The positive thing...

As a veteran of over 100 sea cruises...people always ask me what is my favorite cruise...The only answer I ever have is....Its not the ship or the itenary..Its the people I travel with, the new friends I make...and the crew of the ship. That is what makes me have my favorite cruise...and I can't wait to meet the crew and all my new friends on the DQ.

Sandy

Bruno & Sandy, y'all are both correct about the crew. The Captain and his crew DO make it, no matter what vessel you may be on. That said, however, I can tell you most definitely that the good old DELTA QUEEN casts a spell on all who have ever ridden her, or even been around her very much. There is just a certain SOMETHING that is either a unique combination of things or a mysterious "something", but it definitely is on the DQ, has been there, is still there (after the 35 years I have been intimately associated with the boat) and my guess is that it will always be there, as long as the DELTA QUEEN is in existence. This certain something has remained through any number of changes in officers and crew, ownership, and physical changes to the boat, however drastic. Should we who love this boat (love a boat? Can you do that? Oh, yeah!) stop being vigilant to what some who we don't know might do to her? Certainly. But that DQ has always had that special "something".. Something has gone right after 10 owners prior to the present owners, for the boat to have remained as much unchanged as she has. Many have made much-needed improvements. Some have done things many of us on this board would disagree with, but she still works her spell on folks today just as she did 50 years ago. There is something special about that boat. Crew? Yeah. But there's something else there.

Bruno: think mebbe your woman's done went and hit the nail square on the head. You may have read what Shipyard Sam wrote about givin' it a chance. Here at the Rabbit Hash Shipyard we deal in lotsa changes and Sam often functions as our PR guy...some say he's had experience on one or another of them there boats...some as wuz run by steam! All as wuz run by a crew. While all DQ travelers have fond memories of the pulsating pitman, the rolling wheel and the rippling wake, the stories you year today about yesterday are centered mostly about folks, just folks...big cap, engineers, deckhands, mates, pilots 'n such...then there's the pax themselves who bring an appreciation for just being among kindred spirits on brown water. And, yes, there's magic in the lack of tooth rattling diesels and the smooth sigh and pulsation of the steam exhaust...but what it comes down to is attitude. If we go there with the attitude of "I paid good money for this, now, ENTERTAIN ME!" we are likely to be disappointed. I can just imagine what old time river men said when they heard that the Greenes had bought a war surplus steamboat off the west coast and were bringing it here to entertain folks...it was not even an authentic "Mississippi" river boat...but a western monster made over Scotland, already. And "yeah, they tried to make it look like one...taken off her paddle wheel cover and extendin the decks ahead of the pilot house, but it still looks like a swoose!! Neither swan nor goose!" But the Greene's recruited a crew with the right attitude and the rest is history. Delta Queen with an all new foreign crew!...count me out! Not that I got nothin' agin furriners, but the Green's set the pace more than a half century ago and it still lives if I read you correctly, Bruno. Viva la DQ! Cap'n Walnut

Bruno and Deb,

Beautifully put, and a very positive and powerful witness to the charm and strong spirit that the Delta Queen and her sisters pass on to those who cross their bows and experience the magic of steamboats and the rivers. Just as the crew passes on the loving care for the Delta Queen and teaches new crew the "DQ way," so should we all work hard to encourage everyone to keep the faith, keep taking cruises as they can be afforded, and believe that better days are always ahead. These, too, are sometime going to be called "the good ol' days."

There are too many who have expressed to me and others their reticence to post anything here for fear of being ridiculed and driven away, as has happened all too often. Objective, constructive criticism is excellent, and those at the helm are more apt to listen when that's what it is. I've worked with a number of them that are still there long enough to know this is the case.

Jazzou

Jazzou Jones;4665 wrote:

There are too many who have expressed to me and others their reticence to post anything here for fear of being ridiculed and driven away, as has happened all too often. Objective, constructive criticism is excellent, and those at the helm are more apt to listen when that's what it is.

This has already happened to those who don't post on the message board, but have dissented from the "going norm" in purchasing vacations on the DQ...and they've responded back by closing their checkbooks altogether...
It's a bitter pill to swallow, hearing dissenting opinions of your product, however leaving the ear plugs in and assigning labels instead usually brings financial ruin! Trust me, I know!
Also, If I've driven someone away, I apologize...I've been accused of seeing certain things through "rose-colored glasses", when in fact I was finally awakened to seeing the nitty-gritty of it all...

My point exactly Bruno. It's like a family reunion everytime we " Happy Ladies " step on The AQ

Thanks Bruno & Deb. . .

As usual you are right. My fear is not as much a foreign crew as a constantly changing one. Generally, the boats did not have huge turnover in staffing because crew members were/are like the repeat passengers. They are there because they love the boat.

It is the type of job that one does for reasons that extend beyond the paycheck because the paychecks are just not that terrific depending on your position. Almost every job might have better earnings in a land based equivolent job. The difference is that living where you work- it becomes a large extended family. Many large families are diverse and not everyone in a huge family gets along with each other 100% of the time. But steamboats are really a family business---just like they were with the Greenes.

This large family invites you to be paying guests in their home. They want you to fondly remember your stay with them. They want you to feel like you are also one of the family even if their role is to entertain you and your role is to pay the bill. Steamboating is the ultimate family business.

I think that is why there is such a fear of big business taking over but the truth is the family runs the business on the day to day basis. If the family has to gain a few new members or let a few members fly away from the nest- that family member will still have steamboating in their blood.

The thing I ask is that the family take care of its own. Then every cruise is a home-coming for someone.

Foreign crew on DQ

Illegal - Jones Act - objective fact

Very nicely put Elaine. When I worked aboard the boats I felt exactly that way. As photographer on Embark day I was usually the first to see someones approach to the boat. There was always lots of hugging and kissing as crew members welcomed each other aboard. The crew members, baggage in tow, always had a big smile on when they came up the stage. It was like they were coming "home."

Exactly the way we felt everytime we came back on board--Good to be Home. And ALL the people on board made it feel that way--although the girl herself had a lot to do with it too! Mrs. Greene must be looking over us all.
Boat Photographer??? I didn't see one--Hmmm, maybe they need someone???? Hmmm. . . .
S'
David D.

Fun Stuff

Hey, Here's some fun stuff to lighten everyone up. Once, while in Wellsburg, WV, I noticed the deck crew had tied the stage to an expired parking meter. Seeing a great opportunity I walked to the nearby police station and talked a cop into coming back to the boat with me. Then I had the Mate call Capt. Gabe to come down and talk his way out of this "parking ticket." What a riot.

Photographers on board have generally been replaced by the less expensive and easy to use digital cameras that most passengers can afford today.

There was a time not that long ago that the photographer has to bring on board all the chemicals for film developing.

Personally I am still very reluctant to part with eith my APS Nikon or 35mm Pentex. But since I get most stuff developed onto CDs and sort from there, I will have to break down and go digital soon. I have an early Kodak Digital that cost my father a small fortune at the time- but it is the hardest to use camera I have ever used.

Also, I love the ease today of sharing photographs even if it did hurt the professional photographer business.

Thanks David Dewey for those great photos- I love the kite flying and so many others. They are a treat!

Recently my friends from Germany (besides Franz and family) came to visit me and asked what they could bring me. I suggested some photos from their collection and they are absolutely terrific.

Righto, Robert! And I'm sure that certain something affects the crew, which gets passed on to the passengers, and so on and so on. As long as that boat is steaming up and down the river, I'm happy. If I was on it, I would be happier. Period.

[QUOTE=Elaine Santangelo;4693]Photographers on board have generally been replaced by the less expensive and easy to use digital cameras that most passengers can afford today.

/QUOTE]

Hi Elaine,

I'm pretty sure there's a photog on the AQ.

Paul

There used to be a photographer on the MQ and AQ. Last year there wasn´t a photographer aboard the MQ. But Riverlorian Bill Wiemuth took photos with his small digital and set up a CD which was available for purchase the last night. Unfortunately noone took photos at the Captain´s Reception and no crew member was available to take a photo with your own camera. I found this quite disappointing.

Any news about a photographer on the AQ right now?

Carmen

Hi Elaine, I was just trying to figure out a way to stay onboard!! I'm no pro a photos! I did take quite a few of folks at the Cap'ts reception, and just now realize that they're missing an opportunity to sell pics to the rubes---er passengers. The Natchez sure did, and we bought 'em--also bought the ones at Graceland too. I know, on my forehead it is printed, "SUCKER!" But they really are good pics of us, and a great memory keeper.
I had to actually read the manual for my Digital, just before we left (have had it for over a year!) so I finally found out how to keep the shutter speed up--some, still learning, too many tricks on this puppy!
BTW, posting more pics this AM on my photo thread.
Steamcerely,
David D.

Word on the grapevine is that a lady named Rachel is on the AQ as photographer working for Dana out of St. Louis.