Charter for Vintage Steamship style cruise. (Circa 1900)

[pathi]

I happened across some old steamship items on Ebay today. This got me thinking about a theme cruise in the 19th or very early 20th century steamship style.

 

This would involve theme nights to dress in vintage clothes, Special dinners based on old steamship menus.(Think last dinner on the Titanic.) Ball room dance, music etc etc.

 

Am I crazy? Or does anyone else think this would be fun?? :)

[mef_57]

I would be there - even with a single supplement. Ball gowns, tea dances, quoits; oh my.

There is actually an old cruise ship that has become an albatross for everyone who has bought it for refurb. There was a recent post about it and it just isn't feasible to update. I would caution buying it, but if you have a few million to burn, I am sure they would be happy to unload it.

[navybankerteacher]

Interesting idea - I would suggest chartering something like Prinsendam, Marco Polo, or, perhaps, Maasdam for the purpose.

 

Things like water slides, climbing walls, skating rinks, and lack of walk around promenade deck would kill the mood.

[mom says]

Assuming your fantasy steamship style cruise would be mimicking first class, not steerage, it sounds very expensive. And that's before everyone would have to spend hundreds if not thousands on vintage dresses/suits for however many days and nights on this cruise.

 

But if youve got the millions needed to charter a ship ( I'd suggest one of the Cunard Queens - the closest thing there is to a steamship), it would be interesting to see how many would pay for it. Not me, I'm afraid. I'm past playing dress up.

[SadieN]

Sounds rather Steam Punk-ish to me.

 

 

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[Essiesmom]

If you really want an idea of what it was like, not just your imagination, there is a book by Albert Bigelow Paine called Ship Dwellers, a Story of a Happy Cruise. It's about a voyage he took about 1908, to Europe and the Orient (Palestine and Turkey). He was trying to re-create Mark Twain's voyage in The Innocents Abroad. Which is also a good read, took place in the 1860's and reads like a group of frat boys touring Europe. I prefer the Paine book, but wish he had completed the journey in it. But I think he ran out of adjectives. The Twain book is free for Kindle and the Paine book was also when I got it several years ago. It might cost a buck or so now. EM

[TheOldBear]

I happened across some old steamship items on Ebay today. This got me thinking about a theme cruise in the 19th or very early 20th century steamship style.

 

This would involve theme nights to dress in vintage clothes, Special dinners based on old steamship menus.(Think last dinner on the Titanic.) Ball room dance, music etc etc.

 

Am I crazy? Or does anyone else think this would be fun?? :)

 

You can get a large percentage of this on a normal Cunard voyage [dinner, dancing, music, formal attire...]

 

On the other hand, I would not be surprised to find groups hosting events in that style abroad the old Queen Mary in Long Beach - you may want to check there.

[Keith1010]

Sounds like fun.

 

Keith

[Krazy Kruizers]

I would be signing up for a cruise like that in a heart beat.

That is the way my mother cruised back in the 20's and 30's.

[BlueRiband]

Cunard's Queen Mary 2, especially on the transatlantic crossings, comes closest to this. The ship has real formal nights, live music in the ballroom, traditional white-linen table service and teak promenade decks. Somebody who books the cheapest inside cabin gets to dine in a grand ocean liner restaurant that rivals those of the early twentieth century liners. (Back then, only the first class passengers got to see that.)

 

All of this traditional atmosphere does however come at a price. When I mention the ship to somebody who asks if there are still ships for "traditionalists" their answer is usually "Too expensive".

Edited January 25, 2018 by BlueRiband