Captain Dag

Anybody know where the wonderful Captain Dag finally ended up ?

Anybody know where the wonderful Captain Dag finally ended up ?

I understand that he is with HAL at present - maybe hoping to come back to Seabourn when there are vacancies, with retirements or the new ships?

I understand that he is with HAL at present - maybe hoping to come back to Seabourn when there are vacancies, with retirements or the new ships?

Yes, he's with HAL. It would be nice to see him back with Seabourn.

"Yes, he's with HAL. It would be nice to see him back with Seabourn."

Why is that? Does Seabourn need a dose of the Cult of Personality (or, as many of us on Radisson/Regent called it, the "Cult of Captain Dag")?

"Yes, he's with HAL. It would be nice to see him back with Seabourn."

 

Why is that? Does Seabourn need a dose of the Cult of Personality (or, as many of us on Radisson/Regent called it, the "Cult of Captain Dag")?

You're the first person I've heard imply anything negative about Dag. There's a reason he has a following (both passengers and staff on Seabourn and Radisson and Regent). If he hadn't done well on Seabourn you wouldn't have people asking about him here.

Clearly, it is neither productive nor within the posting guides of CC to engage in a debate regarding the merits of Captain Dag. He is indeed an engaging person (some might well call the same dynamic "a self-promoting persona").

Some of his stunts on Radisson/Regent (such as bringing the Voyager within a very close proximity of the falls in a couple of Norwegian fjords) would likely have sent the brokers at Lloyds of London into cardiac arrest.

It appeared that there might well have been a significant conflict of ego between Dag and the CEO of Prestige Cruise Holdings (the parent company of Regent and Oceania) which resulted in Dag finding other lines on which to work. There is usually only room for one gigantic ego in a corporation, no?

We would be quite happy to cruise on another ship skippered by Dag but would not make that a deciding criterion for our choice of cruise.

Freddie - there is no doubt that Dag is what in the UK we call 'Marmite' (you either love it or loathe it). However, I am sure that at present he would bring in some of the passengers to whom the Captain is very important to them on a cruise, rather than putting any off. He has a definite fan club, and I think that this also extends to many - not all I am sure - of the people who work with him.

So I guess he will be back on Seabourn ships when something becomes available, as long as Management regards him as more of an asset than a liability.

I write as someone who has known him for about 20 years, on and off.

Actually, Freddie, I think Captain Dag did hit some rocks with the Voyager, perhaps a dozen years ago. Or should I say the Voyager under the command of Dag hit some rocks. Must not have gotten any blame. I remember this because shortly after this I was on the Voyager with a bunch of Dag groupies and said that a U.S. Navy captain would be essentially dismissed in similar circumstances. You would have thought that I tossed a skunk into a garden party. Some continue to blame Voyager vibrations on this. I never met Dag.

... a U.S. Navy captain would be essentially dismissed in similar circumstances.

Depends. Barney Kelly comes to mind.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_J._Kelly

Then, on the other side, you have my good friend B McEwen who was relieved when his ship, USS Wasp, hit rocks off Somalia while he was asleep. Gone.

I believe that Captain Dag is the type of both competent and personable captain that Seabourn prefers who will interact with their passengers when his duties permit. If I am correct, Seabourn has probably made arrangements for Dag to be temporarily assigned to their sister company (HAL) so he will be available when a position opens for one of their ships. With the sale of the three little sisters, Seabourn had six excellent Captains that it no longer needed.