Flower Garden trips CANCELLED

[netmage]

Very easily. They had a contract with paying customers.

I hope they manage to stay in business AFTER sucking on the government teat, because I'm sure there are a LOT of regular customers who will never call them again after this. IF things were bad for them before, they will be even worse in the future.

I've been biting my tongue for a week now and am getting rather disgusted reading some of these posts

I would like to thank the selfish divers who have identified themselves with their self-righteous, inconsiderate and foolish remarks. May your tanks get short fills. Hopefully I can avoid you and those like you on charters and surface intervals

For those who said they'd never book again, I hope you keep your word (is that selfish of me?) :mooner:

If I had the opportunity to quadruple my income, I'd take it, especially if my current endeavor wasn't that profitable. I don't see that as greed, but a good business decision to ensure survival.

It is so selfish to honor a promise....?


I looked at doing a FG trip, as an out of towner, its really a non-starter. The odds of sitting at a dock being blown out are simply too high as a travel destination.

The location is a niche, and all you locals are simply taking it on the chin for one very simple reason; they are the only game in town, they know it, you know it, and they got you by the short hairs every time....

 

[Guba]

It is so selfish to honor a promise....?


I looked at doing a FG trip, as an out of towner, its really a non-starter. The odds of sitting at a dock being blown out are simply too high as a travel destination.

The location is a niche, and all you locals are simply taking it on the chin for one very simple reason; they are the only game in town, they know it, you know it, and they got you by the short hairs every time....

Well, they may be the "only game in town" for getting to the FG, but they aren't my only (or most convenient) option for ocean diving. I live in Texas, but it's an 8 hour drive from my driveway to the dock of the Fling. In that time (and only a little more expensively) I can get to Cozumel, Roatan, and Belize, yet I've gone with the FG numerous times. I just like the place and its unique features and dive opportuntities.

Would it be nice to have other operators servicing the FG? Sure, but look at our economic times and their effects on MANY tourist and sport destinations (skiing, amusement parks, etc...) and one begins to see what's happening.

I've watched the Fling folks make some pretty extraordinary decisions IN THE CUSTOMER'S direction, and they did so cheerfully and with very little fanfare or more than a simple "thanks". For example, I witnessed them taking out a very marginally loaded boat upon which they couldn't have made much on that trip at all, and another time we headed out and met six-to-eight foot seas head on. That kind of trip is hard on vessels and equipment. I also went out with them straight into the teeth of Hurricane Dolly when prudence dictated we should have stayed in port.

They may be taking heat for their decision this time, but it's hard for me to condemn them when I've repeatedly seen them operate very honorably and generously in so many other instances.

Now, who wants to go dive?!

 

[tripntx]

This thread is all about people with the me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me only mentality who do not care about the fact this small business has decided to contribute their services to help with a very bad disaster in our gulf. It's just sad so many people can not see a larger picture and only see the simple fact of a lost dive.

Really waiting for all the nay sayers to place a boat in Freeport catering to FG trips with prices equal to or less than current Fling cost, with all the trip offerings the Fling normally offers. Because if y'all boycott the Fling, and cause them to fold, then no one else will be around here permanetly to offer all the chances to dive the FG that we normally are offered.

Of course the Spree will occassionally travel to Texas for limited FG trips, but I'm sure business is much better out of Key West than it is here, so their offerings will be few and far between.

Disappointed your trip was cancelled, I can understand. Flaming and hoping to bankrupt a company for taking a chance to make their financial standing secure so they can continue to cater to FG divers in the future because you missed a dive is childish and selfish.

 

[redacted]

This thread is all about people with the me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me only mentality who do not care about the fact this small business has decided to contribute their services to help with a very bad disaster in our gulf. It's just sad so many people can not see a larger picture and only see the simple fact of a lost dive.

Really waiting for all the nay sayers to place a boat in Freeport catering to FG trips with prices equal to or less than current Fling cost, with all the trip offerings the Fling normally offers. Because if y'all boycott the Fling, and cause them to fold, then no one else will be around here permanetly to offer all the chances to dive the FG that we normally are offered.

Of course the Spree will occassionally travel to Texas for limited FG trips, but I'm sure business is much better out of Key West than it is here, so their offerings will be few and far between.

Disappointed your trip was cancelled, I can understand. Flaming and hoping to bankrupt a company for taking a chance to make their financial standing secure so they can continue to cater to FG divers in the future because you missed a dive is childish and selfish.

That is BS. I don't blame Ken and Sharon for seizing the opportunity but this is about an opportunity to make more $$$ working on the cleanup than they could have reasonably expected to make running FGB trips.

My real concern is that they will not be back next year.

 

[SailNaked]

I support the Fling and any other tug boat, fishing boat or punt that wants to help stop the end of the world I cant say that this oil spill will end life on the planet but it is certainly possible. if they are using q-tips to clean the muck of of turtles I support them. whatever can be done should be done this is a freaking disaster. maybe yall up north can discuss your poor lot in life not being able to take your dive vacation but those of us that may be walking about in a foot of oil sludge in our houses as soon as a hurricane shows up in a month or two are very happy that the fling is doing anything at all to help in this. I personally would be happy to support the fling later, now and any time a mariner does what is right to support the greater good.

 

[kpickerell]

well I know it sucks to have your trip canceled....

but it could have been worse....


You could have booked with Nekton and paid your money and gotten your trip canceled and No Refund....

Thanks for saying it best. I'm one of those. They got my group for over $10k. The whining folks that got cancelled on the Fling (and got, or will get, refunds) have no idea what a nightmare we've been through with Nekton. Read those threads, then tell me you have something to complain about! Yeah, your trip got cancelled. Put on your big boy panties, deal with it, and move on to Plan B.

 

[TwoBitTxn]

Two or ten or the small handful of divers here isn't going to bankrupt the Fling any more than they could keep the boat running year end and year out.

I support Ken and Sharon and the decision they made and I understand why they made it. I'll remember my trips to the gardens when there isn't a boat willing or able to make that run and keep a roof over the owners head on dry land. I'm afraid those days will come sooner than later.

So many of you who are whining have NO idea what it takes to keep East bank, West bank, and Stetson maintained. I didn't say all, but many.

When did it become wrong to run a business for the purpose of earning a living in this country?

TwoBit

 

[rakpix]

...agreed! The FLING gamble being, as they have the FG liveaboard monopoly (realistically), when 2011 arrives, there will be enough loyal (or desperate) FG fans who will tolerate the 2010 abuse, put it aside, and just want to go diving, while they still can, in FG. I don't know if FLING's gamble will pay off...it won't surprise me if I'm one of those divers who likely WILL be giving them another try in 2011, as there really aren't many options for us FG fans....much as some of us might like to teach FLING a lesson, who wants to 'cut off our noses to spite our faces' ?

thats not what a boycott would do. it would only take one year, one fiscal cycle, one tax season, to seriously stress the financial reserves of the operators. if every trip they plan from ... lets say october till may 2011 is less than half-full, they will likely approach the summer dive season of 2011 with a single, nearly impossible revenue target. if they don't meet it (i already know i'm not going to reserve anything through them) then they will hopefully sell the boat!

 

[rakpix]

This is why you can't understand our displeasure. You refuse to see it as a business. Business seeks out customers, and fosters a feeling value in those customers. That is how EVERY business, survives, grows and thrives. The fling just" flipped off" thier customers because more money was available elsewhere.

Lets look at this from other business perspectives.....

You and your family plan a trip. After researching, and booking the trip, you schedule your vactions away from work. You wife (or any significant other) takes thier vacation. Then, one day the hotel you were booked at says, "sorry, someone offered us more money for your room, we gave it to them." You can't find vacancies at any other area hotel. Your vacation is ruined by the greed of the hotel. Now, you can't give back the vacation days, you have to use them.

Will you have anything positive to say about this hotel? Will you ever book through this hotel again? There is no difference between this and the fling.

the bp fiasco provided the incentive for their actions. it demanded nothing. at the same time, i don't fault any company for being "greedy." greed & scarcity make the world go round. but their decision must have a long term impact on the viability of the fling through 2011. if its true that the spree will run trips at the end of the summer, than they're the ones i want to deal with in the future.

 

[rakpix]

But to extend your hypothetical analogy one step further (and maybe even make it more accurate), let's say that the hotel is a struggling establishment, and you were one of the few patrons for that week's stay. The hotel that canceled your reservations did so when the govt leased the entire facility to provide shelter to the victims of a massive flood. These people have lost their homes and livelihoods, and the hotel was contracted by the govt to give them a place to live until the emergency was over.

Now do you completely fault the hotel management?

yes. completely (not being sarcastic). there is no one ELSE to fault. of course, in this analogy, the hotel had the obvious choice of filling their remaining rooms with refugees on the gov't dime. the fling has no such option, they can't cruise back to freeport every weekend to pick up divers .... AND THAT IS EVERY BIT A REASON TO MAINTAIN THEIR FIRST COMMITMENTS. NOT THE OPPOSITE!

if i was told by a hotel that my 'honeymoon suite' had been sold to uncle sam for $XXX more, 1) the better business bureau would get a nasty complaint 2) i would never reserve a room at that hotel again. if EVERY SINGLE patron of that hotel, that weekend had been similarly displaced and reacted similarly, 1) the better business bureau would be auditing the hotel 2) the hotel would lose a sizable chunk of repeat business.