.......idle jottings

[landman4455]

Dear all

 

Thanks for the You Tube link, Ho Hum. The dry simple sense of humour in the advertisement is perennially Australian. Yes, that's our beer, XXXX, which prompted me to give a glass of golden ale to Dad tonight after a warm October day at 29C (84F).

 

There is nothing better than a cold beer after a hot dusty day in the cattle yards.

 

Our place is starting to look like the sunburnt country described in the famous poem by the late Dorothea McKellar.

 

In contrast, Byron Bay is stunning undulating country which dark glossy green rainforests and acres of avocado, macadamia nut and banana orchards with cobalt blue mountains behind, strips of white gold beaches, blue/green seas and clear azure blue skies above.

 

Attached are recent photos of Byron Bay, the most easterly point in Australia. 'Blondie' may recognise it. In the 1980s, it was a sleepy little place with surfies, an abattoir and a few backpackers discovering the meaning of life. It has a deceased butter factory that was the biggest in the world once exporting butter to Britain from the green hinterland with a near perfect not-too-hot/not-too-hot climate.

 

These days, it is a busy little town centre and an eclectic mix still of travellers, backpackers and surfies, plus bohemians and hippies escaping reality in a place with a special aura, foodies and well healed tree-changers escaping the city. It is indeed worth a visit to see all things special about Australia whereas parts of Sydney and Melbourne could be any modern cityscape.

 

(Hint to SeaDream: come back to the Pacific midyear not in our Summer)

 

Environmentalists have correctly fought off high rise but some of the recent concrete development could have been better if there was a simple design code saying 'façades respecting vernacular architecture in scale with recycled products or screened with local vegetation' in the planning scheme.

 

I also add a photo of Dad, now 96, that readers will recognise as on board SeaDream II. Life to the contrary has been very kind to my father and me. We count our blessings for his good health until recent times, the opportunity to travel the world and to enjoy working hard at his choice in our corner of the bush. I can add to that the benefit of a good education and career.

 

Enough ravings for now ....

 

JRM

[ho-hum]

Please refer to photo below.

 

Now do you have to be just one of these, a majority or all......if it's all then ho hum has a chance !

But if not then at least ho hum will meet up with all his friends and warlock C...... !

So it wont be all bad...at least there wont be any self-righteous zealots.

What the hell are lukewarms ?

Seems awfully punitive for not having strong opinions, assuming that's what "lukewarms" means.

Ho hum wonders where his source of information comes from: The Bible ?

Never knew they had "Yoga New Agers" in there.

Obviously referring to Jim there, well not surprised really, all that sun does something to the brain.

But have'nt read the Bible for a while. Was a given a copy by some nice young men from Utah. We chatted and they saw the light ! Think they work in advertising now in LA. Well at least they didnt turn out dull, smug and boring.

Last time ho hum read the Bible again was when Ho hum was very ill and as WC Fields said when a friend asked him why he was reading the Bible, he replied "looking for loopholes, looking for loopholes".

 

Blondie chuckling away to herself watching "Downton Abbey" on the ipad in bed next to ho hum. Enquired what was funny. A line by Maggie Smith (God knows who she plays: dont watch this grimy reality programmes, far too posh for this trash).

The line was:

"There's nothing easier than avoiding people, it's avoiding one's friends that is so difficult"

 

So true. Just because you know someone for twenty years, they feel they can simply pop round anytime WITHOUT a bottle !

 

Yes, thanks for asking, gout much better, dont have to shuffle up and down stairs on my bum anymore !

[ho-hum]

OK guys ...... Who is this ?

 

Prizes to first 8 winners

Shooting practice under Jim's tutelage

Clothing advice by Abenaki

Office etiquette course by ctbjr

Golf lessons.....how not to hit the ball by the Commander

Crew name spelling lessons and advice on restaurants in the Dolomites by gcmv

Sheep shearing by landman

Visiting Harrods with poppy

Attending Fulham FC with ho hum

 

See photo below.

 

In the event of a tie.

Tie break question: what was the name of the young man's aunt ?

[Poppy1966]

Ho Hum on the day the stabilizers came off the bike judging by the knees. Is that a prep school uniform?

 

I'm guessing the aunts name is Elizabeth! Queen Elizabeth 2:mad:

 

See you Friday outside Harrods say 1pm. How will I recognise you? I'll book a table in the Terrace restaurant. P

[Poppy1966]

Sorry wrong Smilie. Should be ;). Apologies. See you Fri.

[gcmv]

Dearest ho-hum,

in the past weeks after our lovely SD II cruise, gcmv and Frau gcmv were both very occupied with daily business.

But today, gcmv found time to recap the shining and the special moments of the cruise:

1. The crew, the crew, the crew: OUTSTANDING!

2. Preparation of the meals: Gourmet style of highest quality – best food ever eaten on a cruise ship (daily!)

3. Guests on board: PERFECT! Even one posh Englishman was definitely easy-going; also met a lovely family from Belgium and had a lot of fun together.

Things to improve:

Only one thing: Complimentary wines were low standard and didn’t meet expectations of gcmv. :(

Funniest moment:

Two of the guests received a very special “Champagne” splash while tendering in rough seas (is this the splash, Seadream is famous for?).

The front and the top window of the tender boat were open; the first big wave hit the front of the tender and splashed the woman sitting on the bench – she was wet all over.

All passengers (including the victim) were laughing and kidding about this situation.

10 seconds later, a second big wave flooded the top window and hit a man sitting under it. Everybody including this poor man laughed; the woman laughed the loudest, because now she was no longer “alone”. The man smiled and made the best of it saying: “This is not fair - I wasn’t laughing at you; I was laughing with you …” :p

And last but not least a special “rebus”:

Most unromantic furnishing on Seadream vessels:

After a great dinner with ho-hum, blondie and their friends including one (or two) nightcaps at TOYB, gcmv and Frau gcmv strolled on the deck under the stars and decided to down on deck 3 to their romantic stateroom. Gcmv was in seventh heaven – looking forward of all the things coming … ;-)

BUT, regular Seadreamers – while lying in bed, waiting for your sweet honey to huddle up against – did anybody of you ever see the MOST UNROMANTIC THING attached at the ceiling directly over your lovely dreambed???!!!

I don’t want to put in words – the attached picture tells more than thousand words! After seeing this eye-catcher – gcmv’s romantic dreams were completely blown off …

It is arguable that this is the reason why gcmv and ho-hum were more often seen at TOYB than in their staterooms at night … :D

[Jim Avery]

According to the New Urban Dictionary, a Lukewarm is someone uninspiring/unappealing. Who would that be? And your picture, Bravo Ho-Hum. Just had your Centennial and are still out and about on SD with only gout to slow you down. Very inspiring. Very un-lukewarm! And they mean it when they say "DON'T TOUCH". I believe the device is hot. Don't know for sure as I always follow instructions to the letter.:eek::D Yeee-Hawww, time to go shootin'!:eek::D

[ho-hum]

Ho Hum on the day the stabilizers came off the bike judging by the knees. Is that a prep school uniform?

 

I'm guessing the aunts name is Elizabeth! Queen Elizabeth 2:mad:

 

See you Friday outside Harrods say 1pm. How will I recognise you? I'll book a table in the Terrace restaurant. P

 

 

Viscount Linley ! Poppy !

 

Poppy, it was an international competition ! Not chums of yours when they were young ! Really, darling.

 

BUT

 

At least you responded ...... Apathy levels out there are at all an time low .... Thank heavens ho hum has so much to say....just try and stop ho hum.

 

 

Well John Lennon, it was and his aunt was Mimi. He would be 74 to-day. You can only imagine what he would have contributed to the world.

 

Oh well, ho hum.

[ho-hum]

According to the New Urban Dictionary, a Lukewarm is someone uninspiring/unappealing. Who would that be? And your picture, Bravo Ho-Hum. Just had your Centennial and are still out and about on SD with only gout to slow you down. Very inspiring. Very un-lukewarm! And they mean it when they say "DON'T TOUCH". I believe the device is hot. Don't know for sure as I always follow instructions to the letter.:eek::D Yeee-Hawww, time to go shootin'!:eek::D

 

Barn door still un-scathed Jim !

Haha

[ho-hum]

Dearest ho-hum,

in the past weeks after our lovely SD II cruise, gcmv and Frau gcmv were both very occupied with daily business.

But today, gcmv found time to recap the shining and the special moments of the cruise:

1. The crew, the crew, the crew: OUTSTANDING!

2. Preparation of the meals: Gourmet style of highest quality – best food ever eaten on a cruise ship (daily!)

3. Guests on board: PERFECT! Even one posh Englishman was definitely easy-going; also met a lovely family from Belgium and had a lot of fun together.

Things to improve:

Only one thing: Complimentary wines were low standard and didn’t meet expectations of gcmv. :(

Funniest moment:

Two of the guests received a very special “Champagne” splash while tendering in rough seas (is this the splash, Seadream is famous for?).

The front and the top window of the tender boat were open; the first big wave hit the front of the tender and splashed the woman sitting on the bench – she was wet all over.

All passengers (including the victim) were laughing and kidding about this situation.

10 seconds later, a second big wave flooded the top window and hit a man sitting under it. Everybody including this poor man laughed; the woman laughed the loudest, because now she was no longer “alone”. The man smiled and made the best of it saying: “This is not fair - I wasn’t laughing at you; I was laughing with you …” :p

And last but not least a special “rebus”:

Most unromantic furnishing on Seadream vessels:

After a great dinner with ho-hum, blondie and their friends including one (or two) nightcaps at TOYB, gcmv and Frau gcmv strolled on the deck under the stars and decided to down on deck 3 to their romantic stateroom. Gcmv was in seventh heaven – looking forward of all the things coming … ;-)

BUT, regular Seadreamers – while lying in bed, waiting for your sweet honey to huddle up against – did anybody of you ever see the MOST UNROMANTIC THING attached at the ceiling directly over your lovely dreambed???!!!

I don’t want to put in words – the attached picture tells more than thousand words! After seeing this eye-catcher – gcmv’s romantic dreams were completely blown off …

It is arguable that this is the reason why gcmv and ho-hum were more often seen at TOYB than in their staterooms at night … :D

 

 

Loved it gcmv !

 

The photo you attached is the cabin CCTV camera !

When it flashes red, you know people are watching !

[gcmv]

The photo you attached is the cabin CCTV camera !

When it flashes red, you know people are watching !

 

CCTV ??? You know, gcmvs english vocabulary is limited - does "CC" stand for Cruise Critic? Where can gcmv find the button to join the group? :D

Hopefully gcmv can hit the "Like"-button very often ... ;)

[ho-hum]

CCTV ??? You know, gcmvs english vocabulary is limited - does "CC" stand for Cruise Critic? Where can gcmv find the button to join the group? :D

Hopefully gcmv can hit the "Like"-button very often ... ;)

 

Haha

[Poppy1966]

Viscount Linley ! Poppy !

 

Poppy, it was an international competition ! Not chums of yours when they were young ! Really, darling.

 

BUT

 

At least you responded ...... Apathy levels out there are at all an time low .... Thank heavens ho hum has so much to say....just try and stop ho hum.

 

 

Well John Lennon, it was and his aunt was Mimi. He would be 74 to-day. You can only imagine what he would have contributed to the world.

 

Oh well, ho hum.

 

 

OK OK OK. I got it wrong and lost. Keep your Canaries on:eek: Who won the trip to join you at Craven next week?

[Jim Avery]

"Reality leaves a lot to the imagination". Happy Birthday John Lennon.:D

[ho-hum]

Blondie and ho hum had a surprise visit the day before yesterday by South African, Club Director, Gareth and a friend (of his) after staying in London and before popping over to the US to visit very famous SD guests (unknown to ho hum) from where he will be returning to Cape Town, South Africa for a much needed break.

His panache and hospitality skills are amazing (which he insists are due to SD's Vice-President, James Capello).

He also does very well, gaining future bookings which is a very important aspect of his work.

 

Blondie prepared pasta and pesto brought back from Portovenere (you remember, ho hum talked about it) and we had Comte and Ementhal cheeses brought back from Sanary-sur-mer: all on the last voyage (Rome-Monte Carlo).

 

So well done Gareth, rest up, enjoy life without us (passengers) for a while, eat, drink, sleep and chill.

 

The job of Club Director & Activities Manager has been split recently.

On the face of it, this is a great move.

The work of these two functions was too much for one person.

So, un-characteristically, ho hum would say "great job, shoreside management".

 

But, just when you think everything is resolved on this front alone, ho hum has two critical observations:

1. What happened to the new role created of a person in charge of Club Members from the Oslo office. Ho hum has met this very appealing (professionally !) lady twice but there has been no affect on the "ground". Come on, time for some actual presence.

2. All things music onboard (with one or two exceptions: guitar playing in the foyer before dinner) are a disaster and have been for years. On a recent voyage the disco music was somewhat better but was for "old people". We need something which is now. The whole disco set-up was poor and un-enthusiastically handled. When a few guests asked to play their music from their ipads, they were curtly told NO.

Well, come the crossing, watch out because ho hum will insist on it. Are we clear ? Crystal, ho hum, crystal.

 

Yes, most everybody ho hum and blondie knows likes Gareth.

A great ambassador for Sea Dream both onboard and on duty and off board and off duty.

And single, ladies !!!!!

Only one drawback.....he supports Liverpool FC....other than that...a lovely man.

[commander courageous]

As usual, Ho-Hum has hit the nail on the head!

 

Gareth is indeed the consummate professional ... a true company man while always attentive to the needs of guests on board. Will miss him on the crossing!

 

Now, on to the subject of entertainment. While, as Ho-Hum well knows , my musical tastes run more to Gershwin than Pink Floyd, I recognize that the audiences aboard run the gamut and there has to be something for all. BUT, with all the young piano talents tinkling the ivories worldwide, why can't SD get someone who can hit the right notes, sing and provide enjoyable music for cocktails and later in the Piano Bar. They now have the musicians doing double duty ... working the sport's platform AND playing the piano. Get a good musician and keep him (or her) at the piano and get somebody else for sport's activities.

[ho-hum]

Saturday ! New voyage (only SDI). Yippeeee !

 

SDI is in the Mediterranean and this must be one of the last voyages there.

Judging by crew photos, the weather still looks good.

 

Date Ports of Call Arrive Depart

Oct 11, 2014 Athens (Piraeus), Greece

Oct 12, 2014 Hydra, Greece

Oct 13, 2014 Corinth Canal (Transit), Greece

Oct 13, 2014 Galaxidi (Delphi), Greece

Oct 14, 2014 Fiskardo, Kefalonia, Greece

Oct 15, 2014 Taormina (Etna) Sicily, Italy

Oct 15, 2014 Stromboli, Sicily - scenic navigation, Italy

Oct 16, 2014 Amalfi, Italy

Oct 17, 2014 Amalfi, Italy

Oct 17, 2014 Capri, Italy

Oct 18, 2014 Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy

 

Check out ports and land adventures on link below:

http://www.seadream.com/voyages/11436

 

PS SDII seems as if it is on charter in Mediterranean

[ho-hum]

Dear all

 

Thanks for the You Tube link, Ho Hum. The dry simple sense of humour in the advertisement is perennially Australian. Yes, that's our beer, XXXX, which prompted me to give a glass of golden ale to Dad tonight after a warm October day at 29C (84F).

 

There is nothing better than a cold beer after a hot dusty day in the cattle yards.

 

Our place is starting to look like the sunburnt country described in the famous poem by the late Dorothea McKellar.

 

In contrast, Byron Bay is stunning undulating country which dark glossy green rainforests and acres of avocado, macadamia nut and banana orchards with cobalt blue mountains behind, strips of white gold beaches, blue/green seas and clear azure blue skies above.

 

Attached are recent photos of Byron Bay, the most easterly point in Australia. 'Blondie' may recognise it. In the 1980s, it was a sleepy little place with surfies, an abattoir and a few backpackers discovering the meaning of life. It has a deceased butter factory that was the biggest in the world once exporting butter to Britain from the green hinterland with a near perfect not-too-hot/not-too-hot climate.

 

These days, it is a busy little town centre and an eclectic mix still of travellers, backpackers and surfies, plus bohemians and hippies escaping reality in a place with a special aura, foodies and well healed tree-changers escaping the city. It is indeed worth a visit to see all things special about Australia whereas parts of Sydney and Melbourne could be any modern cityscape.

 

(Hint to SeaDream: come back to the Pacific midyear not in our Summer)

 

Environmentalists have correctly fought off high rise but some of the recent concrete development could have been better if there was a simple design code saying 'façades respecting vernacular architecture in scale with recycled products or screened with local vegetation' in the planning scheme.

 

I also add a photo of Dad, now 96, that readers will recognise as on board SeaDream II. Life to the contrary has been very kind to my father and me. We count our blessings for his good health until recent times, the opportunity to travel the world and to enjoy working hard at his choice in our corner of the bush. I can add to that the benefit of a good education and career.

 

Enough ravings for now ....

 

JRM

 

What beautiful photos !

 

Please send an extract of the poem you refer to.

 

You are obviously more erudite than the characters portrayed in the Castlemaine XXXX adverts and ho hum is curious where you were educated. Yes it is a damn cheek but unfortunately our curiosity about life in the outback cannot be abated anytime soon.

 

Kindly pass on our respects to your father. Post anytime landman. We love hearing from you.

 

Do you stay in contact with the lovely Canadian couple ?

[landman4455]

(Note Verse 2)

 

The love of field and coppice,

Of green and shaded lanes.

Of ordered woods and gardens

Is running in your veins,

Strong love of grey-blue distance

Brown streams and soft dim skies

I know but cannot share it,

My love is otherwise.

 

I love a sunburnt country,

A land of sweeping plains,

Of ragged mountain ranges,

Of droughts and flooding rains.

I love her far horizons,

I love her jewel-sea,

Her beauty and her terror -

The wide brown land for me!

 

A stark white ring-barked forest

All tragic to the moon,

The sapphire-misted mountains,

The hot gold hush of noon.

Green tangle of the brushes,

Where lithe lianas coil,

And orchids deck the tree-tops

And ferns the warm dark soil.

 

Core of my heart, my country!

Her pitiless blue sky,

When sick at heart, around us,

We see the cattle die -

But then the grey clouds gather,

And we can bless again

The drumming of an army,

The steady, soaking rain.

 

Core of my heart, my country!

Land of the Rainbow Gold,

For flood and fire and famine,

She pays us back threefold -

Over the thirsty paddocks,

Watch, after many days,

The filmy veil of greenness

That thickens as we gaze.

 

An opal-hearted country,

A wilful, lavish land -

All you who have not loved her,

You will not understand -

Though earth holds many splendours,

Wherever I may die,

I know to what brown country

My homing thoughts will fly.

 

 

Dorothea Mackellar

[ho-hum]

(Note Verse 2)

 

The love of field and coppice,

Of green and shaded lanes.

Of ordered woods and gardens

Is running in your veins,

Strong love of grey-blue distance

Brown streams and soft dim skies

I know but cannot share it,

My love is otherwise.

 

I love a sunburnt country,

A land of sweeping plains,

Of ragged mountain ranges,

Of droughts and flooding rains.

I love her far horizons,

I love her jewel-sea,

Her beauty and her terror -

The wide brown land

 

 

Dorothea Mackellar

 

Beautiful

[ho-hum]

As usual, Ho-Hum has hit the nail on the head!

 

Gareth is indeed the consummate professional ... a true company man while always attentive to the needs of guests on board. Will miss him on the crossing!

 

Now, on to the subject of entertainment. While, as Ho-Hum well knows , my musical tastes run more to Gershwin than Pink Floyd, I recognize that the audiences aboard run the gamut and there has to be something for all. BUT, with all the young piano talents tinkling the ivories worldwide, why can't SD get someone who can hit the right notes, sing and provide enjoyable music for cocktails and later in the Piano Bar. They now have the musicians doing double duty ... working the sport's platform AND playing the piano. Get a good musician and keep him (or her) at the piano and get somebody else for sport's activities.

 

It is truly un-canny Commander !!!!

Yes 5 exclamations worth !!

 

Ho hum and chums were having exactly the same conversation at lunchtime earlier the other day !

And who was ho hum and blondie discussing this important issue with.........it was a most attractive lady who is a singer performing on various cruise ships around the world on specially arranged concerts. Not on long contracts but who flies in for one to six night slots.

 

It would appear that on the big cruise lines (well they are all big compared to Sea Dream one supposes) entertainment and quality entertainers are so very important, indeed people book a certain company and voyage because of the entertainer !

Mon dieu !

And a dash of

Sacre Bleu !

It makes sense, ho hum and blondie book SD because of the Christophes, Werners, Zoltans, Gorans and many many more onboard...so naturally entertainers would similarly be good reasons to book one cruise company over another.

 

The entertainment on SD is dire with one or two exceptions.....and it has been this standard ever since ho hum has been coming onboard. Yes marks the comment card appropriately but nothing changes.

And the reason.

It is simply not important to the Norwegian shoreside management.

Yes the entertainers double up as activity assistants...Yes an important role.

Do we expect the chef to double up as engine nipple greaser ?

Now, ho hum would say the entertainers are great guys BUT.....

 

Norwegians in charge of entertainment !

There is a hell !!!

It is like that old saying:

Heaven Is Where:

 

The French are the chefs

The Italians are the lovers

The British are the police

The Germans are the mechanics

And the Swiss make everything run on time

 

Hell is Where:

 

The British are the chefs

The Swiss are the lovers

The French are the mechanics

The Italians make everything run on time

And the Germans are the police

 

Now to prove this point, ho hum couldn't think of too many famous Norwegian artists: this is all he could come up with:

Munch

Ibsen

Grieg

And ho hum would add, they would'nt actually cut it as famous European artists either !

So we have entertainment being directed by very dull, culturally bereft middle management and we have entertainers whose musical base is the sugary sweet, banal lyrics of happy, clappy, squeaky clean popular pop artists whose target audience they appeal to is backward 10 year olds !!

 

So it's not just a plain hell, it's sugar coated hell !!

 

And as ho hum has said before, the discos are awful.

We will give the Activities Manager the night off on the x-ing or lock him in his cabin !

 

Dont expect SD to change and especially not on the entertainment provided.

 

Oh, who were we having lunch with, well it was Torbjorn, the Chief Engineer and his staggeringly gorgeous lady (the professional singer). We met up at a 14th century pub, 20 minutes walk from chez ho hum and blondie in the posh countryside.

It is a lovely pub which is loved by dog walkers.

The food is very generous plain pub grub.

We had a very convivial lunch and agreed to meet up again soon after we return from the xing and before he returns to duty in early December.

We cant wait to meet up again.

It appears they both love Japanese food and they spoke of the great food on Crystal cruise line where they have their own Nobu restaurant.

Wow !!

We did'nt mention that Chef Tomasz does an amazing sashimi plate....you only have to ask.

We tried to keep off the subject of SD...well he was off duty.

 

So Commander, we will have to make the best of it on the xing, as always. Not long now !

 

Ho hum shows the most famous painting by Munch entitled "The Scream".

Some say it is a picture showing existential despair.

Ho hum thinks its based on a reaction by ho hum on an entertainment show organised by Norwegians !

[ho-hum]

OK OK OK. I got it wrong and lost. Keep your Canaries on:eek: Who won the trip to join you at Craven next week?

 

 

WARNING

For those of high moral standards and expectations.

Ho hum must respectfully warn you that this post regrettably falls below these levels of propriety.

Kindly ignore this post.

 

Haha

You're soooo funny, Poppy !

 

"Keep your Canaries on" !

 

It sounds like a line from a "Carry on" film.

To non-UK readers, this was a low budget set of films around the 60-70's with a huge helping of "double entendres", ladies with humengous bosoms and a cast of character actors including ho hum's favourite, Kenneth Williams.

 

So ho hum was thinking, how does that phrase sound....well risque...well it goes like this...canaries - budgies - budgie smugglers - nuts !!

Now is this just ho hum ? Probably.

 

Well to introduce Kenneth Williams to non-UK readers and to hear a master of the "double entendres" as well as fabulous raconteur, ho hum provides two links below:

 

 

 

Blondie and ho hum have a great friend who is the epitome of Hattie Jakes (lady in first link).

Coming for dinner next weekend in fact.

She is a very funny lady too and can mimic mostly anybody, which is very funny.

 

 

No Poppy, you have missed the point of the competition.

The offer of accompanying ho hum to a Fulham match was for the seventh or was it eighth place person but as you were the only person entering and you were wrong then there is no lucky person.

Again for non-UK readers, Poppy's reference to "Craven" is the part name of the home ground for Fulham FC ("Craven" by the way means defeated: how appropriate).

[ho-hum]

An "educational" link below on Christopher Columbus.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjKlJd5iOeU&sns=em

[ho-hum]

Life for ho hum (and probably a few others).

Can sometimes be encounters with ego crushing or at least ego diminishing events (or even, as in ho hum's case: non-events).

Ho hum is no Brad Pitt (Cess Pit, yes)

Ho hum ain't the "sharpest tool in the toolbox" either.

Even a silly old fool on (many) occasions t'boot.

But dammit, he thought his opinions were kind of worthy of some consideration (especially to people he has paid a lot of money to, over the years: yeah right ! Ho hum hears The Commander cry)

Not so with Oslo, no that has to be admitted, that was accepted a year ago.

But so began the "pebble throwing at Atle's window" thro' this very thread.

And yet again, not a jot of difference.

Shoreside management and owner simply dont give a hoot.

But then ho hum foolishly believed an event soon approaching may about to change all this !

THE OWNER WAS ONBOARD

So ho hum respected his privacy by not announcing this to the world, did not approach him, did not interfere with his schedule of meetings onboard and generally keeps a respectful distance.

Ho hum can be so damnably English at times.

And yet all the time, so naively thinking secretly to himself, that the owner actually intends to speak to ho hum about his concerns.

Yes it would be probably be private and to save him note taking, a list of main concerns was produced which ho hum would hand to him at the end.

No doubt the owner would thank ho hum to have spoken to him for his honest evaluation of the problems relating to SD shoreside management, maybe he would offer him a senior position (which by the way, ho hum would decline, saying he would prefer to live out his life with blondie sans disturbances of mere business matters).

And so he waited.

 

And waited.

 

And waited.

It eventually transpired that he was wholly unaware who ho hum even was !!!!

You are frigging kidding me, the last remaining pocket of air in ho hum's already, withered and deflated ego finally escaped.....psssssssss.

"Not with a bang but a whimper"

TS Eliot: The Hollow Men

PS

Ho hum or the owner or both.

Crushed ho hum.

[commander courageous]

There are probably few readers who know the number of voyages made by Ho-Hum and Blondie aboard SD. Suffice to say, their loyalties are unquestioned.

 

So, at the very least, you might think SD senior management might be interested in their opinions, that

while often frustrated, are made in a constructive manner. Wake up SD ... your ships are beginning to

show their age and other "small" ship lines are becoming more aggressive in attracting and RETAINING

loyal travelers. Forget the Comments Card on journey's end ... they generally find their way to "file thirteen". Forget the on-board cocktail party for returning guests, as it is now generally open to all. Forget Cruise Critic, that while an opportunity to vent, gets little read and response from Sea Dream.

 

How about offering a cabin upgrade when space permits. A bottle of premium wine delivered to your

dinner table with a note of appreciation from the Captain. A once-a-year "special itinerary, offered to

SD repeat guests who have achieved a minimum number of sailings, hosted by the owner. On-board

entertainment to breathe new life to the pre and post dinner hours.

 

Okay, okay you get the picture and can add your own suggestions. Regrettably, if it were not for the

on-board staff who we look on "as family", we'd have baled long ago. You can no longer rest on your laurels SD, or you'll be left behind.