Agree or disagree, at least accredit me with the right information. I
certainly am not afraid the speak out when I feel it necessary, but the
following was not even my original comments at all. Likewise, you'll
probably get better results with fact and figures as a backup to your
claims, than with insults and innuendos.

John Sisker
SHIP-TO-SHORE CRUISE AGENCY®
(714) 536-3850 or toll free at
(800) 724-6644 & (pagoo ID: 714.536.3850)
http://www.shiptoshorecruise.com





"Dillon Pyron" wrote in message
...
Thus spake "John Sisker" :

snip

Leaving from Houston, our
ship was loaded with Texans. Right up front we should tell you we do not
automatically dislike Texans or anyone else from the South. One of us even
descends from Texan stock. However, given they were easily the largest
population on our ship, there were a lot of behaviors that began to repeat
themselves, most notably a propensity for loud, drunken behavior and a
whole
lot of smoking. Indeed, by the third day of the cruise, we were told by
more
experienced passengers that our sailing was known as the "Redneck Cruise"
because this kind of thing happened every time.

What a crock of biased ****.

Not a problem for a college
spring break excursion, perhaps, but not the best environment for a
honeymoon. Robertson cautions it's not always possible to predict a cruise
population's behavior based solely on its port of debarkation.

Good point, which the author choose to ignore.

He does note,
however: "The cheaper a cruise is, the more localized it's going to be.
The
shorter a cruise is, the more localized is." What is the demographic of
the
people I'm cruising with? Our on-ship experience was not necessarily
typical
of each sailing that ship makes. (We offered to prove that by cruising
each
week for a year, but our employers found that to be a bit above and beyond
our calls of duty.) Having said that, however, there are some
generalizations you can make about a ship's population, Robertson said,
merely by the cruise line that operates the ship: -- Carnival: "Fun
ships,"
they emphasize partying and onboard entertainment. -- NCL: A family cruise
line for people interested in keeping things cheap. -- Princess: Upscale
with an eye towards entertainment. -- Holland America Lines: Upscale,
family
cruising. -- Royal Caribbean: Upscale couples. -- Celebrity: Upscale
couples. This reputation, along with the port of debarkation, should be
considered when trying to determine exactly what kind of people you'll be
cruising with. "A Celebrity cruise out of the same harbor will have a more
upscale audience than NCL," Robertson said. Timing, he said, is also
important. "If you are looking for a cruise out of whatever destination,
if
it's on spring break in Texas, you know it's loaded with Texans." '
snip

Oregon
and most places out West have basically become areas where unless smoking
is
allowed, most people don't. This did not apply to our ship. People smoked
in
the hallways, people smoked by the pool, people smoked in the bathrooms.
We
cannot begin to tell you how many times we'd be enjoying our spot in the
sun
when someone would sit down next to us, light up, and we'd have to move.

Most ships have a non smoking side of the pool. A little checking and
a little assertivness would have helped that problem.

Asthma is a real pain. Robertson said each cruise line has different
policies, so if smoking is an issue, be sure to be clear about what you
want
when booking your cruise. "You can request cabins and decks that are
nonsmoking," he said. "You wouldn't book a hotel room in Portland and not
ask for a nonsmoking room." 'How old is the ship?' Of all the things we
knew
about before our cruise and didn't fully understand, this would have to be
the biggest one. Our ship was built in 1992 and had a major retrofit in
1998. In the scheme of things, eight years just didn't seem like that long
of a time. We've put off sorting our sock drawer for longer periods than
that. But in the cruise industry it's huge, said Robertson. "The newer the
ship, the more dining options it has, the larger the showrooms, the larger
casino they will have." Also, newer ships have far more rooms with
unobstructed windows and balconies. Our initial "premium ocean view room"
had a rather obstructed view for us and a rather unobstructed view for the
people on the observation deck who could walk right up to the window of
our
cabin and take in some people watching. And if the ship is full, you're
stuck with that room. Another big problem with an older ship is sea
sickness. Ours lacked stabilization technology. On perfectly flat days
this
wasn't a problem. But on days when the seas were choppy - and in January
there were plenty even in the Caribbean - the ship rocked and rolled from
one side to the other. "Most all of the newer ships have got some kind of
stabilization," Robertson said. "The new builds have stabilizer bars that
are the width of the ship that eliminate that pitch and roll." 'What's
near
your room?' It's important to see what is above, below, next to and
outside
your room. If you don't want to feel the bass from the lounge speakers
through your ceiling or watch people run by all day on the jogging track
from your window, for example, you might not want to leave your room
assignment to chance. "Some people, when I book a cruise, we will
specifically select the cabin then and there, because you know where
you're
going to be," Robertson said. He cautions, however, if you select an
individual room, the cruise line will consider you ineligible for any
possible upgrades. 'Is there assigned or open seating for meals?' The
traditional model on cruise lines has been for two or three dinner
seatings,
where everyone on the ship has an assigned time and table for their
dinner.
These arrangements do not change; the time, location and dining companions
are the same each night. In recent years, however, some cruise lines have
begun open seating. Each night guests can choose where and when they want
to
eat. Although this can involve waiting in line sometimes, it usually isn't
too bad, at least in our experience. Having said that, we would have
preferred the traditional model. From past cruises, we know that assigned
seating allowed us the opportunity to get to know our wait staff and other
people on the ship. It was more formal and classy, we think, and we missed
it. This was not a universal feeling. Other people liked the open
arrangements because they weren't tied into a certain schedule and could
pretty much do as they pleased. Although NCL has taken the lead in open
seating with its "Freestyle Cruising" program, other cruise lines offer it
in varying degrees. "They are all getting to some type of almost
want-to-be
freestyle cruising," said Robertson. "Princess, for instance, calls it
'Dining Your Way.'" Most, he said, still offer some form of formal seating
for those who want it, however. NCL is the only line that does not. Having
now sailed on three of the major cruise lines, we know better what to
watch
out for and what not to take for granted. Sadly, our honeymoon was more
stressful than we'd hoped for, but we enjoyed ourselves and our traveling
companions nonetheless. But we're taking a second honeymoon without 40
family and friends, and sincerely hope we won't run into anyone we know in
the bathroom. We're not even telling anyone where we're going. Safe to
say,
however, it will not be Texas.

Again, a biased and baseless claim. Just what I'd expect from a tree
hugging Oregonian.


--
dillon

I didn't climb to the top of the
food chain to become a vegetartian.