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Post by gato on Feb 9, 2024 7:02:05 GMT -5
It holds 7,500 passengers (and 2,350 crew members), has 20 decks and weighs in at 250,800 tons ... the Icon of the Seas .. the largest cruise ship in the world (until next week?) Imagine getting away from the crowded streets, gyms, bars and amusement parks of your city, by climbing aboard the most jam packed venue on the planet. If you pass out due to lack of oxygen, (because it's all being sucked up by your fellow joyriders), is it even possible to fall over? Or are you wedged in like the teeming masses in a mosh pit, floating like a cork? If the attraction of getting away from the "madding crowds" is to board bigger and bigger cruise ships, maybe the cruise lines just haven't yet revealed their ultimate plan: a ship so big that the stern is in San Diego, and the bow in Honolulu. You board at one end and walk to the other, being entertained and distracted every step of the way. www.businessinsider.com/royal-caribbean-icon-of-the-seas-images-freaks-people-out-2023-7 |
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Post by Laker on Feb 9, 2024 10:49:02 GMT -5
Pretty startling when compared to Titanic.  |
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Post by Taildragger on Feb 9, 2024 11:00:31 GMT -5
Hopefully, they didn't forget to install the 4 bolts that secure the emergency exit door cover plate located below the waterline...
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Post by Leftee on Feb 9, 2024 13:54:41 GMT -5
Watch out for those icebergs!
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Post by Taildragger on Feb 9, 2024 15:02:53 GMT -5
If you want to be trapped at sea with a bunch of random people with whom you don't particularly get along, it's way cheaper to just join the Navy...
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Post by slacker 🐨 on Feb 12, 2024 17:14:59 GMT -5
I did a caribbean cruise with my wife and adult kids (no pics) in 2019. That's something I don't wish to repeat. The stops were fun but too short. When on board, there wasn't much to do except eat (you can only do so much), drink (again, how much can you or do you want to do), gamble (I don't), hang out by the spring break themed pool (ugh....loud music, drunk people and stupid activities like "best legs contest"), or find a quiet place to read/hang out.
The day at sea sucked. I really didn't want to spend the day drinking, but by 11:00am I was so bored I went looking for a bloody mary. The fun stuff they had on board (go cart track, laser tag) were fully booked within hours of being on board, so they were not an option. They did have some activities that were "ok" like an escape room event, bingo, etc, but they all were at an extra cost and you had to sign up days in advance.
The food, even at the "nice" restaurants was marginal. It didn't take long to realize that they were basically just plating the same stuff from the buffet and serving it to you.
Our river cruise in Bourdeaux was glorious in comparison. Small (150 people) and the stops were pretty much an all day affair. We'd move overnight and wake up to a new location. You could do organized (and included in the cost) activities like touring a castle or winery, etc or you could just spend your day exploring on your own. Usually you had about 12 hours at each stop.
Plus, with the small crowd, we quickly got to meet people. Also, the food was an order of magnitude better than the huge cruise ship fare. The staff knew us by name before we boarded, which blew me away....and they were amazingly attentive. Would do one of those again anytime (and it's on our list).
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Post by Auf Kiltre on Feb 12, 2024 20:22:29 GMT -5
I spent my entire life getting away from people when on vacation. Having a family cottage will do that, and that's what I wanted. After we sold the place, vacation meant travel back to Michigan and visiting with family and friends. I dig that too because we do it in doses and I love my tribe. I recently went to Nashville for the first time after our son sprung for a trip there, just him and his fiance, my wife and I. Now every musician should go to Nashville at least once and well, I did. Bar hopping, Uber drives everywhere, shopping, went to Gruhn Guitars. But I gotta say there were times when we were walking through the din of businesses and street life that I thought my eyes were gonna roll back in my head and have a seizure. Walking through the swarm of human comedy and tragedy is just not my idea of a vacation.
For me an ideal vacation right now would be me and my wife in a beach house down at the gulf, or a quiet rental somewhere in Hill Country. The dream is fading but I always wanted to see Alaska during 24 hr sunshine. I've been tempted in the past to explore an Alaskan cruise, but my brother did one on his honeymoon and it was a one and done thing for him.
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Post by LTB on Feb 12, 2024 20:46:43 GMT -5
Pretty startling when compared to Titanic. That is incredible! Never had the want to be on one for various reasons, too crowded, too easy to catch disease, and as others mentioned people disappear on some of them. |
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Post by slacker 🐨 on Feb 13, 2024 8:43:09 GMT -5
Pretty startling when compared to Titanic. That is incredible! Never had the want to be on one for various reasons, too crowded, too easy to catch disease, and as others mentioned people disappear on some of them. Yeah, I wasn't really interested either but my little sister talked me into it. My older sister loves cruises...does one pretty much every year. But, she loves that spring break by the pool environment. She's much more of a party animal than I am. |
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Post by gato on Feb 13, 2024 8:51:23 GMT -5
My wife had bugged me for years. So we went on a cruise to Alaska aboard a crowded shopping mall .... I mean cruise ship.
On the second day at sea I stumbled across the ship's library... had the whole place to myself!
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Post by Auf Kiltre on Feb 13, 2024 9:44:00 GMT -5
I don't know what one gets to experience on an Alaskan cruise that would hit my interests. I'm sure the view would be spectacular, but I'd want to feel the land with my feet. The problem with going to such a massive land mass without some itinerary and having limited time would be getting in the whole experience.
And not being eaten by a bear while taking selfies.
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Post by tahitijack on Feb 13, 2024 11:41:58 GMT -5
We have been on several Oceania cruises and enjoyed them all. Our ships accommodate about 650 passengers. The best part is the smaller Oceania ships can get into smaller places where the larger ships don't go. Last year we sailed up the river into Seville, Spain and docked within walking distance to all the places we planned to see.
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Post by Leftee on Feb 13, 2024 12:32:30 GMT -5
^ This would be our sort of cruise.
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Post by LTB on Feb 14, 2024 11:48:38 GMT -5
I don't know what one gets to experience on an Alaskan cruise that would hit my interests. I'm sure the view would be spectacular, but I'd want to feel the land with my feet. The problem with going to such a massive land mass without some itinerary and having limited time would be getting in the whole experience. And not being eaten by a bear while taking selfies. Or the legendary Alaskan Bigfoot 😂 |
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