Great Cruising Memories

[CGTNORMANDIE]

5 hours ago, marco said:

I'll look and see what I have.  i have several bins of memorabilia up in the attic.  I also have (somewhere) an 8mm movie of my grandparents on their sailing on the Andrea Doria in 1954 or '56.  If it's from '56, it's the last eastbound sailing. It's not dated.

Hi Marco,

Can you make that movie into a dvd??  You have 2 orders right here!!😊

[marco]

It will take me forever to find it.  I have a big box of old 8MM films (my Dad and Grandfather thought they were CB DeMille).  I have the projector somewhere, too, so maybe on some cold wintery night I'll watch a bunch of them until I find it.  By the way, would anyone also like  a cy of the day my parents brought my newborn sister home from the hospital?  Or a bullfight in Spain, sometime in the 60's?  Or maybe some of the Summer Olympics in Rome from 1960?  Which by the way, we went to Italy that year on the "Columbo" and I probably have a film from that, too! (and then we came home on the "brand new" L-d-V).  I was 6, but still remember it.  It's because of some of those sailings and memories that I became so "addicted" to sailing on a ship.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

Hi Marco...start digging!  You are sitting on some great history.  

[CGTNORMANDIE]

The next question...What’s the worst storm you ever sailed through??  Don’t spare the details...lol.  

[rkacruiser]

27 minutes ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

The next question...What’s the worst storm you ever sailed through??  Don’t spare the details...lol.  

 

An easy one for me!  Times two!

 

Volendam, 2002, Asia Pacific Cruise sailing from Vancouver:

 

 

Captain Jonathan Peter Harris reported to us on the PA prior to leaving Vancouver that the days at sea/weather we would soon encounter would be guest friendly.

 

The first morning at sea, we were West of Vancouver Island.  And, we were rocking and rolling big time when I arose.  Showering was an "interesting" experience when the ship was moving as it was.  I went to breakfast and was no sooner seated in the MDR than the lady of the couple seated before me at a nearby table became ill.  What a mess!  

 

The rough seas continued throughout the day.  On his Bridge Report at Noon, Captain Harris reported the information about the weather/sea condition report as to what he had communicated in his daily position report to Seattle.  The Captain said the reply he received from whomever received it in Seattle was:  "Are you lost?"  Neither the Company nor the Captain anticipated the conditions that we were experiencing.  The storm was so severe that the Chief Engineer was injured.  We made a slight detour to Dutch Harbor to remove him as well as a "celebrity".  This was the cruise that a fugitive Priest from Los Angeles was apparently trying to escape the United States because of child abuse charges.  Somehow, he was determined that he was on the Volendam.  (He was a Bridge player and suddenly his teammates noticed he failed to appear for their usual game.  Why?  He was in the Brig.)  

 

A few days later, as we were crossing the Pacific, we encountered the tail-end of a typhoon.  My best memory of that was standing--holding on to whatever there was to hold on to--in the Crow's Nest, watching the bow rise high on a wave's crest and plunge down and down into the trough.  There was sea water--not spray--being thrown above the Crow's Nest that morning.  I thought it was exciting!    

 

Crossing the Tasman Sea during that cruise also provided for some rough conditions, but nothing like what we had experienced during the Vancouver-Tokyo segment.  

Edited September 28, 2020 by rkacruiser

[CGTNORMANDIE]

The next question...What’s the worst storm you ever sailed through??  Don’t spare the details...lol.  
 

Good one RK!  Sounds like you hit some real and unexpected bad weather.  
 

We ran into stormy seas several times over the years.  50‘ seas on the Bremen the first night out, 110 mph head winds on the QE II,  135 mph winds on the Jewel Of The Seas and a few others.  The day we had 110 mph winds on the QE II the seas were rough but that night it became worse.  We hit a huge trench wave when we were on the QE II that was so bad it emptied our closet and dresser...lol.  I was up at the casino bar and watched two ladies clinging to each other while they were 4 feet in the air!  The casino bartender, Tony, was able to save the liquor bottles by bracing himself against the bar and leaning on the doors to the cabinet...at a 45 degree angle.  They estimated that wave to be about 100’ high.  The 135 mph winds were so bad on the Jewel OS that the seas tore 3 aft cabins from their girders and had to be rewelded.  

[Heidi13]

13 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Captain Jonathan Peter Harris reported to us on the PA prior to leaving Vancouver that the days at sea/weather we would soon encounter would be guest friendly.

 

 

 

Now there is a name from my past. He started with P&O, he was S/2/O on Oriana in the late 70's, when I was a lonely cadet. Did hear that he moved to HAL.

 

[Heidi13]

14 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

The next question...What’s the worst storm you ever sailed through??  Don’t spare the details...lol.  

 

A very interesting question, as the worst storm is very subjective depending on the type of ship, location and Master's actions. Conditions that seriously impede new ships, didn't even cause the liners to slow down.

 

However, some of the few that come to mind are:

• Pacific Ocean when Westbound a couple of days after the Hawaiian Island we encountered a storm where we had to "Hove-to" - putting the head into the wind with the minimal power required to maintain the head to wind. Not too much rolling, with extensive pitching. Over 2 days, we lost over 30 miles. This was my only tanker.
• Indian Ocean - crossing during TRS season. We had no stabalisers, so the ship rolled 40 to 45 degrees both sides continuously for about 3 days. The internal stairs up to the Bridge were athwartships, so with the rolling, they went from a vertical ladder to being almost flat. No hot meals for the 3 days.
• SS Oriana departing Vancouver bound for Honolulu in December. Hit some wind on clearing Juan de Fuca Strait, heading directly into the prevailing seas. We reduced speed to a little less than 20 kts, but still uncomfortable pitching. Stove in the enclosed Focsle viewing ports.
• Sun Princess -  doing the Acapulco to San Juan trans-Canal shuttle we routinely got hammered in the Gulf of Tehuantepec, but one was most memorable, as the Focsle was severely damaged - 1" thick plates protecting the windlass were severely warped, a gangway lashed to the masthouse with turnbuckles was ripped off. It ended up just below the Bridge, but we never found the motor. The officers ski-boat stowed on the focsle was destroyed. Seas hitting the Bridge windows.
• Ro/pax in Georgia Strait with SE 55kts. Our base course was SE at required speed of 22 kts. Was actually tacking to place the seas about 1 to 2 points on the bow at about 12 kts. Nice easy passage, when a Seaman on rounds called me to report water on the deck of the upper car deck. Told OOW to further reduce and bring head further from wind. Headed to car deck noting a substantial collection of water. Upper car deck is about 30' above sea level and was shipping mostly spray through the front that had no doors (not required at that height). All hands called to get rid of the water and increased the tack to about 45 degrees at less than 10 kts. 
• Ro/Pax in Georgia Strait we had a severe depression forecast (960 - 970 mB) and my gut told me it wasn't good, but all real time current conditions from lighthouses and buoys reported nothing above 40 kt wind. Based on actual reports, I opted to sail, but 1/2 way across Georgia Strait got hit with 75 to 80 kt winds. Not fun deep sea, but even worse on the coast when transitting narrow channels and docking. Delayed the return by a couple of hours for the wind to ease to 50kts or less. When docking the wind is on the beam and the ship had sufficent power to hold against 30 kts, so basically a controlled crash. 

[CGTNORMANDIE]

I knew we were going to get some good stories on this question.  Heidi...you obviously have had more hours at sea than the rest of us.  Your technical experience is very much appreciated.

 

RK...as usual you bring a wealth of cruise experience to the party.  I can’t wait until all of us will be cruising again.  I should begin testing in the next two weeks for my kidney transplant.  I’m hoping we’ll be good to go sometime in 2021.  I am planning on having THE PARTY OF THE CENTURY.  BTW...once the plan is finalized...OF COURSE...you are all  invited!!
 

 

[rkacruiser]

5 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Now there is a name from my past. He started with P&O, he was S/2/O on Oriana in the late 70's, when I was a lonely cadet. Did hear that he moved to HAL.

 

 

Captain Harris was probably the most personable and guest friendly Master with whom I have sailed.  The Noon "Voice from the Bridge" reports included our Cruise Director Gary Walker.  Often, the banter between the two of them during the reports were more humorous than any of the comedians who were employed to "entertain".  Luncheon conversations in the MDR became scarce when the Harris/Walker Team began.  Even the Stewards would be listening and smiling/laughing at times.  

 

We had several issues during our cruise with Immigration and Customs in China.  One such issue was when the Volendam was preparing to sail from the port for Beijing.  The Officials insisted that there was something wrong with the crew manifest they were given.  I don't know how it was resolved, but the ship's sailing was delayed sufficiently that it missed the "departure window" in the traffic scheme.  By having to wait until the next appropriate time to sail, the Volendam arrived late at our next port of call:  Shanghai.  It missed something--tide, place in the traffic scheme, I don't know--I was off the ship then on a land tour to Xian.  We expected to be docked at the Bund.  Due to the problem, the Volendam had to dock at a container dock some distance from central Shanghai.  Our last Chinese port (before Hong Kong which was still under UK jurisdiction) was Xiamen.  There was nothing that impacted the guest experience there of which I was aware.  But, after we had sailed and all of the Chinese Officials had left the ship, Captain Harris came on the PA and expressed his great frustration with all of the Officials, apologizing for the inconveniences that we had experienced during our China visit.  He said something like:  "I am glad that the official "Officials" have all officially left the Volendam!"

 

I heard as well that he left HAL.  There was a report that he had joined Seabourn.  Then, I heard he had joined another line that was not a part of the CCL family of brands.  I imagine he has retired by now.  He was an excellent Mariner and represented his profession well! 

[rkacruiser]

17 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

The casino bartender, Tony, was able to save the liquor bottles by bracing himself against the bar 

 

I have observed such behavior on several cruises when the seas were active.  Bartenders trying to wrap their arms around the glassware on the bar as well as anything else that was on the counters that was breakable.  

 

17 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

 We hit a huge trench wave when we were on the QE II that was so bad it emptied our closet and dresser...lol.

 

I have had drawers and closest doors flung open, but nothing like that.  Whether it is rough or not and because I wear glasses, every night when I retire for the evening, I put my glasses in a nightstand drawer and not on the furniture's service.  Plus, the glasses are cushioned by a washcloth to help keep them from possibly moving around inside the drawer if the seas become rough during the night.  

 

17 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

  I was up at the casino bar and watched two ladies clinging to each other while they were 4 feet in the air!

 

I hope they were not injured.  As you probably have seen, there are videos that have been posted of some of the extreme situations that the guests and crew experience when King Neptune is having a very bad day.  Scary to be sure!  But, the ships survive such conditions.  I have said this on CC at other times, but I feel safer on a cruise ship than I do in my own home.  

[shipgeeks]

My roughest sailing might have been on the freighter Cap Vilano, crossing the Pacific with forty tons of dynamite as our cargo.  We had no ports between Panama and Australia.  We experienced several days of rough seas.  One night we were tossed out of our beds.  Talking with our tablemate, the Chief Engineer, the next morning, we learned that the ship had been turned around and was heading east again.  When no one on the bridge could figure out why the headings were off, the Captain was summoned, and he figured it out, and got us going in the right direction again.

One woman passenger did not leave her cabin for the duration of the rough weather; the rest of us just staggered a lot, and held on a lot.  Tablecloths were always wetted down for meals.  

[CGTNORMANDIE]

3 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I have observed such behavior on several cruises when the seas were active.  Bartenders trying to wrap their arms around the glassware on the bar as well as anything else that was on the counters that was breakable.  

Tony was a legend with Cunard...back in the 1970’s.  His father had been with Cunard since the 1940’s.  Vic Taylor was also onboard.  He was another bartender who was well known .  Both of them had worked on the old Queens.   

 

I have had drawers and closest doors flung open, but nothing like that.  Whether it is rough or not and because I wear glasses, every night when I retire for the evening, I put my glasses in a nightstand drawer and not on the furniture's service.  Plus, the glasses are cushioned by a washcloth to help keep them from possibly moving around inside the drawer if the seas become rough during the night.  

When I arrived at our cabin I opened the door and turned on the lights.  There was a 4 foot high pile of clothing in the center of the room.  My wife slept through the entire episode.  How she didn’t fall out of bed is a mystery to me.  

 

I hope they were not injured.  As you probably have seen, there are videos that have been posted of some of the extreme situations that the guests and crew experience when King Neptune is having a very bad day.  Scary to be sure!  But, the ships survive such conditions.  I have said this on CC at other times, but I feel safer on a cruise ship than I do in my own home.  
Thank Heaven the carpet was deep.  The two ladies stumbled off into the night.  
I also remember Tony yelling to me to “hang on to the bar” as he turned to lean against the bottles...lol.  Funny how he knew we were going to take a dive.  

 

[marco]

A couple of rough T/A's and a couple of rough (surprisingly) Caribbean sailing.  One, we had to leave the dining room mid-dinner as  furniture was falling over.  One, no one was allowed out on decks. I remember early 80's on QE2, we sailed out of NY were picked up more pax in Norfolk.  On the return, the sea was so rough, the night prior to returning to Norfolk, the captain said we might not be able to and the Norfolk passengers would be bussed back from NYC. However, we did dock in Norfolk.  A few sailings, drawers opened from the motion, thing slid off of dressers, closet doors swung open and closed, etc. We were not on the sailing, but I guess the worse event in modern times that I know of was a "Michelangelo" sailing westbound where a rouge wave destroyed part of the superstructure just below the bridge and a cabin was destroyed and the occupants washed out at sea. I guess that would be "the worst storm anyone had sailed through".  There are some photos of it on Youtube and/or FB.

[rkacruiser]

22 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

Talking with our tablemate, the Chief Engineer, the next morning, we learned that the ship had been turned around and was heading east again.  When no one on the bridge could figure out why the headings were off, the Captain was summoned, and he figured it out, and got us going in the right direction again.

 

I have never heard that before!  WOW!

 

7 hours ago, marco said:

,but I guess the worse event in modern times that I know of was a "Michelangelo" sailing westbound where a rouge wave destroyed part of the superstructure just below the bridge and a cabin was destroyed and the occupants washed out at sea. I guess that would be "the worst storm anyone had sailed through".  There are some photos of it on Youtube and/or FB.

 

A Cincinnati TV personality and her family was aboard the Michelangelo during that crossing.  I remember her describing the experience when she returned from vacation.  Terrifying!  

[Heidi13]

On 9/28/2020 at 2:41 PM, shipgeeks said:

My roughest sailing might have been on the freighter Cap Vilano, crossing the Pacific with forty tons of dynamite as our cargo.  We had no ports between Panama and Australia.  We experienced several days of rough seas.  One night we were tossed out of our beds.  Talking with our tablemate, the Chief Engineer, the next morning, we learned that the ship had been turned around and was heading east again.  When no one on the bridge could figure out why the headings were off, the Captain was summoned, and he figured it out, and got us going in the right direction again.

One woman passenger did not leave her cabin for the duration of the rough weather; the rest of us just staggered a lot, and held on a lot.  Tablecloths were always wetted down for meals.  

 

When the weather got rather snotty, it could be too dangerous to sleep on the bunks. Mattresses we thrown on the deck, with 1 side butted up to the bunk and the other propped up with lifejackets. You slept in the created "V" which prevented rolling around.

 

Had to resort to this a couple of times. 

[CGTNORMANDIE]

One more memory...of a storm...
We were on the  RCI Jewel Of The Seas sailing from Boston to the Caribbean.  We, my DW, MIL and Aunt were fortunate enough to be in the Royal Suite.  That suite had a bathroom that was jaw dropping, floor to ceiling marble with a double vanity.  Each sink was a gorgeous glass bowl of cobalt blue that sat on top of the marble counter top.  We hit a storm the second night out...with head winds over 120 mph.  The JOS was and is a great ship able to knife through the seas.  She was pitching wildly at what I would estimate to be at least a 45* angle.  At about 2:00 in the morning I tried to open the door to the balcony but could not because of the wind pressure.  The wind sounded like a roaring freight train going by.  I almost fell over the big coffee table as the ship pitched up and down.  I then heard a crash out in the bathroom.  Upon inspection I found that the vanity mirror doors had swung open and a bottle had fallen out and shattered one of the magnificent blue bowls.  The cleaning crew was on the job the next morning and the bowl was replaced when we made the first port.  Kudos to the crew on JOS.  The storm had been so violent that three of the aft cabins, overlooking the stern, had broken their steel beams that fastened them to the main beams.  Meyer Werft flew three technicians from Germany to the ship to arrange repairs.  The next morning the Captain announced that they had recorded a top wind of 135 mph at one point during the night.  WOW!!  I got to chat with the Captain the following evening in the C Lounge.  He gave me a blow by blow description of the previous events.  Great stuff for this ocean liner historian.  

Edited October 10, 2020 by CGTNORMANDIE

[rkacruiser]

18 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

The storm had been so violent that three of the aft cabins, overlooking the stern, had broken their steel beams that fastened them to the main beams. 

 

That was quite a storm!  Do you know what happened to the guests in those 3 cabins?  Were they injured?  Were they moved elsewhere on the ship for the remainder of the cruise?

[CGTNORMANDIE]

53 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

That was quite a storm!  Do you know what happened to the guests in those 3 cabins?  Were they injured?  Were they moved elsewhere on the ship for the remainder of the cruise?

Yes...the cabins were repaired enough so that they did not have to move.  One of the occupants told me they felt like they were shaking for a time.  They did not want to give up the cabin because of the big balcony and aft view.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

ANOTHER STORM MEMORY...

We sailed from Montego Bay, Jamaica in May 1988.  On our first night out we ran into a thunder storm that was extremely violent.  We had lightning strikes all around us for several hours.  There were times that I thought that we were right in the center of everything.  The rain poured down in torrents and yet, the seas remained calm.  This was one of the weirdest storms we ever sailed through.  Thank Heavens we weren’t struck by lightning.

 

 

[rkacruiser]

5 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

ANOTHER STORM MEMORY...

 

With your experience, I am not surprised that you have many.  I guess that I am fortunate inasmuch as I really don't have many memories of significant storms.  Lots of rough seas at times: the Tasman Sea comes to my mind immediately.  Sailing through the Drake Passage after a storm severe enough that our Captain delayed by 18 hours the Zaandam's passage had passed to the West.  Yet, that produced seas made it "dangerous" for me, in my opinion, to leave my seat in the Crow's Nest with the intention of going out on deck to take a picture or more as we passed Cape Horn.  My stateroom was on the Starboard side of the Zaandam.  I recall seeing how angry the skies looked when I looked out of my window prior to retiring for the night.  I was thankful that Captain Norman chose to place our ship in the lee of some islands North of Cape Horn as the storm passed.  

[CGTNORMANDIE]

RK...with 61 cruises I’m surprised you don’t have more!  Just goes to show you how lucky you have been.  There is nothing like smooth sailing.  Don’t you long for those mornings when you get up early and take in the view of a glorious sunrise from your cabin...

Then there is a soft knock at the door and the coffee arrives,,,

[CGTNORMANDIE]

Luncheon onboard Leonardo DaVinci...

 

We all have a lot of cruise memories.  One of the things that comes to mind were the wonderful dining events on the Leonardo DaVinci...in 1976.  We were on a ten day cruise out of New York in late May early June.  The weather was spectacular from the moment we sailed from New York.  Mornings were spent lazing by what was usually the First Class pool.  Our loungers were assigned at the start of the cruise.  In those days you payed for the lounger for the entire cruise which was a great idea...no chair hogs!  A buffet lunch was available every day at Noon but if you wanted to change out of bathing suits you could go to the dining room.  We had the late seating at 1:30 PM so we could take advantage of a late morning by the pool.  
 

All the meals were great events but luncheons were special.  The menus ran through the usual starters like the best Italian treats, hand cut prosciutto, select mortadella, salami,  etc. and then Soups, fish, eggs (late breakfasts) then main courses and a cold buffet.  They always featured two Italian specialties for main courses at lunch...on top of the usual meal items.  The Italian enjoy their pasta at lunch.  The wine list was superb...especially if you liked Italian wines.  Our waiters were fantastic and they always encouraged us to try new things that they recommended.  They also asked us if there was anything special that we would like.  Table side preparation was their specialty.  All of us at the table (we were traveling with 2 other couples) agreed that we would love to have Linguini a la Vongole for lunch.  The following day we went down to lunch and the waiters had the silver cart set up with all the accoutrements needed for preparation.  The preparation was like a Hollywood Premier.  We had olive oil and garlic flaming with al dente pasta and the main ingredients added slowly.  The best part was the running commentary explaining each step.  The lesson was so thorough that I have never forgotten how to make Linguini a la Vongole.  
 

OBTW...it was the best linguini we ever had! 

[marco]

While hunting though cruise memorabilia, I came across a record album of the Zielli band.  They played on the Home Lines "Oceanic".  I listened to it while looking at the Limoges plates, hanging on the wall in our dining room.  They were gifts for repeater passengers, as well as a delft plate, the size of a salad plate, depicting the "Oceanic". (Hanging on a wall in our den, along with many cruise photos, a Normandie and Titanic poster) an alabaster thermometer, coasters, a change purse, key chain, scarf, and cologne  (the cologne is long gone, now).  All gifts for being Home Lines repeaters.  A real class operation!

[rkacruiser]

5 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

we would love to have Linguini a la Vongole for lunch. 

 

I had to Google what you enjoyed because I did not recognize its Italian name.  Delicious!

 

Thanks for an interesting post!  I need to put my "thinking cap" on, as my 6th Grade Teacher would say, and remember more of my experiences.