Sunday, October 31, 2010

Weather in late October early November

This pretty much sums up the weather since we have been here.  Bob and team calls it the Papenburg gray which they think should be in a standard color pallet.  

The Dr3am is out




This is a panorama shot I did of the yard from the D1sney viewing tent. Click on the picture for a larger view.

Night shot from http://www.spiegel.de/reise/aktuell/0,1518,726320,00.html






A single tug aligns itself with the stern of the Dr3am. This tug pulls while a smaller one inside helps align the Dr3am as she comes out.


Half way out

Here is the small tug positioned to the port of the Dr3am.  I left at 9PM the night before the float out and this vessel was not there. I took some pictures right next to this tug that night and it was not there. Rumor has it that the main crane lifted the small tug into the building and dropped her next to the Dr3am.   There was less than six feet between the ship and the wall of the wet dock.  I cannot explain how the yard moves such large items; they make it look like they are moving cotton candy.  -- photo from http://www.spiegel.de/reise/aktuell/0,1518,726320,00.html



Meyer Werft employee watching the small tug align the Dr3am as she is pulled out.


Great shot from inside looking out - http://www.spiegel.de/reise/aktuell/0,1518,726320,00.html







photo from http://www.spiegel.de/reise/aktuell/0,1518,726320,00.html







The stern characters from the D1sney Dr3am photo by http://www.spiegel.de/reise/aktuell/0,1518,726320,00.html


Firework show photo by http://www.spiegel.de/reise/aktuell/0,1518,726320,00.html




This is a movie link



The yard wasted no time after the hoopla to push the Dr3am across the harbor where they had the masts, funnel tops and other large pieces waiting on cranes to install now that she is outside. 


Saturday, October 30, 2010

Waiting for float out of Dr3am

To beat the crowds in cars we rode bikes in the rain to watch the float out.  Please excuse brevity and typos as this message was composed on my mobile device.

Early morning anticipation

A few of us rode our bikes over to see the festivities. Hundreds of campers are lining the parking lots.The float out will be in the evening so we can only guess there will be fireworks.



Please excuse brevity and typos as this message was composed on my mobile device.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Blog that has public information about the Dr3am launch

Here is a public blog that lists the upcoming schedule for the Dr3am.

Chuck Schmidt writes for the Staten Island Live website


This is from a D1sney press release:

After 20 months of construction, the D1sney Dr3am cruise ship floated out of the enclosed building dock at the Meyer Werft shipyard today, completing a major construction milestone. The ship was greeted by thousands of visitors lining the shore to see the newest Disney Cruise Line ship, which features the first water coaster at sea and other cruise industry firsts designed to build upon Disney’s commitment to delivering unparalleled family cruises.
The “Float Out” is a special maritime event that celebrates the ship’s final stages of construction, where exteriors become complete and final touches are assigned to interiors. In true D1sney-style, the celebration was punctuated with a fireworks display and the appearance of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. The D1sney Dr3am is scheduled to sail its maiden voyage on January 26, 2011, from Port Canaveral, Fla.
“Today marks a monumental milestone and begins the first of the finishing touches for the D1sney Dr3am as we prepare to welcome guests aboard our newest ship,” said Karl Holz, president of D1sney Cruise Line. “Our guests are counting down to the maiden voyage, and in just 88 days, they will get to experience all that the D1sney Dr3am has to offer.”

Thursday, October 28, 2010

AquaDuck

I cannot show it to you but I can link to the official Disney webpage. This thing is so cool.

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/ships-activities/ships/dream/pools/aquaduck/

















Day 3 and I have only been up to deck 10 looked around from up top and went right back to the computer office.  It is real busy out here, we are working on getting systems up as fast as we can.  Crew are expected to board in the coming days.  The float out is Saturday so everyone is putting on the finishing touches.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Not what you want to see; I know

This is an Aida ship not the Dream. This one is in hall 1. Aida ships have this trademark lips on the bow




Please excuse brevity and typos as this message was composed on my mobile device.

Cold wet morning

The wind is blowing hard, luckily the rain just stopped. The loaner car has to be parked in the employee lot which is about a quarter mile walk to office.

My new coat and motley tube are working great.
Please excuse brevity and typos as this message was composed on my mobile device.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

This is Gumbo in Germany

Tonight we went to the Greek restaurant along the canal. I think it is called Olympia's.  On the door I see a sign that says Special Gumbo all you can eat.  When we order the waiter excitedly tells the special of the day being Gambos. I thought that sounds good. What they were saying and what was on the sign was Gambas which means Prawns in Spanish.  At least it was all you can eat.

Please excuse brevity and typos as this message was composed on my mobile device.

Car or bike?

Of course bike! I left Brian at the office tonight; he gave me an escort this morning to the yard. As I was heading back to the hotel via my rented two wheels I came across these two locals who were going my way.  Local law says bikes must be ridden with lights and the lights must be dynamo powered, meaning no batteries. 
Bikes also have the total right-of-way so you just keep moving through intersections. I stopped once at an intersection and traffic stopped in all directions until I moved through. Odd, odd feeling.

Please excuse brevity and typos as this message was composed on my mobile device.

Block mover

This machines moves large blocks that are built down river and brought up on barges. Large cranes drop the blocks on this machine which moves them around in the yard. This one has a driver between the front wheels practically on the ground sometimes the driver uses a remote control and walks around the mover.

Please excuse brevity and typos as this message was composed on my mobile device.

Rode a bike into the yard

Please excuse brevity and typos as this message was composed on my mobile device.

Breakfast in Papenburg

Could not sleep this morning, awoke around 4:20am so I wasted time reading the news online and then came down to breakfast. This will be my morning ritual until I move onboard.

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Please excuse brevity and typos as this message was composed on my mobile device.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Being driven from Dusseldorf to Papenburg

The yard sent a driver down to pick us up. Guenter is our driver and he is in a VW van with a 6speed tdi. It was hard to see but he had us going 150 kmh for awhile.
Weather is low 60s not cool at all. In my polo shirt and khakis I am warm.
The VP for my area is in town and is taking us out tonight at my favorite restaurant.



Please excuse brevity and typos as this message was composed on my mobile device.

Frankfurt Airport

This airport has the majority of planes sit on the tarmac and passengers get ferried around by long buses. After our ride to terminal we walked what seemed like forever, went through customs and then another complete security screening to get to our gate. Once at gate we boarded a bus like cattle and drove 15 minutes to our little 737 that will take us to Dusseldorf.We passed a A380, that thing is huge. The largest Airbus has two sets of windows down the complete side.  I guess it has a dual deck the complete length of the fuselage.

Life is all about change and I was put here to help manage it so onward I go. I am seeing emails about some itinerary changes coming up.

Please excuse brevity and typos as this message was composed on my mobile device.

Over Europe 7:15hrs from takeoff

In seat display
This is the 1st time I have taken this flight to Frankfurt from Orlando. It flew NE straight across the pond with a A330. After dinner I went straight to sleep and woke up with about an hour and half to go. Breakfast and 30 minutes on my laptop was all the productivity I could manage.
Left Orlando with 83degrees and Frankfurt is 48.



Please excuse brevity and typos as this message was composed on my mobile device.

Landing in frankfurt

Approach pictures



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Sunday, October 24, 2010

I off on my next trip to Papenburg Germany

Flying Lufthansa Airbus 330 to Frankfurt then to Dusseldorf.


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Friday, October 22, 2010

Family goes to Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Two days before I leave for awhile; we took the family to Universal Islands of Adventure to see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  Sally and I call this forced family fun or FFF.  Stephanie was like a ten year old giddy and happy as can be. It was quite an impressive theming of this section of the park. The Harry Potter ride was by far the BEST theme park ride in the United States.  There are no words to describe it, it was built on automotive robotic technology.  I was disappointed in the size of the section (it is NOT a separate park) and the operation.  Clearly the park was laid out from a visual perspective with a fixed size and no thought to guest flow. 

Stephanie in front of Hogwarts Express














Waiting in line to go into one of the stores, this one sold wands and scarves! The stores are attractions and have long lines to get in.


 The Castle is impressive towering over the park.  I read it is 15 stories tall.


The sorting hat; I should have taken a video. The hat was talking and telling the muggles where to go.















Train station and train were quite authentic.
This is the entrance.

Happy Stephanie leaving the park.

Please excuse brevity, quality and typos as this message was composed on my mobile device.

From our picasa web album