May 24, 2006
Environmental concerns, arrested captains, and more cruise news
A cruise ship ballot initiative in Alaska seeks to implement a 50.00/person tax in order to monitor waste produced on cruises. The bad environmental news hasn't persuaded me never to take a cruise, but has made me think about cruising responsibly. I'll have to look into that.
Speaking of cruising and not harming the environment, I did meet someone, a 19-year-old computer whiz who recently joined Greenpeace and has done some sailing with them. What a way to travel! Stupidly, I didn't ask for an interview but I'll try to find out more about traveling with Greenpeace.
More cruise news: the story of Daniel DiPiero reminds us not to get too drunk while on a cruise. The poor guy falls overboard and everyone else continues on their way to the Bahamas.
NCL America's new Pride of Hawaii, which can take about 2400 people on a cruise, is the largest and most luxurious U.S.-flagged cruise ship. She was formally dedicated on May 20th in Los Angeles.
An article on Freedom of the Seas has some interesting information on cost:
Prices for seven-day voyages range from $1,900 per couple for an interior room during the low season to nearly $2,500 for the same-size cabin with a balcony during high season, said Cindy Dangel, an on-board sales manager.The captain of Celebrity Cruises Mercury was arrested and stripped of his command for suspicion of drunkenness before the ship sailed from Seattle. Coast Guard officials said his blood-alcohol level was more than twice the federal maritime limit of .04 percent.A deluxe room that sleeps 14 and costs $22,000 during peak season is booked until 2008, she said.
"The captain's actions are totally unacceptable. He was been stripped of his command and ordered off the ship," said Celebrity Cruises President Dan Hanrahan.
Posted by James Trotta at May 24, 2006 12:45 AM