Druke I

I did read that Epic will have to drop its lifeboats on one side before docking in NYC, as the overhang would interfere with the terminal building.

Apparently dropping boats before docking, and picking them when leaving, will become standard practice at several ports with this hull design.

I think perhaps the decision to hang the boats outboard the hull was not thought through completely.

Have a great trip.

Perhaps it is true - those of us who relish the past are rapidly becoming dinosaurs!

I worked for one Chief who labeled those of us on day shift as dinosaurs, as we resisted some of the changes he was trying to implement. We went so far as to proudly wear enameled dinosaur pins on our uniform shirts! (I think they were brontosaurus.)

That lifeboat placement has been used on several new ships that were introduced in 2010, including Carnival's Dream, and the still fitting out Marina.

I've been told that is to comply with some of the new SOLAS (Safety Of Lives At Sea) regulations, and will become standard for new-builds.

If correct, I think it a shame, for it in effect does away with the familiar Promenade Deck configuration that many of us like.

Ship's stability is determined by among other things metracentric height.

That said, I don't have a clue!

I "googled" metracentric height, but don't understand it. Physics/fluid dynamics was usually well beyond me.

Now if you want to see pictures of a really UGLY apartment barge style ship, go to http://www.cruisenewsdaily.com, and look at the pictures of the just delivered NCL Epic.

That is one homely top-heavy looking ship.

Some very sad photos over at http://www.maritimematters.com of the late, great Independence, with a broken back, awaiting scrapping.

We sailed on her sister ship, Constitution, back in Dec 84, and she was lovely. She sank while being towed to the scrappers in Dec 97.

They were among the last of the American built passenger liners.

Great photos Donald - thanks for sharing.

Via, Prince Rupert to Jasper, also is a winner. We took it when it was called The Skeena, and still carried a sleeper. I'm told the sleeper has now been discontinued.

I've taken Via Rail all the way across Canada. The prairies go on for a long time, and tend to be a bit boring, but the Canadian Rockies are grand. Much different (greener) than the American Rockies, and I think the Canadian Rockies are prettier.

The Rocky Mountaineer, to or from Vancouver, is a great trip also. They break it up midway (Kamloops), so all of one day is spent in the Rockies, and all the next in the canyon leading to Vancouver. That way you miss no great scenery because of nightfall.

Balmoral was the Crown Odyssey, of the late great Royal Cruise Line.

We sailed her twice while she was with Royal - 1st time she was Greek flagged, second time flagged somewhere in the Caribbean, I think.

Nice ship, although I did prefer Royal Princess. Royal Princess handled rough seas better, in my opinion.

I beleive P&O has an office in the Princess headquarters building in Valencia, CA.

I don't have a phone number, but perhaps the Princess switchboard could trasner your call, or provide the correct toll-free number.

I've seen a couple of similar reports re Saga Rose - it certainly appears that her scrapping will be done very soon.

Too bad.

Reference Royal Princess aka Artemis - I never was able to find out why P&O/Princess did not exercise their option for a second ship of the same design.

Have you ever compared Royal Princess to the former Crystal Harmony (now NYK's Asuka II)? It is almost a "knock-off" of the Royal Princess - same designer, although Harmony was built by Mitsubishi, Nagasaki, Japan.

Hey Saga Ruby - just look at the numbers on this thread now. Over One-hundred and five thousand views!!!

Thanks for the photo-share.

I still say Artemis is a fine looking ship! Loved her as Royal Princess.

Thanks.

I do remember the Chusan, along with Himalaya, and a few others from P&O and Orient Line before it merged with P&O.

They used to pull into San Francisco.

I have a very good book, "From Chusan to Sea Princess, the Australian Services of the P&O and Orient Lines", by Malcolm R. Gordon. Found it in a small bookstore in I think Ketchikan Alaska years ago.

For you old ship buffs, there are a couple of interesting Peter Knego blogs on http://www.maritimematters.com re a couple of old US troop ships (the E.D. Patrick & the Pope) being pulled out of the Reserve Fleet at Suisun, CA., and being readied for tow to Texas, and ultimate scrapping.

I remember the E.D. Patrick and some others from my days in the US Army - but I don't recall the Pope.

Anyway, an interesting read.

It has long been speculated/rumored that Mercury would be leaving Celebrity and going to TUI.

It has been discussed on this thread also, Saga Ruby making comment re TUI, not knowing that it was a German cruise operator. I believe she thought it might have had something to do with expectorating.

Engines down, missed ports - all part of the adventure of travel!

That still beats staying at home, in most cases.

Well, when I was thinking of Olinda as a retirement spot, I had not considered the logistics of food shopping, etc. It was just a thought.

Later, I found a spot in New Zealand (Russell, in Bay of Islands area, North Island) that I really liked. If only we could have taken our health insurance with us (we couldn't), and the New Zealand government would not consider putting us under their health plan.

Dreams are fun, even if not practical.

Mandarin oranges are a huge crop just above us in the Sierra foothills.

At the moment, the annual Mandarin Festival is in progress.

That's good that you can fly directly in Maui, without having to go to Honolulu and change planes, the way we had to do for so many years.

Kahului airport certainly has improved since the 50s and 60s.

Have a good trip and time on Maui, Ruby.

That is a great island. At one point, I considered retiring there, in the little village of Olinda, on the slopes of Haleakala.

Yes, it may well be gone.

I believe I picked up the book in 1986!

My wife tells me the name of the bookstore in Portland is Powell's, which sounds about right.

There is (or used to be) a very good bookstore on the main drag of Ketchikan, only a few yards from the dock.

I picked up a book on P&O's ships to and from Australia there; had never seen it offered in any other bookstore.

Love to prowl bookstores - particularly that big one in Portland OR (name eludes me at the moment).