Cruise Wave Season: 9 Things You Should Know Before Booking

Table Of Content

• California desperately needs water reform. San Francisco is standing in the way.
• Cruise’s Commercial Robotaxi Permits Suspended By California Agency
• More from this stream Self-driving cars: Google and others map the road to automated vehicles
• Cruise unveils first wheelchair accessible robotaxi at SF HQ
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• Day Cruises

The DMV can suspend or revoke testing or deployment permits if it finds there's an "unreasonable risk to public safety." As someone who has covered both Cruise and Waymo for this column on multiple occasions, and especially as someone who has low vision, I fully admit to feeling frustration over the myopic viewpoint dominating this issue. It should be obvious safety is an important aspect of developing, deploying, and ultimately riding in an autonomous vehicle. The problem is nobody accepts safety is but one side of the coin; there is another consideration to take into account that people are predictably—infuriatingly so—missing. Travel agents tell us that pre-wave season promotions are often some of the best because cruise lines are trying to fill ships earlier and avoid reducing rates at the last minute.

California desperately needs water reform. San Francisco is standing in the way.

Cruise agreed to reduce its fleet by half while the incident was under investigation. Indeed, advocates from the disability community have voiced their support for AV development at many crucial moments, most recently testifying in favor of Cruise and Waymo’s application to the state of California for expanded robotaxi service. Last month, the California DMV announced that it's investigating the "recent concerning incidents" involving Cruise driverless cars in San Francisco. We’re working to bring new transportation options that work for you and your community.

Cruise’s Commercial Robotaxi Permits Suspended By California Agency

That way you’ll know the differences between what to expect on Royal Caribbean vs. Disney or Celebrity vs. Princess. Take that concept a bit further and explore differences in a cruise line’s ships as in Carnival Vista vs. Breeze. Instead of slashing prices, cruise lines tack on extra perks that give you more for your money. Beyond the "big three costs" we mentioned earlier, look for ways to splurge. Specialty dining is one of the best ways to treat yourself to something you might not otherwise indulge in.

More from this stream Self-driving cars: Google and others map the road to automated vehicles

By Andrew J. Hawkins, transportation editor with 10+ years of experience who covers EVs, public transportation, and aviation. Cruise ridehail services are not available at this time, but you can join the waitlist to be one of the first. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. Ben Pimentel’s new weekly newsletter covering the biggest technology stories in San Francisco, Silicon Valley and beyond. Earlier this month, Vogt said the company is close to getting the green light for regulators.

General Motors' Cruise unveils wheelchair-accessible robotaxi - Reuters

General Motors' Cruise unveils wheelchair-accessible robotaxi.

Posted: Thu, 14 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Cruise and GM have filed a petition with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to produce purpose-built autonomous vehicles without traditional controls, such as steering wheels or pedals. While NHTSA has not yet made a decision on the petition, Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt remains optimistic, stating that the company is on track to receive regulatory approval. But there have also been frustrating delays, as companies have prioritized non-wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAV) in their various tests and deployments across the country. A number of companies, including Volkswagen, Waymo, and others, have been working on new designs they say are intended to benefit disabled passengers — but few have shown off an actual product until now.

Cruise unveils first wheelchair accessible robotaxi at SF HQ

Because the Antarctic cruise season is winding down during the first months of the year, booking next year’s polar expedition cruise during wave season could definitely get you a better price, so don’t limit yourself to the current year when shopping. Rule number one to getting the most bang for your buck is knowing what wave season savings to look for. The top three add-ons that bump up a typical cruise bill are the crew gratuities, beverage packages and shore excursions. Funes Ozturk, who is visually impaired and uses a wheelchair, said it’s difficult to get around on Uber or Lyft because not all ride-hail drivers are willing to transport passengers with wheelchairs.

Cruise unveils first wheelchair accessible robotaxi at SF HQ Transit sfexaminer.com - San Francisco Examiner

Cruise unveils first wheelchair accessible robotaxi at SF HQ Transit sfexaminer.com.

Posted: Fri, 15 Sep 2023 16:19:54 GMT [source]

News 4/9

Cruise, the autonomous vehicle company, has made an exciting announcement in San Francisco, unveiling a custom-built, wheelchair-accessible robotaxi. The prototype, named Cruise WAV, is set to undergo closed course testing starting in October. Developed in collaboration with GM, BraunAbility, and Q’Straint, this vehicle marks a significant milestone in providing inclusive transportation solutions. The car is a modified version of the Cruise Origin shuttle, an extra spacious autonomous vehicle built solely for bussing groups of people around town that doesn’t have a steering wheel or pedals. Among other features, the Cruise WAV sports double-wide doors, a retractable ramp, a floor that will lower to the curb, straps to secure a wheelchair and a second seat for a companion to ride in. Over 25 million Americans have disabilities that make traveling outside the home difficult.

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The company last month agreed to a request from the Department of Motor Vehicles to reduce its San Francisco fleet by half while the agency investigates crashes involving Cruise taxis that happened days after the California Public Utilities Commission’s approval. This is a big deal to me, but also to the almost 6 million people who use wheelchairs in our country,” Lee told the Chronicle. Making transportation more accessible can lead to improved quality of life in regard to work, education, health and recreational activities, Braddy noted. "People with disabilities are living in a world that is not designed and built for us," said Theo Braddy, executive director of the National Council on Independent Living. We're committed to solving the transportation challenges with the most meaningful impact – breaking down systemic barriers to transportation and shaping a future where more people have access to safe, reliable rides.

Created with the disability community, the WAV will begin to change the way the world rides. News of Cruise’s suspension comes a few weeks after the company debuted its all-new Cruise WAV vehicle at its San Francisco headquarters. Cruise calls the vehicle “the world’s first purpose-built, wheelchair accessible, self-driving vehicle.” It was built in collaboration with the company’s Cruise Accessibility Council and the community.

The WAV looks similar to the company's purpose-built Origin vehicle, which was revealed as a prototype in January 2020 and is now being tested on public roads in Austin and Miami. Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt and other executives revealed Thursday in San Francisco a prototype of a custom-built, wheelchair-accessible, self-driving robotaxi and said that closed-course testing of the driverless vehicle would begin in October. Wav will need regulatory approval before hitting public roads, and Cruise will make changes to the prototype based on user feedback.

As someone with multiple disabilities whose vision precludes me from driving, I’m here to tell you these people are grossly ignorant and misinformed. Safety is one thing, but methinks it’s a safe bet to assume the anti-Cruise crowd would be singing a different tune if they had disabilities that limited their mobility and thus left them with precious few options for meaningful transit. In late August, I took my first ride in a Waymo vehicle from my house to the Salt & Straw ice cream shop in the neighboring Pacific Heights neighborhood. This piece is not the forum for a full review of that experience, but suffice it to say I was thoroughly impressed.

The more wiggle room you have, the more opportunities you will have to access the best deal. Knowing your second and third choices ahead of time will save you time when the promotions are announced. Cruise hasn’t been able to use the full extent of its permitted commercial expansion.

The back of the Cruise WAV, a wheelchair accessible self-driving vehicle at Cruise’s office in San Francisco on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. Cecelia Black experiencing the Cruise WAV, a wheelchair accessible self-driving vehicle at Cruise’s office in San Francisco on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. Matt Scott experiencing the unveiling the Cruise WAV, a wheelchair accessible self-driving vehicle at Cruise’s office in San Francisco on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. Cruise engineers, Francois Brahic, is on left and Jordan Factor is on the right. Last month, one of its driverless Chevy Bolt vehicles collided with a firetruck in the city, leaving one passenger injured.

"Accessibility is also an important reason why we're invested in autonomous vehicles," Carrie Morton, GM's chief engineer of accessibility, said during a panel discussion. "This transformation in mobility has the potential to really change the way people move around the world." The Cruise wheelchair accessible version is being designed with accessibility at the forefront — not as an afterthought.