[Freakinoldguy]

The idiot Schnettino just doesn't get it does he. He didn't get 16 years for running his ship aground and sinking it. He got 16 fucking years for being a spineless lowlife coward who abandoned men, women, children, the elderly, the infirmed and his crew to their fate to save his own sick, sorry ass.

[Jabberwalker]

Allegedly, a lot of Schettino's crew effed off as well and they should be next in the docket. The "professional" sailors on board left in the first boats and the entertainment crew, stewards, pursers, etc. got the passengers off. The same thing just happened again on a ferry in the Aegean a few months back. Stay clear of vessels crewed from Italy. Go Cunard.

[Freakinoldguy]

Thanks but I'll steer clear of all cruise ships. I can't countenance sailing with anybody who has less sea time, experience or training for an emergency than I do and all the perks in the world don't make up for the usual bouts of Norwalk, broken down engines that leave you wallowing in the Caribbean or chickenshit Captains that jump ship before it even starts taking on water.

If anybody really want's to go to sea, go with the Grey Funnel Line, it's not fancy but at least you'll get there.

[ShepherdsDog]

Hey the food was always good and plentiful....plus you got cheap booze and were paid to cruise. Sleeping arrangements weren't always ideal though....especially with the 1 in 3 watch schedule unless you were in the tropics.

[BartSimpson]

Jabberwalker Jabberwalker:

Allegedly, a lot of Schettino's crew effed off as well and they should be next in the docket. The "professional" sailors on board left in the first boats and the entertainment crew, stewards, pursers, etc. got the passengers off. The same thing just happened again on a ferry in the Aegean a few months back. Stay clear of vessels crewed from Italy. Go Cunard.

On most passenger vessels it's the hospitality staff who are responsible for the passengers in an emergency for the simple reasons that they typically know their passengers and during an emergency the portion of the crew that's dedicated to running the ship is supposed to be focused on saving the ship or keeping it afloat as long as they can.

With the Costa Concordia (just my .02 here) the vessel staff took off because they knew the ship was a loss while many of the hospitality staff did their jobs.

While the officers of these ships tend to be Italian the crews tend to be Filipino and Eastern European and in an emergency they don't have the cultural imperatives to save others as Westerners are expected to have. Witness this in the legion of ferry accidents in these countries - even in South Korea with the recent ferry accident where the crew abandoned over 300 children to their deaths.

Add to this the complication that the crews are not Westerners while the passengers generally are Westerners. As a result of the work of generations of people like Andy many of these non-Westerners don't give a damn about Westerners in an emergency. Not all, mind you, but many.

They see the Westerners as spoiled oppressors and when TSHTF their attitude is F**k 'em, I'm saving myself first!.

While I will still go on cruises I make it a point to know how to deploy the rafts just in case I need to do it myself. It's usually pretty easy and one person can deploy a raft - it's the lifeboats that are more complicated to deploy.

[Jabberwalker]

Freakinoldguy Freakinoldguy:

Thanks but I'll steer clear of all cruise ships. I can't countenance sailing with anybody who has less sea time, experience or training for an emergency than I do and all the perks in the world don't make up for the usual bouts of Norwalk, broken down engines that leave you wallowing in the Caribbean or chickenshit Captains that jump ship before it even starts taking on water.

If anybody really want's to go to sea, go with the Grey Funnel Line, it's not fancy but at least you'll get there.

"No buffet for you! Get back down to the bilges, Stoker!"

[stratos]

Are you all trying to talk me out of taking a Cruise late this summer?

[Jabberwalker]

ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:

Hey the food was always good and plentiful....plus you got cheap booze and were paid to cruise. Sleeping arrangements weren't always ideal though....especially with the 1 in 3 watch schedule unless you were in the tropics.

Booze is gone, now (or so they claim). That Middle or Morning watch loses its charm if its freezing, wet, "lively" or if something is suddenly pissing hydraulic fluid all over the place. Then again, you know how to get off and there are ample rafts to be had.

[Freakinoldguy]

ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:

Hey the food was always good and plentiful....plus you got cheap booze and were paid to cruise. Sleeping arrangements weren't always ideal though....especially with the 1 in 3 watch schedule unless you were in the tropics.

We had PET's former pastry chef on Qu'Appelle back in the early 80's. They made him the night cook and let him do nothing but pastry and breads. Man you'd get up for a morning watch and you'd have a choice of 2 different kinds of strudel, muffins, cake, pie, cookies and a sundry assortment of breads and rolls.

IIRC it was just after that they brought in those pesky BMI rules and regulations.

[Jabberwalker]

One of the dads that helps out with the Scout troop volunteer with is the son of one of the COs of Qu'Appelle. His last name is Godbout and I could see it being around that time.

[Freakinoldguy]

Jabberwalker Jabberwalker:

One of the dads that helps out with the Scout troop volunteer with is the son of one of the COs of Qu'Appelle. His last name is Godbout and I could see it being around that time.

Doesn't ring a bell. When I was on her we had Hal Davies as a CO. Great guy but his obsession with Kippers almost drove the Supply Bob nuts. We were in Samoa and the old man wanted Kippers in milk for breakfast, everyday and of course we'd run out of them so, he told the Supply Officer he had 24 hours to procure some or he'd be swimming the rest of the way back to Esquimalt.

Somehow some way the guy actually found them, in Samoa yet? How he did it is still a mystery.

[Jabberwalker]

Freakinoldguy Freakinoldguy:

Jabberwalker Jabberwalker:

One of the dads that helps out with the Scout troop volunteer with is the son of one of the COs of Qu'Appelle. His last name is Godbout and I could see it being around that time.

Doesn't ring a bell. When I was on her we had Hal Davies as a CO. Great guy but his obsession with Kippers almost drove the Supply Bob nuts. We were in Samoa and the old man wanted Kippers in milk for breakfast, everyday and or course we were out of them so he told the Supply Bob he had 24 hours to find some or he'd be swimming the rest of the way home.

Somehow some way the guy actually found them in Samoa yet? How he did it is still a mystery.

Actually since posting this, I checked it out. He was CO back in the mid 60's. He must have been one of the first ones.

Kippers in Polynesia? (remembers "Higgins" in Magnum P.I.)