If the coming 6 days are going to be like this, then we are in for a treat. It was not particularly sunny today but it was not windy either and the waves were nice and low; everybody could have a happy time if they wanted to. We are trundling along with a speed of 16.5 knots or so and that will bring us on 08 November in the morning at Nassau.
The lighter the color the better it is is; but any kind of blue is good. (Courtesy www.Surf-forecast.com)
We are doing only 16.5 knots while our top speed is 20 knots as the company has gradually been bringing down the average speed the ships had to maintain. Not too long ago the cruises where being set up in such a way that we had to run full out all the time to maintain the schedule. With the enormous increase in oil prices from a few years ago, when the price of a ton of ships fuel more than doubled, we started to reduce the average speeds. Fuel became so expensive that you could not just pass the increase on each time anymore to the guests. The second reason was if there was one hiccup during a high speed run then it meant at once a too late arrival or a port cancellation. Not good for guest satisfaction either. The third reason was and is, is that all the shipping companies are working hard to reduce emissions. Part of that is dictated by environmental legislation by countries surrounding a certain sailing area but also by the ethical standards.
Thus the days of racing across at 19 to 20 knots are over. If now we had a bit of wobbly weather in the coming days, we would still be able to make up the time as soon as the waves died down again and we would still be able to call at Nassau in the Bahamas on November 8th. Altogether a much better situation.
The ethical point of view is something which has gradually come in into Corporate America in the last 10 years. The Enron scandal was a wakeup call not only business wise but also morally. The Sarban –Oxley act was adopted and apart from being compulsory to live by it also gave a nudge towards a non-required but more of an emotive approach.
Holland America has developed very strong standards in this regards, with an eye on bribery, receiving gifts, how to deal with personnel, and how to simply conduct business and operate ships in a more responsible way. A real challenge here is the fact of: –what is ethical-. As this varies strongly from culture to culture. What is ethical in one country might not be so in another. Cruise ships sail with sometimes 50 to 60 different nationalities on board and this normally means at least 15 different cultures and certainly more than 1 religion. (Thus far I have counted Christianity, Islam, Hindu, Anism, and followers of Confucius on board.)
The one big advantage we have over the shore side and which makes it all a lot easier is that we are first of all beholden not to our background but to the company’s product. And as we live on board there is no option to retreat after the working day back into the home culture. So, for at least half the year we live 24 hours a day by one norm and that is the company norm, and that makes it a lot easier. Whatever standards an individual crew member wants to apply to his or her way of living, the company standards of safely operating and providing service to our guests come first. If an individual cannot deal with such a thing, then there is no room for this person on board. But if you are willing to accept this basic rule then at the same time the company will go out of its way to ensure that you can live as closely as possible to your private preferences. I do not think that there are many mainstream company’s out there that have a mosque on board, support a regular Christian fellowship society, and make room for Hindu and any other belief which needs a certain way to express itself in a more open and formulized way. It is ethical to respect an individual’s morals and principles but it is even more ethical when all those individuals respect each other’s standards and morals, even if they much different from their own. In all my 35 years with Holland America I have never seen any issues in this regards on board our ships.
To help to deliver this message, we train the crew in our ethical standards and for that purpose the ship’s Human Resources Manager screens video’s, holds meetings and is available for any support a person might need. And if the crew is happy in their routines, then it directly brushes off onto the guests as well. That is where our smiles are coming from.
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