Sitmar Cruise Lines/Florence & Howard Gellman

[luckycruzer]

Harry's Bar...

 

LOVED IT!!!!!!!

 

SITMAR....Sex Is Too Much After Ravioli

 

 

And Moby dicks..finally membered it

[Giovanina]

I found this thread when searching for information on the Sitmar Fairsea. I haven't read it all, but intend to do so when I have more time.

 

Our first cruise in 1979 was on the Fairsea to the Mexican Riviera to celebrate our 25th anniversary. It was a wonderful experience. Such service, such food and such pampering. If only it could be the same now! We've cruised many times since and intend to continue cruising, but the good old days of cruising still linger in my memory.

[luckycruzer]

dressing up every night..and day..the cabin steward never left his galley! Always came to take a beverage order after a day on shore..no charge!

[redrn13]

Was just a teen when I went on my first cruise with my parents and a friend. Fairwind June 1985. 12 day Caribbean. Went to St Thomas, St John, Gernada, Curacao, Curacus to name a few. LOVED IT. Flirting with the staff, being treated like a princess. The teen staff were awsome. Their was a female, and a staff who signed our book "wet butterfly" or something like that. We did a talent Show that was all a put on. Each of us took on a role of someone from different states and in the end a teen boy dressed as a girl with full formal gown and shoes won. It was when you were part of the entertainment. Toga party in the disco before the adults took it over. We have met with our waiter Valentino several times along the way. He is was an instructor to the head waiters now.

 

Princess has been the only line we have cruised on. I am afraid to go to any other. We know what to expect when we are on board. We have never been disappointed.

[starmoon]

Has anyone got any photos of the Fairstar circa 1974 or of Captain Rodolfo Potenzoni? ahh nostalgia!!

 

Lovely man, full of charm, I always remember his announcements, dinner is service buon appetito or good morning from the bridge. I understand he retired to Genoa where he was originally from. Cruising will never be the same without Sitmar and their very attentive staff

[h20cruzer]

My first cruise at 24 was Sitmar's Fairsea. It was a two week SF round trip. Our first stop after 3 or 4 days was a place called Alert Bay which thank heaven no one stops there anymore. After that I cruise the Caribbean with the Fairwind, then the Panama Canal on the Fairsea and eventually back to Alaska on the Fairsky. As far as I'm concerned they still had the best food of most cruise lines except Celebrity. But what I miss the most was going to the little Pizzeria with 3 choices of a one person pizza and a coke. They had the best Pizza to this day. I was heartbroken when they were taken over by Princess but knew it was there main competition.

 

I am with you, Sitmar was great, pizza the best. I was broken hearted as well when Princess took over. So much so I have never sailed Princess even though I have been on 70+ cruises.

[luckycruzer]

I met Mr. Otis..in a teak deck chair. He was 86, and on his 86th cruze. I was on my 4th or 5th by then, never thinking I'd come anywhere NEAR that , EVER !....well by early 2012, I will have done over 60 , that I was a paying guest on....no, I didnt "stow-away", but I knew how..especially on the Fairwind, as I spent alot of time on her. Remember the bathtub rooms? :rolleyes:.

[ronaldfelder]

I met Mr. Otis..in a teak deck chair. He was 86, and on his 86th cruze. I was on my 4th or 5th by then, never thinking I'd come anywhere NEAR that , EVER !....well by early 2012, I will have done over 60 , that I was a paying guest on....no, I didnt "stow-away", but I knew how..especially on the Fairwind, as I spent alot of time on her. Remember the bathtub rooms? :rolleyes:.

 

I rember being on my first Sitmar cruise aboard the Fairsea. It was a 11 day Mexican Riviera cruise at Christmas, While docked during our day and a half in Acapulco an American kid non passenger came on board and stowed away. I was told he slept behind the movie screen and ate at buffets and the like. They caught him a few days latter. i don't know what they did to him other than let him stay on until we were bac to Wilmington, California. tht's where they saied out of back then.

 

I can see how easy it was for him to do this for there wasn't much security then. i remember anther time sailing from port Everglades and former passenger's of the Fairwind just came aboard to chat with the crew and any other friend's that they had aboard. Actually back then guests were allowed on board to have parties and say goodbye to their friends. So i suppose that's how these people got on board. no more will you hear the sayin "All ashore that's going ashore."

 

None of these things i believe are possible with the strict security that goes aboard ship.

 

I've been sailing three times now on Royal Caribbean since the ending of Sitmar all within thelast ten years. No matter how hard they'll try they'll never come close to Sitmar quality and luxury. I think though that in these times do to the economics of today and what people want and expect from a cruise no one will ever be like Sitmar. i'm wondering if even the premeir cruise lines even can for we know the main ones can't.

 

 

Ron

[ChicagoGoodTimeGirls]

I worked on Sitmar in the Teen and Youth Centers in 1985 and 1986. It was a wonderful cruise line with superb service. I mostly sailed out of San Pedro doing the Mexico route but did a few Alaska, Caribbean and Panama Canal Cruises, too. I would love to hear from any passengers or staffers about your memories. Has anyone ever run into any Sitmar staff on Princess or any other line?

 

 

Linda,

 

Some of my fondest memories were from the Sitmar Teen Center. In the 80's my parents took my sister and I on a 10 or 11 day cruises every summer to celebrate our August birthdays. We sailed the Fairsea, Fairstar, Fairwind and Fairsky - and the two of us spent hours and hours at the centers especially on the back to back sea days. I'm in my 40's now and still cruise to this day. About 4 years ago we sailed the Caribbean Princess as a family and several of the senior hotel and dinning staff remembered us from way back when. Princess is great but I long for the good old Sitmar days :)

[no fuss travel]

I introduced my husband to cruising on the Fairsky. The head housekeeping staff remembered me from previous cruises with my girlfriend. The day we took a tour to Chichen Itza, we got back late, they had already made up our cabin for the night, we quickly each had a shower before we went to dinner and just made it to the dining room on time, came back and they had totally cleaned our room again. We felt a bit guilty as we had not bothered to pick up after ourselves as we were in a hurry to get to dinner. The head waiter remembered that I was a tea drinker and made sure that I had a teapot at the table for each meal so that i did not have to wait for seconds. Ah now that was service. We were so disappointed when Princess purchased Sitmar as the service went downhill.

[sunshinegallery]

Ron,

 

Where do they accummulate? I've sailed on HAL, SITMAR, Carnival, et al...would they all count toward my Captains Circle total? What benefit do you get from grouping them altogether?

 

Do any of you still have your original Cicolo log books or the glasses? I still have a full set of glasses in the cabinet that I occasionally use. I don't want to break any. I found my log book and looked through the stamps...:) It brought back many fond memories. Remember the pre 911 days when you could visit the ships in port by just showing your log book? That was fun too. Whenever I sailed on a SITMAR ship, it was like visiting family. I miss it...

 

Cindra

I still have my Circolo Log book with all the stamps, I just looked at it the other day. I have the glasses too! Great memories from the Sitmar. Those were the days when cruising was elegant!

[sunshinegallery]

Lovely man, full of charm, I always remember his announcements, dinner is service buon appetito or good morning from the bridge. I understand he retired to Genoa where he was originally from. Cruising will never be the same without Sitmar and their very attentive staff

Do you know if Captain Rodolfo Potenzoni sailed the Fairwind in 1976? I may have a photo of him. I looked in my log book but it is only a signature and I can't make out the name.

[DoUCruise]

Wow....talk about the memories! Alan Kent, great CD and Janet Edwards...I absolutely loved her(had her as a CD on a few cruises). I have to dig out all the dates and cruises but the wife and I always went with Sitmar when we first started cruising back in the very early 80'ies. Living in So Calif, we did many 10-11 day Mexico cruises, 2 Panama Canal, a couple of Carib and 2 Alaska although I think the Fairsky had changed over to Princess on the last one I was on.

 

We were never shy about participating in ship board activities from talent shows, game shows, we loved the costume parties(even won once). I remember one time my wife was involved in the Game show and one of her question's was, "What Candy did E.T. eat in the Movie"? Her answer was Reese's pieces which to this day I belive is the correct answer although for some reason the cruise staff had the answer as M&M's......who know's she my have won a cruise had she/they had the answer correct! :D So many of the activities back then seemed so special even something as simple as the Welcome Aboard Parties, the Deck Parties while leaving a port in Mexico. Do others remember the passenger talent shows where they had you dress up like Pavorati, or The Four Top's or even Travolta.....I still have a Video of me as Travolta on a Janet Edwards cruise with her interviewing me on stage(wht FUN).

 

My wife continues to cruise(she's on one now as I type, Carnival to Hawaii)...I stay home with the dogs nowadays, so I cant really speak to the new mega liners but there will come a day that Ill get back on board.

So many memories.....

[luckycruzer]

dedicated to Sitmar..old employees, cruzers, like me..enjoy the contact. Just loss an employee last week who worked for them for years. It still feels loke family of sorts. Very cathartic for me!

[sunshinegallery]

I sailed on Sitmar five times. A Mexican Riviera twice, Dec '77 and Dec 81 on the Fairsea. Did the Fairwind twice, a Caribbean Aug '78 and a seven dayer Aug '79. Plus Fairsky Caribbean Dec '87. Love those Xmas and New Year cruises though they are so expensive. Also talked my parent and an aunt and uncle to sail on Sitmar.

 

We learned on oour Dec '87 sailing that something was going down with Sitmar. Latter learned that it was bought by Princess. Was very sorry to see it dissappear. Wished that they had allowed it to operate indepentdtly, but it wasn't to be.

 

Ron

I sailed on the "Fairwind" in 1975 and that was first-class cruising! You could choose your own pool chair for the cruise and everyday it would have a rolled-up towel on it waiting just for you! I did sail on the "Dawn" Princess and I was not as pleased as when it was the Sitmar. I sailed again 1976 for my honeymoon, and the captain asked me new husband if he could dance with me....I was thrilled....I have my log book, my glasses, the schmetic of what the "new" Sitmar was going to look like (but never materialized of course) with the Swan logo....and I have many wonderful memories.

[RSGS315]

Lovely man, full of charm, I always remember his announcements, dinner is service buon appetito or good morning from the bridge. I understand he retired to Genoa where he was originally from. Cruising will never be the same without Sitmar and their very attentive staff

 

We sailed Sitmar for the first time in September 1980, and were invited to a private cocktail party, hosted by the captain. It came up in conversation with him that my birthday was the following day and he invited us to the bridge for coffee.

I had a lot of questions about the workings on the bridge, and ask him how they blew the whistle or ship's horn. He looked at the clock and said, if you hang around another 15 minutes it will be 12 noon and I'll let you blow the whistle at 12.

It was only a button, hidden behind glass, and sure enough at 12 noon he took my hand, ask me to put it on the button and he held his hand over mine to hold the button down. It sounded awesome and I couldn't believe that I had done this.

They entered my name in the ship's log and announced my name over the intercom.

I had a lot of ladies ask me how I had accomplished that, of course.

He came to the lounge every night and danced with me. He was a true gentleman!

 

We cruised years later on the Fairsky and he was onboard. He remembered us and we were invited to his private cocktail party again and met Jim Neighbors and Yvonne de Carlo there, who were entertainers on board.

 

We cruised the Sky Princess, formerly the Fairsky, one more time, but it wasn't the same.

My husband, who passed away nearly 5 years ago, and I talked often about Sitmar, one of our favorite cruise lines.

 

Your post brought back wonderful memories.

 

Ginnie

[luckycruzer]

We sailed Sitmar for the first time in September 1980, and were invited to a private cocktail party, hosted by the captain. It came up in conversation with him that my birthday was the following day and he invited us to the bridge for coffee.

I had a lot of questions about the workings on the bridge, and ask him how they blew the whistle or ship's horn. He looked at the clock and said, if you hang around another 15 minutes it will be 12 noon and I'll let you blow the whistle at 12.

It was only a button, hidden behind glass, and sure enough at 12 noon he took my hand, ask me to put it on the button and he held his hand over mine to hold the button down. It sounded awesome and I couldn't believe that I had done this.

They entered my name in the ship's log and announced my name over the intercom.

I had a lot of ladies ask me how I had accomplished that, of course.

He came to the lounge every night and danced with me. He was a true gentleman!

 

We cruised years later on the Fairsky and he was onboard. He remembered us and we were invited to his private cocktail party again and met Jim Neighbors and Yvonne de Carlo there, who were entertainers on board.

 

We cruised the Sky Princess, formerly the Fairsky, one more time, but it wasn't the same.

My husband, who passed away nearly 5 years ago, and I talked often about Sitmar, one of our favorite cruise lines.

 

Your post brought back wonderful memories.

 

Ginnie

 

 

I belong and it is wonderful !

 

I was treated similarly..I got to play the dinner chimes one night..it was a 4 key xylophone with a small mallet. I was given many privelidges on many cruzes with SITMAR. From 1969 thru 1984

[chotton]

There will never be another Sitmar.