bcscot

That was very interesting & informative.Thank you.Was the Stella Polaris given that name by BDS or Sun Line?You said Viking used the name for lounges but Sun Line used the name Stella for their ships?Confusing.

Thank you for the grand welcome aboard Admiral Ruby.There is no icon here for genuflexing but consider it done! I hope that you enjoy your weekend with Harry Potter.

Thank you for the technical advice,most of which went straight over my head.However,not to worry,I speak more Tagalog than you by the sounds of things!!!

My mother was a teacher of dance,including ballet.Swan Lake was one of her favourites also,although her great favourite was Sleeping Beauty,which happened to be the first ballet that I ever saw.It was in Dunedin,New Zealand,performed by the Royal Ballet,Saddler's Wells.My mother trained children for the Scottish Ballet & did some of her training under Dame Margot Fontein (?spelling).

Speaking of my mother brings me to my first question.She used to talk about cruising on the Med. with her mother,I think it would have been in the 1930s.You mentioned the Stella Solaris,she sailed on the Stella Polaris.Would that be the same Stella Polaris that was latterly moored as a restaurant in Japan & recently sank while being moved? Anyone? Doug.?

She also talked about one very rough cruise on a ship she called the 'vomiting Venus'! Any ideas on this one?

In 1939 she was sent out to South Africa with her sister & cousin to visit their Aunt Helen who was a formidible old nursing matron in Jo'burg.On the way home war was declared & she told of helping to paint the ship grey.They also had to zigzag their way home incase of submarines!I do not know the ship but believe that it was probably a Union Castle ship.

So many old ships that I have just missed the chance of experiencing,including the last of the Union Castle line;the Dunnotter castle,a 1930s ship only recently sent on her final journey to the sub-continent.I do hope someone finds a home for the Rose.So sad about the France/Norway.France should have given her a home & a graceful retirement.Dubai cannot be short of a spare dollar or two.Imagine the France & QE2 side by side in graceful retirement!What a pair.Also,the fact that Carnival had no interest in preserving the old Empress Of Canada,their first ship,is a testament to the lack of soul in that organisation.At least the QE2 & the old Rotterdam will be around for people to experience in the future along with the Qeen Mary,the Victory,the Cutty Sark(I hope),the Royal Yaught Brittania (sorry,I have a mental blank there on spelling & no dictionary handy) & others.How about the United States? Another national let down?

Donald, I have known about the famous Saga & VistaFjords for many years but I first saw the SagaRuby in Ocho Rios,Jamaica in march 2005 shortly after she joined Saga.She was beautiful & such classic lines esp. for a 1970s ship.I watched her sail out to sea that evening with the warm glow of the setting sun reflecting off her.Talk about romance! The following year I saw Saga Rose in Copenhagen.I have longed to sail on those ships,always sometime in the future though.....until SOLAS. Next year we are booked on QE2,so hopefully it will be SagaRose sometime in 2009,to anywhere,but ideally North Africa or the Med. Graham

Hello everyone.This is my debut on Cruise Critic.I have enjoyed reading the Cruise Critic boards & features for a year or two now,using my wife's user name,but I have never before been inspired to take part,until now. I think that this is a wonderful thread.The discussions are interesting,intelligent,informative & entertaining.I especially enjoy Ruby's rich use of language & subtle sense of humour. I have been working my way through the pages like a good book that is difficult to put down,all the time,my memories coming flooding back.It leaves me with a good feeling;sort of warm & fuzzy!Wonderful escapism.Thank you all. People 'of a certain age' are frequently far more interesting to listen to.The years of experience & maturing like a fine wine! I am but a lad of 49.However next year I will be 50 & the only thing I look forward to about that is of course................I will be mature enough to sail on the Saga sisters which I have wanted to do for over 20 years. The only problem here is- I cannot type.Search & pluck......search & pluck!!! I haven't sorted out this spacing thing yet either.When I have another free two or three hours to type another message,I have some questions to ask! phew!!!