Howdy, whew, the weather out here is chilly. We're to get 7 degrees above zero on Sunday. I'm telling you that is cold for southern Indiana.
It looks like to me that the Delta Queen and her sisters are adjusting to a new company. Usually, when someone purchases a new company they adjust and then after a time being they make more adjustments. I'm not privy to company information, but after seeing some outsourcing it appears to me that V-ships was watch the daily operations, which can nick you in many costs and expenses. Plus, now, outsourcing with other crusing needs makes sense. These folks, Ambassadors International, Inc., may know their market best on the west coast. Folks, we aren't the west coast. We are a completely different market. The Ambassadors International folks may be trying to find their way into this Middle of America market, or may want to keep concentrating on what they know best and then to keep the MAL boats floating to cater to those folks when they can or how they can. I'm not privy to their innerworkings.
Companies have to run their businesses how they need to. Everyday, a business person has a lot of folks that will tell you how to run YOUR business. It happens to all business owners. You have to believe in your system, but listen to others just incase there is something you can use in your business. When someone purchases another business you have to see what is there that wasn't disclosed or what problems you run into that maybe that other company did or didn't have. Every new business owner has to have an 'adjustment time'. Even politicians run into that when they first get into office. Some figure things out and then some politicians just don't get it. We've all seen that over the years.
I'm sure that Ambassadors International, Inc., is doing what it can to run as best of a profitable business as they can to stay in the market for this part of the country. That is only my opinion. Again, out west that is their meat and potatoes.
So, I'd say that these recent moves they've made is just finding the best options that they can and in the right amount of time to make those adjustments correct. We'll all see, even them, in time. It is just a part of doing business. I always find it so odd that folks that don't own businesses comment about something you've not ever done before. I've been on both sides of the fence, I like owning far better than working for someone else who may not have the 'best' ideas for a project. But, that is what I like. Hope MAL can find its way, hope the Delta Queen has the best position it can have for a successful year, and hope that River boats survive in an often odd marketplace that none of us can guess at any time. Mary
