stevenr597

Noroviruses and Covid occur on cruise ships and hotels. The difference with a hotel is that an individual who is sick, can check out and leave. On a cruise ship, the individual cannot leave and the ship must work and work hard to prevent further spread of the infection. My wife and I usually try to eat in the dining room, sad to say, a small, but significant minority do not obey rules and regulations in the buffet leading to contamination.

"Ships can hold their sewage until returning to shore. They have “marine sanitation farms,” which treat the water part of the waste so it can be released into the ocean. Solid waste is held in storage tanks with aerobic bacteria, which begins digesting it while waiting for the return to port." P.S. Nobody is denying that cruise ships do dump waste into the ocean. But...they do process waste which is why one may smell the odor of garbage at various time in various sections of the ship on any given day. But a modern cruise ship does try to process such waste and yes, they do return some of this sewage back to port.

That an my observations. Do you have statements from the cruise line that they do not pump sludge and other wasteproducts out to a barge for recycling and disposal at the end of a cruise. That they dump all waste at sea. Hmmmmmmmm.....

Of course I was not going to ask a crew member for his qualifications in regards to a barge along side our ship with pipes running from the ship into the barge with the smell of sewage coming from the barge. Next time I witness this, I will be sure to ask his qualifications and take a photograph of both the crewman and the barge for your inspection. 🤣

From a description of how RCCL handles waste on the Symphony of the Seas, “ All the wastewater onboard is collected and absolutely nothing goes overboard unless it is first run through a treatment plant.

Suggest you re-read my statements again. I said that we had detected on several occasions an odor from the ship from time to time. We were told that this was due to reprocessing of waste. That cruise ships no longer had the ability to simply dump waste at sea, that they are treated. In addition, we were told and we did observe cruise ships pumping waste into barges at the start of the cruise from the previous voyage. This was confirmed to us by the crew. Stand by my comments.

I have never said that cruise ships do not dump waste at sea. However, I also stand by my statement that, on several occasions, while boarding our cruise ship, we have seen a barge with a foul odor next to and hooked up to the ship. We have asked the crew and were told that it is to recycle waste from the previous cruise. This is not to be confused with a barge refueling the ship with fuel. Suggest you re-read my comments.

I thought that all the cruise lines, for quite some time, charged less if you let them select your cabin. After all, at times, until boarding, one does not know where they are going to be located or even if they will have an upwards bump up in class if they let the cruise line select for them.

"Ships can hold their sewage until returning to shore. Solid waste is held in storage tanks with aerobic bacteria, which begins digesting it while waiting for the return to port." Popular Science

I am….but thanks for your comment, it has been received in the spirit it has been given.

We have notice from time to time, the odor of sewage in certain areas of the ship on Carnival, RCCL, Celebrity and Princess. I believe it is from the ship having to hold and store sewage. They no longer have the ability to simply dump it at sea. Sometimes, one will notice it when the ship is in dock and a barge is next to it, pumping out the sewage.

Both lines are more alike than different. We have sailed both extensively. We do prefer Princess, that is just a matter of choice. Can't go wrong with either of them.

Have been to Alaska in June with great weather and to Alaska in July in which we did have cooler temperatures due to a lot of rain. September has its pro's and cons. Less people so tourist attractions will not be as croweded, but some like the White Star Railroad may be closed. Weather will probably be colder, but one may get a chance to see the Northern Lights. Cost of cruise should also be less.

In the old days we used to have to pack an extra suitcase for my Tuxedo and my wife's long evening gown which we worse once or perhaps twice. Not a real problem when we could drive to the port, but in today's world with limitation on how many piece of luggage you can take without the "surcharge" I simple take a Blazer with a nice pair of pants to wear. My wife packs a stylish dress.

In Miami as well as in other restaurants in Florida they are beginning to adopt the European Custom of automatically adding a tip. They have done this at the Breaker's Hotel in Palm Beach. The Up-charge for a room should be separate for any gratuity, unless the cruise line specifies it is included. I have noticed some decrease in the quality of the cruise for the past several years which was accelerated by the Pandemic. We have experienced this on Princess, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. In fact, we were disappointed with a recent cruise we took on Celebrity Reflection. In respect to Oceania we have never cruised that line, but I have talked to individuals who state that the quality has also declined. We did cruise Azamara several years ago and it was one of our best trips we ever made; but since then, Azamara has been sold to a private venture group and Travel Agents have suggested that we wait and see until this works out. I personally believe that Princess still has the "best bang for the money", but that is my opinion.

Part of the cost of the up-charge is due to the fact that the Mini-suite is in the central area of the ship, and these rooms have always been more costly.

Have to disagree with you. The upcharge for Club Class goes to Princess and Carnival Corporation. The gratuity that you either pay either automatically, or by a "tip" at the end of the cruise is independent of this upcharge. Certainly, it is one's personal decision as to whether they wish to tip the crew, especially the waiter, bus boys, and room steward which is indeed a significant part of their salary. When one enters a restaurant, in most cases the tip or gratuity is voluntary. One could argue that if you go to a more expensive restaurant would you decide that a tip is not required because the increase in prices automatically covers the tip?

We have PreScreen, Global Entry and in fact Clear. We think it was money well spent.

I don’t believe. It is “hatred and bitterness”. The decision to tip or add a gratuity is a decision that each individual who cruises can decide to make. The question was whether the additional charge for Club Class should be regarded as a gratuity and if so, then the individual has the “right” to delete their automatic gratuity and not to tip at all. The problem as stated many times is that the Uncharge for a Superior Balcony, Mini-suite, Suite goes to Princess as added profits, not to the individual steward, bus-boy or waiter bar-tender, that works long and hard to make one’s cruise “special.” These individuals depend on gratuities and tips as their salaries. Hence if one decides not to tip, either by opting out of the automatic system, and not providing a tip at the end of the cruise it is their right. However, they should not believe that because they selected Club Class the cruise line will add a gratuity to the individuals mentioned automatically. Personally we take part in the automatic system, and if we decide that an individual has delivered superior service, we give them “a little bit extra” at the end of the cruise and in addition, make sure to notify the cruise line of the specific individual or individuals.

I believe that the individual is voicing an opinion that the up-charge for Club Class should be considered a gratuity for the crew and hence, one could then reduce the gratuity. Sort of like saying if one trades up for a Suite the added up-charge could be viewed as a gratuity to the crew. I do not believe that this is the case. Up-charge for Club Class, or for an elevation of class does not go to the crew, but rather to the cruise line. The crew, depends on tipping for most of their salary.

Certainly the individual in question has to the right to decide what, and if he will leave a gratuity. But when one posts his thoughts and ideas, he or she should not be surprised if one replies to their comments. I believe that is the purpose of “The Boards” to have a free and fair expression of ideas. I still stand behind my comment that many of the crew including your room stewards, and waiters depend upon gratuities or tips to provide them with income, much of which is often sent home to support their families in far-away countries. When one decides not to “tip”, one doesn’t really hurt the cruise lines, but rather the individuals who are working hard to make your trip enjoyable.

We book Club Class. This has enabled us to have a "happy hour" then go to a show, then eat dinner.

Actually not. Any upcharge is going to Princess and Carnival Corporation. The crew depends on the vast portion of their earnings from tips and gratuities. By reducing your gratuity, you are taking away from the crew which is working long hours to make your cruise enjoyable.

Our experience in Club Class is that we often got an extra dish prepared just for members of Club Class. We had little wait and could decide when we wanted to eat dinner. In addition, we usually got a superior table, in most instances close to a window. Service seemed to be superior.

I believe that you are paying Princess for the upgrade to Club Class. However, your daily gratuity is tipping the crew for a variety of services. I certainly would not reduce the daily gratuity, in fact, I usually give something extra to selected staff for superior service at the end of the cruise.