Bill Miller aka Mr Ocean Liner

[Smitheroo]

Has anyone seen Bill miller on one of NCL's cruises?  He grew up in Hoboken NJ across from the NYC docks. He has become an expert on ocean liners and cruise ships.  I saw him at a lecture on the Queen Mary 2 .  It was so interesting!   I'd love to see him again.  One question I would ask is when did cruise lines stop allowing visitors to come on board ship prior to sailing?  A friend says her in-laws were still visiting cruise ships in port about 1980.  Anyone know? 

[goldmom]

Don't know Bill Miller, but he sounds very interesting.

I believe they stopped allowing visitors after 9/11.  I remember you could go and check out the other ships docked next to yours.  it was a fun thing to do and gave a little preview of another ship.

[foodsvcmgr]

Bill’s informational site is

billmillercruiseseverywhere.com

[Smitheroo]

4 hours ago, goldmom said:

Don't know Bill Miller, but he sounds very interesting.

I believe they stopped allowing visitors after 9/11.  I remember you could go and check out the other ships docked next to yours.  it was a fun thing to do and gave a little preview of another ship.

I think they stopped allowing visitors long before 9/11.  A friend thought maybe around 1980 but I was wondering if anyone knew for sure.   Her inlaws did as you are describing. I didnt do that, I toured mostly transatlantic ships. I was never on a traditional cruise ship before last February 2023.  

[MagnoliaBlossom]

We started cruising in 1994 and for several years after that I remember hearing the announcement for visitors to exit the ship.  I do believe it was 9/11 when things changed, although some lines may have stopped it before that.

[goldmom]

1 hour ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

We started cruising in 1994 and for several years after that I remember hearing the announcement for visitors to exit the ship.  I do believe it was 9/11 when things changed, although some lines may have stopped it before that.

Thinking back, it may also have started after the Acchile Laurel (sp?) incident.  I think that was when cruise ships started being more concerned with security , but definitely after 9/11.

[Smitheroo]

1 hour ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

We started cruising in 1994 and for several years after that I remember hearing the announcement for visitors to exit the ship.  I do believe it was 9/11 when things changed, although some lines may have stopped it before that.

Oh, okay.   

[Smitheroo]

15 minutes ago, goldmom said:

Thinking back, it may also have started after the Acchile Laurel (sp?) incident.  I think that was when cruise ships started being more concerned with security , but definitely after 9/11.

What was the Acchile Laurel incident?

 

[Smitheroo]

15 hours ago, goldmom said:

Don't know Bill Miller, but he sounds very interesting.

I believe they stopped allowing visitors after 9/11.  I remember you could go and check out the other ships docked next to yours.  it was a fun thing to do and gave a little preview of another ship.

according to the info I read online he doesnt work on NCL. There was a list of about 5 cruise lines, 1 of which was Cunard which is where I saw him as part of their Cunard "Insights" program.   He was extremely interesting. What a career to build as a result of growing up across from the NYC docks.  He was more than just a ship line expert, he was a historian but  seems like his focus eventually became the shipping lines.   William H Miller is his full name. 

Edited November 13, 2023 by Smitheroo

[goldmom]

6 minutes ago, Smitheroo said:

What was the Acchile Laurel incident?

 

You can google Achille Lauro to get the full story.  Basically, terrorists boarded a cruise ship, I believe,  in port and held passengers hostage.  They killed a passenger in a wheelchair and dumped him over board.  It was a sad and terrible event.  There was a movie made about it.

[vacation44]

When my friend and I went on the Bermuda Star in 1985, my parents, who drove us to the pier, came on board to check out the ship.

[Smitheroo]

11 minutes ago, goldmom said:

You can google Achille Lauro to get the full story.  Basically, terrorists boarded a cruise ship, I believe,  in port and held passengers hostage.  They killed a passenger in a wheelchair and dumped him over board.  It was a sad and terrible event.  There was a movie made about it.

OMG, where was I hiding at the time. Never heard of it.  (I do watch the news)  Yes, I'm sure that event would have had a major effect on whether visitors would be allowed on board.  Back in the day I wondered why stowaways werent more frequent. 

[Laszlo]

11 hours ago, Smitheroo said:

I think they stopped allowing visitors long before 9/11.  A friend thought maybe around 1980 but I was wondering if anyone knew for sure.   Her inlaws did as you are describing. I didnt do that, I toured mostly transatlantic ships. I was never on a traditional cruise ship before last February 2023.  

I've been on a number of cruises in the last two years were "Visitors" were allowed on the ship. It was a wedding party, some of the party was sailing and some were leaving right after the ceremony on the ship

[goldmom]

13 minutes ago, Smitheroo said:

OMG, where was I hiding at the time. Never heard of it.  (I do watch the news)  Yes, I'm sure that event would have had a major effect on whether visitors would be allowed on board.  Back in the day I wondered why stowaways werent more frequent. 

I believe it happened in 1985.

[goldmom]

5 minutes ago, Laszlo said:

I've been on a number of cruises in the last two years were "Visitors" were allowed on the ship. It was a wedding party, some of the party was sailing and some were leaving right after the ceremony on the ship

They do allow visitors (guests) for weddings.  I think they need to supply their ID information before boarding.  And there's probably exceptions to the no visitors rule for special guests with proper clearance.

But, it used to be that you could just go on any ship that was docked and look around.  I think we even sampled the buffet on some to check out the food!

[Smitheroo]

5 minutes ago, goldmom said:

I believe it happened in 1985.

I'm thinking maybe some cruise lines ended  visitors on board sooner than others.  This incident was surely involved in the decision

[foodsvcmgr]

Prior to Covid, Princess had a program where you paid a nominal fee and got a ship tour and lunch aboard.

If you booked, the fee was credited.

[Smitheroo]

19 minutes ago, foodsvcmgr said:

Prior to Covid, Princess had a program where you paid a nominal fee and got a ship tour and lunch aboard.

If you booked, the fee was credited.

this type of activity at least would be supervised. (to a point, I suppose someone could pose interested in the tour and then midtour turn into a terrorist)   the visitor experience I remember in the 1960's, early 70's involved getting on board (for a small donation to a jar at the foot of the gangplank, mostly quarters) and then going about the ship to see whatever interested you.  In my experience there was no option for food or organized activity.  

[Smitheroo]

2 hours ago, goldmom said:

They do allow visitors (guests) for weddings.  I think they need to supply their ID information before boarding.  And there's probably exceptions to the no visitors rule for special guests with proper clearance.

But, it used to be that you could just go on any ship that was docked and look around.  I think we even sampled the buffet on some to check out the food!

I visited ships in the 1960's (I called myself a ship groupie after my 1966 Cunard sailings) but they were all transatlantic. I never visited a cruise ship which for them the port might have been part of the cruise, not the embarkation port, so there could have been food around.  I dont remember food in the 1960s but then I was a teenager and food was never the first thing on my mind (I even stopped showing up at meals on our transatlantic which really concerned my mother. It got very boring sitting through all those courses)  I remember getting on line at the docks and passing a large jar at the bottom of the gangplank. People threw in quarters "for the seaman's fund" you went on the ship and explored. This was NYC docks, where Manhattan Cruise terminal is now.  I think HAL was down at the lower end of Manhattan, where I visited the Rotterdam and the Hamburg one visit.  My interests changed (probably in the form of a male) and I stopped visiting ships. I remember one time I even took my Aunt with me and she liked it too.  The NY TImes published a ship's schedule so you knew what ship would be  at which dock.

[Smitheroo]

3 hours ago, Smitheroo said:

What was the Acchile Laurel incident?

 

My husband remembers this incident 

[Trevor Fountain]

Voyage of Terror - The Achille Lauro Affair, starring Burt Lancaster. Made around 1990 I think.

 

[Smitheroo]

1 hour ago, Trevor Fountain said:

Voyage of Terror - The Achille Lauro Affair, starring Burt Lancaster. Made around 1990 I think.

 

Yeah, I'm not big on movies although I enjoy a good one. Probably missed a few good ones over the years. 

 

Macewank:  notice there is no argument here by me

Edited November 13, 2023 by Smitheroo

[yakcruiser]

I remember when I was a kid you could go into the airport and go right up to the gate to see a family member off.

[schmoopie17]

3 minutes ago, yakcruiser said:

I remember when I was a kid you could go into the airport and go right up to the gate to see a family member off.

That's right. And when we lived in Miami in the late 70's, my parents were going on a cruise and we were able to go on the ship with them to check it out. That was my very first view of a cruise ship.

[yakcruiser]

And I do remember reading a book on the original Seal Team 6 and how they rented a cruise ship for the day to practice in case they ever had to go rescue hostages from terrorists.