Celebrity Capt Removed for Drunkness

[4 cruisers]

How in the world and where in the world did Celebrity come up with a new captain that fast???! Very curious!

[apfra.]

[quote name='Host Walt']While not attempting to justify the Captain's alleged condition, keep in mind that, unlike an airplane, the Captain of a cruise ship seldom, if ever, actually touches the controls.
[/QUOTE]

I just wanted to let you know that usually Captain is in total control of the vessel when the ship is leaving port. I've been to the bridge numerous times when cruise ships are leaving port, and the Captain has his hands on bow thrusters and the throttle; he maneuvers the ship out of port until it gets into open water, then he issues steering commands to the helmsman.

I have no compassion for this man. He’s a disgrace to Celebrity Cruises. It’s clear he has an alcohol problem, and even though he may be an alcoholic, he still must be held totally accountable for his actions.

.

[mctrekkie]

[quote name='4 cruisers']How in the world and where in the world did Celebrity come up with a new captain that fast???! Very curious![/quote]

There's always more than one qualifed master per vessel. There has to be; what if the master is flown off for a medical condition? Someone has to take charge.

[cruisincousin]

The thing that you are forgetting when you say it was "just a couple of glasses of wine with lunch perhaps" Alcohol is burned off in the body over a period of time. To have a reading that as I heard the Coast Guard say on one report "considerably higher than .04" he had to have consumed a lot more than two glasses of wine and in a time frame a lot closer to sailing time. It isn't just who drives the ship - decisions are made and are final by the captain - how clear is the thinking if intoxicated?

[Ocean Boy]

[quote name='seaventurer']People drink - Captains of ships drink. Cabin stewards drink. Functioning
alcoholics run Fortune 500 companies.

This fine Captain on the Mercury got caught - getting caught was his problem - not the drinking. [/QUOTE]
No, drinking was his problem. Getting caught resulted in facing the consequences. This is absolutely no different from breaking any other law. The ACTION is the problem not getting caught. And I would submit that if he was in fact drinking that maybe he is not such a "fine" captain afterall. Maybe he was popular and well liked but hardly fine.

Maybe folks should stop looking upon the Captain as being some sort of social host or ambassador. I could care less if I ever see the captain of the ship for the entire week. They should be running the ship and ensuring a safe voyage. That is what a "fine" captain does.

[4 cruisers]

Wow, Mctrekkie! It sounded as though Celebrity "brought" a new captain on board. I can see that you're right, there must be someone qualified to take over. Just would be a funny feeling to me.

[florida_cruiser]

[quote name='apfra.']It’s clear he has an alcohol problem, and even though he may be an alcoholic,[/quote]

You know nothing about this man to make this judgemental statement other than he was found to be over the limit the other day.

Alcoholism is a disease that is extremely difficult to conceal. I doubt very much if this gentleman was an alcoholic that he would have been able to hold his position for as long as he has without it being detected.

I don't condone what he did - I simply resent the quick jump to conclusions about somebody who had done nothing wrong in anybodys eyes until this one event. No question he should be fired - and there are no second chances when it comes to a person in his position when the public safety is at stake.

[mahdnc]

4 cruisers,

The Staff Captain (second in command) holds a Master's certification.

[Artemis]

It seems the facts are getting a little lost in the thread. Here's an overview based on media reports:

[COLOR="Black"][B]"Company policy forbids any officer from consuming alcohol within eight hours of reporting for duty, a spokesman said."[/B][/COLOR]

Celebrity has a zero tolerance policy also referred to in this thread as "the 8-hour rule." This helps us understand the social drinking we observe. It also explains the firing--the amount of BAC is irrelevant, it is the fact of drinking w/i 8 hours of duty. The Coast Guard officer's first observation of smelling alcohol on the captain's breath was enough to trigger Celebrity disciplinary action.

[B][COLOR="black"]"His blood-alcohol level was more than twice the federal maritime limit of .04 percent." [/COLOR][/B]

This means [B][I]his BAC was higher than .08. [/I][/B]That represents a [B]lot of alcohol consumption[/B], folks.... Check out these links.

[url]http://www.ou.edu/oupd/bac.htm[/url]
[url]http://www.drunkdrivingdefense.com/general/bac-comparison-over-time.htm[/url]

[COLOR="black"][B]The enabler is the person who allows substance abuse to continue by "saving" the abuser from the consequences of his or her actions.[/B][/COLOR]

It's not [I][B]enabling[/B] [/I]to feel empathetic for a fellow human being who has made such a poor choice, the most dramatic and immediate consequences of which are firing, criminal charges and limited future employability in his profession. Sea captains, like air pilots and others subject to such rules, necessarily live a disciplined life. When one falters, such as this gentleman did, you have to know that something troubling was going on in his emotional life to the degree he made a very bad decision with each drink he consumed.

[B]I applaud the Coast Guard officer who had the guts to take action. I applaud Celebrity for their decisive action. My heart goes out to the captain, and as others have noted, to the staff and crew of the Mercury.[/B]

[flagger]

What a disgrace to the profession and to the uniform. I hope he never works in the profession again. He has also managed to besmirch the Celebrity name that so many care about. No one is going to remember the captain's name, but everyone will know the cruise industry has once again be hit by scandal. Who knows how many countless times he was impaired while in command. How many lives he knowingly put at risk.

Imagine if you will a fire of the magnitude that struck the Star Princess with this guy in command. Would you feel safe? Would your family?

[brandylane5102]

Hi Everyone - During Our Xmas & New Years Eve Cruuise On The
Mercury - We Had The Pleasure Of Having Dinner At The Captain's Table , But With The Staff Captain - - I Believe His Name Is Konstantine Nikkolis . Anyway , He Was The Person Who Was Appointed Captain A Few Days Ago. He Is A Fully Qualified Captain.
What Was Interesting Was That , My Wife Made A Toast To Him At The Table Which Went " Here's To Captain Nikkolis , Getting His Own Ship One Day " . He Smiled And Said - - " I Wish That Too" .
He Was Extremely Professional , Courteous And Good Looking And Will Make A Great Captain .
So Please Do Not Worry , The Ship Is In Very Capable Hands And We Wish Him All The Best In His New Position.

[Hoopyfrood]

[quote name='mahdnc']4 cruisers,

The Staff Captain (second in command) holds a Master's certification.[/QUOTE]

While chatting with an officer on Carnival Victory last Feb., he mentioned that they normally sailed with three masters onboard (he mentioned them but I don't recall who the third was). I would be willing to assume that Celebrity also has three on board; single redundancy in such a critical position could easily become a problem.

[Andy]

[quote name='brandylane5102']Hi Everyone - During Our Xmas & New Years Eve Cruuise On The
Mercury - We Had The Pleasure Of Having Dinner At The Captain's Table , But With The Staff Captain - - I Believe His Name Is Konstantine Nikkolis . Anyway , He Was The Person Who Was Appointed Captain A Few Days Ago. He Is A Fully Qualified Captain.
What Was Interesting Was That , My Wife Made A Toast To Him At The Table Which Went " Here's To Captain Nikkolis , Getting His Own Ship One Day " . He Smiled And Said - - " I Wish That Too" .
He Was Extremely Professional , Courteous And Good Looking And Will Make A Great Captain .
So Please Do Not Worry , The Ship Is In Very Capable Hands And We Wish Him All The Best In His New Position.[/QUOTE]

Hi Brandylane !

So you are aware, nothing says he is the permanent replacement as the Captain of Mercury. He is in charge of this ship as of now. We will have to wait and see what Celebrity decides.

[Fblack]

I doubt that there are 3 Masters on board a Celebrity ship. Removal or loss of a Captain is not that common. On my Mercury cruise, only one Staff Captain was ever mentioned in the daily paper and only one introduced. A third master would be introduced as a matter of courtesy to his rank.

[Roses2]

Roger That!!!!!

[Sky Sweet]

[quote name='flagger']What a disgrace to the profession and to the uniform. I hope he never works in the profession again. He has also managed to besmirch the Celebrity name that so many care about. No one is going to remember the captain's name, but everyone will know the cruise industry has once again be hit by scandal. Who knows how many countless times he was impaired while in command. How many lives he knowingly put at risk.

Imagine if you will a fire of the magnitude that struck the Star Princess with this guy in command. Would you feel safe? Would your family?[/quote]

Hi Flagger :)

I feel the same way.

[mahdnc]

[quote name='Fblack']I doubt that there are 3 Masters on board a Celebrity ship. Removal or loss of a Captain is not that common. On my Mercury cruise, only one Staff Captain was ever mentioned in the daily paper and only one introduced. A third master would be introduced as a matter of courtesy to his rank.[/QUOTE]

While there is only one Staff Captain (i.e. the executive officer), it is not unusual for another senior officer(s) to hold a Master's certification--according to the daily paper that we got aboard Horizon last year.

[Amagamma]

Does anyone know of a way to view what ships he has been on?
We've done 15 Celebrity cruises and can't seem to remember how often we've had him.

[CRUZBUDS]

When we were on the Mercury earlier this month our CC group had a scavenger hunt. One of the items was the captain's autograph. We were discussing this with a staff member, she mentioned that there were actually several officers aboard that held their masters certification in addition to the captain and staff captain.

[QQRZZA]

Lest we forget, the Captain of the ship is at [U]work[/U] on the ship 24/7; he's not a cruiser. He is the ultimate authority and legally responsible officer. We wouldn't tolerate an alcohol impaired guy pumping gas, drilling our teeth, teaching our kids, or operating a huge marine vessel. Let's stop the silliness of the poor guy "only" had a little to drink. In his duty position, and that of his operations staff, there is no gray area. No booze. X did the right thing. To do less would have been gross negligence. When I buy a ticket for a ship, train, bus, subway, plane, or ship, I expect a fully competent, sober staff. Nothing less is legal or acceptable. No excuses. If a guy wants to drink. Do it off duty, off the ship, when he will not be returning to work. Fortunately, the vast majority of Captains, as well as others in a variety of responsible jobs, understand this. If the guy needs to drink, he has a bigger problem. Alcoholism is an awful disease, but management is responsible for monitoring their employees, and taking remedial or corrective action without endangering the public.

[Hondu]

[quote name='QQRZZA']Lest we forget, the Captain of the ship is at [U]work[/U] on the ship 24/7; he's not a cruiser. He is the ultimate authority and legally responsible officer. We wouldn't tolerate an alcohol impaired guy pumping gas, drilling our teeth, teaching our kids, or operating a huge marine vessel. Let's stop the silliness of the poor guy "only" had a little to drink. In his duty position, and that of his operations staff, there is no gray area. No booze. X did the right thing. To do less would have been gross negligence. When I buy a ticket for a ship, train, bus, subway, plane, or ship, I expect a fully competent, sober staff. Nothing less is legal or acceptable. No excuses. If a guy wants to drink. Do it off duty, off the ship, when he will not be returning to work. Fortunately, the vast majority of Captains, as well as others in a variety of responsible jobs, understand this. If the guy needs to drink, he has a bigger problem. Alcoholism is an awful disease, but management is responsible for monitoring their employees, and taking remedial or corrective action without endangering the public.[/QUOTE]


Well said!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mrs. Gump]

Speaking of Listerine -
Is it true that one can fail a breatholizer if they have just gargled due to the alcohol content in the mouthwash? Did the captain fail a blood alcohol test also?

[schinz]

No, that is not true. Only alcoholics actually believe that, or have convinced themselves of that. Take it from me...a police officer.

[mac4cruise]

Does anyone know what his blood alcohol level was when he gave the sample

[wolfganghowell]

Some of the judgmental holier than thou statements here are beyond me. Without knowing any facts, this Captain has been tried and convicted by many of you. Do I think given the current information he did a terrible thing and should suffer the consequences? Yes. Is he an alcoholic? No evidence to that. Was anyone in real danger? Most likely not and those of you who think so must have a very simplistic view of cruising. The Staff Captain is second in command and entirely capable of running the ship (and many times is doing so without the recognition.) Comparing this to a drunk driver is unfair to the hundreds of crew members who do their job without recognition or fanfare and shows no understanding of how a ship operates. This is a tragedy for this Captain and a lesson to be learned by all crewmen but the lack of compassion shown here is astonishing. Until the true story is out and a little knowledge is gained about all the protocols behind the scenes, maybe we can drop the stones and encourage the cruise industry to proactively make some changes. I too am a stockholder and lately it seems every time I turn around I hear something negative.