I’m glad the article has provoked such a spirited debate. Thanks for posting it Karen.

There’s not a reporter alive who doesn’t feel that a copy editor has butchered his story at one time or another. But in my opinion the story about Dag is just not up to New York Times standards, even for the Travel section. There were two questions about “Ship of Fools,” which came when Dag was 10, and one question about what he thought of Captain Stubbing. I don’t see how those questions and answers are important.

Political correctness aside, the captain of a cruise ship has to be concerned about how the public perceives his comments. Dag’s insinuation that we don’t have more Norwegian and British ship captains because their jobs are being taken by lower paid Italians is ill advised and an unjustified jab at Italians.

I’ve seen salaries drop in my industry too. But it’s because of the economy, a new business model and the need to make a profit; not because there are others who will take the jobs for less money.

Thanks. Tom.