MrsMuir

John, you may not be looking at this thread while you're on your Ryndam adventure, but I want to say again how fascinating these ship histories are. The story of the Queen Mary was familiar to me, but you added depth and photos I had never seen. The Queen Mary is special to me because Richard and I were married aboard in 1978, and so was my beautiful older sister in 2006. Not much had changed in the Wedding Chapel since our wedding, and the Navy chaplain who officiated at my sister's wedding remembered the Navy chaplain, now deceased, who married Richard and me.

Thank you for bringing back memories of happy times aboard a classic ship, still regal even in her retirement.

John, you may not be looking at this thread while you're on your Ryndam adventure, but I want to say again how fascinating these ship histories are. The story of the Queen Mary was familiar to me, but you added depth and photos I had never seen. The Queen Mary is special to me because Richard and I were married aboard in 1978, and so was my beautiful older sister in 2006. Not much had changed in the Wedding Chapel since our wedding, and the Navy chaplain who officiated at my sister's wedding remembered the Navy chaplain, now deceased, who married Richard and me.

Thank you for bringing back memories of happy times aboard a classic ship, still regal even in her retirement.

John, the photos and information you have posted on this thread are like catnip to those of us who love ships and their history. I wish there was a way to bundle all of the ships' stories and pictures into one big reference. I would turn to it often, and take it with us on our cruises for sure. Of course, this is a living conversation that may never end, if we're lucky. I would love to see you publish all of this work, but now I might be violating some CC policy. :o What are your thoughts?

John, the photos and information you have posted on this thread are like catnip to those of us who love ships and their history. I wish there was a way to bundle all of the ships' stories and pictures into one big reference. I would turn to it often, and take it with us on our cruises for sure. Of course, this is a living conversation that may never end, if we're lucky. I would love to see you publish all of this work, but now I might be violating some CC policy. :o What are your thoughts?

Bringing up the rear, having just now found this FABULOUS thread. Copper, you should compile your encyclopedic knowledge and photos into a reference book for us fanatics. The Brits have their Train Spotters, but we are the Ship Spotters. Is it something in the shape of a ship that fuses onto our retinas and makes us happy?

Anyway, I've already bored you all with my maunderings about ms Pacific Princess (orig. Sea Venture), the iconic Love Boat, and aptly named :D . I was first hooked the year before (1975) when my friend and I were on a 2-week Scandinavian land tour that included a one-night voyage from Stockholm to Helsinki. We were on a Siljia Line auto ferry and had a tiny little bunk-bedded inside cabin. There was a buffet with all the shrimp you could eat. I woke at dawn to watch us come in to port. It was wonderful, and I haven't looked back.

Bringing up the rear, having just now found this FABULOUS thread. Copper, you should compile your encyclopedic knowledge and photos into a reference book for us fanatics. The Brits have their Train Spotters, but we are the Ship Spotters. Is it something in the shape of a ship that fuses onto our retinas and makes us happy?

Anyway, I've already bored you all with my maunderings about ms Pacific Princess (orig. Sea Venture), the iconic Love Boat, and aptly named :D . I was first hooked the year before (1975) when my friend and I were on a 2-week Scandinavian land tour that included a one-night voyage from Stockholm to Helsinki. We were on a Siljia Line auto ferry and had a tiny little bunk-bedded inside cabin. There was a buffet with all the shrimp you could eat. I woke at dawn to watch us come in to port. It was wonderful, and I haven't looked back.

Copper-10, here's a big hug for those wonderful photos! Thank you.

Mrs Muir

Herb, see what you've missed while you weren't cruising the HAL board? Doug posted all this great info after I plaintively asked for an explanation of the classes of the ships. He must have received many other requests, so he put this together. I printed it out and keep it in my briefcase to peruse on the bus on the way to work and back. Also useful is Copper-10's treatise on the Captains and Hotel Managers. It's good to have you back.

Mrs Muir

NurseGeorge, I'm late to this thread, and have just spent my lunch hour aboard Zuiderdam with you. Your enthusiasm is infectious (pardon my use of that term), and your writing is unforced, joyful and colorful. Your adventure takes me back 29 years to my weeklong stint in the boutique aboard Island Princess. I hope our paths cross sometime, either here in the Seattle area or aboard a Damship. Keep on writing; you're a natural!

Mrs Muir

Since some others have joined this wonderful conversation, I would like to add my brief message. I, too am ship daft, and it gets worse every day. Thanks to Cruise Travel magazine, which arrived this week, I fell in love with Saga Rose, and have been devouring any information about her. So I'm sad -- but not surprised -- to hear that she will be retired in 2010. I say "retired" because I cannot bear the thought of classic ships being beached and cut apart. My husband and I have a HAL cruise planned for October of this year, and it will financially irresponsible of us to book a cruise on Saga Rose, but when it comes to ships, reason flies, doesn't it?

Thank you for letting me eavesdrop on your memories. I've never sailed on a classic ship (unless you count the original Love Boat, the Pacific Princess), but my husband and I were married aboard the moored Queen Mary in Long Beach in 1978. My sister, also ship daft, recently married in the same wedding chapel on the Queen Mary. If we can't sail aboard the Saga Rose in time, or the Saga Ruby, we'll save our pennies for the Victoria. If the designers have listened to us at all, they'll make sure that Victoria is stately and traditional, and that there won't be a rock wall or bungee jump in sight.

Here's to the ships of the 1930s!

Mrs Muir

Thank you, Doug and Walt. The more I learn about the ships, the more I want to know.

Mrs M.