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Are there any USA flagged cruise ships? My wife has wanted to go on a cruise for decades but I told her I don’t want to have to fight with crew members to get her into a lifeboat in the event of an emergency. If the Mississippi River doesn’t dry up, I wouldn’t mind taking the Delta Queen from Canada to New Orleans. If that boat has problems, it just pulls off to the side of the river. Nice music cities all the way down too. The ‘good’ part is that most of their trip went as it was supposed to go. They will get complete refunds, tickets for another cruise, and all of their transportation costs to their homes will be covered. They had a better finish than those folk on the Italian Cruise Ship last year. Glad you made it home folks. Hope you have a better trip next time. Demand an upgrade. Respectfully, C.
I don’t believe that there are all that many U.S. Flagged Cruise ships anymore, or merchant vessels either. The U.S. has some of the most strict regulations for it’s ships, so most companies register their ships under a “Flag of Convenience”, to save money. I used to be in the Merchant Marine some years ago, on a U.S. Flagged ship, but most are gone now. I think the Delta Queen has been retired, as well. Not 100% sure about that, though.
Have you read about the conditions on that boat? I’ll take the snow and cold over backed up toilets, a pervasive sewer smell, lack of power, and lack of hot food any day.
My compliments to your service in the Merchant Marines, Masterkrain. My biological grandfather, not the one of whom I oft refer and knew, had five ships torpedoed under him in WW2. I’ve also had friends whose fathers were in the MM. Like most livings made at sea, it is not for the faint of heart. I still get flyers from some riverboat cruise group. The Delta Queen may be gone, but there are still “paddlewheelers” cruising the Mississippi. Probably not US flagged tho. /sighs sadly thank you again for your service. Respectfully, C.
One of the guys I used to work with likes cruises. He emailed about a week ago that they were coming back across the equator and headed for the Panama Canal. I knew he wasn’t on that troubled ship because he prefers another line. BTW most of those ships have webcams that have about a 3 hour delay so you can see the view from the bridge.
C., We don’t do cruises – our idea of a vacation is to get off the plane in a country we’ve never been to and disappear for 10 days. We don’t even make reservations past the first night, we’ll wander around and stay wherever there’s a vacancy. But if you want a different type of cruise, I have worked with Viking Cruise Lines. They do major rivers in Europe and Asia. That way, you get the canned tour feeling of a cruise, but if something goes wrong, it’s not like you’re stuck on a boat for a week looking for land.
They don’t have to. The ship is not NASA with requirements for redundant systems, is not American registry and is not REGULATED by American Regulations. It is an example of unregulated capitalism.
Joe Heller has been the staff editorial cartoonist for the Green Bay Press-Gazette since 1985. His cartoons appear in more than 350 publications, making him the most self-syndicated cartoonist in the nation.
Walt Handelsman by Walt Handelsman
Jerry Holbert by Jerry Holbert
Comments (12) (Please sign in to comment)
Lureman said, 3 months ago
Funny, and very true!
Respectful Troll said, 3 months ago
Are there any USA flagged cruise ships? My wife has wanted to go on a cruise for decades but I told her I don’t want to have to fight with crew members to get her into a lifeboat in the event of an emergency.
If the Mississippi River doesn’t dry up, I wouldn’t mind taking the Delta Queen from Canada to New Orleans. If that boat has problems, it just pulls off to the side of the river.
Nice music cities all the way down too.
The ‘good’ part is that most of their trip went as it was supposed to go. They will get complete refunds, tickets for another cruise, and all of their transportation costs to their homes will be covered. They had a better finish than those folk on the Italian Cruise Ship last year.
Glad you made it home folks. Hope you have a better trip next time. Demand an upgrade.
Respectfully,
C.
masterskrain said, 3 months ago
@Respectful Troll
I don’t believe that there are all that many U.S. Flagged Cruise ships anymore, or merchant vessels either.
The U.S. has some of the most strict regulations for it’s ships, so most companies register their ships under a “Flag of Convenience”, to save money.
I used to be in the Merchant Marine some years ago, on a U.S. Flagged ship, but most are gone now.
I think the Delta Queen has been retired, as well. Not 100% sure about that, though.
Jase99 said, 3 months ago
@Lureman
Have you read about the conditions on that boat? I’ll take the snow and cold over backed up toilets, a pervasive sewer smell, lack of power, and lack of hot food any day.
Respectful Troll said, 3 months ago
@masterskrain
My compliments to your service in the Merchant Marines, Masterkrain. My biological grandfather, not the one of whom I oft refer and knew, had five ships torpedoed under him in WW2. I’ve also had friends whose fathers were in the MM. Like most livings made at sea, it is not for the faint of heart.
I still get flyers from some riverboat cruise group. The Delta Queen may be gone, but there are still “paddlewheelers” cruising the Mississippi. Probably not US flagged tho.
/sighs sadly
thank you again for your service.
Respectfully,
C.
Rockngolfer said, 3 months ago
One of the guys I used to work with likes cruises. He emailed about a week ago that they were coming back across the equator and headed for the Panama Canal. I knew he wasn’t on that troubled ship because he prefers another line.
BTW most of those ships have webcams that have about a 3 hour delay so you can see the view from the bridge.
Fourcrows said, 3 months ago
@Respectful Troll
C.,
We don’t do cruises – our idea of a vacation is to get off the plane in a country we’ve never been to and disappear for 10 days. We don’t even make reservations past the first night, we’ll wander around and stay wherever there’s a vacancy.
But if you want a different type of cruise, I have worked with Viking Cruise Lines. They do major rivers in Europe and Asia. That way, you get the canned tour feeling of a cruise, but if something goes wrong, it’s not like you’re stuck on a boat for a week looking for land.
Rockngolfer said, 3 months ago
Here is one of those webcams. The Grand Princesss is in Uruguay.
http://www.princess.com/bridgecams/ap/grand_bridgecam.html
cjr53 said, 3 months ago
@Little Green Men
They don’t have to. The ship is not NASA with requirements for redundant systems, is not American registry and is not REGULATED by American Regulations. It is an example of unregulated capitalism.
ahab
said, 3 months ago
“Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.” MARK TWAIN- ,Life on the Mississippi
Tigger
said, 3 months ago
Truth
Ms. Ima said, 3 months ago
I would rather be on a cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico than be a liberal.