Home Lines-Oceanic-cruisers

[norboy76]

On 3/7/2009 at 12:39 PM, Dancer71 said:

Mario Ratto the Chief chef 

Do you know how long he was chef on board the SS Oceanic? and what happaned to him? when was he born and when did he die? Was curious as I have a souvenir Mario Ratto Cookbook for Home Lines, but it doesn't really talk about him. The cookbook is from 1970 and has a nice gold embossed illustration of the Oceanic on the cover. I also have a melamine souvenir tray for the SS Oceanic, and 1971 menus and some really nice postcards for her too.

Edited June 4, 2021 by norboy76
updated info

[marco]

We also have that cookbook, and many other mementos and "thank you for sailing with us" gifts.  Most have a place of honor in our home and if I had a dollar for every menu I have stashed away in tubs in the attic I could retire to a chateau in the south of France!

[CGTNORMANDIE]

On 6/3/2021 at 9:17 PM, norboy76 said:

Do you know how long he was chef on board the SS Oceanic? and what happaned to him? when was he born and when did he die? Was curious as I have a souvenir Mario Ratto Cookbook for Home Lines, but it doesn't really talk about him. The cookbook is from 1970 and has a nice gold embossed illustration of the Oceanic on the cover. I also have a melamine souvenir tray for the SS Oceanic, and 1971 menus and some really nice postcards for her too.

October 16, 1971...I was standing on the deck of the TS Bremen as I watched the SS Ocenic pull out from her pier in New York.  It was one of the rowdiest departures I had ever seen.  The pax were stoked for a good time.  The band was playing and the pax were screaming.  What a Fun ship!  

[norboy76]

On 6/5/2021 at 2:33 PM, marco said:

We also have that cookbook, and many other mementos and "thank you for sailing with us" gifts.  Most have a place of honor in our home and if I had a dollar for every menu I have stashed away in tubs in the attic I could retire to a chateau in the south of France!

What became of Chef Mario? is he dead or still alive and if he died, do you know when? was just curious

[norboy76]

2 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

October 16, 1971...I was standing on the deck of the TS Bremen as I watched the SS Ocenic pull out from her pier in New York.  It was one of the rowdiest departures I had ever seen.  The pax were stoked for a good time.  The band was playing and the pax were screaming.  What a Fun ship!  

I have some nice TS Bremen items, but I forget if I showed photos of them or not, I have a beer stein, playing cards and postcards

[CGTNORMANDIE]

26 minutes ago, norboy76 said:

I have some nice TS Bremen items, but I forget if I showed photos of them or not, I have a beer stein, playing cards and postcards

Probably on the Bremen thread??

[marco]

I couldn't find a "Sitmar" thread, so I'm posting here.  While cleaning out my closet, I found a belt with "Sitmar Cruises" on the buckle. Again, a "thank you for cruising with us" gift.    Must have been on the back hook for many years.  And ya....it still fits!

[CGTNORMANDIE]

1 hour ago, marco said:

I couldn't find a "Sitmar" thread, so I'm posting here.  While cleaning out my closet, I found a belt with "Sitmar Cruises" on the buckle. Again, a "thank you for cruising with us" gift.    Must have been on the back hook for many years.  And ya....it still fits!

Sit at from the 1980’s…and it still fits??  I am impressed!!

[rkacruiser]

9 hours ago, marco said:

And ya....it still fits!

 

7 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

Sit at from the 1980’s…and it still fits??  I am impressed!!

 

The gentleman has not made enough visits to the "Midnight Buffet" during his recent cruises?  😁

[Rotterdam]

On 6/8/2021 at 8:01 PM, CGTNORMANDIE said:

October 16, 1971...I was standing on the deck of the TS Bremen as I watched the SS Ocenic pull out from her pier in New York.  It was one of the rowdiest departures I had ever seen.  The pax were stoked for a good time.  The band was playing and the pax were screaming.  What a Fun ship!  

We sailed several times in OCEANIC..the bon voyage  parties were crazy...the Home, Sitmar  & Italian Lines really knew how to throw a party, play music, with the best food with the best service & the crew wasn't too bad to look at either...and that was the first day.

The decor was chic....

Fabio all the way..we were SPOILED 

[CGTNORMANDIE]

1 hour ago, Rotterdam said:

We sailed several times in OCEANIC..the bon voyage  parties were crazy...the Home, Sitmar  & Italian Lines really knew how to throw a party, play music, with the best food with the best service & the crew wasn't too bad to look at either...and that was the first day.

The decor was chic....

Fabio all the way..we were SPOILED 

The Bon Voyage parties and sail-aways were totally insane.  Friends would be coming onboard with coolers filled with booze and ice.  There would be streamers tossed from the ship to the crowds waving from the pier.  I remember one visitor on the Amerikanis who got so loaded by the time he woke up he ended up going on the cruise…LOL.

[rkacruiser]

19 hours ago, Rotterdam said:

the bon voyage  parties were crazy...the Home, Sitmar  & Italian Lines really knew how to throw a party, play music, with the best food with the best service

 

La dolce vita!  

 

Carnival Cruise Lines and some Princess cruises throw a darn good sailaway party as well!  

 

I wonder what the sailaway Party was like when I sailed on MSC Meraviglia in January, 2020.  The ship sailed at 7:00 P. M. when many were dining.  The actual party occurred at a very aft deck venue when I was dining.  

Edited June 13, 2021 by rkacruiser

[Rotterdam]

19 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

La dolce vita!  

 

Carnival Cruise Lines and some Princess cruises throw a darn good sailaway party as well!  

 

I wonder what the sailaway Party was like when I sailed on MSC Meraviglia in January, 2020.  The ship sailed at 7:00 P. M. when many were dining.  The actual party occurred at a very aft deck venue when I was dining.  

The sailaway on Merviglia from NYC IN NOV 2019 amusing playing on the aft deck...it was cold but sailing out of MANHATTAN at nite was spectacular....

The Bon Voyage parties  that e referred to previously were when passengers  were allowed to have visitors come& see them off....Saturday afternoons there would literally be thousands of visitors seeing the shops off.... people did have food & drink 🍸...a popular spot was by the pools aboard OCEANIC as the magradome would be opened & closed depending on the weather.  It was horrible to be threesheets to the wind & get off the ships.  Someone I know had too much cold duck & the long shore men literally  threw him on a baggage dolly & wheeled himthe pier. pier.

I believe visitors paid a $1 to board & that went to the SEAMAN's FUND

 

GREAT FUN & MEMORIES

[rkacruiser]

3 hours ago, Rotterdam said:

I believe visitors paid a $1 to board & that went to the SEAMAN's FUND

 

GREAT FUN & MEMORIES

 

My first ship visit was to Queen Mary and my family paid 50 cents/person to board with the proceeds going to the Seaman's Fund.  I remember I bought a photo brochure that had pictures of the interiors of both of the Queens.  Paid $1 for it and have seen the exact same thing for sale by collectors for 25x-50x what I paid for it.  

 

The charge to make a ship visit increased to $1 as I recall, both in New York and Port Everglades.