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Saga Rose Greenland Voyager August 2007


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It's rather odd that this CC site is blocked on computers aboard the Marco Polo. Is this an industry-wide standard? However, Ruby was able to send a few messages to us from the Saga Rose.

 

Fran is correct about new cruise ships being designed to take away the feeling of being at sea. Some of the new ones do not have open forward decks at all, and the stern is clustered with balconied cabins, so that most of the passengers are hemmed amidships, where the casino, shops, bars and other money-making enterprises are located.

 

Donald.

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You know that when shipboard photographs are sold, they are enclosed in official cruise line binders (is that the word for it?). I found my 1963 binder which I think looks better than the generic ones currently found on board cruise liners. What do you think?

 

Donald.

299103496_1963Atlanticcover.jpg.0742be8f0238a7590a6414b0f38ca5a1.jpg

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Well, while I would not call them binders, I do agree that the older photo holders were more imaginative.

 

P&O (UK) used to have images of their posters, and there were some great renderings of their older ships.

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I like that folder Donald!!! They just don't do things the way they used to...much better then than now...lol.

 

HI DRUKE!!! The one thing that I liked about Princess was their Wheelhouse Lounge. Each ship has one and you can find some glorious oil paintings of historic P&O vessels dating back to the 1800's. Some of those paintings are real classics...really gorgeous.

 

Ross

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Oh Conte! Have your thought about roller blading, skate boarding or horse back riding and for the less active set maybe quilting! The new cruising concept is "all things for all people". Maybe the head of Royal Caribbean is listening to the conversation?

 

I agree that, to attract larger numbers of pax, modern cruise lines have strived to conceal the fact that the accommodations are on a ship. Which is why passengers get so upset when "thou deep and dark blue ocean" does, indeed, roll. I too smile at the concept of real grass putting greens on a sun deck. Will the groundskeeper be able to negate the constant dousing of salt on his zoysia-fescue?

 

About verandas on barges - I was gobsmacked to read a post on the HAL board whereby a passenger noted that the ship had docked on the port side of the pier in Rio which was away from their starboard veranda "so there wasn’t much to see from our veranda." Um, isn’t that why there are deck chairs on the Promenade Deck or have the barge companies done away with promenade decks and replaced them with shopping malls?

 

But y’all had me laughing about "cruising in 15 years." What a great thought! I’m sure I’ll be off the water by then, if not in The Home, depending on how nice I am to my son and daughter. Perhaps I’ll miss the sight of 6 cruise ships disgorging 20,000 passengers for a day in Sitka or St. Thomas. What a soothing thought.

 

Ruby

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Michael, thank you for suggesting that the photo binders are properly called photo holders. Too many grey cells in my brain nowadays, you know! ;)

 

Ruby, I'm sure that if designers are able to do away with promenade decks, they would. The only problem is that these are necessary for lifeboats stations. I bet that in "15 years" designers will come with a creative idea to ensure perpetual sun over the top decks, perhaps enclosing the whole deck to do away with irksome wind and rain. There could be some kind of light bulbs which would imitate the ultraviolet rays of the sun. Similarly in the evenings, these deck enclosures would darken with imitation moonlight, stars, northern lights and comets for the passengers to ooh-and-aah.

 

I'll also likely be off ships in 15 years. Perhaps your cat will still be observing you as you sit in your rocking chair in The Home?

 

Donald.

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Donald

Great picture of American Export's jaunty old Atlantic! I never sailed on her but was onboard Constitution for a wonderful 3 week Mediterranean Cruise back in 1966. Here is the cover from that other long lost tradition, the passenger list. I think we have bemoaned its loss earlier on the thread. Wasn't it wonderful back in the days when we proudly traveled "cognito"?

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Conte, Atlantic's 1963 passenger list cover had just "American Export Lines" on it. Did "Isbrandten" come later? I'm not savvy of the history of that shipping line, but I know that Atlantic was built for American Banner Line for the transatlantic route.

 

I have the New York Herald Tribune "World Travel Guide" of 1958 March 2 (gee, 50 years ago!). It said: "The Atlantic is expected to be the flagship of two vessels flying the Banner Line flag and sailing between New York and Belgium and Holland. They will offer de luxe tourist class accommodations. The other is the Leilani, formerly the La Guardia, which is now in service between the Pacific Coast and Hawaii. She will probably be renamed for the new run."

 

This issue also said: "American Export Lines expects a 5% increase in travelers this year to and from the Mediterranean, and 'by far the largest proportion of this increase will be persons traveling first class.' The company is planning extensive alterations to its liners Constitution and Independence at the end of the year to add 112 first-class berths to each."

 

Donald.

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The Atlantic was built as a cargo vessel, Badger Marine in 1953 for the US Maritime Commission. She was sold in 1957 to the Banner Line which converted her to a mostly tourist class ship which they renamed Atlantic for transatlantic service. Their timing was very bad because within a year the first 707's were crossing the Atlantic. She was sold to American Export Line which ran her with their Constitution and Indepencence. Sometime in 1963 the Isbrandsten Line, which was, I believe cargo only, acquired an interest in AE but by 1973 they sold out. There are still Isbrandsten's around, however, and they live in the same town as I, in fact their property is right next door to our community.

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Conte, thank you very much for explaining the American Banner / American Export / Isbrandtsen connection! I last saw the Atlantic not too many years ago (maybe five years), when she regularly stopped in Vancouver in her last incarnation as the Taiwanese-registered Universe-something (maybe Universe Explorer), taking passengers on narrated nature cruises to Alaska. No casinos, no glitzy nightclubs, no Gucci shops. She certainly showed her age, but was well-maintained and always freshly painted, and I observed that the passengers eagerly boarded her. These cruises were exactly what they wanted. Here's a photograph which I took of her.

 

I'll be in touch again after my return from sunny Caribbean on March 17. :cool: I'm flying out very early tomorrow (Wednesday the 5th).

 

Donald.

Universe.jpg.737a27a797b58b1bd63d80a94dacdc1c.jpg

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Hi from Salvador de Bahia, Brazil. Sitting at home in Toronto, I looked forward to being in South America forgetting what it is like to walk through the oppresive heat. I am cruising toward the Equator where the weather will be even hotter and I may be very tempted to stay on board.

 

It is wonderful to see so many persons that I have sailed with before both pax and crew. Yes, the changes are already visible in certain areas and attitudes but for now it is a lovefest. Will fill you in agin enroute

Fran

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I bet that in "15 years" designers will come with a creative idea to ensure perpetual sun over the top decks, perhaps enclosing the whole deck to do away with irksome wind and rain. There could be some kind of light bulbs which would imitate the ultraviolet rays of the sun.
The Finns have beat you to it! There is already such a facility on board the BIRKA PARADISE, which does 24-hour cruises from Stockholm to Mariehamn in the Åland Islands (a small Swedish-speaking archipelago in Finland that is conveniently outside the EU VAT zone).

 

The pool area, Paradise Beach, has a fixed glass roof and giant sun lamps reportedly developed for Scandinavian old folks' homes to keep their residents from getting SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)!

 

The whole concept of the ship is to feel like a Caribbean cruise ship, even in the Baltic in the winter, complete with the bright Caribbean sun.

 

See here for a nice article with a photo of her sun deck!

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Hi from Salvador de Bahia, Brazil. Sitting at home in Toronto, I looked forward to being in South America forgetting what it is like to walk through the oppresive heat. I am cruising toward the Equator where the weather will be even hotter and I may be very tempted to stay on board.

 

It is wonderful to see so many persons that I have sailed with before both pax and crew. Yes, the changes are already visible in certain areas and attitudes but for now it is a lovefest. Will fill you in again enroute

Fran

 

Thanks for the note. I feel your pain about the "oppressive heat." The worst heat and humidity I have experienced were in Malaysia, Singapore (which is on the Equator), and waiting to enter Gatun Lock in Panama.

 

A memorable sight in our Canal crossing was a Texas woman onboard our ship wearing a mink stole on the open deck. If the calendar says it's January, it must be time for fur!

 

I am curious about "changes are already visible in certain anreas and attitudes" and look forward to hearing more as you have time.

 

Ruby

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We're out of here on 3-22-08, for a trans-Atlantic on Oceania's Regatta, Miami to Barcelona via Funchal, Madeira.

 

Michael, have you been on Regatta before? You and I and Virginia were on Nautica which was so impressive to this picky cruiser. Are the O ships basically the same service and style or do y'all prefer one of them over the other three?

 

Have you signed up for a voyage on the newbuilds yet? How is Oceania going to handle the rush of the herd to sign on for cruises on the newbies? Is it like Fran and Marco Polo's last voyage in reverse?

 

Wow, you have to fly from CA to Miami just to get the ship. You and Virginia are travelin' fools!

 

Ruby

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Yes, we were on Regatta into the Baltic, 8-05, which was a very enjoyable trip.

 

Nautica and Regatta are virtually identical. The only difference that comes to mind at the moment was that on Regatta, there was a couch in the self-serve laundry, while on Nautica there were straight chairs!

 

Service was virtually the same, although the Maitre 'd on Nautica (Andrea?) was more attentive than his counterpart on Regatta. The Captain on Nautica was less personable than his counterpart on Regatta.

 

We have not been on the 3rd Oceania ship, Insignia, nor are we signed up for the newbuilds yet.

 

Given my druthers, I would take the train to Miami, rather than flying, but Virginia does not like to be on the train for more than about 30hrs straight!

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How is Oceania going to handle the rush of the herd to sign on for cruises on the newbies?
This is an interesting question... My suspicion is that they will open up bookings to Oceania repeaters first, but we're some time away from that point yet.

 

I don't think an Oceania cruise is in the cards for me in 2008, which is a pity as I've wanted to sail with Oceania since before it had a name or its existence was publicly acknowledged. I know Oceania better than any other cruise line I've never been on ;) .

 

The newbuilds will be spectacular, though I'm sure some will continue to prefer the original ships. (Oceania would of course not be averse to acquiring another one or two, but neither Carnival nor Royal Caribbean will sell theirs.)

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Recently my father found menus from my grandparents' cruise in Home Lines' ITALIA in my grandmother's basement.

 

These menus are from Washington's Birthday, Thursday 22 February 1962, when ITALIA was in Barbados.

 

Luncheon:

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

 

Farewell Dinner:

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

 

ITALIA was nearing her 34th birthday when these menus were printed. She had been in the Home Lines fleet for 14 years, on permanent "Sun-Way" cruise duty from New York since the year before. She would last another two years before she was retired, three before she was scrapped in Bilbao.

 

My grandparents had only good things to say about ITALIA, even though she was very old, but they never returned to Home Lines. This was their second cruise; their first had been on NIEUW AMSTERDAM. They returned to HAL many times and also sailed with Chandris, Celebrity, Incres (my father's first cruise), Orient Lines, NCL, Princess and Royal Caribbean, most multiple times.

 

This post is dedicated to my late grandfather, who instilled in my father and me a love of ships and cruising.

 

See here and here for more history on ITALIA.

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The ITALIA was much loved by all those who sailed on her. Thanks for the memories Doug. Hang on to those menus...ITALIA memorabilia is hot. I have a lot of "stuff" from the ITALIA and I really like the First Class menus from her transatlantic days.

 

I found the J. D. Salinger connection to be fascinating. It just goes to show you...you learn something new every day...thanks.

 

Ross

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For you small ship lovers, World Ocean and Cruise Liner Society reports that Fincantieri, Italy, is building two very small cruise ships (130 cabins), for a French company, with delivery in 2010.

 

No further details were provided.

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For you small ship lovers, World Ocean and Cruise Liner Society reports that Fincantieri, Italy, is building two very small cruise ships (130 cabins), for a French company, with delivery in 2010.
The two new ships are being built for Compagnie des Iles du Ponant, which is the cruise line subsidiary of CMA CGM.

 

CMA CGM is the direct successor of CGT (Compagnie Générale Transatlantique), better known as French Line. CGM was formed in 1977 when CGT merged with MM (Messageries Maritimes). The state-owned CGM was privatized and sold to CMA (Compagnie Maritime d'Affrètement) in 1996, creating CMA CGM. Today CMA CGM is the third-largest container line in the world after AP Møller-Maersk and MSC. In addition to MSC and CMA CGM, other container lines that also operate cruise ships are Hapag-Lloyd (#5), NYK Line (#7), and Mitsui OSK Lines (#9).

 

By the time CGM was founded, both CGT and MM had left the passenger shipping business. CMA CGM re-entered the cruise business by buying Compagnie des Iles du Ponant in 2004. Compagnie des Iles du Ponant was founded in 1988 and its first ship, LE PONANT, entered service in 1991. LE LEVANT was built in 1996 and in 2004 the former SONG OF FLOWER became LE DIAMANT.

 

See here for a press release from CMA CGM and here for one from Fincantieri.

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Aw, you guys, I'm touched that this thread is alive and well after lo these many months. Thanks, ever'body.

 

About davits - can anybody tell me the difference between the operation of them now and then? Some of you may remember that I was concerned about davits being able to work on two different Greek ships that I was sailing on (by the bye, the Greeks sank another passenger ship the other day).

 

Somebody, maybe Donald, said something about davits on barges being much better designed now, inferring a lifeboat can launch from either side despite a listing ship. Can someone tell me how that works? Can the lifeboats slide down the upper side of a ship listing over at a severe angle?

 

Ruby

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The question of Davit design is very complicated.

 

There is some information on "google".

 

I do know that under SOLAS (Safety of Life At Sea) treaties, new ships have a different design davit that can "thrust" the boat out farther from the hull, allowing the boats to be launched even if the ship has a list. What those parameters are I do not know.

 

Again, under SOLAS, the boats are mounted lower on the ship than they used to be, which does give greater latitude in launching when listing. I believe that under SOLAS, newbuilds must have the boat loading deck at #7 level, and the boats are usually hung one deck above, or Deck 8. Whether that applies to all passenger ships, or just over a certain size, I do not know.

 

You may recall that the boats on Nautica were hung on Deck 6, and boarding was on

Deck 5, which does not comport with what I said above!!!

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