MAL Enrichment Program

This sounds interesting. I don't know how they will pull it off on the Mississippi River cruises, but things like this are common in the northwest and in Alaska. So, does this mean that the Riverlorian is being renamed Discovery Guide? That's kind of odd, at least for the Mississippi region.

Judy mentioned that the term Riverlorian may be copyrighted. I recall hearing that before too.

Wonder if Toots ever got credit for that one since I think she came up with the term.

Discovery Guide Mary Charlton told me the name change was due to the copyrighting of Riverlorian. But somehow, I suspect this outfit would have changed it anyway, seeing how they are dropping river terms right and left, or starboard and port...

Who has the copyright?

So, who has the copyright to the term "Riverlorian"? DNC? Do they also have the rights to the old DQSC logo, because when Ambassadors took over, the image of the DQ was gone, in favor of a dull word-only graphic.

If Cruise Critic is right, it is not really an enrichment program. It is a tourist information program. You might learn something, and you might not--especially on the Mississippi, Ohio, etc. The "former riverlorians" taught us well about the territory. I agree that "Toots" might have copyrighted the name--Jazzou---Help us out! Margaret

Let´s say it like this: The thing got a new name! Riverlorians became Discovery Guides, guest lecturers are regional experts and "informational maps, DVD's, pamphlets and books will also be available": Didn´t we get "The Tributary" from the Riverlorians including river charts and lots of useful informations? And the rest was sold in the gift shop before.

Carmen

Before There Was a "Riverlorian"...

...the job of informing the passengers fell upon the First Mate. Every day, after the lunch dishes were cleared, chairs were set-up before the stage in the Orleans Room and the Chief Mate had an hour to inform and entertain the guests on matters of river lore (sound familiar?), steamboat stuff, sights to look for along the day's route, and whatever wonders were in-store on the next shore stop. (Tickets available at the Purser's Office.)

Captain Doc Hawley was the first I knew to act in this capacity, and when he left for the BELLE OF L"VILLE, I inherited the stage where I soon learned to stay out of sacred waters belonging to Col. Tooker, the DQ's Interlocketer. Following an especially entertaining session dealing with "Music on the River" featuring several gifted musical deckhands, Cap'n Betty, herself, called upon me to appear in her private chambers where she laid down her law that I was never again to wade in MR. T's reserved territory. But it was a grand show, and one of the "boys in the band" is now a professional musician in Music City, USA. So there.

If the truth be known, this "Riverlorian" stuff has been going on for generations aboard the venerable DELTA QUEEN years before someone gave what had been an additional duty a name and a slot was created to get the same job done. Don't get me wrong, I am all for having a full-time opening, but I was surprised when I first heard that one was created.

Sam (and others): You are right it has always gone on, with various people doing the job. Capt. Jim Blum told me that Chief Purser Bob McCann did all the announcements in the beginning....one of his favorites, when passing Sam's location around 8:00 pm downbound on the Ohio was, "Ladies and Gentlemen, if you'll look to your Starboard, or right side, you'll see the Rising Sun and the setting sun -- yes, that's right. Rising Sun, Indiana on your starboard side." The pilots also made frequent announcements as the boat passed various points of interest. Quite a few on this board can recall Capt. Rip Ware talking about the 'confusion' of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers at Cairo Point, or telling about some other intersting fact. He'd tell everyone to salute the m/v L.W. SWEET, "...cause that's my old boat, and I get a check from them people ever month!"

One of my favorites of Capt. Ware's was this one, as we passed the Port Allen Lock forebay just below Baton Rouge: "Ladies and Gentlemen, if you'll look to your left, you will see a fo'bay. Thru that fo'bay, will take you, back into, the bayous of Louisiana. I hope, that I nevah see, on the otha side of those lock gates again as long as I live. Thank you!"

Riverlorian was perfect! "Discovery Guide" sounds more like somebody wearing an Indiana Jones type hat and leading a group astride mules through the Grand Canyon!

And no one had a clue what this "fo'bay" was that he was talking about. Your's truly has on occasion, pointed out stuff and occasionally did some pulling of the legs. It is amazing how gullible people are. I mean, I had some doozies. They would believe the made up stuff quicker than they would believe the cold hard facts. Well, when you are slugging your way up the Lower Mississippi, you have to do something.

I am sure that Mary Charlton would have loved to have learned what it would take to be a First Mate.

Regardless of whether MAL calls them Discovery Guides, we will refer to them as Riverlorians. However, I wonder if the term Floozie has a copyright to it. I had been thinking of using the title Memoirs of a Steamboat Floozie but now I have second thoughts on the matter.

I might have my threads mixed up because it has been a long day but thanks for the photos of the AQ in her red and blue paint. It does look strange to me. It reminds me that my first season on the AQ, a deckhand had painted the deck red outside the Captain's Bar and I had to go to work but the signage was on the wrong side of the door for me so I had red paint on the bottom of my shoes forever after. A few people were upset but I just laughed. It was my first week aboard the boat and was indicative of things to come.

As for the guides, riverlorians, or anyone telling tall tales- I thought that was part of the charm of the experience. Bob Schad would do a whole show on silly exchanges between passengers and crew. They were quite funny. One of the funniest was the passenger who thought she was trapped inside her room because of the signage when she closed the door.

That's steamboatin'