Saga Rose Greenland Voyager August 2007

[Saga Ruby]

Very interesting that Saga Ruby may not be scrapped. That would be wonderful if she found a good home. Does SOLAS not apply to the Chinese or the South Americans? To whom does it apply? Shame that she cannot just stay with Saga though.Graham.

 

I talked to staff members onboard Saga Rose about SOLAS and here are some of their thoughts - since 9/11, most cruise companies are bringing up their ships to American and British standards. Saga Rose cannot sail into an American port because she is already out of code with her wooden structures.

 

The Chinese and Central American interests don't care about this Act. As long as they keep the ship out of American or British ports, "danger" is not a concern to them. They can buy an older ship, refresh its interiors, change its paint scheme, and make financial gains by endless charters out of South Africa or Asia.

 

I would rather see Saga Rose disappear from the high seas forever than come to an ignominious end, like a burned-out hulk in Hong Kong harbour.

 

Ruby

[dougnewmanatsea]

I talked to staff members onboard Saga Rose about SOLAS and here are some of their thoughts - since 9/11, most cruise companies are bringing up their ships to American and British standards. Saga Rose cannot sail into an American port because she is already out of code with her wooden structures.

 

The Chinese and Central American interests don't care about this Act. As long as they keep the ship out of American or British ports, "danger" is not a concern to them. They can buy an older ship, refresh its interiors, change its paint scheme, and make financial gains by endless charters out of South Africa or Asia.

I think the above goes to something I learned some time ago - you cannot believe every rumor you hear from people who work on ships.

 

The only bit of the above that may have some truth to it - though I do not know whether it's true or not - is that about the ship not being able to come to the US, since we do have our own peculiar regulations here. But that's about it.

 

First, 9/11 has absolutely nothing to do with any of this... All these SOLAS changes date back to the 1990s even though they aren't taking effect now. 9/11 has caused a lot of red tape in the US (and some other places) with regard to security but SOLAS is another matter entirely.

 

Beyond that, in fact the Chinese do care about SOLAS as does just about every country. Operating a ship on international routes that doesn't comply with SOLAS is simply a non-starter. The only way SAGA ROSE could be of any use without complying with SOLAS is if she is engaged in some kind of domestic trading as ships for this purpose come under completely different rules. So I suppose there is some remote possibility that Chinese buyers may purchase her for domestic trading but of course that would mean she could never, ever call at a port outside China. I know of no Central American cruise operators but lets say she got bought by a company from Nicaragua; that would mean she couldn't go call in, say, Honduras because that would be international trade. So not complying with SOLAS really isn't an option. And SOLAS is SOLAS whether you're in Southampton or Shanghai.

 

Bringing the ship up to SOLAS is of course an option but it is an expensive one, obviously it has been ruled uneconomic by Saga and I know Classic International Cruises looked at the ship but again decided it simply would not pay. That doesn't mean everyone else would come to the same conclusion but frankly if Saga - a company that spends vast sums refitting its ships - thinks it costs too much, it must cost a lot. So again, I don't see much future there.

 

In the end I think there has got to be a 90% change if not more that SAGA ROSE will wind up at the breakers'... Sad, but true, and it applies to a number of other ships too.

[bcscot]

Graham - Thanks so much for this information. On the bus at Scapa Flow, I was having trouble understanding which war was which as the Flow played a part in WWI and WWII. One minute we were hearing about WWI, then the next words I heard were "Churchill Barriers" and I started wandering in the weeds.

And I didn't understand the guide's comment about the steel being so desirable as nonradioactive until you came up with this fine information.

My mind was ricocheting around like a pachinko ball and now the fog has lifted. Thanks. Ruby

 

Ruby: I am glad that I managed to sow a few fruitful seeds in your weed patch.:)

 

Michael: There is a good film on the subject of submarines called U-571. It is supposed to be very accurate to the point that they employed German German actors instead of American Germans so the German accents would be authentic. Apparently during WWII the American Navy had some old WWI subs which were very leaky! This was well portrayed in the film. The ex-US Navy technical adviser on the film had sailed on the leaky old subs & on a captured U-boat. It was quite a good film.

 

Only two days till you leave. Have a great trip Michael. I will look forward to your report when you return.

 

Graham.

[bcscot]

Nice of you to come aboard for a visit. I like the picture on your post.

 

I hope that the old Waverely will be safe then. Although she is an ocean going paddle steamer, she only sails around the UK.

 

I wonder if Saga Rose would be desirable as a museum or a hotel. Lets hope so.

 

Graham.

[Kapricorn]

Hi, Doug -

 

I echo Graham's sentiments in welcoming you back here. Was the photograph in your avatar from the Marco Polo?

 

Donald (being called D'Maniac by Ruby).

[Druke I]

Actually, the film "U571" was pretty well panned by many British veterans' groups, as the story was based on an actual incident involving a British submarine, not an American sub.

 

If you ever get to Chicago, go the the Field Museum. They have the only WW2 German submarine captured on the high seas by the US Navy - "away all boarders" stuff. Interesting, claustrophobic sub - think "Das Boot"!

 

Less claustrophobic is the Russian WW2 sub museum in Vladivostock.

[Saga Ruby]

If you ever get to Chicago, go the the Field Museum. They have the only WW2 German submarine captured on the high seas by the US Navy - "away all boarders" stuff. Interesting, claustrophobic sub - think "Das Boot"!

 

All those years of watching war movies and yes, Das Boot, finally paid off for lil ole me when I was standing in the conning tower of that Chicago sub. When the docent sounded the sub's horn (Ah-OOO-gah!) it was a thrill - reality beyond Hollywood.

 

Torpedoes from the ship form the queue lines so visitors to the sub are leaning on huge, long German torpedoes as they wait to board. Seeing the hammocks in the torpedo room, along with cheeses and sausages hanging in the same area for the crew's meals, made it all come together about life onboard a German submarine.

 

The tiny "kitchen" with a miniature stove and the Captain's "quarters" which looked appropriate for a dwarf from Snow White really shocked me when you consider the weeks at sea - not one millimeter of space was wasted.

 

I would like to join the crowd of well-wishers for sending all best wishes to Michael and Virginia for a fine river cruise. Bon voyage, y'all!

 

Ruby

[bcscot]

Actually, the film "U571" was pretty well panned by many British veterans' groups, as the story was based on an actual incident involving a British submarine, not an American sub.

 

Thank you for mentioning this Michael. The ethno'centric views of Hollywood are notorious & have irritated the rest of the world for decades, however in this case, I must put in a good word for them.

 

The 'special features' on the DVD of 'U-571' are quite extensive & as interesting as the film. They have interviews with various people including the Royal Navy officer who was the first to board the captured U-boat upon which the first German 'Enigma Code' machine was captured, contributing so much to the fight against the terrible U-boat menace. They openly acknowledge that the Royal Navy captured the first one. Apparently the Americans captured another one later in the war (was this the U-boat in Chicago?), & with an ample supply of 'artistic license' they have created a 'fictional' story encompassing these two events. The major point is that it is a fictional story & they are not claiming that this is the true story of how the Americans were the first to capture an enigma machine. I would have to let them off the hook on this one!

 

'Das Boot' & 'U-571' seem to be the two classic modern films on submarines, 'The Enemy Below' of course being the older classic. The 'U-571' people claim (of course!) that their film is even more accurate than 'Das Boot'. It is a newer film & I think that they used 'Das Boot' as a springboard. I have to say though that I found 'Das Boot' to be a bit slow & dull. 'U-571' however is anything but, being fast paced & exiting. I think that it is a good film & worth a watch if you have not seen it.

 

The only submarine upon which I have been, is the previously mentioned 1950s Russian submarine in San Diego. Sorry Donald, I know this is not your favourite topic!

 

AVATAR: So that is the technical term for the thingy at the top of your post. Is that right?

 

Ruby: You do a wonderful impression of a submarine's siren. Please do it for us once more.

 

Graham.

[Druke I]

Yes, the German submarine in Chicago did have an Enigma machine aboard when captured.

 

The Captain of the "jeep" carrier task group (Daniel Gallery USN) involved was almost court-martialed because of the capture. It seems the powers-to-be felt that that event would signal the Germans that their code had been compromised. Eventually, saner heads prevailed, and he and the personnel involved were decorated for their astounding feat.

 

You did leave out two very good submarine pictures, perhaps because they were of the Pacific War: "Run Silent Run Deep" with Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster, and "Operation Pacific" with John Wayne and Ward Bond.

 

A third sub movie, perhaps a potboiler, was "Crash Dive", with Tyrone Power and Dana Andrews, featured German Q boats. It was very popular when I was a lad.

[dougnewmanatsea]

Nice of you to come aboard for a visit. I like the picture on your post.

Thanks. It's the header image of my blog too so I guess it is almost like my personal "logo", until I change it anyway :) !

 

I hope that the old Waverely will be safe then. Although she is an ocean going paddle steamer, she only sails around the UK.

Indeed, WAVERLEY is safe. A very good thing I might add as while I have not sailed in her I certainly would like to!

 

I wonder if Saga Rose would be desirable as a museum or a hotel.

It would be nice to see her become a hotel in Norway (for that is the only place I can imagine this actually happening to her) but alas it seems rather unlikely as I don't think I have heard anything out of Norway indicating that anyone is trying to do this. And most such plans fail anway , sad to say. The ocean-liner-as-hotel/museum is a nice one but so far only one ship has managed any semblance of success in this area and that is QUEEN MARY and it is quite debatable whether you can actually call her experience a success anyway!

 

I do fully expect QE2 to be a success as a hotel and museum but of course she is the QE2 and has an element of fame that no other passenger ship in the world has (with the possible exception of QM2 and she is at least 30 years or so away from us contemplating her end, barring something unforeseen and tragic) and also she will be in Dubai which to me seems like the perfect place for this sort of thing. But a ship like SAGAFJORD would be far more difficult. As has been, I should add, ROTTERDAM, though it seems she may be a success and indeed I really hope she is and must hand it to the Dutch for having gotten as far as they have, something nobody else has done in 40 years or so. (And they have done it with far greater historical sensitivity than was accorded poor QUEEN MARY back in the late '60s/early '70s...)

 

Was the photograph in your avatar from the Marco Polo?

No, 'tis from QE2. As I said to Graham, there is a much bigger version on the front page of my blog. Or click here for a really big one :) .

 

I have something of a "thing" for boat deck photos - since you asked, here is a nice MARCO POLO one.

[Kapricorn]

I have something of a "thing" for boat deck photos - since you asked, here is a nice MARCO POLO one.

 

Doug, thanks for that picture! It appears as though the deck slopes slightly downward towards the railings, as if for efficient draining of water? If so, how sensible!

 

Donald.

[bcscot]

Ross: I did not miss out those films because they were set in the Pacific, I was just unfamiliar with them. I may have seen them as a child but have since forgotten them. Have a good flight & a wonderful cruise. Bye bye.

 

Doug: Thank you for the info. Are you an artist?

 

Donald: I watched 'Inside the QM2' last night & found it quite interesting. I think that I am warming to her as a transatlantic liner. Compared to the other behemoths of today, she is unique & has a classic looking hull & an interesting looking superstructure. I look forward to doing a crossing on her.

 

Ruby: Ah-OO-gah!

If you do not read this till tomorrow morning:

Magandang umaga. Kumusta.

 

Graham.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

HI GRAHAM!!!

I think you meant to say what you said to Druke1...and not me...but while we are on the subject...how about Operation Petticoat??...LOL!!!...a submarine and in the Pacific!!! LOL!!!:D

 

Ross

[bcscot]

Ross: You are quite right. Sorry Michael. Sorry Ross. It was late & I was tired. I never was very good at names anyway!

 

I vaguely recall 'Operation Petticoat' but I am not sure if it could be classified as a 'classic' submarine film!:rolleyes:

 

Doug: That is an interesting blog that you have there. Thank you for the link.

 

There is an interesting feature on CC today about the Spanish cruise line 'Pullmantur'. What a list of old ships they have:

The old 1966 Kungsholm, the 1965 Home Lines Oceanic, Pacific Princess, Hapag Lloyd's Europa, Fairsky & Tropicale. I wonder how many of these will be left after 2010? Ruby, with your fluency in Spanish, this may be another line for you!

 

When I first started to read the CC boards, I could not understand why so many people said "LOL" after their sentences. I thought that maybe it was an expression used in the Southern US States, like "Y'ALL"! Then one day the penny dropped & I thought "could it mean: laugh out loud? "......LOVL !!!:D

 

Graham.

[Saga Ruby]

I was wondering if I might ask you a small favour? Could you please book a cruise on Galaxy and then tell me what you think?

 

I'm interested that Peter Boyd-Smith liked the ship so much and that he was surprised that he and Jan did indeed like it.

 

Having said that, it is an intellectual curiosity only. A friend asked me today where my next trip would be and I jumped like I had been shot. No more traveling internationally until something gloms on to my attention and won't let go. I figure traveling around the globe 1.5 times in 8 months is enough. When I die, if I go to Hell, it will be a world cruise.

 

Ruby

[Kapricorn]

I was wondering if I might ask you a small favour? Could you please book a cruise on Galaxy and then tell me what you think?

 

I'm interested that Peter Boyd-Smith liked the ship so much and that he was surprised that he and Jan did indeed like it.

Ruby

 

LOL, Ruby!! The Galaxy is a sister-ship of the Mercury, on which I've cruised eight times. In 2000, during one of my cruises to Alaska, the Galaxy and the Mercury were in two of the ports at the same time. Sometimes I had to double-check to make sure that I was boarding my ship. In Skagway, the Galaxy departed before the Mercury, and I snapped a photograph of her from my cabin balcony (see attachment).

 

I am not at all surprised that Peter Boyd-Smith and Jan liked the Galaxy. These two ships are just the right size, neither too small nor too big. Their staff are proud of their ships and it is reflected in their service of the passengers. As I've said before, the Mercury has a happy-ship vibe, and I would think that the Galaxy does, too.

 

The Galaxy does the Caribbean routes. Ruby, why don't you book a cruise on her and provide us with your feedback? After all, you're nearer Florida than I am. Also, you can see from my signature that I am fully booked on cruises to February 2009. :D

 

Cheers,

D'maniac.

[bcscot]

My 'crossing' the other day was a pleasant interlude in the usual day to day routine. On this occasion it was on the 1994, 18,747.44 ton 'Spirit Of Vancouver Island'. She is a fine ferry even though she is modern & does not have the same vintage charm as the old Queens (no Ross, I am not talking about Anthony Blanche again!).

 

The day had been wet & windy but things had improved for my crossing. In the distance,all around, there was cloud to be seen, but overhead the sky was blue & the sun was shining. As we left Tsawwassen, Vancouver, the ship gave several short blasts on her hooter (sorry, horn), emitting a very respectable deep foghorn like tone.

 

Around us there was a small fleet of little fishing boats attending to their nets or baskets. Over at the cargo terminal, ships were loading up with various cargoes, one bulk carrier looking like it had a 'clipper bow' on it. I have never seen that before.

 

As we headed out onto the Strait Of Georgia, the stiff breeze was whipping up small waves over the surface of the sea, which glittered & sparkled in the sunlight like millions of flashing Christmas tree lights. There was enough of a gentle rocking motion to remind me that I was at sea.

 

Away to the south, Mount Baker was nowhere to be seen, hiding in her cloak of clouds. Around San Juan Island, the cloud formed a thin layer of petticoats, the mountain like summit rising above to penetrate a further, higher layer of cloud. San Juan Island was the site of the last military confrontation between Britain & the USA, over a border dispute in the 1850s. The mountain peaks of BC were also masked by a huge mountain range of clouds, like a vast Himalayan range in the skies.

 

Behind us lay that ribbon of lace that was the ship's wake. Never again will I look at a ship's wake without thinking of Penny & her 'ribbon of lace'. It describes the sight so beautifully.

 

The vista was wonderful & the tourists were clicking away on their cameras. There are always a group of Australians onboard, at least one or two coach loads, either 'Trafalgar' or 'Scenic' tour groups. This route seems to be firmly on the Australian tourist route.

 

Away in the distance I could see another ferry coming down from Duke Point in Nanaimo. At the distance, an optical illusion made her look like a dark blue hulled ship. From the shape she could even have been Saga Rose. For a moment I thought that a really interesting ship was coming, until I realised that my eyes were deceiving me. Oh, how I would have enjoyed afternoon tea on Saga Rose at that moment, but alas, I would have to settle for a teabag in my travel mug.

 

I stood & listened to the naturalist talking about rock fish & killer whales for a while. BC Ferries always have one to give talks to the tourists in the summer. With an overdose of artistic license, standing on the aft deck, I could almost imagine myself on the Lido verandah of the Prinsendam during our Atlantic crossing.

 

We then started to enter Active Pass. On the port side, the picturesque Mayne Island lighthouse standing out, it's orange & white in colourful contrast to the green of the trees & grass, & the blue of the sea & sky. The horn then sounded as we rounded the bend into the Pass. Around the corner into the Pass from the opposite direction, came sister ship, Spirit Of British Columbia, listing slightly to port from her cornering manoeuvre. We passed like ships in the night. As she passed behind us, she sounded her horn which, with the distance & the accoustics of the Pass, resonated like a deep & mournful cry.

 

Coming out of Active Pass & heading past the Pender Islands, we were surrounded by lots of little sailing yachts, bobbing along in the stiffening breeze. The sky was darkening & the wind becoming stonger & cooler, so I decided to go in for my tea & a spot of belated lunch. I had been enjoying the crossing so much out on the deck that I hardly allowed myself enough time to sit in the 'opulent luxury' of my van on the car deck & eat my sandwich & drink my tea before we cruised through the tiny islands into Schwartz Bay, Victoria.

 

Sigh. Yet another lovely voyage completed.

 

Graham.

[Kapricorn]

Graham, you were really evocative in your narrative of the crossing on the BC Ferry. Thanks so much for an interesting read!

 

D'maniac.

[Saga Ruby]

Ruby, why don't you book a cruise on her and provide us with your feedback? After all, you're nearer Florida than I am. Also, you can see from my signature that I am fully booked on cruises to February 2009. :DCheers,D'maniac.

 

D'maniac - Thanks for the notes on Galaxy and Mercury. I understand completely the concept of a "happy" ship and we all appreciate that kind of atmosphere when we are onboard. From what you say, Galaxy is a sister ship to Mercury in every way. You had me laughing about boarding the right ship! I felt that way about Royal Viking which had 3 (almost) identical ships, Sea, Sky, and Star. When people asked me which RVL ship I was on for which cruise, I didn't have a clue.

 

In regard to me doing a Caribbean cruise ever again in my lifetime, you can be 100% confident that that ain't gonna happen. Been there, done that. And if I want hot weather, I'll stay in Texas.

 

As we left Tsawwassen, Vancouver, the ship gave several short blasts on her hooter (sorry, horn), emitting a very respectable deep foghorn like tone.Graham.

 

Tsawwassen? Gesundheit! Thanks for the crossing notes, Graham. I get misty-eyed, thinking about you seated comfortably in the van, sipping your tea from your favourite mug. Oh wait! That's just the heavy overcast! Has the guide on the tannoy given an explanation of that Indian word to the Aussie tourists?

 

Wherever I travel, no matter where I go, there are Aussies and/or Canadians afoot. I knew a man in Sydney whose son would fly to Aspen for a ski weekend, then fly back home. Egad!

 

Ruby

[bcscot]

Ruby: You said that you envied those who live in a port city. I would have thought that you were in a great location for cruise ships, being a fairly short flight from either Florida or California, not to mention Galviston & New Orleans. If you enjoy the ship & the cruise as much as the destinations, then why not take advantage of good last minute deals, short flights & never mind where it goes. You like Oceania & they go to some of the less frequently visited islands in the Caribbean. Azamara & Fred Olsen would be other options too, not to mention the Galaxy.

 

I would think that it would be a great opportunity to really enjoy the ship & have a relaxing trip at a good price. Some of those ships are to be savoured, which is hard to do on a port intensive cruise. It is also nice to have some good weather sometimes. Then again, you can also go up the coast to BC & Alaska if you want to get away from all that boring Texas sunshine!

 

Graham.

[Kapricorn]

Ruby, I've "been there, done that" concerning my multiple cruises to Alaska and the Mexican Riviera. On my last few cruises I haven't bothered to disembark in any of the Mexican ports. I went just for the cruise experience, relaxation, sunbathing and pampering by the ships' staff. Another major factor for me is getting away from Vancouver's chilly and rainy winters. I do understand, though, that there isn't much incentive if the Texan weather is similar to that in the Caribbean.

 

Alaska is different each time, depending on the month and weather. In Juneau I always head to the Alaskan Fudge Co. store to stock up on yummy no-sugar fudge. Another major influence for me is not having to fly to cruises departing from Vancouver. :D

 

D'maniac.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

HELLO!!!

 

LOL!!! I have not had this many laughs in a long time...just catching up on all these posts.

 

The GALAXY, MERCURY and CENTURY were the last of the true Chandris ships and they were and are happy ships. They were the last ships to have propeller shafts and they tend to guzzle bunker C fuel oil. The ships are known as Century Class ships. I had the pleasure to cruise on the CENTURY a few years ago and was fortunate enough to have had "the suite experience". Lawrence, who is a famous butler on Celebrity told me that the crew accommodations were really nice and that the crew was always happy. We loved the CENTURY and it is easy to understand why someone could get hooked on Celebrity when they have cruised on a Century Class vessel. Someday we will go back and take another cruise on a C class ship.

 

Well Graham...I doubt you will get Ruby to cruise on a new mega monster...she hates the big ships etc...calls them "hotels on barges"...LOL!!! I can understand why too. It is pretty hard to beat the profiles of the SAGA sisters...with a level of service that has not been seen on the mega ships.

 

Ross

[Saga Ruby]

To D’maniac - Ah, the Alaska Fudge Company in Juneau. That was my last stop on the way back to the ship. Love that fudge!

 

Once upon a time, I enjoyed a brisk, bumpy ride on the Mendenhall River outside Juneau. I still have the pin saying "I Survived The Mendenhall." When the tour bus drove over a bridge alongside the river, we looked down to see roiling brown water with white caps surging down the river in massive volume, a result, the driver told us, of three weeks of steady hard rain.

 

The glacier was also sending meltwater into the Mendenhall Lake which was already filled to overflowing with the recent rains, thereby feeding the river with even more water. We parked at the edge of the lake, donned our life preservers, and stepped into 8-man rafts with seats. A trim young man with a lean physique stepped aboard as our rower. He rowed eight of us across the lake against a strong headwind, chatting all the while about the natural wonders that surrounded us. It was the most impressive feat of physical strength and conditioning I have ever personally witnessed.

 

After reaching the far side of the lake, our guide turned the raft into the turgid river and off we went with me squealing and giggling the entire way down to Juneau. When we disembarked, I made a point of asking the guide what he did for employment in the winter months. He replied, "I’m a ski instructor at Aspen."

 

On one trip to Juneau, I was hungry and wanted to get out of the tourist areas, so I walked one street over where it was quiet. I found a small local café which was packed with locals, always a good sign. When I opened the door and walked in, the entire café went completely silent. I waited to see if someone would to direct me to a table and, when no one came up, I took a seat in a booth. After 10 long minutes, a waitress came up and nervously asked what I wanted to drink. I told her, "Water" which never came. Silently I thought, "Okay, you win, here’s your café back" and walked out the door. As soon as my hand touched the front door handle, the noise and conversation cranked up again.

 

To Graham: Thanks for the thoughts about where I could cruise, but, for now, I’m done. The last thing on my list of "things to do" in the sense of travel exploration is the Northern Lights. I have been chasing them for years. My timing is always bad as I am in Far North in the summertime above the Arctic Circle so the lights are washed out by the Midnight Sun. I may give up and take a flight up to the Yukon or Alaska and see those beautiful lights. Do y’all see them very often in B.C.?

 

Ruby

[bcscot]

Ruby: I have seen the Northern Lights many many times. Maybe your mistake is going too far north to see them. On the other hand, you just have to be in the right place at the right time to see them. Living in Northern climes helps!

 

When I grew up, on a farm (no, not in Africa!) in the north-east of Scotland, it was a fairly common thing to see the Northern Lights. If I was out walking in the countryside at night, which I often did to clear my head after studying for school exams, I could be walking along in the pitch dark when suddenly, as if God had flicked a switch in his heaven, the night sky would come alive with dancing green curtains of light. The show would last for a while & then stop as suddenly as it had started.

 

Climbing & walking in ths Scotish mountains would also afford me the occasional sight of this amazing light show in the sky. Later,while living in central BC, driving between towns at night, we would sometimes see the Northern Lights. My last sighting was on a cruise returning from Alaska during the summer. We had a wonderful display one clear night. Many people came out on deck for the show, which went on for a long time.

 

So maybe you should keep cruising to Alaska in the hope of seeing those elusive lights. Fly to Vancouver (direct flight from Dallas/Ft.Worth), take the friendly old Mercury up to Alaska & then reposition down to San Diego, a shorter flight from home. Who knows, you may even bump into one Donald D'maniac!

 

Donald D'maniac: That is such a grand title. It sounds like it comes straight from the pages of history along with other names such as: the Marquis de Sade, Vlad The Impaler & Ivan the Terrible!!!:D

 

Have you seen the Aurora Borealis while cruising up to Alaska? Have you done all your Alaska cruises from Vancouver or have you tried going from Seattle? Have you been taken on any detours? Once on the Statendam, with time to spare while waiting for the tide to change at the Seymour Narrows, on leaving Vancouver, Capt.Boss took us on a scenic detour around Bowen Island, into Howe Sound & out the other side. It was great, as was the daylight passage of the Juan De Fuca Strait & Gulf Islands on the Oosterdam.

 

Graham.

[bcscot]

Yesterday we went to the 'Titanic: The artifact exhibition' at the Royal BC Museum, after waiting all summer for the crowds to diminish (a lesson in delayed gratification!).

 

We began our visit with a viewing of the old 'Titanica' IMAX film to set the scene. The film is of the second expedition to Titanic (after Ballard's), on the Russian marine research vessel 'Akademik Mstislav Keldysh', lead by Dr Anatoly Sagalevitch, creator of the 'Mir' submersibles. This was the ship & team used for the making of the 'Titanic' movie, Dr Sagalevitch & some of his crew making appearances in the movie. It was during the exploration for that movie that the remote operated vehicles (ROVs) were developed, allowing penetration of the wreck itself. At the time Titanica was made, the views were of the external part of the ship & the debris field ( except for a rather risky venture into the boiler room on the stern section to see the massive steam engines). The film was therefore fairly basic compared to what was to come, but still set the scene nicely. Eva Hart, Titanic survivor, was interviewed during the film, giving a very personal dimention.

 

The exhibition itself was well organised & layed out. You have to book an entry time, to control the flow of people through the exhibit. There are many everyday artifacts on display, including jewellery, brushes, coins, boots, pipes, spectacles (eye glasses),other personal items, pieces of coal & items from the ship such as light fittings, mechanical parts, glasses, bottles & dishes. I had to keep reminding myself that these simple objects were really from Titanic & if auctioned, would be worth a fortune.

 

There was a bottle of Champagne which was still full, & another of Benedictine. A stack of 'gratin' dishes had been in a cupboard which fell onto the sea floor. When the cupboard rotted away, the dishes were left in a perfect stack on the sand of the sea bed. They were displayed like this.

 

Recreations of 3rd class & 1st class cabins were on display with all sorts of interesting accompanying items such as dinner menus & clothing from the era. There were lots of information boards, pictures & a film to give more information about the ship & the sinking. There was even an 'iceberg', a refrigerated lump of white ice in the middle of one of the rooms, giving atmosphere & an authentic temperature (anyone going should take a sweater!).

 

The thing that really made it come alive, was the presence of the actors, in costume & character. 'Captain Smith' gave us a talk about the ship, using a model to illustrate the points. Second Officer Charles Lightoller, standing beside a large picture of the port side boat deck, recounted in his calm professional voice, how he struggled to get the boats away, using his empty revolver to maintain order, before being sucked down with the ship & then blown back to the surface by an air bubble, to spend several hours struggling to keep an upturned collapsable lifeboat afloat. Others included 'the unsinkable Molly Brown'.

 

An amazing thing is how the tanning process used for the leather of the suitcases, preserved them from decay & their contents with them. Paper survived! There were banknotes, insurance documents, letters & all sorts. Simply quite amazing.

 

They would have a notice telling the story of a passenger who lived or died, & there were his or her belongings from their suitcase, on display! Paper, clothes, toiletries & personal effects, all having survived 81 years on the ocean floor alongside or in Titanic.

 

There was a perfume manufacturer from England going to sell his wares in the USA. He survived but his bag containing his perfume samples was lost, until it was recovered all those years later. They have a row of the little perfume bottles on display in a case, with little holes at the sides of the display case to allow you to sniff the perfume! I found that to be the most amazing thing: I was smelling perfume from the Titanic, which had been on the bottom with her for 81 years!!! It still had a strong smell, although I think that it was a little past it's best!

 

One American man was 'Shanghaid' in Southampton before he was able to board, & put to work on a merchant ship (I didnt know that sort of thing still happened then)! His friend carried his case on, expecting him to show up at the last minute. The man escaped his captors in Turkey, but his case & his friend were lost. At least his bag was found 81 years later!

 

Another lady got off the ship to send a telegraph & did not get back in time to reboard. Like so many airline passengers of today, it took a long time to find her lost luggage!

 

One of the last survivors of Titanic, had her father's pocket watch returned to her. It is on display mounted on the presentation plaque. How they found & identified that is simply amazing.

 

Another thing which made a big impact on me was the 'D-deck door'. This was actually a part of Titanic, sitting there infront of me: a large heavy metal hull door with it's big locking mechanism on the inside. The first class passengers boarded on B-deck, but this D-deck door was the door through which they would have disembarked in New York! Amazing! How they salvaged that great piece of steel, I do not know!

 

There were information boards on all sorts of people who were onboard. Of local interest was that of Charles Melville Hays, president of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Company & founder of Prince Rupert. He was returning from Europe after raising money for his railway & for the development of Prince Rupert into a port city to rival Vancouver. His plans sank with him, & Prince Rupert remained a shadow of what it may have become. A statue to the man stands in Prince Rupert today, a town which now features on some Alaska cruise itineraries.

 

We were each given a 'boarding card' with the details of a passenger. At the end of the exhibition, we were to look at the passenger list to see if our passenger survived or perished. My 1st class English businessman did not survive but my wife's Lebanese mother of two in 3rd class, did.

 

Donald: I will not have the time to go again, but if you have not yet been, I would urge you to visit this amazing exhibition for a unique 'once in a lifetime' opportunity to experience this piece of history at such close quarters.

 

Graham.