Can’t they just dock the ships at port and have people pay day passes?

[slidergirl]

6 hours ago, cruizergal70 said:

Question: what are these games and activities that would be so attractive?

As I posted upthread:  wave machine for surfing, climbing walls, race cars and track, mini golf, water slides, the glass ball that swings out off the ship, ball courts, driving range (with biodegradable balls)...  If you have a pack of the right age kiddos, they'd have a blast.   

[cruizergal70]

30 minutes ago, slidergirl said:

As I posted upthread:  wave machine for surfing, climbing walls, race cars and track, mini golf, water slides, the glass ball that swings out off the ship, ball courts, driving range (with biodegradable balls)...  If you have a pack of the right age kiddos, they'd have a blast.   

All those things don't exist on one single cruise line. Plus, it would be adults and kids trying to use those things. It would be a logistical nightmare. 

[slidergirl]

2 hours ago, cruizergal70 said:

All those things don't exist on one single cruise line. Plus, it would be adults and kids trying to use those things. It would be a logistical nightmare. 

Sigh. 

 

In Port Canaveral, for instance, we get both Carnival and Royal Caribbean ships.  It would be just like a family trying to choose between WDW or Universal - all the attractions don't exist in both places.  Families would choose.  It's already adults and kids trying to use those things on the ships.  Nothing different between tied up and doing day passes and being out at sea.  If you don't like it, you don't have to do it.  We're spitballing here.  

 

[chipmaster]

3 hours ago, slidergirl said:

As I posted upthread:  wave machine for surfing, climbing walls, race cars and track, mini golf, water slides, the glass ball that swings out off the ship, ball courts, driving range (with biodegradable balls)...  If you have a pack of the right age kiddos, they'd have a blast.   

sounds like in my middle sized US city I can do that do, if we get out of Phase1, LOL.

 

I've been on a ship, even with reduced capacity the lines for everything was tiring, the reason you'd wait there was nothing else and they all had lines.    Very different go to a waterpark, a driving range, etc. etc. much better on land anytime anywhere.

 

 

Edited August 7, 2020 by chipmaster

[chipmaster]

On 8/6/2020 at 10:45 AM, sverigecruiser said:

 

Often places with many tourists have many low quality restaurants because the tourists have to eat even if the food and service isn't good but  Florida may be different.

 

For me it's very easy if I should choose between a day in a theme park or a day on a  cruiseship. I should defenitely choose the cruiseship.

 

There are also many fine restaurants.  I was in Florida at the beginning of the New year for a national dance championship and the choices were great, we avoid all the quick fare stuff, those are for the ones that also eat at the buffet and lido deck grill, LOL

[ldubs]

3 hours ago, slidergirl said:

As I posted upthread:  wave machine for surfing, climbing walls, race cars and track, mini golf, water slides, the glass ball that swings out off the ship, ball courts, driving range (with biodegradable balls)...  If you have a pack of the right age kiddos, they'd have a blast.   

 

What about a pack of us old dudes who like to have a blast too!  Well, gives the youngsters something else to roll their eyes about anyway.  Haha.  

 

[chipmaster]

On 8/6/2020 at 12:23 PM, Charles4515 said:

 

There is a range of restaurants in Florida from low quality to mid quality to high quality. Tourists in Florida have a choice. They don’t have to eat in a low quality restaurant. There are plenty of restaurants in every category. We use Yelp for guidance when traveling in Florida. On a cruise ship there is a range of quality too. Often meh.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

 

Couldn't agree with you more, the mass market cruisers may not know what good food served with great service is like if the upsell on a ship is all they've had.   

[Aquahound]

8 minutes ago, chipmaster said:

 

Couldn't agree with you more, the mass market cruisers may not know what good food served with great service is like if the upsell on a ship is all they've had.   

 

That's a very arrogant thing to say.  🙄  

 

[chipmaster]

11 hours ago, sanger727 said:

I’m pretty sure cruise lines don’t invest in billion dollar ships to attract people who simply ‘tolerate’ them. There are many people on these forums that jump at a chance for a cruise that goes to places they’ve been 20 times and won’t get off the ship just to try out the latest and grates ships. I would do this day pass idea if they could park a cruise ship close enough to me to drive to it. Not from the stand point that I can get a meal on board that’s better than a meal I can get from land. But I’ve certainly had a meal at a specialty restaurant that rated right up with some of the best meals I’ve had in my city. The attraction would be the full package; a full day of eating and drinking on board included In the entry price (which I can’t get anywhere on land), a day with access to a pool and various activities (I’m sure I could find all those activities in my city but you would have to travel place to place And pay multiple entry fees). Topped off with a very nice dinner in a specialty restaurant and a show. I agree that this can’t be done today, along with the fact tha it can’t be done legally, but in this dream would where it could be done, I certainly see some appeal to it.

 

Yes for some the ship is the destination, they've been most clever in creating desire in our mind, grand looking marketing indeed for them meg ships; cantilevered water slides, wave runners, icesakting rinks, fancy atriums, amazing looking theaters.  Seems very similar to Las Vegas casino approach, all clever to entice us and delight us and separate us from our dollars.

 

 

As you mentioned everyone is in your city, requires multiple fees, but each better, likely more money, and less crowded but you do need to get into your car, but on the other hand live in your nice spacious home, do at your convenience, don't need to travel etc. etc.     

 

OTH, I've been intrigued by the newest mega ships then wonder is that experience really better than a 2K sized shipped.      

 

I'd do the mega ship with rotating ports, but for the ship only, it is a novelty, like Vegas, go.   

 

I think in the age of pandemic where crowds are exponentially more risky, these ships may end up like the A380, hope not but possibly as there are alternatives and the world is now fully awaken to what was hinted with SARs, MERs, Birdflu etc... 

 

As to food, I am going to challenge the notion that the mega ships really can compare to the best of the best on land restaurants, no way, LOL

[K32682]

35 minutes ago, chipmaster said:

 

Couldn't agree with you more, the mass market cruisers may not know what good food served with great service is like if the upsell on a ship is all they've had.   

 

Agreed.  I've never eaten a meal on a cruise ship that I couldn't easily better in any mid-size Canadian city and many of the smaller ones. 

[ldubs]

39 minutes ago, chipmaster said:

sounds like in my middle sized US city I can do that do, if we get out of Phase1, LOL.

 

I've been on a ship, even with reduced capacity the lines for everything was tiring, the reason you'd wait there was nothing else and they all had lines.    Very different go to a waterpark, a driving range, etc. etc. much better on land anytime anywhere.

 

 

 

I'm glad you find land venues better.  I try hard to avoid habitual negativity while on a cruise.   I hope to never get stuck at a table with someone who needs to constantly humbug.     

[rkacruiser]

2 hours ago, K32682 said:

 

 I've never eaten a meal on a cruise ship that I couldn't easily better in any mid-size Canadian city and many of the smaller ones. 

 

You have not dined at Rudi's Sel de Mer on a Holland America Line ship.  

 

I live in a mid-sized Ohio city and there is not a restaurant in this city that could produce the dinners that I have enjoyed in the Nieuw Statendam's stand-alone restaurant nor in the pop-ups on a couple of the other ships.  If one would only consider a beef entree, yes, we have restaurants that probably would be as good as Sel de Mer.  For other menu items?  No.

 

Repeatedly, I have had Dover Sole that is as perfectly prepared and served as one would expect.  

 

 

[Aquahound]

7 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

You have not dined at Rudi's Sel de Mer on a Holland America Line ship.  

 

I live in a mid-sized Ohio city and there is not a restaurant in this city that could produce the dinners that I have enjoyed in the Nieuw Statendam's stand-alone restaurant nor in the pop-ups on a couple of the other ships.  If one would only consider a beef entree, yes, we have restaurants that probably would be as good as Sel de Mer.  For other menu items?  No.

 

Repeatedly, I have had Dover Sole that is as perfectly prepared and served as one would expect.  

 

 

Thank you.  I enjoy fine dining at nearby reataurants, and I'm not such a bad cook myself.  The salmon I grilled last night was to die for.

 

However, I've also had meals on board ships that I thought were excellent.  I agree Sel de Mer is great.  I've also had several other great meals at specialty restaurants like Murano on Celebrity, Giovanni's Table on RCI, and Tamarind on HAL.  Heck, even Steakhouse on Carnival was great.

 

I would dine out at one of these restaurants in a heartbeat.   

[Heidi13]

7 hours ago, K32682 said:

 

Agreed.  I've never eaten a meal on a cruise ship that I couldn't easily better in any mid-size Canadian city and many of the smaller ones. 

 

In 45 yrs of sailing that hasn't been my experience.

 

Back in the 70's & 80's the meals we received were superb and the service was outstanding, with the waiters well versed in the art of silver service. While the mass market MDR's have dropped the standards, that doesn't apply to the premium/luxury lines and as others noted, the mega ship specialty restaurants.

 

In 4 months aboard a Viking ship, we had some exceptional meals in the MDR, alternative restaurants and even room service. Yes, one evening the Executive Chef cooked us a couple of T-Bones and sent them to the cabin. The meals on Viking are definitely comparable with some of the best restaurants in Metro Vancouver.

 

The Halibut and Dover Sole I had on a couple of evenings were cooked to perfection, with the Halibut being vastly superior to our last visit to our local fine dining restaurant.

[sanger727]

22 hours ago, cruizergal70 said:

Question: what are these games and activities that would be so attractive?

 

12 hours ago, chipmaster said:

 

 

As to food, I am going to challenge the notion that the mega ships really can compare to the best of the best on land restaurants, no way, LOL

based on ships I have been on; I could enjoy spending the day lounging on deck and cooling off in the pool with a ride or two down the water slides with servers bringing me tropical drinks.  Watch the games by the pool and listen to a life band play. Enjoy an outdoor movie in the afternoon. And even a trip up the rock wall.  Followed up with pre dinner drinks in a lounge listening to live music and a lovely dinner at a nice restaurant. Followed up by a production show in the evening and even a late night comedy show.
 

At home, I don’t have access to a pool. Pools here require memberships and I don’t want to go enough to get a membership. They certainly don’t have cocktails and waiters. I could pay $50 plus $15 to park to go to a water park.  Plus however much they want for overpriced drinks. Wouldn’t exactly be the same. Would have to pick up and leave to go watch the movie and find a drive in movie theater for an outdoor movie. Would have to pick up and leave again to find the lounge for pre dinner drinks so more driving and parking. Same for dinner and the show meanwhile shelling out money for drinks, dinner, parking, show tickets.

 

yes, it’s a novelty. Which is why I don’t think it would be profitable, I would probably only go once or twice. Yes, I could find better for any of those things for an overall lower price. But I couldn’t find all of those things together at a lower price with the convenience of not having to drive and park 5 times. 
 

as far as the food. I’ve had dinners in murano and Tuscan grille on celebrity that were fabulous. And certainly ranked up with the best dinners I’ve had in the nicest restaurants at home. I don’t doubt the New York and Las Vegas have better options. But I don’t have easy access to those and I’m sure you would be looking at 200 per person which I would never pay.

[Charles4515]

based on ships I have been on; I could enjoy spending the day lounging on deck and cooling off in the pool with a ride or two down the water slides with servers bringing me tropical drinks.  Watch the games by the pool and listen to a life band play. Enjoy an outdoor movie in the afternoon. And even a trip up the rock wall.  Followed up with pre dinner drinks in a lounge listening to live music and a lovely dinner at a nice restaurant. Followed up by a production show in the evening and even a late night comedy show.  

At home, I don’t have access to a pool. Pools here require memberships and I don’t want to go enough to get a membership. They certainly don’t have cocktails and waiters. I could pay $50 plus $15 to park to go to a water park.  Plus however much they want for overpriced drinks. Wouldn’t exactly be the same. Would have to pick up and leave to go watch the movie and find a drive in movie theater for an outdoor movie. Would have to pick up and leave again to find the lounge for pre dinner drinks so more driving and parking. Same for dinner and the show meanwhile shelling out money for drinks, dinner, parking, show tickets.

 

yes, it’s a novelty. Which is why I don’t think it would be profitable, I would probably only go once or twice. Yes, I could find better for any of those things for an overall lower price. But I couldn’t find all of those things together at a lower price with the convenience of not having to drive and park 5 times. 

 

as far as the food. I’ve had dinners in murano and Tuscan grille on celebrity that were fabulous. And certainly ranked up with the best dinners I’ve had in the nicest restaurants at home. I don’t doubt the New York and Las Vegas have better options. But I don’t have easy access to those and I’m sure you would be looking at 200 per person which I would never pay.

 

 

 OK I get that some people’s situation is not as good as mine. Access to great restaurants, we have a pool in our condominium etc. , a pool that we can swim laps in unlike the ships pools which I would not even get in, so a day pass would be something that appeals to some. But the answer to the question remains it would not be legally possible without going through a lot of expensive hoops, they can’t just dock the ship, and selling day passes probably would not make financial sense unless the passes were sold at a high price that most people would not be willing to pay.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

 

[sverigecruiser]

19 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

But the answer to the question remains it would not be legally possible without going through a lot of expensive hoops

 

The real question was if it would be profitable to offer day passes and I think that the answer to that is no.

 

I should be interested in it, depending of the price, but don't think that enough people are interested to make it profitable.

 

I should LOVE to pay for a "ship crawl". I should defenitely pay rather much to be able to tour a few ships during a day. A guided tour on maybe five ships during a day with drinks and maybe lunch on one ship and dinner on another ship should be very interesting for me. 

[Charles4515]

 

 

I should LOVE to pay for a "ship crawl". I should defenitely pay rather much to be able to tour a few ships during a day. A guided tour on maybe five ships during a day with drinks and maybe lunch on one ship and dinner on another ship should be very interesting for me. 

 

I think one ship tour a day would be enough. I have done several. A travel agent got me and some other of her customers on a them with her. We live relatively near northeast ports. The tours included lunch and were interesting. I don’t think more than one a day would be likely. The ship tours were pretty extensive, time consuming, including every cabin category. More than one a day would be tiring.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[evandbob]

With Florida, Texas and SoCal ports being the current hot spots for the virus, I doubt many people would want to drive to those areas just to spend a day on a docked cruise ship.

 

Perhaps a few locals who are getting antsy about restricted might enjoy a few hours of escape, but all you would need is another transmission of the virus caused by being on a cruise ship to shut this idea down completely.

[cruizergal70]

19 hours ago, Aquahound said:

 

That's a very arrogant thing to say.  🙄  

 

Years ago I might have agreed with you. However,  hearing folks talk about how great ship restaurants are (yes, even the paid ones), I get the impression that many people have had limited exposure to allegedly "upscale" restaurants on land.

[Aquahound]

49 minutes ago, cruizergal70 said:

Years ago I might have agreed with you. However,  hearing folks talk about how great ship restaurants are (yes, even the paid ones), I get the impression that many people have had limited exposure to allegedly "upscale" restaurants on land.

 

Food is one of the most subjective topics on Cruise Critic.  First, it's prosperous to believe folks who spend thousands on a cruise and who are willing to pay up-charges for restaurants, never eat out at upscale restaurants at home (that's what he suggested).  Two, why is it so hard to believe that some of us actually like the food on board, and that we do dine at nice restaurants at home?  I'm from the Keys where one can eat seafood right off the boat.  I also lived in New Orleans for a few years where I ate some of the most amazing food.  Yet, somehow, I still seem to enjoy some specialty restaurants.  

[Cruzaholic41]

47 minutes ago, Aquahound said:

 

 Yet, somehow, I still seem to enjoy some specialty restaurants.  

Here in Miami, I have some of the best restaurants in the World at my fingertips. I guess I’m also weird because I’ve been very happy with certain specialty restaurants on mass market ships. 

[rkacruiser]

6 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

I should LOVE to pay for a "ship crawl". I should defenitely pay rather much to be able to tour a few ships during a day. A guided tour on maybe five ships during a day with drinks and maybe lunch on one ship and dinner on another ship should be very interesting for me. 

 

This is "thinking outside the box" big time!  Please let me know where and how to sign-up!

 

A "ship crawl" in Port Everglades or the Port of Miami would be easy to do with the close docking location of so many ships on any given day.  

 

As Charles4515 implied, at the end of such a day, I would be exhausted!  But, happy!

 

 

[rkacruiser]

20 hours ago, Aquahound said:

 I've also had several other great meals at specialty restaurants like Murano on Celebrity, Giovanni's Table on RCI, and Tamarind on HAL.  Heck, even Steakhouse on Carnival was great.

 

Celebrity's Tuscan Grille was excellent for lunch as well as dinner.  Celebrity's Murano's was surely fine dining, but the service on Celebrity Eclipse was, I thought, a bit pretentious.  The cuisine was excellent, however.  

 

Tamarind is "something different" that I enjoy on a cruise, but, in my opinion, not in the same league as Sel de Mer.  

 

One can tell reading my signature that I have not patronized many, but I have done so aboard every Carnival ship that had a Steakhouse.  Each one was excellent in all respects:  service, wine service and wine list, cuisine, ambiance.  Dining at their Steakhouse on that first night at sea was always a great value as well.  

 

 

[jocap]

12 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

This is "thinking outside the box" big time!  Please let me know where and how to sign-up!

 

A "ship crawl" in Port Everglades or the Port of Miami would be easy to do with the close docking location of so many ships on any given day.  

 

As Charles4515 implied, at the end of such a day, I would be exhausted!  But, happy!

 

 

When HAL ships visited Scotland, they often had open days for the public, which was usually through a TA. We spent a weekend with other cruisers near Edinburgh, and took a morning tender out to the Rotterdam, where we had free access to all the public areas, and were welcome to use the buffet for drinks and snacks. There was a special lunch with wine for us in the MDR, followed by an illustrated talk in the theatre.

 

An excellent day out, but I seem to remember there were forms to fill in some days before the event, and you had to take your passport which was kept on shore until your return.