Alaska is over a hurdle ... only CDC left

[nocl]

49 minutes ago, K.T.B. said:

 

I've sailed out of Seattle twice.  First time I stayed at Inn at the Market and paid a pretty penny for it, but well worth it. Second time I booked through AirBNB and it was a third of the overall cost, even though we stayed 5 nights as opposed to 2 the previous time.

 

I do love Seattle though....

I refuse to stay in AirBnB due to the problems it, and other businesses like it have caused in many areas.  Including the conversion of housing into short term vacation rentals, making it difficult on locals in many tourist cities, the ignoring of local laws concerning zoning and vacation rental taxes, the conversion of properties in residential areas causing severe problems for the neighbors as a result of noise issues, parking problems, etc.

[nocl]

26 minutes ago, jgmorgan said:

One strategy would be to pay a living wage to hospitality workers.

Define a living wage.  Have seen places offering over $20 per hour and still not getting any takers.

[broberts]

1 hour ago, nocl said:

Define a living wage.  Have seen places offering over $20 per hour and still not getting any takers.

 

Links?

[Aloha 1]

1 hour ago, jgmorgan said:

One strategy would be to pay a living wage to hospitality workers.

For a part time job?? Or to an unskilled teenager?? Have you ever sign the FRONT of a paycheck?

Edited May 21, 2021 by Aloha 1

[Travelexpert35]

23 hours ago, verizon said:

I do hope this decision will stay.

Vancouver hotels are way too expensive when cruising out of Canada.

i do hope that the ships will again be sailing from Vancouver and Victoria in 2022. You always have to book well in advance for Vancouver or Seattle hotels…prices aren’t that much different. Certain European ports can be expensive.

[Travelexpert35]

23 hours ago, verizon said:

I do hope this decision will stay.

Vancouver hotels are way too expensive when cruising out of Canada.

i do hope that the ships will again be sailing from Vancouver and Victoria in 2022. You always have to book well in advance for Vancouver or Seattle hotels…prices aren’t that much different. Certain European ports can be expensive.

Edited May 21, 2021 by Travelexpert35
Posted twice in error

[broberts]

25 minutes ago, Aloha 1 said:

For a part time job?? Or to an unskilled teenager?? Have you ever sign the FRONT of a paycheck?

 

I have signed pay checks.

 

Is the part timer doing a materially different job than a full time employee? If not they deserve the same hourly rate. A living wage rate. In fact if they don't qualify for benefits given to full time employees they should also receive a pro rated amount equal to the benefit.

 

Is the "unskilled" teenager doing a job materially different than any other unskilled hire? If not, they deserve the same hourly rate. A living wage rate.

[ECCruise]

34 minutes ago, Aloha 1 said:

For a part time job?? Or to an unskilled teenager?? Have you ever sign the FRONT of a paycheck?

Yes.

Tens of thousands of times over many years.

The majority of hospitality workers are neither part-time, NOR unskilled teenagers.

[Prost Seattle]

The phrase The Working Poor should offend us all. 

[nocl]

3 hours ago, broberts said:

 

Links?

Notice I said have seen places while I was out traveling.  Try Rays in Sisters Oregon for example. Several other places in Bend/Sisters Oregon having signs saying the same. Check out several places in the central cost of California.

 

Do you want a list of want ads.

[jg51]

.

Our opinion is that the change in the law ought to have been a permanent one, not a temporary one.  Why?  Because our experience is that sailing out of Vancouver (on an "X" or "RCI" ship) is a "nightmare."  Here's what we have hated:

 

(1)  Airfares from the eastern half of the U.S. to Vancouver (YVR) are much higher than they are to Seattle (SEA).

 

(2)  Fewer direct flights are available to YVR than to SEA, resulting in horrendous Embarkation Day trips for midwesterners (sometimes via Toronto -- i.e., having to backtrack to the east, to be able to fly to the west).

 

(3)  The bus or taxi trip from YVR to the cruise port in Vancouver is longer and more expensive than the trip from SEA to the cruise port in Seattle.

 

(4)  The downtown Vancouver port building was a "madhouse" with extremely long, slow lines [through Customs?] -- the worst kind of chaos that we have experienced anywhere, in almost fifteen years of cruising.

 

CONSEQUENTLY ... We believe that every Alaska cruise should be from Seattle to Anchorage [i.e., Seward] -- or vice versa -- even if it would take more than seven nights.  We love Canadians, but we believe that those who wish to cruise to Alaska should be required to fly to Seattle or to Anchorage/Seward -- until Canada can make changes, in Vancouver, that would make that city more desirable as a port from/to which Americans would travel.

.

Thanks for the opportunity to speak our minds.

.

Edited May 22, 2021 by jg51

[Fouremco]

50 minutes ago, jg51 said:

.

Our opinion is that the change in the law ought to have been a permanent one, not a temporary one.  Why?  Because our experience is that sailing out of Vancouver (on an "X" or "RCI" ship) is a "nightmare."  Here's what we have hated:

 

(1)  Airfares from the eastern half of the U.S. to Vancouver (YVR) are much higher than they are to Seattle (SEA).

 

(2)  Fewer direct flights are available to YVR than to SEA, resulting in horrendous Embarkation Day trips for midwesterners (sometimes via Toronto -- i.e., having to backtrack to the east, to be able to fly to the west).

 

(3)  The bus or taxi trip from YVR to the cruise port in Vancouver is longer and more expensive than the trip from SEA to the cruise port in Seattle.

 

(4)  The downtown Vancouver port building was a "madhouse" with extremely long, slow lines [through Customs?] -- the worst kind of chaos that we have experienced anywhere, in almost fifteen years of cruising.

 

CONSEQUENTLY ... We believe that every Alaska cruise should be from Seattle to Anchorage [i.e., Seward] -- or vice versa -- even if it would take more than seven nights.  We love Canadians, but we believe that those who wish to cruise to Alaska should be required to fly to Seattle or to Anchorage/Seward -- until Canada can make changes, in Vancouver, that would make that city more desirable as a port from/to which Americans would travel.

.

Thanks for the opportunity to speak our minds.

.

Forgetting for the moment the many issues of protection provided to US maritime endeavours that any permanent exemption would have to resolve, Seattle simply doesn't have the capacity to take over the 300 or so cruises currently sailing out of Vancouver. So I doubt the either Alaska or the cruise lines would support your suggestion. Don't forget, the current exemption was introduced to resolve a temporary Canadian ban, and once that expires, everyone benefits from returning to having Alaskan cruises operating out of both countries.

 

Next year, you will still be able to cruise out of Seattle, and no one will be forcing you to take one of the cruises out of Vancouver. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

4 hours ago, Fouremco said:

Forgetting for the moment the many issues of protection provided to US maritime endeavours that any permanent exemption would have to resolve, Seattle simply doesn't have the capacity to take over the 300 or so cruises currently sailing out of Vancouver. So I doubt the either Alaska or the cruise lines would support your suggestion. Don't forget, the current exemption was introduced to resolve a temporary Canadian ban, and once that expires, everyone benefits from returning to having Alaskan cruises operating out of both countries.

 

Next year, you will still be able to cruise out of Seattle, and no one will be forcing you to take one of the cruises out of Vancouver. 

A permanent change in PSVA that is as narrowly written as this temporary one would not create any of the doomsday risks that are always trotted out for repeal of the law.  Nobody's asking for repeal.  What we want is an acknowledgement that to the extent that the law was designed to protect US cruise ship-builders or US cruise ship lines or US cruise ship crews – it has failed.  Carve out cruise ships [and don't tell me that's impossible – any half-decent lawyer will be able to figure out how to distinguish a cruise ship from a river ferry] and let the good times roll.  I doubt that Canada will be hurt very much at all, because lots of people like to visit Vancouver and Victoria [not to mention the St. Lawrence cruises and the Great Lakes cruises].  But why shouldn't we have choices and let the market decide.

[Redtravel]

  When taking an Alaska cruise, it would make more sense to fly to Alaska and sail there.  There are several good ports  to visit. No need to sail back and forth from Seattle. On my most recent Alaska cruise in 2019, we sail from Vancouver to Seattle and then to Alaska.  While Seattle and Vancouver are both interesting cities, more time in Alaska would’ve been better.

[K.T.B.]

57 minutes ago, Redtravel said:

  When taking an Alaska cruise, it would make more sense to fly to Alaska and sail there.  There are several good ports  to visit. No need to sail back and forth from Seattle. On my most recent Alaska cruise in 2019, we sail from Vancouver to Seattle and then to Alaska.  While Seattle and Vancouver are both interesting cities, more time in Alaska would’ve been better.

 

It's a hell of a lot more expensive to fly into Alaskan cities not called Anchorage though. While one can fly into, say, Juneau or Fairbanks, Alaska exclusively would not work for a great many people.  For me, going through O'Hare, you'd be doubling the cost of the airfare.

[luckyinpa]

On 5/21/2021 at 4:04 PM, Prost Seattle said:

The phrase The Working Poor should offend us all. 

  i hate silly phases like that. as well as working family. everyone from the 2 dollar an hour server to the million dollar MLB player works. very few families dont work.  

 

im glad alaska is back but until i hear 1st hand staffing experiences i'm not going to spend my money. i want it all open and the full experience when i go.