Cunard/NAL Rosenthal Plates

[bepsf]

I bought a couple of these plates on eBay because they looked interesting - they are about 4 inches in diameter and 3/4 inch high in the Rosenthal Variations pattern with a map of the cruise as well as the name of the ship Vistafjord and the dates of the cruise printed inside.

 

 

Have alse seen similar plates created for Cunard QE2 cruises.

 

Can anyone tell me about them?

Were these given to all passengers or were they a special gift for certain passengers?

(Posted on the Cruise Memorabilia forum as well)

 

Thanks!

[seacruise9]

Hi,

 

I have a collection of these little plates from the Sagafjord and Vistafjord (many of them purchased on eBay). In 1994, I took a Mediterranean cruise on the Vistafjord. These were delivered to every cabin near the end of the cruise. I think these were a great souvenir.

[dougnewmanatsea]

Your plate is pretty old, sometime before 1980 when NAL was bought by Lief Hoegh and became NAC (Norwegian America Cruises).

 

NAC was then sold to Cunard (Trafalgar House) in 1983 and became Cunard-NAC. The NAC bit was dropped around 1988 (?) but the two ships became part of Cunard Royal Viking in 1994. But then naturally, in 1996 (or 1997?) they dropped the Royal Viking bit and it became just Cunard again...

 

For a while, Trafalgar had the stupid idea to rename the ships CUNARD SAGA and CUNARD VISTA but in a rare fit of common sense, they decided against it.

[bepsf]

SC9 & Doug--

 

Thank you both for the info.

 

Do either of you know how many years NAL and Cunard gave these to their passengers?

[travellady]

Sorry, can't help you here. But, I did want to chime in and say this post brought back some long ago memories. I sailed Sagafjords maiden voyage and Oct 1965 with my parents and sisters. I'd love to have one of these plates of the Sagafjord. It's when I learned to love the sea.

[travel-to-go]

Your plate is pretty old, sometime before 1980 when NAL was bought by Lief Hoegh and became NAC (Norwegian America Cruises).

 

NAC was then sold to Cunard (Trafalgar House) in 1983 and became Cunard-NAC. The NAC bit was dropped around 1988 (?) but the two ships became part of Cunard Royal Viking in 1994. But then naturally, in 1996 (or 1997?) they dropped the Royal Viking bit and it became just Cunard again...

 

For a while, Trafalgar had the stupid idea to rename the ships CUNARD SAGA and CUNARD VISTA but in a rare fit of common sense, they decided against it.

 

Doug,

How do you know so much? I am constantly amazed at the knowledge some of the people on these boards have!

 

I am trying to put together a timeline of just the cruises that Marc and I have been on! And trying to remember various things that happened. Such as our ship being sold to Orient Star while we were on it (Cunard Crown Jewel) The line itself being sold while we were on another ship. And I swear the captain announced at the cocktail party that it was BOUGHT by Trafalgar, not SOLD, but obviously, Cunard was already owned by Trafalar, since our first cruise was in 1994- Which I just figured out recently. I have been going through boxes of "stuff" to find the stuff we saved from our cruises- Daily Programs, tickets, even luggage tags! I've even been trying to figure out who our captains were, especially since everyone else seems to remember every captain they have ever sailed under! I discovered we have sailed under Captain David Warden-Owen- Isn't he on one of the Saga ships now? and under Nick Bates as a Staff Captain.

 

Of course one thing that may have made a difference in the first four Cunard cruises is that they were on the Cunard Crown ships- I believe these were staffed by Commodore Cruiselines- At least, I believe the hotel and restaurant staff were under Commodore. I can remember writing to our good friend and Maitre D' Helmut, through Commodore in Miami. So maybe it was that portion of the fleet or the line which were sold. I also remember on our Crown Dynasty Panama Canal trip, (1997) our captain getting off before the end of the cruise to take over one of the Sea Goddesses and I am thinking it might have been Helmut who went onto QE2, and was very proud of that, it being considered a real feather in his cap to be asked to serve on the QE2! The entire line had been sold (The Cunard Crown line) and the new owners came aboard to inspect her during the cruise.

 

Well, I guess my memory is not very good. It seems like at the time , you don't write things down or keep a journal, as you are having too much fun, and you also think you will never forget one minute of your cruises. Now I can barely remember which ships I have been on. Of course the one RCCL ship and one Carnival Ship I was on- Well, one is pretty much the same as another to me. They just don't distinguish themselves.

 

So I have Commodre Warwick's book on the QE2, and John Maxtone-Grahams book on the QM2. are there any histories- in book for m, or brief timeline, of Cunard in recent history around? REally a timeline of important events in the past 20 or 30 years would be marvelous. Not that I have finsihed any of the books I already have. I pick one up and read a chapter, then pick up another and read a chapter. These days, I do my Cruise Critics when I get home from work, and that's pretty much i! I guess you could say I am obsessed! I don't eveen keep up with my regular email!

Aggh!

 

Well, Just my thoughts.

Karie,

Who wishes she knew as much as some of y'all do!

[PRINSENDAM]

I discovered we have sailed under Captain David Warden-Owen- Isn't he on one of the Saga ships now? \

 

Karie,

!

 

 

Karie,

 

I sailed David W-O many times on the QE2 in the late 80s and early 90s and have had the pleasure of sailing with him five years in a row on segments of SAGA ROSE's world cruise. This year David was in command of the SAGA RUBY... ex VISTAFJORD.

 

Brian,

 

To my knowledge the small pin dishes were issued on SAGAFJORD and VISTAFJORD by NAL, NAC, CUNARD-NAC and CUNARD... right up to the time the ships left the Cunard fleet... or in VISTAFJORD's case, when she became CARONIA.

 

One was issued for each cruise. A real headache when itinerary was changed etc etc. NAC was not the only company to issue these pin dishes, Hamburg America Line with HANSEATIC and HAMBURG used them as well.

 

Karie,

 

Your maiden voyage in the SAGAFJORD.... I found on EBAY a great, large-format colour photograph of the ship arriving in New York.

 

While SAGAFJORD was in New York the city experienced that famous blackout. In some photos of the city that night the only bright set of lights was the SAGAFJORD.

 

SAGAFJORD/SAGA ROSE has always been one of my favourite ships. Still great to sail in. Saga do a fine job. Horst Print, Hotel Manager in the ROSE has been with the ship for about 15 years. I remember him when he was a Bar Tender. One of NAl's Wine Stewards, Eddy Denagel ( his photo appears in old brochures) is also now Hotel manager.

 

BTW, the current captain on the ROSE, Phil Rentell is also an ex QE2 man.

 

Stephen

 

 

[travel-to-go]

 

 

 

Karie,

 

Your maiden voyage in the SAGAFJORD.... I found on EBAY a great, large-format colour photograph of the ship arriving in New York.

 

While SAGAFJORD was in New York the city experienced that famous blackout. In some photos of the city that night the only bright set of lights was the SAGAFJORD.

 

Stephen

 

Stephen,

Thanks for all of your fine info. Interesting about the blackout! (This was the year I moved from New York State- Endwell to Florida) But it was the other Travel, My sister Travellady! Not travel-to-go! <LOL>

 

As long as we are both in the travel family!

 

Karie,

who wil be travelling in just three short week on the QM2!

[dougnewmanatsea]

This year David was in command of the SAGA RUBY... ex VISTAFJORD.

I had the pleasure of meeting him briefly aboard RUBY in May. A few people in our group knew him from Cunard. He seems very pleasant, then again I find most cruise ships' Masters tend to be sociable types, except one... You know who I mean ;) !

 

NAC was not the only company to issue these pin dishes, Hamburg America Line with HANSEATIC and HAMBURG used them as well.

You mean Hamburg-Atlantic, not Hamburg-America of course!

 

BTW, the current captain on the ROSE, Phil Rentell is also an ex QE2 man.

There are so many ex-Cunard people on other ships and lines... I suppose a consequence of the great "shrink" of the company in the late 1990s.

 

Of course Capt. Rentell came to Saga from Sun Cruises. There seem to be a number of people who went from Cunard to Sun Cruises in the 1990s, and of course now they are all with other companies now that Sun Cruises are no longer around...

[PRINSENDAM]

I had the pleasure of meeting him briefly aboard RUBY in May. A few people in our group knew him from Cunard. He seems very pleasant, then again I find most cruise ships' Masters tend to be sociable types, except one... You know who I mean ;) !

 

OUCH!!!!!!!

;)

 

 

You mean Hamburg-Atlantic, not Hamburg-America of course!

 

Hamburg-ATLANTIK actually

. :)

 

 

There are so many ex-Cunard people on other ships and lines... I suppose a consequence of the great "shrink" of the company in the late 1990s.

 

Of course Capt. Rentell came to Saga from Sun Cruises. There seem to be a number of people who went from Cunard to Sun Cruises in the 1990s, and of course now they are all with other companies now that Sun Cruises are no longer around...

 

Phil commenced his cadetship on board HMS WORCESTER then joined Union Castle, initially on the famous REINA DEL MAR. He was on cross Channel hovercraft before he shifted to Cunard.

Stephen

[dougnewmanatsea]

OUCH!!!!!!!;)

But it's true!

 

Hamburg-ATLANTIK actually. :)

And Hamburg-AMERIKA for that matter ;) .

 

Phil commenced his cadetship on board HMS WORCESTER then joined Union Castle, initially on the famous REINA DEL MAR. He was on cross Channel hovercraft before he shifted to Cunard.

Now that's what I call diverse experience! A hovercraft is definitely different from a REINA DEL MAR, QE2 or SAGA ROSE...

[PRINSENDAM]

;) .

 

 

Now that's what I call diverse experience! A hovercraft is definitely different from a REINA DEL MAR, QE2 or SAGA ROSE...

 

 

Phil hasn't always been on the glamour ships. He did a stint on Sea Escape out of Lauderdale and also spent some years out the Far East on 'things' like SHANGRILA WORLD.

 

I suppose my lowest point was VERA CRUZ 1 but we don't need to go there!

 

Stephen

[dougnewmanatsea]

He did a stint on Sea Escape out of Lauderdale and also spent some years out the Far East on 'things' like SHANGRILA WORLD.

SHANGRILA WORLD... Now that must have been interesting!

[bepsf]

 

 

Phil hasn't always been on the glamour ships. He did a stint on Sea Escape out of Lauderdale and also spent some years out the Far East on 'things' like SHANGRILA WORLD.

 

I suppose my lowest point was VERA CRUZ 1 but we don't need to go there!

 

Stephen

 

 

Veracruz...

Isn't that the one that sank?

I seem to recall seeing it in drydock in Portsmouth VA about a year before she sank (early/mid 80's?)

[PRINSENDAM]

Veracruz

...

Isn't that the one that

sank

?

 

I seem to recall seeing it in drydock in Portsmouth VA about a year before she sank (early/mid 80's?)

 

 

 

Hi Brian,

 

Actually her first mishap was when the drydock she was in took on an extreme list . The dock listed about 45 degrees causing the sewage tanks to overflow within the crew areas. IIR a few crewmembers were killed.

 

Her end came in Greece a couple of years later. . She caught fire while refitting and sank alongside the wharf. She was later cut up where she lay. A sad ending to a stout little liner.

 

Stephen

[bepsf]

 

 

 

Hi Brian,

 

Actually her first mishap was when the drydock she was in took on an extreme list . The dock listed about 45 degrees causing the sewage tanks to overflow within the crew areas. IIR a few crewmembers were killed.

 

Her end came in Greece a couple of years later. . She caught fire while refitting and sank alongside the wharf. She was later cut up where she lay. A sad ending to a stout little liner.

 

Stephen

 

 

Stephen--

Now that you mention it, I recall hearing about that drydock incident in the news back then. I think it happened while she was in Portsmouth (one of my first jobs was in one of the restaurants just across the river in Norfolk's Waterside marketplace)

Isn't that also the same drydock where the crane fell on Zuiderdam's aft decks recently?

[Ab Ovo]

Hey Brian,

 

I have a similar Rosenthal dish from QE2 ... a white porcelain round, the backside reads Rosenthal, "studio-line", Germany. The dish probably cost 22 cents landed. The copy and art is in black, red, blue.

 

It reads: QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 (top outside), JAN. 4-14, 1986 (bottom outside). Centered is line art of the voyage: New York, St. Maarten, Martinique, Barbados, St. Thomas, under a small, red CUNARD logo.

 

I rode "E Grade." The boxed items were given to all cabins in my patch; I thought they were given to all on the voyage, cannot be certain.

 

A later trip, same steward, I was given a similar dish from a voyage several months previous (hey, I take leftovers, especially when they have the QE2 imprint and not the generic Cunard). Similar voyage, different ports, route. I think it's in another house in some drawer.

 

Same steward, another trip, Patrick gave me a silver, small round dish with a center medallion-outline of the QE2 on it, another "leftover", this one from that year's World Cruise. I took to taking it on with me. It, too, is elsewhere, yet I see it all the time and never look at it; will, soon, to see what year was the voyage.

 

I would imagine there would be more of these dishes around?

[bepsf]

It would seem so - just recieved the same plate you described in the mail this weekend...

...and have a few more NAC plates coming too.

;)