From the Pilot House

Statue Cruises Apologizes for Terrill Middle School Experience

Statue Cruises understands how disappointed the students, chaperones, teachers and parents of Terrill Middle School are that the 5^th graders couldn’t go on their long-planned field trip today. We are sorry for the disappointment and anger, and we hope both of those feelings will dissipate quickly.

We’d like to address what happened and why, what steps we are taking to improve the experience of this group and what we learned from the experience today.

Of the groups (and individual passengers) waiting to board the 10:30 AM ferry, there were two school groups. One was a group of over 400 students from a school about a two and half hour drive away. The other was the Terrill Middle School group of 200 students with a forty-five minute drive. A line supervisor realized that there was only room for one of these groups on this departure and made the choice to move the bigger group with the longer ride home to the front to ensure they made the trip.

Now, somewhere along the way, someone in that group (clarification: the larger group, not Terrill Middle School) dropped the name of our COO and VP and somehow the story became that his children were in that group and that’s why they were moved up. This is absolutely untrue. Our COO doesn’t know anyone associated with that group or school and made no promises or assurances that they would be able to have any sort of priority boarding.

The decision was based on the other group having a longer ride home.

It is unfortunate that Terrill Middle School was unable to wait for the next ferry, which departed 25 minutes later, but that was the choice the chaperones and teachers made. They were not turned away or asked to leave.

We have refunded the cost of their tickets, parking and bus transportation and we have re-booked them, free of charge, for next week. On that visit we are offering  a pizza party for them on the ferry and supplying each child with a foam crown.

We learned a few important lessons today, and one those is giving our line supervisors more training in explaining decisions to people who are upset. We’ll work on communication skills with our whole team and we hope we are never in this situation again.

We thank the Terrill Middle School community for understanding and we look forward to seeing you soon!

Fleet week in New York!!

From May 23rd to May 30th New York will be hosting thousands of Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen from U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard.

Fleet week has been hosted in New York nearly every year since 1984. This occasion allows the people of New York to witness first hand the latest capabilities of today's Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard Team. Not only will there be dozens of military demonstrations and displays throughout the week, but also public visitation of many of the participating ships.

There are tons of events that will be happening throughout fleet week. One of the most exciting events was yesterday the Fleet Week Parade of Ships. Statue Cruises had a spectacular view from their office in Liberty State park New Jersey.

Both Statue Cruises and Hornblower Cruises & Events would like to personally thank everyone in the sea services and hope they enjoy their time in New York.

Get out on the water and in the sun!

This coming Monday is Memorial Day and Hornblower Cruises & Events wants you to come enjoy this three-day weekend out on the water, soaking up sun and views of your favorite city. 

After this weekend, school will be ending, summer is almost here and BBQ season kicks off. So celebrate spring while you still have a chance!

In San Diego you will cruise around the bay, see military ships, historic landmarks, sea life, and over 50 points of interest, while dining on gourmet cuisine and enjoying cold beverages, What could be more patriotic than that?  

In San Diego you can also save 5$ off any Memorial Day Weekend Cruises through May 28 with the code EBL54. 

Bon Voyage Blake

Last week, was a sad time in the Corporate Offices of Hornblower Cruises and Events, as our Director of Corporate Marketing said his good byes to his team and the company.

Blake has been working with Hornblower for nearly 12 years and has been instrumental in Hornblower becoming the company it is today. Over the years, Blake has played a crucial role in preparing several proposals including, but not limited to, Alcatraz Cruises, Statue Cruises and most recently Niagara Cruises. He has also been a respected leader in countless summer, wedding and holiday campaigns.

Blake will be a missed in the office for his guidance, creativity and sense of humor. 

Remember: “There are good ships, there are wood ships, there are ships that sail the sea, but the best ships, are our friendships and may they always be!”

 

Dogs on a yacht!

You heard right, San Diego’s ONLY dog friendly cruise is back on Saturday May 12th! Pet Day on the Bay is a towel and blanket drive and fundraiser benefitting the homeless animals of the Helen Woodward Animal Center. There will be three cruise times 10:30 am, 12 pm and 1:30 pm, but the best part is all dogs cruise free!

This unique cruise got me thinking, what other fun things can people do with their pups? In Ontario Canada, Dog Paddling Adventures lets you take your dog on exciting outdoor adventures, from canoeing on a river to skijoring in the snow. Looking for something a little more laid back? Take your dog on a shopping trip, and stop by Petco, for grooming, new toys and to enjoy the Petco dog bar!

So come join Hornblower Cruises & Events with your furry four-legged friend on Saturday May 12^th. Also, take a look at some of our pictures on Facebook from past Pet Day on the Bay celebrations to see what all the fuss is about!

 

Who did it?

On every Hornblower dining cruise you are getting delicious food, amazing service, and gorgeous ever-changing views, and now in Marina del Rey we are offering an even more unique experience, a Dinner Detective Murder Mystery Dinner & Show. 

The Murder Mystery Show is an interactive and improvised comedic murder mystery set in the present day. The performers are dressed like everyone else, so you can’t tell who is part of the show and who isn't. 

Throughout the night, murders and mayhem occur, hidden clues will come forth and our Detectives will help everyone solve the crime. Between each course of the dinner another part of the mystery is revealed!

So come join us on Friday May 11th, at 8pm for an extremely unique and fun dining experience! 

 

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Tomorrow people all over the country will be celebrating Mexican heritage and pride. Most people use the day to take shots of tequila and whip out the ol’ sombrero. But, here at Hornblower San Diego we think it is the perfect day for some team bonding on our Salsa Cook off Team Building Cruise!

On this 3-hour cruise you will enjoy each other’s company, south of the border hors d’oeuvres and some friendly competition.

All participants are split into teams; each team is given all the supplies they need to create their own authentic salsa once finished everyone is judged not only on there salsa but also a company logo and commercial!  

 

San Diego Wedding Cakes!

No wedding would be complete without a beautiful cake, and that’s what Twiggs Bakery and Coffeehouse has been providing for Hornblower San Diego for the last 10 years. Hornblower weddings offer a hassle free, unique way to tie the knot, that you and your guest will be sure to remember! Photo courtesy of Twiggs.

More office pranks!

Two more innocent hornblower employees left for vacation, so to show our love we did a few more office pranks!

Our Director of Interactive Marketing went to DC for the weekend and came back to her whole office being her least favorite color-

 

Our Marketing and Public Relations Intern went to Coachella and came back to all of her doodles to be blown up and up on her desk walls-

Earth Day 2012 at Alcatraz

Sunday's Earth Day Celebration at Alcatraz Cruises was a wonderful success.  Activity stations allowed visitors waiting for the ferry to Alcatraz to learn about:

•  Building a Green Home – adding, removing or changing aspects of a model house to make it the
   greenest house possible.

• Electricity – by pedaling a bike, people could generate their own electricity. A screen displayed that the faster and longer they pedaled, the more power they created.

• The Marine Mammal Center – we found out about several of the different animals that live in and around the bay from sea-lions to plankton!

• The Natural Environment in the SF Bay – through arts and crafts, visitors shared their artistic visions of their favorite wildlife, sights in SF and Earth Day wisdom! 

We all had a great time bringing the Earth Day message to our guests and look forward to our next volunteer effort for Respect our Planet!

A special thanks to Sue and Rusty from the Marine Mammal Center and Maia from the Aquarium of the Bay for joining us all day in the sun! 

What will you do to celebrate the Earth in 2012?