BUT, there is this global fear of reactors in all of their manifestations, which would condemn the ship to a "Flying Dutchman" type of life. You want a "Cruise to nowhere?"

The fear is irrational, and is not based on technical facts....but it is there.

... for example re-fitting BigU with nuclear power would make technical sense--I have a feeling it was somewhere in concept design at the time she was built.

..but the world is not based on technical sense..or even common sense.

quote:

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Originally posted by Ðraikar:
Is there any benefits to a Nuclear powered ship ?

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For one thing, you only have to refuel every few years...

There is a reason that all of our new submarines, aircraft carriers, etc. in the past 50 years or so have been nuclear powered.

I'm sure a more "technical" person can elaborate.

As far as "black-listing" - how come you never hear about nuclear submarines being black-listed all the time?

(Oh, yes, it must be "national defense", the standard excuse for everything in the 21st century. The same reason naval ships can dump whatever they want into the water, that you get lousy plastic cutlery on airplanes, can be held indefinitely without a trial, etc. )

[ 05-19-2003: Message edited by: cruiseny ]

That's actually just the airlines being cheap.

quote:

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Originally posted by CGT:
that you get lousy plastic cutlery on airplanes

That's actually just the airlines being cheap.

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[ 05-22-2003: Message edited by: Britanis ]

quote:

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Originally posted by cruiseny:

In other words, today you can use security as the excuse for anything and get away with it.

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No US airline is permitted to have metal knives onboard, which is one of the reasons that plastic is now used, besides the cost savings. We still use metal cutlery in first and business class (except for a plastic knife), and all plastic in coach. Still have all the other stuff that Midwest has as well, but only in F/C. If you are in Y/C, you are pretty much screwed.

Well, no metal knives but a sharp ended cork screw is still permitted... try to figure that one out?

I do agree that security is blamed for every and all inconveniences. In many cases it is to blame, and in other cases it is used as a scapegoat (although no one would ever dare admit it, or dare contest it). You basically lose all your rights when you pass through that security check point at the airport. God forbid if you ever question anything... be prepared to miss your flight.

Ernie

[ 05-22-2003: Message edited by: eroller ]

quote:

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Originally posted by eroller:
No US airline is permitted to have metal knives onboard, which is one of the reasons that plastic is now used, besides the cost savings.

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Or is it that you can bring one aboard, but the airline can't GIVE you one?

I frankly find their choice of "permitted and prohibited items" would be funny, that is, if I weren't an airline passenger...

On a side note, Midwest may still have all the stuff described above, but that would only be on the flights that still have meals... They no longer have full meals on all flights like they used to.

Still, it's a tremendous improvement over other US carriers; flying from NY to Florida on AA (roughly 2 1/2 hour flight) got us a granola bar (breakfast-time flight); on the dinnertime return we got a packet containing about a half dozen pretzels, each of which couldn't have been 1/2 inch in diameter.

Pretty lousy. What's more, this is the standard on anything up to FOUR hours... So if you're on a 3 hr 45 minute flight, it's still just "beverage" service.

quote:

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Originally posted by cruiseny:

Pretty lousy. What's more, this is the standard on anything up to FOUR hours... So if you're on a 3 hr 45 minute flight, it's still just "beverage" service.

Of course, then you go to the "low cost carriers", including the much-vaunted JetBlue, where they give you only "munchies", regardless of time period. I have no desire to take a 6 hr no-food coast-to-coast nonstop in one of their airplanes, no matter HOW many channels that personal TV has. They incidentally have no cutlery at all, as none of their flights include anything more than "finger food" (cookies, blue corn chips, etc., one per passenger please).

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When the flying public is willing to pay more for a ticket (prices are currently less in many cases then the 1970's), no doubt you will receive more. It's all cyclical and market driven. Right now air fares are at rock bottom prices. What do you expect? Airlines have laid off thousands and thousands, cut back everything, and are still barely surviving. The last thing I expect when walking onboard an airplane today (including long haul flights) is a hot meal. Someday this will hopefully turn around, but no time in the near future.

Besides, you are actually paying for transportation (a seat) between point A and point B. Anything else (such as food), is purely an extra to make the flight more "pleasurable". It always cracks me up... for years and years airline food has been the butt of every joke (and rightfully so), and now that we don't have it, everyone is up in arms. You just can't win!

Ernie - who doesn't know what any of this has to do with a nuclear powered cruise ship?

ps - BTW, Delta's Song division is doing very very well. They have a menu onboard and all the food is for sale. It's all pretty good food from name brand products (you can even vote on the products online). It's selling like hotcakes. I expect to see it on Mainline Delta eventually. Funny, when people are given a choice, they actually don't mind paying for food even though when we *gave* them the food as part of the ticket, they complained like crazy. Human behavior is a very interesting thing.

[ 05-22-2003: Message edited by: eroller ]

quote:

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Originally posted by cruiseny:

I didn't know that. "Knives, round bladed butter OR plastic" is on the "permitted list" to bring aboard... But I guess a plain old kitchen knife (with a rounded blade) does not count, because it is not a "butter" knife per se?

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Very hard to cut airline food with a "butter knife". The plastic corrugated knives we have onboard actually do just fine.

Knifes are also not permitted in any airport restaurants. If you happen to stop by Chili's for a steak at Atlanta Hartsfield, be prepared to cut it with a plastic knife.

Actually cruiseny I have done JetBlue from JFK - OAK and I can tell you, it's fine. I really like JetBlue and I HATE flying and I can fly United if I wanted to (thanks to my brother and his passes) in business or first (space permitting). I just took along my own food, as well as partaking of the snacks they handed out. Incidently, you could have more than one as they came around with the snanks more than once through the flight, and I think, if I recall correctly, you got more than one snak each time they came around. JetBlue (at least at JFK) has a restaurant right in it's terminal opposite the gates (some of them anyway) that you can get food from to take on board.

I am one of those people who would not sail on a nuclear powered cruise ship.

CGT

P.S. Here is information regarding the N.S. Savannah and nuclear powered ships

It is put on the web by a manufacturer of nuclear powered engines.

[ 05-22-2003: Message edited by: CGT ]