OnMyWay Posted June 8, 2018 Posted June 8, 2018 The weather wasn't that bad earlier but we didn't make it down to the dock until 10:30 am and it was starting to rain harder. A rainy day visit from the Ovation of the Seas! Huge ship! There were lots of passengers all over the place and many buses to take them to the various venues. We were in the area last night and there were 20+ buses staged for the morning arrival, in addition to the shuttles to the malls, etc. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnMyWay Posted June 8, 2018 Author Posted June 8, 2018 Nice video just posted to FB! Third largest cruise ship in the world! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tukaram (Tim) Posted June 8, 2018 Posted June 8, 2018 That is a big boat. I read that they are trying to get cruise ships to come to Iloilo. My first thought was "why?". I think Subic is a better choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnMyWay Posted June 8, 2018 Author Posted June 8, 2018 9 minutes ago, Tukaram (Tim) said: That is a big boat. I read that they are trying to get cruise ships to come to Iloilo. My first thought was "why?". I think Subic is a better choice. I like it because it is forcing them to finally take action and beautify some of the downtown areas that have been in disrepair since the Navy days. And it is a lot nicer to have a boatload of tourists from a ship, as opposed to a boatload of cars and buses from Manila! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnMyWay Posted June 8, 2018 Author Posted June 8, 2018 2 hours ago, OnMyWay said: Nice video just posted to FB! Third largest cruise ship in the world! Off-topic, but I was looking at the FB page of the photographer who did this drone video, Kim Delos Reyes. He has done some great work and I really like this drone photo: For those of you familiar with the Subic area, that is the road from the Freeport to Barrio Baretto, through the cemetery. I am guessing that in order to get that shot, you need still winds and the ability to make the drone stationary for a several seconds, minimum. Amazing shot! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnMyWay Posted June 8, 2018 Author Posted June 8, 2018 Here is a nice profile of the ship: https://subic.morefun.ph/who-is-on-dock/ms-ovation-seas/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hounddriver Posted June 8, 2018 Posted June 8, 2018 That is a beautiful ship but reminds me of the one that tipped over near Greece. I would not want to be on it during a typhoon, or even a strong tropical storm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJReyes Posted June 8, 2018 Posted June 8, 2018 My wife and I enjoy going on cruises during the off season when prices are lower. We suspect our cruiser profile is pretty bad because the money is made with all the extras offered. A day excursion cost $80 to $110 each. Passengers with bus tickets get priority disembarking. When permitted to leave the ship, we hire a taxi and tell the driver, "Follow that bus!" Add another savvy couple to our group and the fare divided by four is reasonable. It usually is less than the price of one bus ticket (the cruise line get a 40% or more commission). The concessionaires immediately fronting the arrival docks likewise pay huge commissions. Cheaper prices are just outside the cruise terminal gates or a city mall. On board, all drinks are expensive. That includes colas. You are not permitted to bring on board alcoholic beverages. Bags are checked and any alcohol is confiscated. They push everyone to purchase expensive watches and jewelry. There are painting auctions that cost you thousands. They give you cheap champagne during the auction. Gambling is another big revenue source. The internet is lousy and typically cost $99 for seven days for limited use. If you want an unlimited package, it will probably cost $200. Don't even think about using your home cellular phone. One couple we met brought phones to track each other while on board. The added charge was over $2,000. I prefer to use the ship phone for offshore calls by my wife to her mother. The charge is usually $2 per minute so you have to talk fast. So at the end of a cruise, the only item in our folio is the mandatory service fees. I give the cabin attendants and restaurant staff extra, but that is in cash. So no invitations to go on special cruises for us. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnMyWay Posted June 8, 2018 Author Posted June 8, 2018 1 hour ago, Dave Hounddriver said: That is a beautiful ship but reminds me of the one that tipped over near Greece. I would not want to be on it during a typhoon, or even a strong tropical storm. Are you thinking of the Costa Concordia off the coast of Italy? That one ran aground. It's sister ship, Costa Atlantica has stopped here a few times. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnMyWay Posted June 8, 2018 Author Posted June 8, 2018 A related article...... https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-07/go-karts-on-deck-19-laser-tag-coax-cruisers-to-open-wallets 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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