Saga Rose Greenland Voyager August 2007

[CGTNORMANDIE]

LOL!!! Conte reminded me about the Italians and their key system...LOL. It was totally illogical...LOL...but the system worked. When you left the cabin you hung the key up in the glass cabinet so you could see who was in and was out. Anyone could have picked out any key...LOL. The French were the worst when it came to barging into a cabin...LOL. If you left your cabin unlocked when you were in it you ran an excellent chance of the steward opening the door without knocking...oooops...pardonnez moi!!! LOL!!!

 

OBTW...I had lunch today with a friend that we met 38 years ago onboard the QE II. Who says shipboard friendships are fleeting??? LOL!!!

 

Ross

[Kapricorn]

When I moved to Toronto in 1972, I was quite shocked to see people go away for the day or weekend without locking the door but this too has changed drastically.

Fran

 

In the 1960s at my family house in Montreal we always had a spare key underneath the front porch mat. That would be unthinkable nowadays! During the 1970s whenever I was in my apartment in Vancouver I usually left the door unlocked. One late afternoon I had returned home from work and was reading the newspaper in the kitchen when shortly afterwards a lady walked in with a couple bags of groceries. We looked at each other in surprise. She realized that she was in the wrong apartment, muttered something and left. Afterwards I decided to always keep my door locked.

 

Donald.

[Saga Ruby]

Ruby, were you not at all concerned about unauthorized entries into your cabin during the 1980s? Donald.

 

You had me smiling at this one. I had to stop and think what I was doing for cabin security back in the day. I remember I was thrilled to have a locking drawer on RVL - one chose to overlook the fact that giving that locking drawer a shake would pop it open.

 

My only valuables were minor jewelry, lots o' cash, and my US passport, with the passport being my Number One priority for securing in a safe place. I have always carried suitcases with good locks so I would put my valuables in the case, spin the numbers on the lock, and push it far under my sofa bed.

 

I never have alcohol, prescription drugs, or sums of cash in my cabin to be concerned about. And with the self-locking doors nowadays, to lock or not to lock is not an option. Years ago, I learned to go with the new trend in security. It is a sad fact of life that I now carry black-and-white, laminated copies of my passport in all my cases and my purse while the ship holds the original.

 

But one does have to tease you, Donald - which of your personal items would be a cause for concern about unauthorized entry into your cabin?

 

Ruby

[Kapricorn]

But one does have to tease you, Donald - which of your personal items would be a cause for concern about unauthorized entry into your cabin?

 

It might have to be that an unauthorized entrant might find the oil painting which I brought along to store in the ceiling above my bed. It is impossible for me to keep it forever in the attic at home if I am always cruising.

 

Dorian.

[Host Sharon]

LOL Donald....oops - Dorian!!

[Kapricorn]

Ruby, on the HAL board, someone who recently returned from Alaska on Volendam wrote:

 

... maybe I’m overly sanitation aware as an elementary school teacher, but during the baked Alaska parade having people wave their used napkins over their heads, thus flinging the crumbs and such they’ve wiped from their mouths all over the dining room, was just plain gross to me.

 

I never did like adults waving around their napkins, in the process flinging dinner detritus around ... how juvenile! Did passengers do that on Saga Rose during the Baked Alaska show?

 

Donald.

 

[Host Sharon]

I've certainly never seen napkins waved over heads before on these occasions. Usually we all just clap in time to the music. It does indeed sound a bit gross.

[Druke I]

I don't care for Baked Alaska at all, and am tired of the parade, whether or not they wave napkins.

[Kapricorn]

I've certainly never seen napkins waved over heads before on these occasions. Usually we all just clap in time to the music.

 

You're lucky that you haven't seen napkins twirled wildly above heads in darkened dining rooms. This tiresome ritual is done on Holland-America and Celebrity ships, and likely on a few other cruise lines.

 

I don't care for Baked Alaska at all, and am tired of the parade, whether or not they wave napkins.

 

I'm in your corner! The problem is that first-time cruisers are entranced with the Baked Alaska parade. They take photographs or home movies, and eagerly show the "highlight of the entire cruise" to relatives such as (mythical) Uncle Herbie and Aunt Irma in Keokuk, Iowa, who then want to go on their first cruises. This cycle is repeated ad nauseum.

 

Donald.

[franu]

... maybe I’m overly sanitation aware as an elementary school teacher, but during the baked Alaska parade having people wave their used napkins over their heads, thus flinging the crumbs and such they’ve wiped from their mouths all over the dining room, was just plain gross to me.

I too, have witnessed this ceremony more than once and on various ships. My fears were always safety grounded as I could not understand why they held the flame so close to the ceiling. I usually leave before then as the dining rooms have the most horrible and scratchy sounding PA systems.

 

This post has made me aware of the flinging germs which most people do not think about. I think that when polled with the question "Do you feel uncomfortable in any way about twirling your napkin in the air?" most people would never think that they had germs on their napkins.

 

In other words, your napkins may have germs but mine don't.

 

Personally I find it no worse than many people who do not cover their mouths when they cough. I find that this is more visible than someone touching things after not washing their hands.

 

I choose to get as much enjoyment out of life and not focus on things which I have no control over.

Fran

[Saga Ruby]

Wow! I know that last August when I sailed on Saga Rose, there were 6,520 views and look at us now. Who knew? It just goes to show what a marvelous group we have here - the posters and the lurkers. I have learned so much from all of you, I have be able to relive the finer parts of my cruising history, and enjoyed the trip back in time to the days of classic ocean liners. Thanks, everybody.

 

I have never seen the napkin-waving scene in a dining room. I have come to dislike the baked Alaska parade because it seems so artificial and trite. Having said that, the parade on Saga Rose was the prettiest I have ever witnessed because the waiters stand on the second floor of the ship's two-story glass window into the GDR, holding large silver letters that spell out Saga Rose. Then they light sparklers and a long parade of waiters march into the dining room and along the main aisles. There was something quite charming about the whole magilla.

 

Ruby

[Kapricorn]

I too, have witnessed this ceremony more than once and on various ships. My fears were always safety grounded as I could not understand why they held the flame so close to the ceiling.

 

Fran, nowadays they use sparklers on the Baked Alaskas instead of flames. I heard that the flames were discontinued because of the safety reasons which you cited. I've seen some of the Caribbean waiters dance around with the flaming Baked Alaskas balanced on their heads.

 

Until a couple of years ago, maitre d's used to perform elaborate ceremonies of flaming liqueurs poured two or three feet into containers for those who asked for after-dinner liquor-flavoured coffees. Not any more.

 

I believe that for insurance purposes, flames were banned from the dining room. Perhaps an elaborately-coiffured countess or society matron screamed in terror when flames burst through her well-lacquered hair?

 

Donald.

[Host Sharon]

I have to admit the parade on QE2 (in the Mauretania Restaurant anyway) was quite spectacular as there is a large sculpture in the centre of sea horses (that is horses in water!) and sparklers had been paced all over this, and were then lit by the waiters when they brought in the baked alaskas. Definately no napkin waving though!

[Saga Ruby]

I believe that for insurance purposes, flames were banned from the dining room. Perhaps an elaborately-coiffured countess or society matron screamed in terror when flames burst through her well-lacquered hair? Donald.

 

Hah! ". . . well-lacquered hair" - good one, Donald! I thought every time we breath in or out in the US it was governed by insurance dicta. Is it like that in Canada where all parties are armed with Plaintiff's Original Petitions with blanks to be filled in?

 

I was having a delish dinner with our Michael and his wife Virginia at Polo, the steakhouse restaurant, onboard Nautica. I noticed that he ordered his chop "charred." So the discussion revolved around the concept of charring a chop onboard a ship which is not allowed to have open flames. And I sometimes watched the chef at Waves, the pool cafe, cooking those marvy hamburger patties. It's amazing what the hotel staff can accomplish under sometimes restrictive federal regulations about open flames.

 

Ruby

[Druke I]

We are soon going to break 1800 posts on this thread.

 

And yes, I do like my steaks "charred rare". Flame-less ranges do a pretty good job, but nothing does it like charcoal briquets!

[Kapricorn]

And yes, I do like my steaks "charred rare". Flame-less ranges do a pretty good job, but nothing does it like charcoal briquets!

 

When I used to go camping, I loved the taste of steaks, burgers and weiners barbequed over campfire. Nothing that is cooked in ovens at home come remotely close to the campfire taste. Also, at camp we wrapped buttered vegetables in foils and placed them in the flames. Again, the taste is superior to vegetables cooked on the stovetop.

 

Donald.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

I always hated The Baked Alaska Parade...but I love Baked Alaska. The things we have to suffer through just to get some Baked Alaska...OH WELL.

[Saga Ruby]

I must be a wee bit slow. I was reading posts about "you have to book a balcony cabin to cruise Alaska to see the beauty of that part of the world."

 

In 1990, I cruised for 12 days to Alaska out of Vancouver on RVL (Royal Viking). It was just as marvy as everyone said it would be. But my great memory onboard is sitting at the stern on the promenade deck, watching the ship glide silently through the Inside Passage. The passengers would sit and chat, come and go, but the beautiful scenery was there for all to see. I spent many hours each day holding down a deck chair and enjoying the breathtaking views, the glaciers calving, the bits of ice floating past, the wildlife and the aquatic life.

 

Which brings me to apartment barges. It suddenly occurred to me that "the back end of a shopping cart" would have no public stern views, the vistas would be limited to those on balconies on one side of the ship.

 

So my question is - do the apartment barges have views only from balconies or is there such a thing as a promenade deck that one could walk the entire length of the ship and choose a view? Nowadays, what do the cheap seats, like me, do for a view during an Alaskan cruise?

 

Ruby

[Druke I]

Some of the behemoths do have promenade decks that completely circle the deck, and some have ones similar to the little ones, Deck 5, of Oceania's ships.

 

Should you go a behemoth, it is necessary to carefully study the decks plans to see if whatever they have suits your needs. (But doesn't that hold true for any ship, large or small?)

 

Almost all of the ships have some sort of lounge area that gives a sweeping view of the scenery, and many have an outdoor seating area connected to and used by the "buffet". (Think of Tapas area on Oceania.)

[dougnewmanatsea]

Checking in here after a long absence. I haven't read all the posts except the most recent few, but a few notes...

 

On QE2 they have open flames in the dining rooms, tableside flambés etc. I have not seen open flames on Baked Alaska though in a long time.

 

As for promenade decks, most new ships do have them. The HAL ships all have very nice ones that go all the way around the ship. Same for QM2. Most of the other ships have them in one form or another, but often they do not go all the way around the ship (though many do).

[Kapricorn]

I was reading posts about "you have to book a balcony cabin to cruise Alaska to see the beauty of that part of the world."

 

So my question is - do the apartment barges have views only from balconies or is there such a thing as a promenade deck that one could walk the entire length of the ship and choose a view?

Ruby

 

A balcony would offer only one view. I prefer to roam the top decks and enjoy the views from every angle, here and there. I don't want to miss anything.

 

I think that designers are unable to do away with promenade decks, even if they'd very much like to, because they need space to store the lifeboats and as mustering stations for passengers to evacuate the ship in case of emergency.

 

Donald.

[seabourndt]

while talkm is about alaska just booked a mini suite as far as juneau before returning to vancover not till next april. only a week till my SAGA RUBY trip 5 nighter from newcastle to amsterdam,le havre,zeebrugge. looking forwartd to trying out the saga group. had an upgrade as i 1st time cruiser on saga. doing the visit on EURODAM next saturday and a short cruise on her in oct

dave

[Saga Ruby]

Checking in here after a long absence. I haven't read all the posts except the most recent few, but a few notes...

 

On QE2 they have open flames in the dining rooms, tableside flambés etc. I have not seen open flames on Baked Alaska though in a long time.

 

I'm now officially confused - why would the QE2 allow open flames for flambé on a ship when I've been told over and over that open flames nowadays are a no-no? If they can flambé a crêpe, why can't they char a steak?

 

Doug, where you on a cruise? Do tell.

 

 

A balcony would offer only one view. I prefer to roam the top decks and enjoy the views from every angle, here and there. I don't want to miss anything. Donald.

 

I totally agree with you. Put me down for roaming the decks while I look for polar bears or sitting all comfy in a deck chair while we cruise the Inside Passage.

 

Ruby

[patwell]

So my question is - do the apartment barges have views only from balconies or is there such a thing as a promenade deck that one could walk the entire length of the ship and choose a view?

Ruby

 

Hi Ruby...it's me stopping by again!!! The proverbial "bad Penny" ....

 

How grand to see this thread so active still....you did great girl!! Look at all the views! Bravo to you all for great discussions about great ships.

 

So, to your question about "apartment barges" having promendes that wrap all around. Now given the fact that you are well acquainted with my "Affair" with QM2, I must tell you that she has the most wonderful promenade that truly does give you that ocean liner feeling. All the way around and a terraced stern with plenty of places for one to sit and admire the awesome wake. And plenty of the old deck chairs along the way to do the same. Yes my dear, you can choose your view on her and in your mind you can truly return to some old memories as you do so.

 

Ok, I'll return you to your regularly scheduled programming...couldn't pass up a chance to say hello and say something about my new favorite ship.;)

 

Cheers, Penny

 

Penny’s Affair to Remember QM2 Review

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=471053

 

November 10,2007...the “Affair” continued...did it ever!

 

October 16,2008...the “Affair” goes transatlantic as we sail in tandem with the grand QE2 on her final transatlantic voyage...what a thrill!

 

December 9, 2008....the “Affair” resumes again....Life is good!

 

August 7, 2009....the “Affair” goes on...this time “home” to Norway

[Kapricorn]

while talk is about alaska just booked a mini suite as far as juneau before returning to vancover not till next april. only a week till my SAGA RUBY trip 5 nighter from newcastle to amsterdam,le havre,zeebrugge. looking forwartd to trying out the saga group. had an upgrade as i 1st time cruiser on saga. doing the visit on EURODAM next saturday and a short cruise on her in oct

dave

 

I am curious as to which cruise ship you are booked to Alaska next April. Have you been to Alaska before?

 

Have great times on Saga Ruby and Eurodam!

 

Donald.