Saga Rose Greenland Voyager August 2007

[MMDown Under]

That is what I do for months before each cruise I do a lot of research as to the history and what if any places it represents. I do so much research that I did it as part of a wedding gift. My favorite young lady did an Eastern European cruise for her honeymoon. I was able to give them a booklet full of information about what they could do in each port.

 

The research that I do for myself whips up the excitement for me. The hype revs up my enjoyment. As I stated, I didn't like history in school. The Tower of London was my eye-opener. History was not Grimm's Fairy Tales any longer.

 

When I went to Florence and saw the magnificent buildings from the Renaissance and realised that they were already there when Columbus discovered America. Suddenly I started to be interested and it has enhanced my travel enjoyment.

Fran

 

What a priceless wedding gift you gave.

 

Perhaps I should explain what I mean about a real love of history enhancing overseas travels.

 

My first trip overseas, I did a short 10 week tour of Europe. After Europe, I drove around UK with 2 others. One of my fellow passengers was a young history teacher, who was passionate about history. Her pure joy pencil copying ancient drawings, whilst sitting on church floors, or talking to a B&B owner, until the wee hours, about a dig somewhere was wonderful to watch.

 

I also enjoy researching my travels in depth in advance. In fact, I think the preparation is half the fun. Maybe, I need to research the history a bit more. I know I enjoy books where history is a component of the story.

 

Museums like the famous Egyptian Museum in Turin don't excite me, so I'm out of there in no time. Yet, I have to be kicked out of an art gallery nearby, because it is closing time. I also spend a lot of time looking at old buildings, but it is more for the architecture, than the building's history.

[Host Sharon]

I too do lots of reading up of places before I visit, whether you like culture, people, architecture or history, I find it enhances your brief stay enormously. As a histroian, I suppose this is why I enjoy the Mediterranean so much, despite feeling more at home in Scandinavia.

 

Donald - if you ever get to visit the Black Sea area, the best book I found to read up first is Neal Ascherson's "Black Sea" . Brilliant..

[MMDown Under]

Also, Venice, the Egyptian, Greek, Mayan and Chinese civilizations, and many others existed for centuries before Columbus "discovered" America. That certainly puts a lot of perspective to our comparatively short history in North America (as well as Australia and other places!). That is really quite impressive, as well as humbling.

 

Donald.

 

I do like history, as it helps me to understand why the world is the way it is. If I go someplace new, I like to learn a bit about it first.

 

If I ever cruise on the itinerary that Ruby is currently doing, I would enjoy doing some historical research first. By the time I step ashore in these ports, I would have known a bit of each and understand how these places came into being, as well as their importance or unimportance in the history of their respective countries.

 

Thanks for your insight, Donald.

 

I can see why the above would add value to visit.

[MMDown Under]

I too do lots of reading up of places before I visit, whether you like culture, people, architecture or history, I find it enhances your brief stay enormously. As a histroian, I suppose this is why I enjoy the Mediterranean so much, despite feeling more at home in Scandinavia.

 

Donald - if you ever get to visit the Black Sea area, the best book I found to read up first is Neal Ascherson's "Black Sea" . Brilliant..

 

I can see, as a historian, you'd love the Mediterranean.

 

I hadn't thought about it previously, but our shared history, could be why I enjoy visiting countries which are members of the Commonwealth.

 

Maybe I do like history after all, just not ancient history.

 

BTW I love the Scandinavian countries. We have a shared love of the outdoors, despite vastly different weather conditions. The same with Canada.

[Host Sharon]

Strangely, the place I felt most "at home" was New England (Newport and Bar Harbour), in fact I almost felt "homesick" coming back to the UK. it was a very strange feeling.

[Kapricorn]

Strangely, the place I felt most "at home" was New England (Newport and Bar Harbour), in fact I almost felt "homesick" coming back to the UK. it was a very strange feeling.

 

I was in Bar Harbour in 2006 during a New England-Canada cruise. It is a delightful little town. What about it reminded you of your hometown?

 

Donald.

[Host Sharon]

I was in Bar Harbour in 2006 during a New England-Canada cruise. It is a delightful little town. What about it reminded you of your hometown?

 

Donald.

 

 

Absoutely nothing Donald. I just felt more as if I was "home" over there, than I did back here at home. It seemed to be a better quality of life, people were more laid back and polite. I didn't hear any swearing on the streets. I loved it.

[MMDown Under]

Absoutely nothing Donald. I just felt more as if I was "home" over there, than I did back here at home. It seemed to be a better quality of life, people were more laid back and polite. I didn't hear any swearing on the streets. I loved it.

 

I loved Bar Harbour also.

 

I have met two people in my life, who could name the city I came from by my accent. One was in Bar Harbour and the other was Berlin (UK soldier).

 

Has that happened to anyone else overseas?

[MMDown Under]

I hope Ruby's ship is free from Swine Flu.

 

You may have heard that we've had a couple of ships disembarking passengers in Sydney with cases of swine flu.

 

So many people get sick on cruises, it is difficult for authorities to identify in advance swine flu from the standard flu. So cruisers were allowed to fly to their destinations across Australia, only to discover that they had the swine flu.

[Kapricorn]

Absoutely nothing Donald. I just felt more as if I was "home" over there, than I did back here at home. It seemed to be a better quality of life, people were more laid back and polite. I didn't hear any swearing on the streets. I loved it.

 

I'm sure that the inhabitants of Bar Harbour don't even lock their doors, even overnight. Rampant crime must be unheard of there.

 

Donald.

[franu]

I have met two people in my life, who could name the city I came from by my accent. One was in Bar Harbour and the other was Berlin (UK soldier).

Has that happened to anyone else overseas?

 

Although I have been living in Toronto, Canada for the past 37 years and my accent has changed I can not hide my New York City accent. I guess that I never will.

Fran

[MMDown Under]

Although I have been living in Toronto, Canada for the past 37 years and my accent has changed I can not hide my New York City accent. I guess that I never will.

Fran

 

Not after 37 years, Fran.

 

To my foreign ear, the Toronto, Canada accent is the hardest to pick from an American accent.

[MMDown Under]

I hope Ruby's ship is free from Swine Flu.

 

You may have heard that we've had a couple of ships disembarking passengers in Sydney with cases of swine flu.

 

So many people get sick on cruises, it is difficult for authorities to identify in advance swine flu from the standard flu. So cruisers were allowed to fly to their destinations across Australia, only to discover that they had the swine flu.

 

Later. The P & O ship is currently in quarantine, off Wilson Island, off the Cairns Coast.

 

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/item.aspx?type=blog&ak=67317161.blog&csp=34

[Host Sharon]

Oh well - there must be worse places to be quarantined than on board a cruise ship.

Edited May 27, 2009 by ships cat

[MMDown Under]

Later. The P & O ship is currently in quarantine, off Wilson Island, off the Cairns Coast.

 

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/item.aspx?type=blog&ak=67317161.blog&csp=34

 

Oops - Willis Island.

 

Pity is that people can't get off the ship at this tiny island.

Edited May 27, 2009 by MMDown Under

[Kapricorn]

Oh well - there must be worse places to be quarantined than on board a cruise ship.

 

I wonder if those people with swine flu are quarantined inside their cabins, to prevent the flu from spreading throughout the ship? The others would still have the run of the ship.

 

Donald.

[MMDown Under]

I wonder if those people with swine flu are quarantined inside their cabins, to prevent the flu from spreading throughout the ship? The others would still have the run of the ship.

 

Donald.

 

The original suspects awaiting results were three crew, so yes the passengers have had the run of the ship.

 

However, two passengers are now awaiting results.

 

The numbers of people, who have tested positive to Swine Flu in Australia, are approaching seventy.

[franu]

To my foreign ear, the Toronto, Canada accent is the hardest to pick from an American accent

I don't think that there is an American accent. All of the accents are regional. The NYC accent is flat sounding. Then there are the various regional ones such as the Buffalo, NY and the Chicago among them.

 

The Toronto one is apparently the most clear and desirable. In the US many of the newscaster are or were from Toronto as they say that it is "without accent".

Fran

[MMDown Under]

I don't think that there is an American accent. All of the accents are regional. The NYC accent is flat sounding. Then there are the various regional ones such as the Buffalo, NY and the Chicago among them.

 

The Toronto one is apparently the most clear and desirable. In the US many of the newscaster are or were from Toronto as they say that it is "without accent".

Fran

 

Thanks, Fran. That is interesting. Yes, I understand that all accents are regional, having travelled widely within the US and elsewhere. "Being without accent" could explain why I have mistaken more than one Canadian from Toronto to be American. I can usually pick that someone is from Canada, although I'm not good enough to pick the regions.

 

Once I was talking to a father and his children, from Boston, in Disneyworld. I mentioned that whilst his children sounded American to me, I thought he sounded Canadian. He smiled and replied that he was born there. As you say, you often can't take the accent out of a person no matter how long they have lived somewhere else.

 

I once watched an enjoyable TV show on original words/accents. They visited tiny places in the US, where English words were spoken, in the original accent, that were no longer spoken in their place of origin in the UK - fascinating stuff.

 

(Just a couple of words used in Queensland, which aren't used elsewhere in Australia -

 

port - suitcase

togs - swimming togs.)

Edited May 28, 2009 by MMDown Under

[MMDown Under]

The original suspects awaiting results were three crew, so yes the passengers have had the run of the ship.

 

However, two passengers are now awaiting results.

 

The numbers of people, who have tested positive to Swine Flu in Australia, are approaching seventy.

 

Later

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=3241

 

Three crew were confirmed cases, whilst the two passengers had seasonal flu.

 

The ship is now not stopping in NQ, but returning to Sydney, via Brisbane, three days early.

 

An interesting point is a number of British passengers had bought their cruise from P&O Australia, as the cruise wasn't sold in the UK.

 

The number of people, who have tested positive, is now approaching 150.

[MMDown Under]

I liked your comments on a HAL thread re Volendam about getting the right fit for a cruise.

 

I couldn't agree more, as I tend to be blinded by unique itineraries, and only discovered the importance of the right fit after our last cruise.

 

Do you have any knowledge of the Maasdam, as I'm considering a return TA, via the Northern Route (Greenland, Iceland. etc)?

 

I haven't cruised on HAL before and am a bit concerned, as it appears that HAL has cut staff and services.

 

I am easy to please, however I take certain service standards, such as safety, cleanliness, friendly service, as a given.

[Druke I]

Reference Maasdam - I would avoid forward cabins on Main Deck.

 

We were forward on Main Deck, 11-95, on a crossing from Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale.

 

West of the Azores, it was fairly rough. Water entered the hull via the hawsepipe (anchor chainway) and flooded some half dozen cabins (including ours!) to a depth of about 6 inches. Luckily, there were other cabins available, and we were moved.

 

We have had rough crossings on other ships, but being flooded out of our cabin was a first.

 

Size-wise, a very nice ship, but we have been on other ships that we thought handled heavy seas better.

Edited June 1, 2009 by Druke I

[MMDown Under]

Reference Maasdam - I would avoid forward cabins on Main Deck.

 

We were forward on Main Deck, 11-95, on a crossing from Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale.

 

West of the Azores, it was fairly rough. Water entered the hull via the hawsepipe (anchor chainway) and flooded some half dozen cabins (including ours!) to a depth of about 6 inches. Luckily, there were other cabins available, and we were moved.

 

We have had rough crossings on other ships, but being flooded out of our cabin was a first.

 

Size-wise, a very nice ship, but we have been on other ships that we thought handled heavy seas better.

 

Thanks for your comment.

 

What a shock to be flooded. Hope it wasn't during the night, when you were in bed. Lucky there were empty cabins available, so you could be shifted.

 

I had thought it would be a good idea to avoid the front of the ship on a northern TA. My preference is as low as possible, mid-ship.

 

I felt, the Tahitian Princess, which is cruising a similiar itinerary, at the same time, would be too small a ship for a northern TA.

 

(My first experience of rough seas was from NY to Rotterdam.)

[Conte Di Savoia]

I received an e-mail this morning from Ruby, who is still aboard Prinsendam and she wanted Fran to know that she was able to purchase a Cyrillic labeled waterbottle from street vendors in Sevastopol. Prinsendam has exceeded her expectations....always a good thing ensuring a great trip.

 

She says "Prinsendam is truly an elegant explorer - it is completely different from the other HAL ships. Fresh flowers everywhere which are exquisitely arranged, fresh fruit constantly stocked in staterooms, flawless service and food as good as Oceania. I'm very impressed."

I was glad to get her positive feedback as I've booked a Norwegian fjord cruise onboard her for June, 2010.

 

I'm looking forward to Ruby's complete review in her now famous literary style.

[sagavista]

Conte, good choice for Norway. I second the Prinsendam as the finest ship in HAL's current fleet. I've sailed on her as the Prinsendam and also in prior names: Royal Viking Sun and and Seabourn Sun. She is a fine vessel.

 

SagaVista