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[QUOTE]Originally posted by David: [QB] As someone who prefers being at sea than in port, I lament the almost non-existent liner voyages. Other than Cunard's Queen Mary 2 doing Atlantic crossings, there are only some positioning voyages and segments of world cruises available for the liner enthusiast. There have been so many changes in cruising since I first went to sea 40 years ago. While many of these changes are for the better, such as better cabins - all with toilet and shower - and the availability of private balconies, not everything can be said to be better. Whilst trains, planes and many hotels maintain a class system, this has been frowned upon by a lot of passengers and most ship owners. There are a few deluxe ships (usually fairly small vessels) that can be said to be all first-class. But generally, any large one-class ship is going to be tourist-class in its ambiance, food and amenities, although the cabins may very well be first-class. That does not necessarily have to be poor. In the old days I had some excellent crossings in Tourist on Cunard and once on the French Line. Cunard maintains some tradition in having two levels of premium accommodation and restaurants: Princess Grill and Queen's Grill. This "class" of travel is not cheap and the standards (including dress standards, fortunately) are still quite high. In real terms, cruising is cheaper today than it was 20 and maybe 30 years ago. But gone are the cheap 1970s 25 cent gin and tonic and $2.00 bottle of wine. Even considering the current value of a 1970s dollar, alcohol is a big money-maker for the modern ship operators, as is the sale of shore excursions and the cost of medical care. About 25 years ago we paid the Queen Elizabeth 2 hospital $10 to cure our son of sea-sickness. The minimum charge now for a doctor's visit on a Cunard ship is $90, so I'm told. With the US company Carnival owning over 50% of all passenger ships, there is a certain sameness to the on-board experience. British, German, Dutch, Italian ships, etc., no longer have most of the crew from their country of registry - if indeed they are still registered in their traditional ports. They are, essentially, themed ships. Even Cunard and P&O have recently dropped the UK registry in favour of Bermuda. I'm not saying that's a bad thing; I noticed no difference on my Cunard crossings since the change. But I am suspicious of many "flags of convenience." Like most fans of British ships I may not be happy with the "Carnivalisation" of Cunard and P&O in some ways, I am grateful to Carnival for buying those two historic steamship lines and allowing them to be managed from England. Without the huge investment Carnival made in new ships, there would be no Cunard today and very little of P&O. Not counting liner voyages, our last cruise was 22 years ago: a fortnight from England to Norway. Most shore excursions are, understandably, by bus, which does not appeal to me. On that cruise two of our excursions were by train, including one train that came right to the ship's side. [/QB][/QUOTE]
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