Course Deviation With Good Outcome

Seabourn Odyssey

Rescues 3 Fishermen

In the wake of the Costa Concordia disaster, there has been much press coverage about the course deviation which the captain made as he approached the island of Giglio.   

Course deviations occur all the time, for various reasons:   

Most often course deviations occur because of sea and weather conditions, in order to provide a safe and comfortable cruise experience for the passengers and crew.  Rarely, a more radical deviation might occur to avoid a port in the wake of a disaster, political unrest, or increase in crime.  Equally rare are deviations in response to a distress call.  Under maritime law, the captain of a vessel is required to provide assistance under those circumstances.

Rescue boat from Odyssey approaches fishing boat

Somewhere in the Pacific

On Sunday, February 19th, Seabourn Odyssey was sailing the Pacific Ocean some 150 miles southwest of Pago Pago, America Samoa during it's World Cruise journey.  Unbeknownst to the Captain and crew at that time, three men had set out to sea in a small fishing boat from Apia in Western Samoa three weeks earlier, with the goal of bringing back a chest full of fresh seafood.  Unfortunately, they ran out of fuel and drifted further and further away, surviving on their catch of fish and rain water.

Feared Lost at Sea

Families of the three fishermen had been preparing funeral services as earlier rescue efforts, led by the New Zealand Air Force and the United States Coast Guard, had been called off.  The men had no distress flares or means of radio communication, so they were literally on their own in the middle of the largest body of water on earth.

Captain Dexter Changes Course

The portside bridge watch alerted Captain Mark Dexter to something in the distance which appeared to be a boat.  Not finding any missing vessel reports, the captain still wondered why this boat would be so far from land. He deviated from his course to investigate further and spotted a small boat adrift some miles away from the ship. As they drew closer, they saw three men jumping and frantically waving their clothing, clearly trying to catch the attention of Seabourn Odyssey.


The Rescue

The ship deployed one of its rescue boats and, after determining that they were no threat, rescued the three fishermen who had been lost at sea for nearly three weeks!  The men were transferred from the rescue craft to the ship and immediately examined by the ship's doctor.  They were in surprisingly good health considering the amount of time they were exposed to the elements in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.   Upon examination, it was found that the men were dehydrated, hungry, and had a few skin sores from the sun.

Returning Home - Good Outcome

After getting examined, changing into fresh clothes, and eating, the fishermen told of their ordeal and provided contact information for their employer. When he was notified, he bust out into joyful tears.  The families changed their funeral plans to welcome home plans.

The Odyssey notified the U.S. Coast Guard who assisted in returning the men home when the ship docked in Pago Pago Monday morning.

The captain had kept the passengers informed throughout the rescue exercise.   The passengers were so moved by the whole experience that they collected funds to give to the fishermen.  When the men disembarked the ship, they each had $800 donated by the guests to help them purchase a new fishing boat.

Bravo Captain Dexter & Crew !! 

Thanks to the watchful eyes of Seabourn Odyssey’s bridge watch, and the curiosity of Captain Dexter, the three fishermen were saved and will live to tell their terrifying tale. This course deviation had a happy ending.

From Seabourn's account of the event:

 

This is the second rescue involving a Seabourn ship in less than a year. 

It is another example of the amazing skills of our seagoing staff and the timeless code of seamen to look out for each other, which does not change from generation to generation. As the Coast Guard captain put it: “the PV Seabourn Odyssey and its crew deserve a Bravo Zulu for securing these fishermen’s lives!”

Photos: Courtesy of Seabourn Cruise Line Ltd.

Source: Seabourn Odyssey Rescues Three Men Adrift in the World’s Largest Ocean

Taxi Strike Blocks Athens Port

Cruise Lines Unable

to Make Athens Calls As

Taxi Drivers Blockade Piraeus

Several cruise ships were forced to skip planned calls at Piraeus, the port for Athens, Monday, July 18, and again on Tuesday as striking taxi drivers blockaded the port, preventing passengers from getting to their sightseeing coaches.

Yellow Cabs in Athens Traffic on a Normal Day

Reuters reported today that taxi drivers in Athens walked off the job for 24 hours in the latest protest against the Greek government's EU-driven austerity program, which protesters said would hurt only the poor.  The yellow cab drivers are protesting against deregulation of their industry as part of the economic reforms demanded by Greece's international creditors. They join the ranks of the customs officials who are also on strike which is causing a shortage of gasoline at some Athens filling stations.

Four ships were due in Piraeus yesterday: Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas, Seabourn Odyssey, Ruby Princess and Pullmantur's Zenith.

According to a report on Cruise Critic, Royal Caribbean had arranged shuttle transportation for guests in anticipation of the strike, but due to the blockade, guests were unable to disembark the ship and the passengers on Voyager of the Seas had a day at sea instead.

Cruise Critic reports that Seabourn Odyssey did, however, manage to disembark and embark passengers in Athens with all guests back on board in Piraeus and the itinerary unaffected.

MSC Armonia and Celebrity Solstice were due in port today.  Solstice is spending the day in Crete today instead.   The impact of the strike on MSC Armonia is not know at this time.

Piraeus is the port city for Athens and has been Athens' port of entry for over two millennia. It is the gateway to the historic temples of the Acropolis,  the famed Plaka shopping district, the scenic drive to Cape Sounion, and the stunning 5th-century B.C. Temple of Poseidon, overlooking the Aegean Sea.

Timing for these industrial actions in Greece couldn't be worse, as it's the height of the cruise season, with three or more ships calling at Piraeus every day. In fact, most of the cruise lines have expanded their European presence this year in response to the increasing demand.

The strike is scheduled to be over in time for Wednesday's anticipated  arrival of Regent's Seven Seas Mariner and two more Royal Caribbean vessels, Splendour of the Seas and Navigator of the Seas.  We will continue to monitor the various events in Greece that can impact cruise vacations to that nation.


We have just completed our own adventure to Greece in June this year, as part of a 12-Night Greek Isles & Mediterranean Cruise on Star Princess.   For the passengers that missed their port of call in Athens, we know they must be disappointed, as we would have been.   We can only offer our images in future columns and on our Facebook Fan page as a substitute for the real thing.

This is a very trying time for the people of Greece.  We wish them well as the government tries to make changes to stabilize the economy and protect the future for generations to come.

The Sunset of 2009

A year ago we closed our eyes together, remembering our favorite sunset as the year faded away. Together we hoped that there would be brighter tomorrows as we were filled with concerns about the recession.

Close your eyes once again and picture the warm calming glow of the sun as it dips behind the palm trees. The artist completes the final brush strokes on the canvas of 2009 today as this difficult year draws to a close.

The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow ...

"The sun'll come out Tomorrow Bet your bottom dollar That tomorrow There'll be sun!" Pehaps these words from the popular musical "ANNIE" were the inspiration for the cruise lines to continue with shipbuilding projects despite the down economy.

2009 saw the introduction of several new cruise ships including Aida Cruises AIDALuna, AMAWaterways MS Amalyra and MS Amadolce, Carnival Cruises Carnival Dream, Celebrity Cruises Celebrity Equinox, Costa Cruises Costa Pacifica and Costa Luminosa, MSC Cruises MSC Splendida, Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas, Seabourn Cruises Seabourn Odyssey, Silversea Cruises Silver Spirit, and Viking River Cruises Vilking Legend.

The top attention getter among these ships was Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas (shown here arriving in its home port of Fort Lauderdale). At 220,000 gross tons, it is the largest ship afloat for any cruise line. Many of the other ships introduced were also the largest ship amongst their respective fleets. Silversea Cruises Silver Spirit is the smallest cruise ship introduced this year, weighing in at just 36,000 gross tons, (do the math - that's 1/6th the size of Oasis) but it is still the largest in the fleet. Is bigger better? Time will tell.

For more information about these new ships, see the Ships & Itineraries tab for the respective cruise line on my website.

Passengers are Sailing Again...

It looks like the cruise line's bets have paid off. Passengers are saling once again and 2009 saw a dramatic increase in first-time cruisers. The secret is out - cruising is a good value. As I've mentioned before, you don't want to wait to book your next cruise. Cruise line executives have told me that prices will be rising. When you see a good deal that interests you, lock it in with a deposit - you have until final payment to change your mind.

Making Memories ...

Cruise vacations make memories that will last a lifetime. Once again I was fortunate to create some new memories and share them with you. One of the highlights of this year's cruises was our Tulip Time Cruise on AMA Waterways Amalegro. Colorful tulips danced in the wind like ballet dancers on stage. What could be better than a Belgian Waffle topped with fresh strawberries and Belgian Chocolate? My mouth waters as I think about the good eats from our river cruise.

What Lies Ahead in 2010...

Several more cruise ships will be introduced in 2010 including Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas and Norwegian EPIC which will be the attention getters due to their size and innovations. I will continue to bring you the very latest cruise industry information drawing upon various resources such as seminars at sea, personal cruises, and other conferences with industry leaders. It appears that we may have seen the worst of the economic situation and recovery will begin. That could bring the reintroduction of fuel surcharges as prices increase. The sun will come out tomorrow - so get out in the sun and have some fun on a cruise ship.

Let us close the book on this historic year together. Tomorrow, when you awake, open the book on what I hope will be a brighter tomorrow. Happy, Healthy, Propserous New Year to all!!