StephenJohnson

Well, I'm not the all-knowing Host Doug, but per the fine folks at

Maritime Matters

....And SEAWING Makes Four

December 24: The 1971-built SEAWING (ex SOUTHWARD), has been acquired by Cyprus-based Louis Cruise Lines for $9.045m from the UK-based MyTravel group. Louis now owns all four of the fleet of Sun Cruises, a subsidiary of MyTravel. MyTravel previously sold the 1982-built SUNBIRD (ex SONG OF AMERICA), the 1971-built CAROUSEL (ex NORDIC PRINCE), and the 1970-built SUNDREAM (ex SONG OF NORWAY) to Louis in April.

So it seems that she's now going by Carousel, sailing for Louis Cruis Lines, possibly chartered back to Sun.

A couple of more general history-of-the-ship sites you might find interesting:

Nordic Prince Postcards

A tour of the Nordic Prince

Well, for my money, Celebrity's entertainment has (on the whole) always been lame - it's improved somewhat IMAO since the RCCL merger, but is still hit-or-miss.

Fortunately, I don't really care about the entermainment that much.

Try Topaz - her near twin the Empress of Canada, etc. is already scrapped

We just booked a cruise on Costa Atlantica leaving from Ft. Lauderdale at 4:30pm. Since we will be driving to Ft. Lauderdale, I'm wondering how early do we have to arrive to give enough time to the embarkation process. Can we arrive just before the ship leaves and just get on, or do we need to be there a couple of hours early like you need for international flights?

You porobably can arrive (at the gangway, with all your stuff) as late as about 30 minutes before sailaway - read your travel docs or check with Costa, a line I haven't been on, to verify - but I wouldn't, as if you end up being late, the ship will NOT wait for you.

Typically, we would get to a Ft.Lauderdale ship by about noon, since we always travel to the departure port at least the day before - and I advise you to, also.

Yes, I know they say embarkation begins at 2:00, but they lie, for reasons which are not really clear to me.

As a child my parents would take us on the carmania in the 60s,out of FT Laud. has anyone been on this ship?

Sadly, no. If you're looking for her history, it's at http://www.maritimematters.com/leonidsobinov.html - she appears to have been scrapped in 1999.

Most ships have at least some formal nights. If your husband really doesn't want to wear a suit or tux, then your choices are essentially:

1) Go on an all-casual line - mostly that's more expedition oriented cruising, or a line like Windjammer

2) Avoid the main restaurants, etc. on the formal nights - eat in cabin or at a casual alternative venue (varies by line)

3) Go anyway, just don't wear a jacket. Some people may get bent out of shape at that choice.

Your call. Have fun!

Stephen is correct. MARDI GRAS was originally built in 1962 as Canadian Pacific's EMPRESS OF CANADA (name aside, she was a BRITISH ship) -SNIP-

Umm...British how? CP line was always a subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway, no? Or am I missing something ?

Well, if memory serves me correctly the Mardi Gras was originally the CP liner Empress of Canada - we sailed on her as the Star of Texas, she also served as the Apollo for Epirotiki, but is now, alas, scrapped.

She was a beautiful ship, though.

Well, does Moby Dick count? ;)

Besides the already mentioned movies, a few good films are Ship of Fools, and, of course A Night to Remember (X2 - one made for TV, IIRC) plus the rather grim Voyage of the Damned , and obvious ones like the Poseidon Adventure & its sequel, Titanic, and the truly dismal Speed 2 we have

This site which lists a lot of ships in movies, some are passenger ships

Some marginalia are films like The Saboteur:Code Name Morituri a film in which Yul Brynner plays a passenger on a WWII German tramp steamer who's trying to hijack it for the Allies, or the Audrey Heburn movie Sabrina, in which the passenger ship relevance is limited, but still somewhat present.

Oh, and of course there's the shlocky horror film Death Ship with The Queen Mary playing a Haunted Nazi interrogations ship or some such rubbish, and Ghost SHip, a more modern entry of the same stripe.

By no means exhaustive, but that'll give you a start...

She went down in 1997, while being towed off to be scrapped. No one was hurt, and no passengers were aboard. Details here and here

The Independence, which now belongs to NCL, is laid up in San Francisco.

Details here