Saga Rose Greenland Voyager August 2007

[Druke I]

Thanks for sharing those great photos.

 

Good looking library and book store.

[Host Sharon]

Good looking library and book store.

 

Oh yes - that added to my on-board spend :(

[Druke I]

Yes, given the right mood, I could spend a small fortune in a good bookstore.

 

Oceania's ships have the best libraries I have experienced on the high seas.

 

Unfortunately, many mainstream ships' libraries are woefully understocked stocked and pooly attended.

 

Talking about libraries, did you note in your book on Artemis that as built, she had no library, and one was quickly addded to one of the elevator bank's foyers. After a few years, it was moved to the main entertainment/lounge deck (the name of which escapes me at the moment).

Edited October 31, 2010 by Druke I

[Kapricorn]

And photos here.

 

Ships cat, I found all of these photographs fascinating. A lovely ship, indeed. I especially liked the two pictures of the carpets, which certainly looked nice enough upon which to walk barefoot.

 

Donald.

[Host Sharon]

Yes, given the right mood, I could spend a small fortune in a good bookstore.

 

Oceania's ships have the best libraries I have experienced on the high seas.

 

Unfortunately, many mainstream ships' libraries are woefully understocked stocked and pooly attended.

 

Talking about libraries, did you note in your book on Artemis that as built, she had no library, and one was quickly addded to one of the elevator bank's foyers. After a few years, it was moved to the main entertainment/lounge deck (the name of which escapes me at the moment).

 

All the Cunard ships have fabulous libraries and very well stocked IMO. We did write about Royal Princess, but from research it seems that she had a very tiny library (one bookcase) by the photo gallery when built, which was moved and expanded to the midships foyer, and then moved back down again to where it is today, outside Starlights (then the Riviera Club) when new SOLAS regs. deemed it a fire hazard in a stairwell.

[Saga Ruby]

Yes, given the right mood, I could spend a small fortune in a good bookstore. Oceania's ships have the best libraries I have experienced on the high seas.

 

I can attest to Michael's love of books. For the 26 days on Nautica, I knew I would find him ensconced in a deep wingback chair in the Library, deep into a book.

 

Ships cat, I found all of these photographs fascinating. A lovely ship, indeed. I especially liked the two pictures of the carpets, which certainly looked nice enough upon which to walk barefoot.

Donald.

 

I agree. Of all those lovely photos, the carpets were the pix that made me want to book a cruise on that ship.

 

I have written a long report on the Queen Elizabeth which can be viewed here if anyone is interested.

 

I enjoyed reading your notes. What a pity that Di suffered a laceration on her leg from the broken light cover in the pool but what a souvenir to flash around back home. And the excitement of all those special sailaways in various ports with horns blaring, fire boats saluting, and military reenactments. One question: In Tenerife you say, " . . . until it got too hot." As a native Texan, I would like to ask what temp was "too hot?"

 

I found the following quote in some old files of mine from the '70s. Perhaps it will interest our readers:

Two ravens sit on Odin’s shoulders and bring to his ears all the news they see and hear; their names are Thought and Memory. Odin sends them out with each Dawn to fly over the world in order that he may learn everything that happens. Always, he fears that the Raven named Thought may not return but, every day, his deepest concern is for Memory.

The Deluding of Gylf

i

Ruby

[Host Sharon]

What a lovely quote Ruby - I can relate to Odin every day !!

 

Too hot ? - I suppose the low 80s fahrenheit. Too hot to just lie around in the sun anyway and the "plastic" surfacing they use instead of teak decking was too hot to walk on in bare feet.

[Saga Ruby]

I watched a clip of Allure sail out of the shipyard harbour. It was all very exciting to listen to newscasters pretending that the ship would not clear the bridge. Lots o' suspense - by them.

 

Query - it was reported that Allure was able to clear the bridge by inches because she got up to speed from her pier due to the physics that a ship's speed creates a suction which helped bring down the height of Allure as she passed under the bridge. (Pardon the tangled syntax.)

 

To all you ship-daft people - is that true about speed and hydrodynamic drag? And if so, how does a megaship get up to sufficient speed in the harbour of its creation? I understand that Allure was not sailing quickly, but how does the Master get that monster up to any speed at all in that short a distance? Did tugboats slingshot her up to speed?

 

Colour me curious.

 

Ruby

[Druke I]

I don't know about that "hydrodynamic drag", but one article I read stated that Allure took on extra ballast (water presumably) to make her ride lower in the water.

 

Having exhaust pipes in the funnel that could be retracted also helped.

Edited November 5, 2010 by Druke I

[Saga Ruby]

I don't know about that "hydrodynamic drag", but one article I read stated that Allure took on extra ballast (water presumably) to make her ride lower in the water.

 

That's interesting about the extra ballast which would work quite well. But I still wonder about Allure getting up to speed from the shipyard dock from whence she originated.

 

Any engineers out there with a degree in maritime engineering? How many kilometers does it take for an apartment barge weighing immense gross tons with X engine power to get from a dead stop to going forward at a perceivable speed in a sheltered shipping lane?

 

Ruby

[Saga Ruby]

It has taken me years to accumulate miles on my AA account because I have zero loyalty to any airline or cruise line. I finally topped 50,000 miles on AA this year. I've been doing my research on nonstops from Narita to DFW Airport and have learned that the Tokyo flight tariffs are mondo expensive. Even a one-way coach ticket home is listed as over $4,000. Mind you, a round-trip ticket DFW-Narita-DFW is only $1,350. Weird. But NRT to DFW of $4,400? No way.

 

Today I called AA Award Miles' department and talked to a nice res lady in Tucson. For my flight home next September, there was exactly one seat available to Awards customers and I jumped on it. One-way ticket home, biz class, free. I am over the moon! The phrase "one awards seat is available on that flight" keeps popping up in my mind. Usually I'm told the last doodah has been sold right before I called, emailed, queried.

 

YeeeHawwww!

 

Ruby

[Kapricorn]

That's wonderful, Ruby!!! Biz class, free ... what more can one ask for?

 

I also don't have loyalty to any airline, as I merely jump on the first one with the best schedule - preferably non-stop - to where I want to go. I don't fly that often anyway.

 

I do have loyalty to Celebrity Cruises, as I've been well-treated by the staff who respect me as a repeat cruiser.

 

Donald.

[Druke I]

Sounds like you did well on that one.

 

Air fares make little if any sense, and one way ticket fares make less sense than round trip fares.

[MMDown Under]

Well Done, Ruby. You must be over the moon!

 

I once booked an around Australia series of ff bookings for two with Qantas. (30,000 points each for business btw). The nice lady at ff reservations was almost as thrilled as I was, as each leg was available. Said that had never happened to her before!

[Host Sharon]

Well done Ruby - an achievement indeed! It now looks like I will maintain my no-fly record since my friend had to cancel our Minerva cruise to the far east, and so therefore did I! I am now going to try the Balmoral to the Baltic with a transit of the Kiel Canal and three days in St Petersburg among other delights!

[Druke I]

Have you been on Balmoral?

 

We sailed on her twice as Crown Odyssey, when she was flagship of that now long-gone cruise line. First time we sailed she was under the Greek flag, second time she had been reflagged - but I don't recall where. She was a lovely ship.

 

That was before she went to NCL, who tore out the indoor pool ( a real indoor pool down in the boiwels of the ship), and the dedicated cinema, replacing them with passenger cabins.

 

Of course, she was stretched after Fred.Olsen bought her.

[Druke I]

Failed to note in my last post that we found the Kiel Canal transit to be the highlight of our two Baltic cruises.

 

Loved how the townsfolk came down to the local beerhouses/pubs to wave and shout at the ship as it passed. Good captains will give a blast of the ship's whistle (horn) in return salute.

[Host Sharon]

Failed to note in my last post that we found the Kiel Canal transit to be the highlight of our two Baltic cruises.

 

Loved how the townsfolk came down to the local beerhouses/pubs to wave and shout at the ship as it passed. Good captains will give a blast of the ship's whistle (horn) in return salute.

 

 

Thanks Michael - no I have not yet had the pleasure of sailing on Balmoral, but with the same designer as Royal Princess I am looking forward to seeing the similarities (if any are left !) I transited the Kiel canal back in 1977 on Vistafjord, but cannot remember much of the experience. Not many of today's ships are small enough to manage it.

[Saga Ruby]

To see that monstrosity being towed into San Diego by "tiny" tugboats was quite the picture. I've seen videos on my PC of these apartment barges but seeing it on my HD TV as she pulled into identifiable geography - the contrast of ship size to port was shocking and not in a good way.

 

I take note that Carnival is doing a generous "make good" for publicity purposes. I've seen other major episodes in the past where the cruise lines didn't come close to the corporate apologies in the current situation.

 

The power of the media eye is revealed and the concept of 4,000 passengers showing photos and videos from their e-toys made this a necessarily positive corporate move. What will "they" do next time?

 

Ruby

[Host Sharon]

Gosh - where's everyone gone, or are you all off on cruises? Three and a bit weeks to go till my last sailing on Artemis - not sure if I'm looking forward to it or not!

[Druke I]

Yes, it has been quiet on this thread.

 

Woe is me - I am not on a cruise!

[Conte Di Savoia]

This thread began when Saga Ruby and I started to talk about our upcoming trips on Saga Rose. Now Saga Rose is being dismantled in Shanghai and will reappear as some metallic reincarnation imported from China. The good news circulating on the internet is that Bleu de France orinally Hapag Lloyd's Europa of 1981 may be acquired by Saga in the not too distant future. That is great news! I sailed aboard her during her Hapag Lloyd years in 1984. One of the greatest cruises I have ever made and I hold very fond memories of her. She has since been redone, but in a very pleasing way and I think she will be a wonderful match to the Saga concept of refined upscale cruising.

[Kapricorn]

I saw the Bleu de France during my January 2009 Caribbean cruise. A most lovely ship! I snapped this photograph of her from the deck of Galaxy. Prior to that, I had never even heard of her.

 

Donald.

[Host Sharon]

She certainly does look interesting. So sad to see the end of Saga Ruby next year though :( the ship that is !!!!!

Edited November 22, 2010 by ships cat

[Saga Ruby]

She certainly does look interesting. So sad to see the end of Saga Ruby next year though :( the ship that is !!!!!

 

ships cat - where are you finding information about Saga Ruby going out of service? I was under the impression that she would sail on forever since she is a steel-hulled ship. I know she has a 2012 World Cruise so I'm confused.

 

I got out my DVD of Saga Rose which was filmed during our cruise to Greenland and pax could buy a souvenir copy. It was so nice to see professional-quality video of this cruise. I had forgotten that we had a seeing-eye dog onboard. I learnt of its presence when it started barking on Promenade Deck while we were on the high seas! And yes, it had its own life jacket.

 

What ports will you be visiting on Artemis?

 

Ruby