packercruising
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Posts posted by packercruising
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We sailed from Quebec City last year also on AOS. Do any other ships sail from Montreal?
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If they get rid of Empress, wouldn't they replace it with a different ship? We are booked for Next Sept from Montreal.
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We have Empress booked for September, so I sure hope that does not change.
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35 minutes ago, cruisegirl1 said:
RCCL is still booking B2B. Booked a set YESTERDAY for September 2021. The agent did not advise against the booking Since we have to fly or have a long drive to port we prefer the B2B. The set I just booked is a 5N/4N and we would likely not consider just one leg. Even for 7 night cruises we prefer a B2B rather than 2 separate cruises to cut down on travel expenses.
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Same with us. We are waiting to see what happens with our 11 day cruise on Vision in March. We have until the end of the month for final payment. Wondering if they will make it a 7 day. We have to fly to the port city from WI, so we like longer cruises. It is good to know they are still booking B2B. Our original cruise in February was a 7 day sailing and we had booked a 5 day itinerary. That would have been nice.
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I am starting to wonder if there will be any cruising until well into 2021. CDC doesn't seem to want cruises to start and they can change the guidelines whenever they want.
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3 hours ago, Mary229 said:
I misunderstood, I thought we were discussing a passenger leaving one ship and either reboarding or getting on another ship immediately, not a wholesale and complete re-embarkation of all or most passengers.
That would be a SideBySide. We want to do a 7 day cruise and stay on the ship for another 7 day cruise. One is Eastern Caribbean and the other Western.
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3 hours ago, Heymarco said:
I read that as specific guidance to the cruise lines not offering itineraries over 7 days, not necessarily restricting passengers from booking multiple voyages. If passengers are really not allowed to do b2bs, then more guidance from CDC is needed. For example how many days need to be in between cruises, what prevents a passenger from doing a week on Royal and then a week on NCL, etc?
Good luck on rebooking! I would recommend waiting to see new itineraries and what ships are starting when.
That is the way that I read it. This will be out of Miami.
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Opinion please; Our 11 day Vision in March will be cancelled, according to the new guidelines. There is a Navigator B2B2B (4,3 and 4 days) that cover the same dates. In its favor is that we would at least get to be sailing and we already have a flight booked. Are B2Bs on those short cruises a hassle? Do you think ships are going to be allowing B2Bs? Thanks!
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Sounds like you need a Radiance class ship. 🙂 We agree with you about the Vision. We did like the Allure too.
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On 10/25/2020 at 1:27 PM, sher21 said:
I am looking for opinions of Vision of the Seas. It is the only ship going where I want to go (Southern Caribbean-Bonaire, Curacao) at the time I want to go. However, we love ships like Oasis and Harmony. I'm afraid we'll be disappointed in the smaller ship - or bored! Can anyone give me some perspective, please?
We are booked on Vision for March 8. Sounds like the same itinerary. We did a B2B on Vision several years ago, 11 days Norwegian Fjords and 11 days Baltics. We really like the ship! We have sailed Allure, and there is obviously more to do on a larger ship like that. It sounds like you are choosing it for the itinerary, so maybe that should be given a little more weight. At any rate, the food and the service, as well as the shows, were very good on Vision.
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We try too buy local at home to. You meet some interesting people a the small businesses and kiosks on the islands.
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Just remember, they have a deal with the lines. We have a favorite jeweler in St. Thomas. We prefer the local shops, those not advertised in the cruise daily.
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We stay away from DI
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8 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:
On September 30, 2020, the CDC extended the "No Sail" order for cruise ships in the United States for one month, meaning cruises could operate as early as November 1.
This order is in effect until one of the following occurs, according to the CDC:
- The expiration of the Secretary of Health and Human Services’ declaration that COVID-19 constitutes a public health emergency,
- The CDC Director rescinds or modifies the order based on specific public health or other considerations, or
- October 31, 2020.
While only extended to the same time that the cruise lines have voluntarily paused operations it is not a clear signal that cruising can resume on Nov.1 as it may have been if the no sail order was not extended.
When all of this started back in March, we had just gotten off a cruise. No one was sick. We figured our Nov cruise was safe. Well that lasted until Aug. Every time you turn around, it seems, they are extending the no sail rule. No our next cruise is on Vision next March, and I am no longer confident in that.
Love your avatar!
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WORD IS IT WON'T BE RETIRED, BUT YOU ARE RIGHT, I IS SOMETHING TO WATCH,
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On 9/12/2020 at 11:09 PM, gaylemh said:
I'm planning on an Alaska cruise next May, either on Quantum or Ovation. I have sailed on Quantum and Anthem many times so the ship doesn't matter.
The Quantum itinerary - Juneau, Icy Strait, Endicott Arm, Victoria. Ovation itinerary - Inside Passage, Juneau, Skagway, Endicott, Victoria. Which is better Icy Strait or Inside Passage and Skagway.
Quantum. Icy Straights has become a favorite destination. They have apparently done a lot of additions to it. We were there two years ago, in May. Saw lots of eagles.
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We have had one cruise cancelled for November. It was to Hawaii, and since we have never been, that was very disappointing. We rebooked it for 2022.
Our next cruise is Visions in March
We are not entertaining any notion of it being cancelled
We have the Empress booked from Montreal in September. You never know what Canada is going to do. That would be a bummer if it got cancelled.
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No, that is all really good information, thanks! Maybe we will wait until they get back to two RTs a day.
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54 minutes ago, farmersfight said:
Hi packercruising,
Good question on the staterooms. Prior to the Badger being bought by her current owners (Lake Michigan Carferry or LMC) she primarily carried rail cars (also cars/trucks) and did mid/late night crossings, so some passengers paid the extra to get a stateroom. Additionally, she ran all year (prior to the Badger, it was the City of Midland 41). The current owner, LMC, changed the Badger's service to a more tourist/passenger vessel that could also carry their vehicles. Sometimes, the Badger will also carry on large semi-trucks or oversized loads. Also, they stopped operating her all year round and now just operate spring, summer & fall. Now, passengers still opt for a stateroom to: 1. have privacy 2. take a nap 3. put their young child(ren) down for a nap 4. and you can probably guess what a couple might get a stateroom for, lol.
Regarding bringing your car, I guess it depends how long you want to visit over on "this side of the pond". When I take the other ferry from here in Muskegon to Milwaukee, I'll usually rent a car (Lake Express has a partnership with Enterprise who have a kiosk at both the Milwaukee and Muskegon ferry terminals). I'm not sure if the Badger has the same type of partnership but getting a rental car would be easy anyway (worst case, a taxi ride away to a rental car lot in Ludington). As I mentioned in a previous post, cost to bring your car on the Badger is much more reasonable than the Lake Express. Obviously, whether it is worth it is entirely up to you.
For things to do/see in Ludington, I've posted Ludington's web site:
Even for just Ludington, you may want your car or rent a car because the town is fairly large so it may not be "walker friendly".
A fun thing to do over here in West Michigan is Mac Woods dune rides in Silver Lake. Here's their website:
https://macwoodsdunerides.com/
Well, I hope you are successful in talking your DW in to taking a fresh water "cruise" on the Badger. To me. just the historical significance of the vessel would make the experience worthwhile. I found this very interesting documentary about the Badger on YouTube:
Apologize for the long post. I tend to run on sometimes. Best wishes to you and your DW, whatever you decide!
Certainly no need to apologise, I really appreciate the info. Thanks! Even if we just go there and come right back, I think it would be a lot of fun.
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On 7/30/2020 at 1:52 PM, farmersfight said:
The Badger is not too bad (cost). Lake Express is more and is on the expensive side, especially if you bring your car or truck. To see their prices, check out: https://www.ssbadger.com/
A lot of people do take the ferries over & back, just for fun, especially the Badger. She is designated as a National Historic Landmark and is the last coal-fired passenger steamer still operating in the U.S.
Badger crossing is 4 hrs each way compared to the Lake Express crossing which is only 2 1/2 hrs each way. Of the two, I would probably recommend taking the Badger for her historic significance, less expensive fare(s) and longer crossing time (if your taking her for fun, no hurry right?).
Okay, our November cruise is officially cancelled. I was thinking of trying to talk DW into taking the SS Badger in October. It is only a 4 hour crossing so, why are there staterooms? If we don't want to take the car, are there things to see in Ludington, or is leaving the car a bad choice? Thanks!
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Okay, our November cruise is officially cancelled. I was thinking of trying to talk DW into taking the SS Badger in October. It is only a 4 hour crossing so, why are there staterooms? If we don't want to take the car, are there things to see in Ludington, or is leaving the car a bad choice? Thanks!
This is a duplicate post
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We have never had a package that had a 15 drink limit. Usually, you can only get 1 drink at a time, per seapass card, though. That could depend on the bartender. It includes coffee and soda too, I think. I just drink the coffee in the buffet, so not positive.
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It kind of depends on whether you prefer larger/smaller, older,newer, and where you want to cruise to. NCL was the pioneer of free style cruising. If you want the maximum freedom to do what you want, you should like it. No formal nights. Dress up if you want, Don't if you don't want. Some people like their cruises more structured.We did a B2B last February, the brand new Encore followed by the Pearl. We liked the Pearl much better. If you like Broadway shows, you might prefer RCI, but they require reservations for a lot of their events. Most NCL ships have a bar that serves food and is open 24/7 and the buffet hours are pretty flexible.
When did you want to book? This is the first year since we have been cruising (1998) that our TA in Green Bay hasn't set up a Packer Fan cruise. Maybe after the pandemic is over, she will. I can let you know, if that happens.
If they gave an award for the worst place to attend an NFL game, County Stadium would have won every year.
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Empress of The Seas
in Royal Caribbean International
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Thanks. We sailed the Zaandam to Alaska a couple years ago. Still hoping for Empress. Haven't sailed her yet and looking forward to the double points. We already figure our March cruise on Vision will be cancelled or altered in some way.