AL3XCruise
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Posts posted by AL3XCruise
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On 7/4/2019 at 12:43 AM, ChatKat in Ca. said:
i am a professional photographer and make my living from these tools. More pixels don't make a better photograph in many cases. I have been to Alaska a few times. i was happier with my 70-200 2.8 than the 100-400L on the 5d3
I fully agree; I was just pointing out some thoughts from current owners I know. I do wonder if less experienced photographers like myself benefit more from higher resolutions than a professional; I know there are times where I've framed something poorly or been farther away than ideal and been able to crop down to a workable picture. I know someone more experienced would get a better result right out of the camera regardless of how many pixels they have to work with!
Out of curiosity, what version of the 100-400L were you using? I've used the first gen and while its good, what I've seen out of my buddy's second gen lens is far better.
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2 hours ago, HappyInVan said:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inland_waterways_of_the_United_States#Efficiency
In terms of efficiency, all forms of transportation combine to form a network. Which type of transport is best suited for a leg of the journey from manufacturer to customer?
The USA waterways transport bulk commodity well. It's not time sensitive, and bulk commodity is not easy to handle (unlike containers). So, load up the barge and send it slowly from source to destination.
The Wikipedia article shows that barge transport is slightly more fuel efficient than rail traffic. However, river traffic (when it is burning clean fuel) can be much better for the environment and our health.
You do realize the article you linked is notated by Wikipedia itself as having insufficient citations?
As you said:
3 hours ago, HappyInVan said:Your problem is that you make claims without attribution. Anyone trained properly in college knows the importance of attributing the source of your numbers.
They also recognize that analysis of data sometimes takes knowledge beyond what the posses and try to converse with those more knowledgeable in a field to understand how to interpret them and figure out what the numbers really mean. People like @chengkp75 who has pointed out on several occasions where you've missed applicable facts or misinterpreted data.
3 hours ago, HappyInVan said:am careful in the matter of analysis. I can tell when someone is firing blanks.
So can I.
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20 hours ago, ChatKat in Ca. said:
The 5dsr is really a better studio camera than an action camera. I would stick with the 5d4 if you must rent but the 5d is still a good camera. Keep your gear simple and enjoy the trip.
I'm no expert, but I coincidentally had two conversations about these cameras in the past week. I have a 5D3 and am considering upgrading within the next year, so they are both on my possible list.
I have a friend who has a 5D4 and a 5DS (not the R) and generally prefers the 5DS for vacation photos like wildlife, landscapes, etc. He does prefer the 5D4 when he needs the fastest possible burst rate and for 4K video. It also has some other features he likes, but he likes the 50MP more than these extras. Several reviews mention low light performance being better on the 5D4 as it has fewer pixels crammed onto the same size sensor, but he doesn't notice much of a difference. The 5D4 has a higher max ISO, but how often do you use 6400+ ISO?
Another friend recently got a 5D4 and was considering the 5DS but after trying both out decided 30MP on was enough, and the extra features outweighed a bigger sensor. To be fair, this seems to be the more common opinion, but its worth researching a bit to see if either model has something you can't live without.
To be honest, I'm still undecided!
On a side note, the 100-400L is great lens. My friend with the 5D4 and 5DS has gotten some stunning photos with it, and gets good results with a 1.4X teleconverter. My budget is a bit smaller than his, so I stuck with the Sigma 150-600C which is very good--but I still get a little jealous!
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42 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:
One thing to note, that 98,000 ton figure for an aircraft carrier is it's displacement, while the 224,000 figure for Oasis is its Gross Tonnage, two totally different measurements, and it is estimated that Oasis' displacement is in the 100,000 ton range. You'll note that I didn't use "tons" with GT, since GT is a unitless number.
I'm aware one is based on volume and has no defined unit while one is displacement, so you can't really compare directly. Comparing carriers to carriers and cruise ships to cruise ships though and drawing a correlation is a bit more accurate. Since GT isn't a linear measure (not to mention the design, structure, and purpose of the ships varies greatly) I'll admit it isn't a perfect comparison, but I think its still safe to say cruise ships are growing faster.
The Ford class displaces about 20,000 tons more than the Forestall class and is about 40 feet longer. Of course, the volume has probably increased much more than the displacement numbers indicate, but I still would be surprised if it comes anywhere close to what we've seen in megaships.
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1 hour ago, Hawaiidan said:
That will also be the time the Navy's 98,000 ton aircraft carriers are declared Mid-size aircraft carriers.
Probably true, though carriers have grown at a much slower rate than cruise ships. They got bigger to support jets, but growth since the 50s has been modest. As you point out, there are a lot of new space hogging amenities that cruise lines now want to offer that have changed the industry. In addition, economies of scale matter a lot more to a cruise line than the military. And while livability has reportedly improved on newer ships, the Navy's customer satisfaction goals aren't the same as HAL's!
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2 hours ago, cat shepard said:
“Ever” is a very long time.
Exactly. And what will the definition of megaship be in 20 years?
Pinnacle class ships would probably have been considered mega-ships until at least the later 1990s when 100,000 GT+ vessels really started becoming prevalent. Before that anything over 70K or 80K was seen as a megaship.
As long as economies of scale remain as they are now, ships will continue to trend larger. The exceptions is if the size sufficiently interferes with the product the company is offering. Of course, some folks seem to think HAL has already crossed that threshold with the Pinnacle class. I assume HAL will be monitoring customer perceptions closely to see if their business model will work with a bigger ship.
There is also the factor the Carnival likes using a single design across multiple brands. While they could build a HAL specific ship, it is also possible the size of a Post-pinnacle ship may be dictated by the minimum size acceptable to other lines. That would probably put additional pressure on them for a larger ship.
Finally, HAL has trended consistently larger for the last two decades, but at a pace that lags behind other lines. Given that, I think it is likely that by the time a 150,000GT+ HAL ship sails, it will not be considered a megaship.
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9 hours ago, PortFees45 said:
The glee with which some of you people will cheer for a shameless money grab that reduces the quality of life on the ship for so many passengers. It's like you have corporate stockholm syndrome.
Aside from a couple of folks who want Vibe passes and view a larger Vibe as positive, I haven't really seen anyone cheering the change. No one has denied that those either unable or unwilling to pay for Vibe or Haven access will likely see a decline in the quality of their experience on Encore. They are just confused that a few seem to feel the changes are almost immoral.
NCL is a business, and they have a right to conduct business as they see fit. In most service based corporations customer experience is only important so long as it keeps customers coming back and spending. Someone in senior management seems to think that this change will increase revenue without making people take their business elsewhere. If they are right, its smart business. If they are wrong, things will likely go back to how they were.
4 hours ago, Warm Breezes said:honestly do not get this brand loyalty thing and the anger it causes in people who think a company owes it to them to only make decisions that they agree with.
I find it interesting as well. Loyalty programs are the result of the same careful analysis and profit maximization strategies as these changes to Vibe! In the case of loyalty programs, cruise lines (and many other industries for that matter) have found ways to offer perks that have little to no incremental cost associated with them (early boarding, for instance) yet are valued enough by customers that they don't want to give them up and choose to return to the same line.
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15 hours ago, chengkp75 said:
The azipod has three bearings that support the rotating motor shaft. Two are large ball/roller bearings that support the shaft and take the radial load of the motor, and these, being ball/roller bearings are not new technology, so don't present problems. The third bearing is the thrust bearing, that transmits the entire 20Mw (26,000 hp) of thrust from the propeller through the motor shaft to the pod housing and then to the ship to move it. These axial bearings are white metal bearings, and while this type of bearing is not new to the maritime industry, what is new is making a bearing of this power rating in as small a size as to fit into the azipod housing (load/area rating is much higher).
Thank you for the explanation. I've read many article talking about bearing issues, but that is the clearest, most concise explanation as to the unique challenges of azipod bearings.
Are thrust bearings on shafted ships generally accessible from within the hull?
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Its Heron Time!
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2 hours ago, CPT Trips said:
Neither John nor Yoko were able to visualize whirled peas.
Personally I've never been a fan of peas. I probably haven't had a pea in over a year. When I tell people that they seem concerned...
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2 hours ago, TMO3CCO1 said:
We are not huge pool people but will probably spend at least one day at the pool enjoying cocktails
Most ships are pretty crowded around the pool. With the Haven taking up a lot of space forward and a variety of amenities aft, the Breakaway is probably worse than most in this regard. I think NCL has continued to refine the layout on their newer ships, but there are still sacrifices when you try to pack that much onto the top of a ship! That said, if you don't need to be next to the pool itself there are many places on the upper decks with loungers, sun, and easy access to drinks! As others have mentioned, Spice H20 might be a good fit for your group as well.
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6 hours ago, Coral said:
They are still growing their river cruise line. New ships arrived this year. The rivers in Europe are pretty cramped. Viking Ocean's ships are a great size and are going places where the mega-ships other lines are building can not go.
That makes sense. Rivers are still their core business and they already have the expertise and infrastructure in place so that scaling isn't extremely expensive and likely makes sense even if the profit potential isn't as great. That doesn't apply to CCL.
Viking is being smart by supporting the existing product while working to diversify.
Also, keep in mind Ocean Cruising isn't a single segment. Viking is not going head to head with Royal or Carnival, but they are competing with brands in the parent organization's portfolios. Azamara, for instance.
Semi-related, I wonder if MSC would consider a River Cruise subsidiary. While they are certainly a profit making company, being privately held gives them the ability to consider factors beyond maximizing ROI.
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23 hours ago, Coral said:
I think they did a great job. Viking did the opposite - they were in River boats and started Ocean ships.
Viking's move makes me think that Ocean Cruising has higher margins and more potential, otherwise they would have invested in further growing their river fleet instead of securing funds for ocean going vessels. In order for a line like CCL to want to go into river cruising, they'd need to either expect a higher ROI on investment in the river cruise (either through a more lucrative product or a saturated ocean market) or find some kind of synergy (every MBA's favorite word) where other corporate lines will see a benefit. Short of that, pouring money into giant ships with massive on-board spending is probably the preferred option.
18 hours ago, crawford said:Acquisition would seem to be the best option, for the right price.
I agree, if CCL (or RCCL or NCL for that matter) decided to go the river route, that would be easier.
3 hours ago, denmarks said:A foreign registered cruise line can not go between US ports without stopping in a foreign country.
Many countries have cabotage laws, and they can vary widely. Local registrations, creative ownership arrangements, and other tools are used to get around these in some cases, but it would still be an extra hurdle.
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The above responses are not really complete. The main outdoor pool on Escape CAN be heated. I was surprised to see steam wafting off of it after boarding in sub-freezing temperatures, and when I put my hand in it was warm enough to swim. It was windy and 25 degrees on deck so no one was taking advantage of that!
Despite the fact that they can heat the pool, it appears that they rarely do, so I wouldn't plan on it actually being heated. In the case I observed it may have been to prevent damage from freezing rather than improve passenger comfort. For that reason, the other pools may be heatable to but the main pool is the only one I checked out. Escape definitely has the ability to heat the main outdoor pool.
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33 minutes ago, MitzyG said:
hey....this option was better than sulking for 12 days with 6 sea days!
That was a smart decision! You researched, found an area of concern, and came up with a way to avoid a possible problem becoming a big negative.
I think the harsh response to the OP is largely because they talked about seeking compensation rather than solutions. If they had discussed what they had seen in reviews that concerned them, others here would have been able to offer suggestions or reassurances. While it may not have been the OP's intention, jumping straight to a refund gave a lot of people the impression they are going into this cruise looking at how to get their money back, not at how to make the best of it!
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More testing the new Sigma. These guys were nice enough to do the same pose.
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4 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:
Agree - the issues other issues you reference would likely have a bigger affect. Hard to say that the concerns with Cuba are the sole cause of a one day downward turn.
I too agree. Cuba doesn't help, but the reality is the financial impact is limited. The ships will now call sail other routes with slightly less premium pricing. I saw one analyst peg the earnings per share impact 13 to 15 cents. By comparison, the Bahama shipyard incident involving Oasis reduced earnings by 25 cents per share per RCCL.
The collective negative news (Cuba, CCL's fines, MSC's accident, etc.) likely does contribute to increased uncertainty and raises operational and market perception concerns. That is never good, and coupled with the volatile market some investors may be pulling out, especially if they think they've already gotten near the top (NCL and RCCL have done very well recently).
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Just got a new Sigma 150-600C. First time out and spotted some comorants. Curious to hear what you all think!
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Welcome to Cruise Critic.
You might find a better/faster answer over at the Royal Caribbean forum. This section of the site deals primarily with people taking their own photos on cruises: equipment, techniques, and then sharing said photos. While it is possible someone here may have a good answer for you, its likely someone over there will have advice on how to escalate your issue.
Good luck!
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31 minutes ago, Shoppie124 said:
I was just curious the distance..
The forward elevators are noticeably further from the bow than on many other ships. I would still consider them forward though. Keep in mind the entire Haven is located forward of the elevators. While I never measured it out, I can say the deck plan is definitely closer to reality than the side view.
This is a quick edit that shows about where the elevators are, give or take a few pixels... The forward lines up with the start of the waterfront and the rear of the Haven, so it is easier to see; the aft is a bit more approximate.
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12 hours ago, NLH Arizona said:
As far as letters to corporate, as far as I'm concerned, they scream I want something, be it a free cruise, a future cruise certificate, OBC on my next cruise, etc. and if I were NCL, I'd put them in that round container next to my desk or write back that I'm sorry for their inconvenience, because too many people make it a habit trying to make a buck or two off a company.
I have a feeling that is how this was received. I'm not familiar with the all inclusive ships, so I'm not going to comment on the specific issue, but I agree this letter seemed destined for the circular file. It starts off with an abrasive and accusatory opening, provides a vague narrative, and lacks and specific requests.
Had I only seen the letter I probably would have concluded exactly what you suggested: someone is throwing complaints against the wall to see what sticks and leads to compensation. The OP has subsequently provided some details about the reaction from on-board management that is concerning, but that was not included in the letter.
Again, I'm not trying to make a judgement on the specific issue as I've never done a cruise that short nor an NCL all-inclusive, so I don't know the policies and how well they are presented to customers. But I don't find the response surprising given the content of the letter.
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6 hours ago, GenghisQuan said:
Regarding the "nickel and diming" for food, it's just a matter of the food being noticeably lower quality compared to other mass market lines like Carnival, whether that's ingredients, variety of items at the buffet, how quickly places close, sophistication of cooking technique and presentation, as well as an observation that far too much space is devoted to different venues that are all too small to fit everyone who might want to eat there, and the theory that this is meant to push people to reserve spaces at for-fee restaurants.
I've been on X, RCI, and NCL. The best and worst MDR experiences I've had have been on NCL. It seems to me that they lack the level of consistency other brands offer. While that might be because they are more focused on providing revenue generating food options, those options tend to get mixed reviews as well. I haven't cruised enough to offer a statistically significant sample, but I'm not sure if it a conscious effort to move people towards specialty venues or a broader issue with quality control.
3 minutes ago, brillohead said:I beg to differ -- plenty of people are more than happy not to utilize all the things that are "included" in a fancy high-end expensive cruise line, so the total cost is nowhere near comparable.
Everyone needs to do the math for themselves. But you are right, that in general, when services are bundled together the average consumer ends up paying more. After all, bundling is a very successful strategy used in many industries.
If you don't plan to use non-included services and don't mind watching your expenses carefully when on vacation, there are opportunities to save. Some folks either use everything or value certain intangible benefits. For example, some folks might be willing to pay a premium for a beverage package or all inclusive line to avoid thinking about what they are spending on drinks, even if it is a slightly more expensive option.
Hence why it is nice to have a choice!
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Will HAL ever have mega ships?
in Holland America Line
Posted
Just like your car has specs for internal volume, length, weight, etc., ships have metrics for various purposes. As the Chief pointed out, some compare cargo capacities, some weight (displacement), some volume. Depending on what is being evaluated, different measures make sense.
There is correlation, but as @chengkp75 pointed out, it isn't perfect. A carrier has a lower profile than a cruise ship and is built with heavier gauge materials to withstand the conditions it can operate in (very high speeds, battle damage, etc.). A cruise ship with an aluminum superstructure is lighter and thus has a lower displacement, but could still have more enclosed volume.
Marketing folks in the cruise industry like to talk about volume because the gross tonnage numbers are normally very large, and because they represent volume small increases in length, beam, or height can show up as substantial increases in gross tonnage.
I don't know what the impetus for the change from GRT to non-linear GT was though, perhaps one of our mariners can explain that?
Very true; as the internet generation gets older we enter new marketing territory. For example, after experiencing Broadway shows on megaships will customers be willing to give that up, even if they no longer need waterslides?
HAL is going to have a tough needle to thread as they try to keep current cruisers happy, prepare for the future, and try to maintain a specific brand identity. After all, if they just become a Princess clone what impetus does Carnival have to keep investing in HAL?