I'll see you there

I began working aboard the Home Lines ship DORIC with Eddie Dawson in the late 1970's. Soon I went to the OCEANIC with Everett E. Everett as Cruise Director. Miolo and I (Bill Gable) were EEE's ACD's. It was always an adventure with EEE and I remember his cabaret act as if it were yesterday...always fun and anyone daring to leave the lounge to go to the restroom during the show would do so knowing they would be at the mercy of EEE's ad libs!

Unfortunately, I do not have a tape of Everett, I guess we never thought our days in the sun and nights in the spotlight would ever end. I do have some funny stories of EEE, however. One of my favorites happened during a cruise to Bermuda / Nassau and during those days the CD would give the tour and shopping talks for each port...hilighting each store that offered the CD a little something for such "consideration". Well, Everett got sick and asked Minolo to do the Bermuda talk. Now we all knew that EEE would almost have to be on his death bed to miss giving the Bermuda talk and "highlight" the Fritz liquor store on Front street. You can bet he made many a reminder to Minolo to mention Fritz and he would listen to it on the ship radio. Well, Minolo had never given such a talk and was way past nervous...he had a bad case of the equatorial sweats even though we were far from the Equator.

He managed to get through it, however, and I gave him a little encouragement to perk him up. We then went down to see if Everett was still alive or not. We soon found out...as we opened the cabin door the first thing out of the mouth of the figure on the bed was "You didn't mention Fritz, for Christ's sake!! You didn't mention Fritz!!"

I am trying to finish up a book called RIDIN' THE WAVES, a rememberance of my 22 years working cruise ships...moreso a rememberance of those dear friends, staff, crew and passengers, who shared those wonderful days of cruising. EEE was one of the more memorable.

Again, I am sorry I do not have his tape. He was one of the good ones.

Bill Gable

Gulf Shores, Ala

After all these years, it's great to recall those summer cruises out of New York. The Home Lines Oceanic was one of the best; certainly in my 22 years of working the cruise industry, the Oceanic, it's crew, staff and passengers were the most memorable and the most fun...plus, going out of NYC, ANYTIME, cannot be beat!

Since staff/crew turnover was minimal and the repeat passenger percentage was the highest in the industry, it was next to impossible not to have found a familiar face aboard any Home Line cruise. My staff usually included Rick Spath, Marty LaPalosa, Hostesses Luciana & Otti (in addition to being lovely ladies, they proved to be my moral compass when I pushed the envelope too far), Gino Gambotto, Richard Joseph, Arthur & Ida Gillium & Gail (dance team, excellent disco dancers...Ida eventually making it to the musical stages of Broadway) and those jolly Neopolitans who became close friends.

Rick is still cruising and remains one of the best CD's afloat, now aboard the Crystal Serenity. He's one of the few carry overs from those early days.

I retired in 1999 after wonderful years with Home Lines, Sitmar, Royal Cruise Line, Norweigian America (remember the Sagafjord & Vistafjord?),

Royal Viking, Holland America (5 world cruises) and the Ivaran Lines Americana. All those lines are gone now. Back then most of the staff and entertainers worked for Bramson Entertainment in NYC and we were fortunate to work many lines. I've accumulated alot of ship memorabilia (programs, menus, photos and humorous stories) that I've put together in a yet unpublished reminiscence (notice I keep away from the word BOOK), one of these days I'll finish it up. Title is Ridin' the Waves after a radio program I had aboard Royal Viking. One of these days...

In closing, thank you for remembering...my personal favorite evenings in those 22 years were the final nights aboard the Oceanic: Horse Racing followed by The Passenger Talent Show...where anything could happen and usually did!!

Sorry about the delay in response, I always have a problem getting to where I need to be with this site. I lost track of Luciana and the rest of my Italian Home Lines friends after the Homeric was sold. Oct 26, 1988, the end of Home Lines in NYC. Captain Mario Palombo, Chief Purser Roberto Sorbi, Maitre d'Hotel Giovanni Caio, Cruise Director Bill Gable, Hostess Luciana Trevisan. From1946 - 1988 Home Lines was ranked among the finest in the industry...and New York was the home port for the best of them (see John Maxtone Graham's LINERS TO THE SUN). In my opinion the floating hotels of today can't hold a candle to these grand ladies of yesteryear.

I remember a Desiree from Bern that traveled the Oceanic and set many a heart a flutter...many years ago. Someone once said "Press memories into your mind like flowers in a book...knowing that too soon those moments will be gone". I did. B. Gable

Hello old friend! You, Richard, Luciana, Eddie Dawson, EEE, and so many great crew and entertainers who made Home Lines what it was are always there when I think of those ships and their New York sailings. Thanks for the memories. Hope all is well...Spring Break on the Gulf Coast, I sit at the beach and look at all the hard bodies...feel like a dog that chases cars but can't drive!! Some things never change. Gable

Hello does anybody know what happened to Bill Gable????

After 22 years of working with such memorable companies as Home Lines, Sitmar, Holland America (5 World Cruises), Royal Viking, Royal Cruise Line, Norweigen America Line and Ivaran...whew!! Gable retired and lives on the beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama. He owns Beach Bike Rentals in Orange Beach, Alabama, and can often be found around twilight sitting on the sand remembering those wonderful ships of yesterday, their crews, the passengers...and sometimes wishing he were still in the front lounge of the OCEANIC listening to those wonderful Italian Orchestras playing Italian love songs! Each show would end with his sincere wish to his travelmates...somewhere, sometime "I'll see you there".