Dream Cruises
loses liquor license

Hearings revealed that
minors had been allowed
to buy beer while aboard
the American Dream

By Mary Adamski
Star-Bulletin

The cruises will continue, but there will be no more booze served aboard Dream Cruises boat tours from Kewalo Basin.

The Honolulu Liquor Commission revoked the license of the company after hearing testimony from about five underaged people drinking aboard the American Dream, one of two boats operated by the company.

Commissioners voted 3-1 for revocation yesterday, the second day of a hearing on citations for selling alcohol to people under 21 on March 27 and June 18.

The cruise company's attorney said Dream Cruises may appeal the decision to Circuit Court.

"We disagree with the factual findings," said attorney Charles Brower.

He told the commissioners the company "has made a good faith effort to comply" with the law.

General Manager Frank Alexich stressed that the two incidents liquor investigators found of underaged drinkers aboard occurred during cruises chartered by Bruce Knecht, who sold Endless Summer cruises in Waikiki. He said Knecht chartered the boat about 15 times during the year.

"I had conversations with Bruce Knecht that tickets should not be advertised as a way for underaged people to get alcohol," Alexich said.

After liquor investigators cited his company for a second illegal sale to minors, Alexich said, he decided there might be an intention "to circumvent our efforts to follow the law and I terminated our relationship with Knecht."

Alexich said the Endless Summer charters were a very small percentage of the business, which each year takes about 120,000 customers on whale- and dolphin-watching and sunset cruises.

American Dream crew members testified about policies for checking identification and the practice of attaching a wrist band on everyone eligible to drink. The Endless Summers cruise marketing operation would transport bus loads of customers to Kewalo Basin already wearing wristbands.

"On many occasions, crew members will cut the wristbands off people after checking IDs," said American Dream Captain James Blakey.

Schofield Barracks soldier Casey Rocco, 19, told about buying a beer without being asked for identification on March 27.

Liquor investigators Samuel Ho and Charles Wiggins described watching a California couple Daniel Hiltebrand, 19, and Lani Ann Ellis, 18, share a can of beer on June 18. The investigators testified last week about citing two other 18-year-olds for alcohol consumption.

Commissioners approved $1,000 fines on each of three March 27 sale and consumption charges. They voted for revocation after finding Dream Cruises guilty on two June 18 charges. They also levied a $250 fine for having an unregistered employee and $100 for failure to post the liquor license in plain view.