The former Caronia reaches her final destination.

[Host Hattie]

Sad news today as work starts in Alang to scrap the last British built cruise ship.

 

Does anyone have memories of her to share during her Cunard years as Vistafjord or Caronia 1983-2004 ?

[daiB]

Built on the Tyne at Swan Hunters. Launched 15th May 1972. Went into service in May 1973. Not sure it would take a year to fit out??

 

 

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[safarigal]

We traveled on her as the Vistafjord in 1998 for a Med cruise. As much as I loved QE2, she is still my favorite ship. Cosy cabin, but it had a great bath tub! Beautiful public rooms, single sitting dinner, and a bar where there was a great cabaret singer. We would go there every night, our pre Commodore Club hang out. It is such a shame that she will be scrapped :(

[Classiccruiser777]

Maybe someday someone will build a new passenger ship that looks like a ship, such as QE2 or the Coronia, instead of a barge with a block of flats stacked on top. I know, balconies, but really, from my extensive cruising experience, balconies really aren't used that much. I can dream...

[castlewood]

Our first-ever cruise was on the Caronia, back in 2003. My wife and I were not at all sure of whether we would enjoy the cruise experience. We decided that, if we disliked it, we would simply disembark in Antwerp, the first port, and get ourselves home. We knew before the ship had even left Southampton that we had made a great decision.

 

What a wonderful time we had. The single-seating dinner was the best. The sale of the Caronia apparently occurred during that cruise. Many of the other passengers, some who had sailed the Caronia many times, seemed crushed. Since then, we've been on 15+ cruises, and they've all mostly been great, but the Caronia will always hold a special place in our hearts.

[Host Hattie]

Thanks safarigal and castlewood, my cruising experience didn't start until after she had left the fleet, it sounds like I missed a great experience.

 

My Father had a less than successful Saga experience, I wonder if that was on her when she was Saga Ruby.

[seacruise9]

Hi,

 

I cruised aboard the Vistafjord from Southampton to Barcelona with my grandmother in September 1994. This was a beautiful and very high quality ship. Of course, there was single seating dining and a main lounge that accommodated nearly all of the passengers. The afternoon tea in the main lounge was excellent. The guest lecturer for our cruise was the well-known American newscaster Edwin Newman. Cunard still issued the small Rosenthal souvenir dishes with the cruise date and a map of the itinerary. I still have the dish from my cruise. Unfortunately, this was the last cruise that I took with my grandmother (she passed away nine months after this cruise). I have many wonderful memories from this cruise and am sorry to see that this beautiful ship is being scrapped.

 

In September 1995, I sailed aboard the Sagafjord from Vancouver to Los Angeles (following her final Alaska season). This was another wonderful ship. These ships provided an elegant and classic cruise experience that has largely disappeared.

 

Chuck

[balf]

Yes we sailed on her both as Caronia, a few voyages, and a memorable sail through the Kiel Canal, and later as Saga Ruby.

 

Probable, no definitely our favourite ship. Add the superb Cunard service as was common then aboard this beautiful smaller ship!! Happy, happy days.

 

DAVID.

[Lanky Lad]

I sailed on Caronia twice, she was a lovely ship, but a bit small for me. I loved the garden lounge at the front of the ship,

[Lanky Lad]

 

[rkacruiser]

I was able to visit this fine ship when she was the Norwegian America Line's Vistafjord in Fort Lauderdale. A lovely ship and, being a solo cruiser, I tried to see one of the solo designated outside staterooms. I succeeded and determined that I ought to try to sail on this lovely vessel. Never happened, but I had a friend who sailed on Vistafjord in her years under a Cunard flag and she did not disappoint.

[BklynBoy8]

My family and I experienced the Caronia for the first and last time in August of 2001.

 

We had Captain Bates as the Captain on this voyage.

 

Unfortunately we did not know what earth changing event would happen a month later in NYC with 9-11.

 

We did detect an unusual amount of security at each port that we never experienced before.

 

Extra security at each port during our New England Canada cruise.

 

Even days before we arrived at NYC US Customs ordered not just Foreign Passengers to report to a Passport check but ALL Passengers were to report.

 

Later on we found out that at that time the terrorists made their way down to Portland on the same day we docked in the port.

 

We were so happy that cruise was one to remember and very much enjoyed before everything changed in the weeks to come.

 

Sad to see Caronia depart from service.

[Host Hattie]

Thanks for sharing your memories everyone.

[Merry Maid]

I sailed on Caronia only once, on her last voyage before going to Saga. I wished I had sailed more. I preferred her to the QE2. Beautiful elegant vessel.

MM

[luckymal]

Sad news today as work starts in Alang to scrap the last British built cruise ship.

 

Does anyone have memories of her to share during her Cunard years as Vistafjord or Caronia 1983-2004 ?

My wife and I sailed on the last cruise she made, 12 nights to the Canary Islands 20th Oct 2004. Captain Perkins was the Captain. One thing we do remember was he introduced some staff, the passengers never see I.e staff from the laundry and made he made a few presentations to some of these people. I may be wrong on this, but I think I am correct, I think it was 2008 we was going on a world trip on the Q.M.2. Sage Ruby was docked just behind us also to go on a World Cruise but she had broken down and it took many weeks before she was able to start her world voyage.