Song of America

[shipgeeks]

We just purchased a beautiful vintage poster of Song of America, Ship of the Year, 1985.

Do any of you have memories you could share about this ship?

[CruisinNole]

Song of America was our very first cruise -- 1989. Of course, she was beautiful and we had a wonderful time. I guess that's obvious since we're still cruising 30 years later. I'm looking at the scrapbook my husband put together after our cruise. We had a Bar Credit Card which was in addition to the Sea Pass card that was called a Landing Card. We also have the passenger list. It came in a printed booklet. And the Cruise Compasses! What a hoot! I'm so glad you started this thread. I haven't looked at this scrapbook in ages and it's fun to look back on the beginning of a terrific 30 years of cruising. 

[cruiserhal]

Never a problem getting a chair/lounger.  According to the information sheet we received numerous times in the 80's, the SOA had 1404 passengers and 1600 deck chairs.  Ah, for that ratio again.  🙂 

[cruisinghawg]

Never sailed on this ship but saw it many times in ports. If my memory is correct it bridged the gap between the Song of Norway and Sovereign classes. It was the only ship built in its size. Once the Sovereign came out all other ships were named ___________ Of The Seas. 

[cruiserhal]

23 minutes ago, cruisinghawg said:

Never sailed on this ship but saw it many times in ports. If my memory is correct it bridged the gap between the Song of Norway and Sovereign classes. It was the only ship built in its size. Once the Sovereign came out all other ships were named ___________ Of The Seas. 

You are correct that it was the only one of its size.  We sailed on her 5 times to different locations starting in 1988 and always with Captain Eriksen.   I still use the Song of America coffee cup for my daily tea.  I guess we always fondly remember our first ship.

[molik]

Song of America was our first cruise also. That got us hooked on cruising and have been cruising ever since. We had an inside cabin and loved it. The service was outstanding.

 

[jsf]

We started cruising in 1991 on Empress  and we did the Song a couple years later. The thing I remember was the way the beds were setup at right angles to each other. Boy cruising sure was a lot of fun back then, seems like things have changed.

J.

[CruiseKeeper]

Our first 3 cruises were on the SOA.   She was such a huge ship...to us.   We sailed from Manhattan to Bermuda costing us around $800 pp  for inside cabins.  Service was extraordinary, we were wow’d enough to continue with Royal for more than 70 cruises since then.  We’ve since branched out to other lines as well.  Royal sure knew what they were doing.  

[Scotty G]

Likewise Song of America was our first cruise ship from Manhattan to Bermuda. Three cruises on her and then one on Nordic Empress. John and Katrina were our cruise director and assistant on at least one of them. There was a guest who sailed consecutively for several years and then switched to Princess since she was getting bored! The tiny 2 person lift to the Viking Crown was indeed a novelty. 

On one cruise we experienced a rouge wave while returning to NYC. It was early Sunday morning and we were tossed out of bed deck 6 inside cross hallway. Our floor was wet and two outside cabins had windows broken in. All of the goods in the gift shops were smashed and broken. They did do repairs and sailed that afternoon. Has not deterred us from cruising!!

Edited August 4, 2019 by Scotty G

[Aquahound]

She's still around.

 

[DiamondDiva]

Our second cruise ever was on SOA in late December, 1982, when she was in her first month out of drydock and from Miami to Nassau, San Juan and St Thomas.  New Years Eve was a very rocky night at the end of a huge storm and caused many

funny-looking dance steps as we all rolled around (alcohol contributed as well, I am sure!)   We both also remember the huge crowd of people from St Thomas and other ships on that dock watching as the SOA used her newly-developed side thrusters to leave port.  

 

We are about to embark on cruise 35 on Celebrity Millenium at the end of this month.  So many memories, so many interesting people and places of the world! 

[bbfgator]

Our honeymoon cruise 33 years ago...still married :).  Great time, wonderful ship - still cruising!

[TerpsBball]

Did my very first cruise in July 1987 aboard the Song of America out of Miami.  The stops were San Juan, St. Thomas, and a brand new RCCL private place called Labadee.  There were no SeaPass cards, it was a cash cruise.  Great ship to hook me on cruising.

Edited August 4, 2019 by TerpsBball

[Se@wing]

Hi,

 

   just picked up on this post and triggered good memories.

 

First sailed on Song in 1996, Manhattan to Bermuda and back. Memorable for the fact we left Bermuda early to get ahead of a hurricane.

 

   In 1999 we sailed on her again but in a different guise. By that time she sailed under the "Airtours" brand. A U.K. based holiday operator. We sailed then from Palma, Majorca around the Med.

 

   I believe it was unusual back then as they allowed the R.C. Signature Viking Crown Lounge to remain in place. I think on some ships they removed prior to it being passed to other operators.

 

    Still come across it from time to time in the Med during the summer in recent years.

 

Iain

[shipgeeks]

Thank you for all the happy memories, everyone!  You have greatly enhanced our pleasure with our new poster, which has now been hung in the hallway, next to our bookcase full of ship books.

[ONECRUISER]

7 hours ago, cruisinghawg said:

Never sailed on this ship but saw it many times in ports. If my memory is correct it bridged the gap between the Song of Norway and Sovereign classes. It was the only ship built in its size. Once the Sovereign came out all other ships were named ___________ Of The Seas. 

Song of America was double size Song of Norway in GT, Sovereign 4 times size. Was on Sovereign back in 1988 one of her first Cruises, she was huge compared to rest of Cruise Ships, most being Carnival/NCL/Princess "Love Boat" size ships. SOA only other Cruise ship close in size. Think last time saw Song of America(MS Sunbird) was 17yrs ago. I was on Grandeur in Curacao doing 10nite, she was there and small enough to park on other side of Queen Emma Bridge. Watched as Former SOA turned and parked, then at end of day sped out she moving like a fast Yacht then as a Cruise Ship...Memories

Edited August 4, 2019 by ONECRUISER

[shipgeeks]

5 hours ago, Aquahound said:

She's still around.

 

Do you know her name now?  You have whetted my appetite to know more!

[Scotty G]

22 minutes ago, shipgeeks said:

Do you know her name now?  You have whetted my appetite to know more!

Celestyal Olympic

 

https://americas.celestyalcruises.com//en/our-fleet?gclid=Cj0KCQjwhJrqBRDZARIsALhp1WQK-Np4xk2hZOtE2xTqlDEoiirnrfoxTn1mFrCJqur0RzLCv6ylc6kaAg78EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

[matt'smom]

Our honeymoon 30 years ago this September!  We have been cruising ever since and our son at 25 has done 20+ cruises.  Was on enchantment couple years later and stayed in the Song of America suite.  Celebrating our 30 wedding anniversary and 30 anniversary of first cruise on the Allure!

[CruiseKeeper]

I just dug out our sea pass cards from the SOA in 94.  Our table for breakfast, lunch and dinner was in the Madam Butterfly dining room.   We made good friends with a couple we had as table mates that we still cruise with after these many years. 

[cruisinghawg]

4 hours ago, ONECRUISER said:

Song of America was double size Song of Norway in GT, Sovereign 4 times size. Was on Sovereign back in 1988 one of her first Cruises, she was huge compared to rest of Cruise Ships, most being Carnival/NCL/Princess "Love Boat" size ships. SOA only other Cruise ship close in size. Think last time saw Song of America(MS Sunbird) was 17yrs ago. I was on Grandeur in Curacao doing 10nite, she was there and small enough to park on other side of Queen Emma Bridge. Watched as Former SOA turned and parked, then at end of day sped out she moving like a fast Yacht then as a Cruise Ship...Memories

Yes as we have sailed on the SON in 91 on her southern Caribbean itinerary. This was a year after sailing on SOS., so imagine our shock. 

Our first cruise was on the SS Norway and its elegance was very evident. Being a converted transatlantic liner was something to see.

Once the SOS came out the SON went to western Caribbean cruises until MOS was launched in 92. Nor sure if she went to the southern Caribbean or not. 

[CruisinCons]

We sailed her in April 1997, on the repo from San Juan to New York City (as NJ wasn't a port yet).  The roughest seas we ever sailed.  Even the crew was sick, it was so bad!  We had never been so happy to set foot on land as we were once we reached Bermuda.  We had 2 over nights in Hamilton, then one day in St. Georges.  The seas from Bermuda to NY were amazingly calm compared to the first leg of the trip.  Did I mention I was pregnant, and couldn't take any meds?  My seasickness was nowhere near as bad as my husband's, but at least he could take meds.  While on a tour in Bermuda, a nice couple on the bus told us about the wonderful sea bands they had on their wrists that saved the cruise for them, as they were barely sick.  I could use those!! They were not well known about, as there was plenty in the shop on aboard.  We each got a set, and 22 years later we still own them.

 

Loved the itinerary, and I'm so excited to see Empress doing those same two stops in Bermuda in 2020. Really wish we could be on one of them...

[rncruiser]

I sailed on Song of America twice, once by myself before I got married, and once a few years later when I convinced my reluctant to cruise husband that we needed to cruise. He has been hooked on cruising ever since. 

[Junkhouse]

8 hours ago, TerpsBball said:

Did my very first cruise in July 1987 aboard the Song of America out of Miami.  The stops were San Juan, St. Thomas, and a brand new RCCL private place called Labadee.  There were no SeaPass cards, it was a cash cruise.  Great ship to hook me on cruising.

Our first cruise.  Honeymoon in October '87 so same itinerary. Remember hitting golf balls off the back deck, the 1/3 sized basketball court, outside grill, and of course the Viking Lounge.  I will always have the this heavy accented announcement  ingrained in my memory: "Dinner now being served in Madam Butterfly". 

[bonsai3s]

Song of America...sigh...what fond memories.  Our first RCCL cruise.  Perhaps it worth repeating...wrote about this on another thread.  It was our table for dinner, that we shared with the most wonderful British couple (still friends to this day), the Staff Captain (not sure what his official rank was...he was just below the Captain), and then 3 seats where different/rotating entertainers shared our table.  There was free-flowing wine and "shots"...every night...provided by the sommelier.  The stories we heard from the entertainers and the Staff Captain...we cannot share here.  It was so much fun and yes...another reason we got addicted to cruising.  ☺️