cruisingabes

We took this lovely ship 6/99- it as a super cheap Apple Vacations charter out of Phila, PA. Paid $458 total for 2 on a weekend trip called "American Heritage"- from Philly on Friday nite to NYC (past WTC towers), turned around and headed back. i fugured, how bad could it be? It is a cruise, right? I LOVED this ship- much prefer the small, old, intimate ships of yesteryear. I did not want to leave. I have read her history and actually met a man on our sailing that travelled on it as a troop ship during the war (want to say 1942 or 1943)- he shared lots and lots of stories with my husband who loves "war stories"- an interesting fellow. The only ONLY issue I had was the pax aboard the sailing. Definatly not your HAL crowd- they were all drunk, loud, loud, and louder. The draw of a cheap cruise, urban departure city, and no days off work required made for an interesting mix of folk. It should have been marketed as a weekend cruise to nowhere drunkfest as there were no "ports" to get off at- but I walked the decks of that ship forever, absorbing all of the history and class that it had to offer. It was awesome. I am surprised to hear that she is still sailing in the US. We are booked on the Carnival Legend in June, but I will definately look into checking her out again in the winter. Even if she is turning into a Greyhound- if I appreciated her as I did in Philly in 1999- I can suffer thru another try from FL!

Thanks for the memories!

I recall going to the NY harbor for a bon voyage party aboard what I think was the Oceanic. My aunt and Grandparents were sailing and back then- we were allowed to go aboard, go to the cabins, throw those coiled streamers off the deck and leave before sailing.

It must have been the late 70's and I was about 8 or 9 years old. It was docked in NYC and I remember walking down the stairs to my aunts cabin and there was an indoor pool right off the stairs- surrounded by frosted, steamy glass that had mermaids and seaweed pictures on them. It was the first time I was ever on a ship. I also remember thinking how easy it would be to hide in one of the lifeboats and suprise my grandparents at dinner that night. Logistics aside, it was a fun fantasy.

Could this ship I recall the Oceanic? I remember for years looking through photo albums of my aunts and grandparents and there were a few sailings documented- the Stattendam, the Rotterdam, the Homeric etc. Maybe they were all grande dames of the sea but the indoor pool just amazed me as a child. I will need to check with my aunt as both grandparents are no longer living. Can anyone tell me if the Oceanic had an indoor pool below decks?

Thanks.

Good to see this thread active again.

My husband and I booked a 5 day Mexican Caribbean cruise on the Britanis to celebrate our 1 year wedding anniversary in March 1992. Our first cruise was our honeymoon cruise aboard the newer ship of the time-the Jubilee of the Carnival line in March 1991. A blizzard struck the eastern seaboard- effectivly shutting down most of the airports from ME down to VA, so we "missed the boat". As the ship wound up sailing anyway (though only 2/3 full) we were surprised to learn that Chandris/Fantasy cruiseline would allow us to reschedule for the following week without penalty.

We flew out of NY and sailed from Miami to Key West, Playa del Carmen and Cozumel. The ports were enjoyable- but the highlight of our trip was the ship herself. That sailing hooked us not only on cruising but also on finding older, more intimate ships to sail. Since, we have been lucky enough to sail on Premier, The Crown Dynasty (alltime favorite ship after Britanis) the Norway. and the Regal Empress. Relics (some gone altogether ) but enjoyable trips all.

The Britanis held a weath of priceless antiques when she sank. I recall a lovely and well preserved painting on leather that adorned her hallway into the dining room. There were wooden carvings from Africa, priceless maps mounted behind glass, and some really intricate model ships ( cutters complete w/sails and riggings ) displayed in most of the public rooms. A huge brass telescope was mounted in one of the hallways too- must have weighed a ton. There was so much brass, glass, and gleaming teak everywhere- the Library and Card Room with its ancient leather club chairs and leather bound map book alone was worth the price of the cruise just to see. The ships sleek shape and the double blue smokestacks with the white X's - just lovely. I recall reading that she sank w/all her goodies aboard as they were to be auctioned off once it reached the scrapping destination.

I have the cruise book in hand from their 1992 sailing season-her sister ship the Amerikanis was still sailing then too. Her stats are : 26,000 tons, 638 feet, bean 82 feet, draught 28 feet, cruising speed 20 knots, elec current 110DC, 3 pax elevators, Radio call sign HPEN and was registerd in Panama. Also a note- if you provide them with proof of marriage with the final payment, they would give you a complimentary tropical fruit basket, bottle of Asti Spumante, a honeymoon cake and a photo album. Now on Carnival- you even have to pay for the "special occassion" cakes.

We were re-booked into an interior room on the upper deck that could have hosted a 10 person gathering. There were 2 lower, 2 upper and a leather sofa bed between them as well as a sitting vanity and a HUGE shower that would comfortably fit about 3 people at a time. I recall tripping over the extremly high room sills several times. The decor of the rooms was actually very drab- but the rest of the ship was a real gem. I think, by looking at the location of our cabin, that it must have been a "convert" of staff quarters at one point. Very dormitory looking- functional, comfortable, large- just not much to look at. I remember the tiny casino celing had leaded stained glass windows that gleamed in the sun. I never saw a brass railing, even the footplate on the bars, that was not fingerprint free and shiny.

The open decks were a sight to behold- much wider than the modern megaliners and there were those great teak titanic-type chairs around the perimeter. There were 2 restaurants- the smaller was the "smoking" restaurant at the time. The brochure I have in my hand indeed shows the theater on the lowest deck- right in the bow of the ship. I recall the movie needed to be played really loud to drown out the sound of the waves crashing into the front of the ship. There was a teenie tiny pool too- and no hot tubs. It was also the very last ship I have been on that had skeet shooting off the front of the ship. The decks has names like the Boat deck, the Promenade, the upper and main deck. Then there was the Aruba deck, Barbados, Caracas and finally the Dorado deck. The deck plan shows not only a ships hospital, but an operating room as well. I seem to recall my husband going there for an informal tour (being in the business of medicine)- but I dont remember seeing it myself. I guess I was in the library oohh'ing and aahhh'ing!

It was the ship that launched us on extending our "once in a lifetime" honeymoon cruise into what has turned out to be nearly a cruise a year habit for us since. Our son is 4 and will be taking his 3rd cruise with us this June on the Carnival Legend. Of all the ships we have cruised on- this one brings back the feeling of sailing back into history. Our largest sailing was the Carnival Conquest and it did not hold a candle to the grand dame Britanis. I have followed her history and sad ending over the past few years. Every year when we decorate our Christmas tree and hang our pewter Britanis ornament- we fondly relive our short but memorable sailing of her in 1992.

Thanks for indulging me & my memories.