Pro's and Con's

[Cabansail]

.... and back again. Have to be close to land to get internet access.

 

Now they have eased the Health Regulations things are a lot better in WJ. The food in the MDR has been of a very good standard.

 

Will be giving the first of my seminars today. It has taken a while to organise. It is strange to look at the Cruise Compass and see your own name there as Guest Lecturer. Have been getting stuff ready for my session.

[John&LaLa]

.... and back again. Have to be close to land to get internet access.

 

Now they have eased the Health Regulations things are a lot better in WJ. The food in the MDR has been of a very good standard.

 

Will be giving the first of my seminars today. It has taken a while to organise. It is strange to look at the Cruise Compass and see your own name there as Guest Lecturer. Have been getting stuff ready for my session.

 

Wish I was there, sure I could learn about bokah. ;)

 

Sailing out of Tampa

[Cabansail]

Wish I was there, sure I could learn about bokah. ;)

 

Aiming my talk a bit lower than that. Will be showing pics taken on this trip and speaking about composition mainly.

 

Just been up on deck taking shots of the islands in Torres Strait.

[lilly4350]

Yes .... we all have corks on our hats, carry stockwhips and wrestle crocs in our spare time.

 

Oh and don't forget - we ride our kangaroos down the main street to work/school every day. Not all stereotypes are correct.

[Cabansail]

Oh and don't forget - we ride our kangaroos down the main street to work/school every day. Not all stereotypes are correct.

 

 

In Cairns they ride Salties instead.

[Merion_Mom]

Half way through now.

 

Finding the Pro's are outweighing the Con's.

 

Some things which I have read here are not correct, for this ship anyway.

 

The Casino seems to be completely Smoke Free with No Smoking stickers on every machine. There is not even a stale smell from it having only just changed.

 

The amount of people who are quite drunk is very high. Now they are not causing a problem but by the early evening many are very oiled. The drink packages seem to encourage this behaviour. To get the "value" from a package takes you beyond a safe intake level to where it can be called binge drinking. There are also no "alcohol free" days as recommended by health authorities. It would seem that the cruising lifestyle suits the functioning alcoholic quite well. I find myself avoiding those people but loud obnoxious drunks at nearby tables in the MDR can be unpleasant.

 

They are just obeying the local regulations pertaining to smoking.

[Cabansail]

Back home a week now and getting into the routine of going to work etc.

 

While it was nice having all meals served to you I am glad to be reunited with my kitchen.

 

Overall I would go again if I came across another bargain cruise but I am not actively looking for one either. The price we paid for what we got represented good value for money.

 

The thing which really puts me off is that I do not like being around drunks and on a cruise there are a lot of them. It seems to push to the extremes where we were in the teetotal camp and those with the packages were at the other end. I cannot say that I saw anyone that was acting the maggot but there was a lot of boozy breath in the lifts at night and quite a few people talking way too loud about things that should not be shared publicly. I would say that the cruising lifestyle would appeal to alcoholics as they can fit in quite well and feel normal. So I would think that there would be a high ratio on the ships than on land.

 

The up side of not drinking on board is that our account was fairly clear at the end. We just had the compulsory visas and an expensive visit to the ships medical centre as I needed antibiotics and did not bring any, so that was $250 but I got $150 back on insurance.

[John&LaLa]

Glad you survived the ordeal

[poncho1973]

acting the maggot

 

:) Never heard this, but sounds fun.

 

 

Sorry for my boozy breath. I wasn't on your cruise, but I had it anyway.

[Katy_Tbird]

 

The thing which really puts me off is that I do not like being around drunks and on a cruise there are a lot of them. It seems to push to the extremes where we were in the teetotal camp and those with the packages were at the other end. I cannot say that I saw anyone that was acting the maggot but there was a lot of boozy breath in the lifts at night and quite a few people talking way too loud about things that should not be shared publicly. I would say that the cruising lifestyle would appeal to alcoholics as they can fit in quite well and feel normal. So I would think that there would be a high ratio on the ships than on land.

 

 

We're just taking advantage of being able to party "out on the town" while not having to drive ourselves home. :p

 

Also, sorry for our boozy breath...:D

[SC_Floaters]

You won't find an 'Alcohol Free Day' on Royal... Alcohol sales is what puts a cruise in the black. Sometimes it's the last day's sales that takes an individual cruise from red to black (profit that is)

 

From The 'Alcohol and Your Health' 'Australian Alcohol Guidelines' brochure published by the 'Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing'.

 

Alcohol-free days: Reducing the risks to your health

Regular alcohol-free days may help you to remain in control of your drinking and reduce the likelihood of it becoming a habit. This is especially important if you drink above the Guideline limits. There is evidence to show that if you drink (even at low levels) over time you will acquire some tolerance to alcohol, but this will occur less if you only drink occasionally.

 

A mild degree of alcohol dependence is common in the Australian population. One early sign of this may be, for example, that you find it difficult to drink within the recommended guidelines.

 

Seems like an Alcohol Free Day is a day that an individual imposed upon themselves...

 

Rspy/Dennis

 

Half way through now.

 

The amount of people who are quite drunk is very high. Now they are not causing a problem but by the early evening many are very oiled. The drink packages seem to encourage this behaviour. To get the "value" from a package takes you beyond a safe intake level to where it can be called binge drinking. There are also no "alcohol free" days as recommended by health authorities. It would seem that the cruising lifestyle suits the functioning alcoholic quite well. I find myself avoiding those people but loud obnoxious drunks at nearby tables in the MDR can be unpleasant.

[Cabansail]

Seems like an Alcohol Free Day is a day that an individual imposed upon themselves...

 

It is a recommendation and something you choose to do. It is not imposed on you. The problem I see is that the Drinks Packages encourage people to drink every day to a high level. Just for a package to break even you will be over the recommended safe level and borderline binge drinking. Most, it would seem, do not break even on their packages but well and truly exceed them. This happens on a daily basis.

 

I have heard the argument about profits and wonder about their validity. Providing drinks is at a cost and when some over indulge the profit per drink has to go down. The high individual drink price puts many off buying alcohol on board and hence no profit there. So at either end of the spectrum the profit will not be high. They will be relying on the middle ground to make money. Would it not be a better business and ethical model to encourage the majority to enjoy some drinks at a moderate and safe level?

Edited December 9, 2015 by Cabansail

[John&LaLa]

It is a recommendation and something you choose to do. It is not imposed on you. The problem I see is that the Drinks Packages encourage people to drink every day to a high level. Just for a package to break even you will be over the recommended safe level and borderline binge drinking. Most, it would seem, do not break even on their packages but well and truly exceed them. This happens on a daily basis.

 

I have heard the argument about profits and wonder about their validity. Providing drinks is at a cost and when some over indulge the profit per drink has to go down. The high individual drink price puts many off buying alcohol on board and hence no profit there. So at either end of the spectrum the profit will not be high. They will be relying on the middle ground to make money. Would it not be a better business and ethical model to encourage the majority to enjoy some drinks at a moderate and safe level?

 

There are plenty of affordable drinks onboard. Not every drink is $12

[Cabansail]

There are plenty of affordable drinks onboard. Not every drink is $12

 

The cheapest I could see equated to about $10 when the currency was converted. At that price it put many off having even the occasional tipple.

[John&LaLa]

The cheapest I could see equated to about $10 when the currency was converted. At that price it put many off having even the occasional tipple.

 

Sorry your currency is devalued to such an extent. Plenty of beer in the $5-$6 range and cocktails for $7-$8.

 

US, of course. There I go with my culture again. ;)

[Cabansail]

Maybe when the AU$ was valued over parity with the US$ it would have been affordable, but the farmers and exporters here did not like that, so it's better for most at this level.

 

I did wonder how many drinks some could have on a day with a package. Saw one guy who was just finishing a beer and got a new one when I went the Guest Relations at 11am. By the time I had queued up and spoke to the desk he had finished that one and was getting the next one. I went away for about an hour or so and when I got back he was still there at the bar and drinking at the same pace. At that rate the cost per drink must be down to a very small amount.

[John&LaLa]

BTW, how did the photo classes turn out

[Cabansail]

BTW, how did the photo classes turn out

 

The photo classes went quite well. I did three classes. The first was on Composition, where I went through photo's I had taken on the trip and explained different methods of improving images.

The next was "Getting off Auto" where I explained the advantages of controlling your exposure. A small group later assembled on the Helipad for a practical session where we did some sunset shots. We were lucky and got a good sunset that evening. A few then met again in the Schooner Bar where I got a table and we processed some of the images they had taken.

The last session was a Q&A format and it ended up going into the Post Production and retouching techniques. I did a few demonstrations and showed the before and after.

The venue was one of the conference rooms as it had a projector and screen. Unfortunately the images projected were of fairly poor quality so in the later sessions I would invite people to look directly at the laptop.

Quite a few asked me what i was getting to provide these talks, which was nothing. Apparently others on board were getting heavily subsidised cruises.

[John&LaLa]

Oh, so there were other lectures provided? Maybe they got the free alcohol pkg. Didn't mean to send. I was going to say I would have enjoyed your topics. All are near and dear to my heart.

 

Between cruise ships sailing by, beach stuff, rocket launches, and sunrises, I have a lot of fun with photography.

Edited December 9, 2015 by John&LaLa

[Cabansail]

There sure is a lot of opportunity for photography while on a ship. You would have been welcome to my lectures. The other lectures were on different subjects and not photography related. From what I was told they had to pay for taxes, packages and gratuities but the cruise itself was supplied.

 

 

 

 

 

[John&LaLa]

Nice photo's, I thought Freddy Mercury was dead

[brillohead]

To get the "value" from a package takes you beyond a safe intake level to where it can be called binge drinking.

 

The problem I see is that the Drinks Packages encourage people to drink every day to a high level. Just for a package to break even you will be over the recommended safe level and borderline binge drinking.

 

Regarding "binge drinking" -- I'm not sure if this term has a different definition in Australia than it does in the dreaded American culture, or if it has the same meaning in each region and you're just unfamiliar with the details.

 

From the CDC website:

 

"The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams percent or above. This typically happens when men consume 5 or more drinks, and when women consume 4 or more drinks, in about 2 hours."

 

 

If one drinks "frou-frou" drinks (something that would come with an umbrella in it for example) on the Premium package, the break-even point is around 5-6 drinks a day, not including soft drinks (Coke, etc.).

 

If one drinks beer or wine on the Select package, the break-even point is around 5-6 drinks a day, not including soft drinks (Coke, etc.).

 

For someone who starts with a drink (1) with lunch at noon, another drink (2) poolside at 2:00, another drink (3) poolside at 4:00, a pre-dinner drink (4) at 6:00, a drink (5) with dinner at 8:00, a drink (6) in the nightclub at 10:00, and another drink (7) in the nightclub at midnight, that's seven alcoholic drinks (past the break-even point) with two hours between each drink -- hardly what would constitute "binge drinking" and not enough to make one intoxicated at any point unless they weigh under 60 pounds and/or have a malfunctioning liver.

 

Seven drinks over twelve or more hours is NOT binge drinking. Five drinks over two hours is binge drinking. HUGE difference.

 

 

And I disagree that the drink packages necessarily encourage people to drink excessively in order to get their money's worth -- people who won't be drinking a lot won't get a package in the first place because they are quite pricey.

 

Before the drink packages existed, it wasn't unheard of for people to have bar bills in excess of $1500 for two people for the week.... people who are big drinkers on vacation are big drinkers on vacation whether they have a package or not.

 

 

And I'm not saying this to be defensive. I don't really drink alcohol -- if I have four margaritas in one year, it was a HEAVY drinking year for me (and I can't stand the taste of beer at all). My life has been heavily impacted by the drinking of people around me, so I'm just not a fan of drinking in general. I just felt the need to clarify some of the comments that were made about drinking to excess to get value out of a package. It doesn't take as much booze as you think to break even on the package.

[Cabansail]

There is a slight flaw in your logic The figures you quotes are standard drinks. Most of the drinks contain more than one standard unit of alcohol. So having the five drinks to break even may well be more like 7 - 10 standard drinks. Depending on the time frame it can be close to the levels which would be considered binge drinking. I am aware that the definition does vary.

 

I do think that there are more responsible ways to market alcohol than what is on offer at present.

[SPacificbound]

The photo classes went quite well. I did three classes. The first was on Composition, where I went through photo's I had taken on the trip and explained different methods of improving images.

The next was "Getting off Auto" where I explained the advantages of controlling your exposure. A small group later assembled on the Helipad for a practical session where we did some sunset shots. We were lucky and got a good sunset that evening. A few then met again in the Schooner Bar where I got a table and we processed some of the images they had taken.

The last session was a Q&A format and it ended up going into the Post Production and retouching techniques. I did a few demonstrations and showed the before and after.

The venue was one of the conference rooms as it had a projector and screen. Unfortunately the images projected were of fairly poor quality so in the later sessions I would invite people to look directly at the laptop.

Quite a few asked me what i was getting to provide these talks, which was nothing. Apparently others on board were getting heavily subsidised cruises.

 

I would love to go to a class onboard and learn how to get off "auto". :)

[John&LaLa]

I would love to go to a class onboard and learn how to get off "auto". :)

 

You can learn a lot online. Much easier with digital since you can see what you just did and experiment.

Kind of hard with action since you may not get a second chance

Edited December 10, 2015 by John&LaLa