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rkacruiser

rkacruiser

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6 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

I believe that on Home Line and Italian Line always served petite pastries with dessert.  
I know they were always served on the Italian Line and sometimes served on Cunard as petite fours.  

 

Even as recently as January, on a Holland America Line ship, if one orders ice cream for dessert, a Dutch cookie (the name of which I don't recall) is served.  

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PromenadeDeckWriter

PromenadeDeckWriter

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Really enjoying all these stories! (As a Deaf person, I don't have the privilege of hearing those same stories shared onboard by fellow passengers, whether at the (assigned) dinner table, during cocktail happy hour, or in passing). So getting direct stories here lets me get a taste of what it used to be "back then", especially for someone like I who loves ocean liners. So I am appreciative at reading these stories and look forward to reading more!

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CGTNORMANDIE

CGTNORMANDIE

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8 minutes ago, PromenadeDeckWriter said:

Really enjoying all these stories! (As a Deaf person, I don't have the privilege of hearing those same stories shared onboard by fellow passengers, whether at the (assigned) dinner table, during cocktail happy hour, or in passing). So getting direct stories here lets me get a taste of what it used to be "back then", especially for someone like I who loves ocean liners. So I am appreciative at reading these stories and look forward to reading more!

Welcome aboard Promenade.  Hopefully this thread will continue to regale you with some great memories from old salts who are just bored enough during these Covid times to post their memories here...LOL.  
 

Have you seen Lowiepete’s...”RMS Caronia II Time Line”?  

Edited by CGTNORMANDIE
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shipgeeks

shipgeeks

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1 hour ago, PromenadeDeckWriter said:

 

That's now on my reading list to read on my iPad tonight!

Tonight will not be enough, lol!  Give yourself a good long stretch, and enjoy!

I just read your post about favorite cruise moment.  Good one.  Keep them coming, please.

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lynwar

lynwar

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Hello,

My name is Lynne and I'm a friend of CGTNORMANDIE. He recently told me to check into this fun and interesting thread along with some others.

My husband and I sailed with him and his family in 2005 as part of a group that met on CC.  I will add, sticking to the initial theme of this thread, that we sailed on the HAL Zeiderdam (sp) in 2003 out of Ft. Lauderdale. The crew was still mostly Indonesian, and we observed constant crew training on the ship, especially in the buffet area. A resident where I worked from late 1998-2011, really enjoyed the Princedam? I believe she was in port with us in Barbados during one of our cruises.

 

The last time we were in St. Maarten, that block where  the courthouse faced  the pier was still there, but it was more full of cafes and boutique stores. In 2001, it still had a casino there. We walked the length of the main street in Phillipsburg in the early days. Last time, it was a long walk from where we docked (we discovered) and there were many stores and a wide boardwalk by the beach/ water, with several kiosks full of souvenir merchandise. We decided to take a cab back to the ship when we were finished for the afternoon.

 

Some relatives of mine in Canada worked for the Cunard line. Do I remember correctly that the Queen E and Queen Mary were part of that line? I think that many ships sailing from NYC now depart from Pier 88. We've had the opportunity to sightsee in the City because my son works there and took us on a personal tour. So, I can say that I've seen the Statue of Liberty up close now, too.

 

I've enjoyed reading your earlier stories, but cut to the last page to check in.  My husband's first cruise was on the Flavia, as well. 

 

Take care, and I don't think you have trouble with your memories of your cruise adventures, lol.

Lynne

 

 

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rkacruiser

rkacruiser

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4 minutes ago, lynwar said:

My name is Lynne and I'm a friend of CGTNORMANDIE. He recently told me to check into this fun and interesting thread along with some others.

 

Welcome Lynne!  Ours is an interesting group of maritime aficionados that have had much experience.  It's a pleasure to share what (I) we, I think, know and to learn of others experiences.  

 

 

5 minutes ago, lynwar said:

The last time we were in St. Maarten, that block where  the courthouse faced  the pier was still there, but it was more full of cafes and boutique stores. In 2001, it still had a casino there. We walked the length of the main street in Phillipsburg in the early days.

 

That short street is still there and the courthouse was still there, at least a couple of years ago.  Surely, the area has changed.

 

I remember walking the two streets that existed in Philipsburg during my first visit:  Front Street and Back Street.  That was it!  

 

Lots of good memories of St. Maarten.  

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rkacruiser

rkacruiser

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7 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

And please elaborate on the Panama buns!

 

5 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

My thoughts exactly!

 

Are these posts directed to me?

 

If so, I will respond.  If not, "never mind" as one comic on a TV program once said.

 

Panama Buns/Rolls are a sweet roll type pastry with a fruit filling served on HAL ships when particularly scenic events are taking place.  They are named after Panama Canal visits.  But, the pastry will sometimes appear on other ships sailing in other areas as well.  The fruit filling may be apricot or tangerine or....?  Served on the open decks and in the Crow's Nest with a coffee/tea/hot chocolate (in cold cllimes) and usually some OJ available station.  

 

The appearance of the pastry does vary from cruise to cruise.  I suppose that is due to the pastry chef in charge of making them.  But, the taste is always the same:  good.  

 

Panama Buns are surely in the panoply of "very small potato" cruise memories.  But, they have their niche.  

 

 

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CGTNORMANDIE

CGTNORMANDIE

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23 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

 

Are these posts directed to me?

 

If so, I will respond.  If not, "never mind" as one comic on a TV program once said.

 

Panama Buns/Rolls are a sweet roll type pastry with a fruit filling served on HAL ships when particularly scenic events are taking place.  They are named after Panama Canal visits.  But, the pastry will sometimes appear on other ships sailing in other areas as well.  The fruit filling may be apricot or tangerine or....?  Served on the open decks and in the Crow's Nest with a coffee/tea/hot chocolate (in cold cllimes) and usually some OJ available station.  

 

The appearance of the pastry does vary from cruise to cruise.  I suppose that is due to the pastry chef in charge of making them.  But, the taste is always the same:  good.  

 

Panama Buns are surely in the panoply of "very small potato" cruise memories.  But, they have their niche.  

 

 

Thank you RK.  I think I’m going to book a HAL cruise just to be able to eat one of those buns!  

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CGTNORMANDIE

CGTNORMANDIE

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56 minutes ago, lynwar said:

Hello,

My name is Lynne and I'm a friend of CGTNORMANDIE. He recently told me to check into this fun and interesting thread along with some others.

My husband and I sailed with him and his family in 2005 as part of a group that met on CC.  I will add, sticking to the initial theme of this thread, that we sailed on the HAL Zeiderdam (sp) in 2003 out of Ft. Lauderdale. The crew was still mostly Indonesian, and we observed constant crew training on the ship, especially in the buffet area. A resident where I worked from late 1998-2011, really enjoyed the Princedam? I believe she was in port with us in Barbados during one of our cruises.

 

The last time we were in St. Maarten, that block where  the courthouse faced  the pier was still there, but it was more full of cafes and boutique stores. In 2001, it still had a casino there. We walked the length of the main street in Phillipsburg in the early days. Last time, it was a long walk from where we docked (we discovered) and there were many stores and a wide boardwalk by the beach/ water, with several kiosks full of souvenir merchandise. We decided to take a cab back to the ship when we were finished for the afternoon.

 

Some relatives of mine in Canada worked for the Cunard line. Do I remember correctly that the Queen E and Queen Mary were part of that line? I think that many ships sailing from NYC now depart from Pier 88. We've had the opportunity to sightsee in the City because my son works there and took us on a personal tour. So, I can say that I've seen the Statue of Liberty up close now, too.

 

I've enjoyed reading your earlier stories, but cut to the last page to check in.  My husband's first cruise was on the Flavia, as well. 

 

Take care, and I don't think you have trouble with your memories of your cruise adventures, lol.

Lynne

 

 

Hi Lynne!  Great to hear from you and hopefully we will have more stories coming your way.  Lynne is a big Princess cruiser.  We met her on Star Princess in 2005 when we were dodging hurricanes...LOL.  DW, DML and I had just gotten off the Caribbean Princess on Saturday and boarded Star Princess the next day...Sunday.  There was a hurricane bearing down on us and we had to sail early...at 3:00 PM.  We missed the hurricane but returned to Fort Lauderdale a week later to see a lot of destruction.  Some of the people we were cruising with lost their homes in Florida.   

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shipgeeks

shipgeeks

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RK, My question about Panama Buns was actually directed to Promenade, as he mentioned them in his post about going through the Canal in Ask A Cruise Question/Best Cruise Moments.  But I appreciate your description!  We've sailed on a number of HAL cruises, but never saw them.  I take it they are not the same as a fruit Danish?

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PromenadeDeckWriter

PromenadeDeckWriter

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15 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

Panama Buns/Rolls are a sweet roll type pastry with a fruit filling served on HAL ships when particularly scenic events are taking place.  They are named after Panama Canal visits.  But, the pastry will sometimes appear on other ships sailing in other areas as well.  The fruit filling may be apricot or tangerine or....?  Served on the open decks and in the Crow's Nest with a coffee/tea/hot chocolate (in cold cllimes) and usually some OJ available station.  

 

Correct - they are a yeasty sweet bread/donut roll with a custard filling with bits of fruit (varies, clementines, apricot, etc) with a streusel topping. Best served hot right off the baking tray when they come in from the kitchens. Very light and fluffy, too easy to eat 10 of them! Downed with coffee or orange juice served, especially when they open the bow of the ship and set up a "tent" with the buns and drinks. Nothing better than standing at the railing at 5:30am with a bun in one hand and coffee in the other hand, waiting for the canal to appear in front of you while the sun rises on the horizon. Here's a photo of one from the crossing.

 

57 minutes ago, shipgeeks said:

RK, My question about Panama Buns was actually directed to Promenade, as he mentioned them in his post

 

Correction - I am a "she". I know - it's rare to see a young woman (and Deaf) remotely interested in ocean liners - I'm well aware that I"m a one-off from the typical profile of ocean liner aficionados out there. My love started at age 8 and hasn't waned over the years. Looking though my schoolwork memory box, I found deck plans that I"d sketched over the years, copying what I liked from ships at that time with older deck plans of ships now gone (mostly). I do have fond memories of dragging my friend (at the time, we were undergraduates in college) all over the Queen Mary in Long Beach, and acting as an audio guide for her (she actually commented that I gave her more facts and stories than was shared on the audio guide). Still need to travel on the Queen Mary 2 (have not found a companion willing to dress up and travel on Cunard, hence me settling for Holland America as a compromise, but it was a wonderful experience and would stick with HAL in addition to my goal of traveling on the QM2). 

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CGTNORMANDIE

CGTNORMANDIE

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30 minutes ago, PromenadeDeckWriter said:

 

Correct - they are a yeasty sweet bread/donut roll with a custard filling with bits of fruit (varies, clementines, apricot, etc) with a streusel topping. Best served hot right off the baking tray when they come in from the kitchens. Very light and fluffy, too easy to eat 10 of them! Downed with coffee or orange juice served, especially when they open the bow of the ship and set up a "tent" with the buns and drinks. Nothing better than standing at the railing at 5:30am with a bun in one hand and coffee in the other hand, waiting for the canal to appear in front of you while the sun rises on the horizon. Here's a photo of one from the crossing.

 

 

Correction - I am a "she". I know - it's rare to see a young woman (and Deaf) remotely interested in ocean liners - I'm well aware that I"m a one-off from the typical profile of ocean liner aficionados out there. My love started at age 8 and hasn't waned over the years. Looking though my schoolwork memory box, I found deck plans that I"d sketched over the years, copying what I liked from ships at that time with older deck plans of ships now gone (mostly). I do have fond memories of dragging my friend (at the time, we were undergraduates in college) all over the Queen Mary in Long Beach, and acting as an audio guide for her (she actually commented that I gave her more facts and stories than was shared on the audio guide). Still need to travel on the Queen Mary 2 (have not found a companion willing to dress up and travel on Cunard, hence me settling for Holland America as a compromise, but it was a wonderful experience and would stick with HAL in addition to my goal of traveling on the QM2). 


LOL...DW calls me “ship daft”.  Don’t feel bad PromDeckW...there are a lot of us out there.  I was fascinated with ships and the ocean at a very young age.  I was only 7 years old when I watched all the news about the sinking of the Andrea Doria.  I was hooked from that time forward.  Then when I was 16 years old I got to sail on the Queen Elizabeth I.  My first sight of her was at night at the pier in New York City.  She was lit up like a wedding cake.  It was love at first sight.  I started collecting liner memorabilia during that voyage.  Over the years I amassed a large collection with a complete Library to match.  Last year I donated my entire collection to the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts.  You are in good company.

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shipgeeks

shipgeeks

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Promenade, I am guilty as charged, and I apologize!  I, too, am female.  The Shipgeeks are a twosome, but I tend to do all the writing.  I'm impressed with your descriptions of your childhood interest in ships.  I don't think I even saw many ship pictures, but I do recall that, while other little girls played with their dolls, I was out back looking at the sky and yelling for the airplanes to "land in my yard".  I also built a raft that I hoped would carry me down either the Amazon or our nearby creek.

I think my real obsession with ships, and being at sea, began when I took a freighter from NYC to Australia.  While living there for 12 years, and commuting across the Harbour Bridge every day, I got to see lots of ships coming and going.

Thank you for the description of the Panama Buns.  They sound delicious!  And what a treat to be able to associate them with a special type of experience.

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rkacruiser

rkacruiser

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22 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

Thank you RK.  I think I’m going to book a HAL cruise just to be able to eat one of those buns!  

 

Ah, the pressure I feel!  😀  Will the pastry chef be able to produce such a quality product that I--and others--have experienced?

 

 

7 hours ago, PromenadeDeckWriter said:

I am a "she".

 

6 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

Promenade, I am guilty as charged, and I apologize!  I, too, am female.  The Shipgeeks are a twosome, but I tend to do all the writing

 

Sometimes, I am able to determine the gender of whomever is posting.  More often, I am not.  What does such matter?  We enjoy cruising and discussing our memories and experiences!

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CGTNORMANDIE

CGTNORMANDIE

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23 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

That short street is still there and the courthouse was still there, at least a couple of years ago.  Surely, the area has changed.

 

I remember walking the two streets that existed in Philipsburg during my first visit:  Front Street and Back Street.  That was it!  

 

Lots of good memories of St. Maarten.  


I remember going to St. Maarten in 1976.  There was one Main Street and it could not have been more than 200 yards long...if that.  There were two or three rudimentary casinos on the Main Street and they were what I call honest casinos.  Meaning you could actually win.  Today the Main Street goes on forever and it is impossible to win in any of the glitzy casinos that dot the Main Street.  St Maarten today is hardly recognizable from the St. Maarten of years ago.  

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rkacruiser

rkacruiser

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7 minutes ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

 St Maarten today is hardly recognizable from the St. Maarten of years ago.  

 

Then, going to St. Martin on the other side of the island, the most recent time that I did so, it seemed much the same.  

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