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U.S. Captain Held Hostage by Somali Pirates

 On Wednesday Somali pirates hijacked a U.S. flagged cargo ship with 20 American crew members on board.  The Maersk Alabama was carrying emergency relief to Kenya when it was taken.  This is the first American ship hijacked in 200 years, however 6 other ships have been taken by pirates this week!  Somali pirates are trained fighters and use speedboats equipped with satellite phones and GPS equipment.  Most hijackings end with million-dollar payouts and piracy is the biggest money maker in Somali.

Somehow the American crew was able to take back control of their cargo ship, but the Captain of the Maersk Alabama was taken as hostage.  Thursday morning a U.S. warship arrived near the 28-foot life boat holding four pirates and the kidnapped Captain.  The United States Navy is now in charge of the stand-off.

All of our prayers go to Captain Richard Phillips that he will be released unharmed soon.

"The Gentleman Host: A Cruise Ship Nightmare"

There's a new book out and "The Gentleman Host" does for cruising what "Jaws" did for swimming at the beach!  A serial killer makes the ocean his playground as he poses as a suave gentleman host on cruise ships.  He dines and wines single woman until he selects his next victim and tosses her over board in the middle of the night.

The author, Dwight Norris warns with tongue in cheek, "If your going on a cruise, don't read this book."  Mr. Norris has written poetry, two screen plays, short stories and numerous non-fiction works.  "The Gentleman Host" is his first novel.  The book is available from www.IUniverse.com and www.amazon.com  for $17.95

How Much Food is Consumed on a 7 Day Cruise

The amount of food that is consumed on a mid-size cruise ship in a week is staggering!  All figures here are based on approximately 2000 passengers on a 7 day cruise.  Most ships carry only enough food for the current cruise and load their ships the day of embarkment.  In order to refrigerate and store this huge amount of food stuff the ships must have numerous refrigerators, freezers and storing areas.  Here is a list of estimated food consumed in one week:

meat                       12,000 pounds
poultry                      3,814 pounds
fish                          1,800 pounds
seafood                    2,600 pounds
butter & margarine   1,675 pounds
fresh vegetables   137,500 pounds
potatoes                  7,750 pounds
watermelon              2,300 pounds
eggs                      23,000
dairy                        5,500 quarts
sugar                        1,000 pounds
sugar packets          24,000
rice                          3,500 pounds
caviar                            20 pounds
flour                         3,150 pounds
ice cream                     300 gallons

We should also mention here the procedure and number of dishes used daily.  It takes approximately 10 people to wash all the glassware and dishes each day.  The whole dish-washing procedure takes about 10 hours from start to finish.  They wash about 3,000 dinner plates, 7,000 desert plates and 2,000 side dishes, along with 5,000 glasses!  This doesn't even count the thousands of coffee cups, cutlery, trays and other serving items.

Most ships now make all of their own drinking water through reverse osmosis from seawater.  All cruise ships are subject to surprise inspections by the C.D.C., which looks at food management and preparation, as well as waste management.  I have been told by one cruise line manager that there is very little waste on cruise ships, due to the fact they have gotten very good at ordering the exact amount of food needed for each cruise.

Princess Cruise Has Scholarship at Sea Programs

One of the classes that Princess now offers is pottery classes and even has a unique sea-going kiln.  You can also purchase pre-made pots, paint them, fire them and take them home.  Other classes include web page design, digital photography, water color painting, dance lessons and wine and food classes.

Princess has more variety of programs than any others.  The lectures for the most part are complimentary, but in many of the courses you must purchase materials.