Song of America R.C.C.L.

[Tobyhilda]

Wow...thank you both for the update on the captain. He really was a wonderful, memorable guy and the only ship captain in 20 cruises who we actually made any effort to follow. My parents, who had taken me aboard the Nordic Prince when Skjerve was the captain, had gone on 4 cruises with him at the helm, and he had left an imprint on their soul...and I was similarly marked during the 7-day Bermuda cruise.

 

It is sad to hear of his wife's death...especially in light of his son's death too...such a happy, wonderful man and such unfortunate tragic incidents. I hope he can enjoy his retirement and the rest of his years happily.

 

Justin Miller of Boca Raton Fl. how did you ever get such a beautiful signature...I love your signature

I even showed it to my husband.

 

Yes, we were on The Song of America,,I do not remember year, I am a senior...however, we live in Delray Beach Fl, yes, we are neighbors..Tobyhilda

[Tobyhilda]

Wow...thank you both for the update on the captain. He really was a wonderful, memorable guy and the only ship captain in 20 cruises who we actually made any effort to follow. My parents, who had taken me aboard the Nordic Prince when Skjerve was the captain, had gone on 4 cruises with him at the helm, and he had left an imprint on their soul...and I was similarly marked during the 7-day Bermuda cruise.

 

It is sad to hear of his wife's death...especially in light of his son's death too...such a happy, wonderful man and such unfortunate tragic incidents. I hope he can enjoy his retirement and the rest of his years happily.

 

Justin Miller of Boca Raton Fl. how did you ever get such a beautiful signature...I love your signature

I even showed it to my husband.

 

Yes, we were on The Song of America,,I do not remember year, I am a senior...however, we live in Delray Beach Fl, yes, we are neighbors..Tobyhilda

[CruznTom]

She is alive and well - Link

My first cruise was on her in '96

[zackiedawg]

Justin Miller of Boca Raton Fl. how did you ever get such a beautiful signature...I love your signature

I even showed it to my husband.

 

Well hello, neighbor! Thank you for the compliment on the signature. I made it from a composite of two photos I took. I tinker around with Photoshop, an editing program for digital photographs, as I love photography and take alot of pictures.

 

You may recognize the location in the photo - Lake Boca Raton and the Boca Raton Resort and Club (Cloisters) hotel. I took that photo a few years ago on a clear winter night, just to catch the hotel lights.

 

The ship photo is the Celebrity Constellation pulling out of port in St. Thomas, USVI. I was on the Celebrity Summit, parked just behind her, at dusk. Her lights were very pretty.

 

The writing for the list of ships is a font in the handwriting style of Walt Disney himself. It is called 'Waltograph'...if you remember the old Wonderful World of Disney show, then you've seen the font! I'm a big Disney fan, and really liked the font. My name and town is in another Disney font, called 'Started by a Mouse'. It is the font used for the Magic Kingdom.

[mozfoz]

Just came across the brochure for the Song of America that we sailed on our honeymoon in 10/84. Our inside cabin was just abit over $1100 per person. It may seem expensive compare to the rate were paid last week on the Caribbean Princess of $725 for an inside, but I would prefer the SOA anyday.

[Catnip]

You and me, too!!!!! I would gladly pay those prices again to get the service and the quality from back then!!! ;)

 

Back then, I remember RCCL was known as "the cadillac of cruise ships".....today they are just another mass market cruise line. Too bad.

 

Back then, you didn't have to go to a "specialty" restaurant and pay extra to get good food!! Food in the dining room was super!!!

[funat55]

I just stumbled on this thread and it jumped out at me because I had wondered what happened to the Song of America. It was the first cruise I had ever been on in 1986. My four sisters and I had the time of our lives. The year following, I took a cruise on the Carnival Holiday and it couldn't come close to the quality I remember on the SOA. I been on many other cruises and cruise lines since then, but my fondest memories are of the SOA. I don't know if it's my imagination but I seem to remember that when I sailed on the SOA there was so much more elegance and attention to details. I remember elegant ice carvings every night in the dining room. I also remember chimes ringing for dinner call. It was a much more intimate, less mass produced cruise. I am sailing on the Navigator of the Seas for Thanksgiving and I am looking forward to seeing what RCCL has to offer after 20 years since my first sailing.

[Catnip]

funat55,

I think you will be totally surprised at the changes in 20 years! Of course, the newer ships have more "bells & whistles" and more activities. They are catering more now to familes with children, so they have a lot more activities for kids and the feeling is "less formal" than it used to be.

SOA and the old Song of Norway are still to this day my favorite RCCL ships!

[caviargal]

funat55,

I think you will be totally surprised at the changes in 20 years! Of course, the newer ships have more "bells & whistles" and more activities. They are catering more now to familes with children, so they have a lot more activities for kids and the feeling is "less formal" than it used to be.

SOA and the old Song of Norway are still to this day my favorite RCCL ships!

 

SOA and Nordic Empress are my two all time favs :D.

 

All of the changes you mention above have made cruising less enjoyable for me personally. I don't care about bells and whistles, miss the elegance and traditions of cruising and prefer an adult experience.

 

These days, I try to choose my ships and sailing dates to give me the best chance at experiencing cruising as it used to be. :(

[Catnip]

 

All of the changes you mention above have made cruising less enjoyable for me personally. I don't care about bells and whistles, miss the elegance and traditions of cruising and prefer an adult experience.

 

 

 

AMEN!!!!!! I'm with you 100%!!!!!! That's why I'll never cruise on these mega-ships!

[Controller Bermuda Star]

I worked with Capt. Skjerve onboard the Sun Viking in the early 80's, He always like to play Burl Ives Christmas songs over the loud speakers at Christmas. We got so tired of it. But all the passenger's loved it. We once put a live shark in the pool in the morning (a small one). He use to take a morning swim every morning. Boy did he jump out fast. It was a joke.

 

Ex-Purser

Rccl.

[GT1121]

My son (from Georgia)was part of the cruise staff on Song of America. His name is Russ Webb. I sailed with him several times. He later went on to other ships, the Monarch, the Sun Viking and I can't remember others. He married a purser (from Scotland) and the result is a blending of two families, one from Arbroath, Scotland, and the other, Atlanta, Georgia. Does anyone remember him? And his beautiful wife, Tracey Black, was a purser on the Monarch, I think.

[wingsrcl]

GT1121 - I remember your son Russ Webb as well as Tracey Black. I was a purser on Song of America and if I recall Tracey was on that ship too. My name is Ruy, please tell them I said hello.

[barbarah33]

The SOA was my first cruise ever and my college roommate and I went on her for our spring break. (Back then you could be any age in a cabin without a parent and although they said the drinking age was 18 that wasn't enforced.) She was brand spanking new and we had the best time on her. I still laugh at the pictures of the two of us standing on furniture to kiss those silly blue fish on the staircase walls or how we thought the showroom was so fancy - all one level of it. She's the reason I love cruising so much so it's great to hear that she is still floating around making others happy.

[O2Bcrusin]

The SOA was also my first cruise. My husband and I sailed on her in October of 1989 to celebrate our 10th anniversary. It was the ship that got us hooked. When I look back, the ship was very simple but there was just something about her. I don't know if it was the first cruise phenomenon but it was a great cruise. I think that there was more elegance back then - everyone dressed to the hilt for formal nights and all men had tuxes. Every night at dinner the waiters did something special. RCCL was the best back then. I am going on The Vison of the Seas in April and hope I won't be too disappointed.

[Catnip]

When I look back, the ship was very simple but there was just something about her. I think that there was more elegance back then - everyone dressed to the hilt for formal nights and all men had tuxes. Every night at dinner the waiters did something special. RCCL was the best back then.

I am going on The Vison of the Seas in April and hope I won't be too disappointed.

 

I agree! It was a different way of cruising back then. The crew seemed happy and wasn't as overworked & understaffed the way they are now. I think you will notice a huge difference in RCCL between then and now. Don't get me wrong, I still like RCCL, but nowdays, they are just another "mass-market" line...nothing special. Back then, I remember they were the "Cadillac of cruise lines".

[giggster11]

I remember the Song of America. I went with my parents in April 88 to the Western Caribbean. My friend and his parents went as well. We pretty much had to make our own fun on board but still really enjoyed it. Lots of great food. She was a beautiful ship to be on.

[babyher]

Song Of America was my first cruise way back in 1986. My first Honeymoon. It really was beautiful ship and we had such a great time.

[familyofd]

We was also on song of america aug 28, 1988 for our honeymoon we had a wonderful time even tough we had bad weather we also had very nice table mates I wish I kept intouch with them

after the cruise, of course nobody warned us of the Kon Tiki Tours

and how much fun we would have and how were we to make it to dinner

without laughing and looking very out of place:) :) .

I wish we could repeat the Kon Tiki tour when we celebrate our next cruise:)

[Straughn]

This thread brings back memories of my parents' cruises on Nordic Prince, Sun Viking and the Song of Norway in the 70's and 80's. Talk about being dressed to the nines- for boarding the ship in Miami, my mother would wear a suit, heels and stockings and my father wore a blazer and tie. Most nights, he wore a jacket and tie for dinner and she wore a very nice dress with high heels. Formal nights were truly formal! Based on the pictures I have seen, the vast majority of the passengers dressed that way. No one even thought about wearing jeans or shorts in the dining room. Most of the dinner food was served French style by your waiter-very few courses were preplated. Children were few and far between-occasionally there would be European children who were extremely well mannered. When I tell my mother our experiences on RCCL today, she just shakes her head and says that is why she no longer cruises.

[dougnewmanatsea]

she no longer cruises.

She should try cruising again, albeit not on Royal Caribbean. She might like Cunard, or (if she doesn't mind the price) Crystal or even Seabourn.

[Straughn]

She should try cruising again, albeit not on Royal Caribbean. She might like Cunard, or (if she doesn't mind the price) Crystal or even Seabourn.

 

Mother is 93 years old, lives in a retirement community. When I try to get her to cruise with me, she says two things-1. I want to remember the way it was and 2) my cruising/dancing partner is no longer around and it was only fun with him.

[dougnewmanatsea]

Mother is 93 years old, lives in a retirement community. When I try to get her to cruise with me, she says two things-1. I want to remember the way it was and 2) my cruising/dancing partner is no longer around and it was only fun with him.

Fair enough! I can understand both those sentiments, especially at her age :) .

[dz63]

We sailed the Western Carribean on the Song of America in 1990.

 

For every excercise activity we participated in, we got one ShipShape dollar. At the end of the cruise, you could trade in 10 ShipShape dollars for a free SOA sun visor or tee shirt. My DW liked to sleep in, so I got up at the crack of dawn - areobics on deck, jogging laps around the deck, etc, etc. I managed to collect enough ShipShape dollars by the end of our cruise to get free sun visors and tee shirts for both of us! Man was I ever stiff after doing all that excercise! :)

 

I remember the Viking Crown Lounge too - way up at the top of the ship with a nice panoramic view of the ocean. I might be embelishing a little bit, but seems to me that the lounge swayed back and forth a good 3 feet when we were up there!

 

Very Fond Memories!:)

 

We are sailing for first time on Carnival Triumph in July - taking our three boys this time. It will be interesting to see what has changed since then. We were kind of wondering what happened to SOA - thanks for posting!

[babyher]

We was also on song of america aug 28, 1988 for our honeymoon we had a wonderful time even tough we had bad weather we also had very nice table mates I wish I kept intouch with them

after the cruise, of course nobody warned us of the Kon Tiki Tours

and how much fun we would have and how were we to make it to dinner

without laughing and looking very out of place:) :) .

I wish we could repeat the Kon Tiki tour when we celebrate our next cruise:)

 

 

 

OH MY GOD!!!!! :)

 

 

 

I had forgotten all about the Kon Tiki boat.

 

We had a blast!!!!!!! Man that punch they served went down like KoolAid and then suddenly it hit you like a ton of bricks *LOL*

 

By the time that trip was over, everyone on that boat were old budies *LOL*.

 

For the rest of teh cruise everyone we bumped into throughout teh ship would just laugh and tease eachother.

 

Great Memories

 

We also used to love going up to the Viking Crown Lounge and watch the sun go down and have a drink .