Sail-Away - How Different is it From Ship to Ship?

[custompcsys]

So far, I have been 2 Princess cruises, with my 3rd coming in April. When we did the Diamond to Alaska, sail-away was an event...people out on deck, special drinks, a countdown over the PA system culminated by the blowing of the ship's horn as she pulled out of port. It was quite the party :)

 

On the Star this past summer, however, it almost seemed like they snuck out of Copenhagen! Sure, there people on deck, but basically they just let the lines go and left. If I wouldn't have seen the motion, I would have never known - there was nothing like on the Diamond the year before.

 

For those of you who have been on more Princess ships than I....does it vary from ship to ship, is it a port thing, or did I just have a bunch of party poopers for a crew on the Star? ;) (Actually they were a great crew and the service was excellent!)

[sept10dsm]

We had a nice sail away out of NY in Oct 2004 on the Grand Princess. It probably had to do with the music played and the sites we were passing. When we were on our Alaska cruise a few years ago it was quiet. I guess it might have to do with the port you are in and the captain of the ship. (We sailed out of Baltimore on RCCL GOS this past Oct and it was also very quiet.)

[Druke I]

I think sail-away varies greatly from ship to ship, and perhaps highly dependent upon Cruise Director and his staff.

 

It seems sometimes the ship "sneaks away" from port - and other times it is a gala event.

[jwave]

I wonder if it depends on the port too. US ports probably allow for more hoopla than european ports. just a thought.

[doven]

We were aware of when our Grand Princess was leaving port in Galveston at 5PM. People gathered on the decks, etc, but after engaging in conversations and not paying attention to what the ship was doing, we left and didn't realize we had gone. We looked down at the water and saw we were moving. Sort of a letdown. I expected it to be like LOVE BOAT :D

[crissyp]

we're leaving from NY on the Crown this July...Can anyone tell me what we can expect at sail away.. Only cruised once before and that was on the Disney Wonder. Their sail away was great!:)

[Martin and Lindsey]

What about the sail away on the Caribbean Princess? What is that like?

[audrey]

we are sailing out of san francisco in april and I am sure everyone is looking forward in going under the san francisco bridge. My husband got up earily to take pictures of it when we came into San Francisco last year. The most fun on any sail a way I have been on is the disney ships.

[Julia’s Journey’s]

we're leaving from NY on the Crown this July...Can anyone tell me what we can expect at sail away.. Only cruised once before and that was on the Disney Wonder. Their sail away was great!:)

 

Yes Disney does great sailaways, we had a great one on the Diamond leaving Vancouver and some other fun ones but also some quiet ones.

[mii]

There is nothing like going under the Golden Gate Bridge sailing out of San Francisco. Beautiful.

 

Marilyn

[GoodAsGold]

We'll be sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge in April, too. That sailaway should be quite a memory. I used to hear they play "I Left My Heart in Sab Francisco". I wonder if they still do.

 

My most memorable sailaway from every port was on the brand new Star Princess (3 months old). They played two songs: "Orinoco Flow" (Sail Away) by Enya. And, "Time to Say Goodbye" by Andrea Boccelli and Sarah Brightman. I nought the CDs the minute I came home. Everytime they played them on the ship when we left a port, it was so moving listening to these beautiful songs. I was disappointed a year later when they didn't play anything on the Sun.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a88-Tyl1gkI

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp0ccQVy1og&mode=related&search=

 

Orinoco Flow

 

Let me sail, let me sail,

Let the Orinoco flow,

Let me reach, let me beach

On the shores of Tripoli.

Let me sail, let me sail,

Let me crash upon your shore,

Let me reach, let me beach

Far beyond the Yellow Sea.

Sail away, sail away, sail away

Sail away, sail away, sail away

Sail away, sail away, sail away

Sail away, sail away...

From Bissau to Palau

In the shade of Avalon,

From Fiji to Tiree

And the Isles of Ebony,

From Peru to Cebu

Hear the power of Babylon,

From Bali to Cali

Far beneath the Coral Sea.

Turn it up, turn it up,

Turn it up, up, adieu...

Turn it up, turn it up,

Turn it up, up, adieu...

Turn it up, turn it up,

Turn it up, up, adieu...

Sail away, sail away, sail away

Sail away, sail away, sail away

Sail away, sail away, sail away

Sail away, sail away...

From the North to the South,

Ebudæ into Khartoum,

From the deep sea of Clouds

To the island of the moon,

Carry me on the waves

To the lands I've never been,

Carry me on the waves

To the lands I've never seen.

We can sail, we can sail,

With the Orinoco flow

We can steer, we can near

With Rob Dickins at the wheel,

We can sigh, say goodbye

Ross and his dependencies

We can sail, we can sail...

We can reach, we can beach

On the shores of Tripoli,

We can sail, we can sail,

With the Orinoco flow

From Bali to Cali

Far beneath the Coral Sea,

We can sail, we can sail...

From Bissau to Palau

In the shade of Avalon,

Se can reach, we can beach

Far beyond the Yellow Sea,

From Peru to Cebu

Hear the power of Babylon,

We can sail, we can sail...

We can sail, we can sail...

We can sail, we can sail...

We can sail, we can sail...

 

 

 

we are sailing out of san francisco in april and I am sure everyone is looking forward in going under the san francisco bridge. My husband got up earily to take pictures of it when we came into San Francisco last year. The most fun on any sail a way I have been on is the disney ships.

[GoodAsGold]

We'll be sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge in April, too. That sailaway should be quite a memory. I used to hear they play "I Left My Heart in Sab Francisco". I wonder if they still do.

 

My most memorable sailaway from every port was on the brand new Star Princess (3 months old). They played two songs: "Orinoco Flow" (Sail Away) by Enya. And, "Time to Say Goodbye" by Andrea Boccelli and Sarah Brightman. I bought the CDs the minute I came home. Everytime they played them on the ship when we left a port, it was so moving listening to these beautiful songs. I was disappointed a year later when they didn't play anything on the Sun.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a88-Tyl1gkI

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp0ccQVy1og&mode=related&search=

 

Orinoco Flow

 

Let me sail, let me sail,

Let the Orinoco flow,

Let me reach, let me beach

On the shores of Tripoli.

Let me sail, let me sail,

Let me crash upon your shore,

Let me reach, let me beach

Far beyond the Yellow Sea.

Sail away, sail away, sail away

Sail away, sail away, sail away

Sail away, sail away, sail away

Sail away, sail away...

From Bissau to Palau

In the shade of Avalon,

From Fiji to Tiree

And the Isles of Ebony,

From Peru to Cebu

Hear the power of Babylon,

From Bali to Cali

Far beneath the Coral Sea.

Turn it up, turn it up,

Turn it up, up, adieu...

Turn it up, turn it up,

Turn it up, up, adieu...

Turn it up, turn it up,

Turn it up, up, adieu...

Sail away, sail away, sail away

Sail away, sail away, sail away

Sail away, sail away, sail away

Sail away, sail away...

From the North to the South,

Ebudæ into Khartoum,

From the deep sea of Clouds

To the island of the moon,

Carry me on the waves

To the lands I've never been,

Carry me on the waves

To the lands I've never seen.

We can sail, we can sail,

With the Orinoco flow

We can steer, we can near

With Rob Dickins at the wheel,

We can sigh, say goodbye

Ross and his dependencies

We can sail, we can sail...

We can reach, we can beach

On the shores of Tripoli,

We can sail, we can sail,

With the Orinoco flow

From Bali to Cali

Far beneath the Coral Sea,

We can sail, we can sail...

From Bissau to Palau

In the shade of Avalon,

Se can reach, we can beach

Far beyond the Yellow Sea,

From Peru to Cebu

Hear the power of Babylon,

We can sail, we can sail...

We can sail, we can sail...

We can sail, we can sail...

We can sail, we can sail...

 

 

 

we are sailing out of san francisco in april and I am sure everyone is looking forward in going under the san francisco bridge. My husband got up earily to take pictures of it when we came into San Francisco last year. The most fun on any sail a way I have been on is the disney ships.

[azdmelani]

we're leaving from NY on the Crown this July...Can anyone tell me what we can expect at sail away.. Only cruised once before and that was on the Disney Wonder. Their sail away was great!:)

 

big dance party... they do the normal "line" dances (ymca, dollar dance, etc) and give tickets to those who dance.

 

Also point out when the crown sails under the verrazano- very cool thing!

[tvaud]

we're leaving from NY on the Crown this July...Can anyone tell me what we can expect at sail away.. Only cruised once before and that was on the Disney Wonder. Their sail away was great!:)

 

 

Sailing out of NY on the Crown is fun. Most passengers head up to the big party on deck with the band playing party and tropical music, and lots of waiters carrying trays filled with the drink of the day. The highlight of sailaway is probably passing the Statue of Liberty and under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. The party starts to break up once the ship gets into open waters or the sun starts to set...depending on time of year. You'll have fun.:)

[mickmobo]

we are sailing out of san francisco in april and I am sure everyone is looking forward in going under the san francisco bridge. My husband got up earily to take pictures of it when we came into San Francisco last year. The most fun on any sail a way I have been on is the disney ships.

 

Disney does the BEST sail-aways. Also their Caribbean nights are pretty spectacular also! Aerial Mickey, Pirate dance party, MAJOR fireworks display, and then watching Pirates of the Caribbean on a big screen in the Caribbean! (Disney has their version of MUTS)

[PescadoAmarillo]

I have found that it is definitely port specific. Maybe the issue in Copenhagen was that many people were totally jet lagged from long flights over. Cold, rainy weather can also really dampen (no pun intended) the fun. I agree that our sailaways on the Grand from Galveston were nothing to write home about...very industrial, hazy and chilly. Not very fun at all. The best was sailing from Sydney and Rio, but Fort Lauderdale is a lot of fun too...love those condos flashing lights and blowing airhorns while we sail past out to sea!

[TrojanJulez]

My only sailaway experience was on the Disney Wonder... It almost brought tears to my eyes when they played "When You Wish Upon a Star"! I just assumed that's how all sailaways are! I hope the Dawn out of SF is just as much fun!

[flvol77]

What about the sail away on the Caribbean Princess? What is that like?

 

 

Leaving out of Lauderdale is fun - as you go out of the inlet people are blowing air horns from the high rise condos and and they are waving at you on the beach and the ship blows its horn a few times - I like the party atmosphere - the CD always gets someone to jump in the pools with all their clothes on - last year two girls jumped in with white pants and nothing under those pants other than skin.

[KnoxvilleSam]

Sailaway I've ever experienced in my short cruising career. We were on the Celebrity Millennium, but I've heard that it's also true for the Princess ship out of Venice. The ship sails down/out of the Guidecca Canal, with all of Venice in view. The ship reaches the confluence of the Guidecca Canal with the Grand Canal, with the Doges Palace and San Marco piazza in sight, the campanile, incredible Italian tenors singing over the PA system, drinks in hand. Ave Maria has NEVER sounded like that. It made me feel the centuries of Venice as we were leaving. Many people were in tears. It was that special. It's a sailaway not to be missed.

 

Sam

[JLC@SD]

San Francisco sail aways are unique, beautiful sights, sailing under the bridge.....but more than likely, a strong wind will be blowing....so dress for it.

 

Our recent sail away from Sydney was also special.....we sailed in the evening.....all the lights were on in the city and the Harbor Bridge and Opera House were illuminated. It was a great experience and if you are planning a Australia - New Zealand crusie.....start from Sydney....:)

[crissyp]

thanks NY Cruisers.... Living here in NY (Long Island) you become so accustomed to Manhatten. I look foward to viewing it from onboard!!

CAN"T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D

[wdrl]

So far, I have been 2 Princess cruises, with my 3rd coming in April. When we did the Diamond to Alaska, sail-away was an event...people out on deck, special drinks, a countdown over the PA system culminated by the blowing of the ship's horn as she pulled out of port. It was quite the party :)

 

On the Star this past summer, however, it almost seemed like they snuck out of Copenhagen! Sure, there people on deck, but basically they just let the lines go and left. If I wouldn't have seen the motion, I would have never known - there was nothing like on the Diamond the year before.

 

For those of you who have been on more Princess ships than I....does it vary from ship to ship, is it a port thing, or did I just have a bunch of party poopers for a crew on the Star? ;) (Actually they were a great crew and the service was excellent!)

 

We've cruised 15 times with Princess. The sail aways really have varied. I really think the passengers and port have a lot to do with it. There's is always a sail away party listed in the Patter, however sometimes it's very late at night and many passengers are sleeping so no horn is blown. (Thank you very much Captain.) And if pax are jet lagged or tired less people show up. People on caribbean cruises are usually the most party oriented (but I haven't been on a Mexican Rivera cruise to compare). We aren't party people so we are usually just trying to find the view as we leave port. We got some great photos of the QE2 leaving Southhampton as we followed her out of the port on the Golden last August.:)

[spongerob]

It does vary depending on the port, the time, and even the weather. We missed our first sailaway altogether because it was cold and wet and didn't even know the ship was about to set sail...but we haven't missed one since. Usually we are with a CC roll call group, and that always makes it a fun time. Our two favorite sailaways were from New York, from the old piers on the west side of Manhattan, and sailing from San Francisco on a bright, crisp afternoon.