Voyages of Discovery 12.3.16

[OlsSalt]

Thanks for your tips about the Fred Olson ships which have also intrigued us since we would see them in the remoter ports along with our VOD ship. Read also some comments elsewhere comparing Fred Olsen ships to other small lines and said the food and the speakers were not that good - we thought the food on the Voyager was very good and the speakers superb.

Edited July 17, 2016 by OlsSalt

[OlsSalt]

Just because, Frank Sinatra does Kipling, with a little Merken vernacular throw in just because too:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np4PHKn2PzQ

[OlsSalt]

How about this one with some very interesting and historic visuals accompanying Old Blue Eyes this time: and yet they do show a real road to Mandalay -so who knows what Kipling meant .........

 

[tring]

Thanks for your tips about the Fred Olson ships which have also intrigued us since we would see them in the remoter ports along with our VOD ship. Read also some comments elsewhere comparing Fred Olsen ships to other small lines and said the food and the speakers were not that good - we thought the food on the Voyager was very good and the speakers superb.

 

Must admit I have been very critical of Fred's food in the last couple of months, but to be honest that is partly because Fred used to have exceptionally good food and we still had that last Nov/Dec. My husband has been very pleased with the food, even recently - but I suggest that is because he is a meat with two veg man, but I prefer something a bit different. Their cold food has still been very good when we have been on board, but with a smaller selection of the Norwegian smoked and marinated salmon, trout etc. that they have always been good with. Food was not as bad as P&O though (a Carnival brand).

 

There have been occasions when a bug (norovirus.....perhaps) has got a hold on a ship and they have been slow to get rid of it which has been annoying.

Speakers do not have the academic type base of VOD or Swan (who we find better than VOD).

 

Fred's organisation is lacking at times and we have had a couple of late itinerary changes that would have not been needed if they had got their act together earlier.

 

Overall must admit we would prefer VOD over Fred, but we go for the itineraries mainly so would use either. Not convinced Fred would be the right one for you though. Coming so far (and at such expense) before the start of the cruise, I think I would probably be looking for something a bit better.

 

The pics in your second link were good but Frank Sinatra was a bit before our time.

Edited July 17, 2016 by tring

[OlsSalt]

A bit more contemporary version of The Road to Mandalay - called an "American art song" is from opera hunk Thomas Hampson also singing it, but the clear winner is the tinny rendition by Nelson Eddy which is the most lyrical of them all:

 

Hampson:

Eddy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0oyuCji0yc&list=RDC0oyuCji0yc#t=0

 

A bit of a time capsule for some of us of a certain age who grew up listening and dreaming about Far Away Places with Strange Sounding Names ...... calling, calling meeeeeeeeeeeee.

Edited July 17, 2016 by OlsSalt

[tring]

I do like the drama of both of the first two - very invigorating.

 

The third one tends to make me want to go to sleep........then again it is 1.00am over here so perhaps that is what I should be doing!

 

That third one is familiar to me and I do remember the name Perry Como.

 

I am not that young but none the less we think of our 'era' as the late sixties and 'The Stones'. It is surprising how many cruise passengers in their later years will still migrate to a dance floor once we have requested, "Brown Sugar" or similar. One DJ on a Fred ship look amazed and said, "This is just like a crew party!!". My knees are never good the next day though.

 

Fred prefer to encourage ballroom dancers and have dance hosts who tend to take everything over - even disco's, (if we let them that is.....).

 

Cheers,

 

Barbara

Edited July 18, 2016 by tring