Saga Rose Greenland Voyager August 2007

[Saga Ruby]

My father was a globally known doctor and, as we traveled the world, Daddy was either attending medical conferences for a week in Venezia or Basel, or visiting with his friends in foreign lands. In all cases, my mother, sister and I were adept at enjoying our environment. I give you this background to tell the following story about Havana in the early days of Castro:

 

We visited a doctor and his lovely family in their upscale home outside the city in 1959. Lunch was served in a beautiful dining room with ceiling fans to move the air and comfortable furniture. I had never had fried plantain chips before and thought they were excellent. The doctor and his wife had a handsome son and lovely daughter who were slightly older than my sister and I.

 

I have a vivid memory of downtown Havana with bearded soldiers in green uniforms standing on every street corner, cradling military weapons in their arms. I was intrigued to see the military "guarding" each intersection. It seemed dashing and exciting. Until the Bay of Pigs. The doctor's son was killed in the April 1962 invasion, the doctor died of a heart attack shortly thereafter, the daughter was safe at Wellesley, and the mother became a maid at the college.

 

Although I thought Havana and surrounds were beautiful with wide sandy beaches and structures built to take advantage of the sea breezes, I have never gotten over the loss of our Cuban friends. As you say, the Habaneros are a warm and friendly people with, in those days, an appealing savoir faire.

 

From that cruise, I have a photo of me as a happy, smiling 14 yr.-old girl, standing ankle-deep in sand on Hog Island in Nassau. Which is now "Paradise Island" with the Atlantis mega-casino. The natural beauty of that island has been covered over by the gambling casino and hotel.

 

Which reminds me - in Puerto Vallarta, there was a beach called "Playa de los Muertos." When tourism began to bloom, the name was changed to "Playa del Oro." Did you know that palapas are made with 3 kinds of palm fronds that repel insects? Ah, the trivia we pick up over the years!

 

Conti, may I ask if you were sailing on the French and Italian Lines to enjoy the ships or were you looking for certain itineraries? As you can see, CGTNormandie loves the ships and considers the itinerary as secondary. Me, I'm in it to "see what's out there" and look for a ship to take me there.

 

Ruby

[dougnewmanatsea]

Apologies to Host Doug for getting my Kungs and Grips reversed.

Don't apologize! Despite what Ruby says, I make plenty of mistakes ;) ...

 

As Host Doug pointed out, this cruise aboard Valtur Prima was a legal way for Americans to get to Cuba

Do you know Brad Hatry? He's one of the few Americans I know who tried VALTUR PRIMA. He absolutely loved it. I wish I had the chance to try her... I still would love to, though, even as ATHENA. An acquaintance of mine (who happens to be Clive Harvey, the co-author of the book "The Saga Sisters" and naturally a huge fan of Saga) is on a six-week cruise aboard her right now. I will be very interested to hear his impression on his return.

 

Why can't Cunard get it right and give us a ship with classic interiors??? I am not impressed with the new QM 2 or the VICTORIA and I was never crazy about the decor in the QE II. :(

As an enthusiastic modernist, I'm a big fan of QE2's original interiors, though not especially her current ones which are pleasant enough but rather bland.

 

QM2 is great in some places, and dreadful in others (like the Winter Garden and the Golden Lion).

 

VICTORIA... I wish I could reserve judgment until she was actually finished but I must say I think most of the renderings look awful, though a few spaces like the Atrium are actually an improvement over QM2. But areas like the Queens Room look really terrible... I guess we will see if the real ship looks better!

[Conte Di Savoia]

Ruby, I think we are leading parallel lives. Like you, my dad was also a physician, although not world renowned. Our still-born 1960 Cuba trip was to visit a Cuban physician and his family. They faired better than your dad's friends, eventually settling in the US where both father and son practiced medicine.

 

As far as your inquiry about which comes first, the ship or the itinerary I would say that it's fifty-fifty. We sometimes decide where we want to go and then select the best fit ship. Other times I hear about a cruise that a favorite ship is making and we might book. In the old days, the ship was the means to the end. My favorite thing to do is take a transatlantic crossing in combination with a land trip. I don't know how my dad was able to do it, but we would go to Europe for six weeks which included roundtrip by ship and four weeks on land.

 

CGT, I see that you got to travel on the Bremen. I was able to visit her in port just once. NDL always sailed at 11:59 PM, an hour which was difficult for me to handle. One of my prized possessions is an original, albeit small, oil painting of the Bremen (1929) passing the Europa painted by Stephen Card. He painted it for inclusion in Frank Braynard's book, but somehow, it never made it in.

 

You have a wonderful collection of Normandie-ana. I'm jealous. I have my France memorabilia: hat bands, cards, menus and programs as well as a postcard of her mailed while on her maiden voyage.

I have wonderful memories of the Chambord Dining Room and my first encounter with escargot!

 

Doug, I don't know Brad Hatry. I hope you get a chance to sail on Athena before.....

[dougnewmanatsea]

One of my prized possessions is an original, albeit small, oil painting of the Bremen (1929) passing the Europa painted by Stephen Card. He painted it for inclusion in Frank Braynard's book, but somehow, it never made it in.

You have an original Card? You are lucky :) !

 

I have promised him that I will commission one someday. Right now I am content with prints.

 

Doug, I don't know Brad Hatry. I hope you get a chance to sail on Athena before.....

Brad is an SSHSA-LI member, a Director of the national SSHSA, an Officer and Past Chairman of the World Ship Society Port of New York Branch and a member of the Ocean Liner Council at South Street Seaport (formerly the Ocean Liner Museum). And a really, really nice guy on top of it all!

 

If you are not a member of WSS PONY, I suggest you join - I think it is well worth being a member of both SSHSA-LI and WSS PONY, if you are interested in ship-related events in the NY area.

 

Anyhow, next time you are going to a ship event, drop me an e-mail as it would be great to meet you. I am sure we must have mutual acquaintances.

 

As for ATHENA, I do hope to sail in her, but before what? I would not expect her to go anywhere any time soon. The only thing left of the STOCKHOLM is the hull - everything else, including the engines, is only from 1994, and she meets all current and proposed SOLAS regulations. She seems to be quite successful with Classic International Cruises. Her owner is a fan of classic ships... Here is a nice interview with him.

[Conte Di Savoia]

You must know Tom Cassidy. He and I were in the same High School class. My first trip to the piers to visit ships was with Tom when we were sophomores.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

HI DOUG!!!

 

Can't say that I am in love with the QE II. I always thought her decor harkened back to the spaceship 60's...LOL. I did love the old First Class reception area...even that is gone now. My all time favorite Cunard ship was the original QUEEN ELIZABETH. She had so much wood paneling you could smell the wood polish. The 3 level First Class staircase was incredible...something like 70 different woods were used. Not everyone was crazy about the neo art deco but she had her high points...in my eyes. She was a grand ship and had a fantastic profile that really looked like a liner.

 

I think Carnival Corp spent all their money on the mechanical side of the QM 2 and ran out of money for the interiors. Just seems like there was very little coordination...and too much plastic.

 

HI CONTE!!!

 

You have an original Card??? You lucky dog!!! The famed Bremen and Europa were great ships. I have some great memorabilia from them...including a full set of first class menus dating back to 1929. What fantastic menus. I always loved the German menus...they really knew how put together a great dining experience. The menus from the Bremen of 1958 are also classics...especially the cruise menus...WOW...they were absolutely tops.

 

I must have more than 50 NORMANDIE menus. It never ceased to amaze me how Chef Magrain could put together such incredible meals. His style of menu design was used right up until the demise of the CGT. I have an incredible collection of French Line Menus from all the famous liners...the original SS FRANCE of 1912, the PARIS, the ILE DE FRANCE, the LIBERTE, the FLANDRE, the ANTILLES, the SS FRANCE and others. I still love to read them...they inspire my own culinary aspirations.

[Saga Ruby]

I want to know how to blow a ship's horn. I never knew over the many years whether a button is pushed, a handle is pulled, a rope is yanked. I refer to the major ocean liners being discussed herein - a fascinating conversation, I might add.

 

Having been on a few bridges in my time, a sailor at a wheel was maintaining our course. Now there are tiny handholds in a console - the wonders of the e-world (heavy sigh). But I've never been around when the horn or whistle was sounded.

 

By the bye, CGTNormandie is being too modest. His "culinary aspirations" are the result of working as a chef in fine restaurants in days gone by. He has other financial pursuits but is kind enough to teach me new cooking tricks by long distance in my home kitchen. If he says a ship has a good (or bad) kitchen, my head snaps up and I pay close attention.

 

Since Stephen Card is a big fan of Saga Cruises, I hope that eventually our paths will cross. From ship's captain to famed maritime artist - what wonderful careers he has had and deserves.

 

Conte - thank you for telling me about your Cuban friends. I had a heavy heart when I talked about our family's lost friends and it has helped me to hear that your Cuban family made it out and prospered in the US. Wonderful to hear your comments.

 

You put it better than I about picking cruises. I am very much focused on itinerary but require a good ship and "a star to sail her by." I was booked on Oceania to go to South America last year, saw another itinerary in an O brochure from Istanbul to Singapore and suddenly I was sailing thru the Suez Canal last November.

 

As my son and daughter are now doing well in their chosen careers, I have the freedom to spin on a dime and go where my heart tells me. It's a big world out there and I intend to discover as much of it as I can.

 

Ruby

[dougnewmanatsea]

Can't say that I am in love with the QE II. I always thought her decor harkened back to the spaceship 60's...LOL.

It did! But she was built in 1969, and looked like she was built in 1969.

 

I did love the old First Class reception area...even that is gone now.

Well, the basic layout is still there, but they certainly changed the decor.

 

There is not much left of her original interiors, of course - just the Princess Grill, Princess Grill Bar and Synagogue really. And the original first-class passageways and most of the original cabins are still fairly similar to their intended appearances (albeit with totally different soft furnishings etc.).

 

But while there are still vestiges of her original design here and there, there is not much left. What's there now is mostly rather insipid mid-1990s stuff.

 

I think Carnival Corp spent all their money on the mechanical side of the QM 2 and ran out of money for the interiors. Just seems like there was very little coordination...and too much plastic.

In reality they spent a fortune on her interiors. There are some spaces I like - the Commodore Club, the Chart Room, Sir Samuel's, even the Britannia Restaurant. Of course it is all very overtly retro but at least it is well done IMHO.

 

Other spaces like the Grand Lobby, the Winter Garden and the Golden Lion I find utterly awful. And yet others like the Grills are just boring.

 

But I at least like parts of her.

 

I want to know how to blow a ship's horn. I never knew over the many years whether a button is pushed, a handle is pulled, a rope is yanked.

Well, these days it's certainly a button.

 

Once upon a time you'd have pulled a rope, though.

 

Since Stephen Card is a big fan of Saga Cruises, I hope that eventually our paths will cross.

You should have booked SAGA ROSE's current voyage (actually a world cruise segment) from Sydney to Southampton :) .

[Druke I]

Most of the modern ships have a button for the whistle (horn), and they guard it closely, at least when I am on the bridge! I would surely love to give a good blast.

 

Many of the old paddlewheelers had a rope to sound the whistle, much like the steam locomotives of our youth.

 

http://www.youtube.com has some great video with sound bites of QM2's whistle, which they say can be heard some 12 miles!

[CGTNORMANDIE]

Thanks Ruby...bon Appetit!!!:d

[Saga Ruby]

On RVL, a gay waiter, Aidan from Ireland, a dashingly handsome rake, took a shine to me and would occasionally visit in my cabin, trying on my jewelry, telling me tales of Ireland, full of gossip about ship life. He was quite fun and we became friends on the ship. I have a lovely photo of Aidan in his whites, linked arm in arm with me to escort me to the gangway to the tender, a scenario that would never be allowed on today’s ships.

 

Toward the end of the voyage, Aidan invited me down to crew quarters. I felt so deliciously wicked to visit him in his cabin. Unfortunately, he smoked and, after an hour, I started choking on the fumes in that small cabin. An officer of the watch came by, saw me sitting on the bed, didn’t say a word, and closed the door. I was intrigued that the crew quarter bathrooms had no shower curtains, nothing to limit one’s view of the area. Aidan told me that there were food fights all the time after dinner service had ended. RVL ships bunked 2 crew per cabin; I understand that it was a luxurious space compared to other ships of that time period.

 

For two voyages, I had a superb waiter from Austria named Franz. At the end of a cruise, he suddenly popped up at the Vancouver airport in my gate area and came over to chat and tell me his story. On RVL ships (and perhaps all), there was a strict regulation that no dining room china, flatware, nor glasses are ever allowed in crew quarters. Franz had put a piece of pastry on a small china plate and taken it to his cabin. He was caught and fired instantly.

 

He was supposed to be escorted off the ship by the local agent in Vancouver but he located the cargo-hold conveyor belt, jumped on, and rode it out onto the dock to avoid the disgrace of being escorted off the ship. As he fled the ship, he could hear the ship’s tannoy calling his name, directing him to come to the Staff Captain’s office for escort off the ship. Fortunately, Franz had his Austrian passport with him and was flush with tips from the cruise so he was in good shape to get home but he was obviously shaken and kept saying, "It was only one plate! It was only one plate!"

 

Another RVL waiter told me about working a 45-day Circle Pacific trip. At the end of the cruise, a couple at one of his tables handed him $25 and said thanks for the service. He was so stunned at the stingy amount that he looked at it, counted it, then handed it back to the man, saying he was sure they needed it more than he did.

 

I have always been curious about the Franz/china plate incident. Do any of you know about that policy back in the 80s?

 

Ruby

[Conte Di Savoia]

The Italian Line was a bit different. The waiters routinely ordered extra portions which they brought from the kitchen "for the passengers." They stored it away for their own consumption. We would sometimes leave a little extra wine in the bottle for their enjoyment later. Did they use Italian Line serviceware? I don't know but I have a funny story.

 

The waiters were held personally responsible for all the china and silverware at their stations. If something was missing, they paid. This was great incentive to watch the passengers. On one trip a lady was secretly, or so she thought, taking a few items at each meal. The line had its beautiful Richard Ginori china and Brogi silverware. The waiters did not want to create a scene or put themselves at risk for the $25 or worse, 0$ tip. So they waited and watched and continued with their friendly service, their "si signora's" and "prego's" On the last morning, after all kisses, and "buon viaggio's" they informed US Customs of all the thefts. The passenger was stopped on the pier, her luggage opened and the cache was reclaimed. And the waiters had their tips.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

AHHH THE ITALIAN LINE!!!

 

What great stories!!! All the waiters and stewards had something going on the side. I had a ball with one of the bar waiters who sold beautiful cameos. I ended up buying 2 and my wife has been forever thankful. On my Princess cruise 2 years ago I met a former Head Waiter from the Italian Line who regaled me with stories...as he had worked on all of the great Italian ships. Aldo Barbierri and his wife Dianne were a constant source of great Italian Line stories...as Dianne had met Aldo onboard ship and they ended up as a married couple. Aldo told me the highlight of his career was spent onboard the RAFFAELLO AND THE MICHAELANGELO. He was fascinated with some of the passengers and their eccentricities. One of his favorite stories was of a man who rarely showed up for meals...and when he did he was fairly desheveled. Inspite of that...Aldo liked the man and would take good care of him when he did show up for dinner in the main dining room. The night before the ship was to land at one of the islands the man showed up for dinner and got talking to Aldo. He asked Aldo what he did on the island for fun etc. Aldo told him that he loved to hit the casino on that particular island. The man reached into his pocket and gave

Aldo $500 and told him to have a great time!!! The man also gave him another $500 at another island stop plus he gave Aldo a huge tip at the end of the cruise...needless to say...Aldo was stunned...remember this was back in the 1960's when $500 was a lot of money! Aldo told me from that time forward he never judged a passenger by what they were wearing...LOL.

[sagavista]

I have enjoyed reading the maritime history of all on this board. I too am a veteran of the sea having sailed on 69 voyages (NAL, Cunard, RVL, French Line, Italian Line, Home Line, HAL). My love of the sea was passed down to me by my father who adored the Queen Mary. Like Conte de Savoia, my dad and I would go to the NYC piers for an enjoyable day of ship watching and viewing from the United States, Queens Mary and Elizabeth, Caronia, Mauritania, the Leonardo, Rotterdam (one of my all time favorites), Queen of Bermuda, etc. I’ve sailed a variety of lines from the French Line to the Black Sea Shipping Company. Some superb and others that left much to be desired. I’ve sailed on the Sagafjord and Vistafjord many times when they were under NAL and Cunard. They were superb. I have sailed on the Saga Rose. It was a nostalgic voyage for me and I have to say she is in excellent condition and the food is very good. Her Master and crew take care of her like a loving maternal aunt. While she does show her age her ship’s horn is as strong as ever. I would highly recommend any maritime enthusiast to book a voyage on her. On Saga Holidays web site they have a great blog of both ships done by the Master of each vessel. After reading the blog you begin to understand the great fondness each Master has for each liner. Thank you for the enjoyable reading.

[Saga Ruby]

Thank you for joining our little group. You are certainly well-traveled. Could you please tell me when you were last on Saga Rose?

 

To the rest of our readers, a question. We have all been sailing for many years. In my memory, I was sending a check to the cruise line for a deposit, then paying in full, again by check, 45 days before sailing. This was long before the days of credit cards. Is that your experience or did you pay through travel agents in days gone by?

 

On my Saga Ruby cruise to Far North in 2005, my intent was to wire funds to the Saga UK bank account. I went to a major bank in downtown Dallas with the wiring instructions in an email. I told the cashier what I was trying to accomplish, and asked for the forms. The cashier brightly said that she would be glad to help me. Mentally I was thinking, "Uh oh."

 

When we got to the blank for "Country," we hit a wall. I told her it was "United Kingdom" which she tried to look up on her computer. No joy. I asked her to try "Britain." Nothing. I suggested she try "England." Long pause. She finally asked, "Is England in France?"

 

I gently said that I would step out of line and work with an officer of the bank so as to free up the cashier and move along the expanding line behind me. The new chap assured me he could assist me. We got all the way thru the form until he read from my Saga email that the bank in the UK was NatWest. It was not in his computer. I racked my brain and finally remembered it used to be National Westminster, which he did find listed - with 16 different branches including the Isle of Mann.

 

Out of sheer exhaustion, I told the man to send the funds to any London or Folkestone branch. It worked.

 

Do they teach geography in schools nowadays?

 

Ruby

[Conte Di Savoia]

A warm welcome to my good friend, SagaVista. We met aboard the Sagafjord an unbelievable thirty-two years ago. I was wondering when you would find us lurking here. It was because of SagaVista's great review of his recent Saga Rose trip, that we decided to book.

 

We practically always deal with travel agents but it has always been helpful to have an agent with connections particularly for the summer crossings which were often booked a year or more in advance. One year we were referred to a "great" agent by a family friend. He turned out to be incompetent and unconnected. My dad had to take matters into his own hands. He contacted the Italian Line directly and spoke to one of their top US staff members. After he was sent a large basket of cheer, the cabins became available. He later became a friend of the family.

[Saga Ruby]

Where would I find a copy of that review please?

 

An editorial comment - I am appalled to see that Cruise Critic is placing commercial adverts at the top of a given page inside that member's post. I have sent a vigorous protest to the Editors that I do not endorse commercial products and do not wish to be identified with same.

 

On one page, there was a photo of a woman kissing a whale which appeared inside my own personal post. Oh dear.

 

Ruby

[Conte Di Savoia]

It was a telephonic review. We always contact each other after a cruise to get a full and detailed report. Hopefully SagaVista will tell us about the Saga Rose trip as well as many of his other great experiences.

[Saga Ruby]

I was looking at Conte's list and musing about some of the shared ships we have enjoyed. If memory serves, Sitmar had no electrical outlets for hair dryers so we ladies wound up plugging in our hair dryers down the hall from our cabins. I'm trying to remember if the "outlet" room was a service area or laundry room.

 

Do you have luggage tags from past voyages on ships? I have lovely white plastic RVL tags which came printed with my name on them, then I pasted the rest of my address on the card and still use them. The tags have red leather loops and a "belt" buckle on them. I can spot my cases from a distance in a luggage warehouse.

 

Back in the day, I don't remember embarking by group or alphabet name or cabin designation. All I remember is walking up a gangway into the ship where we were checked in at the lobby by purser's staff at a card table.

 

My favorite embarkation was the Stella Solaris in Galveston. That season was a trial run for Sun Line at that port and it was not successful so no ships stopped there for another decade at least. For my cruise, passengers walked down a gangway to a floating platform, then walked into the side of the ship. The tide was out so the ship was lower than the entry platform. We had to duck halfway over to almost crawl into the entryway. It's hard to be dignified when you are bent double entering a ship.

 

In Hong Kong, after disembarkation from the Island Princess in 1992, I glanced back over my shoulder and saw my lovely ship tied up next to the "huge" Rotterdam which made the IP look like a pilot boat. Little did I know that the Rotterdam was a forerunner of modern behemoth ships whose sterns have all the charm and appeal of the back end of a shopping cart.

 

Sagavista, I bide my time before a cruise by "reading all about it." If you have thoughts about Saga Rose you could pass along, I would most appreciate hearing about them.

 

Ruby

[patwell]

Hi Ruby....I'm alive and well...and overwhelmed right now. And hello to all the rest of you old ship lovers. I've thoroughly enjoyed getting caught up in this thread and reading all your wonderful ship memories.

 

I too have them and have loved the old ships most of my life. My first crossing was at the age of 3+ on the old Gripsholm. She was the first ship my Dad could get us passage on to see how my Mom's family were at the end of the war. Mom was Norwegian and we sailed to Sweden then took the train in the middle of the night to Oslo. So that makes me a bit over 21!! My happy memories are all of Norske Amerika Linje ships and especially my beloved Stavangerfjord, one of the sturdiest, most dependable ships to cross the North Atlantic, and do it continuously for 45 years. I dearly loved that ship and enjoyed several crossings on her through all sorts of weather. She had a proud history as the Amerikabåten, the emmigrant's ship, and in fact brought my Mother here as a young woman. We had strong ties to her as you can see.

 

I have wonderful memories of MS Bergensfjord too and can honestly say I "met" Sagafjord onboard Bergensfjord when she was just drawings on paper prior to her construction. My Mom and I sailed together through my growing up years and the last voyage before her death was on Sagafjord, so I have a soft spot for her as well as the rest of you do and will cry when she is lost to us all.

 

Poor Ruby...I have bombarded her with MANY photos of Saga Ruby and a link to hear her horn...I'm shameless but I so wanted her to book this trip and can't wait to hear how it went.

 

You all have such grand ships in your past...mine are limited to the Gripsholm and the NAL fleet which I will always remember with great fondness. Had a brief experience with the old Cunard Adventurer when she was Sunward II and now the QM2 has captured my heart, which honestly surprised me.

 

I was probably the only 10 year old girl who would read the NY Times shipping news every Sunday to see which ships were in port and when they would sail. We lived 2 1/2 hours from NY and when we'd go to see family, my Dad would always take me to Liner Row and I saw almost all of the wonderful old ships, now just memories.

 

So then, streamers, onboard bon voyage parties, cabins filled with flowers and telegrams...all part and parcel of my treasured memories. In my mind I can still hear the last notes of the Norwegian anthem followed by Stavangerfjord's horn...the streamer connecting me to my Dad would break and we'd slip out into the river...I was in heaven.

 

I hope you don't mind my intrusion...I just couldn't resist sharing memories with you all. And Host Doug? Norwegian officers were THE BEST, and I have that on much personal experience.

 

Cheers, Penny

[sagavista]

Saga Ruby – You will have a great time on the Saga Rose. I sailed on the Saga Rose last year to Norway and had a wonderful time. With only 550 passengers on board you will rarely see a line for anything, have attentive service by a competent staff, and excellent food. Since you have sailed on the Saga Ruby, you know what to expect. The ship still retains its NAL charm, the beautiful staircases both fore and main (now with a picture of Queen Elizabeth instead of King Olaf), a refreshed and updated Garden Lounge, and the grand one setting dining room (which in my opinion is one of the most beautiful rooms afloat). Enjoy your time onboard because you will never find another ship like the Saga Rose again. If I can be of any further help please do not hesitate to ask.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

THANKS PENNY!!! For your wonderful memories...we all know the feeling. I think it was Conte Di Savoia who said something like...The ships have changed but once you sit in a deck chair and look out at the sea everything seems like it used to be. I believe you were on "the old Gripsholm"...or did you sail on the "GRIPSHOLM of 1958"??? I cruised on the 1958 GRIPSHOLM and it was one of the most comfortable ships I was ever on...we loved it. I have some wonderful memorabilia from her also. She was actually built in Italy for the Swedish American Line. I have some great pictures of that wonderful forward observation lounge that looked out over the bow...what a beautiful room that was. I guess we have all seen a lot of changes over the years.

 

HELLO SAGAVISTA!!! Great to hear you are posting here with us. I do believe this thread has become a refuge for "The Ship Daft"...LOL. Were you on the CARONIA??? She is one of my favorite ships to collect memorabilia from. Did you sail on her??? Can you remember anything about her??? Do tell us!!!

 

HI RUBY!!! SORRY...but it is the advertising that has paid for the boards new internet connections...that now make it so easy for us to post without having to wait an hour or do the double post...LOL. I guess we will have to put up with it...after all...they are the hosts. I actually got a PORN message on one of my threads...LOL!!! I guess they needed to tweek the system a bit more...LOL!!!:eek:

[Saga Ruby]

Saga Ruby – You will have a great time on the Saga Rose. I sailed on the Saga Rose last year to Norway and had a wonderful time. With only 550 passengers on board you will rarely see a line for anything, have attentive service by a competent staff, and excellent food. Since you have sailed on the Saga Ruby, you know what to expect. The ship still retains its NAL charm, the beautiful staircases both fore and main (now with a picture of Queen Elizabeth instead of King Olaf), a refreshed and updated Garden Lounge, and the grand one setting dining room (which in my opinion is one of the most beautiful rooms afloat). Enjoy your time onboard because you will never find another ship like the Saga Rose again. If I can be of any further help please do not hesitate to ask.

 

You and I are of similar minds. I do love the single seatings because it keeps the entire ship on the same schedule. Open seating on the Nautica last year was a new experience. I asked each night for a large table and met many people, but there is something about having a familiar table of eight that appeals to me.

 

I was a great fan of the staircases on Saga Ruby and am keen to see the ones on Rose. Even during lifeboat drill, one could not help but admire the spectacular staircases which resembled a chambered Nautilus. I'm not familiar with the "Garden Lounge" which probably has another moniker on Ruby. Are you referring to the entertainment lounge?

 

By the bye, does Rose have ship's photographers? I talked to the photogs on Ruby and they were originally downcast about sales, but when they were put in a tender to photograph the polar bears in Magdalena Bay, sales took off and they ran out of photography paper. More paper was brought onboard in Bergen so they could fill the orders they had before we docked in Dover.

 

The Purser Lobby on Ruby was carpeted and I've heard that Rose's lobby is not. Can you tell me which it currently is? I loved the circular sofa in the Ruby lobby - quite the Art Deco piece.

 

Talking to you peeks my enthusiasm and interest for this upcoming voyage. Thank you for the input.

 

A shout-out to patwell who has kept me happily supplied with Rose and Ruby pix until I can sail yet again on my favorite cruise line.

 

Ruby

[dougnewmanatsea]

You and I are of similar minds. I do love the single seatings because it keeps the entire ship on the same schedule.

I do enjoy a single fixed seating. Some do not like it as if flexibility is given in times, it means that not everyone at the same table will be on the same schedule. In the past I have always been at tables where we are happy to arrange the night before what time the next evening's dinner will be, but if that is not possible I guess it could be a problem.

 

I like it because one keeps one's table for all three meals. On a voyage with a lot of sea days where I am apt to eat at least two and often three meals a day in the dining room, I like that.

 

I was a great fan of the staircases on Saga Ruby and am keen to see the ones on Rose.

Very, very similar. The piece of marble artwork in the forward stairway on RUBY was added in 1994 and inspired by a similar wood-and-marble piece that has been on ROSE since the beginning in 1965.

 

I think the main difference is that the wood panelling on ROSE is original, much darker and more prevalent.

 

I'm not familiar with the "Garden Lounge" which probably has another moniker on Ruby. Are you referring to the entertainment lounge?

It's the forward lounge... Now known on both ships as the Britannia Lounge.

 

The Garden Lounge was what it was called in the pre-Saga days... From NAL all the way through to Cunard. Most people who know the ships from before Saga still have a tendency to call it the Garden Lounge. 30 or so years of using it has made that name stick with many people :) .

 

Sadly they have been denuded of their original ultra-stylish Danish furniture, and RUBY's has lost its wood panelling as well, but nevertheless they remain spectacular spaces. The one on ROSE (more original than RUBY's, as is most of the ship) is quite possibly the finest public room on any ship today. At least, I can't think of anything still around that surpasses it!

 

The main lounge - the Ballroom - is nice too, but the chairs are too large... They make the room look crowded. The original furniture (at least on SAGAFJORD - I can't picture VISTAFJORD's at the moment) was much smaller and gave the room a much more spacious feel.

 

The current massive chairs were brought in by Cunard back in the 1990s and I think it is high time Saga replaced them with something more aesthetically pleasing.

 

Of course, on both ships the Ballroom has been redecorated several times. I think the worst version must have been a dreadful incarnation from, I think, SAGAFJORD's 1981 refit which involved orange upholstery and fiberglass panels around the widows. I think there is a photo of it somewhere on the web but I can't find it at the moment. It was really ghastly!

 

A lot of awful things were done to these ships in the 1980s and 1990s by NAC (not to be confused with NAL) and Cunard. Thankfully they have been, for the most part, greatly improved by Saga.

 

The Purser Lobby on Ruby was carpeted and I've heard that Rose's lobby is not. Can you tell me which it currently is? I loved the circular sofa in the Ruby lobby - quite the Art Deco piece.

RUBY's is tiled, ROSE's is carpeted or at least I assume it still is as it was up until the last refit in December. Or should I say, I hope it is, as it would look awful with tile!

 

The one on RUBY dates from the big 1994 refit while ROSE's remains essentially original.

 

I am not at all fond of the tile in RUBY's. IMHO, tile on ships belongs in bathrooms, the swimming pools and not much else ;) !

 

I do not much like the chandelier chosen for RUBY's Purser's Lobby either, but I do not mind that sofa, though I did not try to sit on it to see how comfortable it was. It does not look all that comfortable but it is interesting to look at...

[Saga Ruby]

I look forward to your comments as one who has actually sailed on Saga Rose.

 

Ruby