snaebyllej

We went Tourist Class on the Raffaello, and I'll never forget the Italian guy who thought that a tank top style undershirt was appropriate attire for the dining room.

In Tourist Class or Cabin Class on a classic liner? I doubt very many of the passengers owned a tuxedo.

Let's see; in a Force 10 storm, would I rather be in an outside cabin, or in an inside cabin with less motion?

SOA had the first wrap-around lounge, and it was the first where they let an eventual purchaser keep it.

With year first sailed on them: 1969: SS France 1969: SS Nieuw Amsterdam (II) 1974: MS Mikhail Lermontov 1974: SS Raffaello 1981: SS Emerald Seas 1981: MV Adzhariya 1983: SS Mardi Gras 1984: MS Mikhail Kalinen 1984: MS Nieuw Amsterdam (III) 1987: MS The Victoria 1988: SS Regent Sun 1994: SS Pacific Princess 1999: SS Island Breeze Also Queen Elizabeth 2 (1986); not exactly gone but not sailing any more. Also a couple of little ones, which are hard to find info on: HS Tut (1981, Sheraton Nile Cruises), MV Santa Cruz (2006, Metropolitan Touring).

Interesting to think about, but kind of sad, too; I hadn't realized that the Marella Spirit (Nieuw Amsterdam III) had been scrapped. With the current situation, can't help but think that others will follow. Ones that I can think of, with first year I sailed on them: 1984: Song of America -> Celestyal Olympia 1985: Noordam -> Marella Celibration (?) 1991: Royal Princess -> Artania 1992: Royal Majesty -> Crown Iris 1996: Norwegian Crown -> Balmoral 1999: Norwegian Sea -> SuperStar Libra 1999: R Three -> Pacific Princess 2000: Crown Princess -> Karnika 2001: Legend of the Seas -> Marella Discovery 2 2002: Zenith -> Peace Boat (?) 2007: Pride of Aloha -> Norwegian Sky 2007: Tahitian Princess -> Sirena 2015: Rotterdam -> ? 2020: Veendam -> ?

On the ship they said that she turned out to be in much worse condition than expected when they got her back.

AMHS COVID-19 Protocols: http://dot.alaska.gov/amhs/covid19.shtml

Marco Polo. Sailed transatlantic on her sister Mikhail Lermontov back in 1974, in rather more primitive conditions (hopefully). Shared facilities, and the East Germans seemingly didn't know how to make proper plumbing. Pretty much any classic ship; every time one is scrapped I'm mad at myself for not trying harder to go on it.

It was the reports of service cutback or elimination that inspired me to return to Alaska last fall and find ferries to travel on. I had been to Alaska on the Royal Princess in the spring, but I wasn't thrilled with her (too big and too inward-facing, like a lot of the new ships in recent years). After a few days in Sitka, I spent a day and a night on the MV Columbia, and 2 days and nights on the MV Kennicott. Had a great time in Sitka and on both ships. It was refreshing to be on "working" ships that still seem like ships and not like resort hotels, and to be up close to the scenery in a way that you can't on a huge cruise ship. I was hoping to get back up there this spring to try some other ships and towns. Oh, well. Maybe in the fall?