So, I just realised that I had this blog from a couple of years back. Time to resurrect now that I have a bit more time - or just to at least make another post. I am going to promise myself that I will post regularly, which means at least once a week.

I was cruising through my usual bookmarks on the net tonight, and one that I have not been to for a while was www.cruisebruise.com. There are many cruise bashing websites out there on the net, but this one I am going to pick on - purely for its entertainment value. Its hilarious. A bit of a background on this before we go any further

Many people cruise, and I honestly do not know the industry numbers as a whole (I only know what my company runs at occupancy wise), however it is huge amounts of people. Most, and I really do mean most people who cruise have a great time and usually come back for more. Being an engineer, I am not on the front lines with the passengers, but we do mingle occasionally - mostly to get away from the monotony of the Officers bar and mess. Anyway, you meet some great people who are all out having a great time, but then you come across one person who is just outright miserable for whatever reason. This person is usually pissed off because he/she got locked out of the cabin, lost money in the casino, had an argument with spouse etc etc (you get the picture), but anyway usually gets over it after a day or two by the pool.

Then there is the editor of cruisebruise.com

Take the most miserable, negative, half empty type person you can think of, and then add a chip on her shoulder the size of Africa and you are no where near how miserable and sad Janet Huggard is. Apart from looking like a shaved lesbian, this women has a serious issue with the cruise industry - enough to have a website dedicated to her passion of cruise bashing. Anyway, I am not going to have a go at Janet, as I do believe in the right of free speech. I am however going to direct you to the website so you can see for yourself the bias and of course the "Fox News" type journalism which has serious comedy value. (For those not familiar with Fox News, think of crossed with reality television news and you have the level of journalism).

I am not one to get mad - or even a little cross come to think of it, but I cant help feeling my blood temperature rising when I read some of the information Janet has on this web rag. Any Engineer, Deck Officer, Petty Officer, room steward, cook, waiter etc who has sailed on ships can see right through the crap she is spewing, however what concerns me the most is that a lot of people read that crap - and to be fair most intelligent people will also see right through it - but there is the paranoid minority who will actually take her very wrong statistics at face value.

In case you are reading Janet, here are some facts from the CDC and USPH.
1. Cruise Ships are held to standards nearly 5 times higher than that of a hotel on land.
2. You could never be a pretty lesbian.
3. Norwalk (and it mutations) are brought on board by passengers.
4. 97% of drugs found and seized on board are brought on board by passengers.
5. Cruise ships are safer than Llandewi Breffi in the middle of the day (There is one gay in the village, but he is male so he wouldn't interest you)
6. We have a large security team on board - to protect the passengers and crew.

Anyway, I could go on, but I won't. Suffice to say, cruisebruise.com is unique in the way that is it unbalanced to the point that it is clear to see even with an IQ barely in double figures. What scares me is the fact that it is usually the single figure IQ people who make all the noise when they trip during boat drill or burn themselves on hot coffee, and then write into Janet and tell her that the cruise was an absolute nightmare and that no one should ever ever take one unless wrapped up in cotton wool and escorted by 4 chisel jawed SAS.

God Bless Free Speech.