Anyone Remember the "Song of America?"

[bonsai3s]

Song of America...sigh...our first ship with Royal Caribbean.

 

Assigned to a Table for 8. We were joined by a wonderful British couple. One seat was taken by the Staff Captain (second in command?), and t7he 3 remaining seats were occupied by rotating singers and dancers.

 

The Staff Captain ordered wine(s) for the table, every night. The singers and dancers drank "liquor shots" (no hands...shot glasses grabbed with the mouth, and bottoms up.)  This was back in the day when they had sommeliers in the MDR.

 

There were wild stories from the dancers and the Staff Captain...we thought every cruise with RCCL was like this...it started our cruising addiction. 

[Engineroom Snipe]

13 hours ago, srice said:

I still have a bunch of Shipshape Dollars, both the older ones and the newer ones, to spend.  🤑

With inflation, do you think you could trade them for a Royal T-shirt onboard today?

 

🤔🤣

[srice]

2 hours ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

With inflation, do you think you could trade them for a Royal T-shirt onboard today?

 

🤔🤣

Don't recon I could.  😒

[DJ Carl]

Who knows I don't

[Germancruiser]

I remember those stripped Jackets very well- in those early days every night had a theme. Really something special- so I found.

[gottagoacruzn]

Had a shipshape t shirt, then it wore out. Had to buy a yellow shirt to wear under it.

[gottagoacruzn]

On 8/29/2022 at 8:48 AM, Martini Sampler said:

Sailed on her for our 25th anniversary in 1994. Visited Bermuda back when ships docked at Front Street and Saint George. Captain was Leif Otto Bang and Cruise Director was Kyle Dodson. Quite a thrill entering the narrow channel. She was a great ship and much missed.

Hey I remember Captain Bang, bang.

[Cruising Is Bliss]

Song of America was my first cruise back in 1997 for a two week Panama Canal. She was a wonderful introduction to cruising. So sorry to see she was scrapped a couple of months ago.

[SGcvn69]

I was on this ship last week of January 1987. I was 8! I think there was supposed to be 8 stops, but I think we couldn't stop in Haiti because of a storm. Anyone remember all the ports? I know we stopped in Niagara and Honduras, but what were the port names? I think my sister and I were one of 5 kids on the ship lol! 

[westerdam]

On 2/21/2024 at 8:48 PM, Cruising Is Bliss said:

Song of America was my first cruise back in 1997 for a two week Panama Canal. She was a wonderful introduction to cruising. So sorry to see she was scrapped a couple of months ago.

She has NOT been scrapped as of yet. However, it is looking like she will be as she passed through the Suez Canal yesterday and is currently sailing down the Red Sea destination unknown. Chances are the ship breakers at Alang, India though.

[Cruising Is Bliss]

4 hours ago, westerdam said:

She has NOT been scrapped as of yet. However, it is looking like she will be as she passed through the Suez Canal yesterday and is currently sailing down the Red Sea destination unknown. Chances are the ship breakers at Alang, India though.

 

Probably. Still intact but she's been toast since last year when Celestyal Cruises parked her and bought the AIDAaura to replace her.

[Kakiwynn]

We sailed on Song of America in 1989. We had sailed on Sun Viking in 1987 for our honeymoon, so we thought Song of America was huge! We had Captain Leif Otto Bang Bang on both cruises, and Gregory Maxwell as our Cruise Director both times. It says something that we remember that after all these years. I couldn’t tell you who the captain or cruise director was on any cruises since then. 
 

We still quote Captain Bang Bang (with his accent) whenever we sail off the coast of Guadeloupe!

 

We did get credit for those cruises because I still had our boarding cards!

 

 

Edited Friday at 12:07 PM by Kakiwynn

[Philly Steve]

One of my favorite ships but one sadly that I will never likely sail.  So many happy cruisers through the decades.

[cruisegal40]

We sailed Song of Norway for our honeymoon back in 1990.  Loved going to the viking crown lounge for a pre-dinner drink. Loved the horse races by the pool,  ice carving, midnight buffet with carved fruit and such. Such wonderful memories. Thanks for bringing this back up..