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The Middle Way - A Return to Medium-Size Ships?

cruise2 — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:49:26 +0000

In the head-long rush to build ships that carry 3,000, 4,000 or 5,000 people that give cruise lines the economies of scale that allow them to keep fares down, and with a proliferation of small ship deliveries, the medium-size cruise ship has been largely neglected. There will soon be fifty ships above 100,000 tons, of which half a dozen will exceed 150,000 tons and three will be above 200,000 tons.
As the many "Cape" size and Panamax cruise ships have been delivered over recent years, the Handysize fleet has been aging. However, the 2000's have also shown the first signs of a resurgence in delivery of medium-size ships carrying between 500 and 1,500 passengers.

The Luxury Market
For many years, it was considered that the luxury market could support only relatively small ships, starting with a pair of Sea Goddesses in 1984 at 112 passengers, the first pair of Seabourn ships in 1988 at 212 guests and then the first pair of Silversea ships in 1994 at 296 berths. Even Radisson Seven Seas limited itself to ships of between 160 and 354 berths.
The only exception in the luxury business was Crystal Cruises, formed in 1988 by NYK to build the 940-berth Crystal Harmony, delivered in 1990 (and transferred to parent company NYK in 2005) and sister ship Crystal Symphony in 1995. For many years, while the mainstream lines kept producing larger and larger ships, Crystal offered the main choice for those seeking new ships in the up-to-1,000 berth range.

Renaissance Cruises
Then, in the upper premium market, along came Renaissance Cruises in the late 1990s with plans for eight 684-guest ships for delivery in France between 1998 and 2001 (the latter ships of this series could carry a few more). Unfortunately, Renaissance went out of business in 2001, but the hardware they had created survived. This was not the first group of eight ships Renaissance Cruises had produced, as it had earlier had eight 114-passenger ships built in Italy, backed by Norwegian shipowner Fearnley & Eger.
With the bankruptcy of Renaissance Cruises in 2001, the whole fleet was laid up and for a while a whole string of theses ships could be found laid up one behind the other at the French port of Marseilles, their builders having taken repossession. Eventually, these ships all found new employment and today three each can be found with fledgling Oceania Cruises and veteran operator Princess Cruises, while the remaining two now sail for the newly-formed Azamara Cruises.

Mid-Size Luxury Ships
Meanwhile, there has been a slow resurgence of mid-size vessels. First, in the luxury market, Regent Seven Seas Cruises entered the game. Starting with its 490-berth Seven Seas Navigator in 1999, it then introduced the 732-berth Seven Seas Mariner in 2001 and the 714-berth Seven Seas Voyager in 2003. These were soon followed in 2003 by the Crystal Cruises, with its 1,080-berth Crystal Serenity.
More recently, Apollo Management's 2007 takeover of both Oceania Cruises in the mid-range and Regent Seven Seas in the upper range has made more funds available for the construction of new medium-size cruise ships. Oceania has ordered two new 1,260-berth ships in Italy for delivery in 2010 and 2011, with an option for a third, and there is speculation that Regent Seven Seas may soon resume its own newbuilding programme.
Elsewhere, Seabourn has ordered two new ships in Italy with an option for a third in the new 450-berth Seabourn Odyssey class, the first two for delivery in 2009 and 2010, and Silversea have ordered a 540-berth vessel, with option for a second, also in Italy, with the first, the Silver Spirit, for delivery in 2009.

The Future?
All very well say some, but these newbuildings, with the exception of those to Oceania, are all for delivery to luxury lines.
Nevertheless, because a number of older medium-size ships are due to be retired in 2010 they will no longer meet Safety of Life at Sea requirements, some European mid-market operators, including Fred Olsen Cruises Lines and Saga in the UK, Club Cruise in the Netherlands, Phoenix Reisen in Germany and Louis and easyCruise, have all investigated the possibility of building new medium-sized cruise ships in yards in France, Italy, Greece and South Korea.
To date, because of restricted credit markets, the only orders placed have been those for Oceania. But the designs exist and there is certainly demand from those that can afford to pay more than most mass-market fares and would prefer to travel in hundreds rather than thousands.
The whole experience in the large new ships is more geared for the young new holiday-maker than the experienced cruiser. Port congestion and crowding alone can be a serious drawback with to-day's mega-ship crowds. And just like "premium economy" as opposed to "club class" on the airlines, there are many people willing to pay a little bit more but not a whole lot more.
While a return to medium-size ships may seem a bit like a vision of things to come, there is no doubt that it will occur, especially as the world market grows beyond 20 million cruisers and cruisers seek more than that mass-market experience.

BuzzNet Tags: crystal harmony,crystal symphony,seven seas navigator,seven seas mariner,seven seas Voyager

(Source: By Mark Tré - Cybercruises.com)

Foodcourt vs Club buys

auntielucia — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 02:46:48 +0000

I am looking at a chit from the Tanglin Club for a mixed orange and watermelon juice, no ice. The price? $3.05 with GST. The wait person brings it to your table. The glass is quite nice, not crystal but passable.

I think back to the same concoction I've been drinking on and off at food courts, especially at the TTSH Kopitiam, in recent weeks. The price is $3 and it is self-service. You queue up for it and the wait aunties are at best brusque, if not downright rude or "jahat" as my maid would describe them.

So does it mean Tanglin Club is underpricing its mixed juice or that the food court is over-pricing the same product?

I can't decide. First, because with the club, there's the monthly subs (around $100) to factor into the drink, so the real price would be higher, albeit only slightly, than the chit's $3.05.

Then, there's the question of ambience:no doubt about it. An exclusive club should, indeed must, have better ambience than a food court, or else why would any one in his right mind join a club.

(to be continued)

A Patient Update

alexandallison — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:58:30 +0000

I heard some great news today. The injured hiker from Monday is recovering. He had his leg operated on when he got to St. Marys Hospital in Grand Junction. It's now a wait-and-see situation to determine if his internal fixation will be successful. He is still in the hospital, and probably will be for at least a few days. I'll post more information here as it becomes available.

In the meantime, I made a very early morning trek to Aspen yesterday morning to make it to work at Aspen Ambulance

I took some photos near McClure Pass before the sun came up.

The highway was desolate at that hour, but a semi happened by during this 30 second exposure.

The Crystal River. 5:30 am. I like the trees clinging onto the cliff.

Another 24 hour ambulance shift tomorrow. Apparently John McCain and the Dalai Lama himself are in town having dinner together Friday Night. Can you say, "Awkward silence?"

In any case, McCain isn't looking so hot these days, and that just might keep us medics busy...

-A's

Meet the McNastys!

themcnastys — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:56:28 +0000

When Ryan, after being kicked out of the homeless shelter he was living in back in Sim City when the place was shut down (and the land subsequently turned into the new city football stadium), heard that the private land barons that owned the once volcanic island of Nastolulu off the coast were interested in getting new "lessees" (read "guinea pigs") to try to move in on the newly reinhabitable western side of the island, he instantly formulated a plan.

After much begging and a few unmentionable favors, he managed to scrounge up enough dough to lease the first residential building built on the island, a six bedroom beach house that he lovingly dubbed Los Casa de Nasta.

The only problem, of course, was that he couldn't possibly continue to lease the large house on his own. So, our intrepid settler called up a few friends who, after some negotiation, all came around to see the positives of living in this new community. For the sake of getting a cheaper monthly payment (and a HUGE loan), Ryan created the fake family: The McNastys.

It's move-in day on the lovely island of Nastolulu.

And, look, our family is arriving right now!

They look like a lively bunch, now don't they? All just standing around, catching up with eachoth- Wait a second. What's that?

What is Crystal doing to Matthew?!

... Oh, to be young again.

I suppose now is as good a time as any to introduce you to the family. Let's start, from right to left!

Ryan McNasty

Ryan McNasty was once a genius, turned high school washout, turned college student, turned bum. His aspiration in life, above all, is to simply learn. He wished to collect any and all knowledge he can get his hands on. As such, most of his day-to-day wants involve becoming a scientist, stargazing, and reading. As you can see, Ryan's other interests lay heavily in the areas of work, fashion, money, crime, and the paranormal; while he really doesn't think much of things like sports, the environment and animals, banal entertainment, and especially proper schooling. He's a fairly average guy, generally congenial, if a bit prone to lethargy. He is the reason that the McNastys have come together to live in their new home, and is the brother of Matthew McNasty.

Meggie McNasty

Meggie McNasty, graduate of Sim State with a degree in Telecommunications, is largely a creator. She likes to make things, and her quest in life is to learn these skills as best she can in order to become a master at whatever craft she chooses. She is a strong, outgoing, confident girl just waiting for the right opportunity to come along. Meggie is very interested in a variety of things, including the paranormal, travel, fashion, her work, food, and sports. She has little time in her life, however, for politics, law, and the economy, and would prefer to work free of those boundries to achieve her art. She priorly was the roommate of Kyrsten McNasty at Sim State.

Mackie McNasty

Mackie McNasty wants to be rich and famous. She wants the good life, not only for herself, but for her daughter Crystal. Her motivation for moving to the newly renovated half of Nastolulu was equally based on her love for the finer things in life, in that it was not only a cheap price for a nice house, but it was also on the same island as the renown St. Nastos Young Womens' Academy -- the finest private school for young ladies, like her sweet Crystal, on the eastern seaboard. Mackie is an abraisive, if not charismatic, woman whom truly enjoys the finer things in life: good food, good fashion, good entertainment, and, naturally, lots and lots of the green stuff. For her, schooling, proper jobs, and silly things like science-fiction are typically afterthoughts (unless they include her daughter, of course). Still, she's not above doing what it takes to get to the big time, provided it's something she can at least enjoy. And the Nastolulu city soccer team does have open try-outs...

Kyrsten McNasty

Kyrsten McNasty wants to be known. Period. Oh, don't get her wrong, she'd say. Fame is the vessel for popularity, and the money that comes with it is fantastic, of course; but what she really wants, above all else, is to have her name dripping from the lips of every person across the Sim Nation! She wants to be in the papers and magazines, to have fan letters pouring in from every corner of the country, and maybe even the world. And her chosen method of accomplishing this? Becoming the greatest chef the world has ever seen. Sure, around the house she's a bit messy and quite the layabout. Get her in a kitchen, however, and you can watch her talent and drive shine like the star she knows in her heart that she is. Back when she was at Sim State, she and her long-time friend Meggie were roommates.

Matthew McNasty

Matthew McNasty, much like his brother, had always had a bit of a hard time amounting to much in the world. Unlike Ryan, though, he had an entirely different and, in his mind, much purer distraction from the day to day rat race that most people run. You see, Matthew is, to his very core, a romantic. Without love in his life, he feels as if he's helplessly drifting along, and so has no real motivation to do anything that doesn't further his search for that one, true love. That isn't to say, however, that he's lazy. No, when he has the right motivation, Matthew can achieve anything he has his mind -- or, rather, heart -- set upon. The things he enjoys most in life are largely tied back to his romantic nature. Fine clothes, far away lands, and (as any true romantic will tell you is the most important thing of all) delicious food. Outside of these things, however, he suffers a rather profound lack of drive, and tends to drift from job to job, from one place to the next. And now he's drifted here, along with his friends, to Nastolulu.

Crystal McNasty

Crystal McNasty largely follows her adopted mother's philosophy of life, in that she wants to be successful, rich, and generally just well-off. That's why she tries so hard in school, why she aspires to be a CEO some day, and why she's willing to do just about all it takes to get there. And Crystal, with her drive towards school and work, and her charismatic personality, is just about the most likely girl to become the next captain of industry. But she is, afterall, still just a teenager. Those things are still a few years down the road for her; and, until then, she wants to have as much fun as possible. She moved along with the McNastys to Nastolulu mostly at her mother's insistence, but she realizes that the move is probably for her best, both academically and extracuricularly. I mean, they are right on the beach, after all!

So there they are. Six friends (or, at the very least, acquaintances) living together largely out of convenience in their search for a better life. What lays ahead for our brave little McNastys? Only time will tell.

PRSB Lit. and Music Review August 2008

prseitz — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:31:37 +0000

PRSB Lit. and Music Review August 2008

PRSB Lit. and Music Review June 2008

prseitz — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:31:09 +0000

PRSB Lit. and Music Review June 2008

WinRar 2008 CRYSTAL EDITION

sater1 — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:40:41 +0000

WinRAR crea y descomprime archivos en los formatos más populares (ZIP y RAR) y también es capaz de descomprimir archivos creados en otros formatos, con lo que si tienes WinRAR instalado no necesitarás ningún otro descompresor.
Para tu comodidad, WinRAR se integra perfectamente en el Explorador de Windows. En él aparecerán hasta 11 opciones, puedes elegir cuáles, como por ejemplo: "Abrir con WinRAR", o "Extraer en…".
Definitivamente, por velocidad, flexibilidad, y efectividad, WinRAR es un firme candidato para convertirse en el compresor de archivos imprescindible.

• WinRAR soporta los siguientes formatos:
ZIP, RAR, CAB, ARJ, LZH, TAR, GZ, TAR.GZ, BZ2, TAR.BZ2, ACE, UUE, JAR, ISO, 7Z, Z

esta es la ultima version de winrar "winrar crystal 2008"

Descargalo aqui

Item of the Week: Monogrammed Swarovski Pendant

monogrammecca — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 02:08:16 +0000

Description:	Sweep her off her feet with this exquisite pendant. This sunburst Swarovski crystal pendant will compliment any outfit. Script engraving. Shown on our sterling silver beaded necklace, item 8327N. 20 mm
Price:	$24.00

Crystal FTP Pro 2.8

Luis Fernando — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:02:24 +0000

O Crystal FTP é um dos clientes de FTP mais queridos da internet, talvez por já ter sido freeware, mas ele sempre foi um dos melhores programas do gênero. Possui interface intuitiva, é realmente fácil trabalhar com ele. O Crystal também suporta resuming, uma bênção quando você está baixando ou subindo um arquivo muito grande.

» Informações
Servidor: EasyShare/RapidShare
Partes: 1 Parte
Tamanho: 1,20 MB
Formato: Rar
Idioma: Inglês

2 days

Sharp — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 18:10:54 +0000

1:22pm, my head is gently throbbing. I had a dream that a King called my cell phone apologizing profusely for firing me over blaring Dead Prez over the PA system while I did horticulture on his palace - the Queen was very upset with his decision and demanded that I be reinstated. What would Freud do? I think, climbing out of my bed and staggering across the hallway to the bathroom, where I can't be bothered to clean myself up proper, instead just wetting the gel I slept with and running a comb through it. Today I'll play some Legend of Mana and read some books.

Saw Batman Friday night. Wonderful film, astoundingly good Joker. Part of me thinks it was worth Ledger dying to birth a timeless piece of cinema, an immortal role that will transcend the man who played it, times infinity. I daresay the role is so good that the Ledger fan-girls who have pictures of him from Seventeen magazine posted up all over their walls because he's an Australian heartthrob will tear them down, unable to recognize and reconcile with this horrific and brilliant postmortem face. The other part of me, the humanitarian, thinks it's tragic the way a man will drive himself into delirium for the sake of his art. After all, doesn't one's well-being transcend artifice?

Discussed that and more on a roof of a convenience store "The Russian", Oleg, and I climbed in the quiet night afterward. The ladder was a nice discovery, although there was a sheath of steel blocking the lower rungs to prevent people from climbing it. Oleg jumped and grabbed a higher rung and pulled himself up. When I tried I broke the little piggy that went to market - I felt the fracture on impact, but it seemed to mean very little. The pain doesn't bother me much - ironically hurt more when drunk than it does sober. Oleg pointed out some nearby milk crates that I used to get passed the sheet of metal. The roof was covered in little pebbles that were cool to sit down on. Good place to remember.

I was vaguely aware that they'd been calling for a little rain last night when I went to the bar with Wynd, Eggstré and Jamie. It was Jamie's 19th and a gay manly man that frequents One Eyed Jack's bought him a pitcher, a shot of rolling thunder (half a shot of tequila rose, half a shot of something else - the liquors start to spin around each other like a Michael Jackson knife-fight), and a shot of the rawest, most awful burny shit they had at the bar. The barkeep called it the Widow Maker, it was some sort of plumb scotch from the Czech Republic or some such place. The rest of us drank cheap beers - the kind that aren't advertised and only regular drunks even know to ask for (OV, Labatt 50, Crystal) - and watched God flush the skies down onto the streets from the sheltered deck, smoking like political effigies. "1 millimetre my ass," Eggstré kept repeating, glaring hostile at the paintball sized rain drops bouncing off of the pavement. We drank and talked, and I listened to fragments of other peoples' conversations: she ran through the pain of glass, screaming, covered in blood with all the broken pieces stuck in her skin - I'm the dj's girlfriend - here's my number, call that if you want to make your own money, I run a carpet cleaning company and need people to advertise for me.

"1 millimetre of rain my ass..." We sat on the porch long past last call, long past the bar was closed, waiting for taxis or for the rain to die down so I could walk home. Eggstré and Wynd left into their cabs, and the rain lulled for a few moments, so Jamie and I thought it'd be safe to walk home in the lite drizzle. I told him about poverty and the many faces of America, even considering walking him all the way home for the sake of conversation, but then the clouds broke in two, waves and waves of hard rain began pelting us just as we crossed onto my street, so I went home.

It still hasn't stopped raining.

Happiest Place on Earth!!

Janet Morris Grimes — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 01:54:14 +0000

We were able to spend a few days in Orlando last week, and though the weather tried to interfere, we were able to see Crystal perform, finally.

Her days are long in the heat, and she goes from a day parade, two afternoon traveling square dance type shows, and usually two night parades. But she is always professional and never does a sloppy job when performing. During the parades, she has to wear heavy costumes that are hard on her body, but she is a trooper and we are so proud of her.

It was absolutely thrilling to get to see her in action, so I agree that Disney is the "Happiest Place on Earth, " and it had little to do with the most famous mouse in the world. (for us, anyway.)

I still pray that God will open more doors for her and allow her to be recognized and valued for all that she is capable of doing.

[caption id="attachment_61" align="alignright" width="175" caption="Dragonfly in Disney Spectro Magic Parade, waving to the crowd"][/caption]

Attached is a picture that friends of ours took while there. We aren't allowed to identify anyone directly, but isn't this character adorable?

I have to say that Disney does an amazing job of creating memories. From the music, to the characters wandering around the park greeting the kids, to the parades that always have park attendees that serve as the Grand Marshall and other special guests, to the fireworks and Tinkerbell flying down from Cinderella's Castle at the close of each evening; these images and songs continue on in the minds of all their guests, making each one look forward to the day they can come back and experience it again.

Can't wait to see some more magic. . .

Nicole Michelle Maternity Crystal Swing Dress

Jen — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:36:27 +0000

My cousin invited me to a party where I need to "dress up" I have been dreading this! After looking around a bit, I have decided that it might not be so bad! What do you think of this dress? It looks beautiful and COMFORTABLE which is a big plus for me at this point in my pregnancy. The designer is "Nicole Michelle" and her line of clothes really looks amazing. I have actually posted about her swim suits and own a few myself. Take a look!

Nicole Michelle Maternity Crystal Swing Dress

Birthstone Wire Wrapped Rings!

giftbird — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:16:01 +0000

For anyone that needs a great gift for a loved one... a handmade birthstone wire wrapped ring is a great solution. The wire wrapped rings are good for anyone (including you!) that are mother's, daughter's, or just like to wear dainty rings.

Here are some of my favorites:

Amethyst Purple Custom Made Wire Wrapped Ring (Birthstone)

Crystal Custom Made Wire Wrapped Ring

Pink Custom Made Wire Wrapped Ring (Birthstone)

Circle of Sentiments Maternity Silver Necklace

Jen — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:54:40 +0000

Alright! I have finally found the jackpot! I found this personalized "Due In" Sterling silver necklace and it is just adorable. I have seen the Circle of Sentiments collection before, but didn't realize that they had THIS. Each necklace is stamped with "Due in ___" and they come with crystal swarovski gems to match the birth stone. I really like that this can be given down to your child later on in life (especially if it is a girl). This is the perfect gift to give somebody - especially a father to a mother or a baby shower gift. I added a picture below of the different colors so you can check them out!

Circle of Sentiments Maternity Sterling Silver Necklace

Casino Crystal (Aces)

jecspawn — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:29:07 +0000

Depositfiles.com
letitbit.net

A Dirty Little Ditty from the Dark Ages

Jane — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:03:42 +0000

Posted by Jane

`I have a gentil cock`

I have a gentil cock
croweth me day
he doth me risen early
my matins for to stay

I have a gentil cock
comen he is of great
his comb is of red coral
his tail is of jet

I have a gentil cock
comen he is of kind
his comb is of red sorrel
his tail is of inde

his legs be of azure
so gentil and so small
his spurs are of silver white
into the wortewale

his eyes are of crystal
locked all in amber
and every night he pertcheth him
in my lady`s chamber

-ANON. (Early 15th century)