What’s your ideal Sail Away Celebration?

[Btimmer]

8 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I have sailed when this song was being played over the PA.  Btimmer, wasn't this song played when we sailed from Seattle?  

My memory is a bit fuzzy, but I thought I remembered Amazing Grace being played during the sail away.  I could be wrong, however.

[rkacruiser]

16 minutes ago, Btimmer said:

My memory is a bit fuzzy, but I thought I remembered Amazing Grace being played during the sail away.  I could be wrong, however.

 

Memory being fuzzy?  Mine could be as well.  It amazes me what I can remember.  Then, I wonder why I can't remember some other things!  Whatever, it was one memorable sailaway!

 

 

[Caribbean Chris]

My favorites were about 40 years ago when people still could have little pre-sailing parties in their staterooms for friends until the final “all ashore” call. Then everyone moved to the promenade deck railings facing the pier to wave goodbye at friends down below. The staff brought coiled paper serpentines you could toss to all the people down there (holding one end, of course) and that formed a mass of colored paper streamers. As the ship pulled away, the ties to shore were literally broken.

 

I remember doing this on RCCL’s Song of Norway in Miami and on various Royal Viking Line vessels out of San Francisco after I went to work for the company. Good times.

[RuthC]

3 hours ago, Caribbean Chris said:

My favorites were about 40 years ago when people still could have little pre-sailing parties in their staterooms for friends until the final “all ashore” call. Then everyone moved to the promenade deck railings facing the pier to wave goodbye at friends down below. The staff brought coiled paper serpentines you could toss to all the people down there (holding one end, of course) and that formed a mass of colored paper streamers. As the ship pulled away, the ties to shore were literally broken.

Those days were amazing fun. 

I only experienced it once, on my first cruise (on HAL) back in 1978, but so grateful I had that opportunity. It was even out of NYC, which is always so very special anyway. 
What an introduction to cruising! 

[jeh10641]

My first HAL cruise from New York City to Rotterdam in 1959 - loved the streamers! I forgot about those.

 

Jim

[prescottbob]

1. Best sail-away parties: Grand Cruises / WC’s. Music and unlimited beverages.

 

2. Best sail- away music tune (when we were sailing on the old Star Clipper): Conquest of Paradise (Vangelis / 1492 movie).

 
3. Best adult beverage: Mango Daiquiri in the Crow’s Nest following the safety drill. 
A old tradition for us.

 

  4. Appreciating how fortunate you and loved ones are.

 

JMO

 

Be well.

Bob


 

[rkacruiser]

12 hours ago, Caribbean Chris said:

The staff brought coiled paper serpentines you could toss to all the people down there (holding one end, of course) and that formed a mass of colored paper streamers. As the ship pulled away, the ties to shore were literally broken.

 

One experience of this was when my Mother and I sailed from Los Angeles on the S. S. Monterey.  LA friends took us to the pier and were visitors on our ship.  They were across from us on the pier and caught some of our streamers that we threw.  As you described, the "ties were broken".  A bit afterwards, my Mother noticed a bracelet that she had been wearing was missing.  We went back to where we were on the deck when we were sailing thinking that it had fallen off her wrist and was on deck.  Not so.  There is a bracelet (not valuable, however,) lying in the mud on the Los Angeles harbor near from where the Monterey sailed.  

[KroozNut]

I fondly remember the confetti days at sail-away, it was such a grand tradition! But the environmental wacko's put an end to that one, along with so many other great events, like golf ball driving and skeet shooting from the fantail for example.

[Navybikermom]

On 4/9/2022 at 10:16 AM, StLouisCruisers said:

My favorite sailaway was leaving Venice with Andrea Bocelli's "Time to Say Goodbye" playing for us.  A beautiful song for a beautiful experience.🥰

That is my favorite song ever! I agree that sailaways used to be much better. 

[oakridger]

14 hours ago, Caribbean Chris said:

My favorites were about 40 years ago when people still could have little pre-sailing parties in their staterooms for friends until the final “all ashore” call. Then everyone moved to the promenade deck railings facing the pier to wave goodbye at friends down below. The staff brought coiled paper serpentines you could toss to all the people down there (holding one end, of course) and that formed a mass of colored paper streamers. As the ship pulled away, the ties to shore were literally broken.

 

I remember doing this on RCCL’s Song of Norway in Miami and on various Royal Viking Line vessels out of San Francisco after I went to work for the company. Good times.

 

My very first cruise was on Royal Viking Line from San Francisco in 1982 and had the onboard guests in my cabin.  Sailed away with the paper streamers!  What a memory!

 

~Nancy

Edited April 12, 2022 by oakridger

[Caribbean Chris]

7 hours ago, oakridger said:

 

My very first cruise was on Royal Viking Line from San Francisco in 1982 and had the onboard guests in my cabin.  Sailed away with the paper streamers!  What a memory!

 

~Nancy

That was the year I joined RVL. I think the SFO sailaways were extra special since that was the company’s headquarters city and a lot of the permanent staff would be at the pier on embarkation day. It was a wonderful company with a great staff.