best! My money is on the flying bird winning the race, with mylar balloon a close second and soot buildup getting the show dough.

Yes but you are really in the Pipe 5 x 5. One of our CC engineers was just discussing how a pickup truck with its tail-gate "down" displays more (or less) drag co-efficient vs a pickup truck with its tail-gate 'up' when they are being compared to underwater propulsion systems. It was a question of hydrodynamics vs aerodynamics, but we were only joking. IMO, the wing is decorative but camouflages the functional purpose of housing the exhaust. It is not for aerodynamics though. I like the story about Arison and he cashed it in bigtime because he created his Brand Identity with it, much like the Golden Arches did. Olay, Olay, Olay, Olay (repeat and fade)

@Chengpk you may be reading just a bit too much into the use of drydock vs wetdock, I get the jist of what the author is saying.... ....You just can't go in and pick up another smokestack (whale tail, funnel) from the shipyard, the burned out sections need to be scrapped and the surfaces that are contaminated need to be scrubbed and re-painted and the section needs to be re-fabricated. In this environment with labor and resource shortages it will take months and it will be out of commission for some time. That is going to be a big problem for the cruising pipeline and that is the big issue here.

There is alot going on in the background of the Mona Lisa, you just have to look for it, and its not just a fascination. p.s. For about $19.99 you can get a poster of both the Mona Lisa and Starry Night from Michaels or your local art store. I've owned both posters and framed them in a home theatre and this gave me a chance to study both in detail, not to mention the fact that they make great conversation pieces too. We've moved on though, now we're into Remingtons.

You don't know how right you are. If it helps passengers should make sure you emergency is within dr. hours too, and not a few minutes after the shift ends. Otherwise you may be left with a butterfy bandage and whatever is in the machine hanging on the wall outside the lower deck. We've been there and sadly, we were disappointed Thank you for your service though.

Yes it is. This was a great question by Daniel A and alot of cruisers may benefit from some good advice put forth. I love it when CC works this way

Well the big thing is that they aren't opening the MDR for breakfast, and this is forcing the entire herd into the Lido for lunch. (or something like that according to the initial post) It sounds like a crew resource issue underneath it all and that should get better. Hope Springs Eternal though (some say)!