Saga Rose Greenland Voyager August 2007

[dougnewmanatsea]

I am going to have to research the EMPRESSES...there is some confusion over which one became the MARDI GRAS.

If you are interested in these ships I highly recommend the book "The Last White Empresses" by Clive Harvey. (You can probably buy it from Amazon.co.uk, I doubt Amazon.com has it though.)

 

As for which ship is which:

 

EMPRESS OF BRITAIN (1956) -> QUEEN ANNA MARIA (1964) -> CARNIVALE (1975) -> FIESTAMARINA (1993) -> OLYMPIC (1994) -> THE TOPAZ (1997)

 

EMPRESS OF ENGLAND (1957) -> OCEAN MONARCH (1971) -> Scrapped 1975

 

EMPRESS OF CANADA (1961) -> MARDI GRAS (1972) -> OLYMPIC (1993) -> STAR OF TEXAS (1994) -> APOLLON (1995) -> Scrapped 2004

 

EMPRESS OF BRITAIN and EMPRESS OF ENGLAND were virtually identical while the newer EMPRESS OF CANADA was a major redesign of the previous new ships (and, to my eye, vastly more attractive).

 

I had the pleasure of visiting THE TOPAZ last year in New York. If you are interested in seeing what she is on board like today, I have a photo gallery here with over 100 photos including the bridge etc.

[Kapricorn]

I enjoyed the virtual tour of The Topaz on your site! Thank you so much for the link, as well as clarifying which ship is which.

 

I'll see if I can get a hold of the book "The Last White Empresses."

 

Regards,

Donald.

[Kapricorn]

If you are interested in these ships I highly recommend the book "The Last White Empresses" by Clive Harvey. (You can probably buy it from Amazon.co.uk, I doubt Amazon.com has it though.)

 

Success! I bought the book from Abebooks.com. Thanks again, Doug!:)

 

Donald.

[Kapricorn]

Ruby, a question ... were you on the eastbound maiden voyage of the Empress of England during mid-April 1957?

 

Have you kept the passenger lists from all your voyages? I still have mine from my first four voyages. These are fascinating mementoes! Passenger lists - sadly - seem to have been discontinued during the mid-1980s. I was expecting one on my Rotterdam eastbound trans-canal cruise from Vancouver in 1989, but none was distributed. The one that I had from my 1982 Caribbean cruise on the Song of Norway was not of good quality, reproduced from a computer print-out, but is nevertheless a valued part of my collection.

 

The Empress of England had a sad life, being scrapped at the young age of eighteen. I had a cat that lived a year longer than that (1978-1997). Have you read the story of the Empress of England at: http://www.greatoceanliners.net/empressofengland.html ?

 

Regards,

Donald.

[Saga Ruby]

We left on the Empress of Britain in early June, 1957, shortly after school got out. My sister was 15, I was 13, soon to be 14. I'm sure my parents received the Canadian Pacific passenger list. Royal Viking assembled and distributed those nice lists onboard for years, then they seemed to go the way of the dodo bird. I probably have my RVL lists around somewhere but shudder to think of digging them out. Ancient dust and all that.

 

One "souvenir" we brought home from the Empress of Britain was what our stewardess said to our parents. "Don't worry about the little dears, I'll look after them." We were "the little dears" for the rest of our teenage years.

 

As you say, I miss the passenger lists but, in the current mass market, it would be difficult if not impossible to hand out names and cities, not to mention those thousands of passengers on each voyage who would probably misunderstand their use and raise vociferous objections. Nowadays they seem to object to everything and they look for the slightest opportunity to get an OBC or a free cruise. Which is why I stay with the small ships. As I have often said, I seek civility.

 

By definition, large populations onboard ameliorate the intimate social interaction I enjoy so much, so I'll never be onboard a behemoth. By the end of a voyage, I like to recognize the majority of people I have sailed with on that itinerary.

 

If I want to go to the mall, I would do so in Dallas, not sail on a ship. So many of the jazzy features of current ships replicate land activities, sometimes poorly. The cruise lines like to pretend that their behemoths are not really moving - they want to attract the resort crowd and not alarm them with the reality of sailing on an ocean or sea. Nowadays it seems almost heretical to say that I cruise because I love to sail the ocean blue.

 

Cheers!

Ruby

[CGTNORMANDIE]

HI GANG!!!

 

YES!!! The EMPRESS OF BRITAIN was the CARNIVALE in 1978!!! What confused me was the V-A-L-E. I digress...The TRANSVAAL CASTLE was also sold to Carnival Cruises and became the FESTIVALE in 1978.

 

SO RUBY!!! You were actually sailing on the forerunner of the Carnival Corp!!! LOL!!! I am sure you enjoyed the EMPRESS OF BRITAIN more than you would have enjoyed the CARNIVALE...LOL.:D

 

HI DONALD!!! I am glad the EMPRESS OF BRITAIN is still sailing today!!!:D

 

ROSS

[Kapricorn]

Hi, Ruby -

 

I suspect that part of the reason of the demise of passenger lists might be that these were used in divorce cases involving unfaithful spouses cruising with their paramours?

 

I also do not have the slightest interest in being on a megaship. Next Sunday I will be on the 91,000-ton Infinity, but even she is just a bit too large for me. I like the size of the 77,000-ton Mercury, which is why I routinely sail on her. The 55,000-ton Maasdam also suited me just fine.

 

The 18,000-ton Victoria in 1972 had most of her public rooms on one deck - the ballroom, library, writing room, card room, bar and lounge. A nightclub was one deck down. On the top deck was a small gym and a ping-pong room with two tables. The two-deck theatre and dining room were lower down. A small hair salon and an even smaller barber shop were elsewhere, tucked into inconspicuous parts of the ship. None of the passengers complained of boredom despite the lack of a casino, spa, boutique shops, specialty restaurants, rock-climbing walls, ice-skating rinks, bowling alleys, boxing rings and all the other "mall" stuff that are now routine on cruise ships.

 

The reason that I go on cruises is to experience the relaxation associated with merely being on the seas, away from home, just as you said.

 

Donald.

[Saga Ruby]

First and foremost, I hope you have your best cruise ever on the Infinity starting this Sunday. What is your itinerary?

 

Second - they have boxing rings on the behemoths? I heard there are pool tables on behemoths which may be mounted on gyroscopes or are computer-leveled while at sea. Incredible.

 

Third, I think I have already confessed to doing a crossing on Celebrity's Constellation in 2003. It is the first and last time I will ever sail on a "big" ship. When I walked onboard, I was gobsmacked with the beauty of the interior design and woods, the cabin was a comfortable size in my experience and quite well laid out with lots of storage, and I had a king-sized bed. I've been playing the king bed game for several cruises now and it is always two twin sizes pushed together. Which I think is cheating. If the cabin is sold and guaranteed to have a queen mattress (Oceania), I do not appreciate having twins in my cabin but oh well.

 

I thought all of the older ships had decks devoted to either passenger accommodation or dedicated public areas. Are y'all saying that activity areas are now sprinkled around all decks? Color me confused.

 

What a pleasure it is to sit at a computer today and see photos of the Empress of Britain as she sails today as Topaz. What a grand old gal!

 

Ross, please don't talk mean to me. To think of sailing on the forerunner of Carnival is like tippy-toeing through a graveyard and hoping nothing seizes my foot. A discomforting idea, at the very least.

 

Happy sails!

Ruby

[dougnewmanatsea]

Success! I bought the book from Abebooks.com. Thanks again, Doug!:)

Glad you found it. It is an excellent book.

 

Clive Harvey is, by the way, the editor of Sea Lines, the magazine of the Ocean Liner Society, which I highly recommend all of you join. Sea Lines is the best ship magazine and well worth the membership fee.

 

I am actually writing an article on VICTORIA for the magazine at the moment so if you subscribe you will be able to read about your old friend later this year :) .

 

If you would like, you can also buy a piece of her here. I have personally seen many of the items in question and they are spectacular.

[Kapricorn]

First and foremost, I hope you have your best cruise ever on the Infinity starting this Sunday. What is your itinerary?

 

Thanks, Ruby! The Alaskan itinerary will be Ketchikan, Hubbard Glacier, Juneau & Icy Strait Point, plus two sea days. Have you cruised to Alaska?

 

I thought all of the older ships had decks devoted to either passenger accommodation or dedicated public areas. Are y'all saying that activity areas are now sprinkled around all decks? Color me confused.

Usually it's all public rooms on one deck and all cabins on other decks, but not always. On the Atlantic in 1963 the Promenade Deck had 28 cabins in the forward section, and the public rooms on the rest of that deck.

 

Clive Harvey is, by the way, the editor of Sea Lines, the magazine of the Ocean Liner Society, which I highly recommend all of you join. Sea Lines is the best ship magazine and well worth the membership fee.

 

I am actually writing an article on VICTORIA for the magazine at the moment so if you subscribe you will be able to read about your old friend later this year :) .

Doug, I certainly will consider joining the Ocean Liner Society. I was not aware that the Victoria was a pre-eminent cruise liner of her day. What got you interested in her? You will be on the Marco Polo next Sunday, the same day that I will be on the Infinity. Have a great cruise in the Mediterranean!

 

Donald.

[Saga Ruby]

I was onboard the Royal Viking Star in August 1990 and thought you might be interested in the following story about my one day in Seward. It was one of my favorite days ever of traveling:

 

Months ahead of departure, I got the idea that it would be fun to charter a twin-engine aircraft to pick me up in Seward, fly me to Denali Lodge for lunch, circle Denali (the mountain), and return to Seward. Make a day of it, as it were. Bush pilots in Alaska have poor flight records so my biggest challenge was solving the safety factor.

 

I located Security Aviation in Anchorage and the nice lady was willing to do the charter although the vast majority of their flights were for businessmen. And oh, by the way, Resurrection Bay, the narrow bay at Seward, makes its own weather and "we can't land 83% of the time. Call all us when you get to Seward and if the weather is good, we'll come pick you up."

 

On the Royal Viking Star, I was seated at a table for 8 which was the Deputy Captain's table. Rumor had it that Einar was a very stern taskmaster with the crew and hotel staff - he had the power to hire, fire, and punish. But he was hospitable in his quiet Norwegian way and as we steamed closer and closer to Seward, every night I asked if he had a weather forecast for Seward. The entire table knew my plans but Einar said regardless of the forecast, anything could happen before we docked in Seward.

 

At dawn on our Seward port call, I rushed outside and saw a completely clear sunny blue sky. I was so excited that I ran down the gangway in my winter caftan to find an endless line of crewmen at the sole payphone booth at the dock. I whipped around and spied a cab on the pier, ran up to the driver, told him I had to find a phone fast. As we drove away from the wharf, I asked about the line-upon-line of boats anchored in the bay. The driver said there were 15,000 fly fishermen in town for a big tournament and finding a phone was going to be difficult. I had no money, no wallet, and was still dressed in the caftan.

 

Everywhere we drove, there were fly fishermen. My cab driver finally stopped at a small shop in downtown Seward where he seemed to know the owner who allowed me to use her phone to call Anchorage. I couldn't get the number to dial because I didn't know if it was long distance or local. Finally got thru to Security Aviation in Anchorage, shouted happily into the phone that the sky was crystal clear and she said, "We'll top up the twin and be right there. Your pilot's name is Tom." I jumped back in the cab, and asked if we could stop somewhere on the way to the airstrip. I hoped to find a disposable camera, which in those days was a new concept.

 

We drove back to the ship where I dressed more appropriately in slacks, blouse, and warm jacket then raced back down the gangway to the cab and we left for the airstrip. I mentioned the camera to the driver and he replied, "There are 3 of them at the pharmacy." I said, "How do you know?" He laughed saying, "I drove out there!" Seward is four blocks long!" We made a quick stop at the pharmacy where I bought my camera. The clerk looked puzzled that there was so much interest that day in disposable cameras.

 

My cabbie showed me a small inlet close to Resurrection Bay, saying the tides rush in at 35mph - he clocked it with his car. Tourists are warned not to go out when the is out. A honeymoon couple interested in seashells rented hip boots, walked out into the flats, the bride's boots got stuck in the mud, the tides rushed in, her boots filled with water, and despite everyone's desperate efforts, she drowned.

 

We arrived at the airstrip which is loose gravel and one av-gas pump. The "runway" angles toward the bay. At 9:30am, a lovely twin-engine Cessna 310 sweeps around the glaciers surrounding the bay and starts its approach. As Tom was coming in to land, I asked the cabbie how much I owed him. "Pay me when you get back." "That will be 8 hours from now - what if we crash and you don't get paid?" "It will have been worth it!"

 

Tom is a native Eskimo, nice as can be, younger than me. I'm impressed that he does a proper flight check, quoting emergency exits (we both laugh), my weight, where we're going. We taxi down the gravel runway and make a text-book take-off over my taxi.

 

Tom is an excellent pilot, happy to have an excited passenger who wants to see all the sights. He says most businessmen bury their heads in their newspapers and never look up or say a word. I mention to Tom that I've done a lot of aerobatic flying with a friend in Dallas and we chat about aerobatics. He suddenly says, "Tighten your seat belt!" and we dive-bomb Skwenta, a tiny settlement of 3 cabins close to a clear-running creek. I'm screaming with delight and as we pull up out of the dive, Tom exclaims, "I've never done that with a customer before!" With the power of the twin engines, it's a true thrill ride.

 

We wing up and over Portage Glacier and I spot the tour buses from RVL. From the air, I have a postcard view of the glacier and feel so lucky to be overflying the area. During the flight, Tom points to the horizon and says that the plume of smoke is one of the Alaskan volcanoes. I'm practically jumping out of my seat because the magnificent Denali (Mount McKinley) lies ahead.

 

Denali (the "Great One") is 20,830 beautiful snow-covered feet high and makes her own weather. Tom remarks that we are lucky to have such a view; many times The Great One is covered in clouds. Due to FAA regs, we cannot fly above 14,500' without oxygen but circling that mountain at 14,500 is a lifetime memory. The snow is so deep that it cracks from its own weight - looks like broken Styrofoam. I'm taking photos as fast as I can. My favorite photo turns out to be a shot of Denali's peak which is a short distance above us and shows the wing of the twin.

 

After two complete circles of majestic Denali, Tom and I head out to Denali Park Lodge. We glide smoothly onto the dirt airstrip, park the plane, and stroll up a small hill to the Lodge. Passengers from the Midnight Sun train are watching. We stroll into the dining room and have a delish lunch. Tom is a conservative personality but he is so excited about our trip that he calls his wife and later sends her a postcard. After lunch, we go out onto the wooden deck and wave goodbye to the train folks then walk back down to the plane, climb in, and take off. It's about 2:00pm.

 

We take a leisurely route to Anchorage, look for grizzlies and other wildlife. I need to pay up at Security Aviation, which gives me a chance to see the city from the air. The topography is almost like New Orleans due to the marsh-like inlets from the sea, but after all the natural beauty I have been soaking up, Anchorage is just another busy city.

 

At Security Aviation, my booking agent is thrilled to see how excited and happy I am with my charter. Back at the twin, Tom has tanked up and we're ready to go. We take our time getting back to Seward; we agree that the weather was pluperfect.

 

As we approach the "airport" in Seward, Tom is watching a single-engine place approaching the gravel airstrip and starts shouting, "He's not gonna make it! He's not gonna make it!"and I look out just in time to see a Cessna 152 skid to the end of the runway and slide to the water's edge. Due to the pilot's frantic breaking the tail goes up, the propeller digs into the gravel, the plane rears up on its front wheels, and the aircraft stops with its prop gripping the water's edge of Resurrection Bay, tail pointing to the sky.

 

As soon as Tom and I see the pilot clamber out safely, we calm down but now we can't land. Tom is completely unconcerned - just another day at the office. We fly around Resurrection Bay several times, including buzzing my ship. We see the fire engines come to the airstrip, we see the tractor pull the plane out of the water and over to the side of the runway, we finally land. I take due note that a tractor is traditionally parked at the landing strip.

 

Tom has called ahead to my taxi company and sure enough, the same cabbie is waiting for us. I'm on an adrenaline high and hug Tom probably harder than he wanted, but we did have a grand time.

 

Back at the ship, there is no line for the payphone so I try to call anybody I know, family or friends, to tell them about my Seward adventure. Somebody finally answers and we chat. The ship is getting ready to leave so up I go to my room to change for dinner.

 

My tablemates are keen to hear about my day. Even stern Einar cracks a small smile. We adjourn to the lounge to hear a band play and a man, all excited, walks up to me and asks, "What cabin are you in?" "I'm on Main Deck, an inside cabin." "Oh! I thought you probably had the penthouse!" "Why?" "Because plane charters are so expensive!" "How do you know I chartered a plane?" "I was standing behind you at the payphone!"

 

One footnote: When I got back to the ship, passengers were clumped in groups, talking excitedly about something. When asked what was going on, they replied, "Didn't you feel it?? We had a 5.2 earthquake!" I was in the air.

 

Ruby

[Kapricorn]

Thanks, Ruby, for the fascinating narrative of your day in Seward! It must have been thrilling to view Denali close from an aircraft, and with such nice weather! I liked your account of the "stern Einar" among all the other interesting tidbits. Tom's geniality came across in your story. You have a way with words!

 

I was on a two-seat floatplane in Ketchikan a few years ago, and enjoyed the pilot's undivided attention as he pointed out sites of interest. We passed a snow-covered ridge on which mountain goats were clustered. The adult goats calmly observed us as we flew by, but the kid goats leaped around in consternation.

 

We flew over Misty Fjord and the pilot swooped down so that we just over the water, banking from side to side to give me a little thrill. He landed the plane at a nearby lake, we got out and walked along the shoreline. He pointed to wolf tracks and told me that in seven years of flying he has never seen a wolf. He also pointed to a tree branch half on the shore and half in the water, and said that a beaver dragging it must have been scared off by a wolf.

 

Later we landed at another lake, where we were surrounded by salmon that were leaping out of the water. I took a multitude of photographs, but unfortunately all of them, along with others on my computer, were lost two years ago when files were transferred from my old computer to the new.:(

 

However, like you, I still have my memories of all the interesting episodes.

 

Donald.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

GREAT NARRATIVE RUBY!!! WOW!!! What an adventure!!! Most people would be at a loss to name their favorite day in their life...but not you!!! Thanks for the story.:D

 

Someday I will tell you about my dinner at Marguarite's...LOL!!!:D

 

ROSS

[Aussie Gal]

If you are interested in these ships I highly recommend the book "The Last White Empresses" by Clive Harvey. (You can probably buy it from Amazon.co.uk, I doubt Amazon.com has it though.)

 

As for which ship is which:

 

EMPRESS OF BRITAIN (1956) -> QUEEN ANNA MARIA (1964) -> CARNIVALE (1975) -> FIESTAMARINA (1993) -> OLYMPIC (1994) -> THE TOPAZ (1997)

 

EMPRESS OF ENGLAND (1957) -> OCEAN MONARCH (1971) -> Scrapped 1975

 

EMPRESS OF CANADA (1961) -> MARDI GRAS (1972) -> OLYMPIC (1993) -> STAR OF TEXAS (1994) -> APOLLON (1995) -> Scrapped 2004

 

 

We sailed on the Empress of Britain in 1995 when she was the Olympic. We had one of the two suites and the colours were hectic as she had just come from Carnival - pinks, mauves and teal green!!

 

It was a great ship, very comfortable though built for the Transatlantic crossing with the enclosed Promenade deck. We did a 7 day cruise from Athens going to Santorini, Crete, Patmos, Rhodes, Istanbul, Kusadasi and Mykonas. A great introduction to the Greek Isles.

 

Jennie

[Kapricorn]

We sailed on the Empress of Britain in 1995 when she was the Olympic. We had one of the two suites and the colours were hectic as she had just come from Carnival - pinks, mauves and teal green!!

 

It was a great ship, very comfortable though built for the Transatlantic crossing with the enclosed Promenade deck. We did a 7 day cruise from Athens going to Santorini, Crete, Patmos, Rhodes, Istanbul, Kusadasi and Mykonas. A great introduction to the Greek Isles.

 

Jennie

 

Hi, Jennie ... Welcome to this Ocean Liners Enthusiasts corner! I'm sure that Host Doug's photographs taken on The Topaz (ex-Empress of Britain) brought back memories for you, if you already have seen these? Were the public rooms on The Topaz changed at all from its Olympic days (perhaps except for the addition of the Japanese beer dispenser machines?

 

Regards,

Donald.

[Aussie Gal]

Hi Donald,

 

Thanks for the welcome. I only found this Board through Ruby as she was directing us from the Oceania Board to her post on Alaska. I hadn't looked at Doug's photos until now. The inside of the ship seems to have been painted in softer tones from the time we were on board. I can remember thinking at the time how brightly coloured it was internally.

 

I can also remember the narrow passage ways and loads of internal cabins. As I mentioned we had a suite which was very roomy and had a separate lounge area though we only had the portholes or small windows to see outside. The bathroom was divided into a separate toilet and a shower/bathroom from my memory.

 

I was looking for a photo of the dining room which was a lovely room but couldn't find one.

 

Jennie

[dougnewmanatsea]

I was looking for a photo of the dining room which was a lovely room but couldn't find one.

I have quite a few of them, starting here.

[Aussie Gal]

Thanks Doug,

 

We had the garish colours in the Dining Room not the softer ones that are shown in the photo now. I must admit, I wondered what I had struck when we first went on board. To me the colours were so garish and hideous. I didn't know anything about Carnival then, as we had not heard of that cruiseline down here and had no idea of the "fun ship" mentality.

 

Jennie

[SDHALFAN]

Passengers lists - or rather lack of such - were mentioned earlier. We were issued passenger lists on the ms Amsterdam's Grand World Voyage earlier this year.

 

Great thread by the way. My very first cruise, apart from an overnight Ferry from Port Said to Nicosia, was on a converted Troop Carrier transporting RAF family members home from Egypt to England waaay back in 1951. I don't remember the name of the ship but I can assure you that she was nothing like the Grand Old Ladies of the Sea that you all remember.:D

 

I did not take another cruise until 1986 when we sailed from Vancouver to Alaska on the ss Rotterdam - now she was a classy Lady!

 

Valerie:)

[Kapricorn]

Passengers lists - or rather lack of such - were mentioned earlier. We were issued passenger lists on the ms Amsterdam's Grand World Voyage earlier this year.

 

I did not take another cruise until 1986 when we sailed from Vancouver to Alaska on the ss Rotterdam - now she was a classy Lady!

 

Hi, Valerie -

 

Welcome! That's really interesting that passenger lists are issued on some voyages. Perhaps it's just for the lengthy ones.

 

Ah, the Rotterdam! She was one of my favourite ships, having sailed on her during a 17-day Vancouver-Panama Canal-Florida cruise in 1989. Perfect size for me - not too small, nor too big.

 

Donald.

[dougnewmanatsea]

We had the garish colours in the Dining Room not the softer ones that are shown in the photo now. I must admit, I wondered what I had struck when we first went on board. To me the colours were so garish and hideous.

Frankly, most of the Carnival-era interiors - even with the toned-down colors - are pretty dreadful.

 

But it is interesting to see bits and pieces of all different eras - CP, Greek Line, Carnival, etc. - spanning several decades all in the same ship and often, in the same room!

[Saga Ruby]

Passengers lists - or rather lack of such - were mentioned earlier. We were issued passenger lists on the ms Amsterdam's Grand World Voyage earlier this year.Valerie:)

 

I am intrigued with your comment that passenger lists are still published on the rare occasion. Did the list have names and cabin numbers, names and city and state, what? RVL passenger lists had tassles on each "book" which I thought was a nice touch.

 

I have to laugh at Host Doug's remark - yes, all those different styles and colors in one room must have been like falling into a technicolor maelstrom! Who knew that the Empress of Britain would be alive and kicking after so many decades?

 

Donald, do you casually leave your house on Sunday and take a cab over to those marvelous docks (Pacific Place?) in Vancouver to board your ship? I'm green with envy!

 

Ruby

[Kapricorn]

Valerie: Did all of the passengers on the Amsterdam's world voyage start and end the cruise in the same port, or did some of the passengers take certain segments of the voyage? If so, how was this indicated in the passenger list?

 

Ruby: Canada Place is only seven minutes' drive from my home in downtown Vancouver. However, tomorrow the Infinity will be at Ballantyne Pier, requiring a drive of 12 minutes. Often, when the weather is nice, I walk 25 minutes to Canada Place just to take a look at the cruise ships, like I did with the ex-Empress of Britain recently.

 

I will be back home on June 3.

 

Regards,

Donald.

[Saga Ruby]

Ruby: Canada Place is only seven minutes' drive from my home in downtown Vancouver. However, tomorrow the Infinity will be at Ballantyne Pier, requiring a drive of 12 minutes. Often, when the weather is nice, I walk 25 minutes to Canada Place just to take a look at the cruise ships, like I did with the ex-Empress of Britain recently.Donald.

 

I stayed at the downtown Le Meridien in 1990 for that famous Alaska cruise. It was such a beautiful day that I told the baggage van to take my cases to the dock and I would walk until I got tired. It was the most pleasant 12-block stroll I've ever done. I walked up to the RVL card table for check-in, she asked for my ticket, and I realized that it was packed in my bags which were long since put onboard.

 

She said, "No problem. What's your last name?" Since I have a unique last name, it truly was no problem. For years after that, I never carried my boarding ticket until after 9/11.

 

All of you folks who live in port cities are the envy of this landlocked Texan. As a matter of course, I fly from 9-16 hours one way to get to my ship. As I said, I'm green with envy!

 

Ruby

[Kapricorn]

Ruby, I'm envious that you think nothing of flying 9 to 16 hours to get to a cruise ship. I'm not scared of flying, but I simply don't enjoy the flying experience. It's vastly different from the 1960s, when flying was a glamourous adventure.

 

Donald.