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Host Dan

By Host Dan,
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Roland4 "Live from...." Rare

Roland4

Posted
Posted

My Better Half's parents started cruising with HAL in the late 70s and gave us "the bug" to try it.

 

In March 1988 we sailed our first cruise on RCI's Song of America, at 38K GRT, at the time it was the largest ship in the Caribbean. Today it would be a tender on the latest Obscenity of the Seas!!!😁 We booked a "Deluxe Oceanview" (no balconies back then), and with visions of The Love Boat in mind, entered our room to find two beds in a fixed L-shaped configuration. Very romantic! Not!🙄

 

The best thing that happened were our table-mates in the MDR. While wandering around the ship the first day, we had seen this older couple (keeping in mind we were late 20s/early 30s at this time) dressed in matching RCI-blue suits, and had  wondered if they were staff. They arrived at our table and it turned out they were long time RCI cruisers, and they were a blast! Minnie would finish her dinner early, and head for the lounge, where she always got the best seats for the show for all of us! Now days she would be the original "chair hog"!! One evening the show was a "Scavenger Hunt", and when they asked for a pair of men's pants, Minnie's husband stood up, dropped his pants, and off she went!! I seem to recall we won that night!!

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Keith1010 "Live from...." Rare

Keith1010

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7 hours ago, Benny B. Goode said:

I think there was a second Homeric that went on to become the Westerdam. But this photo from my collection is the earlier one referenced above from a Caribbean cruise in the 60s.

 

homeric.jpg.151a26882efeaf0ee5c8628d03489558.jpg

Yes.  It wasn't the Homeric I was on.  It was the second Homeric which Holland purchased from Home Lines  (2 years young at the time) and the Atlantic from Home Lines in April 1988 and Home Lines ceased operation later that year.

 

The one I sailed was built in 1931 and was part of Home Lines from 1954 to 1973.  She was scrapped in 1974.  At the time I sailed Homeric there was the Homeric, Oceanic and Doric.  Eventually the newer ship was the Atlantic.

 

As to the Big Red Boat is was part of Premier Cruise line and had an affiliation with Disney were it could use their characters.  We sailed for four nights and had three nights at Walt Disney World or you could book a cruise with three nights and four nights at Disney World.

 

You have to start somewhere and that is where we started cruising with our children.  Just as was the case when we sailed Homeric we had assigned seating for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  The morning of debarkation I remember two things.  The waiters were not friendly for breakfast maybe because they knew they already had our tips.  And, we were not allowed to wait in our rooms to debark and I just remember it was standing room only in the corridors as we waited to debark.  

 

Back then we didn't plan vacations very far in advance. Two years laster we went to a cruising agency about two months before we wanted to cruise. She pushed us on Royal Caribbean but there wasn't much choice. As she was speaking with RCI reservation by phone, I saw she had this book called Ocean Cruising by Douglas Ward and as I am flipping through it I come to Celebrity Zenith and Horizon and the writeup was very positive so I said what about one of these ships.  She seemed reluctant (I suspect they were getting accelerators from Royal Caribbean but in the ned we sailed the Zenith.  After this we sailed at least yearly and went on Horizon for two cruises of Bermuda in consecutive years than we sailed Celebrity Century, Galaxy and Mercury in the year each ship went into service.  They each had a Royal Suites which was perfect for the family.  And yes the rest was history.

 

Keith

 

 

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May B Great Review Rare

May B

Posted
Posted (edited)
4 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

Some of you know I can eat just one or even none.  How about you?

 

IMG_3303.thumb.jpeg.db98084e8ac993a3c3c8625c78710ec8.jpeg


Moi aussi. I love carbs, though. And potatoes are probably my favorite. But I prefer mashed, baked, pancakes, kugel, and perhaps some I’m forgetting.

 

I also eat sweet potatoes, incl. baked, fries, mashed. I wish I could show you how my mother-in-law said potato. Can you use the D sound for the Ts?

Edited by May B
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KenzSailing

KenzSailing

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OK, this is waaay off-off topic, but now we're looking at Regent.

 

When you're semi-budget cruisers like we are, this is not the fun "oh just try them all" buffet that some can  indulge.

 

I am reminded of an anecdote from my college days.  A guy in one of my IT classes remarked "we need a course called three-to-five years experience," because every job listing asks for that.  "Why yes, I have three to five years experience."

 

In that same sense, I really wish my next five figure first cruise bet on another line was my second. 

 

 

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Roland4 "Live from...." Rare

Roland4

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Posted
1 hour ago, travelberlin said:

The Jungfrau in the Bernese highlands. It is a wonderful region. It does not always have to be cruising 😃

Ivi74EE8F05-D579-4FD0-B45E-1895586D7A67.thumb.jpeg.f2ef2122ac7cb7db32c2cf4df4bc3b81.jpeg

And we travelled to the top on a trip with my in-laws many, many years ago!!!

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rafinmd "Live from...." Rare

rafinmd

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Not quite a sunrise, this was taken July 14, 2018 on ViaRail's Canadian near the remote village of Nakima, Ontario (far North of Thunder Bay) and is first light reflected in a placid wilderness lake.

 

1299064264_DSCF5239(Medium).thumb.JPG.6649b38d6486dbf8dd34151dd52918d3.JPG

 

Roy

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ctjon

ctjon

Posted
Posted

Since the Open in in progress:

On a Crystal Cruise -can't remember the exact year.  It was golf themed;   A tour was offered to play at St. Andrews with Billy Casper.  It wasn't the old course but one of the others at St Andrews although we did get to see and walk on part of the old course.  Wasn't the day when we all had phones with cameras but I kept a couple of golf balls from the visit.

st_andrews.jpg.f20855ae31b4819aedfc2330c4630ca2.jpg

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travelberlin "Live from...." Rare

travelberlin

Posted
Posted
20 hours ago, vistaman said:

I wish on new Crystal there will be a decent informal buffet instead of that Brazilan meat 

with basic hot  items like a good steak or grilled salmon  or similar 

or is that not luxurious enough ??

I do not like buffets and now less due to COVID. I do not like to eat food that has been sitting who knows how long before I come to the restaurant. Buffets do not hat have the quality of food cooked to order. And imho there is always a waste of food with buffets.

 

I was quite happy with the Rodizio (Brasilian restaurant) at Crystal. Good, fresh grilled meat and shrimps served warm at you table. 
Ivi

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