Live from Oceania Sirena (December 16th to January 20th)

[travelberlin]

Ivi - thanks for posting from your cruise

I have found Tapatalk application the easiest to post pictures from if using an iPad or iPhone - are you using either? If you would like a lesson send me an email at the address below and I’ll send you some screen shots. You will need the Tapatalk application and to have created an account for it before we start

Hi Bodogbodog, thanks for following me on this thread and for your offer. I use iPad and iPhone. I will send you an email.

Ivi

[travelberlin]

What kind of noise issues are you dealing with? If it’s specific to your cabin, I’m sure you’re not the first passenger to complain.

 

And thank you so far for your interesting posts!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

The noise turned out to be related to the cabin location. Fortunately by changing the cabin our problem was solved. Thanks to you for reading my posts.

Ivi

[travelberlin]

Mura, LHT28, NjHorsemann, I will check again how this is with the Jacques Bistro. Yesterday, there was no other offer that that from the Jacques Bistro. 2 menues, either a standard Jacques Bistro menue other daily special also from Jacques Bistro.

Ivi

[buggins0402]

Looking forward to your impressions of Puerto Vallarta. We are planning an eight day land trip there this coming February (after a few days in Guadalajara.)

 

Happy to hear that your cabin issue was resolved satisfactorily.

[Mura]

My impressions of Puerto Vallarta aren't that recent so they may be irrelevant -- but we had a port of call there on our first Oceania cruise in 2004 and we enjoyed it very much. Just took a shuttle into town and wandered.

 

My cousin spends a few weeks there every year, so clearly they find it enjoyable! I don't believe they stay in town, however, which might be more relevant than my comments.

 

Mura

[DrHemlock]

Interesting for us and completely unexpected, was to hear the string quartet playing last evening the German national anthem.

 

It's doubtful they were deliberately playing the German national anthem. More likely, they were playing the "Emperor Quartet," a popular classical work based on a melody composed by Joseph Haydn in 1797 to provide music for a poem written in honor of the birthday of Francis II, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.

 

In 1841, thirty-three years after Haydn's death, new lyrics were written by poet/linguist August Heinrich Hoffman von Fallersleben as an appeal to the various German monarchs to give the creation of a unified Germany a higher priority than the independence of their small states.

 

The revised song became the national anthem of the Austro-Hungarian empire until its collapse in 1918. It was subsequently chosen as the national anthem of Germany in 1922 during the Weimar Republic.

 

Oddly enough, the melody was chosen for the alma mater of my high school in Los Angeles, causing me no end of surprise years later when I heard the classical string quartet for the first time.

[travelberlin]

It's doubtful they were deliberately playing the German national anthem. More likely, they were playing the "Emperor Quartet," a popular classical work based on a melody composed by Joseph Haydn in 1797 to provide music for a poem written in honor of the birthday of Francis II, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.

 

In 1841, thirty-three years after Haydn's death, new lyrics were written by poet/linguist August Heinrich Hoffman von Fallersleben as an appeal to the various German monarchs to give the creation of a unified Germany a higher priority than the independence of their small states.

 

The revised song became the national anthem of the Austro-Hungarian empire until its collapse in 1918. It was subsequently chosen as the national anthem of Germany in 1922 during the Weimar Republic.

 

Oddly enough, the melody was chosen for the alma mater of my high school in Los Angeles, causing me no end of surprise years later when I heard the classical string quartet for the first time.

DrHemlock, thanks a lot fir this comprehensive information. Interesting to know that this piece played also an important role in your high school. Do you know when and why it was chosen by your high school?

Ivi

[Mura]

My high school also used the Austrian National Anthem as the music for our anthem? Of course this was long after WWII ... but not THAT long.

 

Dr. Hemlock: Did you perhaps graduate from University High in L.A.? Small world if so!

 

As to the string quartets on board ... I am increasingly disappointed with what I hear ... no doubt because my father was a professional violist and I grew up hearing top musicians playing chamber music at home.

 

The quartet we heard on Marina last month (Nov 7-21) was perhaps the worst ... I love chamber music so I find it singularly distressing that the quartets who are hired have been so poor. Then again, people who complain about the entertainment on board probably are coming from the same place ...

 

Mura

[DrHemlock]

Mura: Yes, that's my high school. Yours too, apparently. Did you know they're no longer called the Warriors? Changed to Wildcats in 1997-98 during all the kerfuffle about schools with Native American mascots.

 

Travelberlin: No, I don't know when or why that particular melody was chosen for our Alma Mater, or who wrote the lyrics. The school opened in 1924; I attended from 1957-60. I vaguely remember (or imagine that I do) a history class in which we were studying WWII. We watched newsreel footage of a huge rally in Berlin and heard what we thought was our alma mater being played. Imagine the reaction among the students -- including myself -- who had never heard of Joseph Haydn or his music and were clueless regarding the German national anthem.

 

I seem to remember our teacher explaining that the Alma Mater was changed during the war, but reverted to the original fairly soon thereafter. Can't say that with certainty, however. What I can say is that the song is no longer in use today, according to information I found on the internet. It apparently faded from interest in the mid-1970s along with alma maters generally, even in college.

 

Mura: You might find this website interesting: http://www.uhef.org/unis-alma-mater-history-controversy-and-apathy/

[travelberlin]

Interesting DrHelmock and what a coincidence that you and Mura went to the same school. It is a small world.

Ivi

[Mura]

Not only did we go to the same high school, it appears that we were in the same class. Of course, there were over 800 of us who graduated in June 1960 so we may never have met while students. Yes, a small world. When we took our Kenya-Tanzania safari in 1987 a young couple in our tour group also had graduated from Uni ... but more recently than I had!

 

As I recall during WWII the alma mater was not used ... I don't recall from personal experience, of course (!). I think the director of the a capella chorus gave us that information.

 

Yes, I was aware that they are now called Wildcats and not Warriors ... I never made the connection with WHY the change was made.

 

Mura

[travelberlin]

Hi, I hope you are doing very well and not getting too stressed due to the Holidays. Even tough this is a time of peace and love, sometimes I get the feeling that it is also very demanding. Maybe this is one of the reasons why we enjoy cruising over the Holidays.

 

Last evening we went to have dinner at the Red Ginger. There are two specialty restaurants on board the Sirena and they are included in the total price. It is not unlimited but the number of visits depend of the cabin category. For us this means that we could go to both restaurantes two times during our cruise. If, however we wish to go another time, I think it is possible if the restaurants are not fully booked.

 

Food and service at the Red Ginger were very good. The Red Ginger serves good Asian food in a lovely setting. We had chicken satay, coconut Thai soup and lobster pad Thai. Everything very tasty.

 

Today we are docked at Puerto Vallarta. Next to us is another ship, the Ruby Princess which apparently has capacity for more than 3000 passengers. The Sirena with capacity for 680 passengers, looks quite small next to the Ruby.

 

We liked Puerto Vallarta. Very easy to visit on your own. Taxi to town costs US 5 per person. Coming back we paid just US 4 pp. Downtown has a nice spanish styled square where pigeons like being next to people. It was nice to see small children playing with the birds and just enjoying themselves. There is also a malecon, where interesting bronze statues are on display. I think a very famous one, is the statue of a small child riding a seahorse.

 

Close to the square (Plaza de armas) is a Cathedral. We happened to arrive there just in time to receive the blessing. It is decorated for Christmas, simple, but I liked.

 

All the locals we have met, were polite and friendly. We felt safe, relaxed and we would not mind to spend some days in Puerto Vallarta. Good restaurants and good hotels plus nice weather and friendly, respectful people are good preconditions for a nice land vacation to us.

 

This is all from me today. Until next time if you wish....

Ivi

[Bodogbodog]

Posting these photos for Ivi - they are from Puerto Vallarta - she will explain the background to them

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hopefully more photos of Ivi's adventure to come

Edited December 19, 2017 by Bodogbodog

[travelberlin]

Thanks a lot Bodogbodog for posting my photos! They illustrate what I have written about Puerto Vallarta in the post 37. The pictures were taken with my iphone.

Ivi

[travelberlin]

What kind of noise issues are you dealing with? If it’s specific to your cabin, I’m sure you’re not the first passenger to complain.

 

And thank you so far for your interesting posts!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Thanks BarbarianPaul. Fortunately the problem was solved👍

Ivi

[buggins0402]

Thanks a lot Bodogbodog for posting my photos! They illustrate what I have written about Puerto Vallarta in the post 37. The pictures were taken with my iphone.

Ivi

 

Wonderful pictures Ivy! I can’t wait to see PV.

 

Thanks Bodogbodog for the tech support!

[Sea42]

Wonderful pictures Ivy! I can’t wait to see PV.

 

Thanks Bodogbodog for the tech support!

If you happen to be in PV on a Tuesday there is a free guided walking tour, conducted by a local artist, that visits all of the art pieces along the malecon. There are also many small galleries to visit. If not there on a Tuesday you can find a self guided walking tour brochure online.

[kitty9]

I love seeing cruising through a new cruisers eyes---although you may not be new to cruising, but new to Oceania.

 

I would like to ask who your cruise director is? Some feel that a CD doesn't impact a cruise, but I feel they do.

[travelberlin]

Good afternoon! To do this live post requires lots of patience! Internet is extremely slow even tough we are at the port

[Paulchili]

Good afternoon! To do this live post requires lots of patience! Internet is extremely slow even tough we are at the port��

 

I suspect that you know that it is best to compose the post offline in some word document and then simply copy and paste it when you sign in.

It takes much less time being online that way.

[travelberlin]

I love seeing cruising through a new cruisers eyes---although you may not be new to cruising, but new to Oceania.

 

I would like to ask who your cruise director is? Some feel that a CD doesn't impact a cruise, but I feel they do.

Hi Darcie, I will find out the name of the cruise director. She makes a good impression.

Ivi

[Bodogbodog]

Some pictures from Manzanillo, Mexico

 

 

 

 

 

[travelberlin]

A lovely day in Manzanillo, Mexico. Lots of military presence reminding us that this city is facing security problems.

We took a taxi from the port to the beach called La Audiencia. This is the beach in which they made the movie 10, with Bo Dereck and Dudley Moore. Apparently a Bolivian tin magnate called Antenor Patiño played an important role, contributing to the touristic development of the area. He conceived and financed a resort called Las Hadas. The people who met him have very fond memories of him. The taxi driver told us that his father worked for Antenor Patiño and that he met him personally when he was about 10 years old. When he learned that I was originally from Bolivia, he treated us like royalty, going out of his way to show us Manzanillo and introducing us to people who could tell us about Patiño and his undertakings in the area.

Bodogbodog is again helping me to post some of my pictures. There you can see the Audiencia beach, Las Hadas resort showing the mythical figures from fairy tales (hadas in Spanish) and also the nice port of Manzanillo with the Oceania Sirena on the background. Thanks Bodogbodog!

We will not forget this port…

 

Ivi

[travelberlin]

I love seeing cruising through a new cruisers eyes---although you may not be new to cruising, but new to Oceania.

 

I would like to ask who your cruise director is? Some feel that a CD doesn't impact a cruise, but I feel they do.

 

Hello Darcie, the cruise director is Dottie Kulasa. Have you sailed with her?

 

This is our second cruise with Oceania, but our first one was 10 years ago. In fact, I have the feeling that I am getting to know Oceania for the first time...

Ivi

[Mura]

We sailed with Dottie several years ago. She is marvelous! We ourselves tend to ignore the CD, but in her case we did not!

 

Mura