Saga Rose Greenland Voyager August 2007

 

I'm now housebound for a week recovering from knee surgery so time to get the brochures out I guess and do some dreaming, which is all it will be for now!

All the best for your recovery from knee surgery. As you say, a good time for dreaming.

I noticed that you are going on the Balmoral to the Baltics. I have enquired whether they sell last minute segments of their world cruise from Sydney to Brisbane/Cairns, next month.

All the best for your recovery from knee surgery. As you say, a good time for dreaming.

 

I noticed that you are going on the Balmoral to the Baltics. I have enquired whether they sell last minute segments of their world cruise from Sydney to Brisbane/Cairns, next month.

Yes Marion - it will be my first time with Fred and am looking forward to it very much. Although I realise they are very different ships, Balmoral is the same size and same designer as Artemis.

Inland some small country towns are facing their second evacuations, after they have just cleaned up from the last flood. You've just got to love the Australian sense of "can do" and sense of humour. The Western Downs Mayor expressing his appreciation for all the help his shire was receiving said they had told the NZ SES Team, flying across to help out, that they would look after them. They had hired a snakecatcher to keep the snakes away!

 

Our beloved Lang Park (suncorp stadium) is flooded. Still someone put flippers, goggles and arm floaties on the statue of our football icon (Wally Lewis).

 

When a reporter was cruising past a flooded home, someone asked could he disconnect the speed camera on the corner next time he cruised past!

 

Despite the disaster, one can't help laughing!

Laughter is what keeps one's sanity in the face of terrible odds. Good on you and everyone for keeping their senses of humour.

I've always heard that flooding is terrible but the clean-up is worse. The object of the game seems to be to get the mud out of the dwelling before it hardens. Were you and Barry able to keep power and water during the worst of it?

Ruby

Among the comic strips in this morning's newspaper is one of a couple at a beach on the first day of their vacation. A woman is standing over her husband who is lounging on a beach lounge chair with a book.

1st frame Wife: "John, are you just going to sit and read all day?"

2nd frame Wife: "There's an island to explore! Shops to see!"

3rd frame Wife: "Don't tell me you're going to spend two whole weeks lying on the beach!!"

4th frame Wife (shouting): "Is this your idea of a vacation!!!?"

While the comic strip made it amusing, unfortunately most of us know from what we have observed on our cruises that the majority of people seem to have no idea how to simply relax during their vacations.

Donald.

Actually Donald that's awfully close to home for me! I find it very hard to sit and do nothing (even now when I am at home recovering from knee surgery!) On a ship, I hate being in a port and not wandering ashore, even if only for half an hour. I love being on foreign shores and just absorbing the atmosphere. On Queen Elizabeth my travelling companions only came ashore with me in two out of 8 ports. One we all stayed on board, the others I pottered around with my camera while they were stretched out in the sun. I suppose I am just naturally fidgetty!! Or more likely - nosey - can't bear the thought of missing something :o

Have you got your book yet Michael ??

Still waiting. Amazon is not the fastest service on the block.

Still waiting. Amazon is not the fastest service on the block.

Wow - Amazon.co.uk have sold out twice - not that I know how many copies they had in the first place. Every one I know who placed an order in the UK has finally got a copy now - but then I realise they have to ship them over the Pond first. I hope you don't have to wait too much longer.

I have been happily retired since 2005, and have put all of my decades of hard work behind me. When I meet my table companions on the first night of cruises, they usually ask me what I do. When I tell them that I am retired, they then ask what I did before. When I say that I had worked with so-and-so, they persist, "Well, what did you do for so-and-so?"

I am not really interested in dredging up my past while on cruises. What's a good way of discouraging this kind of inquisition? I read on another thread some time ago that one guy quickly stopped it by saying, "I was an underwear model." However, I don't think that I can fib like that. :D

Ships cat - Congratulations that your book has been selling well! In a few months I will check to see if your book is in our bookstores. If it still not available, I will request a special order, unless I see it on Amazon.ca

Donald.

Actually Donald that's awfully close to home for me! I find it very hard to sit and do nothing (even now when I am at home recovering from knee surgery!) On a ship, I hate being in a port and not wandering ashore, even if only for half an hour. I love being on foreign shores and just absorbing the atmosphere. On Queen Elizabeth my traveling companions only came ashore with me in two out of 8 ports. One we all stayed on board, the others I pottered around with my camera while they were stretched out in the sun. I suppose I am just naturally fidgetty!! Or more likely - nosy - can't bear the thought of missing something

All my travel life, I have done a "ships cat" type of traveling. My worst fear was that I would get home from Paris and someone would say, "What did you think of the Eiffel Tower?" and I would reply, "What tower?" So I researched my destinations as much as possible then, when the Internet came into being, I felt that it was designed to be my own personal travel agent.

I'm now in my sixth decade of traveling to "see what's out there." With a bit of a blush of embarrassment, I admit that I'm running out of places to see. For awhile in the 90s on land travel, I would look out of the train or local transit bus and think, "Gee, that reminds me of Doodah." A decision was made to see only strange new places, not clones of other places. Nowadays Trabzon or Sinop Turkey, or Hakodate or Kushiro Japan, are of an interest to me.

When I spend my first week onboard Shadow in September (the Alaskan leg of my itinerary), I will do a Donald and stay onboard ship at times. If I look out to the pier and see thousands of tourists swarming the streets, I'll spend only a brief bit of time exploring that town.

So, Donald and ships cat, I shall adopt both your travel philosophies but my days of "hitting it" are in the rear-view mirror. With eleven sea days and ten port days, this cruise may become one of my favourites.

Ruby

Oooh - eleven sea days - wonderful. I think that is why I try and get an even number of each. If we are at sea then I can't miss anything and can relax!! I'm getting better - I even managed to read a novel last week !!

Ruby, if you want to get goodies in Juneau's Alaskan Fudge Company and Ketchikan's Ketchicandies, you can't do a Donald in these ports. Put on your elbow pads and venture bravely into the swirling masses.

It's especially horrendous in Juneau, with just one street and narrow sidewalks beside the dock. Avoid the T-Shirt Company store there, as it is twice busier than New York's Grand Central Station at rush hour. It's somewhat better in Ketchikan, being more spread out.

Ships cat, I'm pleased to hear that you are getting better.

Donald.

Ruby, if you want to get goodies in Juneau's Alaskan Fudge Company and Ketchikan's Ketchicandies, you can't do a Donald in these ports. Put on your elbow pads and venture bravely into the swirling masses. It's especially horrendous in Juneau, with just one street and narrow sidewalks beside the dock. Avoid the T-Shirt Company store there, as it is twice busier than New York's Grand Central Station at rush hour. It's somewhat better in Ketchikan, being more spread out.Donald.

In the early '90s, that street in Juneau was busy with tourists but not the mob scene you describe now. Some years ago, a friend showed me pix of his Alaskan cruise and there were six huge ships in the bay around Ketchikan. That set of photos shocked me into realizing that Alaska is now as crammed with tourists as the Virgin Islands but with mountains. Egad!

I wonder if I could hire some rugby footballers from the local high school to form a scrum around me as I struggle to reach the Alaskan Fudge Co.?

Ruby

 

I wonder if I could hire some rugby footballers from the local high school to form a scrum around me as I struggle to reach the Alaskan Fudge Co.?

 

Ruby

Is there rugby football in Alaska? How about hiring timbermen and dog sled racers? :D

Donald.

Is there rugby football in Alaska? How about hiring timbermen and dog sled racers? Donald.

Oh, I like your idea! I'll hire a team of sled dogs from ship to store and back again! The tourists will stop dead in their tracks as they watch the sled whisk oh-so-efficiently thru the single street of Juneau and, by the time they recover from their surprise, I'll be back on the ship with my fudge! Cool!

Ruby

Oh, I like your idea! I'll hire a team of sled dogs from ship to store and back again! The tourists will stop dead in their tracks as they watch the sled whisk oh-so-efficiently thru the single street of Juneau and, by the time they recover from their surprise, I'll be back on the ship with my fudge! Cool!

 

Ruby

Cool indeed - but I prefer the sound of lumberjacks :)

Laughter is what keeps one's sanity in the face of terrible odds. Good on you and everyone for keeping their senses of humour.

 

I've always heard that flooding is terrible but the clean-up is worse. The object of the game seems to be to get the mud out of the dwelling before it hardens. Were you and Barry able to keep power and water during the worst of it?

 

Ruby

Yes, Ruby, and to get the house as dry as possible as soon as possible to stop the mould and mildew.

Yes, we kept our power and water all the time, as did most of Brisbane. The only people who lost their power were those on the same electricity grid as the flood victims (close to rivers and creeks). The CBD, which was flooded, had no power, so city workers had to stay home until power was reconnected.

We visited Juneau, and other Alaskan ports of call, on the Alaskan Marine Highway.

It was amazing to see the city instantly transformed back to a local place, after the 5 or 6 ships left each night.

I also love to do prior research, then wander, whenever I visit a new place. Which is how I found myself in the city hall (?) on a street up the side of a hill, well away from the crowds. What a fascinating place, full of Alaskan history, well worth a visit.

Have you seen any of the Oprah shows filmed Down Under?

Just received an email from a friend in Boston saying "she is coming". The reef heart did it. I said she'd have to hire a plane to see it!

Received from Michael's (Druke I) wife today:

Michael was a tall, slender, nice-looking guy, exquisitely dressed. I sailed with him and Virginia in 2006 on Nautica from Istanbul to Singapore and enjoyed his tales of being a cop in Berkeley in the bad old days and, since Michael and I were avid readers, I could easily find him in the Library onboard. We kept in touch since the cruise, both in this forum and off.

I "talked" to him on Jan 16th and he signed off, "Stay safe" as he always did which always made me feel good.

I will miss him very much.

Ruby

Still waiting. Amazon is not the fastest service on the block.

So sad to learn of Michael's passing. Whilst I didn't know him as you did, Ruby, I always enjoyed his comments and viewpoints.

Thanks for letting us know Ruby of the sad passing of Michael. I had no idea he was so ill. Whilst I have not been on this board as long as most of you, his contributions were always so interesting. He will be missed.

This is very sad news indeed. Although I never had the chance to meet Michael in person, I always enjoyed reading his comments, observations and responses over the last several years. Please extend my condolences to his wife. He will be missed here.

How unexpected, as I had absolutely no idea that Michael was ill. I am glad that he had enjoyed his participation on this thread, as we similarly enjoyed reading his posts.

May he rest in peace.

Donald.

We visited Juneau, and other Alaskan ports of call, on the Alaskan Marine Highway. It was amazing to see the city instantly transformed back to a local place, after the 5 or 6 ships left each night. I also love to do prior research, then wander, whenever I visit a new place. Which is how I found myself in the city hall (?) on a street up the side of a hill, well away from the crowds. What a fascinating place, full of Alaskan history, well worth a visit.

What a fascinating idea to be in town after the swarms of tourists have moved on. I've been told that Toledo, Spain is like that. The city sits on a plateau and the setting sun brings a golden glow to this famous city of decorative metals and steels.

How far does the Marine Highway go - where did you begin and end your motor vacation? Did you remember to drive on the proper side of the road?

Have you seen any of the Oprah shows filmed Down Under? Just received an email from a friend in Boston saying "she is coming". The reef heart did it. I said she'd have to hire a plane to see it!

I have seen glimpses of the Oprah show Down Under. The Aussie travel bureau did a brilliant job of making that Visit to Oz a fun, exciting experience which was quite evident in the trailers. I hope it boosts tourism for your part of the world.

Digression - I am most pleased to see our forum on Cruise Critic - Other Cruise Lines - becoming a more active part of Cruise Critic. It shows that folks are willing to consider more than just the obvious mass market cruises. The world has, indeed, become a village.

Ruby