CGTNORMANDIE

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

"I once loved the sea.  Now, I hate it."  I have read that quote by the Captain in more than one book about the tragedy.  

Very true and very sad.  Captain Calamai ended up wondering the streets in a daze.

4 hours ago, Lois R said:

Hi friends.........CGT......how are you feeling?🙂.........I went on a cruise to Greece on July 6th.......sailed from the 8th to the 18th. Got back last Sunday. Can't believe I have been home a week.......and I realized how much I loved cruising........so much so, I booked another cruise---going to Alaska next month😃

 

Anyway, I love fresh squeezed orange juice.......

 

Hope all of you are doing well🙂

Hi Lois all is well here…strong recovery.  
 

My favorite juice…passion fruit sometimes mixed with fresh orange or pineapple.  Try and find passion fruit onboard a ship!

4 hours ago, Lois R said:

I love creamed cheese🙂...and lox and bagels...........yummy!

 

Hi CGT.......and BB and RKA..........hope all of you are doing well. I was on a cruise to the Greek Islands and have been home a week........this land thing? Give me the water any day.  I didn't realize how much I missed cruising until I got back from this cruise. I have been home since last Sunday.......and this week I stepped out of that land box and booked another cruise. Going to Alaska next month🙂

Hi Lois, i am doing very well since my triple bypass four weeks ago.  I followed your cruise on Silversea…good reading…wished I was there.  They say the quickest way to get over cruise withdrawal is to book another cruise…lol.

So who is cruising next??

2 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

July 25, 2021, at 11:10 P. M., will be the 65th Anniversary of this tragedy.  So sad.  So tragic.  And, could have been avoided.  

Hard to believe 65 years have passed.  Yes it was a tragedy to be avoided.  The loss of life was tragic.  One of the the saddest stories was Captain Calamai who spent the rest of his life in depression.   

On 7/20/2021 at 9:27 PM, pgerbphoto said:

 

My husband and I are getting ready to book a cruise on the MSC Divina, and I got this “concerned” text from my stepmom:

 

“Just do me a favor and check in to MSC cruises. I could be totally wrong, but there’s something in the back of my mind that they’ve had problems. Again, I could be totally wrong and confusing it with something else. But I think it’s worth checking into. I hesitated to say anything because I don’t want to dampen your spirits. But I would just feel better if you read some reviews on that cruise line. There’s just something in the back of my mind that they’ve had a problem or problems.”

Thoughts??

Your stepmother is thinking about events from years ago.  MSC did have teething problems while they built their fleet.  Comparing MSC from 10 years ago and now is like comparing apples to oranges.  You can look forward to your cruise on Divina without your DMIL’s concern.

1 hour ago, Sandcastle11 said:

I have gone through all of the posts on this particular board.   I see that starboard might give more afternoon sunshine.  Sunset is better seen from Port.   But I’ve not found where anyone has commented on views once you hit land in Europe? 

 

we are booked from Ft Lauderdale to Rome April 20- May 2.   This will be our first transatlantic.   I am guessing that will be a fairly southern Route.   Will it be fairly warm or cool?   So anxious to start cruising again….
 

thanks!   
Caren

Starboard will catch the afternoon sun.  You will be taking the southern route and will be in fairly mild temperatures…high 60’s to low 70’s and a bit warmer in the Mediterranean.

10 hours ago, BklynBoy8 said:

Make that for Two (2) with a Proper Cup of Coffee.

We also have several companies making fresh baked Asiago Cheese bagels…grilled with butter…delish!

6 hours ago, BklynBoy8 said:

No one know bagels better than New Yorkers. Done properly they are like feathers. Not bread like and not cake like. But like a Bagel. New Yorkers are lucky to have about 8 styles Plain, Onion, Egg, Garlic, Everything, Cinn Raisin, Rye, Pumpernickel to name the most common. Made right, they are like eating potato chips.

 

Cheese Danish do use a cheese like also our local bakery also make a Cheese ring (about 10"). I have ask my bakery friend get back to this question.

Nothing better than a well made bagel.  They can be found in NY, Boston, Portland and Montreal.  Give me an everything with smoked salmon, whipped cream cheese and sliced onion.

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I have done the same, although I have not ordered a plate of cheese.  If there is a particular soup being offered, I would probably order that as well.  

 

A first world problem to be sure:  but those evenings when there are 2-3 or more appetizers and 2-3 entrees on the same menu:  decisions, decisions, decisions!  😧

I have often made up an entire meal from the appetizers.  When you don’t feel like eating a lot and the main menu doesn’t appeal…the small appetizer plates fill the bill.  

6 hours ago, Rotterdam said:

Or a check from Jeff bBezos, Michael Bloomberg, the Sackler family,  Mark Schmuckerberg and a host of others.

Well said!

5 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Disappointing.  Some of the historic WW II ships at Pearl Harbor have been preserved by the National Park Service.  In her own way, the United States is historic as well.  But, as we all know, NPS is a very severely underfunded agency of our Government.  Just not the money for their participation in trying to save the ship, I am sure.  It's too bad that a prominent legislator or two or more could not be persuaded to get interest in such preservation.  

It would take Presidential support along with both houses.

10 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

 

Have you any knowledge of the financial condition of the Conservancy?  

 

S. S. United States was built with a subsidy from the Federal Government with the intent, as I understand it, that the ship could be used by the U. S. Navy as a troop transport ship, if such was needed.  That subsidy was significant, as I recall.  Has any attempt been made to enlist the Federal Government in preserving the ship as a national monument?  

The Conservancy continues to hang on.  Some of the donations have been significant in the hundreds of thousands.  There is still great interest in preserving the SSUS.  The ship can be preserved and used for multiple venues.  It is my opinion that this can only be done if she is raised out of water.  This can be done by parking her at a suitable pier and then building a solid platform beneath her and then gently raising her as the platform is constructed to above sea level.  
 

There has been zero interest from the government.  

49 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Probably a reason for such a thorough gutting of the interior was the need to remove asbestos.  

Yes…the ship was towed to Turkey and all asbestos removed.

25 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

You are more optimistic than I that this could be done.  

There are those of us who still believe this can be done.

 

The ones of which I am aware have interests in other causes:  space flights, humanitarian issues, etc.  

Most of them don’t benefit US causes…even though they made their money here.  

 

Complete agreement with your post.  Ms. Gibbs, and I think the relatives of the final Master of the S. S. United States, Captain Anderson, have been involved in the Conservancy efforts.

I hear the same thing.  I am also a member of the SSUS Conservancy.

I asked a question on a previous post and did not receive an answer.  (There may not be one, I realize.)  The Conservancy on their web site is still requesting donations.  Why?  How would such money be used?

The money is used to pay the docking fees and promoting the idea of saving this important national monument.  The ship represents the best of America.  

 

2 hours ago, marco said:

I think today (July 18) is the date that the AD left Italy for it's ill fated voyage across

the Atlantic in 1956. Geeezzzz.....65 years ago!

Correct…time sure does fly.  I was a 7 year old glued to a TV set watching the tragedy.  

Thanks for the pix.  Like I said…a benevolent billionaire.  The bones in the SSUS are still good.  If they turned the ship into an inside convention venue it could work.   They would not have to restore the entire interior.  I envision a convention venue where the ship is raised and covered while being attached to a larger convention center.  This could work.  The Big U is a great achievement of American industrial might and should be saved if possible.  The SSUS Conservatory has done a heroic job keeping the dream alive.  Thanks to Susan Gibbs and many others.  Susan Gibbs is Francis Gibbs grand daughter.  Of the hundreds of ships designed by Gibbs and Cox the SSUS was Francis Gibbs life long dream and most crowning achievement.  

Thanks for the display NB.  Funny story…somewhere in my attic there is a stack of those blue ash trays.  The bar man wanted to get rid of them so I obliged…lol.  I must have at least 5… lol.   

7 hours ago, marco said:

I'm pretty sure it was today's date, 1968 that we sailed to Italy on the "Raffaello".  Doesn't seem like it's over 50 years ago, now.

It was July 14, 1965 that I set sail from NY onboard the original Queen Elizabeth for my first sailing on n ocean liner.  Ironically it was on a Wednesday.  

On 7/7/2021 at 4:17 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

Do not disagree with you regarding the late night displays of food.  But, the gluttony that I have witnessed in the buffet restaurants is disgusting.  The food waste that I have seen Stewards clear from the tables----!  

 

I have particular issue with the change to huge plastic salad bowls in the Lido Restaurants on HAL ships.  Even pre-Covid, those salad bars were not self-serve.  But, it was very easy for the server to give one more of "this item and that item" than I would have done for myself.  I cannot tell you the number of times that I have observed those salad bowls being carted away to garbage disposal with much food remaining.  

RK, I do believe that we could have a separate thread based on the gluttony we have witnessed at the buffet…LOL.  Call me perverse but I have even taken pictures of pax loading up like it was The Last Supper…lol.  Some of the scenes at the buffet on embarkation day are priceless.  The crew members must think these people are crazy.  

On 7/7/2021 at 4:26 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

My memory of the S. S. United States' 

 history is a bit hazy, but didn't NCL initially make an investment in this ship with the intent of returning her to service?  If my memory is correct, didn't the Company understand the implications of their investment?  

Yes NCL got involved and then came to the same conclusion every other marine surveyor came to…it can’t be done.  I believe SS US could become a convention center if done under cover and connected to a larger forum.  That would take billions.  

2 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

The fuel costs would be astronomical. To compare to SS Oriana (80,000 HP), which when we ran at full speed for a couple of days used 500 tons of Bunkers per day. We got up to 32 kts. The SS United States had double the number of boilers (don't know how many fires in each), double the turbines and triple the power.

 

Extrapolating the fuel comsumption for the increased power, makes it uneconomical when paying over $500/ton for fuel. At full speed, fuel costs would be close to $1 million/day.

The SS US turbines are shot.  They would need to be replaced.  I remember the SS France burned a ton per mile when running on all four propellers.  If any of you know what a home heating oil tank looks like…just think it took more than 3,000 of those to cross the Atlantic.  

1 hour ago, Lois R said:

Hi friends😀just thought I would say hello as I am in the Newark airport on my way to Greece😀sailing on Thursday. Will definitely be partaking In a cocktail or 2 (or 10) LOL

Hope everyone is doing well😁

You go girl!!  Keep us posted on your cruise.  

On 6/29/2021 at 6:47 PM, Vanna Ocean said:

I remember the midnight buffets from when I started going on cruises in the mid-1990s.   What I wonder is when did the major cruise lines decide to discontinue them ... and what was/were the major reasons?   As spectacular as they were, I can imagine that they would be crew-killers.  In other words, after working hard from early morning, they would have a huge amount of cleaning, etc. to do very late.   For that reason, I'm glad that midnight buffets aren't done anymore.  - Anyway, these days, I'm pretty much in bed by 12, as I like to be up fairly early - especially if excursions are early.    

The eating habits of the pax/customers changed as time went by.  The whole idea of a cruise changed as the ships got bigger and hungrier for revenue…more entertainment, specialty dining and cost cutting.  

On 7/1/2021 at 7:55 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

Respectfully, we are going to have to agree to disagree on the appearance of that area.  The class liner ship design remains.  Compare that to the newbuild Cunard ship's artist's conception, this "new design" of the United States is more pleasing to me than the Cunard design.  

I hate to say it but the prospects of the SS United States returning to pax service is very remote.  You would need a very benevolent multi billionaire.  

1 hour ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

Hi gang,

I’m here…recuperating.  They moved me from the ICU last night.  I went in Monday at 6:00 AM and was out after 12:00 Noon. They cracked my chest and did a fantastic job with my triple bypass.  I was very weak and sore for the first 5 days.  Tonight I was able to walk a great distance with a walker.  I think I’ll be going home in two more days.   Then I will put the full press on for a new kidney!  Then it will be TIME FOR A CRUISE!!

All the best to all of you,

CGT

 

Thanks BB,

It’s going to be one helluva party…for sure!  Let’s hope for better weather tomorrow.  Love the Pops and the Washington celebration…and the fireworks.