Saga Rose Greenland Voyager August 2007

[Kapricorn]

Here's a picture of the Carinthia. Her maiden voyage was in August 1925. During June 1940 she was torpedoed off the Ulster coast of Ireland, and stayed afloat for 30 hours before sinking. Four crew were killed in the explosion of the torpedo.

 

The Carinthia was 20,277 tons and 624 feet long.

 

Greenock Donald.

[Saga Ruby]

Have y'all seen this thread? My friend, CGTNORMANDIE (Ross) started it and it has some lovely stories about back in the day of classic cruising. You can't beat that "up close and personal" flavour of those who were there.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=538096&page=4

 

Ruby

[Saga Ruby]

To me, it’s all about "let’s see what’s out there." I enjoy cruising but I truly want to learn in depth about a site, a city, a country, local history and cultures. That concept is next to impossible on a cruise where one can touch, for only a few hours, a port and surrounds.

 

And yes, on my next NZ trip, I want to go farther south because by car I can do detailed traveling and not depend on taxis and trains. I am a big fan of "The World’s Fastest Indian" which is a movie with Anthony Hopkins playing a famous Kiwi who lived in Invercargill by the name of Burt Munro. Because of the movie, I’ll be in the area of Invercargill and shall make a point to visit Balclutha (would that be an old Gaelic name for the Clyde, near to Greenock?).

 

Thanks for the referral to the Waverly and its bio. So many classic ships, so little time. She does look quite similar to the Earnslaw - second cousins twice removed? The Carinthia reminded me of when the Promenade Deck suites and cabins were not so desirable because strolling passengers felt free to peek into the rooms. My sister and I had to keep the curtains closed at all times or make new friends. I saw people drag deck chairs over to the "windows" to see if they could get a glimpse inside the cabins.

 

Ruby

[bcscot]

I think it is a sub-section of this law that no matter how closely you check your post,it is only after it is up there in lights for all to see that you notice your silly spelling mistakes!

Thank you Donald for that nice picture of the Carinthia.It is interesting to see what it looks like?

Yes Ruby ,that thread is interesting.Infact that whole 'Whatever happened to....' site is interesting.I had not been there before.Thank you.

We have inadvertently noticed that some of the 'one way' glass on the promenade decks only works during the day.We have had to report open curtains to the front desk at night,to prevent embarassement to the occupants!

DO NOT MENTION GREENOCK, (ever see Monty Python?)

[Kapricorn]

Have y'all seen this thread? My friend, CGTNORMANDIE (Ross) started it and it has some lovely stories about back in the day of classic cruising. You can't beat that "up close and personal" flavour of those who were there.

 

Thanks for the link ... I enjoyed reading that thread!

 

One thing that no-one mentioned about these transatlantic voyages were the costume contests. I remember on the Empress of Canada that about 30 passengers participated, and three passengers from First Class judged the costumes. There was a guy who was hilariously dressed up as a voluptuous woman, with a sash "Bow" across the chest and another sash "Stern" across the bottom. Another guy dressed up as a hospital patient, wrathed in toilet paper and hobbling around on his "crutch", actually the ladder which accessed the upper bunk in his cabin. A lady dressed as a Hawaiian hula dancer, and a guy dressed up as a priest, all in black and carrying a Bible. I don't remember who won, but the hula dancer was among the Top 3.

 

Donald.

[Kapricorn]

We have inadvertently noticed that some of the 'one way' glass on the promenade decks only works during the day.We have had to report open curtains to the front desk at night,to prevent embarassement to the occupants!

 

I am booked on the Zaandam on its September 19 cruise to Alaska (I wanted the Mercury, but her fare was about $600 more!). I am in an oceanview guarantee - that is, I will not be officially assigned a cabin until a week or so before embarkation.

 

My travel agent warned me that I might be placed in a cabin on the promenade deck. On other Holland-America ships that I've been on, I noticed that during my twice-daily 2-mile walks on the wrap-around promenade, I couldn't see into these cabins during daytime, but at night, most certainly yes (though I haven't seen anything that I shouldn't have).:D

 

Donald.

[Saga Ruby]

I noticed that during my twice-daily 2-mile walks on the wrap-around promenade, I couldn't see into these cabins during daytime, but at night, most certainly yes (though I haven't seen anything that I shouldn't have).:DDonald.

 

Obviously you need to do more walks at night and report back to us. Donald, aren't you due to sail out again tomorrow or soon? Also I'm curious about where you sail during the winter months.

 

Ruby

[Kapricorn]

Obviously you need to do more walks at night and report back to us. Donald, aren't you due to sail out again tomorrow or soon? Also I'm curious about where you sail during the winter months.

Ruby

 

Yes, I am sailing tomorrow (Friday the 27th) on the Mercury. The weather forecast for Vancouver is for sunny skies and warm weather (finally, after a record-breaking - for July - seven consecutive days of rain which ended three days ago).

 

During the winter months, I go to sunny and warm climes. Next November and February I will be doing two back-to backs on the Vision of the Seas from Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera, and at the end of April will be on the Ryndam on its 12-day repositioning cruise from San Diego to the Mexican Riviera and then up along the West Coast to Vancouver.

 

When are you flying to Gatwick? I'll be back from Alaska on Friday, August 3.

 

Donald.

[bcscot]

Ruby, I could tell you what we saw on the Prinsendam in may, but it was not a pretty sight!!!

Donald, I will be three days ahead of you in september,on the Ryandam,leaving on sept.16th!We are going with my father in law on his first cruise.The deals were so good that I did not need to have my arm twisted too much to go for that one. I will wave as we pass! I like the Zaandam though,she is a fine ship.The Volendam,her sister,was our first HAL ship.

I will then be attending a conference on the Oosterdam in the Mexican Riviera in november,after which I will be going into drydock for financial repairs!

We just had to book QE2 for next year & hopefully Saga Rose for 2009, due to SOLAS.After that I may be grounded for some time for extensive repairs! I will have to make do with my regular 'poor man's cruises' on B.C. Ferries doing 'crossings' to & from Vancouver Island!

Ruby,have you ever sailed on Prinsendam? Being an old 'Viking Line' ship, I thought that you might like her. There is a beautiful model of her onboard,as she was as 'Viking Sun.'

Graham.

[bcscot]

Donald, have a lovely trip on the Mercury.Bon Voyage.

 

Ruby, you can't have long now till your big trip now?

 

P.P.S. Any guesses where we are going on the QE2 next year?

[Saga Ruby]

I leave Dallas in the afternoon of 03 August, Friday. There are 5 Fridays in August so I leave on the first Friday and return on the 4th Friday. I will miss Donald’s triumphant return from Mercury by just a skosh. But I need to tidy up Saga Rose for the impending visit of Conte di Savoia.

 

I have heard a lot of positive input about Prinsendam and many of my friends have encouraged me to sail on her. I sailed on an older version of Rotterdam back in the 90s when I was looking for another cruise line since RVL had shut down. I cannot remember which Roman numeral that one was. HAL is fine, I somehow never seem to get around to it. However, as previously stated, I do pursue land travel in the same way that you ship-daft folks look for a fine cruise.

 

Graham, how dare you bring up a "sight to see" on Prinsendam in May and then drop it? Is it worth using abstract, polysyllabic words or should we just move on? I suspect the latter. I think it’s swell that you have booked QE2 next year and haven’t a clue to where you’re cruising. I give up - where?

 

To be serious for just a mo’ - it is important to remember that Saga Rose has a large fan base and I suspect that her itineraries are booking up quickly as news spreads amongst her UK fans. If you want to book a voyage on her, booking sooner is better than later - you can always get your deposit back. Saga Cruises is repped in the US by only one travel agency. You can "Search this forum" for the name "Lisa" or you can ask me how to get in touch with her. We are not allowed to volunteer that information in these forums but we can answer a direct inquiry.

 

B.C. Ferries? I am a big fan of ships, boats, ferries. The Earnslaw is a lake cruiser, the Port Bolivar ferry in Galveston is the best, cheapest way to see the sights in that area, the tourist boat that goes thru that lock in Washington - I love ‘em all. I’ll hop on a small "boat" any time, it doesn’t have to be the swell-elegant ships we usually discuss. I loved the sailing ketch, 110', called the Wizard of Bristol out of Lahaina, Maui. What a grand adventure that was!

To quote Lord Byron, "Roll on thou deep and dark blue ocean, roll." And let me be one of those to sail upon her.

 

Ruby

[bcscot]

:) :) !!!Greenock!!!:) :)

 

Honest, it's true.

 

Thanks Ruby. Lisa already has my deposit. Although what for, I am not entirely sure yet!

 

P.S. Donald; remember to shut the curtains......PLEASE; & yes,I do really think we should move on now!

 

Graham.

[Saga Ruby]

I am gobsmacked! Why didn't I think of that?!!!

 

I'm so happy to hear that you have placed a deposit with Lisa. If there is a whiff of a ghost of a possibility that someone wants to sail on Saga Rose, they better make a deposit now. I'll bet her bookings are fast filling up.

 

Just curious - how did you figure out Lisa? Did you see Conte's note? Since no other TAs are allowed to book Saga Cruises, the TA industry keeps totally silent about Saga Cruises in the US and probably the UK. But when you only have to fill about 1,100 cabins a week instead of 20,000, it ain't that hard if the cruise line is up to snuff.

 

Ruby

[bcscot]

I think it was Saga-UK that put us in touch with her.

 

Your trip sounds wonderful Ruby. I would love to do that one. It's going to be so quiet around here for a while. May as well hang up a sign saying:-.....'GONE CRUISIN''......

 

Graham

[Saga Ruby]

May as well hang up a sign saying:-.....'GONE CRUISIN''......Graham

 

"Gone Cruisin'." I like that! One thing I wanted to mention to you and others who may cruise on Saga - I got really really really tired for the past 3 years of people asking what ship I sailed on. When I replied, "Saga Ruby," the mass market cruisers looked like, "Oh, we've never heard of that. You poor thing."

 

That got really tiresome since any experience on the Saga Sisters can beat a modern behemoth with one anchor tied behind her stern. If passengers on mass market ships need constant stimulation, so be it. What ticked me off was their assumption that my cruise was staid and boring. They are wrong.

 

Ruby

[Kapricorn]

I've seen Lisa mentioned elsewhere on the message board.

 

Since Graham is reticent in describing his traumatic window-glimpse, let me hazard a scenario: a 98-pound woman and 407-pound man on their honeymoon cruise? :D

 

Ruby, was there a costume contest on the Empress of England in 1957? If so, did you and your sister participate? A few posts back, I mentioned a costume contest on the Empress of Canada in 1964. I didn't participate because I was a 17-year-old teenager and didn't want to make a spectacle of myself. In 1972 I did participate in a costume contest on the Victoria and was a runner-up.

 

Donald.

[dougnewmanatsea]

I sailed on an older version of Rotterdam back in the 90s when I was looking for another cruise line since RVL had shut down. I cannot remember which Roman numeral that one was.

That would be ROTTERDAM V. HAL has had six ROTTERDAMs:

ROTTERDAM I 1873-1883

ROTTERDAM II 1886-1895

ROTTERDAM III 1897-1906

ROTTERDAM IV 1908-1940

ROTTERDAM V 1959-1997

ROTTERDAM VI 1997-present

 

The last two are still around, ROTTERDAM V having gone to Premier in 1997 until they went under in 2000, then after some time laid-up in Freeport, has been under refurbishment in Freeport, Cadiz, Gdansk and now Wilhelmshaven to become a hotel, museum and cultural center in Rotterdam. The ship should be arriving there this autumn and opened to the public in the spring.

 

IMHO ROTTERDAM is the overall best ship built from the end of WWII onward, the only ship to serve equally well as a two-class liner and a one-class cruise ship (that is, to do both things as well as she would had she been designed only for one purpose) and quite possibly the best-designed passenger ship ever.

 

We are not allowed to volunteer that information in these forums but we can answer a direct inquiry.

I'm not sure what the official policy there is but I would say you can probably mention it safely since they are acting as the US general sales agent (GSA) for Saga, rather than as independent travel agents. So effectively you're just mentioning a cruise line's US office, rather than a travel agency.

 

:) :) !!!Greenock!!!:) :)

 

Honest, it's true.

I guess you are on the "Farewell to the British Isles" cruise then?

 

That should be very emotional as it will be the last time she is in her homeland (Scotland, of course).

 

I would love to go on either that cruise or the 40th Anniversary cruise this year but alas both are out of the question... My last QE2 trip (as a ship, anyway, not a hotel) will be in January :( .

[Saga Ruby]

Ruby, was there a costume contest on the Empress of England in 1957? If so, did you and your sister participate? A few posts back, I mentioned a costume contest on the Empress of Canada in 1964. I didn't participate because I was a 17-year-old teenager and didn't want to make a spectacle of myself. In 1972 I did participate in a costume contest on the Victoria and was a runner-up.Donald.

 

I have been studiously ignoring the comments about Halloween and costume parties. However, since you asked, I would refer you to the first page of this thread, my Post #20. Skipping right along, I am willing to divulge my two favorites Halloween costumes suggested by my wonderfully artistic cousin, Barbara Lee. Here are her ideas:

 

1. Have the maitre d' or a headwaiter make up one of those takeaway swans out of tinfoil. Make it large enough to fit sidewise on your head. Go back to your cabin, put several long green crepe paper streamers down your face and call it "Leftovers."

 

2. You need two people for this one. One person wears the top half of a camo (camouflage) uniform. The other person wears the pants. You call it "upper and lower GI."

 

Please, no applause. Oh. Thank you. Thank you very much.

 

To Donald - the "window" honeymoon is exactly what I had envisioned. You wicked boy.

 

Ruby

[bcscot]

What I saw on the Prinsendam was......:eek:

 

Nice costume ideas Ruby. Please do nothing to interest the mass market cruisers in Saga. Let them stay on their behemoths! Just smile knowingly.

 

Doug. We felt we just had to sail on QE2 before she retires, inspite of the cost (I usually seek very good value for money on my cruises...Och Aye!), & her final visit to Scotland seemed like a trip we could not miss. However one thing led to another. We thought; she was built for the Atlantic so how can we miss doing a crossing on her. Well, not only does QE2 retire next year, but I celebrate my 'half century',so we thought ,"what the heck". "Why not give the cat the canary!" So we have booked the final westbound on QE2 followed by the return in tandem on the QM2( not only a B-behemoth Ruby, not even a BB-big behemoth, but a BBB-very big behemoth!) I think we are getting an inside broom-cupboard in the bilges though! However,to be there & live the moment: living history.

 

Graham.

[Kapricorn]

Graham: You big tease!!! Now that you've confirmed that mine and Ruby's conjectures re: "passionate honeymoon couple" are incorrect, I'll have to think of something else ... oh, on the other hand, maybe not, that'll be really gross. Okay, we will let it pass, for FINALLY the last time.

 

However ... if I DO see something :eek: on the Ryndam, I'll mention it just to Ruby! She did give me instructions to report on anything that I might glimpse.

 

I checked the Alaska ports schedules to see if the Ryndam and Zaandam would be in a port at the same time, but, no. Have great cruise! We should return to this thread and compare cruises. I always enjoy going to Glacier Bay, as we pass two or three major glaciers before arriving at Margerie Glacier, plus the other one (at the moment, I can't remember its name) which almost meets Margerie at a right angle from another direction. Also, by September, the baby seals have matured on the ice floes and ships are allowed near Johns Hopkins Glacier, which I enjoyed last September on the Veendam.

 

Passengers on Celebrity have complained that their captains won't take them close to Hubbard Glacier due to excessive sea ice, but those on the last Mercury reported that the Captain responded to passenger complaints and took the ship much closer. I'll have to see if that's the case for my cruise.

 

Ruby (Miss Acropolis 1962): Thanks for letting me know about post #20. We should have this thread indexed so that we will be able to refer to anything that we might've mentioned. Ruby, I understand your frustration about the public's ignorance of the Saga Sisters.

 

Doug: I enjoyed my eastbound Panama Canal cruise on Rotterdam V in October 1989, from Vancouver to Miami. You are right, she was a splendidly-designed ship. On this cruise, seven ladies traveling alone got together and formed a "Virgins on the Rampage" Club. Each of them had to invite a single male passenger to join their club (sex was not a requirement). One of them, a young lady from Atlanta, invited me to hook up with her. I had a really, really fabulous time with this Club. There were various activities scheduled by this Club. The chief engineer, who was involved with the Club organizer, saw me one afternoon at the ship's bar and he asked me if I would like to take a tour through the engine room. I immediately rushed to my cabin for my camera, and enjoyed a tour of the ship's bottom deck from the revolving propellors, through the engine room and stabilizers, crew quarters, and I emerged through a hatch in the bow section. What a fabulous time!

 

Also, among the passengers on the Rotterdam V was an East Indian couple, who nightly at cocktail hour would appear at the dance floor and do a variety of dances. She was always beautifully attired in colourful saris. They were knowledgeable about all the different dancing styles, and I suspect that the husband may have been a dance instructor. After about a week, during one of my walks on the promenade deck, I passed this East Indian couple relaxing on their lounge chairs, and the lady smiled and nodded at me as I passed, and I responded in kind.

 

Donald.

[dougnewmanatsea]

Please do nothing to interest the mass market cruisers in Saga. Let them stay on their behemoths!

I agree. I would never want anything to do with a person so arrogant to think that if they haven't heard of it, it must not be good!

 

Doug. We felt we just had to sail on QE2 before she retires, inspite of the cost (I usually seek very good value for money on my cruises...Och Aye!), & her final visit to Scotland seemed like a trip we could not miss. However one thing led to another.

OK, now I am incredibly envious! The British Isles cruise a QE2 crossing and a QM2 crossing!

 

I would probably have done both crossings on QE2, if possible, but then I have always wanted to sail QE2 and QM2 back to back, something I'll never do now.

 

QM2 is of course a behemoth but I don't mind that on a crossing. When at sea she works just fine. When it comes to actually calling in ports... Not so great :( . Embarkation and disembarkation can be a bit messy but everything in between should be nice, at least as long as you avoid the King's Court (buffet restaurant - not good).

 

The chief engineer, who was involved with the Club organizer, saw me one afternoon at the ship's bar and he asked me if I would like to take a tour through the engine room. I immediately rushed to my cabin for my camera, and enjoyed a tour of the ship's bottom deck from the revolving propellors, through the engine room and stabilizers, crew quarters, and I emerged through a hatch in the bow section. What a fabulous time!

That does sound like a fabulous experience! Wouldn't happen today, I'm afraid - the engine room seems to be about as off-limits as it gets. I've been on the bridges of many a cruise ship but never an engine room. Well not unless you count good old QUEEN MARY at Long Beach but that is a bit different.

 

That said, modern ships have pretty boring engine rooms - it's just a room with big diesels. Not much to see. All the controls are miles away in the engine control room which is just a room with a lot of computer consoles. Dull stuff. I'd like to see one one day but it's not a burning desire. An old steamer like ROTTERDAM V with non-automated machinery would be a whole different story.

[Saga Ruby]

Clarification from this side of the board - I don't care what anyone chooses for a cruise. As we all know, there are very few bad cruises. What puzzles me is how judgmental other passengers can be about what the rest of us choose for a voyage.

 

I fully recognize that behemoths have their place and certainly 90% of the cruising public thinks they are swell. I happen to prefer the small, intimate ships which, by virtue of size, are usually quite civilized. The behemoths are so very large that there is a sense of "city" rather than "village" to me. But anyone sailing on the various combinations of QM2, QV, QE2 will surely have wonderful memories tucked into their little grey cells for the rest of their lives and more power to them.

 

Donald, if you're still here - I think indexing by subject on this thread is a brilliant idea. Go ahead, I'll hold your coat. And a belated Bon Voyage times ten. That way if I forget, you'll feel well-remembered during your absences.

 

On past cruises back in the 70s and 80s, I tried to talk my way into the engine room (I used to be young and cute) but no joy. Color me green with envy that you got to see an engine room. What was your prize for runner-up in the costume contest on the Victoria and what was your costume? Nowadays they give points toward a tee shirt which are no fun at all. I liked the genuine leather bookmarks and the crystal shot glasses with the cruise line logo on them.

 

Ruby

[bcscot]

Talking of Prinsendam, I was very interested in Doug's statement that Saga may be interested in her as a replacement for the Rose. I wondered what might happen to her & also,how Saga could hope to replace the Saga Rose. Given that the Saga sisters can never be replaced with anything comparable, but that they have to come up with something, I think this would be a good compromise.It would give a good home to Prinsendam, a fine aging lady with a good pedegree.

 

Donald, if you are still there, have a nice trip. If anyone does leave their curtains open, I stongly recomend that you just look the other way!

 

Graham.

[Saga Ruby]

I agree that Prinsendam would evidently be a fine addition to Saga Cruises. I'm quite sure that Saga Inc. is deep into corporate thought about a replacement for Saga Rose.

 

I have a DVD of Spirit of Adventure from Lisa and am quite interested in that ship. It's not the ultimate in luxury but it's quite nice. I was particularly interested in Lisa's comment that, after her group of 80 clients got off their SoA voyage a couple of month ago, most of them called to book on that ship again. That's always a good sign.

 

Graham, I noticed that you were on Cunard Countess awhile back. I sailed on her in '88 for a 16-member family reunion, round trip San Juan. I have commented somewhere on Cruise Critic about my memory of her reception area and Purser's Office which were solid royal blue, from carpet to ceiling to walls. I was vaguely surprised not to see blue faces on the staff. Didn't we have to walk down a deck to avoid the dining room and get to the bow or stern?

 

For our reunion cruise, one night my family closed the lounge bar ("Closed for Private Party") and put on a family talent show which was impressive if I do say so myself. A concert pianist, a heldentenor, and an a/v presentation of my parents' 60th anniversary set to music and covering much of their international travels.

 

All the ship's officers stood in the back of the room at the bar and watched the entire programme, programa, program which surprised us, but we were happy to have them - they seemed to enjoy the show.

 

Ruby

[Kapricorn]

I'm still here ... I've packed most of my stuff and plan to head to the ship in two and a half hours.

 

Ruby, I'm with you concerning megaships. If 90% of the public like being on a floating city, I'm not one to criticize their choice. If in the future there's nothing but megaships, that'll be the end of my cruising days, and I'll have my past experiences to look fondly back on.

 

My costume on the Victoria was a Japanese outfit. One of my table-mates also brought a Japanese costume, so we decided to go together as a madam and her houseboy (see attachment). We tiny-stepped into the ballroom, me behind her, then halfway into the room she stopped, turned around and motioned me to keep following her, I bowed with my hands together in front of me, and we then made our procession to the emcee. I won an octupus made out of weavings.

 

Also attached are pictures taken in the bowels of the Rotterdam V. One is of me at the controls, the second of one of the propeller shafts, and the third is of the stabilizers, which were extended eight feet according to the Chief Engineer.

 

Thanks for the Bon Voyages!

 

Donald.