Wade the Gringo
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Bannister Island Resort · Caribbean Island Brokers
Bannister Island Resort
Bannister Island is a truly unique business opportunity in Belize. As the only island resort in the country specifically designed to serve the growing cruise ship industry, Bannister has virtually no competition. The island is located just outside of Belize City and offers a true taste of the Caribbean for its guests. It is perfectly placed only 9 miles east-southeast of Belize City, 2 miles from the Belize Barrier Reef, and 2.5 miles from the cruise ship moorage.
This is an island that needs to be visited in person to fully appreciate its beauty and to see the business in action. Bannister Island Resort offers its guests spectacular beach break parties and special events.
Guests currently enjoy the following facilities on the island: over 600ft of beautiful beach, excellent for swimming and snorkeling, live bands on most days, 3 bars, a restaurant, kayaking, paddle boats, self piloted zodiacs that are a thrill to ride, kids play area, gift shop, kiosk-candy shop, hair braiding, volleyball, shuttle ball and other beach games. The island is protected by the reef, so the beach and swimming area in front of the island is usually calm. The beach has a very gentle slope that allows the guests to walk out nearly 100 feet before it begins to get deep.
The business has contracts with many of the major cruise ship operators such as Carnival, Princess, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, as well as few independent private operators producing a substantial net profit for the owners.
The island is approximately 3 acres and is fully self-sufficient. A 21 K.W. generator provides power to the island's facilities and the reverse osmosis desalination system produces plenty of fresh water from the sea. There is also an environmentally friendly septic system.
Additional on site facilities are:
Male and female bathrooms and a separate disabled access bathroom.
Accommodations for onsite staff and caretakers in 3 units.
A complete restaurant capable of handling the demands of a very active business.
2 docking areas, one being dedicated to staff and supplies, the other to guests.
Several palapas scattered around the island
Barbecue area
Several paddle boats and sea kayaks
The business also has fantastic future potential with a full 30% of the island still undeveloped. This would provide ample space for overnight accommodations or a full dive operation. This could also open the doors to weddings, special occasions and events that could be fully operated directly and exclusively from the island.
The terms "unique" or "one of a kind" tend to get thrown around a lot in the real estate business, but this island resort business truly meets and exceeds expectations.
More pictures of Bannister Island can be found here.
Sales Price $1,950,000 US
Bannister Island is a truly unique business opportunity in Belize. As the only island resort in the country specifically designed to serve the growing cruise ship industry, Bannister has virtually no competition. The island is located just outside of Belize City and offers a true taste of the Caribbean for its guests. It is perfectly placed only 9 miles east-southeast of Belize City, 2 miles from the Belize Barrier Reef, and 2.5 miles from the cruise ship moorage.
This is an island that needs to be visited in person to fully appreciate its beauty and to see the business in action. Bannister Island Resort offers its guests spectacular beach break parties and special events.
Guests currently enjoy the following facilities on the island: over 600ft of beautiful beach, excellent for swimming and snorkeling, live bands on most days, 3 bars, a restaurant, kayaking, paddle boats, self piloted zodiacs that are a thrill to ride, kids play area, gift shop, kiosk-candy shop, hair braiding, volleyball, shuttle ball and other beach games. The island is protected by the reef, so the beach and swimming area in front of the island is usually calm. The beach has a very gentle slope that allows the guests to walk out nearly 100 feet before it begins to get deep.
The business has contracts with many of the major cruise ship operators such as Carnival, Princess, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, as well as few independent private operators producing a substantial net profit for the owners.
The island is approximately 3 acres and is fully self-sufficient. A 21 K.W. generator provides power to the island's facilities and the reverse osmosis desalination system produces plenty of fresh water from the sea. There is also an environmentally friendly septic system.
Additional on site facilities are:
Male and female bathrooms and a separate disabled access bathroom.
Accommodations for onsite staff and caretakers in 3 units.
A complete restaurant capable of handling the demands of a very active business.
2 docking areas, one being dedicated to staff and supplies, the other to guests.
Several palapas scattered around the island
Barbecue area
Several paddle boats and sea kayaks
The business also has fantastic future potential with a full 30% of the island still undeveloped. This would provide ample space for overnight accommodations or a full dive operation. This could also open the doors to weddings, special occasions and events that could be fully operated directly and exclusively from the island.
The terms "unique" or "one of a kind" tend to get thrown around a lot in the real estate business, but this island resort business truly meets and exceeds expectations.
More pictures of Bannister Island can be found here.
Sales Price $1,950,000 US
World's largest cruise liner has a twin - Yahoo! News
World's largest cruise liner has a twin - Yahoo! News
World's largest cruise liner has a twin
Slideshow:Worlds Largest Cruise Ships
By MATTI HUUHTANEN, Associated Press Matti Huuhtanen, Associated Press – Fri Oct 29, 9:40 am ET
HELSINKI – The second in a pair of the largest cruise liners in the world — an extravagant behemoth spanning nearly four football fields, with a 3-D move theater, an open-air central park and room for 8,300 people — set sail Friday for its new home port in Florida.
The Allure of the Seas, which cruised out of the shipyard in Turku, southwestern Finland where it was built, faces its first big test Saturday, when it must squeeze under a Danish bridge, just one foot (30 centimeters) taller than the ship — even after its telescopic smokestacks are lowered.
The gigantic vessel is the sister ship of the Oasis of the Seas, which was also delivered to Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines last year with a price tag of about $1.5 billion. The Allure of the Seas is in the same price range, said Juha Heikinheimo, managing director of STX Finland, which constructed the vessel.
Like its twin, the Allure of the Seas spans 1,200 feet (360 meters) from bow to stern, and its height from sea level is 236 feet (72 meters). It weighs 600 tons — 12 times more than the Eiffel Tower.
World's largest cruise liner has a twin
Slideshow:Worlds Largest Cruise Ships
By MATTI HUUHTANEN, Associated Press Matti Huuhtanen, Associated Press – Fri Oct 29, 9:40 am ET
HELSINKI – The second in a pair of the largest cruise liners in the world — an extravagant behemoth spanning nearly four football fields, with a 3-D move theater, an open-air central park and room for 8,300 people — set sail Friday for its new home port in Florida.
The Allure of the Seas, which cruised out of the shipyard in Turku, southwestern Finland where it was built, faces its first big test Saturday, when it must squeeze under a Danish bridge, just one foot (30 centimeters) taller than the ship — even after its telescopic smokestacks are lowered.
The gigantic vessel is the sister ship of the Oasis of the Seas, which was also delivered to Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines last year with a price tag of about $1.5 billion. The Allure of the Seas is in the same price range, said Juha Heikinheimo, managing director of STX Finland, which constructed the vessel.
Like its twin, the Allure of the Seas spans 1,200 feet (360 meters) from bow to stern, and its height from sea level is 236 feet (72 meters). It weighs 600 tons — 12 times more than the Eiffel Tower.
It can accommodate 6,300 passengers and some 2,000 crew, and has dozens of restaurants, cafes and bars along a promenade shopping street that includes a park with living trees and numerous plants. The ship boasts a two-deck high dance hall, a 1,380-seat theater and an ice skating rink, numerous pools, spas, gyms and a rock climbing wall.
It names the Rising Tide Bar as one of its showpieces — an elliptical restaurant platform accommodating 50 customers that ascends and descends a vertical distance of 32 feet (10 meters) between the central park and promenade.
The ship's home port will be Fort Lauderdale in Florida, where it is expected to arrive in a few weeks.
Click image to see Worlds Largest Cruise Ships slideshow
AP
Like the Oasis of the Seas, it is scheduled to pass under the Great Belt Fixed Link off the Danish coast. Last year, the other ship passed below the bridge with less than a 2-foot (half-meter) gap, bridge operators said.
The shipping line said that cruise travel, especially in the United States, had picked up since the global downturn and that their cruise bookings were nearly full.
"Markets have developed well. We are not in the same situation as we were before 2008," said Harri Kulovaara, a deputy director at Royal Caribbean. "Our bookings have been full for a year, down to almost the last berth."
Construction of the Allure of the Sea at STX Finland's Turku yard began in February 2008. The company employs 3,300 people in Finland, of whom 1,100 are currently laid off. More layoffs are expected with no new projects until next autumn when the Turku yard is expected to begin the construction of a passenger ferry.
STX Finland is part of the international STX Europe Group, with shipyards in Brazil, Norway, France, Romania and Vietnam.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Hurricane Richard - Ambergris Caye & Belize Message Board
Hurricane Richard - Ambergris Caye & Belize Message Board
Belize Rebuilds After Hurricane Richard
October 26, 2010
This home in Belmopan lost part of its roof during hurricane Richard.
Life is slowly returning to normal in Belize after Category One Hurricane Richard slammed into the lightly populated central region of the country Sunday night October 24 leaving behind damage to infrastructure and agriculture, a total collapse of the electrical grid but no loss of life.
The eye of Hurricane Richard made landfall approximately 10 miles south of the capital Belmopan, population 20,000 Sunday evening. It ripped off the roofs of dozens of homes on the coast, from Belize City to the north, down to Dangriga in the south, and destroyed hundreds of plywood and tin roof shacks used by the poor – mostly in Belize City and nearby villages. Some 4,000 people huddled in hurricane shelters during the storm that brought 92 mile per hour winds and torrential rains, and today Tuesday a couple thousand remain there as their homes are gone or uninhabitable. Most Belizeans weathered the storm in darkness as the country’s entire electrical grid collapsed. Belize purchases electrical power from Mexico and generates its own from two hydro plants but the damage to transmission lines was substantial. The seat of government, Belmopan, built 50 miles inland 29 years ago following a devastating hurricane that partly destroyed coastal Belize City, was also plunged into darkness. The Belize government had decided a couple of years ago to decommission the capital’s diesel generating backup station and rely solely on the national grid.
Crane retrieving hurricane Richard downed billboard at Habet owned hardwware store in Belmopan Belize.
The Belize government has announced an estimated damage of U.S. $18. million from hurricane Richard – not counting the disruption to business and the productive sector due to the collapse of the electrical grid, which also led to no water being available as the government owned water company does not have backup generators to power its pumping stations. Prime Minister Barrow vowed to make all efforts to find the money to rebuild the damage done by the hurricane.
By Tuesday morning approximately 70 percent of the country had electricity restored and the privately owned Belize Electricity Limited was projecting to have the entire grid restored by nightfall. All schools in the Belize, Cayo and Stann Creek districts are closed and will reopen on Wednesday. Many schools serve a dual role as hurricane shelters. Internet service and cable television are still disrupted due to downed lines and utility poles. The country’s international airport near Belize City is now reopened and flight schedules are normal. Additional flights are being put in to retrieve passengers who ended up in other countries, for example El Salvador, when flights had to be diverted on Monday in the aftermath of the hurricane.
At a press conference organised by Prime Minister Dean Barrow in Belmopan yesterday evening it was revealed that about 30% of Belize’s orange crop has been lost. One reporter described walking a citrus orchard in the Stann Creek Valley: “The entire orchard was covered with an emerald carpet of thousands upon thousands of young and immature orange fruit ripped from the trees by the hurricane winds.”
The largest citrus processing company in Belize is starting processing operations ahead of schedule today to do sampling tests and attempt to recover some of the crop on the ground.
Despite the misery endured by Belizeans during the hurricane, the event was not without its lighthearted and interesting moments.
Some motorists and tourists on the Northern Highway near Belize City (and thousands watching on television) were startled to see crocodiles and boa constrictors crossing the highway as it began to flood.
In San Victor, a village in the Orange Walk district, a shelter warden opened his shelter early. But then got drunk and accidentallylocked himself inside the shelter. Being unable to find the keys in the darkness, he rode out the storm by himself while villagershad to flee to another shelter.
And in Belmopan, the government’s post storm press conference at the the National Emergency Management Organization was cut short when the building’s backup generator failed during a long-winded intervention by a local politician.Belizean.com
Belize Rebuilds After Hurricane Richard
October 26, 2010
This home in Belmopan lost part of its roof during hurricane Richard.
Life is slowly returning to normal in Belize after Category One Hurricane Richard slammed into the lightly populated central region of the country Sunday night October 24 leaving behind damage to infrastructure and agriculture, a total collapse of the electrical grid but no loss of life.
The eye of Hurricane Richard made landfall approximately 10 miles south of the capital Belmopan, population 20,000 Sunday evening. It ripped off the roofs of dozens of homes on the coast, from Belize City to the north, down to Dangriga in the south, and destroyed hundreds of plywood and tin roof shacks used by the poor – mostly in Belize City and nearby villages. Some 4,000 people huddled in hurricane shelters during the storm that brought 92 mile per hour winds and torrential rains, and today Tuesday a couple thousand remain there as their homes are gone or uninhabitable. Most Belizeans weathered the storm in darkness as the country’s entire electrical grid collapsed. Belize purchases electrical power from Mexico and generates its own from two hydro plants but the damage to transmission lines was substantial. The seat of government, Belmopan, built 50 miles inland 29 years ago following a devastating hurricane that partly destroyed coastal Belize City, was also plunged into darkness. The Belize government had decided a couple of years ago to decommission the capital’s diesel generating backup station and rely solely on the national grid.
Crane retrieving hurricane Richard downed billboard at Habet owned hardwware store in Belmopan Belize.
The Belize government has announced an estimated damage of U.S. $18. million from hurricane Richard – not counting the disruption to business and the productive sector due to the collapse of the electrical grid, which also led to no water being available as the government owned water company does not have backup generators to power its pumping stations. Prime Minister Barrow vowed to make all efforts to find the money to rebuild the damage done by the hurricane.
By Tuesday morning approximately 70 percent of the country had electricity restored and the privately owned Belize Electricity Limited was projecting to have the entire grid restored by nightfall. All schools in the Belize, Cayo and Stann Creek districts are closed and will reopen on Wednesday. Many schools serve a dual role as hurricane shelters. Internet service and cable television are still disrupted due to downed lines and utility poles. The country’s international airport near Belize City is now reopened and flight schedules are normal. Additional flights are being put in to retrieve passengers who ended up in other countries, for example El Salvador, when flights had to be diverted on Monday in the aftermath of the hurricane.
At a press conference organised by Prime Minister Dean Barrow in Belmopan yesterday evening it was revealed that about 30% of Belize’s orange crop has been lost. One reporter described walking a citrus orchard in the Stann Creek Valley: “The entire orchard was covered with an emerald carpet of thousands upon thousands of young and immature orange fruit ripped from the trees by the hurricane winds.”
The largest citrus processing company in Belize is starting processing operations ahead of schedule today to do sampling tests and attempt to recover some of the crop on the ground.
Despite the misery endured by Belizeans during the hurricane, the event was not without its lighthearted and interesting moments.
Some motorists and tourists on the Northern Highway near Belize City (and thousands watching on television) were startled to see crocodiles and boa constrictors crossing the highway as it began to flood.
In San Victor, a village in the Orange Walk district, a shelter warden opened his shelter early. But then got drunk and accidentallylocked himself inside the shelter. Being unable to find the keys in the darkness, he rode out the storm by himself while villagershad to flee to another shelter.
And in Belmopan, the government’s post storm press conference at the the National Emergency Management Organization was cut short when the building’s backup generator failed during a long-winded intervention by a local politician.Belizean.com
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
End of the Earth Postponed - Yahoo! News
End of the Earth Postponed - Yahoo! News
End of the Earth Postponed
It's a good news/bad news situation for believers in the 2012 Mayan apocalypse. The good news is that the Mayan "Long Count" calendar may not end on Dec. 21, 2012 (and, by extension, the world may not end along with it). The bad news for prophecy believers? If the calendar doesn't end in December 2012, no one knows when it actually will - or if it has already.
A new critique, published as a chapter in the new textbook "Calendars and Years II: Astronomy and Time in the Ancient and Medieval World" (Oxbow Books, 2010), argues that the accepted conversions of dates from Mayan to the modern calendar may be off by as much as 50 or 100 years. That would throw the supposed and overhyped 2012 apocalypse off by decades and cast into doubt the dates of historical Mayan events. (The doomsday worries are based on the fact that the Mayan calendar ends in 2012, much as our year ends on Dec. 31.)
The Mayan calendar was converted to today's Gregorian calendar using a calculation called the GMT constant, named for the last initials of three early Mayanist researchers. Much of the work emphasized dates recovered from colonial documents that were written in the Mayan language in the Latin alphabet, according to the chapter's author, Gerardo Aldana, University of California, Santa Barbara professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies.
Later, the GMT constant was bolstered by American linguist and anthropologist Floyd Lounsbury, who used data in the Dresden Codex Venus Table, a Mayan calendar and almanac that charts dates relative to the movements of Venus.
"He took the position that his work removed the last obstacle to fully accepting the GMT constant," Aldana said in a statement. "Others took his work even further, suggesting that he had proven the GMT constant to be correct."
But according to Aldana, Lounsbury's evidence is far from irrefutable.
"If the Venus Table cannot be used to prove the FMT as Lounsbury suggests, its acceptance depends on the reliability of the corroborating data," he said. That historical data, he said, is less reliable than the Table itself, causing the argument for the GMT constant to fall "like a stack of cards."
Aldana doesn't have any answers as to what the correct calendar conversion might be, preferring to focus on why the current interpretation may be wrong. Looks like end-of-the-world theorists may need to find another ancient calendar on which to pin their apocalyptic hopes.
End of the Earth Postponed
It's a good news/bad news situation for believers in the 2012 Mayan apocalypse. The good news is that the Mayan "Long Count" calendar may not end on Dec. 21, 2012 (and, by extension, the world may not end along with it). The bad news for prophecy believers? If the calendar doesn't end in December 2012, no one knows when it actually will - or if it has already.
A new critique, published as a chapter in the new textbook "Calendars and Years II: Astronomy and Time in the Ancient and Medieval World" (Oxbow Books, 2010), argues that the accepted conversions of dates from Mayan to the modern calendar may be off by as much as 50 or 100 years. That would throw the supposed and overhyped 2012 apocalypse off by decades and cast into doubt the dates of historical Mayan events. (The doomsday worries are based on the fact that the Mayan calendar ends in 2012, much as our year ends on Dec. 31.)
The Mayan calendar was converted to today's Gregorian calendar using a calculation called the GMT constant, named for the last initials of three early Mayanist researchers. Much of the work emphasized dates recovered from colonial documents that were written in the Mayan language in the Latin alphabet, according to the chapter's author, Gerardo Aldana, University of California, Santa Barbara professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies.
Later, the GMT constant was bolstered by American linguist and anthropologist Floyd Lounsbury, who used data in the Dresden Codex Venus Table, a Mayan calendar and almanac that charts dates relative to the movements of Venus.
"He took the position that his work removed the last obstacle to fully accepting the GMT constant," Aldana said in a statement. "Others took his work even further, suggesting that he had proven the GMT constant to be correct."
But according to Aldana, Lounsbury's evidence is far from irrefutable.
"If the Venus Table cannot be used to prove the FMT as Lounsbury suggests, its acceptance depends on the reliability of the corroborating data," he said. That historical data, he said, is less reliable than the Table itself, causing the argument for the GMT constant to fall "like a stack of cards."
Aldana doesn't have any answers as to what the correct calendar conversion might be, preferring to focus on why the current interpretation may be wrong. Looks like end-of-the-world theorists may need to find another ancient calendar on which to pin their apocalyptic hopes.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
99L a threat to develop - Ambergris Caye & Belize Message Board
99L a threat to develop - Ambergris Caye & Belize Message Board
99L a threat to develop - Ambergris Caye & Belize Message Board
http://ambergriscaye.com/forum/ubbthread...
Heavy thunderstorm activity has increased and grown more organized this morning over the southwestern Caribbean between Honduras and the Cayman Islands, in association with a tropical disturbance (Invest 99L). The storm is bringing heavy rain to the Cayman Islands; two inches has fallen so far this morning at Savannah on Grand Cayman Island. Recent satellite imagery shows that 99L has some rotation, and the winds on the northeast coast of Honduras at Puerto Lempira have shifted to the west-northwest, implying that 99L may be developing a surface circulation. Wind shear is a moderate 10 - 20 knots, which is low enough to allow some slow development. Water vapor satellite loops reveal that the atmosphere in the Western Caribbean is moist enough to support development, and the waters beneath are plenty warm, at 29°C. The latest SHIPS model forecast predicts that wind shear over the Western Caribbean will mostly remain in the moderate range, 10 - 20 knots, for the remainder of the week. The current north-northwest motion of 99L should continue until Wednesday, when a strong ridge of high pressure is forecast to build in, forcing 99L to the south or west. However, steering currents will be weak Wednesday through Friday, making it difficult to predict where 99L may wander to. The only models that develop 99L are the GFDL and HWRF. The GFDL model predicts that 99L will spend enough time over water to develop into a hurricane, and brings the storm to the coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on Sunday morning. The HWRF model has 99L making landfall over Honduras late this week, before the storm has a chance to develop into a hurricane. NHC is giving 99L a 40% chance of developing into a tropical depression by Thursday. I believe the odds are higher, near 60%. The Hurricane Hunters are on call to investigate 99L this afternoon. Figure 1. Morning satellite image of Invest 99L.
1 of 2Choose a Thumbnail
No Thumbnail
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Home - Belize Cable Guide
Home - Belize Cable Guide
Belize Cable Guide
Cable Guide for Belize. San Pedro, Belize City, And all of Belize.
Belize Cable Guide
Cable Guide for Belize. San Pedro, Belize City, And all of Belize.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
10% off on TROPIC with Facebook
We will be having a 10% discount for anyone who shows up with a printout of Tropic Air's facebook page. This will run from October 4 - 10. The 10% is not to be given on top of any other discounts, ie, if someone already has a 10% discount or any other discount, they do not get a 10% on top of it.
Monday, October 4, 2010
cruiseshiptrash.com
cruiseshiptrash.com
Manhattan couple booted from cruise over 'Jew slur' fight
A wealthy Manhattan couple was forced to walk the plank during a cruise on the Queen Mary 2 -- after getting into a bizarre fight with a fellow passenger, sources said.
Broadway producer Gloria Sher, 82, and her husband, Frederick Evans, 91, said they were ordered off the luxury liner after their obscenity-filled argument with someone they claim had made an anti-Semitic remarks.
The couple almost wound up stranded in a remote port in Quebec as punishment for their outburst. At the time, they were only days into the $20,000, five-week cruise. Read more: http://www.cruiseshiptrash.com/
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/the_hate_boat_j7PF4V3pbpKwIbssYw6GwO#ixzz11PVqfgbN
Manhattan couple booted from cruise over 'Jew slur' fight
A wealthy Manhattan couple was forced to walk the plank during a cruise on the Queen Mary 2 -- after getting into a bizarre fight with a fellow passenger, sources said.
Broadway producer Gloria Sher, 82, and her husband, Frederick Evans, 91, said they were ordered off the luxury liner after their obscenity-filled argument with someone they claim had made an anti-Semitic remarks.
The couple almost wound up stranded in a remote port in Quebec as punishment for their outburst. At the time, they were only days into the $20,000, five-week cruise. Read more: http://www.cruiseshiptrash.com/
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/the_hate_boat_j7PF4V3pbpKwIbssYw6GwO#ixzz11PVqfgbN
Saturday, October 2, 2010
The Buzz Log - A New Planet, a New Dimension, and a Final Goodbye: Buzz Week in Review - Yahoo! Buzz
The Buzz Log - A New Planet, a New Dimension, and a Final Goodbye: Buzz Week in Review - Yahoo! Buzz
A New Planet. Scientists find "Earth-like" planet
Even if you're sick of hearing about outer space, we think you're going to agree that this is pretty cool. Astronomers have discovered a new planet that may actually be able to support life. The planet, called Gliese 581g, is about 20 light years away from Earth, so it's gonna take you a while to get there. However, it does possess a few traits that make it stand out to scientists. According to an article that will be published in Astrophysical Journal, the planet is "squarely in the middle of the habitable zone of the star." The habitable zone means that the planet "orbits the star at a distance that allows for the planet to have both liquid water and an atmosphere." Those are two very important things for life. Web searches on "new planet" rocketed upwards 7,232% for the week.
trailertrashvacations.com
trailertrashvacations.com
Cruise bartender sentenced to prison for sexually assaulting girl, 14, on vacation
Posted by wade on October 2, 2010 at 10:41 AM comments (0)
A cruise ship bartender charged with having sex with a 14-year-old girl who was vacationing with her parents was sentenced to just over three years in federal prison Thursday.
Hery Krispiyanto, 30, was sentenced in Orlando federal court for the one count of sexual abuse of a minor he pleaded guilty to in June.
In addition to the prison time, Krispiyanto was ordered to pay about $4,360 in restitution.
Court records said the teenager, identified as "T.W.," was aboard the Carnival Freedom, which left from the Port of Fort Lauderdale in April 2009.
While on the cruise, T.W. and her parents became acquainted with Krispiyanto.
T.W. told investigators she was alone on the upper deck of the ship one night when Krispiyanto walked up behind her, grabbed her arm and pulled her into a nearby employee-only room and closed the door, court records said.
Krispiyanto had sex with the girl, and then told her to leave, his plea agreement said.
T.W. reported the incident to her mother in August, and it was then reported to the FBI. He was indicted in Orlando federal court in May.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/crime/cruise-bartender-sentenced-to-prison-for-sexually-assaulting-948125.html
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/crime/cruise-bartender-sentenced-to-prison-for-sexually-assaulting-948125.html
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
AFP: Gels, liquids may be allowed back onto planes by 2012
AFP: Gels, liquids may be allowed back onto planes by 2012
Gels, liquids may be allowed back onto planes by 2012
By Michel Viatteau (AFP) – 1 day ago
MONTREAL — Airline passengers may once again be allowed to board flights with creams, gels and liquids that were banned over security concerns, the International Civil Aviation Organization said Monday.
"In the next two years (the ban) will end," ICAO Secretary General Raymond Benjamin told AFP ahead of the UN organization's 37th general assembly, which kicks off in Montreal on Tuesday.
New equipment capable of detecting explosives in water bottles, makeup kits or toothpaste tubes, for example, would be installed at most airport security checkpoints by 2012, he explained.
The unprecedented security measure took effect in 2006 after British police foiled a transatlantic plot to detonate liquid explosives aboard airliners flying to Canada and the United States.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
trailertrashvacations.com
trailertrashvacations.com
http://www.carnival.com/cms/Header2009/images/CCL_homepage_wk2_0000_generic.jpg
We just returned (barely) from the worst cruise ever on the Carnival Legglorictorumph. From the moment we arrived at the pier, we knew we were in for trouble. We waited to get off the bus from the airport when we noticed one of the porters opening our suitcase and rifling through it, I ran out to see what he was doing and was shocked when he told me that he “knew” that we weren’t going to give him an adequate tip so he was going to take something of equal value. I then threatened to report him to the cruise line when he said that if I did, I would never see any of my luggage ever again.
When we entered the terminal the lines were huge and most of the people smelled funny. It took over four hours to get through the scanners and another six to get our sign and sail cards. We were also subjected to cavity searches and warned that if they found any alcohol in our suitcases that we would do hard time. By the time we were finally finished, the ship was pulling away from the pier so I had to throw my wife and mother-in-law across the gap and just made the jump myself while carrying three carry-on bags, a wheelchair and an oxygen tank. No one helped us at all, except for one cleaning lady who helped me to my feet and gave me a quick hug. About five minutes later I found that my wallet was missing!
The food was horrible, I’ve tasted better at the Russian gulag I spent three years in the 1980’s! The shrimp cocktail was still moving when I tried to eat it and a melting chocolate cake at the next table to us exploded, killing three people. 528 and a half people butted in front of us at the buffet line and all the items were gone except for the tuna surprise when we finally got to the stations.
The first night of the cruise, the captain got lost and instead of arriving at St. Thomas, the BOAT pulled into San Francisco! We were told that this would be a minor setback and we would be back on route quickly, but no one was allowed to get off at the port due to an outbreak of scurvy in California.
The cabin we selected was too small and every night the toilet and sink would back-up and overflow and leave three feet of water in the room. The door to the balcony didn’t open, but that was a good thing because the railing and the deck were both missing after the second night.
When we woke up on the fourth morning, we noticed that the ship had sunk and no one bothered to let us know. Thank God for the oxygen tank we brought! I called down to the pursers desk to find out what was being done to remedy this new catastrophe and was told that the crew were busily chewing all the gum they could find to make a huge wad to patch up the holes. We were then commanded to get in the lifeboats and help with the raising of the ship. We were each given 200 drink straws, told to put them together end-to-end and direct them to the holes in the hull. We then had to blow air back into the ship and bring it back up from the deeps. This meant that we would not be able to make our shore excursion (which would have sucked anyway). All this time, the crew we sitting around in inner-tubes drinking frozen cocktails laughing at the passengers.
When we finally reached the next port, we were all told that we all had to get off the ship and find our own way home and that Carnival appreciated our business but there would be no refunds, no on-board credits and no assistance in paying for our flights home.
This kind of thing would never happen on RCCL/NCL/Princess etc.
The crew sucked, the ship sucked, the food sucked, the passengers sucked, the entertainment sucked, and all you people that like Carnival suck too!
I will never cruise with THIS cruise line again. Be warned everything I said is true!
.... oh wait I forgot the caveat...
I have taken 16,294 cruises with other cruise lines and never have I had a single problem ever, until I sailed Carnival!
See, I knew I could write an awesome cruise review!!!
http://www.carnival.com/cms/Header2009/images/CCL_homepage_wk2_0000_generic.jpg
We just returned (barely) from the worst cruise ever on the Carnival Legglorictorumph. From the moment we arrived at the pier, we knew we were in for trouble. We waited to get off the bus from the airport when we noticed one of the porters opening our suitcase and rifling through it, I ran out to see what he was doing and was shocked when he told me that he “knew” that we weren’t going to give him an adequate tip so he was going to take something of equal value. I then threatened to report him to the cruise line when he said that if I did, I would never see any of my luggage ever again.
When we entered the terminal the lines were huge and most of the people smelled funny. It took over four hours to get through the scanners and another six to get our sign and sail cards. We were also subjected to cavity searches and warned that if they found any alcohol in our suitcases that we would do hard time. By the time we were finally finished, the ship was pulling away from the pier so I had to throw my wife and mother-in-law across the gap and just made the jump myself while carrying three carry-on bags, a wheelchair and an oxygen tank. No one helped us at all, except for one cleaning lady who helped me to my feet and gave me a quick hug. About five minutes later I found that my wallet was missing!
The food was horrible, I’ve tasted better at the Russian gulag I spent three years in the 1980’s! The shrimp cocktail was still moving when I tried to eat it and a melting chocolate cake at the next table to us exploded, killing three people. 528 and a half people butted in front of us at the buffet line and all the items were gone except for the tuna surprise when we finally got to the stations.
The first night of the cruise, the captain got lost and instead of arriving at St. Thomas, the BOAT pulled into San Francisco! We were told that this would be a minor setback and we would be back on route quickly, but no one was allowed to get off at the port due to an outbreak of scurvy in California.
The cabin we selected was too small and every night the toilet and sink would back-up and overflow and leave three feet of water in the room. The door to the balcony didn’t open, but that was a good thing because the railing and the deck were both missing after the second night.
When we woke up on the fourth morning, we noticed that the ship had sunk and no one bothered to let us know. Thank God for the oxygen tank we brought! I called down to the pursers desk to find out what was being done to remedy this new catastrophe and was told that the crew were busily chewing all the gum they could find to make a huge wad to patch up the holes. We were then commanded to get in the lifeboats and help with the raising of the ship. We were each given 200 drink straws, told to put them together end-to-end and direct them to the holes in the hull. We then had to blow air back into the ship and bring it back up from the deeps. This meant that we would not be able to make our shore excursion (which would have sucked anyway). All this time, the crew we sitting around in inner-tubes drinking frozen cocktails laughing at the passengers.
When we finally reached the next port, we were all told that we all had to get off the ship and find our own way home and that Carnival appreciated our business but there would be no refunds, no on-board credits and no assistance in paying for our flights home.
This kind of thing would never happen on RCCL/NCL/Princess etc.
The crew sucked, the ship sucked, the food sucked, the passengers sucked, the entertainment sucked, and all you people that like Carnival suck too!
I will never cruise with THIS cruise line again. Be warned everything I said is true!
.... oh wait I forgot the caveat...
I have taken 16,294 cruises with other cruise lines and never have I had a single problem ever, until I sailed Carnival!
See, I knew I could write an awesome cruise review!!!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Are We Justified In Expecting Every Cruise To Be a Luxury Vacation?
The vast majority of people who go on cruises fill out their guest comment cards at the end of their cruise sending the cruise lines a message that they believe they received good or excellent value from their cruise vacation.
So, why is it then that we also see such a large number of posts and Blogs on the Internet complaining, and saying the opposite? Has the cruise community, including past passengers, as well as writers whose job it is to cover the industry, lost touch with the reality of what one can reasonably expect from their cruises?
The industry has certainly changed. Some say it has evolved; others say it has regressed. But, more and more it seems the case that cruisers are expecting every cruise, at every price point, should supply a luxury vacation.
On land there’s few who would expect a breakfast at an International House Pancakes to be the equal of the hottest new “breakfast boutique” in town, that charges twice the price. No one would expect a KIA to offer an equal ride and driving experience of a Mercedes, or even a Ford. No one would expect to buy clothing at Sears, to be as finely tailored, or have the long term wear ability of clothing purchased at Hugo Boss. It’s not that most of us don’t happily buy the lower costs and services. But we seem to do so with a better understanding of the resultant differences that come with the lower costs than we do when we purchase a cruise.
Far too many people think they can interchange the words cruise vacation and luxury vacation. We really do need to have a better understanding of justifiable expectations between a $49/day cruise; a $150/day cruise; a $250/day cruise, or a $500 – $1000/day cruise.
No doubt advertising and the image of cruising leads people to expect more than the resulting reality. But that is the case with many land based products as well. Yet it seems people are more willing to go through the thought process of sorting through those misconceptions to a better grasp of the reality than they are when addressing the topic of cruises.
For example, I frankly don’t “get it” when I see people complain comparing food on a cruise ship to food at, say Denny’s, when all too often they’ve paid the equivalent of Denny’s-like prices. Simply put; there’s nothing wrong with Denny’s food, particularly if that’s what you’re paying for.
For most people it’s probably easy to understand the differences one might expect between a $100/day cruise and a $500/day “luxury” cruise. But, to avoid disappointment we truly need to do a better job of understanding the “expectation differences” between the less drastic price level variances, as they can be (and fairly should be) quite significant.
On most cruises, even the inexpensive ones, one can expect to be treated “royally”, but depending on how much you pay, it’s difficult to expect that in all circumstances you’ll live like royalty (with accommodations and surroundings), or dine like royalty.
When spending $500, $600, or even $1000 for a cruise I’m telling you honestly you cannot expect a “luxury cruise experience”. Though I have no hesitancy at all in saying you can expect a fun time, and full value for your money from your cruise experience.
With a cruise (as with many things) expect to get what you paid for, and more often than not you’ll disembark as a happy cruiser
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
