Saga Rose Greenland Voyager August 2007

[Host Sharon]

Thanks for the info.

 

Order will be placed in December, as requested.

 

 

Thanks Michael. Hope you enjoy it. I suppose I should have phrased that better. It could be pre-ordered now but will not be available until December.

Edited September 16, 2010 by ships cat

[Saga Ruby]

That trip on Sea Princess was great. The ship was only half full, Osaka to Honolulu, so they went to single seating dinner (split the time between 1st & 2nd), and the service was very very good.

 

To ships cat and Michael - apologies for jumping the starting pistol for when ships cat's book comes out in December, but I'm puzzled.

 

Onboard Saga Ruby in 2005, when we went to Far North and observed the polar bears in situ, it was all very exciting. A year later, I was chatting with Globalizer on CCritic. Turns out he was on Sea Princess on the same day and at the same time as our ship but "we couldn't go into Magdalena Bay and fjord because the ship was too big. We saw your ship slowly circling the bay and we thought there might be polar bears there but we couldn't fit in the Bay."

 

What size is "Sea Princess" and are you surprised that she could not safely sail into the Bay - which is a bit of a pinch? Can you compare her size to a ship that I might actually know or tonnage? We know that Saga Ruby was Vistafjord with NAL. How does Sea Princess compare?

 

Ruby

Edited September 17, 2010 by Saga Ruby

[Host Sharon]

Sea Princess is 77,000 tons, ie around three times bigger than Saga Ruby. She used to be P&O's original Adonia and went to Princess Cruises in exchange for Royal Princess which became Artemis.

 

By the way - no apologies required!

Edited September 17, 2010 by ships cat

[Druke I]

Correction there. Sea Princess was built as Sea Princess, and sailed under that name, then transferred to P&O (UK) and renamed Adonia, then back to Princess and regained her original name.

 

She is one of four of the Sun class. Sun Princess, Dawn Princess, Sea Princess, and Ocean Princess, now sailing as P&O (UK) Oceana, and not to be confused with the Renaissance class ship sailing for Princess as Ocean Princess.

 

Almost need a "cheat sheet" for the name changes!

[Host Sharon]

Correction there. Sea Princess was built as Sea Princess, and sailed under that name, then transferred to P&O (UK) and renamed Adonia, then back to Princess and regained her original name.

 

She is one of four of the Sun class. Sun Princess, Dawn Princess, Sea Princess, and Ocean Princess, now sailing as P&O (UK) Oceana, and not to be confused with the Renaissance class ship sailing for Princess as Ocean Princess.

 

Almost need a "cheat sheet" for the name changes!

 

Whoops - you are quite correct. I forgot she was originally Sea Princess, not to be confused with the Sea Princess that was originally Kungsholm and later Victoria and most recently Mona Lisa!

Edited September 18, 2010 by ships cat

[Druke I]

Kungshom, aka Sea Princess, Mona Lisa, and Victoria is a very nice ship indeed.

 

We did our 1st trans-Pacific on her, (other than mainland to Hawaii) May 89, Kobe Japan to Vancouver BC via Honolulu. Great trip, including the Bullet Train from Tokyo to Kyoto (which is a very pretty city). Mt Fuji's peak was fogged in that day - pity.

Edited September 19, 2010 by Druke I

[Druke I]

Speaking of Tokyo, when did it change from Tokio, the spelling during much of WW2.

 

Georgraphical names today much different than I learned in Geography in the 40s. Many changes due to independence, I suppose, but independence wouldn't account for Tokyo's change.

Edited September 19, 2010 by Druke I

[Kapricorn]

I finally got around to writing my post-cruise review for my travel agent. Here it is.

Sunday: I left home at 10:45 a.m., rode Canada Line to the Waterfront, breezed through security, customs and check-in, and was aboard Mercury by 11:15 a.m.

 

In my cabin a note from Captain's Club Hostess informed me that I am the Most Frequent Cruiser on this voyage and that I would be honoured at the Captain's Club Cocktail Party on Tuesday.

 

My 8:30 p.m. dining was at Table 661, with Gerda from Hamburg, Germany, and two sisters in their 40s from the Seattle area. The four of us proved to be a congenial group, with conversations flowing each night, and usually we were among the last to leave the dining room.

 

 

Monday: Michael's Club at the 8 a.m. Coffee Break was sparsely used, with only one other person using the 2-hour Exclusive Access for Elite members. The most number of morning users that I saw during the entire voyage was five. The evening Social Hour (4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.) was slightly more popular, with 12 people being the most number that I observed. Apparently not many Elite level members were on this cruise.

 

At Michael's Club I met Captain's Club Hostess, Mellissa Snow of Australia, who had just started her new job on that cruise. She mentioned that I would be invited to the Captain's Table that evening.

 

Captain's Table was hosted by none other than my favourite master, Captain Patsoulas. He remarked during dinner that this was my third time at Captain's Table. I was astonished, as I had neither mentioned this fact to anyone nor sat with him before. Apparently Celebrity keeps track of Captain's Table guests and how often they have sat there. Captain Patsoulas informed the entire table that I am the "Mercury celebrity."

 

 

Tuesday: At the 11 a.m. Captain's Club Cocktail Party, Captain Patsoulas presented me with a bottle of wine and a large bouquet for being the Most Frequent Cruiser on this voyage.

 

Arrival at Icy Strait Point at 2 p.m. was an hour early, due to the necessity to evacuate a passenger with a medical emergency. Radiance of the Seas was already there. Since not more than one cruise ship at a time is allowed at Icy Strait Point, we anchored for an hour until Radiance left.

 

Wednesday: We approached within 850 feet of Hubbard Glacier, which the Captain announced was the closest that he had been able to do so this year. Despite the overcast which concealed the mountains, the facade of the glacier was awesome, with plenty of spectacular breaking-off of ice.

 

At 7:45 p.m. I attended the Senior Officers' Gathering for Select and Elite members. It was very sparsely attended with probably less than 50 people. The Captain and six of his officers stood in a row at the entrance to Navigator Club. Captain Patsoulas gave me a bear hug. Taking their cue from him, the next two officers - the Chief Engineer and Hotel Director - also gave me bear hugs, with a great deal of conviviality.

 

At this event the Cruise Director, Stewart Turnbull of Edmonton, told me that there were 1,000 Canadians among the 1,800 passengers. I also noticed daily news digests for those from Brazil, Britain, Germany, Asia Pacific and Latin America.

 

 

Thursday: Juneau was overcast with low clouds and steady drizzle. It did not stop me from making my usual stroll through the less touristy areas. In the afternoon I took a four-hour whale-watching tour during which I saw not only humpback whales and sea lions, but also a pod of killer whales. The tour guide said that this was the first time that killer whales were seen in the area so far this year.

 

 

Friday: Ketchikan was overcast, but fortunately without rain. I enjoyed the annual spectacle of teeming salmon heading back to their spawning grounds.

 

 

Saturday: There were low clouds, strong wind and rough sea north of Vancouver Island, but the sun came out in the mid-afternoon while we were in Inside Passage.

 

 

Sunday: I took advantage of Express Disembarkation to leave the ship at 7:35 a.m. Customs was a quick procedure, and I was home within 12 minutes.

 

 

Remarks: Prompt and courteous service from Guest Relations, friendly attention from Captain Patsoulas, and efficient dining room and cabin staff made this the best way to end my 15th and final cruise on Mercury. I will miss her.

[Druke I]

Thanks for the quick review.

 

It is nice to be recognized as the "most frequent cruiser".

[Kapricorn]

One of my friends took a photograph of Mercury as I sailed on her out of Vancouver on September 5. This is a great way for me to remember my final voyage on her.

 

 

Donald.

[Saga Ruby]

My 8:30 p.m. dining was at Table 661, with Gerda from Hamburg, Germany, and two sisters in their 40s from the Seattle area. The four of us proved to be a congenial group, with conversations flowing each night, and usually we were among the last to leave the dining room.

 

Monday: Apparently not many Elite level members were on this cruise.

 

At this event the Cruise Director, Stewart Turnbull of Edmonton, told me that there were 1,000 Canadians among the 1,800 passengers.

 

Sunday: I took advantage of Express Disembarkation to leave the ship at 7:35 a.m. Customs was a quick procedure, and I was home within 12 minutes.

 

Is Gerda traveling around the US, then on to Asia from Alaska, or going straightaway back home? Was this her first tour of Alaska?

 

Of the many Canadians onboard, were there various charter groups or mostly individual bookings?

 

Getting home in 12 minutes from the pier? Now see, you're doing this all wrong. You should be awake for 24 hrs. on packed plane flights, wait in interminable lines for Immigration and Customs, then arrive home zombie-fied. At my house, that is the traditional scenario.

 

The ship's photo of Mercury sailing out of Vancouver is loverly. Between your personal photos and that departure photo, you have great keepsakes for your final trip on a great ship.

 

Ruby

[Kapricorn]

Ruby, Gerda was with a German tour group visiting Western Canada and Alaska, and this was her first visit to Alaska. The tour group did all not sit together in the dining room. They flew back to Germany on the 11 p.m. red-eye on the day of disembarkation. Gerda is in my age group, and has had an interesting life, working as a secretary in Hong Kong, Dubai, Paris, Miami, Durban and other major cities. This explained her excellent mastery of English. Last Friday she sent me a nice e-mail saying how much she had enjoyed our dinners.

 

As for Canadians, I noticed in the atrium that a table and flip-chart with information had been set aside for a tour group from the Victoria (BC) metropolitan area. I don't know how many members were in this group. I think that most of the other Canadians were aboard for the season's low fares and the bonus of boarding and disembarking in Vancouver.

 

Donald.

[Kapricorn]

I visited the bookstore in Juneau and bought another classic to read, Crime and Punishment. When I was a lad, I had read it in a "Comic Classics" version (are these still in print???). It was interesting to read Don Quixote and find out what it is all about, and I have decided that henceforth I will buy a classic book every time I am in Juneau. The prices there are quite reasonable.

 

Donald.

[Kapricorn]

The prospect of being stuck in dreary, chilly and wet Vancouver all winter was enough to cause me to book a 14-day sunny Caribbean cruise on Constellation out of Fort Lauderdale next February. My travel agent said that that ship was recently "Solsticized" - whatever that meant. I am looking forward to taking my first cruise on that ship.

 

Donald.

[Druke I]

Have a good trip, Donald.

 

I understand about the winters. At one point, I had thought about retirng in the Vancouver area - but my wife said only if we kept a winter residence in NorCA!

Edited September 27, 2010 by Druke I

[Saga Ruby]

The prospect of being stuck in dreary, chilly and wet Vancouver all winter was enough to cause me to book a 14-day sunny Caribbean cruise on Constellation out of Fort Lauderdale next February.

Donald.

 

I enjoyed my crossing on the Connie back in 2003. It was my cheapest cruise on a nice new ship due to the after-effects of 9/11 on the travel industry. I paid $199/day for 14 days and had a marvy time. Since that time, however, as the apartment barges came onto the waves, I put "paid" on the large-ship concept and returned to my beloved small ships. I am curious as to what they mean by Solsticized? What ports will you be visiting?

 

ships cat - is your cruise on the maiden voyage of QE looming on the horizon? Will you be assisting The Queen when she smashes the champagne bottle over the hull?

 

Ruby

[Kapricorn]

Ruby, I did a search for "Solsticized" on the Celebrity board and found this:

 

Among the Solstice Class features to be introduced on the Millennium Class ships:

 

• More opportunities to relish Celebrity’s world-class cuisine with the addition of Tuscan Grille, the Napa Valley-meets-Italian-steakhouse venue found on Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Equinox
  
• Bistro on Five, the vibrant, popular creperie introduced on Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Equinox
  
• A Solstice Class-inspired, ice-topped Martini Bar paired with Crush, whose ice-filled table presents a selection of chilled, top-tier vodkas
  
• The cool Café al Bacio and Gelateria, replacing the former Cova Café
  
• As introduced on the Solstice Class, an Enomatic wine bar, the state-of-the-art, Italian designed wine serving system allowing guests to select and serve, at the touch of a button, the wines of their choice by the glass
  
• More sumptuous suites, on a par with those in the most modern hotels in Europe, with all new furniture, flat-screen TVs, upholstery, bedding and carpeting
  
• Restyled staterooms, with entirely new carpeting, flat-screen TVs, upholstery and bedding
  
• New color schemes, carpeting and upholstery reflective of Solstice Class in every public venue, from the Celebrity Theater to Seaside Grill, from the main dining room to Michael's Club
  

So you paid $199/day for the 2003 transatlantic ... I am paying $231CAD/day ($225USD at today's rate) for the 2011 Caribbean cruise. Prices haven't changed all that much in eight years for solo passengers.

 

Donald.

Edited September 28, 2010 by Kapricorn

[Host Sharon]

Two weeks today, and god willing, I will be sipping cocktails in the Commodore Club. Sadly though - I wasn't invited to accompany HM in the naming ceremony :mad:

[Saga Ruby]

Two weeks today, and god willing, I will be sipping cocktails in the Commodore Club. Sadly though - I wasn't invited to accompany HM in the naming ceremony :mad:

 

I have a British question. When I was asking if you were joining HM for the christening, I almost typed "Lilibet" but decided it might be offensive. When y'all talk amongst yourselves about QEII, do you use the phrase Her Majesty, or The Queen or what is appropriate in casual conversations?

 

It reminds me of some years ago when I asked British friends if they came from England, the UK, or Britain. The Welshman and the Scot bravely remained calm at my query, but I'm still confused!

 

Ruby

[Saga Ruby]

Donald - I've read that list of Solstice innovations that will be available onboard your Caribbean cruise. One question - Crush and the "ice-filled table." Does that mean that there is a well in the tabletop that holds crushed ice to keep the vodka cold? Please put that on your list of mysteries to solve.

 

I smiled when I saw your cabin tariff. As you say, not much of an increase in all these years. Competition, no?

 

When I think of Solstice, the actual ship, I think of that white iceberg which followed Prinsendam around Greece and Italy. In Piraeus, the ship was lurking around the bend of our harbour like a Labrador retriever wanting to play with the terriers but too big to be let into the dog park.

 

In Napoli, Solstice fit into one of the berths further down the line. She is a good-looking ship, monstrous, but at least can be identified as a ship that sails upon the "deep and dark blue ocean" as opposed to the Oasis and Allure which are simply small cities at sea.

 

What ports will you be visiting in the Caribbean on your 14-day meander?

 

Ruby

[Kapricorn]

Ruby, I am as curious as you are about the ice-filled table. I will let you know after that cruise.

 

The itinerary is Charlotte Amalie (St. Thomas), St. Johns (Antigua), Castries (St. Lucia), Bridgetown (Barbados), St. George's (Grenada), Scarborough (Tobago), Oranjestad (Aruba) & Willemstad (Curacao). Since I have been to many of these, now and then I probably might stay poolside on a suddenly-empty ship.

 

I've never been to Tobago, so I most likely will venture ashore there.

 

Donald.

[Host Sharon]

I have a British question. When I was asking if you were joining HM for the christening, I almost typed "Lilibet" but decided it might be offensive. When y'all talk amongst yourselves about QEII, do you use the phrase Her Majesty, or The Queen or what is appropriate in casual conversations?

 

It reminds me of some years ago when I asked British friends if they came from England, the UK, or Britain. The Welshman and the Scot bravely remained calm at my query, but I'm still confused!

 

Ruby

 

Hi Ruby - I suppose it depends on the context as to how we refer to our Queen. Lilibet was a family nickname for her used by her mother so I have never heard anyone refer to her thus. The Queen, Her Maj., Lizzie are all used. I am sure there are many others but I can't think of them just now.

 

As for what we call our country - it is Great Britain or the United Kingdom, either of which consist of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland - does that help ??

 

I love your description of Solstice as a white iceberg:)

[Saga Ruby]

I visited the bookstore in Juneau and bought another classic to read, Crime and Punishment. When I was a lad, I had read it in a "Comic Classics" version (are these still in print???). It was interesting to read Don Quixote and find out what it is all about, and I have decided that henceforth I will buy a classic book every time I am in Juneau. The prices there are quite reasonable. Donald.

 

Your copy of C&P should bring much reading pleasure. A friend of mine enjoyed the book and was smart enough to use the inside back cover to make a list of characters so she could keep all those Russian characters straight. I have loaded Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham for my cruise next year, plus many other wonderful books. Gotta pass the time on a 21-day transpacific crossing somehow! Thankfully my Kindle still weights only 8 ozs. although it stores 54 books in my active inventory.

 

One classic I recently read is Peter Pan and was pleasantly surprised at the ending. Uncle Walt didn't make the fine point that Jame Barrie did and I'm glad I reread this classic story. On the other hand, I read Trollope's The Way We Live Now solely due to Newsweek declaring it the best book ever. After a long slog, I remembered that many of the authors of that era were writing a weekly series for newspaper readers which explains some of the duplication in this novel. Best ever? Not in my opinion.

 

You have me laughing about the Classic Comics series. My sister and I enjoyed reading all of them and declared that we had read all the classical books - they were a version of Cliff Notes back in the day.

 

Sea Princess is 77,000 tons, ie around three times bigger than Saga Ruby. She used to be P&O's original Adonia and went to Princess Cruises in exchange for Royal Princess which became Artemis.

 

My head is aching! When did Sea Princess come online at that humongous size of 77,000? To me, that volume of tonnage must have been a precursor of the 92,000 gt of Celebrity's ships - like Constellation.

 

I like my simple life of voyages on ships that have "only" 2-3 specialty restaurants. It seems that, nowadays, spas and restaurants are growing like mushrooms onboard ships. I'm starting to feel like Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor on Green Acres - give me the simple life.

 

Ruby

[Druke I]

Sea Princess came into the Princess fleet originally in 1998. She is one of four of the Sun class, and is not to be confused with the previous Sea Princess, nee Kungsholm, aka Victoria akd Mona Lisa.

 

For awhile she sailed as P&O;s Adonia, but came back to Princess and got her old name back.

 

We've sailed on the "class leader" Sun Princess, and really liked her. The mini-suites are really the equivalent of full suites on other Princess ships, albeit with a rather small balcony.

 

They were considered huge when they came out, but now are considered mid-range!

[Saga Ruby]

Two weeks today, and god willing, I will be sipping cocktails in the Commodore Club. Sadly though - I wasn't invited to accompany HM in the naming ceremony.

 

An early, sincere Bon Voyage for the maiden voyage of QE. Do you expect that she will be shipshape and Bristol fashion, or will you be tippy-toeing around work crews putting in the final planks around the pool(s)? What size is this ship and how many passengers? Will it have an endless number of specialty restaurants to sample?

 

Is MMDownUnder back home in Oz yet? I wanna hear about the train trips and cruise!

 

Ruby