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Editor: Daniel A. Hoffman, MCC  

This newsletter contains current news and information on the "Cruise" industry. It will also contain the "Views" of the editor on different issues within the industry. The editor owns and operates a cruise oriented travel agency located in Pennsylvania. This newsletter's main purpose IS NOT AND WILL NOT BE for the purpose of selling cruises. It will at times contain ads from different sources. All ads will be cruise or travel related. It will list cruise specials from time to time in the ad section, but as stated, this is not the primary purpose of this newsletter.

In This Issue

#1 NCL Crown Captain Major Disappointment

#2 Puerto Limón, Costa Rica-3rd Port-Of-Call

#3 Panama Canal Transit-
Part 1

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#1 NCL CROWN CAPTAIN MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT

Having personally sailed many different cruise lines, different ships, and experiencing the styles and techniques of many different cruise ship Captains, none come close to equaling the disgrace of service as that of Captain Emil Holthe of the Norwegian Crown.

There are events that occur during certain cruises that are of major significant importance to a large number of passengers. Two of these events, to name a few, would be transiting of the Panama Canal, and crossing of the equator. These are two events that seasoned cruisers, as well as all seafaring individuals, would rank to be high on the list of major maritime events.

As stated earlier, having a broad experience base with cruise ships, it is universally understood that a Captain of a passenger cruise ship serves as much of a public relations duty to his passengers as he does in command and control of the ship itself. In almost every case the Captain fulfills this role in a magnificent fashion.

Having cruised on several different NCL ships with many different Captains, this has always been the case. Including a recent transatlantic crossing from England to Boston aboard the Norwegian Dream in which extremely rough and dangerous weather conditions resulted in an unsettling cruise experience for several days of the cruise. Even through the Captain, Captain Aage Hoddevik, had his hands full 24/7 for several days with command of the ship under these conditions, he managed to maintain the role of a great public relations representative of the cruise line under extreme conditions. Almost every passenger aboard had nothing but the highest respect and admiration for the job Captain Hoddevik did during that cruise.

Unfortunately, Captain Emil Holthe, apparently feels he is above dealing with the passengers, even when significant cruise events takes place. During a current sailing of the Norwegian Crown from Miami to South America, the Crown crossed the equator on the evening of November 8th. Now as some of you know, the crossing of the equator has a long standing ceremonial ritual. During this ceremony, first time crossers, referred to as "Pollywogs", are initiated and under the order of the King of the Sea, King Neptune, become "Shellbacks". This is a tradition that dates back centuries and is such a time honored tradition that it is carried out on ships around the globe including military vessels such as the US Navy.

We were informed by the cruise director, after questions from many passengers about the crossing, that the actual equator crossing would occur very late that night, and as such, would have a ceremony the following day. We were then advised during the noon Captain's briefing, that the crossing would occur at approximately 8:30 PM that evening. Not exactly what would be classed as "very late"! Most passengers then assumed we would be notified when the crossing occurred.

There were several passengers on board who had brought GPS units along for this purpose and who had been tracking the ship's location as it approached the equator. It became clear that the actual crossing would would take place somewhere between 8:10 and 8:20 PM. At approximately 8:00 PM it also was noticed by some passengers on outside decks that there was an eclipse taking place. The crossing of the equator combined with a simultaneous lunar eclipse is indeed a major maritime event. Something that would definitely warrant an announcement for the commander of the ship, Captain Holthe.

Yeah right! As several knowledgeable seafaring individuals were on the outer decks observing the lunar eclipse and tracking location with GPS units, where was Captain Holthe? He was sitting relaxing in the Lido Bar with another officer and two females, awaiting their table in the specialty restaurant "Le Bistro"! One passenger who saw the Captain while still in the Lido Bar, stated that it was as if he could care less about the crossing or the tradition! Unbelievable!

This is definitely a person who has absolutely no public personal relation skills and has no respect for maritime tradition with his passengers. Yes, maybe he has made the crossing many times in his career, so has thousands of other seafaring men and women, yet they still have the respect for tradition that Captain Holthe severely lacks.

Is this the type of Captain that Norwegian Cruise Line wants representing them aboard their ships, or is it simply they are not aware of the complete lack of personal skills which are missing from Captain Holthe's list of abilities?

We will let you know in an upcoming issue if we get a response from Norwegian Cruise Line, and if so, what it is.

What is your opinion of these actions? Let us know at:
Feedback@Cruise-n-Views.com

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#2 PUERTO LIMÓN, Costa Rica-3rd Port-Of-Call

Shortly after leaving Montego Bay, our next adventure begins. We dock at Puerto Limón, Costa Rica’s only Caribbean port. This is an important port since there are only 125 miles of seacoast.

Amidst tropical scenes, negotiating a good rate for a van proves easy and we’re off. NCL offers shore excursions at each port, but we prefer to control our own destiny ashore. As in any country-- speaking the language helps. Going off on your own can be challenging, but can save you time, money and provide pleasures away from large groups i.e., more local flavor!

We take a scenic 3 mile drive to Moin, a small fishing village. Moin is the southern end of an inland man-made canal providing a 70 mile protected waterway for commerce. The northern terminus is the 47,000 sq mile Tortugueros National Park. Tortugueros are turtles.

The waterway is the Canal de Tortugueros. Although we cover less than 20 miles in 1.5 hours, we still see the following: butterflies, howler monkeys, blue heron, egrets, bats, iguanas, fish, crabs, and much more. Kenny the boat operator is young, friendly, quite knowledgeable and practicing his English. While many boats speed by, he stops, climbs a bank and picks flowers from a Ylan tree. "If" we understand correctly, the flower either is used in the production of soap or has the same odor. We also witness a railroad bridge, an abandoned plywood factory and a number of "classic" fishing vessels along the canal banks. The canal is a must see.

Next we are treated to Playa Bonita. Aptly named because it is a beautiful beach(see photo). The local restaurant provides space for the sale of native handicrafts which are reasonably priced and of very good quality. The national beer- Imperial for $2 or a soda for $1 is available to off set the heat and humidity.

Another view of Playa Bonita lies just around the corner at the Hotel Maribu Caribe. For $45 to $65 a night (depending on the season), a double room will provide you with a view of the beach and sea. The hotel boasts a gourmet restaurant overlooking all.

Returning downtown, we are privileged to see a Bamboo Factory, "caught in time". Our driver is the only Tico speaking English. You will never see finer or more unique bamboo items. The work is done in small hot spaces with the same simple hand tools used by the worker’s forefathers.

We leave bamboo and go bananas! But before we get to the plantation, we hold a three-toed sloth (a very gentle creature) in our arms and play with a black monkey. We feel privileged since we are in the yard of a private home. Our host is a Costa Rican native of Indian decent, who speaks no English. With his machete, he opens a coconut for us to drink its liquid, shows us ginger blossoms and how to get cocoa beans from their shell. He is proud of Costa Rica’s bounty and we are pleased to learn from him.

Leaving reluctantly, we go for miles seeing only banana trees with blue plastic bags. Grocery bags? No, these bags cover immature banana pods. We are on the Del Monte Banana Plantation. Our driver discusses the whole process as we watch workers doing their repetitive jobs. Banana workers willingly work 11 hour days with two 15 minute breaks and a 1 hour lunch. The assembly line is quite interesting.

The line includes; a conveyor track of hanging bananas, hose washing under pressure, cutting pods from stalks, cutting up stalks, washing with soap in huge vats, sorting, washing/rinsing again, and a final sorting into bunches. Another wash, then a micro heat unit dries the bunches. The final steps: the application of the Del Monte stickers you see in the grocery stores, and the boxing and loading for shipment. Banana processing is labor intensive.

Up hills, around curves and 30 minutes later we reach a hilltop overlooking the city, and our ship-- Norwegian Crown. El Faro Restaurant has a superb setting atop this hill. Its open air dining area offers a panoramic view. We invite our driver to join us. It’s a smart move. He is delighted and provides much information and local knowledge. The food is even better than the view. Five meals and drinks all around $50 plus tip.

Stomachs full, senses satiated, we return to the dock. But first, we stroll through the 50+ small tents permitted by the port for local vendors. A majority of the stands offer quality native items at reasonable prices. Of course, you can find a few tacky items should you so desire.

Our driver was Eugene Richard Pecou, Euvangie’s Tours. Eugene’s email is euvangie@hotmail.com.

Yes, Puerto Limón is high on the "return to" list. We loved the Pacific Coast of this beautiful Central American country, and NOW we love the Caribbean side.

The preceding article was written and contributed by:
Capt. Lou Hoffman

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#3 PANAMA CANAL TRANSIT- Part 1

4:30 am, Nov 7, it’s my 33rd wedding anniversary and I’m out on the deck. You bet I’m excited. No, it’s not the 33 years, it’s what lies ahead… Colón, Panama, the start of the Panama Canal. It’s near 09°-27’ N: 079°-59’ W. The celebration of 33 years, a look at what I believe should be one of The Great Wonders of the World, a Cohiba in hand and my wife by my side, are too much excitement.

Bear with me while I provide some interesting facts. This man-made construction marvel is 50 miles long, runs in a N-S direction, and connects the Atlantic via the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific. Completed in 1914, it has been closed only three times: 1915, 3 months due to landslides, 1968, 16 hours due to a coal barge accident, and in 1989, 37 hours for security purposes involving Mr. Noriega. The canal was started by the French but was built and completed by the USA. The abandoned French Canal can be seen off to starboard as we approach the Gatun Locks, the first of three. Gatun has 3 chambers which will each raise our ship 28’ for a total of 84’ to Gatun Lake. Each rise involves 3 million gallons of water flowing by gravity in 8 to 10 minutes. Each chamber is fed by 3 - 18 foot diameter pipes which flow into 20 smaller pipes which feed the 100 evenly spaced holes beneath each chamber. The distribution of water raises the ship quickly but unrecognized. The chambers are separated by gates ranging from 390 to 790 tons each. Built in Pittsburgh in 1911, they were assembled on site. The gates or water flow is controlled by the towers at each lock.

Transit through the locks is aided by "mules", the name given to the locomotives which help keep the ship off the side walls and aid in braking. The "Crown" is attached to 6 mules by 12 cables. Ships proceed under their own power. Typically mules move back and forth from ship to ship. However, passenger ships are assigned one team for all 3 chambers.

The original mules were built by General Electric and weighed in at 43 tons and $13,000. Electricity is provided through a track at 480 volts. By 1957, replacement mules cost $113,000. Today they are being built by Mitsubishi for $2,000,000. Their weight is 55 tons, and they are air conditioned.

During a ship’s transit, its name changes for radio communication. We become S8Z which means we are southbound, the 4th such ship today (southbound receive even numbers and northbound receive odd numbers; i.e., 4th southbound equals number 8, 3rd northbound equals number 5) and and the Z means that we are a passenger ship. A canal pilot comes aboard at the breakwater entrance. We have two pilots. It is the pilot’s job to control the ship and the mules while staying in contact with each lock’s control tower.

Stop by next week, as I discuss a few of the many sights and steps involved in the Norwegian Crown’s 7 November transit. They are numerous, varied, and extremely exciting--just like my marriage. OTHER CANAL FACTS:

A. Lights were installed in 1962 permitting 24 hour operation.

B. Canal Transit is expensive. Ships pay from several hundred to several hundred thousand dollars each.

C. A Panamax vessel is one which is designed to the max permitted to enter the canal. Some have no more than a 1 foot clearance on each side in the locks.

D. Cash must be in the canal authority’s bank before a ship can enter.

E. The cheapest transit was made by Haliburton, the swimmer. He paid 38 cents.

F. No pumping of water is used. Gravity flow only.

G. In 1850-1855, a railroad was built to connect Colon to Panama City. It is said that a person died for each RR tie laid. Many were victims of Malaria and Yellow Fever. The train stopped in the 1980’s but restarted in the 90’s. Early travelers paid $5 to be allowed to walk the tracks--keeping out of the jungle.

The preceding article was written and contributed by:
Capt. Lou Hoffman

Cruise-n-Views Newsletter ©  2003 Dynamic Dream Cruises, Inc.

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