Saga Rose Greenland Voyager August 2007

[Conte Di Savoia]

I especially liked the Crown Lounge for my pre-dinner martinis. Donald.

Donald, you're a man after my own heart. Our motto is "When the going gets tough, the tough drink martinis...or go cruising." Both together is even better.

We collect swizzle sticks from the lines we have traveled on. So...in the evening when we have our martinis, the question is "what ship do you want to be on tonight?...QE2, Silver Cloud, Oriana, Michelangelo, Seven Seas Mariner etc, etc, etc."

However, you have to remember what Dorothy Parker said:

I can have one martini

two at the most.

With three I'm under the table.

With four I'm under my host.

Conte

[bcscot]

Donald, you're a man after my own heart:

I can have one martini

two at the most.

With three I'm under the table.

With four I'm under my host.

Conte

 

Does this explain the sore hip Donald?

 

Graham.

[bcscot]

I can remember going for an after dinner drink in one of the quiet lounges and being handed a list of cognacs that were so rare that you could not even remember the names (and believe me...I knew them all...LOL).

 

ROSS

 

An enviable position Ross! My problem is that the cognacs that I like, I cannot afford & the cognacs that I can afford, I do not like! I therefore tend to stick to my national drink. You can get a very good 'single malt' for the price of a very bad cognac!

 

Graham.

[bcscot]

For those of you who really dislike to fly, have you looked into P&O's Boomerang trips?

 

Good idea Michael. I like the concept but I think that I will have to wait a few more years before I can consider doing this.I have thought about it for transatlantic though. However, I seem to have got the boomerang theory round the wrong way. Next year we fly to London, take the QE2 to New York, then return to the UK on the QM2 before flying back to Canada!! I will have to get Wayne to explain this one to me!

 

Conte(if you are still talking to me after that dreadful missquote!): It will not be so long till you too will be in Cobh, Ireland. Have you been on a round Britain cruise before? Which part of it are you looking forward to the most?(please feel obliged to say the North of Scotland!) Should be a great trip.Might be a little bumpy in places!

 

Graham.

[wynkys]

Graham: Stratheden was a P&O ship which took part in the North Africa landings and did a few Transatlantics but was used principally on the Australia run. Cunard inherited Georgic from White Star and it had been reclaimed after being bombed during the war and you could see the warping in the passageways as a result. Aorangi belonged to the New Zealand Shipping Company and our trip was one of the last it did.

I have 1250 scale models of the Stratheden, the Aorangi and the QM2 and am constantly amazed at their relative sizes.

I'm not aware of the Earnslaw.

 

Donald: The crossing on the Georgic was in 1952 and the only other Australians on board were some members of our Olympic team returning from Helsinki to their colleges in the US.

 

Wayne

[marconi]

:) ! I had not heard that one. Very appropriate.

I believe that they have to be given credit for continuing Cunard & building the QM2, but these will have been sound business decisions. I am sure that they could have found a way to preserve their first ship, the old Empress of Canada, but that would have been an emotional decision; 'no heart'!

 

I certainly agree that Douglas Ward does appear to be a little harsh in some of his comments. I will choose to ignore his "for tabloid reading adults" comment of the Oriana, & will take Conte's advice instead & put her on my "to do" list.

 

Conte: Thank you. You were certainly the man to tell us about the Saga Rose. Next year on the QE2, I will have to look out for the Saga Sisters book. I hope that they have since changed the ballroom & that it is no longer an 'orange & red 747'!! That is as good as Ruby(our Ruby), & her parent's 'Howard Johnson' coloured suite on the France! We met a man on the Prinsendam recently who spoke very highly of the ballroom on the Caronia (Saga Ruby). I hope that is untouched.

These 'add on' bits on ships, do tend to stick out & be rather ugly. They are noticable on the Rose & Ruby, but were very ugly on the Norway & the QE2. They have also recently extended the 'spa' on the HAL Amsterdam (& presumably the Rotterdam also) resulting in a new addition sticking out above the bridge. It does not follow the same graceful line as the rest of that part of the ship & so it just looks like what it is; a box stuck on: ugly; utility rather than stylish (carnivore rather than HAL)!

 

Marconi: Most of the ships we have discussed have tended to be transatlantic ones. Please tell me about the Lloyd Triestino Line. Did they specialise in the Australia route. Presumably they were based in & sailed from Trieste? Do you have an Italian background? How long was the trip to Australia?

I could not find the Costa Riviera in my now famous dust cover poster! She must have joined Costa later in the 80s.

I remember reading an account recently, by a survivor of a cruise ship which caught fire & sank in the Far East, sometime in the last ten years or so. It was a bit of a shambles, reminiscent of Titanic, with disorganisation, a lifeboat being lowered ontop of another, etc. Could this have been the 'Sun Vista'?

 

Does anyone think that there are any other ships in current service that have the beauty, grace & classic lines of the Saga Sisters, & if so, will they survive SOLAS?

 

Graham.

I will give you a short history of the lloyd triestino line even though i may be bad at writing english.(sorry)LLOYD TRIESTINO started in 1836 one of the oldest lines up until short time ago when taken over by EVERGREEN SHIPPING LINE.This line operated inthe Orient,Africa and Australia as passenger and goods cargoes ships.I was 2 years of age when my parents decided to immigrate to australia in 1954 but our stay was very short as my mother suffered being in this country,which may i add would of been seen like a cruel place to live for mum.We travelled out in the Lloyd triestino's Australia which later became Italian lines Donizetti i think,then we returned with the Oceania sister ship to the Australia.Another sister ship in this trio was the Neptunia.These three ships became Italian line ships serving the latin americas(names Donizetti (Australia)Verdi(Oceania)and Rossini(Neptunia),when the Galileo and the Marconi took up the passage from italy to australia.Of course as can be seen i am Italian descent but now an Australian citizen.We returned to Australia with the beautiful Marconi and i forever fell in love this liner and travelled 3 more times on her back to Italy and return plus a cruise through the panama canal in which we passed the great Leonardo da Vinci, also on a cruise.We passed in the traditional way, that was with the horns blowing in response to each other because by then they belonged to the FINMARE group of companies.These ships were very similair in appearence and constructed in a time when ships were the means of transport over very distant shores.I returned from that cruise on the Galileo which of course was the sister ship of the Marconi.I cruised also on the Canberra in the late 70's in the mediterranean and she was indeed a beautiful ship also and service was nearly the same as the Italians, but of course i am biased due being of Italian heritage.Forza Italia!just for a laugh...Love this forum and i will keep dropping in every so often.Thanks for hearing me and regards to all,

Frank.

[Druke I]

Reference Stratheden: there were several ships refered to as "The Straths", Stratheden, Strathnaver, Strathaird, Strathmore, Strathallan.

 

P&O has a very rich history.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

An enviable position Ross! My problem is that the cognacs that I like, I cannot afford & the cognacs that I can afford, I do not like! I therefore tend to stick to my national drink. You can get a very good 'single malt' for the price of a very bad cognac!

 

Graham.

 

LOL!!! I know the feeling Graham!!! Back in those days the prices onboard were completely affordable. The lines believed that the libations were part of the hospitality package and that quality libations were necessary part of the accommodations being offered. Today the libations are a necessary ingredient in fattening the bottom line. We have gone from being passengers to be accommodated according to great traditions to guest-consumers who need to be squeezed at every possible opportunity. Now the lines have become corporate entities run by business school graduates who were former airline executives.:mad: What they know about the history and traditions of ocean liners...I could put into my baby finger tip.

 

Which gets us back to my original question: WHICH SHIPS DO YOU LIKE??? You see...my theory is this. We are all fairly experienced sailors with a wealth of knowledge regarding the classic ships and how they operated. And...it appears that each one of us has found happiness aboard certain ships...that Doug Ward would approve of...LOL!!!:D

 

Donald...Celebritymania...has a preference for the VISION OF THE SEAS...and Donald comes from a long line of ocean liner history.

 

Druke seems to enjoy P&O...and I would love to hear about that.

 

Wayne...wynkys...seems to favor SILVERSEA.

 

So...give us your choices and tell us why you like them so much...and what you have found onboard that makes them special.

 

The funny thing is...WE ALL SEEM TO HATE FLYING!!! LOL!!!

 

ROSS

[bcscot]

Reference Stratheden: there were several ships refered to as "The Straths", Stratheden, Strathnaver, Strathaird, Strathmore, Strathallan.

 

P&O has a very rich history.

 

 

Michael: Is this a list of ships or 'single malts'?!!

 

 

Wayne: Thank you for the info. You certainly made some historical trips on historical ships. The TSS Earnslaw is an almost 100 year old, lake steamer on Lake Wakatipu in New Zealand. She is a little gem & hopefully will be unaffected by SOLAS. See page 14 of this thread for a further discussion & pictures. Which are your favourite ships still sailing?

 

Frank: Great story. Thank you for sharing it with us. Do not be put off by the fact that English is your second language, it is mine too (Scots is my first) & I am also learning to type as I go! We are becoming quite the international band here now, which is great. You certainly add a bit of international flare: an Italian Australian based in Rochester, NY!

Any favourite ships still sailing?

 

Ross: Looking on the bright side, you used to have to pay a lot more to go on a cruise. Now they keep the price down to get you on, expecting you to spend lots when onboard. The 'savvy' Scot will find the best price to get onboard & then spend as little as possible once there! This allows us to take more cruises than otherwise. I suppose it depends what is more important to you. Some people regard this as 'cheap', I call it 'canny'! If the full service onboard is what makes the cruise for you, then go for it. I personally would prefer to watch my pennies on two cruises rather than splash out on one. Much as I like my single malts, rather than spend $12 for a small measure of Macallan (or should that be Strathallan Michael?!) on the ship, I would prefer to get a litre of it in the duty free for $45 & enjoy it at leisure at home.

My point is that given that most of us have finite resources, this way of doing things increases the choice that we have in prioritising how we use those resources, depending on our preferences & situation. I suppose that I make the current situation work for me. I think that the closest thing to the 'old days', would be the luxury cruises of today, which I would be on if I could afford it! That poses another interesting question; would there be any reasons not to sail on luxury cruise ships if you could afford it?

OK, so how about your favourite ships currently in service, Ross?

 

Graham.

[Kapricorn]

The 'savvy' Scot will find the best price to get onboard & then spend as little as possible once there! This allows us to take more cruises than otherwise. I suppose it depends what is more important to you. Some people regard this as 'cheap', I call it 'canny'! If the full service onboard is what makes the cruise for you, then go for it. I personally would prefer to watch my pennies on two cruises rather than splash out on one.

 

My point is that given that most of us have finite resources, this way of doing things increases the choice that we have in prioritising how we use those resources, depending on our preferences & situation. I suppose that I make the current situation work for me.

 

Graham.

 

Graham, I'm with you on this! I like to cruise, so I would prefer to spend $15,000 on six cruises per year than $15,000 on a once-yearly luxury cruise. I used to book inside cabins, but these were dark and claustrophobic, so I've traveled in oceanview cabins just for the natural light and view of the passing sea. Balconies are a waste of resources for me because I spend the majority of my time on the open decks.

 

I remember that on the Rotterdam in 1989 cocktails were $1.75 per glass, and premium drinks might be $2.50. I usually enjoyed two cocktails before dinner every night. Now, martinis are $10.00, and I sip just one in the hour before dinner.

 

I used to purchase dozens of the photographs snapped by the ship's photographers, but now I purchase just one photograph per cruise, and that's the one of the group at the dinner table.

 

Ross: While the Vision of the Seas is a well-designed ship, I actually prefer the Mercury for its happy-ship vibe, and the courteous treatment of the staff who recognize me as a repeat guest.

 

Marconi: Thanks for the history of Lloyd Triestino Line.

 

Wayne: Do you remember much about the Georgic? Ross mentioned that regular transatlantic travelers preferred that ship to the larger ones. I've seen photographs of Georgic and she doesn't seem to be an impressive ship, nor as beautiful as the others. However, we all know that it's what's inside that counts.

 

Conte: I've heard about that quote by Dorothy Parker. She really had quite the wit! I read her biography during one of my cruises. There usually are interesting books in the ships' libraries.

 

Donald.

[bcscot]

I actually prefer the Mercury for its happy-ship vibe, and the courteous treatment of the staff who recognize me as a repeat guest.

 

Donald.

 

I know what you mean Donald. Ruby said that she was taught to travel the world, respecting other peoples & their cultures, & to try to speak a little of their languages. I so agree with this. I was brought up that way too. It is also a bit of a Scottish thing, respecting others. Ruby is obviously a linguist, & inspite of my tease about Tagalog, I am not (Scots, English, a little American English & very poor schoolboy French). I however, always attempt to learn a few words & basic phrases in whichever country we are in. It pays dividends over & over again. It is amazing the impact you can have in various situations by being able to use only a word or two of whatever language it may be, Swahili, Zulu, Afrikaans, or whatever.

I can only speak a few words of Tagalog (Filipino), but the effect it has is quite disproportionate. To see the beaming smiles on the faces of the overworked ladies at the front desk on the HAL ships, when we just say 'good morning', 'please' or 'thank you' in their own language, quite makes our day, not to mention their's! They get so excited when they see us coming, & just to say "good evening" in their language! It adds a lot to our cruise experience.

Well, having spent some time in Indonesia on our way to & from New Zealand, in 1985, we picked up a few words & a little knowledge of the country. Many years later, on our first HAL cruise, this made us an instant 'hit' with the Indonesian crew. They are such wonderful people (well most of them anyway) & they responded so well to our few words & little knowledge of their country, that it encouraged us to learn more. With each cruise we have learned more of the language & been met with an even greater response. We have put a bit of effort into it, with tapes, books & CDs, so we can now communicate in fairly basic 'Bahasa Indonesia'. This has so enriched our cruise experience on HAL that it is difficult to tear ourselves away & try other lines (which we want to do).It is not uncommon for us to hear the phrase "for you, anything" when we make a request. We are known to many as 'the passengers who speak Bahasa'! On every Hal cruise since the first, we have met crew that we have sailed with before. This certainly adds to the experience, & all because we took an interest & learned a little of someone else's language.

 

Today we received our tickets for the Ryndam. Have you got yours for the Zaandam yet? We now have quite a collection of HAL luggage tags, which, as previously mentioned, are not bad looking for modern ones ( although I preferred the older style). We now have: Volendam, Statendam, Zaandam, Westerdam, Oosterdam, Amsterdam, Prinsendam & Ryndam. I bet they are not a patch on those old ones that you 'old guard' have though!

 

Graham.

[wynkys]

Apart from the QE2, none of the more modern ships that I have sailed have any elegant external lines, however, their internal accomodations can be pleasing. I was not impressed with Silversea's service and overall ambience but their Silver Suites are very nice. As an overall cruising experience, I found Celebrity's Infinity to be very good and the dining experience in their speciality restaurant, the SS United States, was exemplary, without doubt the best dining experience I have had at sea.

Overall, a ship that I really enjoyed was P&O Cruises Sea Princess on which I had a two week South Pacific cruise in 1988 that concluded with us anchored near the Sydney Harbour Bridge for Australia's Bicentennial celebrations. It was a nice size and built along classical lines and I see that it is still sailing today as The Scholar Ship.

By the time we sailed on the Georgic it was well past its best days and sailing as one class it was really just there to take the overflow from the Queens.

 

Wayne

[marconi]

Reference Stratheden: there were several ships refered to as "The Straths", Stratheden, Strathnaver, Strathaird, Strathmore, Strathallan.

 

P&O has a very rich history.

 

HI michael you are quite right obout P&O having a rich history,I remember seeing the arcadia,himalaya,chusan,iberia,the orcades of the orient line which later merged with P&O,orsova,original oriana,oronsay and of course the magnificent canberra.On the canberra we dined in the classical styled ''pacific restaurant''and they were very good meals my favourites was always the great english roast beef dishes with great mixture of roast veges and the gravy was always perfect.

My friend and i always enjoyed the cheap priced cocktails (she loved them)and all beverages were quite inexpensive NOT THE CASE NOW!!!! in the cricketers tavern which was a nice venue with all our friends.The promenade decks were beautiful and always very busy with passengers walking round them many times to keep fit (sure)with all that food afternoon tea etc..we all put on weight in those 15 days in the med.

thanks everybody for being welcoming to me i wish you all happy cruising.

I will try to remember some episodes in some of my cruises when i get time to type it in (i am not to good at this)

regards to all.

[Druke I]

You mentioned some wonderful P&O ships, most of which I recall from their stops in San Francisco, while on line voyages to/from Australia.

 

My parents sailed on Arcadia to Alaska, and I always wanted to go on Himalaya.

 

Reference Orient Lines, which is no relation to today's NCL subsidiary line: the first time I sailed on Oriana (64), she was still in Orient Line colors, although Orient line had merged with P&O.

 

You also mentioned Sea Princess - truly a lovely ship. We sailed her from Osaka to Vancouver via Honolulu 5-89, while under the Princess flag.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

GOOD MORNING GANG!!!

 

WOW!!! Now we are cooking!!! Look at all those good memories we will be able to pick over...Frank and the CANBERRA...Wayne and the SEA PRINCESS which had been the great KUNGSHOLM of the Swedish American Line...and Graham on HAL!!! How about Druke and Conte??? What really amazes me is how similar in taste we are as I would also like to cruise more and pay less...LOL. I guess it is just something in the genes of "the shipdaft"...LOL.

 

My own preference is a bit jaded...LOL. Back in 1984 I took my wife, Diane, and her mother, Ida, on a cruise. As Ida got older we started taking care of her and we have always cruised taking Ida with us. In recent years...Ida's sister, Evelyn, has joined us...so you can see that our needs for accommodation are a bit different. Since Diane and I are still working...and cannot go cruising every other month...LOL...we have to pick cruises and ships that work out for us. We no longer take 7 day cruises...it just gets insane. I can see most of you also enjoy a longer period onboard ship. We have to take a cabin that will accommodate the 4 of us...since Ida is getting so old. We have found Royal Caribbean to be the best fit for us at this time. We can get a large suite for 4 people and enjoy fairly palatial surroundings at fairly reasonable rates. NO...the service in the cabin is not as good as a premium line...but the ships are really spectacular and have a high activity level if we want to venture out and partake of all the action. So for us...it is pretty much the best of both worlds...luxury at a reasonable price. We also liked Celebrity back in the Chandris days. And YES Donald...I have been very interested in sailing on the MERCURY on the West Coast...but now they have taken her away.:( We loved the CENTURY...sister to the MERCURY. We had a suite and the butler was wonderful. I am hoping that Celebrity will become a bit more reasonable once the new ships come on line. Usually when the new ships take over the old ships become more interesting...price wise and itinerary...we shall see. So...right now we are happy with Royal Caribbean and hopefully Celebrity in the future. So I guess we just have to shop around and find interesting ships that Doug Ward would not approve of...LOL.:D

 

ROSS

[bcscot]

Wonderful memories & stories. The Pacific also had such a great maritime history. It is good to remember that it was not all happening on the Atlantic.

I have my dust cover poster out again & here is the Sea Princess, 26,700 grt, launched 1966 as Kungsholm: nice looking ship with the big yellowish P&O funnel, just like on the new Arcadia (saw her in Malta in may). Around her are the Canberra, the old Oriana, Sun, Island, Pacific & Royal Princesses.

Talking about the Sea Princess in Sydney brings me back to my video of the 'Liners' series, which was made at the time of the 'new' Oriana being launched. There is great footage of her coming into Sydney on her maiden round the world voyage, receiving a great welcome. That must have been in 1995 or 96.

It must have been great to have seen all those old P&O ships in San Francisco, Michael. No wonder you are 'ship daft'.

The other great Pacific & Atlantic company of course was Canadian Pacific. Donald was fortunate enough to recently experience the last of that great tradition, in the old Empress of Britain. I have a few framed replica posters & post cards, of old CP advertising posters, up around the house. They include pictures of the older Empress of Britain among several others. I presume that the Topaz will be taken off the seas after SOLAS. I hope that she is preserved in her original CP style. It would be a black mark against Canada if she is not.

 

Conte: I hope you are not having problems with your 'wireless' again. Have you had a chance yet to see if my Mauretania picture is in your book? What are your favourite ships still sailing?

 

Wayne: You said that you did a tandem crossing with QE2 & QM2. I am booked to do that next year for QE2's final crossings. How was it? How 'tandem' do they cross? Are they sailing close for the entire crossing & how close do they get? Do they leave & arrive together? Thanks.

 

Graham.

[Kapricorn]

Graham - while I don't learn other languages, I've always treated ships' staff with courtesy and a smile, as well as addressing them by their names. That's usually how I get reciprocated in kind.

 

I haven't received my tickets for the Zaandam, but, then, I'm on a guaranteed basis. That is, I booked for an oceanview cabin at the lowest rate, but might be upgraded to one in a better location (hopefully not the promenade deck where passers-by can peek in!). I might get my ticket with a confirmed cabin a week or two prior to departure.

 

Donald.

[marconi]

Hi All,Just hoping to see some more stories on this thread.If you really enjoy nostalgic photos of ships try on google shipsnostalgia and then click on the shipsnostalgia.com I do not know how to do it the easier way.This site is really great,and it has a search engine which will find you almost any ship you enter.

cheers all.Frank.

[wynkys]

Graham,

For the tandem crossing departure from New York, QM2 left the dock first and then anchored in the harbour and then we on QE2 joined her for a fireworks display around Liberty before we led the departure under the Narrows bridge.

On the crossing, we sailed within easy sight of each other all the way and at noon each day the ships switched sides. We got within a couple of hundred yards of each other when the RAF took photos the day before we arrived. Ian McNaught, the captain on QE2, took great delight each day in his announcement pointing out where the 'car ferry' was in relation to us.

QM2 arrived just before us at Southampton early morning.

All in all a memorable trip, as yours should be.

 

Wayne

[CGTNORMANDIE]

The KUNGSHOLM of 1965...

I planned a big trip to Europe in 1975...we were taking 1 month off and going. I don't know how my wife got 1 month off from work but she managed it somehow. I had booked the QE !! over and the KUNGSHOLM coming home to NY. The KUNGSHOLM was completing a long cruise and was offering space from Le Havre to NY. As October approached I got a telegram in early September stating that the SWedish American Line would no longer be in business...so my crossing was canceled. I have kept that telegram in my collection...it was the sad end to a glorious era. We were really sad that we had missed the KUNGSHOLM by less than 2 months. The SAL was a great line and offered the best that Sweden had to offer. I have many fine menus from all of their ships and I can say SAL was a First Class operation. I grew up with a Finnish lad whose father sailed often to Europe and Scandinavia and he told me his father's all time favorite ship had been the STOCKHOLM...of ANDREA DORIA fame. I have a rare collection of First Class menus from her...there were only 49 people in her First Class. We later sailed on the REGENT SEA...formerly the famous GRIPSHOLM of 1958. I have to say...she was one of the most comfortable ships I was ever on. I loved the cabins...they were masterpieces of wood workmanship with multi drawers and closets and shoe racks...great cabinetry.

 

To be continued!!!

 

ROSS

[bcscot]

Thanks for the info. on the tandem crossing Wayne. It sounds fantastic, better than I had hoped for. I hope that they do as fine a job of organising it for this next time. It brought tears to my eyes just thinking about it. What with that & the farewell to Scotland, my tear glands will be squeezed dry!

 

Frank: Thank you for the tip about 'shipsnostalgia'; very useful.

 

Ross: Great story, thanks. We haven't heard from Conte for a while. I hope I did not upset him with my silly adulteration of his martini quote.

 

Conte: I am sorry if I have upset you with my silly adulteration of your witty 'martini' quote. My sense of humour is not always appreciated or understood & I would hate to 'cross the line' & upset someone. Sometimes it is a fine line. I never intend to be offensive. Please come back & join us when you have time. If you had not responded to Ruby's original post, this thread would not exist. Your experience & knowledge are greatly appreciated by everyone here. Thank you.

 

Graham.

[Druke I]

Yes, it is a shame you missed Kungsholm. She was a beauty.

 

As I noted earlier, we sailed on her as Sea Princess, Kobe Japan to Vancouver BC via Honolulu, 5-89. Princess gave us a nine (yes NINE) category upgrade gratis, from an inside to an outside Stateroom, which was really the equivalent of a mini-suite on many ships. It had beautiful wood paneling and shoji like screens over the deadlights.

 

We lucked out, not only on the upgrade, but between Kobe and Honolulu, the ship was half-full (half-empty?). They went to single seat dining, splitting the time, and the service was superior, reminiscent of Sitmar.

 

From Honolulu to Vancouver, the ship was full, and they went back to 2 sitting meals, and of course the service was reduced somewhat.

 

Prior to our boarding, Sea Princess had "tipped" a propeller somewhere, and we reduced speed a bit, and eliminated a scheduled port call in Maui. The ocean between Kobe and Honolulu was empty, we saw not a single ship nor airplane; we did see two frigate birds presumably out of Midway. It was easy to see how the Japanese Battle Fleet was able to sail the same route, undetected, before the Raid on Peal Harbor. (In those days before radar, if it was over the horizon and not making smoke, it was unseen.)

[Kapricorn]

Michael & Ross: I liked the profile of the Kungsholm. Her twin funnels were set at an angle that made her seem to be straining to leap forward (almost like the United States).

 

Frank: I took a quick look at Ships Nostalgia, and it looks as if it is interesting. I'll take a much more leisurely stroll through it, once my hip is better and I am able to sit for longer intervals.

 

Graham: I'm sure that Conte took no offence, as I didn't when you teased me about it (too many martinis) being the reason for my sore hip. Dorothy Parker would have laughed. I share your sense of humour, and I know very well that it can backfire on me if others do not perceive things in the way that I had intended. In this case, I think not.

 

Does anyone have the itinerary for the cruise on which Ruby is currently on? I checked the Saga Cruises site, and that particular cruise seems to already have been removed from the list (or perhaps I didn't check too thoroughly).

 

Donald.

[bcscot]

The ocean between Kobe and Honolulu was empty, we saw not a single ship nor airplane; we did see two frigate birds presumably out of Midway. It was easy to see how the Japanese Battle Fleet was able to sail the same route, undetected, before the Raid on Peal Harbor.

 

This reminded me of our crossing on the Prinsendam in May. I was surprised that during seven days at sea from Fort Lauderdale to Madeira, we saw not a ship until the last day. Presumably it was not a shipping lane, but none the less, amazing to see so much empty sea in this day & age.

What we did see that also surprised me, was a small buoy, right in the middle of the Atlantic (half way marker!!!). The ship hit it & I saw it bounce up behind the stern. Presumably it was just a stray buoy, off on its own solo crossing, but it was strange to see it there in the middle of that vast empty ocean!

 

Graham.

[bcscot]

I liked the profile of the Kungsholm. Her twin funnels were set at an angle that made her seem to be straining to leap forward (almost like the United States).

 

Donald: My poster shows her with one characteristic P&O funnel. Presumably P&O removed the twin funnels & replaced them with a single P&O funnel?

 

Ross: You said: 'Kungsholm 1965'. JM-G's poster says 'b 1966', which I take to be 'built 1966'. He however says 'b 1969' for QE2 & as I understand, she was launched in 1967, completed & then entered service in 1969. Even the great JM-G can be a little misleading with his facts it seems!!!

 

Graham.