A letter from Captain Carl

[Baynanno1]

This appeared a short while ago on Facebook . . . what an inspiring read . . . a very positive outlook. ☺️

 

http://crew-center.com/azamara-captain-message-crew-dont-panic-important-stuff-remains-you-our-crew-and-our-guests?fbclid=IwAR2m0yZgaowGZdtNHuyD-5UMW7_rMS336T2arkzj_NELvIhIaP7VLFf1vK4

[Host Jazzbeau]

"Don't Panic."  Obviously a man who has read the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy!  😉

[Bloodaxe]

3 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

"Don't Panic."  Obviously a man who has read the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy!  😉

 

More likely listening to Corporal Jones of Dads Army

[NSWP]

Sounds like a good officer, looking after his troops. Good luck to Capt Smith and all the Azamara crew members.

Edited January 22, 2021 by NSWP

[royallondon]

Typical Captain Carl, an excellent article in helping to bring some realism and humour to the situation.

If the Princess ship is confirmed to be coming to Azamara, Sycamore would have done well to quickly move us through the Anger and betrail phase of change into the curious and exploring!  
 

Regards

 

[Aussie Cruise Nuts]

True leadership in action. 

 

Well said and well done Captain Carl.

[hamrag]

If I were a crew member, and to maintain the Dads' Army theme suggested by Bloodaxe, the opening sentence would alert me to the fact this is nothing more than a 'let's keep the troops motivated' from a good Captain who has admitted his information level is the same as everyone else!

[Baynanno1]

12 hours ago, hamrag said:

If I were a crew member, and to maintain the Dads' Army theme suggested by Bloodaxe, the opening sentence would alert me to the fact this is nothing more than a 'let's keep the troops motivated' from a good Captain who has admitted his information level is the same as everyone else!

I beg to differ with your opinion, as he provides information not provided in news articles or in Carol Cabezas' email to guests.

 

From the MarketWatch article :

Royal Caribbean Group said it is selling its Azamara luxury cruise line for $201 million in cash to private-equity firm Sycamore Partners.

Along with the transaction, Royal Caribbean said it has tapped Azamara Chief Operating Officer Carol Cabezas as the brand president. Royal Caribbean and Sycamore declined to specify the number of employees transferring to Sycamore's ownership.

 

And from the Cision Newswire article :

Royal Caribbean Group today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Azamara brand to Sycamore Partners, a private equity firm specializing in consumer, retail and distribution investments, in an all-cash carve-out transaction for $201 million, subject to certain adjustments and closing conditions. Sycamore Partners will acquire the entire Azamara brand, including its three-ship fleet and associated intellectual property.

 

And although Carol Cabezas' email to guests says :

I am pleased to share that Azamara has entered into a definitive agreement to become part of Sycamore Partners, a private equity firm, that will play an important role in driving our brand forward and expanding our Destination Immersion experiences for you, our valued guest.

 

Captain Carl goes much further than any of the above providing us with information not included in the news articles :

From what I understand, the Sycamore group have purchased not only the ships, but the Brand Azamara, the guest list, the future cruise itinerary and also the crew. Lock Stock and Barrel.

As Carol stated yesterday in her video release, this is exciting news. Exciting news is never easy, and will mean some changes, big or small its too early to tell, but the important stuff remains.

You. Our Crew and our Guests. Our ships, our lives and careers. Our contracts and salaries. Your ships, your vacations and Cruises. Our Azamara!

 

[uktog]

Yes, and you also have to remember the captains were writing in language and using a style that they know works for their teams.  Let’s not knock it - it’s better to communicate in the style you’ve used during the good times than hide what you have to say in corporate speak which means little to someone whose first language isn’t English and whose concerns will be very real.

Those who know Captain Carl will know this is exactly his style.
So who cares if we read Hitchhikers Guide or Dads Army into it, it doesn’t matter, we weren’t the intended audience. 

Edited January 25, 2021 by uktog

[Bloodaxe]

31 minutes ago, uktog said:

Yes, and you also have to remember the captains were writing in language and using a style that they know works for their teams.  Let’s not knock it - it’s better to communicate in the style you’ve used during the good times than hide what you have to say in corporate speak which means little to someone whose first language isn’t English and whose concerns will be very real.

Those who know Captain Carl will know this is exactly his style.
So who cares if we read Hitchhikers Guide or Dads Army into it, it doesn’t matter, we weren’t the intended audience. 

I was in no way knocking Captain Carl with the reference to Dad's Army just the opposite, I know how much he cares for Azamara and the crew of the ships

Edited January 25, 2021 by Bloodaxe

[hamrag]

23 hours ago, hamrag said:

If I were a crew member, and to maintain the Dads' Army theme suggested by Bloodaxe, the opening sentence would alert me to the fact this is nothing more than a 'let's keep the troops motivated' from a good Captain who has admitted his information level is the same as everyone else!

 

10 hours ago, Baynanno1 said:

I beg to differ with your opinion, as he provides information not provided in news articles or in Carol Cabezas' email to guests.

 

1 hour ago, uktog said:

Yes, and you also have to remember the captains were writing in language and using a style that they know works for their teams.  Let’s not knock it - it’s better to communicate in the style you’ve used during the good times than hide what you have to say in corporate speak

 

I certainly do not dispute or knock the points made by either poster above. 🙄

 

My point was simply to highlight the Captains' opening sentence, which surely is not in dispute! For the avoidance of doubt, I simply referenced the following sentence in which he makes it abundantly clear that he has no access to information not readily available:

'First of all, I am writing this as a personal note, I have no access to information that you have not already been granted access to on the internet or from news releases.' 

[ChucktownSteve]

12 minutes ago, hamrag said:

 

 

 

I certainly do not dispute or knock the points made by either poster above. 🙄

 

My point was simply to highlight the Captains' opening sentence, which surely is not in dispute! For the avoidance of doubt, I simply referenced the following sentence in which he makes it abundantly clear that he has no access to information not readily available:

'First of all, I am writing this as a personal note, I have no access to information that you have not already been granted access to on the internet or from news releases.' 

 

I don't know the Captain personally so my following comment is a generic interpretation of someone in authority. As I read it, he wants to make it clear to "outsiders" when the info is picked up, that he is not speaking for the cruise line even though he is in an authority position. 

 

When addressing his troupes, he wants to instill calm since it is the unknown that creates havoc amongst employees where rumors and fears abound.  However when he says he has no additional information, that may or may not be factual.  If he is privy to confidential information, he certainly can't disclose it until it is made public by the higher ups.

 

The reason I say that is that I am in a group where we discuss many things confidentially. Some ideas/actions are dismissed and others are acted upon.  However we as group members cannot disclose any of the group's discussions until it's released publicly by the person in charge.