Where am I?

CrazyRussian540 · March 17th, 2008, 12:41 AM

Just in case anyone was wondering where I disapeared to... I took a family
cruise on the Freedom of the Seas... And now I'm in Miami. I'll be home on Wednesday with pics of all the cars I've seen here and more details.

Bugatti's Aftershave · March 17th, 2008, 12:58 AM

I've been on that ship - biggest cruise ship in the world! How'd you like it?

Blind_Io · March 17th, 2008, 01:00 AM

I would probably go crazy aboard. I like to go to sparsely populated areas for vacations - sticking me on a ship with that many other people all crammed together... *shudder* No thank you.

klutch · March 17th, 2008, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrazyRussian540

Just in case anyone was wondering where I disapeared to... I took a family
cruise on the Freedom of the Seas... And now I'm in Miami. I'll be home on Wednesday with pics of all the cars I've seen here and more details.

Oh thank god, I was worried about you....

images/smilies/tongue.gif

You've missed quite a bit while you've been gone. Topless men and fat chicks, news from the nannystate, and lots of bannings.

Viper007Bond · March 17th, 2008, 02:56 AM

You're at FinalGear.com, dur.

Bugatti's Aftershave · March 17th, 2008, 03:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blind_Io

I would probably go crazy aboard. I like to go to sparsely populated areas for vacations - sticking me on a ship with that many other people all crammed together... *shudder* No thank you.

No it's actually so big, that you don't feel crammed at all.

Blind_Io · March 17th, 2008, 03:55 AM

My idea of a vacation is being the only group (4 people or so) for 40 miles in any direction - more if possible. Trust me, I would go stir crazy on a ship like that.

If I were to take a cruise at all it would be with Windjammer or on a regular sailboat. If I'm at sea I want to feel like I'm at sea, not in some luxury resort with tiny-ass rooms. I want the deck to move under my feet and heel over with the wind - hell, if they would let me help work the deck or take a turn at the helm I would!

The largest ship I would ever want to sail on is the Royal Clipper, inspired by the turn-of-the-century German cargo vessel Preussen. She cruises the Med in the summer and the Caribbean in the winter - apparently you can book a trans-Atlantic crossing. Now sign me up for that!

Twerp128 · March 17th, 2008, 04:04 AM

I think know what Blind_Io means. He prefers places that are less commercialized, less tourist-trappy, off the beaten trail. I'm that way too.

Personally I almost ran over some Freedom of the Seas jet skiers when I was in Key West a couple years ago. Boats under sail have the right of way over powered crafts you fatties. Actually Fat people are pretty hilarious on jet skis, they don't go over the waves they go through them.

[Edit] Blind_Io beat me to it, and plus one for a fellow sailor. See the real Islands that way.

BlaRo · March 17th, 2008, 04:10 AM

I wouldn't want to go on a cruise - for one, I hate beaches and find them hopelessly overrated. For two, I'm more fascinated with the inner workings of ships and the behind the scenes action...I'd rather work on a cruise liner than be on one. Lastly, I think most camera-happy cluelessly grinning tourists are some of the most irritating, unappreciative people ever and anything I can do to separate myself from their ilk the better. My parents booked themselves for the de rigeur cruise to the Bahamas, and if it wasn't bad enough traveling with them I'd rather stay away from jaded idiots being led from artificial destination to artificial destination like they're on a middle school field trip.

The only cruise I would go on would be to interesting places that have nothing to do with beaches and sand, like the Arctic Circle. My roommate went to Antarctica on cruise with a relatively small group of people, and I'd totally be interested for something like that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blind_Io

The largest ship I would ever want to sail on is the Royal Clipper, inspired by the turn-of-the-century German cargo vessel Preussen. She cruises the Med in the summer and the Caribbean in the winter - apparently you can book a trans-Atlantic crossing. Now sign me up for that!

...and that's why you may have just given me another item on my "THINGS TO DO BEFORE I DIE" list. Thanks. images/smilies/cheers.gif

Twerp128 · March 17th, 2008, 04:51 AM

The cruise ship industry also employs quite a few foreign workers working to feed their families living in shanties. I've heard some pretty horrible stories from locals about how they're treated, by the management and by the guests. Could you imagine having to wait hand and foot on snot-nosed thirteen year olds all day long?

Blind_Io · March 17th, 2008, 06:03 AM

That's why most ships are flagged in third world countries, they have to abide by the labor laws of the nation in which they are flagged.

klutch · March 17th, 2008, 07:27 AM

I can't stand those barges or the people that frequent them. I work for customs, and 'did my time' processing cruise ships and the passengers over the summer, Freedom of the Seas included. I hate to say it, but when you're dealing with the sort that take those cruises, stereotypes feature heavily in your impressions of Americans. The absolute idiocy of such a high proportion of them is incredible, as well as obesity rates. I felt so bad for the poor little Philipino guys having to cart so many grossly overweight Yanks via wheelchair on board because they'd die of heart attacks if they had to walk the length of the gangways. So many stupid questions..."Are we in Canada yet?" "Is Toronto near here?" "Where's all the icebergs?" are among my favourites.

I couldn't really understand the appeal of the ships; they're like floating hotels (albeit with smaller rooms) with malls inside that you're confined to for two weeks as the scenery rolls past. No real interaction with the locales; when they do leave the ship, its just to tourist resorts that are just a continuation of the mall in the ship, selling tax-free jewellery and t-shirts. My only joy came from scouring the ships and its passengers for drugs.

BerserkerCatSplat · March 17th, 2008, 07:34 AM

Landlubber reporting, I hate boats. Except for jet boats on rivers. Anywhere beyond swimming distance to shore is too far for me.

klutch · March 17th, 2008, 07:42 AM

And that's why you live in Alberta. images/smilies/biggrin.gif

Bugatti's Aftershave · March 17th, 2008, 09:01 AM

Lol. When 540 gets back, he'll see that he's spawned a thread mostly about negative comments concerning the joys of cruiseship vacations.

Twerp128 · March 17th, 2008, 09:37 PM

Hey as long as he didn't pay money for it. Any vacation will always be better then work.

CrazyRussian540 · March 20th, 2008, 03:32 AM

Heyyyyyyyy

I'm back from Miami...

But yeah.. I didn't have to pay for the vacation, and I actually enjoyed it. It was my second cruise on one of these HUGE (sailed on the Mariner of the Seas 2 years ago) party boats, and I loved it. Gonna go on the 220,000 ton Genesis boat next.

I'm gonna be a bit slow on the forums for the next few days because I have to catch up on stuff, but I'll post all my Miami car sightings up on photobucket or something and then here.

CyberMonkey · March 20th, 2008, 06:44 PM

I'm getting quite interested in boats right now, since the idea of working a couple of weeks/months, make a shitload of money and then have vacation for weeks/months at a time seems quite promising images/smilies/smile.gif

Might be quite fatal for your social life though, and I don't know what my (future...) girlfriend would say about it, nor if I would stand living together with 30 people on a boat for months.

Greatgraddage · March 20th, 2008, 08:07 PM

I'm not a cruise man myself either (also born and bred sailor, nice boat choices blind). However I think I would strech to one of the antarctic cruises. Or some time on a proper liner like one of the Cunard ones.

It used to be my dream to cross the atlantic by one of the big liners like the QE2 and then fly back on concorde. Sadly the concorde bit is no more but I like the romantic ideal of a trans atlantic crossing.

March 17th, 2008, 12:41 AM	#1
CrazyRussian540 Joined: Mar 6th, 2005 Last Online: 08:16 PM Location: Shrewsbury, MA Posts: 1,244 Car: 1997 Audi A6 Avant 2.8 quattro Rep Power: 39	Where am I? Just in case anyone was wondering where I disapeared to... I took a family cruise on the Freedom of the Seas... And now I'm in Miami. I'll be home on Wednesday with pics of all the cars I've seen here and more details. __________________ "I beat a man on roller skates.... in an Aston Martin" - R. Hammond "You've just pulled the wobbly head off the former president of Nissan USA" - R. Hammond Vote for FinalGear's Most Evil-looking Car.

March 17th, 2008, 01:00 AM	#3
Blind_Io Dispenses buckshot medication for all undead patients. Joined: Apr 5th, 2006 Last Online: 07:34 PM Location: Richmond, California, USA Age: 27 Posts: 8,914 Car: 2004 Honda Civic Coupe 2000 VFR800 Interceptor Rep Power: 113	I would probably go crazy aboard. I like to go to sparsely populated areas for vacations - sticking me on a ship with that many other people all crammed together... shudder No thank you. __________________ Life is like riding, you have to keep your balance to keep moving. Deacon of Dirt, Head of North American Anti-Environmental Inquisition (Left Coast Division). founder of The Church of Gear's Two Wheeled Sect. Zombie Slayer, Extraordinaire. Reasonable rates, inquire within.

March 17th, 2008, 02:56 AM	#5
Viper007Bond Lazy Head Dude Joined: Sep 21st, 2003 Last Online: 01:29 PM Location: Portland, Oregon Age: 24 Posts: 20,988 Car: Dodge Viper (I wish!) Rep Power: 234	You're at FinalGear.com, dur. __________________ Fight back against the evil Quiky by +1'ing this post! There is no replacement for displacement. - Wolfgang Bernhard, Chief Operating Officer, Chrysler Group talking about the Dodge Viper SRT-10 ... I ask Herb Helbig, vehicle synthesis manager for SRT and a member of the original Team Viper development group since day one, if they'd ever thought of adding traction control. "It comes with two," he says, pointing at my feet. "Learn to use them." Got it. - Motor Trend on the 2006 Dodge Viper Coupe, November 2005

March 17th, 2008, 03:55 AM	#7
Blind_Io Dispenses buckshot medication for all undead patients. Joined: Apr 5th, 2006 Last Online: 07:34 PM Location: Richmond, California, USA Age: 27 Posts: 8,914 Car: 2004 Honda Civic Coupe 2000 VFR800 Interceptor Rep Power: 113	My idea of a vacation is being the only group (4 people or so) for 40 miles in any direction - more if possible. Trust me, I would go stir crazy on a ship like that. If I were to take a cruise at all it would be with Windjammer or on a regular sailboat. If I'm at sea I want to feel like I'm at sea, not in some luxury resort with tiny-ass rooms. I want the deck to move under my feet and heel over with the wind - hell, if they would let me help work the deck or take a turn at the helm I would! The largest ship I would ever want to sail on is the Royal Clipper, inspired by the turn-of-the-century German cargo vessel Preussen. She cruises the Med in the summer and the Caribbean in the winter - apparently you can book a trans-Atlantic crossing. Now sign me up for that! __________________ Life is like riding, you have to keep your balance to keep moving. Deacon of Dirt, Head of North American Anti-Environmental Inquisition (Left Coast Division). founder of The Church of Gear's Two Wheeled Sect. Zombie Slayer, Extraordinaire. Reasonable rates, inquire within. Last edited by Blind_Io; March 17th, 2008 at 04:04 AM..

March 17th, 2008, 04:04 AM	#8
Twerp128 Joined: Oct 6th, 2006 Last Online: 08:18 PM Location: Indiana Age: 21 Posts: 1,061 Car: '83 Porsche 944, '91 Miazda Rep Power: 30	I think know what Blind_Io means. He prefers places that are less commercialized, less tourist-trappy, off the beaten trail. I'm that way too. Personally I almost ran over some Freedom of the Seas jet skiers when I was in Key West a couple years ago. Boats under sail have the right of way over powered crafts you fatties. Actually Fat people are pretty hilarious on jet skis, they don't go over the waves they go through them. [Edit] Blind_Io beat me to it, and plus one for a fellow sailor. See the real Islands that way. __________________ Last edited by Twerp128; March 17th, 2008 at 04:07 AM..

March 17th, 2008, 12:58 AM	#2
Bugatti's Aftershave Joined: Dec 28th, 2007 Last Online: 08:08 PM Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 234 Car: 2005 MB C240 4matic, 1977 Yam XT500 Rep Power: 15	I've been on that ship - biggest cruise ship in the world! How'd you like it?

March 17th, 2008, 04:51 AM	#10
Twerp128 Joined: Oct 6th, 2006 Last Online: 08:18 PM Location: Indiana Age: 21 Posts: 1,061 Car: '83 Porsche 944, '91 Miazda Rep Power: 30	The cruise ship industry also employs quite a few foreign workers working to feed their families living in shanties. I've heard some pretty horrible stories from locals about how they're treated, by the management and by the guests. Could you imagine having to wait hand and foot on snot-nosed thirteen year olds all day long? __________________

March 17th, 2008, 06:03 AM	#11
Blind_Io Dispenses buckshot medication for all undead patients. Joined: Apr 5th, 2006 Last Online: 07:34 PM Location: Richmond, California, USA Age: 27 Posts: 8,914 Car: 2004 Honda Civic Coupe 2000 VFR800 Interceptor Rep Power: 113	That's why most ships are flagged in third world countries, they have to abide by the labor laws of the nation in which they are flagged. __________________ Life is like riding, you have to keep your balance to keep moving. Deacon of Dirt, Head of North American Anti-Environmental Inquisition (Left Coast Division). founder of The Church of Gear's Two Wheeled Sect. Zombie Slayer, Extraordinaire. Reasonable rates, inquire within.

March 17th, 2008, 07:27 AM	#12
klutch Courteous urinator Joined: Jan 6th, 2006 Last Online: 07:07 AM Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 1,696 Car: Whatever's in the press fleet. Rep Power: 27	I can't stand those barges or the people that frequent them. I work for customs, and 'did my time' processing cruise ships and the passengers over the summer, Freedom of the Seas included. I hate to say it, but when you're dealing with the sort that take those cruises, stereotypes feature heavily in your impressions of Americans. The absolute idiocy of such a high proportion of them is incredible, as well as obesity rates. I felt so bad for the poor little Philipino guys having to cart so many grossly overweight Yanks via wheelchair on board because they'd die of heart attacks if they had to walk the length of the gangways. So many stupid questions..."Are we in Canada yet?" "Is Toronto near here?" "Where's all the icebergs?" are among my favourites. I couldn't really understand the appeal of the ships; they're like floating hotels (albeit with smaller rooms) with malls inside that you're confined to for two weeks as the scenery rolls past. No real interaction with the locales; when they do leave the ship, its just to tourist resorts that are just a continuation of the mall in the ship, selling tax-free jewellery and t-shirts. My only joy came from scouring the ships and its passengers for drugs. __________________

March 17th, 2008, 07:34 AM	#13
BerserkerCatSplat Hormone Induced Joined: Jun 21st, 2005 Last Online: 08:04 PM Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Posts: 5,778 Car: Pimpmobile Rep Power: 68	Landlubber reporting, I hate boats. Except for jet boats on rivers. Anywhere beyond swimming distance to shore is too far for me. __________________ OSPhoto

March 17th, 2008, 07:42 AM	#14
klutch Courteous urinator Joined: Jan 6th, 2006 Last Online: 07:07 AM Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 1,696 Car: Whatever's in the press fleet. Rep Power: 27	And that's why you live in Alberta. __________________

March 17th, 2008, 09:01 AM	#15
Bugatti's Aftershave Joined: Dec 28th, 2007 Last Online: 08:08 PM Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 234 Car: 2005 MB C240 4matic, 1977 Yam XT500 Rep Power: 15	Lol. When 540 gets back, he'll see that he's spawned a thread mostly about negative comments concerning the joys of cruiseship vacations.

March 17th, 2008, 09:37 PM	#16
Twerp128 Joined: Oct 6th, 2006 Last Online: 08:18 PM Location: Indiana Age: 21 Posts: 1,061 Car: '83 Porsche 944, '91 Miazda Rep Power: 30	Hey as long as he didn't pay money for it. Any vacation will always be better then work. __________________

March 20th, 2008, 03:32 AM	#17
CrazyRussian540 Joined: Mar 6th, 2005 Last Online: 08:16 PM Location: Shrewsbury, MA Posts: 1,244 Car: 1997 Audi A6 Avant 2.8 quattro Rep Power: 39	Heyyyyyyyy I'm back from Miami... But yeah.. I didn't have to pay for the vacation, and I actually enjoyed it. It was my second cruise on one of these HUGE (sailed on the Mariner of the Seas 2 years ago) party boats, and I loved it. Gonna go on the 220,000 ton Genesis boat next. I'm gonna be a bit slow on the forums for the next few days because I have to catch up on stuff, but I'll post all my Miami car sightings up on photobucket or something and then here. __________________ "I beat a man on roller skates.... in an Aston Martin" - R. Hammond "You've just pulled the wobbly head off the former president of Nissan USA" - R. Hammond Vote for FinalGear's Most Evil-looking Car.

March 20th, 2008, 06:44 PM	#18
CyberMonkey Joined: Jan 22nd, 2005 Last Online: 08:11 PM Location: Belgium Age: 22 Posts: 1,659 Rep Power: 23	I'm getting quite interested in boats right now, since the idea of working a couple of weeks/months, make a shitload of money and then have vacation for weeks/months at a time seems quite promising Might be quite fatal for your social life though, and I don't know what my (future...) girlfriend would say about it, nor if I would stand living together with 30 people on a boat for months. __________________ Arena51 forum

March 25th, 2008, 08:57 PM	#20
mgkdk .dk beauty Joined: Mar 19th, 2005 Last Online: 05:05 PM Location:

March 20th, 2008, 08:07 PM	#19
Greatgraddage Joined: Jun 7th, 2004 Last Online: 08:18 PM Location: Wales, UK Age: 22 Posts: 959 Car: 205 1.9 GTI Rep Power: 21	I'm not a cruise man myself either (also born and bred sailor, nice boat choices blind). However I think I would strech to one of the antarctic cruises. Or some time on a proper liner like one of the Cunard ones. It used to be my dream to cross the atlantic by one of the big liners like the QE2 and then fly back on concorde. Sadly the concorde bit is no more but I like the romantic ideal of a trans atlantic crossing. __________________ Currently Drive - 205 GTI Currently Want - 1967 Mustang GT500 (Eleanor!)