Originally Posted By MPierce >> Hardly. << I disagree >> Was the CM "lousy" or lacking in some amount of experience? What about the passengers on the boat -- they apparently lacked in boating experience, too and may have caused more commotion than was really warranted. Maybe the guests were lousy, too based on your liberal use of the word. << They are GUEST of WDW, they don't need boating experience. However the DRIVER should have a bunch of it prior to taking folks out for a nightly spin! >> Was it a "near disaster?" << Under the circumstance's it could have been. >> I doubt it. Everything described in the "detailed" version sounds very familiar to me as someone who has a lot of experience operating boats -- including pontoon boats. I can't envision any sort of "disaster" that might have taken place based on the description provided. It sounded to me like a very normal small boating event. << Please never invite me to go on a normal small boating event with you. >> People who are used to being on small boats like this wouldn't have been surprised at all. It sounds to me like the guests had an unreasonable expectation for what sort of things might happen on a pontoon boat excursion. << Maybe they should require seamanship classes before allowing you on a boat at WDW. It's a vacation an escape to a Magical World. A guest should not expect to pay a hefty price to go on a night time cruise, and then be expected to have to bail the boat out. It's WDW are we forgetting that. This is not a drunken cruise in a bass boat on Lake Murval in East Texas!
Originally Posted By Sport Goofy << But, considering that pontoon boats are rented out to guests with just a few minutes instruction (just like the speedboats are), I can't imagine that they are difficult to operate. >> I would agree that pontoon boats are pretty easy to operate. Does Disney allow guests to rent them at night, though? Driving a boat at night is an entirely different experience than operating one in full daylight with lots of visibility. There are just so many things that can sneak up on you in the dark that make boating at night a little riskier. It's very easy to get disoriented and little things, like wakes from other boats, can sneak up to you. It's much easier to anticipate things in broad daylight.
Originally Posted By Sport Goofy << A guest should not expect to pay a hefty price to go on a night time cruise, and then be expected to have to bail the boat out. >> I agree, and the description provided did not come anywhere close to showing any circumstance where bailing was required.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> I agree, and the description provided did not come anywhere close to showing any circumstance where bailing was required. << Dramatic License.
Originally Posted By Sport Goofy << They are GUEST of WDW, they don't need boating experience. >> True, but a description of events by a group of people with no small boating experience will be quite different than with a group that has done this thing many times before. To the inexperienced, a small list in a turn and a splash of water over the bow may seem like a "disaster," but others would greet the same event with a collective yawn.
Originally Posted By nbodyhome No, guests can't rent any boats at night. You'd think that would be a good thing, there is a lot less boat traffic on the water at night. I'm not saying that the 18 year old shouldn't have been trained well, I just would expect it to need less training than other boats. I personally wouldn't like to see water coming over the boat, but it sounds like there was a lot of screaming before anything really happened.
Originally Posted By nbodyhome >> To the inexperienced, a small list in a turn and a splash of water over the bow may seem like a "disaster," but others would greet the same event with a collective yawn. << Sort of like turbulence on a plane? Freaks me out (the whole flying experience can, really). But I know pilots think absolutely nothing of it.
Originally Posted By mousermerf Oo, i hate me some turbulence. The first time i experienced it, i went into death grip on the seat. Now, i find it comforting (like white noise) unless it's a dramatic drop. And again - i'm the only person here who's been on a sinking small craft in the middle of the Seven Seas Lagoon and i didn't think my life was in danger or any sort of tragedy was about to occur, nor did anyone else on the boat, so i think it's all being overplayed a bit. You're in far more mortal danger anytime you set foot on Monorail Yellow.
Originally Posted By nbodyhome >> Oo, i hate me some turbulence. The first time i experienced it, i went into death grip on the sea << I am worse than I used to be. I think that a bad flight I had set it off (it was right after 9/11). Lots of jittery passengers, another jet had crashed in NY the day before. The call button got hit as we were starting down the runway, someone hearing "noise". The pilot said that it was nothing, just a "defect in the design of the plane". (with the luggage compartment, I believe). Then he mentioned that there were reports of bad rides through storms on our path. At some point, the stewardess mentioned that we were on an airbus, and a woman sort of freaked. So I was just glad to get home.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> True, but a description of events by a group of people with no small boating experience will be quite different than with a group that has done this thing many times before. To the inexperienced, a small list in a turn and a splash of water over the bow may seem like a "disaster," but others would greet the same event with a collective yawn. << >> I personally wouldn't like to see water coming over the boat, but it sounds like there was a lot of screaming before anything really happened. << ^^^ What Denise said goes for me also.
Originally Posted By CMDad << another jet had crashed in NY the day before.>> I know the day you are talking about. I was flying home to NY that evening and was afraid (hoping?) that I would have to stay in WDW another night - but the airports reopened in time for my flight ... <sigh>
Originally Posted By MPierce >> And again - i'm the only person here who's been on a sinking small craft in the middle of the Seven Seas Lagoon and i didn't think my life was in danger or any sort of tragedy was about to occur, nor did anyone else on the boat, so i think it's all being overplayed a bit. << Different people react differently. I am relying on what is being said by a person who was there.
Originally Posted By mousermerf And some people thought Alien Encounter scared their children emotionally for life - doesn't mean they're right and didn't overreact.
Originally Posted By Sport Goofy << I am relying on what is being said by a person who was there. >> Actually, you are relying on hearsay provided by someone claiming to know someone who was there.
Originally Posted By danyoung >It's a vacation an escape to a Magical World. A guest should not expect to pay a hefty price to go on a night time cruise, and then be expected to have to bail the boat out.< Just because some untrained guests thought there was an emergency doesn't mean that there was one. >Of course, feet not inches -- still too small to be out navigating in 20 ft seas.< I actually sat here and did the math on 44" - 3 feet 8 inches? Nope, too small!!! >Dare I admit that I was 35 (in 1988)?< I thought you were really old till I did a little more math and discovered that I was an old 32 in 1988!
Originally Posted By MPierce It scared me, and I still can't watch the original Frankenstein with Boris Karloff alone.
