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[QUOTE]Originally posted by dmwnc1959: [QB] The description of LD Amtrak travel as 'indoor camping' is spot on, and the main reason why it would be increasingly difficult for me to justify spending 2G's on it instead of the aforementioned, and comparatively spacious, accomodations on something like the Celebrity ECLIPSE. 'One pine tree, all pine trees' reminds me of just about every rail trip I took south of the Mason-Dixon Line except in Florida where it's 'one palm tree-all palm trees'. To me crusing the Inside Passage of Alaska and Glacier Bay/College Fjord were some of the most scenic and stunning landscapes I have ever seen. Another ranking high up there were the 7-night cruise down the Columbia River from Portand, Oregon to Lewiston, Idaho, and then back to Astoria and Cannon Beach, Oregon. It was like a extended version of cruising the Panama Canal but much better. Amtrak admittedly offers up some wonderful vistas but often the vistas are too short and fleeting to justify 5 days on an LD. I did enjoy the Denver to Reno portion of the California Zephyr, the Portland-Spokane portion of the Empire Builder, as well as spotted portions of the Coast Starlight and the Pacific Surfliner. It is just that sometimes fighting for space in a Sightseer Car or hoping to catch soemthing out my 3x5 window seems to have become more challenging than anything else. With this possibly being cruise #30 (I have 5 cruises to Alaksa under my belt) the thoughts of having 5 days of the soothing sounds of open ocean off my balcony reclining with a good book in my hand is quite appealing, as opposed to the same number of days in a Sightseer Car or in my jail-cell sized Roomette. And on a cruise ship I have several options for dining, solitude in my room, table for 1 in a specialty restaurant or Lido Cafe, or joinging a fine group of people in the main dining room. I can't begin to tell you the horror story that was my last dining car encounter on Amtrak, making me flee back to, yes, my jail cell sized roomette. [b]sbalax[/b] you have quite a nice lineup of journeys scheduled. I love the Millennium-class ships, and sailing from Seattle or vancouver is always exciting, even passing under the Lions Gate Bridge is cool. [b]Geoff Mayo[/b] I too have a problem with tipping for just 'service', even moderate service, and I really have a problem with them plaing the automatic gratuities on my onboard account. They always get removed and I tip personally, handing them the monies they earned. Not being snobby, but it is their job, and I dont want lax service or no service because they know they are automatically getting their money. As for the "contrived merriment", from cruise #1 it was not my cup of tea. I hated the art sales and 'Newlywed Game' crap onboard, the sing alongs in a bar of snot-slinging drunk patrons, and the foul humor of the midnight 'Adult" entertainers in the aft lounge. I do however enjoy a 'cold one' once in a while at a quite bar or lounge and the soft sounds of a good jazz group onboard. Picking and choosing your entertainment from the multitude of options is critical. As for Amtrak I did, for the first few cross country excursions, find ways of entertaining myself. But the thoughts of another second rate movie in a Sightseeer Car full of tennagers or other 'merryment' makers is just not appealing, and travelling with a handful of books and my 10" portable DVD player just doesnt cut it anymore. At least cruise ships have pretty extensive libraries onboard now and the offerings keep me from having to pack one in my carry-on. Enough rambling for now. ;) [/QB][/QUOTE]
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