Saga Rose Greenland Voyager August 2007

[MMDown Under]

Good Morrow, Discussants!

 

Let it be known that our good Lady Frances Rackstraw, alias "Mom", was born on 16 February 1922, and celebrates her 90th birthday today.

 

In our telephone conversation this morning, she sounded well and chipper. She said she is considering a trip to Europe to visit old friends, and has a yen to try a European river cruise: "It's only a few thousand dollars, and what am I saving it for? I don't want to die of boredom!" I heartily endorse this ambition and the adventurous spirit behind it! :D

 

Happy Birthday to your mother from Down Under.

 

Wishing her good health and lots of fun planning her future European travels.

[Conte Di Savoia]

I don't want to die of boredom!" I heartily endorse this ambition and the adventurous spirit behind it! :D

 

Why not? The 90+ crowd is usually well represented on cruises. Will you be joining her like in the old days?

[Saga Ruby]

Ralph - Your mother's attitude toward further adventures at the age of 90 is admirable. I have to smile at her comment about visiting in Europe with old friends - she is lucky to have friends her own age to visit. She seems to be the Rackstraw version of Betty White. Do you think that she has the Methuselah gene? Here's to many more adventures for her.

 

Marion - I noticed in the business news that Qantas has suffered a large decline in revenue in the last quarter. That wouldn't have to do with the company grounding their planes and abandoning their passengers in cities around the world, would it? What do you hear in Oz about the public image of that airline? Do you think that time will heal old wounds or are Aussies still outraged at the airline's regrettable actions?

 

To All - I have become interested in the various maritime vortices around the world. Japan has the Naruto whirlpool, Norway's vortex is said to be the world's strongest and, of course, Homer's Charybdis is located in the waters between Sicily and Italy. Evidently there is a whirlpool, Old Sow, between Maine and New Brunswick. Anyone seen any of these?

 

Ruby

[RalphRackstraw]

Ralph - Your mother's attitude toward further adventures at the age of 90 is admirable. I have to smile at her comment about visiting in Europe with old friends - she is lucky to have friends her own age to visit. She seems to be the Rackstraw version of Betty White. Do you think that she has the Methuselah gene? Here's to many more adventures for her.

Ruby

Indeed, Mom and Betty were born just a few weeks apart. We sent her a copy of Betty White's autobiography as a birthday present, and she loved it! :)

[Saga Ruby]

I got spammed by Carnival. They are offering prices, itineraries, and fun, fun, fun. Why did I get this spam?

 

I get cruise brochures in the mail all the time; hardly a day goes by without hearing from a cruise line, many of which I have never sailed on (the Queens). But obviously I have sailed on a cruise line owned by Mother Carnival. I don't remember the "umbrella" of corporate Carnival or Royal Caribbean. These are the two major entities that own most of the mass markets, right? Digression - who owns Azamara and why don't I hear more about them?

 

Since we know that Mother Carnival has my email address, where did they get it? Do they own HAL? I sailed on Prinsendam in 2009 to the Black Sea.

 

I was amused that, to Unsubscribe, I had to fill out a survey (2 pages) to say why I wanted to escape their e-clutches. But my comments were not pleasant. It'll be interesting to see if the Unsubscribe works.

 

Marion and Sharon - do y'all receive the glossy sales brochures in the mail as constantly as we do here in the States? It's a veritable avalanche.

 

Conte - I've heard rumours about Silversea magazines and Venetian membership cards. I sailed with them in September - when would one expect to get into the Venetian mainstream? Are you booked for this year?

 

Ruby

[Host Sharon]

I got spammed by Carnival. They are offering prices, itineraries, and fun, fun, fun. Why did I get this spam?

 

I get cruise brochures in the mail all the time; hardly a day goes by without hearing from a cruise line, many of which I have never sailed on (the Queens). But obviously I have sailed on a cruise line owned by Mother Carnival. I don't remember the "umbrella" of corporate Carnival or Royal Caribbean. These are the two major entities that own most of the mass markets, right? Digression - who owns Azamara and why don't I hear more about them?

 

Since we know that Mother Carnival has my email address, where did they get it? Do they own HAL? I sailed on Prinsendam in 2009 to the Black Sea.

 

I was amused that, to Unsubscribe, I had to fill out a survey (2 pages) to say why I wanted to escape their e-clutches. But my comments were not pleasant. It'll be interesting to see if the Unsubscribe works.

 

Marion and Sharon - do y'all receive the glossy sales brochures in the mail as constantly as we do here in the States? It's a veritable avalanche.

 

Conte - I've heard rumours about Silversea magazines and Venetian membership cards. I sailed with them in September - when would one expect to get into the Venetian mainstream? Are you booked for this year?

 

Ruby

 

 

Yes Ruby - I come home every day to piles of cruise advertising stuff, mainly from travel agents though, except for the lines I have sailed with. They probably all sell contact addresses on. HAL of course is under Carnival Corp - with Cunard, Princess, P&O, Costa and Seabourn. Azamara are part of Celebrity/RCCI.

 

I'm just coming up to an 8 week deadline to complete the Oriana/Aurora book - so once again am submerged in words and images. Excitingly though, we have a meeting next week with the ships' architect, which I am really looking forward to. My poor car is wearing a rut in the roads to Southampton though.

[Conte Di Savoia]

Conte - I've heard rumours about Silversea magazines and Venetian membership cards. I sailed with them in September - when would one expect to get into the Venetian mainstream? Are you booked for this year?

 

Ruby

 

 

We received our membership cards years ago and so I don't recall how long it took to get them. I would give Silversea a call and inquire and at least get your Silversea number. They send us brochures periodically and rarely a newsletter. They aren't as pesky as some of the lines. Regent Seven Seas Cruises must spend a fortune on their mailings. A week doesn't seem to go by that I don't receive something from them. Maybe they could lower their rates if they just cut back on all the junk mail.

 

I used to collect brochures and tuck them away but now I can't be bothered. First of all, I've simply run out of space and secondly most of the brochures are port-centric, hardly ever showing pictures of the ships and their interiors. Who needs more pictures of St. Thomas and Cancun? These brochures have little collectible value for the ship enthusiast. That said, some of my finest collectibles are brochures, particularly those from the 1930's. They have intrinsic artistic value.

 

As far as future cruises, I think I am where you were Ruby, a couple of years ago. I'm feeling cruised out right now. We don't have any cruises booked at the moment. I'm also down on the cruise industry which has changed quite a bit (and not for the better) over the last decade. The changes have been incremental and not so noticeable at first, but suddenly all the small changes have added up to an experience which is quite different than what we had in the past. I recognize that I've become an anachronism. The appeal to a mass market has diminished the sense of elegance and propriety on board and the feeling that we passengers are sharing something special together. I also feel like I am a cash cow when on board, sitting in my deck chair with my wallet open to pay for services/space/products which are being hawked incessantly.

 

We aren't off cruises entirely. I'm sure we'll eventually get one of those brochures which features some fantastic bargain to a place we haven't been. Maybe it will be in today's mail.

[MMDown Under]

Marion - I noticed in the business news that Qantas has suffered a large decline in revenue in the last quarter. That wouldn't have to do with the company grounding their planes and abandoning their passengers in cities around the world, would it? What do you hear in Oz about the public image of that airline? Do you think that time will heal old wounds or are Aussies still outraged at the airline's regrettable actions?

 

Ruby

 

I got spammed by Carnival. They are offering prices, itineraries, and fun, fun, fun. Why did I get this spam?

 

I was amused that, to Unsubscribe, I had to fill out a survey (2 pages) to say why I wanted to escape their e-clutches. But my comments were not pleasant. It'll be interesting to see if the Unsubscribe works.

 

Marion and Sharon - do y'all receive the glossy sales brochures in the mail as constantly as we do here in the States? It's a veritable avalanche.

 

Ruby

 

Yes, Qantas is suffering on several fronts, Ruby. I think they lost a lot of loyalty from Australians because of their actions.

 

They have upset the public by wanting to shift aircraft maintenance to lower cost SEAsia. People are afraid they are putting their well earned safety record up to the lowest bidder.

 

They are still an excellent airline, however I'll now fly Virgin locally, if it is cheaper.

 

In addition, internationally they don't fly one stop where many people want to fly. The middle eastern airlines (3) fly with only one stop in the Middle East to numerous places in Europe. With long haul flights, less flight time is the key.

 

No, I don't receive glossy brochures in the mail at all, unless I request them. Reading ebrochures is just not the same.

 

On our last cruise, we didn't even get luggage tags in Australia. We had to collect them on the wharf in New Zealand!

 

However, I get inundated with cruise deal emails!!

 

Was your unsubscribe successful?

[Saga Ruby]

I'm just coming up to an 8 week deadline to complete the Oriana/Aurora book - so once again am submerged in words and images. Excitingly though, we have a meeting next week with the ships' architect, which I am really looking forward to. My poor car is wearing a rut in the roads to Southampton though.

 

Sharon - I see that Argentina has barred Adonia and Star Princess access to Ushuaia in retribution for the British Falklands contretemps currently ongoing. Aren’t you glad that your next book is not on those ships? You have me smiling about your car driving in a deep rut to Soton. A nice rut to be in.

 

I recognize that I've become an anachronism.

Well said, Conte, well said.

 

The appeal to a mass market has diminished the sense of elegance and propriety on board and the feeling that we passengers are sharing something special together. I also feel like I am a cash cow when on board, sitting in my deck chair with my wallet open to pay for services/space/products which are being hawked incessantly.

 

Conte - Did you notice that Silversea has put out an ad for a youth counselor? I was astonished. Turns out that the position is for a youth counselor in the summer Med sailings where the wild child(s) so often wreak havoc in an upscale cruise experience. Harumph!

 

While I recognize that cruising today has to have a mass-market appeal to keep cruise ships operating on the high seas, those pax who respond to that commercial appeal are a bit different in the “civility” department - or is that deportment? What’s interesting is that all cruise companies are offering huge discounts and OBC to draw bookings. Do those newbies return to RCCL or Carnival mass markets when the prices go up? Luxury in any area is the siren’s song.

 

The mass markets offer such huge ship's population that I would never sail on them. An example - I don’t want to sail on Oceania’s Marina because it is too large for my tastes at 60,000gt, a mere slip of a girl in the maritime world. If I want to join a crowd, I’ll step out my front door at home and walk into the hurly burly.

 

Yes, Qantas is suffering on several fronts, Ruby. I think they lost a lot of loyalty from Australians because of their actions. They have upset the public by wanting to shift aircraft maintenance to lower cost SEAsia. People are afraid they are putting their well earned safety record up to the lowest bidder. They are still an excellent airline, however I'll now fly Virgin locally, if it is cheaper.

 

Was your unsubscribe successful?

 

Marion - Sorry to be the one to tell you but, for years, many domestic US airlines have been sending their “equipment” to Ecuador or other countries to have major mechanical overhauls done. And my son the Delta pilot doesn’t have a problem with that other losing local US jobs to other countries. Past history tells us that outsourced airline maintenance is safe. However, I'm all for kicking Qantas in the shins and making them literally pay for their vital mistake in grounding planes and passengers.

 

As far as my Unsubscribe to Carnival - we all know that Unsubscribe is a hope, not necessarily a reality. Fingers crossed.

 

Ruby

[Kapricorn]

As far as my Unsubscribe to Carnival - we all know that Unsubscribe is a hope, not necessarily a reality. Fingers crossed.

 

Ruby, sometimes I think that clicking on Unsubscribe serves only to prove to the harasser that your e-mail address is live. :rolleyes:

 

Conte, I'm with what you said about the state of the cruise industry with its mass marketing. I used to have five or six booked cruises to look forward to, but this year I have just two. Next year maybe I will do two Alaskan cruises just for the cruise experience. Not many kids during May and September.

 

Donald.

[RalphRackstraw]

One more week, and the family will be gathered in Montréal, where my eldest son and daughter-in-law have been living since November. No cruise this time, but I have planted a seed for the future: my daughter-in-law is pleased with the information I sent her about the CTMA Vacancier excursions to the Iles de la Madeleine http://www.ctma.ca/traversier-madeleine/index_ang.cfm, so nicely reviewed by MMDownUnder, and this may feature in a summer visit one year. :cool:

 

Meanwhile, it is March in Québec, and as Donald may well remember, 'tis the season for sugaring-off parties as the maple trees are tapped and the sap boiled down to fresh maple syrup. We will be at the Sucrerie Massicotte, http://www.laperade.qc.ca/massicotte/ near Trois-Rivières for mid-day dinner on 24 March.

 

This is my first return to Montréal since graduating from medical school at McGill University in 1981. My youngest son is considering attending graduate school in Sociology at McGill, so our family links to the city may be multiplying... :)

[Saga Ruby]

One more week, and the family will be gathered in Montréal, where my eldest son and daughter-in-law have been living since November. No cruise this time, but I have planted a seed for the future: my daughter-in-law is pleased with the information I sent her about the CTMA Vacancier excursions to the Iles de la Madeleine http://www.ctma.ca/traversier-madeleine/index_ang.cfm, so nicely reviewed by MMDownUnder, and this may feature in a summer visit one year. :cool:

 

Meanwhile, it is March in Québec, and as Donald may well remember, 'tis the season for sugaring-off parties as the maple trees are tapped and the sap boiled down to fresh maple syrup. We will be at the Sucrerie Massicotte, http://www.laperade.qc.ca/massicotte/ near Trois-Rivières for mid-day dinner on 24 March.

 

This is my first return to Montréal since graduating from medical school at McGill University in 1981. My youngest son is considering attending graduate school in Sociology at McGill, so our family links to the city may be multiplying... :)

 

Have a wonderful visit in a beautiful part of North America. Marion does indeed whet one's appetite for a vacation in Quebec and the Provinces.

 

I am a Big Fan of the Louise Penny series of books about Chief Inspector Armand Gamache based in this part of the country. Her books are excellent reading and I always look forward to the publication of the next mystery. Her descriptions of that area of the nation make me want to pack a bag and Marion gives me the road map.

 

Again, all best wishes for a fine, exciting visit to your old stomping grounds.

 

Ruby

Edited March 16, 2012 by Saga Ruby

[RalphRackstraw]

I am a Big Fan of the Louise Penny series of books about Chief Inspector Armand Gamache based in this part of the country. Her books are excellent reading and I always look forward to the publication of the next mystery. Her descriptions of that area of the nation make me want to pack a bag and Marion gives me the road map.

Ruby

If you like the mystery/crime genre with atmosphere, I recommend The Main, a 1976 novel set in Montreal by Rodney Whitaker, who wrote under the nom de plume Trevanian. The title comes from the nickname of Boulevard Saint-Laurent, the principal street running from the docks up into the city; generations of immigrants, Jewish, Greek, Portuguese, Chinese, etc. migrated up that street and established vibrant ethnic neighborhoods. The Plateau, north and east of Mount Royal, is still the most diverse and exciting area of the city, where my son and d-in-law have the good fortune to live, and where we will be staying. Can't wait to try the Greek restaurants, the bagel bakeries, the smoked meat at Schwartz's... :D

[Saga Ruby]

If you like the mystery/crime genre with atmosphere, I recommend The Main, a 1976 novel set in Montreal by Rodney Whitaker, who wrote under the nom de plume Trevanian.

 

I enjoyed so much Trevanian's books - Eiger Sanction, Loo Sanction, Shibumi, and The Main. Back in those pre e-world days, I wondered who Trevanian was and, only after computers and the Web came into existence, did I learn about Rodney Whitaker. Shibumi was an epiphany for me. It introduced the world of the Asian mindset and I was gobsmacked by the scene of the assassination in a Japanese prison. His writing was an inspiration to read Shogun and many other books about "the Orient."

 

Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and I was 13 yrs. old, we sailed out of Montreal on Empress of Britain to Liverpool. Pre-cruise, we stayed at the Chateau Frontenac in Montreal and toured the area. Unfortunately, a freshly-minted teenage girl has little interest in a lovely city like Montreal so its special features definitely indicate a return visit.

 

I envy you, Marion, and Donald for having adult memories and experiences from Quebec and environs. I have that area on my traveler's list but other exotic locales keep getting in the way!

 

Enjoy your visit.

 

Ruby

[Host Sharon]

I too have had four lovely days in Quebec in the fall. A beautiful city and even more spectacular surroundings. The Ile d'Orleans was so pretty and one evening we went out to dinner at a Sugar Shack, eating the kind of food served at the end of the maple syrup tapping season, accompanied by singing and dancing. On the way there the setting sun made the maple trees look as if they were glowing with golden light. I loved every minute spent there so thanks for bringingback those happy memories.

 

Ruby - isn't Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City or are there two by that name ?

 

Edited March 18, 2012 by Host Sharon

[RalphRackstraw]

 

Ruby - isn't Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City or are there two by that name ?

 

Indeed, the Chateau Frontenac is the magnificent crowning feature of the Upper Town in Quebec City. In Montreal, Ruby and family must have stayed at The Queen Elizabeth. This is confirmed by the following lightly-edited passage from the hotel history:

 

It is rare indeed, for a hotel to be celebrated internationally, but even rarer for it to attain a world-class reputation right from the beginning. From the moment this luxury hotel in Montreal opened its doors in 1958, Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth has welcomed queens, princes and princesses, heads of state and international business leaders.

Political dignitaries include the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles, General Charles de Gaulle, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of India, Zhao Ziyang of China, His Highness Felipe of Spain, Jacques Chirac, Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, Mikhail Gorbachev, President Jimmy Carter and Henry Kissinger. The celebrity guest list covers Perry Como, Harry Belafonte, Joan Crawford, Saga Ruby, John Travolta, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Louis Malle and, perhaps most famous of all, John Lennon, who held his famous 'bed-in' in 1969 in Suite 1742, where the song Give Peace a Chance was written and recorded.

Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth hotel in Montreal was chosen as the headquarters for the 1976 International Olympic Games, and, during Expo '67, fifty of the sixty visiting heads of state stayed in its luxurious suites.

But it's not only the famous that have stayed at Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, Montreal's distinguished luxury hotel. Since it first opened its doors in 1958, the stately hotel has greeted some 22 million business and leisure travelers seeking convenience of location, impeccable service and understated luxury.

Edited March 19, 2012 by RalphRackstraw

[seabourndt]

STRIKES! delayed ship's arrival in uk by 3 days, so 1st cruise on 26th now 1st april instead of 23days now 16days. a friend of mine was booked, cancelled and only got £20! goodness know what the ones that are going get, why do they need 7 days to get her ready?

hope my cruise also an inaugral on MSC DIVINA does not have this or i will not be happy!

dave

[Saga Ruby]

Azamara Quest had an engine fire off Malaysia yesterday. This is in addition to other recent engine fires on other ships.

 

What are the major causes of onboard engine fires? Crew training, the random event, unsafe maritime practices, financial considerations by cruise line operators?

 

Ruby

[Kapricorn]

hope my cruise also an inaugral on MSC DIVINA does not have this or i will not be happy!

dave

 

Dave, when is your cruise on MSC Divina? You may already have mentioned it and the itinerary in a previous post, but right now I don't remember.

 

What are the major causes of onboard engine fires? Crew training, the random event, unsafe maritime practices, financial considerations by cruise line operators?

Ruby

 

Ruby, good question! Modern ships run on oil, right? So, oil in the engine room somehow caught fire. A leak in a pipe which dripped oil upon a hot engine? An engineer furtively smoking a cigarette in the engine room?

 

Donald.

[Host Sharon]

Or perhaps overheating bearings, poor maintenance? There is a TV programme on tonight on "Why ships sink"! More cashing in on disaster, but it may be interesting.

 

Incidentally, we heard a couple of days ago that our P&O 175 book has been nominated for an award. To say we are thrilled would be the understatement of the year !

[Saga Ruby]

Ruby, good question! Modern ships run on oil, right? So, oil in the engine room somehow caught fire. A leak in a pipe which dripped oil upon a hot engine? An engineer furtively smoking a cigarette in the engine room? Donald.

 

I take your point; I just thought that, by now, the obvious dangers of an engine room would inspire the crew to maintain high standards for their own personal safety. But evidently not because, as you point out, engine rooms are a dangerous environment.

 

Incidentally, we heard a couple of days ago that our P&O 175 book has been nominated for an award. To say we are thrilled would be the understatement of the year !

 

How exciting! And not by half! Obviously you deserve to win but, as they say, it's an honour being nominated. Let us know how this turns out. In the meantime, do you get to buy a new outfit for the awards ceremony? Any excuse is a good excuse.

 

Good on you, Sharon!

 

Ruby

[Host Sharon]

I have no idea what happens now Ruby. Whether we get to hear before the awards or have to go up to London in posh frocks to find out. Do we need a speech prepared? Help !!

[MMDown Under]

Happy Easter everyone.

 

Weather is glorious at this time of year on the Gold Coast - cooler mornings and hot sunny days.

 

In haste.

Edited April 5, 2012 by MMDown Under

[Host Sharon]

Happy Easter everyone. Off to have coffee with friends, then we have to complete the enxt book this weekend.

 

Enjoy it whatever you are doing.

[Saga Ruby]

Weather is glorious at this time of year on the Gold Coast - cooler mornings and hot sunny days.

 

And all best wishes for a Happy Easter from Texas. After the two tornadoes which struck just blocks from my house, I am giving thanks for the random chance which spared our neighborhood. But our skies are brilliant blue, the sun is golden yellow, it's as though the storms cleansed the skies and have left us with perfect weather - like in the Gold Coast.

 

Happy Easter everyone. Off to have coffee with friends, then we have to complete the enxt book this weekend. Enjoy it whatever you are doing.

 

Sharon - obviously you have job security with your historical maritime books. So many ships to be visited, reviewed, and published. What a loverly "job." Congrats!

 

Ruby