Here is a really nice article about Captain Dag in the
NY Times

It is a nice article. And the photos of the handsome Dag were nice to see also. Thanks, Karen!

The writer is the niece of a former long time WC passenger.

Enjoyed article brought back memories of Fjord trip and visiting his town -

Mark would of liked to meet Barry Shulman, I wonder if that is 70 Regent cruises he has been on??? Geez you think we would of seen him onboard once or twice if it is 70 Regent cruises!

Loved reading that article Karen - wish I could have joined him heading for Queensland! I hope he is lucky with the weather as it's just the wrong time of year to travel up there.

Marcie - the rough seas Tasmanian cruise mentioned was the one you were on when you had to miss Melbourne isn't it?

Lee

For what it is worth: This Sunday's NY Times Travel section is the Cruise Issue.
Most will be on-line...but if you can, buy the real paper. We need to save our newspapers.

Doug

Karen - tell Mark that on the last leg of our flights home from MOOSE that Howard Lederer sat in front of us--- Newark to Boston. Good thing it was a short flight and we were too tired to say anything to him.

Very interesting article even tho we've never sailed with him. Love the Dom story!

I wish the article had made it clear that Dag did not leave the Voyager voluntarily, but was forced to leave by a new PCH policy.

I admire Dag as much as everyone else, but I found the article very lacking. I’m surprised the New York Times even published it. Dag never answered any of the significant questions and the author let him get away with it.

The article mentions that Dag left Regent after 18 years and many passengers were very disappointed, but she never asked him why he left. That’s just unbelievable.

Then she asked Dag about the fishing line accident that cost the company $10 million and he doesn’t even answer the question.

I learned very little about Dag or the challenges of being a cruise ship captain in these hard economic times.

And I’m also surprised at Dag for his swipe at Italians. “We have been replaced by other nationalities that are cheaper, and maybe they are better. There are a lot of Italians around.” He should know better than to say something like that.

Tom.

And I’m also surprised at Dag for his swipe at Italians. “We have been replaced by other nationalities that are cheaper, and maybe they are better. There are a lot of Italians around.” He should know better than to say something like that.

Tom.
Amen :app:

Tom:
I agree. It was a 'puff' piece. No depth whatsoever.
He is a fine captain with a legion of fans, but the article was lacking in many ways.

It was/is part of the travel section's cruise issue.

All I can guess, by way of answer to your questions, Tom, is that the Travel section does not have the same standards as, say, the political desk.

Nice picture, tho.

Doug

Agree with you Doug, Susie and Tom... Someone posted that it was written by a relative of a World Cruiser, so I wonder if the writer was "hounded" to do it, rather than him doing it as a "true" article.

Arlene:
We will never know....... but is not up to the Times' standards in my humble opinion


Doug

OH boy glad Tony's Mom is gone, bless her heart - she'd have some ripe Italian phrases for THE DAG :b: :b: :b: ;) ;) ;) she'd call him THAT DOG

It is a fluff piece for sure; however, Barry Shulman, the guy mentioned in the article, has been on at least 2 world cruises on Voyager. I know this because I followed his blog, which was really very entertaining.

The Dag piece in the NYT Cruise Section was written by Toni Schlesinger, who also wrote the article in the same issue about taking her aunt, a multi-world cruiser, on the Allure of the Seas (currently the world's largest cruise ship).

I agree, the Dag article was very superficial, particularly the silly movie questions at the end. The Q&At was conducted by telephone and was probably edited quite extensively by the author. Then the NYT edited again to "fit the space." So I wouldn't be too harsh regarding some of Dag's answers. And it was in a special Travel section and certainly doesn't live up to the NYT's high reporting standards.

However, it was interesting to see that Dag's love of the South Pacific shone through.

Agree Larry things are taken out of context/edited etc with this type of report -

HAHA! My son in law just told me same thing this weekend over dinner when they were home visiting, about their wedding "Vows" article last week. NYTimes fact checked it to death, even calling Jes's best friend Sarah, but when the editor took it away from the stringer who wrote it, things got changed to more mis-statements or out of context.

Bet that happens often, Olivia...since I am Irish no great annoyance about Italian slur (IF it was) BUT my MIL HOLY MACARONI!!!!!!!

Maybe I'm crazy, but my reading of Dag's comments on the Italians seems to be different than others. And I've read it over several times. But since it keeps being mentioned, I'm adding my two cents.

All I understood from the comment was that hiring Italians was less expensive than hiring Norwegians and that maybe they are even better captains. He then goes on to say that there are a lot of Italians in those positions.

Isn't this a possible legitimate interpretation? Maybe it's the economist in me.

----------------

Eugene

I agree.


Dag tells it as it is - would you want it any other way?

"Political Correctness" may not have found its way to Norway yet.

I’m glad the article has provoked such a spirited debate. Thanks for posting it Karen.

There’s not a reporter alive who doesn’t feel that a copy editor has butchered his story at one time or another. But in my opinion the story about Dag is just not up to New York Times standards, even for the Travel section. There were two questions about “Ship of Fools,” which came when Dag was 10, and one question about what he thought of Captain Stubbing. I don’t see how those questions and answers are important.

Political correctness aside, the captain of a cruise ship has to be concerned about how the public perceives his comments. Dag’s insinuation that we don’t have more Norwegian and British ship captains because their jobs are being taken by lower paid Italians is ill advised and an unjustified jab at Italians.

I’ve seen salaries drop in my industry too. But it’s because of the economy, a new business model and the need to make a profit; not because there are others who will take the jobs for less money.

Thanks. Tom.

Tom, I always love your insight into the news industry, as you work it every day. I think your observations about it are spot on, especially the last comments. I didn't even think about the "Italian slur" as Joanna lightly mentioned, because I know that business is business these days in this economy. Without a profit, they would just disappear.

I might throw in another consideration...depending how the salaries are paid - Norwegians have their own currency, so do the Brits.

If the Captains are paid in Euros - perhaps the exchange rates influence who want to take the jobs now.

Could be, Margo. But I heard from a source we all know that pay scales are high for Norwegian captains. Perhaps because of the currency exchange. I don't think we all will ever know the full circumstances behind Dag's departure in any detail, and not sure whether we need to, private company. I am just glad that he has found a new home on a great line. No doubt, he will charm them on the SB Spirit as he did on the Song of Flower and Voyager.

WE needed spirted debate LCT has been sooo quiet happy to see Tom G and others posting - thanks Karen for article

"Political correctness aside, the captain of a cruise ship has to be concerned about how the public perceives his comments"

of course he does!!!!!!! I am not supporting slurs of any kind - NYC Mayor slammed MY people - what a dunce :rolleyes: ;) JK JK he can say whatever he likes