Heidi13

My reference to automatic inflation was for inflated rafts for topping up. There is no automatic system for topping up the chambers, as all gas from the cylinders is used during the initial inflation. For initial inflation, rafts can be manually inflated, or automatically inflate depending on the manufacturer and type of raft. In general, the CO2/Nitrogen bottles are armed with a pin, which is secured to the painter line. When the painter is pulled, the pins are removed and the gas inflates the raft. The old traditional "Throw-over" liferafts have a number of bands, which are intended to keep the cannister together when impacting the water. To inflate, pull the remaining painter out the raft, then give a sharp tug, which removes the pins and commences inflation. Any remaining bands are severed by the rapid inflation. When stowed in cradles, the painter is attached to the ship and the raft is secured with a hydrostatic release. Should the ship sink, the raft is released and when the painter is full extended it triggers inflation. A weak link separates and the raft rises to the surface. Davit-Launched liferafts are stowed in a similar manner and operate the same way should the ship sink. To inflate these rafts, they are attached to the crane, swung overboard, bowsing lines attached and then the painter is pulled out then given a sharp tug. Marine evacuation systems vary by manufacturer. The RFD Marin Ark is a self contained system with 4 rafts and 2 vertical shutes. Each entire system is installed into each compartment. It is activated normally using stored pressure to push a sledge over the ship's side and the entire system falls into the water. All 4 rafts inflate automatically. Multiple hydrostactic releases are installed should the ship sink. Additional over-capacity rafts are remotely or manually released to the water. These are normally inflated manually by pulling the painter. Viking Lifesaving - haven't used their system in over 20 years and they have an updated MES, which I have seen on film, but not attended a deployment or servicing. Memory is vague, so I can't guarantee accurate info. Lifesaving Equipment Australia - slide systems that have the slide and initial rafts inflate automatically, once activated. Additional capacity rafts are released manually or remotely and do not inflate once in the water. Painter is pulled to inflate. Hope this explains the systems fully. If not, feel free to ask any questions.

Are you visiting any other Schengen Zone ports on the itinerary. If you depart Barcelona and do not visit another Schengen Zone port, you should only need to allow for the 1-day in Barcelona. However, if you stop in additional Spanish ports or Madeira, then you need to count all days from arrival Barcelona to final departure from the Schengen Zone. Even partially crossing the Atlantic to Madeira, if you departed a Schengen Zone port enroute to Madeira, you are still considered in the Schengen Zone. Stamping, or not stamping the passport does not impact the number of days. If you need further assistance, can you please post the itinerary.

Assuming you are referring to COVID vaccination requirements, these are normally cruise line specific, so best check with specific cruise lines you are considering. Other vaccination requirements vary depending on WHO recommendations and the requirements of local health authorities. The best resource for these is a specialised travel doctor. Our preferred cruise line is Viking Ocean and they are maintaining the mandatory COVID vaccine requirement, which is the expectation of the majority of their pax.

Posted on behalf of Deb & Munro and Alison & Ron, who sailed with us on the Magical Mystery Tour in 2020. Here is a picture of the Captain's Table, when they dined with Captain Lars on a recent sea day.

On our Visa statements, we receive notification of the charges in the foreign currency, so I can verify the amount. It then shows the exchange rate used to convert it to CAN$. If all you are seeing is charges in US $, I'll suggest the vendors have converted the costs from local currency to US $, and charged you a fee. Unfortunately, unless you specifically request billing in the local currency, a number of vendors will automatically do the currency conversion, as they make more money.

Royal Caribbean were awarded permits in 2019, but have declined to use them. I'm not sure how the permits are distributed to ensure only 2 cruise ships per day are in Glacier Bay, but if they are assigned to specific cruise lines, my best guess is that they must be used by that line's ships. However, I have no definitive answer, as a lowly Deck Officer, I wasn't involved in that process.

These are new Zodiac Hurricane Mil Spec boats designed for military and commercial use. The inflation collars are substantial material that is degraded by UV light. These boats reside in an internal garage when not in use, so are only subjected to UV when in use. I have operated many boats from the same manufacturer that we over 20 yrs old and the tubes passed annual inspection. They could always have a manufacturing defect, but being low pressure a rapid deflation is hardly explosive.

The latest 10-year Glacier Bay contracts were awarded by the National Parks Service to 7 cruise lines. Of the 7, only 6 of them are using their permits - Princess, - HAL, - NCL, - Viking, - Cunard, and - Seabourn Of those 6 cruise lines, Princess, HAL and NCL have the most visits.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but your post is simply that, as it is devoid of facts. Jim has experienced true luxury upon the high seas and so is well versed in true luxury sailing and today's faux luxury lines, serving the North American market. After completing the inaugural World Cruise, Jim & Lois completed an Alaska cruise with Seabourn. His post-cruise posts were extensive, providing factual comparisons to his experience on both ships. Personally, since Jim provides details, I tend to favour his reports as having more value, as a true comparison between both cruise lines. I'll also mention the recent situation on the Seabourn exploration ship in Antarctica. The ship had a damaged stabiliser, which a pax reported happened on a voyage inbound to Ushuaia. The next pax were not advised until after departure that the stabilisers weren't operational and they would miss South Georgia. Some pax demanded the vessel return, but any pax disembarking were responsible for their own costs home. They received minimal OBC. This treatment is not what I expect from a "Luxury" line, but is consistent with Carnival, who own Seabourn.

All depends on what you consider as "Luxury", as personally I consider very few of the current ships as being true luxury. Some are more "All inclusive", but since few modern ships provide "Silver Service", I personally don't consider them as being luxury. How many of the "Luxury" ships have butlers/cabin stewards that only have 5 cabins and the Steward brings your morning coffee/afternoon tea to you, wherever you are on the ship. Having experienced the tail end of the 60's/70's liners, few of today's ships are comparable to those standards. Jim experienced the Cunard standards, so I have no doubt he has also experienced the true luxury of liner travel. Since I am no longer looking for mandatory formal evenings, butlers/cabin stewards, silver service, etc Viking provides the ambiance and standards that meet our expectations. Based on my experiences, do I consider Viking as a "Luxury" cruise line - No. However, I also don't consider any of the reputed North American "Luxury" lines as comparable to the levels I experienced.

Based on what I have read and my knowledge of RHIB's, my best guess for root cause is the boat was contacted by a large underwater mammal, causing an upwards force. Another less likely possibility is contact with an uncharted underwater obstruction. The term "Explosion" was used by a passenger to describe the event and has not been proven by facts that have been published, at this time.

Since you experience less kids on TA cruises, the probability of the ship being at full pax capacity is fairly low as few of the 3rd/4th berth cabins will have more than 2 pax. However, the mainstream lines drop prices to fill cabins, so many TA's will be close to double occupancy. Some of the smaller ship cruise lines, who may not discount as heavily, may have lower occupancy. The last Viking TA, if memory is correct, had about 600 pax out of 930 capacity.

First and foremost, Alaska is all about the scenery and the experience, the ship is simply a means of transport. Therefore, when determining priorities, I would place the choice of ship/cruise line well below the itinerary and what you want to experience. Since you mentioned you may not do Alaska again, I'll suggest a longer cruise, visiting more than the tourist SE Alaska ports of Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway. You will also want to maximise your time in port, so pay attention to arrival and departure times, as all cruise lines are not equal. In general, Seattle based ships spend less time in Alaska, as they must stop in Victoria and have longer transit times. Some thoughts to consider: - Sitka is a great port that isn't on too many itineraries, - Glacier Bay, with the Ranger commentary and almost guarantee of seeing glaciers, I'll suggest is your best option for glaciers, although additional options are also worthwhile. My next favourite is Hubbard, but especially early season you may not get into the glacier. Tracy Arm, very few ships get in due to ice. - Prince William Sound is definitely worthwhile, as is a pre/post excursion to Denali, etc. - Ships, again not all are equal. Personally, I would only consider ships with wrap around Promenade Decks and other open deck viewing areas. I would not consider ships with limited manoeuvring capabilities, such as the Princess Royal Class ships. You will find lots of great information in this board to assist you in your research.

Other than Cunard you won't normally find many other cruise ship options for an E'bd TA in September. The other option you can check is freighters, which can carry up to 12 pax and still be classed as a cargo ship. Here is the link to the CC board. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/378-freighter-and-other-non-traditional-cruise-travel/

Rob - In addition to the closed Portside cruise terminal, they built a new International Cruise Terminal, at the mouth of the river. It is out by the end of the airport, so great for turnaround days, but not so good for in transit pax.

Have completed a couple of W'bd transits in Spring, early summer and with every ocean transit, the weather can be different every time. You didn't mention any ports of call, so it's impossible to predict the most probable route, which is a huge factor. The shortest distance is a Great Circle, which heads north, but most Masters when W'bd avoid that route due to adverse currents, so opt for a more southerly, or Rhumb Line crossing. A more S'ly routing has a better probability for better weather and warmer temps. For comparison, my last similar crossing was Antwerp to North Carolina and it was almost flat calm the entire way. We took the longer Rhumb Line to avoid the North Atlantic.

SS Oriana and SS Uganda

I have no pre-conceived thoughts on providing any tips. As the end of the tour approaches we review the guide and driver's performance. If they were excellent and provided personal service and/or value to us, they receive a generous tip. If they did the minimum, they get nothing.

Don - yes, eye relief is a consideration for those that wear glasses. Fortunately, not something I have had to consider.

Rob - When I was trialing Gen III night-vision equipment for our fleet operation, in addition to the night vision gear, the vendor gave me a set of Swarovski binoculars to trial. They were virtually indestructible and had amazing optics. Sadly, when I returned the night vision gear, I also had to return the binoculars. However, even 20 yrs ago they were over $2,000 each. When paying about $60 for Bushnells, even with a life-time guarantee, no way I could write a cost/benefit analysis, to satisfy the bean counters.

You will get loads of suggestions on specific brands, so here is some info on the basic specifications of binoculars. The first number is the magnification. In a marine environment, with a moving ship, to have clear viewing I suggest a maximum of 7 or 8. More powerful binoculars can have blurred picture with ship movement and vibration. Second number is the amount of light able to enter the binoculars. Higher numbers have more light, but are bigger and heavier. Personally, I prefer the 2nd number to be 50. Prisms - usually are bak 4 or bak 7. Bak 7 are generally found in cheaper binoculars and have a tendency for blurred edges. Bak 4 prisms are the better option, but are more expensive. Field of View - this is depends of the magnification and other factors. A larger field of view makes it easier to spot smaller objects. Measured as an angle, or feet at 1,000 yds. I look for about 350' at 1,000 yds. Having spent about 40 yrs at sea with 2 companies, they both used Bushnell for the ahip binoculars. Therefore, I have continued using them. They certainly aren't the best, but they are adequate and reasonably priced. I also like the permafocus option, which provides focus from a few feet to infinity. If I wanted some of the best binoculars, I would purchase Swarovski.

The arrival times may vary depending on the tides in the river.

Sorry, but that isn't correct. The "Inside Passage" extends all the way from about Olympia up to Skagway. In BC waters, the portion to the East of Vancouver Island (Johnstone Strait) is less than half the total Inside Passage, as it continues from the top of Vancouver island from Queen Charlotte Sound to Dixon Entrance. Since I used to complete 2 round trips each week along the BC Coast, it also has a couple of areas where you don't have land on both sides.

If embarking in Vancouver, it could be an issue, as you could be refused entry to Canada, at the Canadian port of entry.

Sailed in these waters many times, during those months and have seen everything from flat calm to storm force winds/seas. Tropical Revolving Storm season, which are known as cyclones, is Nov to April. What somebody experienced on a previous cruise has no guarantee what you will experience. To put it in perspective, I completed an entire season out of Sydney and every 2-week cruise was different.