fin Posted May 9, 2011 #1 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Mods- if this post is inappropriate, please remove it with my apologies. At the request of a handful of people, I have transcribed and posted online some of the notes I made on an NCL cruise in 2005 from Argentina to Chile on the NCL Crown. It is very lengthy with only a few photos. And it is nowhere NEAR as funny as the account by Sailor Jack of a similar voyage (but few things committed to print ARE as funny as his account of that trip). I am posting a link, hoping it does not violate any protocols, and inviting those who have taken the trip (or those would have liked to do so, but who put it off too long) to drop by and browse. http://finformercurmudgeon.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
family cruisers Posted May 9, 2011 #2 Share Posted May 9, 2011 We LOVED the Crown ... Wish it was still part of NCL.. Thanks for posting ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fin Posted May 9, 2011 Author #3 Share Posted May 9, 2011 And thank YOU, for your interest. It is the result of much excitement and having access to a working computer and much alone time...hence the length and detail. I will continue with the Antartic overflight and on up by Puerto Chacabucco to Valpariso day by day as my time permits. And my thanks to CC for letting me use this as a gateway for my opus. Oh, and I did make one additional trip on the Crown before her transformation to the Balmoral. My fiance and I went to Bermuda, and ended up on the bridge as the ship left Hamilton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnql Posted May 9, 2011 #4 Share Posted May 9, 2011 I loved my one cruise on the Crown - one of my all-time favorite cruises! Buenos Aires to Valparaiso around Cape Horn back in 2000. Great ship and great itinerary. I'm so glad that I took this cruise before NCL decided to drop this itinerary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Got2Cruise Posted May 9, 2011 #5 Share Posted May 9, 2011 I loved the Crown also. We actually sailed on her to Bermuda two years in a row. :D Loved that the pool location was aft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
family cruisers Posted May 9, 2011 #6 Share Posted May 9, 2011 We were on the Crown's last sailing before it's new owners. Great memories .. And thank YOU, for your interest. It is the result of much excitement and having access to a working computer and much alone time...hence the length and detail. I will continue with the Antartic overflight and on up by Puerto Chacabucco to Valpariso day by day as my time permits. And my thanks to CC for letting me use this as a gateway for my opus. Oh, and I did make one additional trip on the Crown before her transformation to the Balmoral. My fiance and I went to Bermuda, and ended up on the bridge as the ship left Hamilton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fin Posted May 9, 2011 Author #7 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Minutes ago I added the Antarctic overflight entry with a photo of the moving map display. I am grateful for the interest and courtesy shown here, and hope that reading my long but excited ramblings has rekindled many happy memories for y'all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fin Posted May 11, 2011 Author #8 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Beagle passage added this date, with one photo of glacier and one of bowcam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdvmd Posted May 12, 2011 #9 Share Posted May 12, 2011 The Crown was our second-ever cruise and the first one to the Western Caribbean. Have some great memories of the ship -- I won the ladies beer drinking championship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coaster Posted May 13, 2011 #10 Share Posted May 13, 2011 Always wanted to go on the Crown. Sleek and upscale ship from the defunct Royal Cruise Line which was a sister line of NCL. Those who visit Epcot in Disney World can still see traces of this upscale line if you look closely. It is on the Maelstrom ride when you depart. I figured she would be assigned to the 3 and 4 nighters from Miami based on her size and age. That would of been my opportunity to sail her, but it didn't happen. I figured the same would happen to the Dream and Wind also. Unfortunately, that didn't happen either. I also thought thought the Norway would be around longer for a second sailing on her. It proves that my predictions are pretty bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fin Posted May 14, 2011 Author #11 Share Posted May 14, 2011 So many good things happened to me (and my fiance) on this ship that it totally makes it impossible for me to be objective about it. But I LOVED the size of the ship, and after two weeks it certainly felt like home. I have only one or two more entries and then the trip will be over, which almost makes me as sad now as it did then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Luv2Cruz* Posted May 15, 2011 #12 Share Posted May 15, 2011 We enjoyed the Crown but it was a bit small for us!:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
family cruisers Posted May 16, 2011 #13 Share Posted May 16, 2011 I wish they'd bring some of the smaller ships back to the US. We prefer that size over the new monster sized ships. While others love all the bells and whistles we don't need it. We loved the size of the crown and also the Holland American Veendam we took to Bda last year. Much more personal service (to us ) . So many good things happened to me (and my fiance) on this ship thatit totally makes it impossible for me to be objective about it. But I LOVED the size of the ship, and after two weeks it certainly felt like home. I have only one or two more entries and then the trip will be over, which almost makes me as sad now as it did then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fin Posted May 22, 2011 Author #14 Share Posted May 22, 2011 I have just finished (finally lol) writing up the very long diary account of the Crown trip to Valparaiso, including two more photos. Again, let me thank those of you who have dropped by to read about the experience, as well as cruise critic for helping me share the adventure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taxguy77 Posted May 23, 2011 #15 Share Posted May 23, 2011 We sailed the Crown from Miami to Santiago the last year before NCL sent her to an Asin Co. The Activities Director was the best of all our cruises. DW won the Derby and had a lot of help decorating the horse for the race. Many new friends put a few $$ on the horse and we all had a good time spending the winnings (The bar boys enjoyed it too!). We had a bay window in our cabin and enjoyed a relaxing drink there every night before getting dressed for dinner. We have since had both balconys and OVs, but that was better than a balcony for that cruise I think. I have met folks on other cruises and other cruiselines who join me in saying it was the most comfortable riding ship I've ever been on. To our dinner copanions on that cruise: Thank you for helping make it a super-wonder cruise. We've been on many since and have never met such nice folks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphins Posted May 23, 2011 #16 Share Posted May 23, 2011 We also wish that the Crown was still sailing with NCL because she was able to dock in both Hamilton and St. George, Bermuda. Very few ships can still do that today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fin Posted May 23, 2011 Author #17 Share Posted May 23, 2011 True, but sometimes with a little hiccup! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob brown Posted April 21, 2012 #18 Share Posted April 21, 2012 I brought back this old thread because today while I was 'tracking' various ships on this site http://www.sailwx.info/shiptrack/shipposition.phtml?call=C6II4, I noticed that they still refer to the Fred Olsen Cruise Line "Balmoral", as the Norwegian Crown. I am wondering why that is? Are they perhaps just very slow at updating their data base? Perhaps the radio call sign was never changed, when the operators of the ship were? Perhaps NCL still owns her and long-term leases her out? Anyone know the answer? If you look at the marinetraffic AIS site, when she was in range, she showed with the same call sign, but they identified her as the Balmoral....:confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leekel619 Posted April 21, 2012 #19 Share Posted April 21, 2012 I'm going to try and read the blog but I couldn't see it on the link. Late... I'll try tomorrow! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob brown Posted April 21, 2012 #20 Share Posted April 21, 2012 I'm going to try and read the blog but I couldn't see it on the link. Late... I'll try tomorrow! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Keep in mind, this is an old thread, so you may have a lot of scrolling to do.... Perhaps I should have posted my question in a new thread......:o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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