Heidi13

On 4/30/2024 at 9:19 AM, DAG68 said:

Trying to decide between our FIRST Alaska Cruise for late May 2025 whether to cruise on Caribbean Sea or Viking Sea ?

We know we want to do Southbound but are curious as to recommendations on either ship pros and cons.

There is a large cost difference and the passenger capacity between both is significant!!

Appreciate any information to help us.

I used to work for Princess, having completed 2 Alaska seasons as navigator. However, you could not pay me now to suffer a Princess Cruise, since the standards have significantly eroded. However, you are not comparing apples to apples, as Princess is a mega ship mainstream cruise line, while Viking is a smaller vessel premium cruise line.

May I suggest you to need to determine your preferences for cruising, by developing a Statement of Requirements, and then conduct some research on which cruise line and itinerary best meets your needs.

On 4/28/2024 at 8:32 PM, thermal said:

I just finished reading about the Costa Concordia incident, and that the Captain is in jail.  My understanding is that he fell into a lifeboat and subsequently abandoned ship. 
 

On the other hand, I would find it hard to believe that in modern times the captain is expected to go down with the ship like in Titanic (please correct me if I’m wrong).  
 

So when is it appropriate for the captain to abandon ship?  Some kind of middle ground?  

There is no Maritime Law that expects the Master to go down with the vessel. In fact, the Master is responsible and accountable for the safety of the vessel, cargo and the entire ship's compliment, which includes the Master.

Being in overall Command and Control, the Master has a number of Senior Officers and Managers who manage individual components of the emergency response. Unless the Bridge is compromised, the best location for the Master is the Bridge. During an emergency, the Master is still responsible for navigating the vessel and collision avoidance. Tough tasks to perform from a position where you could "Fall" into a survival craft (lifeboat).

The Master has officers and ratings on the Bridge to assist with internal/external communications and propulsion control/navigation. He/she has other officers in charge of engineering, emergency response, preparing survival craft, mustering pax, etc. This is best accomplished from the Bridge, which has excellent communications, both internal and external.

Once the Master determines the situation warrants the mustering of pax to the Assembly Stations, he/she orders sounding the General Emergency Signal ( at least 7 short + 1 prolonged ring on the General Alarm). In the Concordia incident, I would have done this immediately after the grounding. If not already sounded, it SHOULD have been sounded immediately after the Master was advised of 3 compartments breeched. At that point the Master should have been looking for a safe area to beach the vessel.

With 4 compartments breached, if a safe beaching area was not available, it would have been prudent to immediately order the orderly movement of pax from the Assembly Stations to the Survival Craft. At that point, I would have issued the order to Abandon Ship, after discussing the situation with the Chief Engineer, to determine the resources he/she required to manage the flooding and resultant issues. All other crew would be released from Emergency Stations to Abandon Ship Stations.

At this point, the Master should remain on the Bridge, managing the evacuation through the designated Officers and Managers. The Master receives information regarding the status of mustering pax and crew members, so would be aware of any unaccounted for, and efforts being taken to locate. Once all pax are evacuated, they would commence with the remaining crew members, using any remaining lifeboats and liferafts. The Bridge should receive updated counts of those evacuated off the vessel.

As the evacuation of all less essential crew is complete, the Master would then have a call with the Chief Engineer to evacuate the machinery spaces and get all remaining crew to the liferafts. The Master may remain aboard with key Deck & Engineering Officers, if they have a reasonable chance of saving the vessel, otherwise the Master will be in the last raft with the logbook and other key documents.

On 4/29/2024 at 1:17 AM, Donald said:

Easy answer. The Captain (overall in command and completely responsible), and the Hotel Manager (responsible for evacuating all crew and pax) wait until all crew and pax are accounted for and evacuated.

Then they can leave the ship on one of the final boats or rafts.

 

On the Costa Concordia, three officers received prison sentences. The Hotel Manager received the longest sentence.

Only the Captain - or someone designated by him - can signal Abandon Ship. Under International Law, nobody can abandon ship until the Captain makes that command. On Concordia, everyone was waiting for the Captain to make the Command - but he was not onboard. The Hotel Manager was managing the evacuation, but could not send pax to the boats without the Masters Command.

When pax tried to go to the boats, the Hotel Manager sent them back to their cabins to wait for the Abandon Ship Command that never came. Those pax died in their cabins.

Yes, the Captain is clearly in overall command, but the Purser/Hotel Manager is not responsible for the evacuation of the crew and pax. The Purser/Hotel Manager directs the hotel crew responsible for mustering the pax, following the orders of the Master. In the event of an evacuation, the Survival Craft Stations are managed by an Officer, most likely a Deck Officer, but could be an Engineering Officer.

BTW - there is NO signal for abandon ship, it is a verbal command issued by the Master, or his/her designate. The Master will only issue the Abandon Ship Order, when the risk of remaining aboard the vessel exceeds the risk of abandoning the vessel. Lets also not forget, more people have been killed/seriously injured by Survival Craft than have been saved by them.

The biggest issue on Concordia, was the Master did not sound the General Emergency Signal to muster pax at the Assembly Stations, immediately after the grounding and especially after being advised the hull was breached.

On 5/1/2024 at 1:56 PM, HALrunner said:

Can anyone play devil's advocate for me as to why the PVSA/Jones Act should not be repealed? Does it provide any benefits to anyone involved? It seems like the cruise lines and fellow cruisers are only harmed by this antiquated law, I'm just wondering why it hasn't been repealed yet.

Further to the exceptional posts from our resident Chief Engineer, while not an American, I can provide examples from serving as a Master on Cabotage tonnage in Canadian Waters. Yes, we have similar Acts, as do most maritime nations.

As a Senior Master for many years, I have been provided hundreds of candidates to familiarise with the vessel and route navigation. All candidates had valid certificates of competency and were cleared to sail on any foreign-flagged vessel, up to the rank of their certification.

I have experienced numerous foreign-going Masters with many years of command experience, who I wouldn't even consider as my most junior officer - 3rd Officer. I recall a ULCC Master, who could not adapt to coastal navigation, as every time he saw another vessel he wanted to slow down. This was in waters over 1 mile wide, which we considered open ocean. If he could have been retrained, it would have taken many, many years, before he could be left on the Bridge alone as a junior watchkeeper. This individual could never accept our routine of navigating a narrow channel with 2 ninety degree turns and high tides at 20 kts. We did this 8 times per day.

All of my many rejects are operating FoC ships. Without the Cabotage Acts, these officers and Masters could be operating ships sailing in local coastal waters and harbours.

Are you prepared to accept the significant increase in accidents and the resultant coastal pollution to eliminate the Cabotage Acts. Based on my 30 + years sailing these waters, I most certainly am not in favour. 

3 hours ago, longterm said:

We will be arriving at Rosyth on July 14th on the BIE cruise. I have a question for the knowledgeable sailors on here:

 

According to Apple Maps, Rosyth dockyard is 30 minutes from the royal yacht Britannia. Two questions:

 

1. ls the Rosyth dockyard where Viking will most likely dock the ship, if the itinerary says Rosyth, or will we be farther away? 

 

2. Is it reasonable to assume that we can make the 15-mile journey from the Royal yacht to the Viking ship in a half hour, on a Sunday in Edinburgh?

 

Our ship departs at 5 PM, and I am trying to work out a safe schedule.

 

 Thanks!

In Rosyth, the ships docks on the north shore, after passing underneath both Forth Road Bridges and the Railway Bridge. The berth is just before the lock entrance to the basin.

If you are hiring a car, you should be able to drive to the RY at Leith in 1/2 hr. While I have driven the road many times, I have never looked for parking, so will need to rely on one of the locals to assist with availability of parking.

Rosyth has a train station at the north end of town, but it isn't on the main Aberdeen to London line, so I have no idea how many trains head to Edinburgh Waverly. North and South Queensferry are both on the mainline, so I expect have more trains stopping. I suggest checking the Network Rail site and checking which station has service when you want to head into Edinburgh. A taxi from the port to the station would be your best best, unless Viking has a shuttle. North Queensferry is closer, but the mainline express trains rarely stop there, probably only the local trains.

From Edinburgh Waverly Station, you can get a city bus outside the station down to Leith, which stops at the Royal Yacht. Depending on connections, should take 35 - 45 mins.

On 4/28/2024 at 11:21 AM, FetaCheese said:

@Heidi13

@chengkp75

Oceania Vista experienced a power outage 1 or 2 days ago, restored to 90% soon after.

 

Post is up thread.  They would like you to comment, if possible.

 

Ship is only about 1 year old.

 

Thank you.

Apologies for the delayed response.

Just read the post. With respect to the alarms sounded, I am not aware of the crew signals used by Oceania. Therefore, unable to comment on the 3 or 4 activations of the crew alarm, especially as it didn't specify short or prolonged. The sounding of the whistle is unusual, as that is most commonly used for manoeuvring signals and man overboard. However, as should be promulgated in the embarkation drill, pax should not be concerned with any of the crew signals, only the General Emergency Signal, which is at least 7 short rings followed by a prolonged ring. 

Without further information it would be impossible to speculate as the the reason for a power outage, especially without knowing the entire scope. Was it a total blackout or brown out? Since it was resolved quickly, I suspect it wasn't propulsion related and probably as the Captain mentioned, a failure in a single distribution panel.

On 4/17/2024 at 5:45 PM, Ninato8 said:

Are the medical facilities equipped with cardio version equipment. 

It can vary by cruise line, as in addition to having the equipment the ship's doctor must be qualified in giving the required sedation and using the equipment. However, most ships I have sailed, the medical centre has the shock machine, pads and the doctor was qualified.

11 hours ago, fellowtraveller said:

Those of us who are neither US nor European citizens face never ending visa issues,Cruise companies are no help and just say refer to Consulates, firstly  getting hold of anyone is near impossible and their answer is always the same  ‘“get a visa “

whilst prior to a cruise the Cruise Companies claim to know nothing yet at check in the ship knows very well what is required..I would seriously caution anyone taking repositioning or multiple country cruises,should consider the cost and hassle of these  endless visa issues for those that need them,

I wonder how long it will be before companies realize the huge market worldwide that is deterred from taking  cruises because of visa issues and start to help and simplify the problems, maybe start excluding counties and ports that are unable to be helpful.

Having both a Canadian & UK passports, I have experienced a multitude of Visa issues when booking World Cruises, or cruises in Asia, South America etc. Therefore, Visas are not just an issue for non Americans/Europeans.

You also need to consult your cruise contract, as every cruise line I have sailed with includes a clause that the onus to provide all required documentation is the sole responsibility of each pax. This sheds the liability from the cruise line, as having a vessel refused entry into a port due to Visa issues is extremely expensive. This is the primary reason liability of transferred to the pax. Cruise lines could make money providing a Visa service, but they could quickly lose more, in the event of an error.

In researching Visas, I use the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office website and the Canadian equivalent. They maintain a database of every country in the World, which is updated on a regular basis. These websites advise what, if any, Visa is required and any limitations. I then pick the passport which has the most favourable requirements. In addition, they provide extensive additional information relevant to tourists.

You may want to check your Govt's website to determine if they provide a similar service. The other option is contracting with a Visa procurement company, but they can be very expensive, and you still retain the liability of ensuring your documentation is correct prior to embarkation.

4 hours ago, JanR said:

Sorry I did not see this until now.  

 

I would humbly suggest that while we all can have different opinions based upon our own personal experiences, it is probably ill-advised to attribute the differences in these opinions based upon your perceived sense of "higher expectations."  

 

Fortunately, I am not offended as I know what my expectations of food are as we regularly seek out cuisine from all sorts of venues whether it is the hawker centers in Singapore, curry stands in India, fish markets in Korea, or our regular hunt for Michelin-starred restaurants in each city we visit. 

 

So I think that the better explanation to why we might differ on the food of a particular cruise line is not due to your superior food taste (which I am sure is exquisite), but perhaps that we have had different experiences and it is the difference in these experiences that form our opinion.

 

Did I think that the MSC Poesia's food was at the top of cruise line food?  No.  Did I believe that the food on the MSC Preziosa was worthy of commendation?  Yes . . . especially in the Yacht Club-only restaurant.  

 

But likewise, we found that the food on our recent Viking Sky was far below that on the MSC Poesia--especially its buffet which I would rank as the worse I've experienced on any cruise ship since the Pandemic.  Likewise, I was greatly disappointed with the food we had on our Oceania Regatta cruise and was shocked to discover that I had better steaks on the Poesia than we had on the 24 days on a ship from a line that touted they had the "finest cuisine at sea."

 

With this said, do I believe that from my one sailing on Viking Ocean that their food will always be as miserable?  No.  Would I make the same condemnation of Oceania's food?  Absolutely not.  I am currently on the Oceania Vista and can attest that it is in the top 3 of cruises we've taken since the pandemic--as better than the Marina and Regent Splendor and just a bit below the Explora Journeys. 

 

Now, reasonable people can disagree on the ranking I put forward in my previous paragraph.  But I would chalk these differences upon solely to different experiences and would not be so bold to suggest that their food expectations might be lesser than my own.

 

My two cents . . .

Your mileage may vary . . . 

You are so correct that a single poor culinary experience may not be representative of the overall quality of the culinary experience due to the number of variables.

The cruise line's daily budget per pax is a major determining factor, but in our experience, the Executive Chef and Sous Chefs are also a major factor. On the same cruise where the Executive Chef changes in the middle of the cruise, we have seen the quality change, sometimes better, others not so much.

Therefore, a poor experience on a single cruise may not be reflective of the normal quality on the ship and certainly not the cruise line. With respect to Princess, we experienced their quality deteriorate for almost 40 yrs before we gave up and stopped sailing with them. It was a combination of menu planning reducing the daily cost/pax, cheaper victuals and on the last World Cruise a very poor Executive Chef.

On 4/15/2024 at 6:20 PM, Teddy560 said:

Hello, I would like to know if anyone has used Princess transfer from Southampton to Heathrow via Stonehenge before? What time did you get dropped off at Heathrow? Excursion time is from 745AM-2PM, but Princess agent said she can't be sure if we will be dropped off at 2PM??? Thank you for your input.

The arrival time at LHR will depend on the traffic conditions and which terminal you are using. If the M3 and/or M25 motorways are congested your arrival at LHR could be delayed. Even traffic around Stonehenge can be busy.

16 hours ago, UWDawg said:

I'm told that at Coffee Chat this morning that the Captain announced a change in the navigational route for the Viking Sky.  We are changing course so that we cross the Prime Meridian at the same time we cross the Equator.  Apparently, there is a buoy in the middle of the ocean to mark that spot.  @Penspack tells me that buoy marks the location of "Null Island."

It is a weather buoy permanently moored at the intersection of the Equator and Prime Meridian. It is secured to the ocean bed by a long chain. 

23 hours ago, Canadian Girl 123455 said:

We get on in Vancouver 

There is nothing to prevent you from disembarking in Victoria, but since you are sailing on a foreign-flagged cruise ship, you would be in contravention of the Coasting Trade Act. The cruise line is liable for a fine of up to $50,000, which in accordance with their terms & conditions will be charged to the pax.

Returning from Seattle may be less convenient, but disembarking in Victoria could be rather expensive. 

If you experience heavy weather in the Pacific, the cruise line could easily cancel the Victoria call, as it is not required for PVSA compliance. So you may not have the option of disembarking in Victoria, being disembarked in Seattle. If the cruise is late in the season, the potential for heavy weather is increased.

On 1/10/2024 at 8:11 PM, 1412p0oi said:

I really want to know because I don't have any cash on me and my bank isn't a depository one either (and haven't used cash in almost a decade to pay for anything) and an article brought this to my attention. Second, it's frankly a gulling practice to me for people to be *expecting* tips from you as part of an excursion I already paid big bucks for. So I would really like to hear people's thoughts on this and whether I will be prevented from going back on the cruise ship if I don't give a tip.

Whether you feel an obligation to tip tour guides is predominantly based on your Nationality.

Personally, I feel no obligation to tip any guide. However, if a guide provides my wife or i with exceptional service, we will provide a tip, with the size of tip relating to how we valued the service. If they just did the minimum, they get nothing, but a thank you.

28 minutes ago, BobCatter said:

With 7 sea days to follow, it seems that (if the berth was available) we could overnight in Walvis Bay, with excursions in the morning, and then make up that time ate sea by putting a little of sea. I understand they don't control the weather, but they also don't try to compensate for the big misses. 

Unfortunately, the Master has a number of additional factors to consider in addition to berth availability and weather.

Currents are also a concern, with the current favourable until you reach the Equator and then you are bucking the current.

Delaying departure by a day means the speed required is the key factor. I'll suggest that if the vessel departs on time, if the speed required is over 15.5 to 16 kts, you have a risk of being late at the next port.

Using 16 kts, the vessel steams 384 miles in a day, discounting any cloxs, as the voyage is predominantly Northerly. If you delay departure by a day, those 384 miles must be steamed on the now only 6 available days, so each day requires and additional 64 miles, or an additional 2.7 kts.

If the original speed was 16 kts, to delay departure, the new speed is 18.7 kts, which would place a significant risk of being late for the next port, if you encountered any weather.

14 minutes ago, DJVKN said:

Africa overall as far as the cruise goes has been a bust. So far we have been to two ports since we left Mauritius on April 2nd. Not much of a world cruise for 1/4 of the trip. I know Viking can’t control the weather but it is a shame to spend all this money and time and basically sail around Africa. I really thought once we got to Cape Town it would get better. I realize the Captain tried to get us off the ship yesterday but it was still disappointing to be held captive when we could have been exploring. 
I agree I don’t think there will be anything more than a bus ride tomorrow. And then yea 7 more sea days. 

I can relate to the disappointment.

While Viking can't control the weather, they can build ships that can be handled safely in higher wind speeds. Based on the fixed props, basics rudders, installed HP and thrusters, my best guess is the Master can comfortably hold the ship against a sustained 25kt beam wind, possibly as high as say 28 kts. I would be surprised if they can comfortably handle a sustained 30 kt beam wind.

My last command was comfortable up to 33 kts and I have seen cruise ships handle 40 kts. I suspect the Queen Victoria, waiting outside Cape Town could handle 40 kts.

The Viking ships are well designed to handle ocean seas, but not so much for docking in winds. This is becoming more evident, as I am seeing increasing instances where Viking ships miss ports due to wind, while other ships are docked safely. Some may be due to the respective Master's risk tolerance, but it happens too frequently, to only involve risk tolerance.

I'll suggest the Viking ships need high-lift rudders and double/triple the HP in stern thrusters and a little more thruster capacity at the bow. This would require an additional DG in each E/R. Even with high lift rudders, they require more power on each shaft, as they have about the same as my last command, which was about 1/2 the gross tonnage and 200' shorter. 

20 hours ago, Canadian Girl 123455 said:

I am in the same situation as you! Victoria is our home port. I got denied as well. If we travel to Seattle and have to come home that will cost us 20% of our total trip cost. I’d like to just go home. Can we connect Logan? I’m new to this app how can we email? 

Which port will you board the vessel?

7 hours ago, Azulann said:

I have wondered what is happening on the Neptune. Glad to hear from you!

A little port drama from some passenger on another cruise ship posting on this wonderful thread.  WOW🤣

   

Just checked Marine traffic and they have departed.

3 hours ago, garandlev said:

Looking at the previous posts on this Viking site, it appears that your ship has missed multiple ports, all seemingly for the same reason. Perhaps the ship's length and breadth is not conducive to the seas associated with the world cruise. We have had no problem docking at Port Elizabeth in the same rough seas that turned you away. 

The breadth of a ship is actually known as the "Beam". Length and beam have totally zero impact in a ship's ability to manoeuvre in wind.

The ability to dock has nothing to do with sea and all to do with wind speed and the resultant force applied to the ship's windage.

3 hours ago, garandlev said:

This is the Queen Victoria. The seas are calm and if we have been circling Cape Town since 7 a.m., your captain could leave the port if he chooses. Your ship is comparable to ours. We are all p*ssed at Viking...universal opinion is no one will ever sail with Viking after this stunt. Queen Mary 2 arrives tomorrow and you will be outgunned by Cunard....

Sorry, but Queen Victoria and Viking Neptune aren't even close to being comparable vessels with respect to handling characteristics.

Queen Victoria has 2 Azimuthing thrusters, which are commonly called Azipods, whereas the Viking ships have fixed bladed props with non-high lift rudders. Any vessel with Azipod type propulsion is considerably more manoeuvrable than a vessel with conventional rudders & props.

Also consider the installed horsepower, with Queen Victoria having almost triple the installed power than Viking ships.

Masters are also required to operate the vessel in accordance with the company's Safety Management System, with the latest SMS providing Master's with limiting wind conditions. The Master cannot sail, as that would be a serious non-conformity. The only option provided to the Master in these circumstances is the ISM Code 5.2, where the Master has overriding authority to take any action required for the safety of the vessel. This would only apply if the Master deemed the risks of staying alongside were greater than the risks of departing.

Having spent almost 30 yrs in command of pax vessels, I have made similar decisions many times. If you believe the Master can sail, please advise regarding your professional experience in making this determination?

BTW - gotta love the "Armchair Experts"

10 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

I always said remove 200 passengers and Viking would be perfect.  You have it even better.  But I never thought I would be part of the process making it "perfect" for others.😱🍹

Naw Jim, you need to remove 922 pax for the ultimate experience, but retain the full crew.😁

11 hours ago, cmvikinger said:

 

It may not, or may. I did say very small chance rather than no chance... because the odds of anyone who actually did that work on Zhao Shang Yi Dun being the specific officer they were talking to are also fairly slim. Given the inaccuracy of the information, this doubt remains.

 

One thing I noticed about the 'good' officers during my time aboard (although they were hotel staff... I'm assuming the same would apply across the ship though) is that they were Chinese nationals who had worked overseas for Viking - Ocean, or River in some of the case - and moved home for a contract. They could, by now, have done the reverse... but again - if that were the case, they wouldn't be suggesting that there's gambling aboard. On the coastal itineraries I'm not sure it would even sail far enough offshore for a casino to open legally.

Territorial waters extend for 12 miles off-shore, so the casino can open at that point. Ships also need to be 12 miles offshore before making fresh water from the evaps or RO's. Therefore, unless cruising narrow channels, or similar passages, the Master normally sets courses at least 12 miles offshore and in my experience, it is usually further offshore.

The Hotel Supervisors are not ship's officers, as they do not require a Certificate of Competency. Viking does an excellent job differentiating the Officers from Hotel Supervisors/Managers, with the Master and Officers (Deck/Engineering/Medical) having gold stripes and Hotel Supervisors/Managers silver stripes.

You may be surprised at how many and how often auditors/mentors are onboard the vessels, and they rotate through the ships on a regular basis, so no, it is not a "Very Small Chance", as it is very possible with having a small fleet, that auditors/mentors have been on the old Viking Sun at some point during the past 3 years. I have performed this role extensively as a Master and shore based manager, visiting most of the ships in the fleet. 

2 hours ago, cmvikinger said:

Respectfully to this officer on Neptune, there's a very small chance indeed they have stepped aboard since it was reflagged,

That may not be an accurate statement. They clearly can't work in an operational capacity, unless they were a Chinese National.

However, if the vessel continues to use the Viking Safety Management System, any auditor or mentor does not require to be a Chinese National. Vessel audits by the company are a regular occurence, especially in preparation for Class Document of Compliance Inspections and SMS Audits.

Therefore. it is entirely possible that Viking Officers have been aboard the vessel in a auditing or mentoring capacity. I also note that at least one of the senior managers in Basle also relieves onboard as GM, and he has been aboard the vessel in China.

3 hours ago, EChamp66 said:

We will be coming off HAL Noordam on August 4th and would like to get to Victoria, BC as quickly and as reasonably economical as possible. We will have luggage so I have ruled out a float plane for $400+pp. From my research we can do the Wilson transfer for $98pp but it is a 4 1/2 hour trip. Could we do the trip ala cart on our own for about the same price but save a few hours??? Any thing I may be missing or other suggestions. TIA

You're options for getting to limited when travelling with baggage. In addition to the harbour to harbour float plane service, you also have Helijet from Vancouver Harbour to Ogden Point, but that is most likely not a viable option due to baggage.

Therefore, your flight options are commercial airlines YVR to Victoria International, with Air Canada and Pacific Coastal Airlines both having flights. Sorry, but have no idea on costs.

The other option is taking the BC Ferry from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay. The Wilson Connector is a bus service that goes from downtown to downtown. It will depart Vancouver about 90 mins before the ferry departs, so about 09:30 to catch the 11:00 ferry. The ferry arrives in Swartz Bay about 12:35 and it takes about an hour from docking to arriving in downtown Victoria. So leaving Vancouver at 09:30, you would arrive Victoria about 13:30, provided the ferry is on time.

You can also reach Tsawwassen Ferry terminal using a combination of Skytrain and buses, and then on arrival Swartz Bay you can also catch a city bus into downtown. These options are cheaper, but take more time. Not an easy option with baggage.

Another option is hiring a car, which may get you to the ferry terminal faster, but you must arrive 30 - 60 minutes before departure to maintain a reservation. I'll suggest making a reservation is mandatory. The Wilson Bus does not have this 30 - 60 min arrival and if late, the ferry often waits for the bus. This is a more costly option, as in addition to car hire costs, you must also pay for the car + foot passengers on the ferry. 

All in all, with baggage, I'll suggest the Wilson Connector is the most convenient and cost effective option.

8 hours ago, TRLD said:

there bond rating was improved by 2 levels to BB- in December and their leverage should improve to 5x by the end of the year. Would not be surprised for it to be back at investment grade by the end of this year.

 

Free cash flow is actually the critical metric because it shows that it can handle the interest expense and pay down the debt in a reasonable period of time without becoming a zombie company. When a company has this amount of positive  cash flow it can get access to the credit markets in spite of the BB-. The interest rates on its most recent refinancing efforts have replaced some very high interest paper from the shutdown with much more competitive interest rates. Certainly not junk rates.

 

The biggest impact of the debt is to hold down the stock price and limit new builds for the next few years reducing capacity expansion at a time when occupancy would support additional expansion and continued replacement of older smaller ships with more cost efficient new builds.

 

Guess we will have to see in 5 years what view works out.

 

At this point the stock is fairly priced based upon the time frame before they can start capacity expansion and the existing debt level that will cap profitability

The additional longer term consideration is Carnival's inability to submit numerous orders for new tonnage, to replace the older tonnage sold at fire sale prices during Covid. Other cruise lines are jumping on the newbuild bandwagon with Viking having 6 confirmed and 4 options this year and NCL just announcing 8 newbuilds.

Due to low order books, they are getting advantageous pricing, so by the time Carnival's debt is written down, newbuild prices will have increased significantly.

At present, I believe Carnival have only recently ordered 2 newbuilds across all their brands. Once they can finally order additional new tonnage, the cost per lower berth will be significantly higher.

8 minutes ago, TRLD said:

keep in mind that is after depreciation and interest payment. Profit is totally different than free cash flow. Depreciation is an expense taken that does not involve current cash expenditure. It is simple recognition of a portion of a capital expense spent previously. Thus they are spring off a lot of cash that can be used for debt reduction and expense payments. 

Having significant cash reserves is an improvement, but they still have a negative ROI, haven't paid dividends for 4 years and have a debt/equity ratio of >4.5. All poor metrics that trump improvements in their cash flow, at least in my experience.

They are improving the debt position, but they have a long way to go before they can be considered a prudent investment. One more major marine incident and the cash flow could evaporate.