Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Cruise ships chopped in half are a license to print money

newatlas.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

201–210 of 360 posts

Re: Cruise ships chopped in half are a license to print money

#201

Post by jghn »

mnahkies wrote: post #149
doe_eyes wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I went on a cruise once, and the whole idea is that you don't spend time in your cabin. It's not a train. You have cinema screens, live performances, restaurants and bars, libraries, quiet lounge areas, pools, and so on. Plus, there are sightseeing opportunities on land, and the neat thing about cruise ships is that they dock where the action is. Airports are always on the outskirts; ports tend to be situated p…

I've only been on one cruise, but I'd semi agree. Personally I thoroughly enjoyed the cruise, but the time on shore was too short for my liking, I prefer to stay the same place for several days and get immersed - I think of it as a better all inclusive resort (and sometimes that's what you need)

Some of these exist. For instance Bermuda cruises from NYC & Boston will stop there for a few days.

Re: Cruise ships chopped in half are a license to print money

#202

Post by bluGill »

cactusplant7374 wrote: post #121
bluGill wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You could get under a 1000 if you go the inside cabin, you are only in your room to sleep anyway.

More than sleep for me. I need to decompress.

Ocean view cabins on the bottom floor are often cheap. experienced crusiers know those are the best locations and the rich wish their sueit was there as the window near the water is a better view and worth more than a balcony - but there are so few that cruise lines can't afford to make suiets there vs the larger number who think higher is better.

Re: Cruise ships chopped in half are a license to print money

#203

Post by giantg2 »

toast0 wrote: post #199
giantg2 wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It can provide many benefits beyond people who are terrified. All sorts of barriers and annoyances can be avoided, such as managing passports, bringing medications, language barriers, differences in legal rights, dealing with customs, etc. This is even more impactful if you're traveling with kids or the elderly.

You still need a passport for most cruises. All the big cruises are non-US flagged with non-US crews and make a stop, if briefly, in a non-US port. When you finish your journey, you have to go through customs and show your passport. And your passport will usually be checked before you embark as well.

Yes,for most cruises. There are some domestic ones.

Re: Cruise ships chopped in half are a license to print money

#204

Post by jrm4 »

icegreentea2 wrote: post #40
protocolture wrote: post #4

I worked on a cruise ship below decks, once, for 3 hours, and I swore I would never take a cruise. Take the dirtiest hotel you have ever been in, and then ensure you cant leave it for days at a time. It interests me that demand is increasing but I suspect thats just good advertising.

Cruises hit a spot of: * All the fun and "not thinking" of an all-inclusive resort (though obviously only if you pay for the drink packages) on land * Generally cheaper than all inclusive resorts on mainland USA (I'm not as familiar with Europe) * Competitive on pricing with all inclusive resorts in the Caribbean/Mexico * Get to skip out on flight to the Caribbean/Mexico * Get to skip out out of the overt semi-coloni…

No mention yet of "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again?" by David Foster Wallace?

Okay, so this. Read it if you haven't. Probably the best essay on a generally "unheavy" topic I've ever read, and so iconic that "Cruise Essay" is dang near becoming its own genre, e.g. Gary Shteyngart's "A Meatball At Sea."

Re: Cruise ships chopped in half are a license to print money

#205

Post by canjobear »

jajko wrote: post #25
djtango wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't much like cruises but I do really enjoy being out at sea and would be more than happy to "raw dog" (in gen z parlance) some trips out at sea.

There are many ways to enjoy seas, cruise ships are by far the worst. As per people who worked on those, they are mostly for people who simply don't know how to enjoy life well but have money, are quiet alcoholics, and/or suffer massive loneliness. You can do amazing traveling experiences for less, you are in control of your own life and what happens next and you will feel like spending much more time when discoverin…

For some reason cruises bring out a lot of judgment in people. But at the end of the day, some people like cruises, others don't. Some people like exploring cultures, other people enjoy entertainment at sea. Some people like roughing it in an exotic foreign place, others prefer luxury hotels. The same person's preferences might change over time. Why do you think your preferences are better than someone else's?

This kind of judgmental attitude is the thing that's not worthy of respect, imo.

Re: Cruise ships chopped in half are a license to print money

#206

Post by water-data-dude »

jrm4 wrote: post #204
icegreentea2 wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cruises hit a spot of: * All the fun and "not thinking" of an all-inclusive resort (though obviously only if you pay for the drink packages) on land * Generally cheaper than all inclusive resorts on mainland USA (I'm not as familiar with Europe) * Competitive on pricing with all inclusive resorts in the Caribbean/Mexico * Get to skip out on flight to the Caribbean/Mexico * Get to skip out out of the overt semi-coloni…

No mention yet of "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again?" by David Foster Wallace? Okay, so this. Read it if you haven't. Probably the best essay on a generally "unheavy" topic I've ever read, and so iconic that "Cruise Essay" is dang near becoming its own genre, e.g. Gary Shteyngart's "A Meatball At Sea."

Behold, I have found the source! Original title was “Shipping Out: On the (nearly lethal) comforts of a luxury cruise” but then it was given a new title when it was included in the short story collection “A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again”

https://harpers.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/HarpersMagazi...

Re: Cruise ships chopped in half are a license to print money

#207

Post by bl0b »

rswail wrote: post #113
HarHarVeryFunny wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Means the same "very different" something here in the US too... Maybe doing it in a cruise ship adds to the excitement ?

The term has been "repurposed" by gen z/alpha to mean having an experience in real life without filters.

IMO it is a complete bastardization of the phrase.

The genz/alpha version is a noble form of asceticism, while the 'original' meaning is more a hedonistic indulgence without regard for consequences to yourself or others.

Re: Cruise ships chopped in half are a license to print money

#208

Post by Chris2048 »

msrenee wrote: post #55
School-Cotton wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why not just not answer your phone while on vacation?

Presumably because of pressure from superiors. If they know you're in cell range and ignoring them, they'll be pissy. If you're simply unable to receive communications, that's just the way it is. It shouldn't be like that, but it is.

So tell them you're on a cruise, then just turn the phone off..

Re: Cruise ships chopped in half are a license to print money

#209

Post by Chris2048 »

Der_Einzige wrote: post #176
School-Cotton wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> But then I'm not American. Europeans being smug about how much better their society is than Americans’ is such an annoying cliche at this point. We get it, Europe is a paradise. Btw, I’m American and I would simply not answer if my work tried to contact me while on vacation. Conversely, I know multiple Europeans with terribly unhealthy work/life balance who work constantly while on vacation.

I am the smug American which reminds all the euros that they make 1/3rd of what an American does while simultaneously working harder than the average rest and vest engineer at a tech retirement home like Microsoft. Everyone I think about how bad American WLB is, I take a look at the supposed utopias of Europe and find that they’re whole nations of crabs in a bucket.

> I am the smug American which reminds all the euros that they make 1/3rd of what an American does

Including healthcare and public facilities? Or does this only apply to tech workers?

Re: Cruise ships chopped in half are a license to print money

#210

Post by 3eb7988a1663 »

The article made several mentions of requiring additional trained crew. Where is the gap in getting staff? I expect there is a tiny fraction of specialists (engineers, medical, ship command) and a boat load of low skill jobs (cooks, cleaning, waiters, pool boys, bar tenders, etc) who could do on the job training if required.
Post reply on HN