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#21
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Opinions: Southern Caribbean Cruise
On Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:50:30 -0500, Brian K wrote:
Stefan Patric consulted a Magic 8 Ball and declared On 2/10/2010 1:38 PM: On Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:46:53 -0600, Stu wrote: [snip] Then have a look at cruise.com I'll pass along the advice. Thanks. Stef Better still, a savvy travel agent specializing in cruises would be able to tailor a cruise booking to your friends specific needs. There are things that travel-bots can do, but so far they can't talk to you and offer options based on a conversation with you. They do intend to use an agent once they are ready to book the trip. Right now, they are still doing research. I think both are a little overwhelmed with all that's available. Stef |
#22
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Opinions: Southern Caribbean Cruise
On 2/10/2010 10:33 PM, Stefan Patric wrote:
On Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:50:30 -0500, Brian K wrote: Better still, a savvy travel agent specializing in cruises would be able to tailor a cruise booking to your friends specific needs. There are things that travel-bots can do, but so far they can't talk to you and offer options based on a conversation with you. They do intend to use an agent once they are ready to book the trip. Right now, they are still doing research. I think both are a little overwhelmed with all that's available. Stef Why not use one now so they can actually talk to the agent and speak for themselves instead of channeling through you? The agent won't charge them for their knowledge or information so why not contact them now? Bill |
#23
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Opinions: Southern Caribbean Cruise
"Stefan Patric" wrote in message ... They do intend to use an agent once they are ready to book the trip. Right now, they are still doing research. I think both are a little overwhelmed with all that's available. Stef Actually... NOW IS the time for a Good Travel Agent... WHILE doing the research. Years ago, after our very first cruise, we visited a local cruise only agency. When we walked into her agency with our young kids in tow, she started saying how the kids might like Carnival... but after Linda started telling the agent about things we liked and didn't like on the first cruise (on the RCI Nordic Empress) the agent IMMEDIATELY switched and said we should be looking at Celebrity. She knew her stuff... but she also way overcharged so we never used her again, but a good agent, who actually listens to you is invaluable. A big part of their job is to cut through the "overwhelming" number of options, and focus you down to a few options that are best for you, given your budget. I'd explain that to them. --Tom |
#24
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Opinions: Southern Caribbean Cruise
"Nonny" wrote in message ... Be sure to also inquire about the type of shower in the cabin. Our recent Ryndam cruise had tubs with HIGH sides, rather than a flat floor shower or even a step-in low based shower stall. With a broken shoulder, I still had no problem stepping over the 18" or so side for my daily shower, but Mrs. Nonny had a lot of difficulty. Outside of the tub issue, though, the Ryndam was very accessible otherwise. We also were on a Carnival ship (?, George Leppla would recall) out of Seattle a few years back and had just a regular cabin. The doors were too narrow to permit Mrs. Nonny's scooter inside at all and necessitated me turning it on end and dragging it in at night for charging. Also, many of the ships have an elevated threshold for access to deck areas, including the pool area on the Lido deck. It's not specific to any line in particular. While ramped, the 2" or so threshold can be a barrier to someone wheeling themselves in a manual chair or with a scooter that has a low clearance between the wheels. -- Nonny Tom, that is what I found weird...we were in a cabin just 4-5 cabins away from you on the Ryndam and had a regular shower with no tub, which I found surprising since all the other HAL ships that we have been on always had tubs.... It was not a handicapped cabin. It suited us fine as we prefer showers instead of tubs. --Jean |
#25
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Opinions: Southern Caribbean Cruise
"Jean O'Boyle" wrote in message ... "Nonny" wrote in message ... Be sure to also inquire about the type of shower in the cabin. Our recent Ryndam cruise had tubs with HIGH sides, rather than a flat floor shower or even a step-in low based shower stall. With a broken shoulder, I still had no problem stepping over the 18" or so side for my daily shower, but Mrs. Nonny had a lot of difficulty. Outside of the tub issue, though, the Ryndam was very accessible otherwise. We also were on a Carnival ship (?, George Leppla would recall) out of Seattle a few years back and had just a regular cabin. The doors were too narrow to permit Mrs. Nonny's scooter inside at all and necessitated me turning it on end and dragging it in at night for charging. Also, many of the ships have an elevated threshold for access to deck areas, including the pool area on the Lido deck. It's not specific to any line in particular. While ramped, the 2" or so threshold can be a barrier to someone wheeling themselves in a manual chair or with a scooter that has a low clearance between the wheels. -- Nonny Tom, that is what I found weird...we were in a cabin just 4-5 cabins away from you on the Ryndam and had a regular shower with no tub, which I found surprising since all the other HAL ships that we have been on always had tubs.... It was not a handicapped cabin. It suited us fine as we prefer showers instead of tubs. --Jean I wonder if it might have been part of the 2001 partial refurbishment of the Ryndam. I can see HAL, in particular, wanting to make the cabins more compatible with their customer base, and the high step-over tub side was quite a problem for us. I'm not positive, but I have the impression that Tobie and Barb also had the tub vs. shower in their cabin as well. FWIW, embarkation and disembarkation on both the Legend and Ryndam were about the same. In both instances, we were allowed to board before Noon, but were whisked to the Lido deck, which was staffed and set out with food, giving the stewards more time to clean the cabins. I see a trend aboard all the cruise ships we've been on lately, for a "scramble" type of Lido buffet, where the passenger has a number of stations, rather than a single, continuous line. For instance, there might be a pasta station, a Japanese station, a dessert station, Italian station etc., and the passenger is encouraged to cue up at the ones they want, rather than having to pass all foods in order to collect what is wanted. On the Ryndam, the buffet is still laid out in the older format of one long line, but they've modernized by using posts and velvet ropes, along with signs, to define the different stations. It's impossible to "do the whole line" at one time, since a rope forces you out to the traffic area, where you then line up again for a different station. I like that, and don't hear complaints from others about it, either. -- Nonny ELOQUIDIOT (n) A highly educated, sophisticated, and articulate person who has absolutely no clue concerning what they are talking about. The person is typically a media commentator or politician. |
#26
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Opinions: Southern Caribbean Cruise
Hey, Nonny
Barb and I DID have a bathtub in our room on the Ryndam. We have sailed on HAL many times, and on many different ships, and this was the first time that I can recall, that we had a bathtub. There might have been one in the old days, on the Rotterdam 5 or the old Noordam. That was before Barb had a mobility problem, so it didn't matter to us. Tobieon an Island in the Pacific "Nonny" wrote in message ... "Jean O'Boyle" wrote in message ... "Nonny" wrote in message ... Be sure to also inquire about the type of shower in the cabin. Our recent Ryndam cruise had tubs with HIGH sides, rather than a flat floor shower or even a step-in low based shower stall. With a broken shoulder, I still had no problem stepping over the 18" or so side for my daily shower, but Mrs. Nonny had a lot of difficulty. Outside of the tub issue, though, the Ryndam was very accessible otherwise. We also were on a Carnival ship (?, George Leppla would recall) out of Seattle a few years back and had just a regular cabin. The doors were too narrow to permit Mrs. Nonny's scooter inside at all and necessitated me turning it on end and dragging it in at night for charging. Also, many of the ships have an elevated threshold for access to deck areas, including the pool area on the Lido deck. It's not specific to any line in particular. While ramped, the 2" or so threshold can be a barrier to someone wheeling themselves in a manual chair or with a scooter that has a low clearance between the wheels. -- Nonny Tom, that is what I found weird...we were in a cabin just 4-5 cabins away from you on the Ryndam and had a regular shower with no tub, which I found surprising since all the other HAL ships that we have been on always had tubs.... It was not a handicapped cabin. It suited us fine as we prefer showers instead of tubs. --Jean I wonder if it might have been part of the 2001 partial refurbishment of the Ryndam. I can see HAL, in particular, wanting to make the cabins more compatible with their customer base, and the high step-over tub side was quite a problem for us. I'm not positive, but I have the impression that Tobie and Barb also had the tub vs. shower in their cabin as well. FWIW, embarkation and disembarkation on both the Legend and Ryndam were about the same. In both instances, we were allowed to board before Noon, but were whisked to the Lido deck, which was staffed and set out with food, giving the stewards more time to clean the cabins. I see a trend aboard all the cruise ships we've been on lately, for a "scramble" type of Lido buffet, where the passenger has a number of stations, rather than a single, continuous line. For instance, there might be a pasta station, a Japanese station, a dessert station, Italian station etc., and the passenger is encouraged to cue up at the ones they want, rather than having to pass all foods in order to collect what is wanted. On the Ryndam, the buffet is still laid out in the older format of one long line, but they've modernized by using posts and velvet ropes, along with signs, to define the different stations. It's impossible to "do the whole line" at one time, since a rope forces you out to the traffic area, where you then line up again for a different station. I like that, and don't hear complaints from others about it, either. -- Nonny ELOQUIDIOT (n) A highly educated, sophisticated, and articulate person who has absolutely no clue concerning what they are talking about. The person is typically a media commentator or politician. |
#27
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Opinions: Southern Caribbean Cruise
On Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:58:45 -0500, Bill wrote:
On 2/10/2010 10:33 PM, Stefan Patric wrote: On Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:50:30 -0500, Brian K wrote: Better still, a savvy travel agent specializing in cruises would be able to tailor a cruise booking to your friends specific needs. There are things that travel-bots can do, but so far they can't talk to you and offer options based on a conversation with you. They do intend to use an agent once they are ready to book the trip. Right now, they are still doing research. I think both are a little overwhelmed with all that's available. Stef Why not use one now so they can actually talk to the agent and speak for themselves instead of channeling through you? The agent won't charge them for their knowledge or information so why not contact them now? I asked the same thing. They, really the future husband, whom I've know for almost 20 years, told me he never likes to enter any situation unprepared. Actually, I think, he doesn't trust anyone who works on commission. Stef |
#28
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Opinions: Southern Caribbean Cruise
On Sat, 13 Feb 2010 05:52:54 GMT, Stefan Patric
wrote: On Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:58:45 -0500, Bill wrote: On 2/10/2010 10:33 PM, Stefan Patric wrote: On Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:50:30 -0500, Brian K wrote: Better still, a savvy travel agent specializing in cruises would be able to tailor a cruise booking to your friends specific needs. There are things that travel-bots can do, but so far they can't talk to you and offer options based on a conversation with you. They do intend to use an agent once they are ready to book the trip. Right now, they are still doing research. I think both are a little overwhelmed with all that's available. Stef Why not use one now so they can actually talk to the agent and speak for themselves instead of channeling through you? The agent won't charge them for their knowledge or information so why not contact them now? I asked the same thing. They, really the future husband, whom I've know for almost 20 years, told me he never likes to enter any situation unprepared. Actually, I think, he doesn't trust anyone who works on commission. Stef Probably because they have a vested interest in the outcome, such as their income and keeping their job by providing income for the company. I walk in furniture stores or electronic stores, I usually tell the sales people right off I don't need their help. This usually because I've done my research, and know exactually what I want. But that's just me, others may need help. |
#29
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Opinions: Southern Caribbean Cruise
Stu wrote:
On Sat, 13 Feb 2010 05:52:54 GMT, Stefan Patric wrote: On Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:58:45 -0500, Bill wrote: On 2/10/2010 10:33 PM, Stefan Patric wrote: On Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:50:30 -0500, Brian K wrote: Better still, a savvy travel agent specializing in cruises would be able to tailor a cruise booking to your friends specific needs. There are things that travel-bots can do, but so far they can't talk to you and offer options based on a conversation with you. They do intend to use an agent once they are ready to book the trip. Right now, they are still doing research. I think both are a little overwhelmed with all that's available. Stef Why not use one now so they can actually talk to the agent and speak for themselves instead of channeling through you? The agent won't charge them for their knowledge or information so why not contact them now? I asked the same thing. They, really the future husband, whom I've know for almost 20 years, told me he never likes to enter any situation unprepared. Actually, I think, he doesn't trust anyone who works on commission. Stef Probably because they have a vested interest in the outcome, such as their income and keeping their job by providing income for the company. Except that good travel agents operate on the theory that we work for the customer... not the cruise line. As an agent, if I am smart and want to keep customer loyalty, I recommend a cruise line that will best fir the customer's needs. I really don't give a rat's ass how much money the cruise lines make when I recommend a cruise. I care about putting someone on a good cruise and having them come back to me when they book their next cruise. Also, travel agents seldom "lose their position" with a cruise line. There have been a few cases over the years where a specific cruise line will put an agency on a "do not sell" status, but you really have to screw up badly for that to happen. Meanwhile, if Cruise Line A drops an agency, there are still a lot of other cruise lines to sell. I walk in furniture stores or electronic stores, I usually tell the sales people right off I don't need their help. This usually because I've done my research, and know exactually what I want. But that's just me, others may need help. Same way with cruises. Some people know exactly what they want... ship, sail date, cabin. Others start with "I want to go on a cruise.... what do you recommend?" Most are somewhere in the middle. But even for people who know exactly what they want, there are times when a travel agent has access to various promotional prices or group space that the non-agent can't access on the internet. -- George Leppla Countryside Travel http://www.CruiseMaster.com Blog http://cruisemaster.typepad.com/my_weblog/ Facebook http://www.facebook.com/CruiseMaster |
#30
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Opinions: Southern Caribbean Cruise
When we go to our travel agent,she is glad to see us because she knows
we have all the information she will need,we know exactly what cruise we are taking,what cruise line,what ship,what cabin,which dining time, all she has to do is book it. We do all the work,she reaps the credit. cruise lover(~~~~~) .. |
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