sea-cruise

One of my favorite cruises was aboard the old Song of Norway in 1996, when we took our daughter and son in law on their first cruise.   Our daughter got a huge kick out of climbing the ladder on the outside deck, to get to the elevator that took us to the Crown Lounge.   She thought it was quite adventurous to climb in the wind.   We loved the old smaller ships, as we were able to port at small islands in those days.   I have many cards and invitations from Mr Fain in my cruising albums, as we sailed with Celebrity (and other cruise lines as well over the past 39 years).    Tons  of fond memories!  

To passengers & crew: So glad to see your safe arrival at port. Wishing you all safe journeys home. :)

Lindsay,

I just want to say I'm glad that you and your fellow pax and crew are back in port safely. Wishing all of you safe flights or drives home. :)

This is only my opinion and in no way is it meant to contradict anyone who has posted previously. As to the path of the storm, yes it was forecast days ago and yes it followed the path however...

 

Up here, north of Boston, we have seen many storms shift their path long before they get to us. This is one in particular. This shift however is not a large shift but for us it makes all the difference in the world. Saturday night we went to bed thinking we were only getting 1-3 inches. We woke up Sunday morning with a report of 6-9 inches and potential blizzard conditions on Cape Cod. That is only about a 50 mile shift in the storm that was more than 24 hours away from us. At the speed it was traveling, that was more than 600 miles away and it resulted in a 50 mile shift inland (or less).

 

Anthem was closer to the storm than we were overnight Saturday and when the storm shifted, that would have given them far less time to do anything about it.

 

Many have said the ship should not have left because of the storm. I am sure that if the reports indicated that the winds were going to be more than the ship was designed for, and the wave action was going to be more than the ship was designed for, Anthem would not have sailed.

 

For most of us following this thread, we are on land and many assumptions have been made. You all have a right to those assumptions and I will not sit in the warmth of my home and say anyone was wrong in their opinion. All I am asking is that we can agree that for whatever reason the ship ended up in the storm that it just went through, the Captain and his crew did a remarkable job in getting the ship and passengers through it and let's wait to hear what those on the ship say about what went on. There are over 5000 witnesses to the event. They will have far more information than any of us on land will ever have about this one specific event.

 

I am so thankful that everyone has made it through this ordeal and I am anxious to hear their stories.

I completely agree with this sensible post. I had stopped visiting these boards due to reading so many arguments between people, but I returned, hoping to read that passengers were okay. Thank you for such a refreshing post.

Grateful for your complete honesty. Pax spend a lot of hard earned money, and deserve their expectations to be met. I don't think anyone expects RCI to "Exceed Expectations", but at least to be acknowledged, fed well, and not fleeced with extra extravagant charges.

When I read the comment regarding $15 for a chocolate martini, I was very disappointed in RCI. Please don't get me wrong. I'm not a cheapskate, looking for bargains. DH & I have taken our grown children & grandchildren on many cruises, and we've gladly paid for their balcony staterooms/cabins, including tours, drinks, spa, etc.

We've sailed RCI for many years (back to the first ship in their fleet), as well as Celebrity when they bought their first ship from Chandris & kept the X on the stack. (for new cruisers, this is the Greek letter C) We were among the first passengers to pay $45 pp to join the Captain's Club in the early 90s.

Mr Fain treated us royally, upgrading us, sending wine & fruit to our staterooms each night, inviting us to dine with various captains & hotel managers, bridge tours, & tours of engine rooms, and we always loved both RCI & X, but we are so very disappointed watching the decline in services.

Yes, the ships are beautiful, but to hear that food is skimped and passengers are ignored is depressing.

I hope they read this and improve things, for the benefit of all passengers.

Yes, I can see it now!!! Thank you SO much for reposting. That photo captures so many aspects of emotion. I can almost feel what you were feeling as you gazed at the ocean. I'll bet it would win an award if you & Emmy entered it in one of the RCI photo contests!

Thanks again! :)

If you get a chance in the future, could you possibly repost the photo of you and Emmy (the man and the sea)? I tried to find it, but cannot. It must be the only one that has a small X in a blank square, under Emmy's post.

Thank you! :)

Fantastic Sonic pics! Thanks again for sharing your cruise.

I want to wish everyone Safe Travels Home! :)

It's so nice to see you and your mom enjoying the cruise together! My mom lived with us for 16 years & we use to go places together whenever my husband was away for a few days at a time. I miss her, and your posts make me smile! Great pics & review! Carry on having all the fun you can! :) :)

Chris, your tablet is doing an excellent job. Compass photos are perfect.

I see a lot of CC & FB friends at the Pink Tables! You all look gorgeous! Happy cruising :p

Enjoying all of your beautiful photos & great report!!

Thanks again :)

cruisemeister8;46310508] doesn't the minimalist nature of this set up make you miss the grand buffets with elaborate displays of food and ice sculptures, fruit and vegetable carvings, and mountains of goodies to choose from? Ahh....

... Guess I'll have to break out the Love Boat DVDs to see the simple luxuries of cruising's yesteryear

You said what I always think, but fail to type.

"Forget not to show love unto strangers: thereby some have entertained angels unawares."

 

A smile & a compliment are so often needed by so many. I love Eglesbrech's post.

WOW! Martinique port sure has changed!! Last time we were there was around 1991. Have fun!

Thanks for the quick reply...It's appreciated. Have a great cruise!

Thank you for sharing your cruise with us! I appreciate your descriptions of both pros & cons. Have you seen many armchairs (especially in dining rooms or WJ)? My DH now uses a cane (sometimes also a rolling walker w/seat), and he has a difficult time getting up out of a chair without arms.

Thanks again for taking the time to post such an enjoyable account of your cruise! I hope your knee isn't painful during the entire cruise!

Happy Sailing and Happy Birthday!! :)

So nice of Patrick & Polly donating Pink to Dru!!

Kudos to Chris for such a wonderful daily report!! :)

I didn't know Kathy was on this cruise!! :D She & Emmy look gorgeous! :)

Chris, You are doing a fantastic job here!! It's the best I've ever read. Glad to see that there are some chairs with arms (DH can't get out of a chair with no arms due to so many leg surgeries). Thanks again for "taking us with you". :)

Thanks for the info, Chris. $15 for a choc martini? Royal has lost their natural mind! :eek:

It's a trapped audience. :(

Great photo....King Chris & his Lady!! Have fun~

Thanks for that info Chris...I was watching the NY Harbor Cam & all I could see was the NCL Breakaway sailing away. Glad you let us know there's a delay.

:)

This ship needs moving sidewalks. lol

Thank you, Chris, for taking the time to share your cruise with us! Your photos are beautiful. I appreciate what you're doing, and I'll be following along during your cruise! :)