BIRTH OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEAR AT STRATFORD-UPON-AVON-- London

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford in 1564, was brought up and educated there and married a woman from the nearby hamlet of Shottery. Later he bought property in and around the town, including one of the largest houses, New Place. Following his death there, in 1616, he was buried in the parish church. Throughout his life, then, he remained in close touch with his native town, even though, at the height of his career, much of his time was spent in London. The Stratford he knew was certainly very different from today's - in size, smell, noise and general atmosphere. But in one respect it was the same, for Stratford, by the standards of the time, was busy, just as it is now, an essential feature of any successful town.

At the same time, it was a period of great change. The townscape was transformed during his lifetime as a result of three disastrous fires; there were near-famine conditions at the end of the century, reducing a third of the population to poverty; plague and other devastating epidemics were a constant threat; and religious differences could flare into physical violence.

Population

The population of Shakespeare's Stratford can only be roughly estimated, but in 1600 was certainly no more than 2,500 and was probably less. It was, however, growing around this time - from a figure perhaps as low as 1,600 in 1550 - due mainly to a drift from the countryside to the town, with all the problems this brought. Today some settlements with populations of over 2,000 still pass as villages. In 1600, such a population was evidence of an important market town.
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Street plan of Stratford-upon-Avon in Shakespeare's time

Layout

The shape of the Elizabethan town was, and still is, based on a grid pattern of streets laid out when Stratford was founded around 1200. The focal point was the present-day Wood Street/Bridge Street axis, along the line of the main road through the town. Much of this had originally been left as open space as a site for the town's market, but by Shakespeare's time, large sections had been filled in, including a row of buildings up the centre of Bridge Street. At the west end of Wood Street, then near the edge of the town, was another open space, which still survives, where the cattle market was held. Branching off from Bridge Street to the north west was a busy thoroughfare, Henley Street, where Shakespeare's father, John, set himself up as a glovemaker in the 1550s (in the house now preserved as Shakespeare's Birthplace), again on an important route out of town. High Street, to the south of the main road, was a main shopping area. Beyond that, in Sheep Street and Chapel Street, the atmosphere was quieter, and minor streets, like Ely Street, Scholars Lane and Waterside, were, for the most part, either undeveloped or lined with barns. Beyond that again were orchards and paddocks and then the open countryside.
The parish church of Holy Trinity stood (and still stands) somewhat apart from the town, marking the site of the original village. This had been left undisturbed when the new town had been laid out alongside it, but by Shakespeare's day had dwindled to a few large houses occupied by the town's leading gentry. The church itself had been rebuilt and added to over the years, reaching its full extent only fifty years or so before Shakespeare was born.

Fairs and Markets

In Shakespeare's time, the state of the roads meant that travel at more than walking pace, even for those fortunate to own a horse and cart, was rarely possible. Most country dwellers wishing to exchange their farm produce for items they could not make for themselves depended almost entirely on towns within a radius of five miles or so. As a result, places like Stratford, with populations which we would now regard as very small, had fairs and a weekly market and a whole range of shops and small businesses. Some dealt in food but there were also tailors, shoemakers, glovemakers (including Shakespeare's father), wheelwrights, carpenters, blacksmiths, tinsmiths and many more. Others, like vintners, mercers and drapers, dealt in goods brought into the town from more distant parts. On Thursday, market day, the town would have been exceptionally busy, with the main streets thronged with buyers and sellers. Some of the streets were named after the particular market held in them, Sheep Street, for example, and Rother Street (after the Old English word for cattle), or Corn Street (now Chapel Street) and Swine Street (now Ely Street). Shakespeare's grandfathers, Richard Shakespeare and Robert Arden, from the nearby villages of Snitterfield and Wilmcote, would have been typical of the many country-dwellers making their way to Stratford on market day.

Stratford was particularly well-placed to serve as a market centre, at an important crossing of the River Avon where several routes converged. The Avon also marked a division between contrasting regions, the open Feldon to the south, largely given over to the growing of crops, and the more wooded area, the Arden, to the north, where cattle farming was more common. Stratford's market was thus an obvious place for the exchange of the different types of produce from these two regions. In the 1490s, a wealthy Stratford townsman, Hugh Clopton, had made sure the routes to the south remained passable throughout the year by paying for the construction of the fine stone bridge that still spans the river.
Industry as we know it did not exist, but Stratford was famous for its malting - the roasting and grinding of grain, usually barley, for use in brewing. This was best carried out as near as possible to where the crops grew, as untreated grain was bulky and expensive to transport. The cereal-growing areas to the south of Stratford were particularly productive, hence the growth of the industry in the town: in one contemporary document Stratford is cited as 'one of the chieffest towns in England for malt-making'.
http://www.shakespeare.org.uk/content/view/13/13/&
Grammar School and Guild Chapel, 1864. Engraved view by Rock & Co., London.

Town Government

In 1553, Stratford was granted a Charter of Incorporation. This created a form of town council (the Corporation), made up of fourteen aldermen and fourteen chief burgesses, headed by a High Bailiff. They were given various properties in the town formerly belonging to the Guild of the Holy Cross. This was a medieval religious foundation which, until its abolition at the time of the Reformation, had also provided a school for the sons of its members and almshouses for the sick and infirm. These responsibilities passed, with the Guild property, to the new Corporation, together with the duties of paying the vicar's salary and maintaining the bridge. In this way the Corporation came to administer the grammar school, still standing in Church Street, where Shakespeare is believed to have received his education. The Corporation also made bye-laws to control the markets within the town and to prevent nuisances, with powers to fine people who broke them. The Corporation was not elected: the first aldermen were named in the charter, and they were given the job of nominating the chief burgesses. New members were chosen in the same way whenever vacancies occurred. Its membership came quickly to be made up of the principal tradesmen in the town, including Shakespeare's father, who was nominated to join the Corporation in 1557, rising to serve as High Bailiff in the year 1568/9.

The Church

http://www.shakespeare.org.uk/content/view/13/13/The Corporation was not the only body laying down rules and regulations about how the townspeople should behave. There was also an entirely separate church court, under the bishop, which investigated matters which today we should find surprising; not only, for example, failure to attend church, and the maintenance of the church fabric, but sorcery, libel, drunkenness, sexual offences, the licensing of physicians, surgeons and schoolmasters, and the making of wills. In Stratford, this was of particular significance: for two out of every three years, it was, by ancient right, the vicar of Stratford, not the bishop and his officials, who presided over this court.
This was also a time of religious upheaval. The English Reformation may have begun simply with the idea of securing independence from Rome, but it unleashed a flood of new ideas; and by the end of the century, Stratford, like all other communities, was beset by religious division. At one extreme were those who clung to the old Catholic faith and who were fined for it (including, it is believed, Shakespeare's father). They were also accused of treason whenever a national conspiracy was uncovered. At the other extreme were the Puritan reformers who wished to do away with bishops altogether and who saw the church courts as a means of carrying the Reformation into every aspect of people's lives, especially their sexual and social behaviour. But many others preferred to avoid taking up these conflicting positions. It is true that, in order to make its Protestant position clear, the Corporation ordered the defacement of the wall paintings in the Guild Chapel in 1564. Moreover, in 1602 and 1612, it passed bye-laws to restrict the activities of travelling players, and in 1605, much anti-Catholic fervour erupted when it was discovered that one of the Gunpowder Plotters had been living at nearby Clopton House. On the other hand, the demands of Puritan extremists, who sought to use the law to regulate private morals, eventually proved too much for the Corporation, leading, in the 1620s and '30s, to a serious quarrel with the vicar.
http://www.shakespeare.org.uk/content/view/13/13/Roxburghe Ballads (Hertford, 1880),III, 336" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #cccccc 1px solid" height=82 alt="Roxburghe Ballads" src="gallery2/d/1465-2/roxburgheballads.jpg" width=150 border=0
From Roxburghe Ballads (Hertford, 1880),III, 336

Epidemics

Elizabethans were well aware of the need for personal cleanliness but concentrations of people in towns presented problems. Water supplies, mainly wells and streams, could become contaminated, and the lack of a proper system to remove human and animal waste was a particularly acute problem at a time when livestock markets were held in the street and cattle slaughtered on the spot. The Corporation did what it could to tackle these problems: 'muckhills' were set up in locations where they were least likely to cause offence, and fines imposed on those who failed to use them: indeed, Shakespeare's father was one of these, fined in 1552 for making a muckheap near his house in Henley Street instead of using the authorised one at the out-of-town end of the street. Butchers were ordered not to throw their 'garbages' out into the street, but to carry them out of the town to 'some convenient place', and pigs left by their owners to roam the streets were impounded. Nevertheless, outbreaks of disease were common, with particularly serious results for children. In the 1560s, the decade when Shakespeare was born, only one in three children was likely to survive into adulthood. Shakespeare's own son, Hamnet, died at the age of eleven. Adults were also at risk from epidemics. The year 1558 was one of high mortality, with influenza apparently the cause. Far more devastating was an outbreak of bubonic plague in 1564, the year of Shakespeare's birth, which carried away around 15 per cent of the population, including entire households. An epidemic of a different type struck in 1597, second only in severity to that in the plague year. Its precise nature is unknown but it was linked to the disastrous weather conditions of the period 1594-97, when heavy summer rains destroyed the harvests, leaving the poor malnourished and prone to infectious disease.
This shortage of food in the 1590s led to serious riots in many large towns and protests in smaller ones, including Stratford. One measure the authorities took was to try to restrict the activities of the maltsters who were thought to be wasting what little grain there was in the production of beer rather than bread. Others were simply accused of hoarding grain and malt in an attempt to profit out of steeply-rising prices. In Stratford, this resulted in the 'Noate of corn and malt' of 1597 featuring Shakespeare's name (he was now the owner of New Place in Chapel Street) and those of some seventy-four other leading townsmen, some of whom were clearly in possession of more grain than they needed merely to feed their families.

Fires

Serious fires in 1594 and 1595 made this bad situation worse. At a time when fire-fighting equipment was virtually non-existent and buildings constructed of timber and thatch, town fires were a constant hazard. However, to suffer two in successive years, destroying at least 120 houses (perhaps as much as a quarter of the housing stock), at a time when the town was already experiencing general hardship, was particularly serious. The outbreak was blamed on shoddy backland development which had grown up to house the migrant poor who had drifted in. In petitions to the government, the Corporation talked of 700 paupers in the town, at least a third of the population. This is reflected in the soaring death rate in 1596 and 1597, and in the regulations, harsh to us but then commonplace in times of hardship, brought in by the Corporation in an effort to deal with the problem of the poor.

http://www.shakespeare.org.uk/content/view/13/13/The Woefull and Lamentable Wast and Spoile Done by a Suddaine Fire in St Edmonds-bury..., 1608" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #cccccc 1px solid" height=125 alt="From The Woefull and Lamentable Wast and Spoile Done by a Suddaine Fire in St Edmonds-bury..., 1608" src="gallery2/d/93-2/fires.gif" width=150 border=0
From The Woefull and Lamentable Wast and Spoile Done by a Suddaine Fire in St Edmonds-bury..., 1608
Vagrants were denied entry to the town, and newcomers driven out. Townspeople sheltering 'strangers and inmates' were fined and 'tippling houses' more closely regulated. The situation did not really improve for the rest of Shakespeare's lifetime: there was another serious epidemic in 1608, probably smallpox, a fire in 1614, and in 1616, the year of Shakespeare's death, a further outbreak of disease, probably typhus, the 'new fever' which Shakespeare's son-in-law, Dr John Hall, noted in his casebook the following year. On the other hand, there is no evidence that the town went into serious economic decline.
Many of Stratford's fine timber-framed buildings, including the richly-decorated Harvard House in High Street, date from immediately after the fires of 1594/95, telling evidence of the wealth of the town's leading tradesmen.

In Conclusion

Some accounts of Shakespeare's Stratford have been distorted by sentimental notions of a vanishing 'Merry England'. The problem with a more realistic approach is that we may just see conditions as primitive. Compared with today, of course, things were very different but they changed little over the next 250 years, until a rapidly rising population, by the middle of the nineteenth century, meant that more radical measures at last had to be taken to ensure clean water and to prevent devastating epidemics. Even then there were complaints about the cost, just as there are today whenever new civic schemes are proposed. In Stratford, as elsewhere, there has rarely been agreement over the exact point at which the consequences of doing nothing outweigh the cost of improvements; and such improvements have rarely been willingly undertaken unless the commercial well-being of the town has been under serious threat.
Further information about Stratford-upon-Avon in Shakespeare's time may be found in the following books and articles:
Bearman, Robert, ed., The History of an English Borough, Stratford-upon-Avon 1196-1996 (Stroud: Sutton for the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, 1997)
Brinkworth, E.C., Shakespeare and the Bawdy Court of Stratford (Chichester: Phillimore, 1972)
Jones, Jeanne, Family Life in Shakespeare's England: Stratford-upon-Avon 1570-1630 (Stroud: Sutton for the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, 1996)
Martin, J.M., 'A Warwickshire Market Town in Adversity: Stratford-upon-Avon in the 16th and 17th Centuries', Midland History, 7 (1982), 26-41
Porter, Stephen, 'Fires in Stratford-upon-Avon in the 16th and 17th Centuries', Warwickshire History, 3 (1976), 97-106
Savage, Richard, ed., The Registers of Stratford-upon-Avon: Baptisms 1558-1652; Burials 1558- 1652/3; Marriages 1558-1812, 3 vols (London: Parish Register Society, 1897-1905)
Stratford-upon-Avon Corporation, Minutes and Accounts of the Corporation of Stratford-upon- Avon, 1553-1598, 5 vols (Oxford: Dugdale Society, 1921-9; Hertford: Dugdale Society, 1990)

MY COLLECTION OF ENGLISH VIDEOS...

SHAPE OF MY HEART--BACKSTREET BOYS


PLEASE FORGIVE ME--BRIAN ADAMS


ADDICTED--ENRIQUE IGLESIAS


MAMMA IM COMING HOME--OZZY OSBOURNE


STUCK IN MY HEART--C21


CANDLE IN THE WIND--ELTON JOHN


HERE I AM--BRIAN ADAMS


TRUELY MADLY DEEPLY--SAVAGE GARDEN


LAST CHRISTMAS--SAVAGE GARDEN


MY HEART WILL GO ON--CELION DION

Some Pictures Related 2 My Career...

THE BRITISH AIRWAYS..

British Airways Boeing 747 G-BDXH seen in May 1980, some two years before aquiring the moniker "The Flying Ashtray"

British Airways Flight 9, sometimes referred to as the Jakarta incident was a scheduled British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Auckland, with stops in Mumbai, Chennai, Kuala Lumpur, Perth, and Melbourne.

On 24 June 1982, the route was flown by City of Edinburgh, a 747-236B registered G-BDXH. The aircraft flew into a cloud of volcanic ash thrown up by the eruption of Mount Galunggung, resulting in the failure of all four engines, although the reason for the failure was not then apparent to the crew or ground control. The aircraft was diverted to Jakarta in the hope that enough engines could be restarted to allow it to land there. The aircraft was able to glide far enough to exit the ash cloud, and all engines were restarted (although one failed again soon after), allowing the aircraft to land safely.

The first sign of anything amiss occurred shortly after 13:40 GMT (20:40 Jakarta time) above the Indian Ocean, south of Java, when Senior First Officer Roger Greaves and Senior Engineer Officer Barry Townley-Freeman noticed an effect on the windscreen similar to St. Elmo's fire, as if it were being hit by tracer bullets. The phenomenon persisted after Captain Eric Moody, who had left the cockpit to use the lavatory, returned. Despite seeing nothing on the weather radar, they switched on engine anti-ice and the passenger seat belt signs as a precaution.

In the passenger cabin, smoke started gathering in the air. At first it was assumed to be cigarette smoke (smoking was still permitted on flights in 1982), but as it grew thicker, alarm spread. Those looking out windows also noticed that the engines were unusually bright, as if they each had a headlight in them, shining forward through the fan blades and producing a stroboscopic effect.

At approximately 13:42 GMT (20:42 Jakarta time), engine four surged and then flamed out. The first officer and flight engineer immediately performed the engine shutdown drill, shutting off fuel and arming fire extinguishers as the Captain added some rudder to counter the uneven thrust. The passengers also spotted long yellow glows coming out of the remaining engines. Less than a minute after the first engine failed, engine two surged and flamed out. Before the flight crew could begin the engine failure drills, engines one and three shut down almost simultaneously. The flight engineer exclaimed, "I don't believe it – all four engines have failed!"

The 747 had now become a glider. A 747 can glide 15 kilometres for every kilometre it loses in height. Captain Moody calculated that, from its flight level of about 11,280 metres (37,000 ft), Flight 9 would be able to glide for 23 minutes and cover 261 kilometres (141 nm). At 13:44 GMT (20:44 Jakarta time), Moody told First Officer Greaves to declare an emergency to the local air traffic control authority, stating that all four engines had shut down, but Jakarta Area Control misunderstood the message, believing that only engine number four had shut down. It was only after a Garuda Indonesia flight relayed that the message got through.

The loss of power was immediately obvious to the passengers, and they reacted to it in many different ways. Some became resigned, while others wrote notes to their loved ones, such as Charles Capewell's "Ma. In trouble. Plane going down. Will do best for boys. We love you. Sorry. Pa XXX" scrawled on the cover of his ticket wallet. Some passengers cried out that they were going to die, and still others attempted to calm down the more panicky ones.

On the flight deck the crew attempted to contact Jakarta for radar assistance, but could not be seen by Jakarta, despite their transponder being set to 7700, the international "general emergency" code. Due to the high Indonesian mountains, an altitude of at least 11,500 ft was required to cross the coast safely. Captain Moody decided that, if the aircraft was unable to maintain altitude by the time they reached 12,000 ft, he would turn back out to sea and attempt to ditch. The crew began the engine restart drills, despite being well above the recommended maximum engine in-flight start envelope altitude of 28,000 ft, but they were unsuccessful.

Despite the lack of time, Captain Moody made an announcement that has been described as "a masterpiece of understatement"

“ Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. We have a small problem. All four engines have stopped. We are doing our damnedest to get them going again. I trust you are not in too much distress. ”

At 13,500 ft, the flight crew attempted one last engine restart procedure before turning for the ocean and the risky prospect of a ditching. Although there were guidelines, no one had ever tried it in a 747 – nor have they since. Number four engine started, and at 13:56 GMT (20:56 Jakarta time), Captain Moody used its power to reduce the rate of descent. Shortly thereafter, engine three restarted, followed shortly by engines one and two. The engines were able to restart because one generator was still operating, thus allowing ignition of the engines. The crew were amazed at their change of fortune, and requested an increase in altitude to 15,000 feet to clear the high mountains.

As the aircraft approached its target altitude, the tracer effect on the windscreen returned. Captain Moody throttled back, but it was too late: number two engine surged again, and had to be shut down. The crew immediately descended to 12,000 ft.

At last Flight 9 approached Jakarta. Despite reports of good visibility, the crew found it difficult to see anything through the windscreen, and had to make the approach almost entirely on instruments, despite the glideslope of the ILS being inoperative. It was, in the words of Captain Moody, "a bit like negotiating one's way up a badger's arse". Although the runway lights could be made out through a small strip of the windscreen, the landing lights seemed to be inoperable. After landing, the flight crew then found it impossible to taxi, as glare from apron floodlights made the windscreen opaque, and City of Edinburgh had to wait for a tug to tow her in.

It was found that City of Edinburgh's problems had been caused by flying through a cloud of volcanic ash from the eruption of Mount Galunggung. Because the ash cloud was dry, it did not show up on the weather radar, which is designed to pick up the drops of moisture that form clouds. The cloud sandblasted the windscreen and landing light covers, as well as clogging the engines. Engines one, two and three were replaced at Jakarta, as well as the windscreen, and the fuel tanks were cleared of the ash that had entered them through the pressurisation ducts, contaminating the fuel and requiring that it be disposed of. After being ferried back to London, engine number four was replaced and major work was undertaken to return the aircraft to service, where some crews nicknamed it "the flying ashtray". G-BDXH also entered the Guinness Book of Records as the longest glide in a non-purpose-built aircraft, until it was replaced by the Air Transat Flight 236 incident.

Although the airspace around Mount Galunggung was closed temporarily after the accident, it was re-opened days later. It was only after a Singapore Airlines 747 was forced to shut down three of its engines while flying through the same area nineteen days later, that Indonesian authorities closed the airspace permanently and re-routed airways to avoid the area, and a watch was set up to monitor clouds of ash.

The crew received various awards, including Her Majesty The Queen's Commendations for Valuable Service in the Air and medals from the British Air Line Pilots Association. Following the incident, the crew and passengers formed the Galunggung Gliding Club as a means to keep in contact.

One of the passengers, Betty Tootell, wrote a book about the incident, All Four Engines Have Failed. She managed to trace some 200 of the 247 passengers on the flight, and went on to marry a fellow survivor, James Ferguson, who had been seated in the row in front of her. She notes: "The 28th December 2006 marks the start of our 14th year of honeymoon, and on the 24th June 2007 many passengers and crew will no doubt gather to celebrate the 25th anniversary of our mid-air adventure."

Today, British Airways operates Flight 9 from London Heathrow to Bangkok and Sydney. City of Edinburgh, later renamed City of Elgin, continued to fly for British Airways, before being sold to European Aviation Air Charter. The last known location of the plane (by this time partially dismantled) was at Bournemouth International Airport in early 2007.

STAR CRUISES LIFE HISTORY....

Star Cruises is the biggest Asian based cruise line and one of the fastest-growing in the world. Starting with two cruise ships in 1993, the company owns ten ships at the moment. The Star fleet consist of three distinct brands: Star, SuperStar and MegaStar. The cruise line has bought many cruise ships from other cruise lines (the former Sun Viking from Royal Caribbean, the former Golden Princess from Princess Cruises and even the former Baltic ferries Athena and Kalypso. Star Cruises has also purchased the luxury cruise ship Europa from Germany's Hapag-Lloyd with plans to convert it to the most luxurious ship cruising in Asian waters. Star Cruises, the third largest cruise line in the world is a global cruise brand presently operating a combined fleet of 20 cruise ships with over 26,000 lower berths, with cruises to destinations and islands in Asia-Pacific, North and South America, Hawaii, Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, Mediterranean, Bermuda and the Antarctica under the Star Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Orient Lines & Cruise Ferries brands. The Pride of America - the first of the two Project America cruise ships - is presently under completion at the Lloyd Werft shipyard in Germany. The 81,000-grt and 2,100 lower berth cruise ship is expected to commence Hawaii inter-island cruising next year with a "Best of America" theme. The second Project America cruise ship, which is currently sailing as Norwegian Sky will be renamed Pride of Aloha and will reflect a strong Hawaiian theme which will be accomplished after a refurbishment in September 2004. Both cruise ships will sail under NCL's new US-flag brand - NCL America (sm). Star Cruises is represented in more than 20 locations worldwide with offices in Australia, New Zealand, China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Norway, Philippines, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom and the United States of America.
Star Cruises development highlights:
- 1993, introducing leisure cruising in Asia;
- 1994, developing the fly-cruise concept for short break-style vacations;
- 1997, winning the first of 6 consecutive annual awards for Best Cruise Operator in Asia-Pacific by TTG Asia from 1997 to 2002;
- 1998, maximising the Freestyle Cruising potential in Asia and, through NCL, to the US and Pacific in 2001;
- 1998 established, with FORCE Technology - DMI (formerly Danish Maritime Institute), a joint venture to operate a world-class ship simulator in Port Klang, Malaysia;
- 1999, opening up Vietnam and China to the international cruising community;
- 2000, acquiring Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) to become the world's first truly global cruise line and its third-largest.
Star Cruises, the third largest cruise operator in the world is a global cruise brand with a combined fleet of 22 ships in service and due to be delivered with about 35,000 lower berths, cruising to destinations and islands in Asia-Pacific, North and South America, Hawaii, Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, Mediterranean, Bermuda and the Antarctica under the Star Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, NCL America, Orient Lines and Cruise Ferries brands.The cruise ships operating under the Star Cruises' brand in Asia-Pacific are SuperStar Virgo, SuperStar Gemini, SuperStar Libra, Star Pisces, MegaStar Aries and MegaStar Taurus. The NCL group has a fleet of sixteen cruise ships in service and due to be delivered under three brands: Norwegian Cruise Line, NCL America and Orient Lines.
The NCL fleet includes the Norwegian Dream, Norwegian Majesty, Norwegian Wind, Norwegian Sun, Norwegian Dawn, Norwegian Star, Norwegian Crown, Norwegian Spirit and Norwegian Jewel . Two newbuilds, yet unnamed, are due to be delivered by 2007.
NCL America currently operates the Pride of Aloha and Pride of America, which will subsequently be joined by the Pride of Hawaii in April 2006. Orient Lines is an award-winning single ship line with the Marco Polo offering niche destination-focused cruises.
Both NCL and Orient Lines market primarily in North America but also extensively in the UK , Europe , South America and Asia whilst NCL America offers inter island cruises in Hawaii.
The Cruise Ferries brand, which was launched in 2001 presently, comprises the m.v. Wasa Queen.
On the employment side, it is a very good idea to try to secure a job position with this fast growing cruise line. They are offering salaries, which are sometimes higher than mainstream U.S. based cruise lines, working conditions are great and for many people the idea of working in the Orient and the Far East will be quite appealing.
FLEET AND ITINERARIES:

Superstar Libra: Panama registered, built 1999, 42.000 gross tons, 1.480 passengers, 700 crew members.
Itineraries: Arabian Sea, India (out of Mumbai).

Superstar Virgo: Panama registered, built 1999, 77.000 gross tons, 2.800 passengers, 1.300 crew members.
Itineraries: Singapore/Malaysia/Thailand (out of Singapore).

Superstar Gemini: Panama registered, renovated 1995,
19.000 gross tons, 1000 passengers, 300 crew members.
Itineraries: Singapore/Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong (out of Singapore).

Star Pisces: Bahamas registered, built 1990, renovated 1994,
40.000 gross tons, 2.200 passengers, 740 crew members.
Itineraries: Hong Kong/China (out of Hong Kong).

Mega Star Taurus: Bahamas registered, built 1991, renovated 1996,
3.300 gross tons, 72 passengers, 28 crew members.
Itineraries: Southeast Asia.

Mega Star Aries: Bahamas registered, built 1991, renovated 1996,
3.300 gross tons, 72 passengers, 28 crew members.
Itineraries: Southeast Asia.

In the World of Shipping Industry...

SUPERSTAR LIBRA – THE COMPLETE HOLIDAY DESTINATION
Over the last few years, increasingly not just business families but regular Indians are looking at cruises for their holidays. A decade ago, TCI introduced cruising to Indians when it started promoting various cruise vessels. Last year alone over a hundred thousand Indians went cruising. Spurred by the increasing demand of cruising amongst Indians, the SuperStar Libra sails in for another reason of exciting holiday to Mumbai. SuperStar Libra is a part of Asia’s largest cruise operator – Star Cruises, a pioneer in world-class free style cruising.
The SuperStar Libra offers more than just a cruise – a refuge from busy city life, a place to reawaken lost spirits and just a place to have a good time. With every deck packed with endless fun, entertainment and activities, the SuperStar Libra never seems to have a dull moment.
A floating resort, the SuperStar Libra is an easy holiday option to explore exotic destinations while getting drenched with the facilities and amenities offered by the world-class luxury liner. Free style cruising combines the excitement of travels with the flexibility and relaxed lifestyle of a fine resort. In short, it is a perfect vacation. The ship is designed to meet the changing needs of today’s passengers challenging the conventional model of cruising by providing a more relaxed resort style cruising complete with flexibility and non-intrusive services of the highest standards.
DELUXE ACCOMMODATION

SuperStar Libra offers a range of suites and staterooms to suit all tastes and budgets. The cabins are tastefully furnished with a range of services and amenities. Whichever you choose, you are assured of a deluxe, well appointed retreat.
THE FINEST DINING

Treat yourself to fine cuisine. You’ll love dining onboard at your excellent Indian and international restaurants that serve expertly prepared cuisine. The ship hosts a variety of restaurants and bars on board and has been well adapted to gratify the eating requirements of the Indian palate. SuperStar Libra hosts The Saffron which is one of the only restaurants on any cruise liner to serve Indian vegetarian and Jain Food. The Indian vegetarian and non-vegetarian cuisine are also served buffet style at The Taj by the Bay. Other delightful retreats for the taste buds include: Four Seasons Restaurant – the Continental Dining Restaurant, BlueLagoon-the 24-hour Refreshments and Snacks Outlet, Two Trees Restaurant – the Steak House, Coconut Willy’s – the Poolside Bar, Pool – Bar the Drinks and Cocktails Bar, and Lickety Splits – the Ice-Cream Bar.
REJUVENATING RECREATION

Star Cruises has a variety of fitness programmes to meet your needs, from extensive cardiovascular workouts aerobics to aqua sports, to help you maintain your fitness while on board. There is even a golf driving range to help you with your swing.
If you are not that athletic, Star Cruises’ pampering spa facilities offer a range of services from relaxing messages to facial treatments that will ensure you return to shore fully invigorated. Or simply soak in the sparkling swimming pool and Jacuzzi or enjoy the gentle breeze in the comfort of a deck chair.
WORLD-CLASS ENTERTAINMENT
Great entertainment awaits the vacationers at SuperStar Libra’s world-class lounges. The Bollywood (Open-style Karaoke Lounge), Boomer’s (Discotheque), Galaxy of the Stars (Cocktails and Pre-dinner Lounge) and Stardust Lounge (Show Lounge) ensure an unforgettable experience. SuperStar Libra offers an array of entertainment facilities and activities for all age groups like onboard shopping at Ports O’Call for the shoppers, Hair Dressing and Beauty Salon services for the beauty – conscious, and Playroom and Video Games Parlour for the children. The entertainment has been designed to give the ship an international flavor, which makes it a complete experience.
EXOTIC DESTINATIONS
KADMAT ISLAND, LAKSHADWEEP

Lakshadweep, practically unexplored segment, is an extension to the heavens on earth with the sun kissed beaches, lined by an unbroken line of creamy sand and crystal clear waters. The tranquility of the surrounding is predominant for miles at stretch, disturbed only by the waves crashing on the shores and quixotic moves of dolphins. Lakshadweep, the world’s most spectacular and remote island, located 220-440 kms of the Malabar Coast, serves as an ideal destination for holiday makers looking for a quiet, relaxing and indeed romantic time.
GOA

Goa – mention the name and a flood of sensual delights rush through the mind’s eye. Endless beaches with white sand, fringed with coconut palms. Shacks along the ocean edge that serve mouthwatering sea food delicacies along with the ubiquitous drink. Goa, a unique blend of western mores and Indian tradition, is a perfect place for party animals as celebration and festivity is at the heart of living here.

ALL INCLUSIVE PACKAGE
All-inclusive packages from SuperStar Libra offers not only the stay onboard but also 4 meals per day in a variety of restaurants including Indian vegetarian and Jain food. It also includes access to swimming pool, gymnasium, Jacuzzi, sports deck etc. World-Class entertainment shows and other fun frolics also included in the package.
SuperStar Libra is a 42000 gross tonnage ship with a length of 216m/713ft. and with of 28m/93ft. with a maximum cruising speed of 22 knots. It has a passenger capacity of 1,480 (based on lower berth) and consists of 740 cabins.
STAR CRUISES – A VISION FULFILLED
Star Cruises was incorporated in September 1993, representing a bold initiative to tap Asia-Pacific’s potential as an international cruise destination. Within 12 years of its inception, it has achieved global recognitions with a combined fleet of 22 ships in service and become the undisputed leader in Asia.
Today, Star Cruises epitomizes the fulfilment of regional aspirations to establish the cruise industry in the Asia – Pacific region, bringing increased tourism traffic into the countries around Asia-Pacific. Asian holidaymakers now see cruising as an exciting and value-for-money vacation. Simultaneously, it also started the influx of travelers from North America, Europe and Australia, who joined Star Cruises holidays for a glimpse of the various sights and sounds of Asia-Pacific. In just over a decade since its inception, Star Cruises has become the world’s third largest cruise operator and has won several coveted awards. Now with SuperStar Libra, it’s become the pioneer in cruising industry in India.

About My Career.......

heyyyy... my ambitious is travelling freely throughout the world & i want 2 tell u all that my career is much interesting than others...

WHERE I WANT MY LIFE TO BE... In the Aviation Industry..... About my Life in an Airlines Group: This is dream that i want to become a successful Flight Steward in any of the airlines such as INDIAN AIRLINES,JET AIRWAYS,
KINGFISHER AIRLINES & many more.... My wish is to join in here long after my first visit in an aircraft.. It's a huge experience for me, flying on the sky, clouds are moving around & there's also Sun's rays is entering in an aircraft... I feel myself that I'm sitting at the middle of the sky chatting wid my friends as i normally do at home.. but flying on the sky is very interesting & enjoyful that people visit again & again 2 gain their experiences on air but one thing I must say that those people who loves 2 live in the sky must they work hard to achieve their goal.. & after that when they all settled for their future they come & lived happily on land without facing any difficulties.. So, I must say that those people who likes 2 join here at Aviation Academy may read the message that is stated below & you may find that how people enjoy their lives.... SO, ITS MY WORDS THAT I SPEAK GIVING MY FULL KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCES ABOUT FLYING AT SKY....


SHORT BRIEF WHY PEOPLE JOIN AVIATION INDUSTRY
With extensive globalization the Aviation sector has opened its arms to all sections of people. The rapid growth in the industry with the coming of new airlines like Kingfisher, Jet, Alliance AIr, Go Air, Indigo has led to extensive growth in the job sector.

Since more people now travel by air, there is a huge requirement of trained Cabin Crew and ground personnel.

It is a highly glamorous profession with high salary package.

Keeping in mind the demands and standards of aviation sectors & they began its pioneering journey of excellence with the sole aim of providing the youth of today's with meaningful and practical vocational training in the key sectors.

These airlines promises to leave no stone unturned for its student. Every part of training is taken care by the best in the Industry.