Saga Rose Greenland Voyager August 2007

[Druke I]

Not sure why the URL http://www.cruisingthepast.com in the previous post does not show up red - I double checked, and it sure looks correct to me.

 

This post should push the number count of the thread up to 2400.

 

Congrats Ruby!!!

[Kapricorn]

Michael, platypus is an apt description of Solstice's stern. It is the new generation of cruise buffs who decide that the apartment barges are "beautiful."

 

Yes, Lois R. is whom I was referring to. We cruised together on Galaxy last March in the Caribbean, and we got along so well as friends that we are repeating it again in January.

 

Donald.

[Druke I]

Please tell Lois R. hello for me.

[Saga Ruby]

I am obviously in a minority of 1 regarding the dinner parade at the end of the cruise. My companions I took with me on QE2 had never seen a Baked Alaska Parade with sparklers, as they have abandoned them on the only lines they have travelled with, and they loved it.

 

I am shocked - shocked! - to see that you have overlooked page 90 of this tome and the brisk discussion of baked Alaska parades in which I comment about my ennui with the parades while mentioning Saga Rose which put on a parade that was so memorable, fun, and well-done it humbled me. But seriously, while I was busy being bored the last many years with The Parade, Saga Rose taught me to be more open to one of these experiences because, sometimes, it can be a fine one.

 

fran - I happened to stumble on your comment that you had been lurking on this thread but didn't feel right about participating until you "had read all 58 pages." Aren't you glad it was only 58? What is your current mood about the "free" NCL cruise? A voyage of discovery, a mild shudder? Didn't you say you'll have a bodyguard, um, friend along with you? When is your sail date? I don't remember how you won this cruise - have you vowed never to expose your social schedule to this possibility again?

 

Ruby

[Druke I]

By now, I'm sure you have read about the Somalian pirates seizing that jumbo tanker. There has been quite a bit of press about that.

 

What thus far is receiving little press is that the Indian Navy has sunk a pirate "mother ship", presumably by naval gunfire.

 

Several navies, including the US Navy, are patrolling along the Somalian coast and in the Gulf of Aden, looking for pirates.

 

I do recall you and I discussing pirates when we were sailing through the Gulf of Aden en route to the UAE.

[Kapricorn]

Please tell Lois R. hello for me.

 

Lois remembers you and your wife, Virginia!

 

Donald.

[Host Sharon]

I am shocked - shocked! - to see that you have overlooked page 90 of this tome and the brisk discussion of baked Alaska parades in which I comment about my ennui with the parades while mentioning Saga Rose which put on a parade that was so memorable, fun, and well-done it humbled me. But seriously, while I was busy being bored the last many years with The Parade, Saga Rose taught me to be more open to one of these experiences because, sometimes, it can be a fine one.

 

fran - I happened to stumble on your comment that you had been lurking on this thread but didn't feel right about participating until you "had read all 58 pages." Aren't you glad it was only 58? What is your current mood about the "free" NCL cruise? A voyage of discovery, a mild shudder? Didn't you say you'll have a bodyguard, um, friend along with you? When is your sail date? I don't remember how you won this cruise - have you vowed never to expose your social schedule to this possibility again?

 

Ruby

 

Obviously I should have read all the pages first too!! Sorry Ruby - I stand chastised !

[Host Sharon]

By now, I'm sure you have read about the Somalian pirates seizing that jumbo tanker. There has been quite a bit of press about that.

 

What thus far is receiving little press is that the Indian Navy has sunk a pirate "mother ship", presumably by naval gunfire.

 

Several navies, including the US Navy, are patrolling along the Somalian coast and in the Gulf of Aden, looking for pirates.

 

I do recall you and I discussing pirates when we were sailing through the Gulf of Aden en route to the UAE.

 

Artemis was on high alert all through the Bosphorus and Sea of Marmara with the anti-boarding sound devices on both bridge wings and extra lookouts. The Indian Navy success received a lot of press coverage here though.

[franu]

What is your current mood about the "free" NCL cruise? A voyage of discovery, a mild shudder? Didn't you say you'll have a bodyguard, um, friend along with you? When is your sail date? I don't remember how you won this cruise - have you vowed never to expose your social schedule to this possibility again?

 

At this moment I am actually pleased to be going on this NCL as I have no cruise to look forward to except on this behemoth. Yesterday I received a phone call from Orient Lines stating that they have cancelled the 2009 season because of difficulty with the economy and therefore sales.

 

Is Orient Lines in a coma or is it to be buried. I sincerely hope that we will meet at a later date.

 

NCL Jewel cruise to the Southern Caribbean , January 9-18. I won it by purchasing the crack-open tickets sold at the Bingo game which I did not attend. I bought the tickets and left before the game began. This was on the final sailing of the M/V Marco Polo when Orient Lines was owned by NCL. This was my only attachment to NCL until then.

 

I am desperately looking for a cruise line with ships holding up to 1000 pax which has traditional dining and formal evenings. Now that I have identified a few it seems that their itineraries leave nothing that would be new.

 

It is snowing quite heavily here and the roads have not been plowed yet. After a lovely afternoon at the theatre and out for dinner with friends, the car was not gripping the road yet. I still prefer this weather to the heat of the Caribbean.

Fran

Edited November 20, 2008 by franu

[Saga Ruby]

At this moment I am actually pleased to be going on this NCL as I have no cruise to look forward to except on this behemoth. Yesterday I received a phone call from Orient Lines stating that they have cancelled the 2009 season because of difficulty with the economy and therefore sales.

 

I am desperately looking for a cruise line with ships holding up to 1000 pax which has traditional dining and formal evenings. Now that I have identified a few it seems that their itineraries leave nothing that would be new.Fran

 

Fran, I was so sorry to read about the current state of the "new" Marco Polo. What a profound disappointment for you. Wayne Heller has apparently gotten swept up in the global financial crises and his financial plan has fallen through.

 

Your situation reminds me of how empty my vacation life felt when I learned that Royal Viking had closed its doors - I sailed only on RVL for over ten years. I stopped cruising for awhile, then did my research and went back to the high seas. Ever since RVL shut down, I have had zero brand loyalty to any cruise line although I have more "returning passenger" cards than I can count. I like the independence of picking the best ship for my interests of quality and exotic itineraries, instead of being in a loyalty program for the perks. While you may be feeling abandoned, I am living proof that regrouping and trying a different ship can be freeing.

 

I hope that you will check into the Oceania brand of 3 upscale R ships. I had a brilliant experience for 26 days onboard Nautica and will not hesitate to return to that brand in the future.

 

Ruby

[franu]

I hope that you will check into the Oceania brand of 3 upscale R ships. I had a brilliant experience for 26 days onboard Nautica and will not hesitate to return to that brand in the future.

Saga Ruby, Because I am going on the behemoth which features "Freestyle Dining" I shall take this opportunity to evaluate whether I will be sailing with open dining or whatever the cruise-line may call it. My mind always went with trying new things but I have come to the conclusion that personal happiness is an important ingredient in any experience.

 

Are there perks at Oceania that are available only for pax of a certain category or above? I have spoken to someone that I know who basically told me that "you dine on your own or with persons that you choose to dine with. If you are solo, you probably won't have a good time". I sincerely believe that this was not your experience. Did you dine alone at the beginning?

 

I am waiting to hear of your Prinsendam experience. It has many of the attributes that I am seeking. I do need an exciting itinerary.

Fran

[Host Sharon]

Fran - Have you looked at Fred Olsen? I know they may not be so upmarket as Orient Lines but their ships fit your needs.

Edited November 20, 2008 by ships cat

[Kapricorn]

Fran, I took a photograph of Fred Olsen's Braemar when I was at one of the Caribbean islands last March. She was the Crown Dynasty, which entered service in 1993. She carries 733 passengers. She seems to be in a nice enough condition.

 

Donald.

[Druke I]

That Braemar is a nice looking ship.

 

At 23,000GRT, 968PAX, she would certainly be considered small by today's standards.

[Saga Ruby]

By now, I'm sure you have read about the Somalian pirates seizing that jumbo tanker. There has been quite a bit of press about that. What thus far is receiving little press is that the Indian Navy has sunk a pirate "mother ship", presumably by naval gunfire.

 

I do recall you and I discussing pirates when we were sailing through the Gulf of Aden en route to the UAE.

 

I have thought a long time about our brush with Somali skiffs rushing up to Nautica and how you could turn that scenario a few degrees off plumb and have an "incident."

 

I did, indeed, see that the Indian Navy had blown up a mothership and cheered from the sidelines. I know that the Straits of Malacca were the most intense "pirate alley" on the globe for some years but the resolution of that situation proved to be local countries which took over control of their own waters and clamped down on the piracy in that area.

 

I was listening to BBC World on the radio heard an interview with a security expert who has started his own company to put security guards onboard cargo ships in the area of the the Gulf of Aden. He said that he charges $30,000 to put ex-SAS and British Marines onboard to repel pirates as necessary.

 

His offensive weapons are the sound devices that emit 140- to 160 decibels which is an excruciating level for the human ear and they place barbed wire around the stern of the ship. His troops make sure all ladders are raised and are in constant patrol of the ship’s deck. One question the expert was asked - why don’t ships fire on the skiffs? He said that pirates fire on ships and attack, but if a cargo ship were to fire first, that would make them the pirates.

 

Evidently ship owners have had quite a blasé attitude about security of their own ships. One assumes they have good insurance and don’t care about the safety of the crew, only about the safety of the ship’s contents.

 

But, as you well know, the really Bad Guys in this world are watching the simplicity of capturing ships and their cargo and we know the owners are paying the ransoms. In my opinion, soon BGs will be taking over the piracy trade and using it for their own nefarious purposes. What would happen if BGs took over the 2 million barrels of oil on the supertanker Sirius Star? The mind boggles at what they could do with it.

 

Ruby

[Host Sharon]

Oooh - on another subject entirely, I have just been offered a wonderful upgrade on my Christmas Markets cruise next month - from the lowest grade outside to a balcony on the top deck for £100. Don't think I can turn it down, even though I do feel balconies are turning our lovely cruise ships into floating apartment barges, and it's for sole occupancy too!!

[Druke I]

Yes, that is a tempting offer. I do tend to agree with you that the proliferation of balconies has had a definite effect on the outward appearance of ships, causing them them to look more and more like apartment blocks set upon a barge.

 

SagaRuby - yes, I did see an article re the formation of a maritime security group using former SAS and Royal Marines. I bet there will be a few Gurkhas recruited also. I do hope the new company will do a better PR job than Blackwater has done in Iraq. Special Ops needs good PR, not negative.

[Kapricorn]

Oooh - on another subject entirely, I have just been offered a wonderful upgrade on my Christmas Markets cruise next month - from the lowest grade outside to a balcony on the top deck for £100. Don't think I can turn it down, even though I do feel balconies are turning our lovely cruise ships into floating apartment barges, and it's for sole occupancy too!!

 

Congratulations, Ships Cat! The upgrade does sound wonderful.

 

Prior to sailing on Ryndam last April, HAL offered me a $400 upgrade from an oceanview to a verandah suite. I declined. Lo and behold, my travel agent texted me in San Diego the day before the sailing that I was upgraded to the verandah suite anyway.

 

Prices have dropped considerably on the Ryndam cruise next April that I am booked on. It sounds as if HAL has difficulty filling up the ship. On the other hand, Celebrity has jacked up prices on Mercury's 15-day February cruise to Hawaii, so I was fortunate to have booked at a lower price earlier this year.

 

Donald.

[Saga Ruby]

I have spoken to someone that I know who basically told me that "you dine on your own or with persons that you choose to dine with. If you are solo, you probably won't have a good time". I sincerely believe that this was not your experience. Did you dine alone at the beginning? Fran

 

I was shocked to read the above comment about being solo and not having a good time and I completely disagree. I walked onboard Nautica in Istanbul and immediately felt as though I had come home. It was, and is, so much like Royal Viking. I cannot emphasize enough the superior service onboard on all levels and the warm hospitality extended by all crew members. Oceania is less expensive than the Saga Sisters but easily equivalent in levels of service.

 

It is correct that Oceania offers only open dining which was my first experience with that style and I was curious to see how it impacted my cruise experience. I walked into the main dining room on embarkation night, asked for a large table, sat down and enjoyed visiting with my tablemates which became the standard for the rest of my trip.

 

After 10 days, it began to be amusing to encounter the same 3-4 single gentlemen willing to sit at a large table, and we got on a first-name basis quite rapidly. Not every table was a winner but 90% of them were quite fun. When I didn't feel like dressing up, I went to the Lido buffet and was quite happy with that also. And, sometimes, I do like dining alone and not wading thru the societal demands of formal dining (country-club casual).

 

Strangely enough, the hard part about Oceania is getting onboard. There is a huge pool of returning passengers and it seems that many of them are sitting at their computers waiting for the next year's itinerary to come out. When I was booked with Oceania for South America, I happened to glance at their beautiful brochure book and saw the Istanbul to Singapore itinerary. I thought it might be fun, so I called the cruise line and the first thing the agent said was, "Um, that cruise is almost fully booked." After hearing passengers onboard talking about their dedication to Oceania, I feel lucky to have gotten an oceanview cabin.

 

I hope to sail Oceania again after my next two cruises, but I'll be crouched over my keyboard when the itineraries are released. Book early!

 

Michael, do you have anything to add about Oceania? I think they are topnotch.

 

Ruby

[Druke I]

Hard to add much re Oceania, other than to say Virginia & I have thoroughly enjoyed our three Oceania cruises.

 

The service levels are quite high, the food very good/excellent, ships' layout very good, good passenger mix (for the most part). For as small as they are, a three ship company, they have a pretty good range of itineraries.

 

Unfortunately, we did have to cancel our Jan '09 New Zealand/Australia cruise on Nautica, but as always, we are looking about to see what else might interest us in both the near and far future.

 

Perhaps a cruise on their new Marina when she comes out in 2010. At 62,000GRT quite a bit larger than the current ships, but still on the small side when compared to the behemoths out there.

Edited November 23, 2008 by Druke I

[Saga Ruby]

To our friends in the US, best wishes for a peaceful, safe, and happy Thanksgiving weekend. I'm sure that some of us will be having huge holiday dinners with loved ones, some of us will be traveling to be with loved ones, and others of us will choose to empty our pockets at retail establishments.

 

I will enjoy a nice frozen turkey dinner on Thursday, pass on retail sales, and enjoy reading fine books throughout our 4-day weekend.

 

All the best to everyone,

Ruby

[Host Sharon]

Have a good and peaceful Thankgiving everyone.

 

I see the new P&O behemoth Azura (116,000 tons !) will have single cabins. Typical. They put single cabins on a ship I will not be interested in sailing on!

[franu]

I did it! I actually booked my next (?) big cruise. I checked out a number of lines and itineraries and have paid my down payment on an Azamara cruise. It will be from Singapore to Hong Kong. There is a possibility of taking a land tour at the end. I have not yet decided what I shall do. It is for January 2010.

 

The ship is very similar in some ways to Oceania. I believe that they are in direct competition with each other. Price was an important component.

Fran

[Host Sharon]

Sounds lovely Fran. I have often thought the Azamara ships look very nice.

[Saga Ruby]

I did it! I actually booked my next (?) big cruise. I checked out a number of lines and itineraries and have paid my down payment on an Azamara cruise. It will be from Singapore to Hong Kong. There is a possibility of taking a land tour at the end. I have not yet decided what I shall do. It is for January 2010. Fran

 

Fran, I'm so happy for you! I think Azamara is a fine choice. It's always fun to have a booked cruise to look forward to. Have you been to Hong Kong before? If you have a chance to do a post-cruise land tour, I highly recommend it. If I ever win the lottery, I'm moving to Hong Kong, staying at The Peninsula, and relishing the reality of that exciting, ever-changing city of lights and sea.

 

Digression - Hong Kong is the island in the harbour and the Star Ferry leaves Tsim Shat Tsui every five minutes from the mainland to the island. When the ferry gets to the other side, a crew member walks briskly around the upper deck and reverses the seat backs to face the opposite direction. That whole area and atmosphere are such fun.

 

I'll be in Antarctica in Jan 2010. Perhaps my ship's officers can fire a flare at an arranged time and we'll see if you can spot it over the horizon. But seriously, it is soul-satisfying to have a fine cruise booked on a good ship.

 

Ruby