We had an email last week from a sommelier we met on a cruise ship. He is from the Philippines and, in our exchanges over a few days, five words from his email were perhaps most meaningful. "Without you is without us." He wasn't referring to "us" in particular, but to all cruise passengers. He… Continue reading Grand Turk Terminal Trouble
Category: Stories
A Royal Story Rich in Irony
Who writes this stuff? Really. Shakespeare or Monty Python? The Royal biographer, perhaps… A cruise ship is called the Royal Princess. At an elaborate "naming ceremony" the ship will be christened by a young woman who used to be a Royal Princess but is now a Royal Duchess. Okay, technically, she never was "Princess" Kate…but… Continue reading A Royal Story Rich in Irony
New Evacuation System on Breakaway
Let's start with a couple of acronyms that will help in this story, most of which will be told by pictures: MES — Marine Evacuation Systems SOLAS — Safety Of Life At Sea LSA — Life Saving Appliance There is a new MES on the market — called the RFD Marin Ark2 — and it… Continue reading New Evacuation System on Breakaway
Two Tastes of River Cruising
This isn't a commercial (like "Like Milk?")… Like jazz? Like lobster? If — like us — your answer is "yes" then American Cruise Lines has an inviting dilemma for you. Actually, one of the "invitings" is the Queen of the Mississippi, and don't take that the wrong way. She's a river cruise ship and in… Continue reading Two Tastes of River Cruising
Miami, Carnival Relationship Tight
As a cruise entity goes, Carnival's name regularly gets dragged through the mud, as it is once again because of the troublesome Triumph. But it seldom happens in Miami. There, hometown of the cruise line's offices and the basketball team that belongs to the Carnival owner, this good corporate citizen is a great corporate citizen.… Continue reading Miami, Carnival Relationship Tight