Suggestions to Ancol Marina

Suggestions to Ancol Marina

We would like to express our most sincere appreciation to
Arthamara Wisata (Ancol Marina) and the staff at Bira Besar
island for a most relaxing and enjoyable Easter weekend.

However, as professionally run as the actual vacation was, the
trip to and from the island was an experience that left us as
less than satisfied customers.

Our comments and suggestions are as follows:

1) On arrival, the docks at Ancol Marina were under
construction, leaving holes large enough for a small child to
slip through, or for a customer to fall in and break a leg. Our
suggestion to the management of the Ancol Marina would be to
close a single dock and complete all work on that dock before
opening it to the paying public.

2) There are fuel lines laying exposed on the docks, and both
dock workers and customers are not prohibited from smoking on the
docks. As this clearly represents an explosion risk, smoking
should be prohibited in or around the dock area. "No Smoking"
signs need to be clearly posted and the rule enforced!

3) The "speed boats" were obviously overloaded, and only
insistence of the customers prevented the boats from leaving
under these dangerous conditions. Our request would be that the
boats have the capacity clearly posted, and that no boat be
allowed to leave with more than the legal capacity. Perhaps a
naval officer or port official should be charged with this
responsibility, and the captain of the boats be held strictly
responsible. (Perhaps losing their captain's license for
violations?)

4) On the return trip from the Thousand Islands to Jakarta,
the boat was supposed to land at Ancol Marina, but because of the
size of the ship, it was diverted to a different port. This
caused considerable frustration as people were trying to contact
their drivers to alert them to the change in arrival destination.
We are not sure who is responsible to organize the trips out and
back from the islands, but these kinds of snafus are an
indication that the management is not taking responsibility to
adequately organize and coordinate the efforts.

Our experiences in dealing with the staff was positive, yet
they clearly lacked the authority to make the changes the
customers were demanding. As long-term residents of Indonesia, we
are appalled at the seeming inability or unwillingness of the
management of Ancol Marina to put in place simple "common sense"
solutions that would turn the Thousand Island experience from one
of frustration and danger, into a world-class tourist
destination.

Reform is not just a "top down" process, but requires "bottom
up" changes. When is this going to happen at Ancol Marina?

PAUL D. GIAMMALVO

Jakarta