Is it Prinsendam in Frances Mayes newest book?

[Margi]

Has anybody else read the Islands of Greece chapter in Frances Mayes latest book, A Year in The World? She has written some cutting and uncomplimentary descriptions about some of her fellow passengers. Her cruise itinerary began in Venice and ended in Istanbul, was it summer of 2005? She describes being on board as a guest in exchange for speaking. Her talk was not listed in the ship's daily program, consequently she had an audience of 5. Sounds like quite a snafu.

 

Margi

[HALOnlyCruiser]

Hi Margi,

This won't answer your question, but now I want to read that book! I have just started "Burning Cold" about the fire and sinking of the previous Prinsendam in 1980. I was surprised HAL gave the current Prinsendam that name, considering what happened to the older ship and how superstitious sailors tend to be. Kind of like naming a ship the "Titanicdam.":D

[sail7seas]

A considerable difference is that (I think) no persons died at the sinking of the older Prinsendam.

 

[Margi]

I looked around a bit on the internet and have concluded the cruise was probably the summer of 2002 but this is a guess. I can't recall when the current Prinsendam morphed from previous identities. I know I was on the around So. America cruise in the fall of 1998 when she sailed the last sailing as Royal Viking Sun and became the Seabourn Sun. I am booked on the Prinsendam for the upcoming Sept. 15, 2006 Istanbul to Athens cruise.

 

In the cited chapter, Mrs. Mayes does not name the ship she traveled on, but does mention that the passenger capacity is about 800 and gentlemen hosts were onboard. I have loved her previous books and was a bit dismayed by her written treatment of some of her fellow passengers.

[SDHALFAN]

I looked around a bit on the internet and have concluded the cruise was probably the summer of 2002 but this is a guess. I can't recall when the current Prinsendam morphed from previous identities. I know I was on the around So. America cruise in the fall of 1998 when she sailed the last sailing as Royal Viking Sun and became the Seabourn Sun. I am booked on the Prinsendam for the upcoming Sept. 15, 2006 Istanbul to Athens cruise.

 

In the cited chapter, Mrs. Mayes does not name the ship she traveled on, but does mention that the passenger capacity is about 800 and gentlemen hosts were onboard. I have loved her previous books and was a bit dismayed by her written treatment of some of her fellow passengers.

 

 

We were on the ms Prinsendam for the Christmas/New Year cruise in December of 2002. I'm fairly sure that the Prinsendam had been the Prinsendam for quite a few months prior to that.

 

I thought about buying Frances Mayes' book just to see what she had to say about her fellow cruise passengers but the reviews of the book just weren't that good so I decided to save my money and wait for it to show up at the library instead.

 

Valerie:)

[Margi]

Valerie,

 

I bought the book a couple of months ago and read two chapters the past few days. I read Aboard the Cevri Hasan chapter, an account of a trip on Turkey's Lycian Coast which sounded like a great trip but made little of what were probably spartan conditions on the 90 foot gulet boat, home for most of the trip.

 

The 2nd chapter I read was the previously cited Washed by Time's Waters, the Islands of Greece. My curiosity was immediately piqued by the mystery of whether the referenced ship was the Prinsendam.

 

I should have waited for a library copy which is probably in my local library by now. The Islands of Greece chapter has dampened my enthusiasm to continue with it for now so I will put it down and give it a rest.

 

I just don't understand Mrs. Mayes acerbic descriptions of fellow passengers. In my opinion, it is in bad taste.

 

Margi

[SDHALFAN]

Valerie,

 

I bought the book a couple of months ago and read two chapters the past few days. I read Aboard the Cevri Hasan chapter, an account of a trip on Turkey's Lycian Coast which sounded like a great trip but made little of what were probably spartan conditions on the 90 foot gulet boat, home for most of the trip.

 

The 2nd chapter I read was the previously cited Washed by Time's Waters, the Islands of Greece. My curiosity was immediately piqued by the mystery of whether the referenced ship was the Prinsendam.

 

I should have waited for a library copy which is probably in my local library by now. The Islands of Greece chapter has dampened my enthusiasm to continue with it for now so I will put it down and give it a rest.

 

I just don't understand Mrs. Mayes acerbic descriptions of fellow passengers. In my opinion, it is in bad taste.

 

Margi

 

 

Thanks so much Margi for the "heads up". I have to admit that my curiosity is now really piqued about Mrs. Mayes's acerbic comments about her fellow passengers on the cruise but it has further reinforced my opinion that I would be better to wait and find a copy at my local library instead of actually buying a second-hand copy at A.com or somewhere like that.

 

Looking forward to "chatting" with you again sometime soon.

 

Valerie:)