Adventure cruises in rough seas require a different kind of precaution
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Regarding “Off to Adventure” by Rosemary McClure (Jan. 28): When considering a cruise aboard a small ship, find out if it has some kind of counterbalance or stabilizer system, especially when sailing in rough seas.
Medication can help relieve some seasickness, but just walking around can be dangerous. As the ship lurches in all directions, heavy doors can slam on your hand or fingers, and it’s easy to fall.
On a recent cruise I took in the seas around Antarctica aboard a 279-foot ship that had 85 to 90 passengers, a woman fell down the stairs and suffered multiple fractures.
We had to sail two days to get to an airstrip where she could be evacuated. I almost flipped over the bar at one point, and my back got slammed against the wall next to my bed.
Walking on deck in rough seas is forbidden, and educational presentations are canceled. This is not fun.
Randy Kahn
Calabasas
Dangerous act?
I realize that article in Departure Points was written by a high-school student with good intentions (“Go Ahead, Take That Step,” Jan. 21). Nevertheless, it encourages a dangerous scenario known to every experienced hiker: hiking alone or with strangers you meet in the wilderness. Although the author gives lip service to “danger that lurks in the wilderness... and playing it safe,” she encourages leaving your hiking companions (in this case, her parents), going off by yourself and trusting people you do not know. Believe me, as a life-long hiker all over the world, this is a recipe for disaster, particularly for a young person. Her naivete is understood, but your publication encourages a dangerous act.
Michael Miller
Los Angeles
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