Saga Rose Greenland Voyager August 2007

[Saga Ruby]

Hello?

Hola!

Hallo!

Bonjour!

Ciao!

Здравствулте!

Γειάσου!

こんにちは

 

Donald D'maniac.

 

Nice list, D'maniac. Doncha just love those multinational alphabets?

 

Admiral Ma'am is all grumpy about our warm and humid weather in Texas - in November. It's in the low 80s during the day, 67-70 at night, 52% humidity. I've been wearing my summer clothes for too many months - so glad I went to Greenland to give the winter wardrobe a turn. And my winter uniform of wool is giving me fits. Somebody hand me the baby powder.

 

I had to smile at your comment about yippee for Palm Springs being warm and pretty and here I am fussing about same. When does the winter season of British weather begin in Vancouver?

 

Does virtually every cruise line but Saga charge for bottled water? I'm assuming so, but if y'all know of another cruise line that hands it out for free, I'd like to hear about it. Perhaps the luxury lines pretend it's free?

 

Ruby

[Druke I]

Looks like Donald was feeling lonely and/or neglected.

 

Admiral Ma'am should remember that the weather can turn on a moment's notice.

 

We finally had a good rain here in Nor Cal Saturdy night, and now are actually just ahead of normal for the season. We certainly need it - our main reservoirs are too low! Don't want to go through another drought period.

 

Reference bottled water - that is all that Virginia will drink. Me - I am fine with our local tap water, and have never had a problem with the ships' tap water either, although some find it salty.

[Kapricorn]

I had to smile at your comment about yippee for Palm Springs being warm and pretty and here I am fussing about same. When does the winter season of British weather begin in Vancouver?Ruby

 

Vancouver is actually at the start of the "chilly" season, with highs of 50F. A local joke is that Vancouver has just two seasons - 2 months of Summer and 10 months of Spring. January and February are usually our chilliest months, if Eastern Canadians can call it even that.

 

Palm Springs has dry heat. It is fine if one is moving around, but on the last day I sat with my two hosts on their patio playing a game. After 20 minutes I was perspiring profusely (or perhaps it was because I was losing in the game?). The hosts suggested that I remove my T-shirt, which I happily did so.

 

Reference bottled water - that is all that Virginia will drink. Me - I am fine with our local tap water, and have never had a problem with the ships' tap water either, although some find it salty.

 

I also think that bottled water is over-rated. I drink tap water at home, and on cruises I've always drunk glasses of water from my cabin's taps, even if it is sometimes salty, without ill effects. Water is water.

 

D'maniac.

[Conte Di Savoia]

Palm Springs has dry heat. It is fine if one is moving around, but on the last day I sat with my two hosts on their patio playing a game. After 20 minutes I was perspiring profusely (or perhaps it was because I was losing in the game?). The hosts suggested that I remove my T-shirt, which I happily did so.

 

D'maniac.

 

Sounds like you were playing strip poker!

[Saga Ruby]

Palm Springs has dry heat. It is fine if one is moving around, but on the last day I sat with my two hosts on their patio playing a game. After 20 minutes I was perspiring profusely (or perhaps it was because I was losing in the game?). The hosts suggested that I remove my T-shirt, which I happily did so.

 

I also think that bottled water is over-rated. I drink tap water at home, and on cruises I've always drunk glasses of water from my cabin's taps, even if it is sometimes salty, without ill effects. Water is water. D'maniac.

 

As a fan of tap water, I get the giggles when I see folks carrying around bottles of water as though their life depended on it. Maybe they need hydration from the night before?

 

I am not a green gal, but I do muse about the hundreds of tons of fuel it takes to get Aussie, French, and Polish spring water into the hands of the US consumer. Then we have to watch the plastic bottles populate our landfills. What is wrong with this picture? Digression - you may remember that I collect water bottles on my trip. The Font Vell from Barcelona and the Toppur from Reykjavik osmose liquid even though they were never opened. Now I'm hydrating my refrigerator!

 

But seriously, I drink tap water because I want the fluoride and the minerals. I do not want to be wrapped in a sanitary band; I want my bacterial good guys in fighting trim to combat the bad guys.

 

Sounds like you were playing strip poker!

 

D'maniac was obviously sitting in a plastic chair, wearing the dreaded polyester tee - a combination doomed for meltdown. And if he was playing strip poker, should he download his mobile photos and share?

 

Ya know, Admiral Ma'am is thinkin' of assigning the title of Cruise Director to Sir Donald of Kapricorn - he's way too much fun to be our Chief Financial officer.

 

Ruby

[Kapricorn]

Ruby, here in Vancouver, toting bottles of water is de rigueur (but I don't). I'm sure that this is a fad that will pass, just like ten years ago when practically everyone wore fanny packs.

 

Okay, as the new Cruise Director, I'll schedule nightly strip pokers on each ship in the Nostalgia Cruises fleet. The bingo boards have been tossed overboard.

 

D'maniac.

[Saga Ruby]

Our newly appointed Cruise Director, Sir Donald of Kapricorn, has graciously thrown overboard the bingo boards which were in storage. And is evidently volunteering to lead the, um, poker games. Admiral Ma’am will maintain a discreet distance during those games so the players may feel free to bare their essentials.

 

Once upon a time on RVL, a few of us ran numbers for the bingo games. The amount of profit per cruise line in an annual cruise year was truly astounding and a healthy line item in the annual corporate report.

 

Nostalgia Cruise fleet? We have more than one ship? Admiral Ma’am, who is usually stoic, is gripping a bottle of aspirin in contemplation of the paperwork. Clearances for use of Conte’s graphics and logos will have to be discussed. And Michael hasn’t made a choice of Gurkha or Israeli guards. So many details, so little time. Oh wait! We do have time!

 

Baked Alaska parades and faux joviality have been put on the "do not load" list for the cargo hold. However, streamers have been ordered from Brazil and will be passed out after "the sheep ees leeving" announcement. Please pass along any other special requests for our Nostalgia Cruise.

 

With no active Chief Financial Officer, one must address the compilation of shipboard accounts. Any volunteers? Anyone who can spell "Excel spreadsheet" can qualify.

 

D’maniac, as Cruise Director, will you please present potential activities for onboard enjoyment? Could we have roulette wheels with real wooden balls instead of the uggy plastic ones? Brass slot machines with no neon? What about Ye Olde Horse Races?

 

What do we charge for mixed drinks? Is a "well drink" a name brand or a generic liquor?

 

Ruby

[Druke I]

Admiral Ma'am

 

That is a tough choice. I would still prefer GSG9, but you have ruled that out.

 

I do believe that the Israelis have a better record in the counter-intelligence arena, the Nepalese not having that much experience/need in that field.

 

One security agency I have completely ruled out is Blackwater - but that is another story perhaps better not told. I certainly don't want to tarnish their already diminished reputation.

[Saga Ruby]

Admiral Ma'am. That is a tough choice. I would still prefer GSG9, but you have ruled that out. I do believe that the Israelis have a better record in the counter-intelligence arena, the Nepalese not having that much experience/need in that field.

 

One security agency I have completely ruled out is Blackwater - but that is another story perhaps better not told. I certainly don't want to tarnish their already diminished reputation.

 

With respect to the years of law enforcement under the belt of our Chief of Security, Admiral Ma'am has questions.

 

What are your thoughts about the GSG9s? Is overwhelming force in a few GSG9s preferable to an Israeli attachment in incidents such as Somali fishermen in a skiff pulling out an RPG? Pirates in the Strait of Malacca?

 

Cruise ships are not allowed to carry offensive weapons, only defensive weapons such as sound directionals. Is the budgetary line between Israelis and GSG9s acceptable? And the obvious question - how good is your German?

 

I am open to discussion as long as the name "Erik Prince" doesn't come up.

 

Ruby

[Druke I]

I do believe the Germans (GSG9) have much more experience in anti-terrorism tactics than the Israelis, but I have been proven wrong in the past.

 

When it comes to application of actual force, I think it a coin toss as to who might be better.

 

When it comes to language, most Germans today speak some English, although perhaps not as fluently as the Israelis.

 

From our discussions on Nautica, and some of your postings on this board, I think you fret much too much about pirates in and around Somalia. True pirates are there, but there are several areas of the world where piracy still flourishes (Straits of Malacca, SE Asia, North Korea, etc). The US Navy in concert with several other navies/coast guards of the region, have done much to reduce the frequency, with a well placed 5" round across the bows.

 

And don't kid yourself about offensive weapons on cruise ships -some ships do have offensive weapons, if you consider sidearms and assault rifles offensive. The authority to carry weapons is dictated primarily by the country of registry and company policy, and certain US Coast Guard regulations re weapon security while in US waters/ports.

[Saga Ruby]

From our discussions on Nautica, and some of your postings on this board, I think you fret much too much about pirates in and around Somalia.

 

The authority to carry weapons is dictated primarily by the country of registry and company policy, and certain US Coast Guard regulations re weapon security while in US waters/ports.

 

Admiral Ma'am does not fret (sniff). She is a big fan of the Seabourn captain and crew who got away from the Somali pirates who attacked their ship. The logistics of how that getaway was accomplished intrigue me.

 

As you remember, Somali fishing skiffs did approach Nautica. I took due note of the Bridge officers stationed around the Sun Deck watching the fishermen. I was slowly turning behind a huge steel I-beam on the pool deck as the Somalis floated around in front of us. I considered it mere kismet that they hauled out fish from under that tiny prow as opposed to weaponry.

 

I wonder what the "weapon security" policy might be for flagged ships of Liechtenstein?

 

Ruby

[Druke I]

Admiral Ma'am

 

I believe you are leaning toward registering your ship(s) in Lichtenstein.

 

Lichtenstein has one of the plainest flags around (it took me awhile to find a picture of one). Kiribati and the Solomon Islands both have much more interesting flags, and do have access to the oceans, while Lichtenstein does not.

 

I do think you should rethink your Flag of Registry.

[Kapricorn]

Ruby, if you want to keep the Nostalgia Cruise fleet to the bare minimum - one ship - then I will cancel the order for three 192,000-ton cruise ships. I was going to surprise you with them. They were still in the preliminary planning stages, so no penalty is incurred.

 

Yes, indeed, we will use real wooden balls for roulette wheels, brass slot machines and Ye Olde Horse Races, as well as reviving costume contests, egg-tossing tournaments and charades. No Miss Wet T-Shirts, no Mr. Sexy Legs or Mr. Hairy Chests.

 

I agree about jettisoning the Baked Alaska parades and performing waiters. Visitors will be welcomed aboard for bon voyage parties. As well as bringing back the streamers, we should bring back the guy in uniform walking around with his xylophone to inform visitors to disembark.

 

I don't even know what a "well drink" means, though I've seen it in print. On Nostalgia Cruises, I'm in favour of charging less than the shore prices for alcoholic beverages, like they used to back in the 1960s (Conte and I would love this!).

 

D'maniac of Kapricorn.

[Druke I]

Well, you have just lost me.

 

192,000GRT ships! I refuse to travel on any ship that cannot fit in the locks of the current Panama Canal, which limits you to a beam of 106' and a length of approx 980', with a GRT in the neighborhood of 90,000.

 

I hereby resign my appointed position of Chief Security Officer.

[Druke I]

Well, you have just lost me.

 

192,000GRT ships! I refuse to travel on any ship that cannot fit in the locks of the current Panama Canal, which limits you to a beam of 106' and a length of approx 980', with a GRT in the neighborhood of 90,000.

 

I hereby resign my appointed position of Chief Security Officer.

[Druke I]

Well, you have just lost me.

 

192,000GRT ships! I refuse to travel on any ship that cannot fit in the locks of the current Panama Canal, which limits you to a beam of 106' and a length of approx 980', with a GRT in the neighborhood of 90,000.

 

I hereby resign my appointed position of Chief Security Officer.

[Druke I]

Server must be acting up again. I see my last post managed to print three times - and I did not catch it in time to delete two of them!

 

Aah, this wondrous age of electronics.

[Saga Ruby]

D’maniac - thank you for canceling our order of 3 behemoths. I assume they would have shown an exterior colour of white which leaves me gasping with apathy. One does appreciate that "no penalty was incurred." So difficult to avoid those little nasties in the current markets.

 

I must admit that I was musing about where the crew would sleep and where luggage would be stored, but we will keep the passenger list limited so as to have room onboard for them. It took me years to understand that gross tonnage referred to volume not displacement but, no matter how you spell it, a behemoth is a behemoth is a . . . . I didn’t know there were currently wet t-shirt contests, best legs, or hairy-chest contests on cruise ships. A big whew! for missing those itineraries.

 

Excellent! A porter with a xylophone to notify disembarking visitors makes me all misty-eyed for voyages of yore. It will lend that special "extra touch," a hallmark of this Cruise. You are fulfilling the duties of Cruise Director quite smartly. Interior design and service are important but style sets the tone.

 

Speaking of duties - Michael, as you can see, we are one ship only and are able to sail or transit anywhere in the world. We take due note of the 3 posts expressing your displeasure - or you got caught in the exasperating "end of page" technical problems on the forum. Your talents as Chief Security Officer are needed and we hope you will remain in place. Is the underlying problem the GSG9s? Please advise.

 

By the bye, what does the "t" stand for in reference to an undershirt?

 

Ruby

[Druke I]

No, GSG9 is not the problem. Perhaps I am too much of a realist grounded in the real world to continue the fantasy of our own cruise line, etc.

 

As I stated in a previous post, I will not travel again on a ship too large for the current lock system of the Panama Canal.

 

The "t" in t-shirt or undershirt came about, I am told, becuase of the shape of the shirt when laid out on a flat surface!

 

Of course, in a wet t-shirt contest, you would hope that they would not be flat!

[Kapricorn]

Wikipedia: A T-shirt (or tee shirt ) is a shirt, usually buttonless, collarless, and pocketless, with a round neck and short sleeves, that is pulled on over the head and covers most of a person's torso.

 

When I cruised on NCL's beautiful Norwegian Star in February 2006, there were the Mr. Sexy Legs and Mr. Hairy Chest contests at the ship's poolside, on different sea days. There were six passengers in the first competition, and four or five in the second competition. The competitors in the Mr. Sexy Legs event attempted to outdo each other in the ways that they displayed or fondled their legs as they descended the few wooden steps from the stage to the pool deck. There was only a Top 5 announced, with prizes, and I was embarrassed for the sixth competitor who got nothing for his efforts.

 

I liked the Mr. Hairy Chest contest even less. While there were a couple of young guys with nice physiques, there were two or three older and out-of-shape guys with really hairy chests. I nearly gagged when one of the female judges rubbed her hand through the unruly white hair of the oldest competitor and then laid the side of her face against his chest, smiling and practically purring. Of course, that particular guy "won" the prestigious event.

 

What is interesting is that equivalent contests for women weren't scheduled. I suppose that the male contests were staged as more of a fun thing, not serious competitions, for the amusement of poolside patrons. I've seen two or three King of the Mercury competitions on that ship, with three or four men competiting for the honour. They must impress the spectators with Tarzan roarings, belly-flopping into the pool, and dancing.

 

I haven't actually heard of shipboard Miss Wet T-Shirt contests, but I wouldn't be astonished if a few were held during Spring Break cruises on some of the "fun" ships.

 

D'maniac of Kapricorn.

[Kapricorn]

Perhaps I am too much of a realist grounded in the real world to continue the fantasy of our own cruise line, etc.

 

I know where Druke I is coming from, as I'm also too grounded to really soar into the world of fantasy. If I had a couple of martinis, it might be different.

 

Discussing actual situations, historical shipboard events or recent cruises probably is much more interesting and relevant. I can't wait to fly to Los Angeles in ten more days for my next cruise! Afterwards, I'll let you know what I think of the Vision of the Seas.

 

D'maniac.

[Conte Di Savoia]

There are some cruise lines which I would never consider travelling on. Thanks for confirming that NCL is on the list with justification!

[Druke I]

Back in Sep 94, we took a Pacific Coastal cruise on NCL's Windward, a 7 night Vancouver BC/Los Angeles cruise, with a port call in Portland. It was a very nice ship, with a stunning terraced dining room at the stern. The ship was later lengthened, and renamed Norwegian Wind, which I always thought a poor choice, as it always brought to mind a Scandinavian with a flatulence problem.

 

In 5-99, we took a Baltic cruise on her sister, Norwegian Dream, nee Dreamward. The stretch job was in our opinion really poorly done. What had been a rather comfortable ship now seemed crowded, with a very confusing deck plan, and ill-conceived Freestyle dining. The ship did not handle that concept well at all.

 

We did like the itinerary very much - it included the Kiel Canal, a very scenic part of Germany and shortcut from the Baltic to the North Sea. The Norwegian Dream had her funnel on a piano hinge, and "flipped it", along with lowering of radio masts, to clear the low bridges of the Kiel. Quite interesting to watch that operation.

 

We later repeated in 8-05 the Baltic on Oceania's Regatta, another ship small enough to fit through the Kiel Canal. We loved the ship and the itinerary!

[Saga Ruby]

I understand that historical information plus current status is what we’re here for. For me, the Nostalgia Cruise was about jogging memories to remember what we liked in the past and would like to see in the future. I am on tenterhooks to hear about Europa from JDRMYS and Michael’s report about river cruises has confirmed my decision that I am an ocean-going kinda gal.

 

As Apollo continues to acquire small-ship cruise lines, one wonders if there is a growing market that has been identified by the Apollo investment group? Is there hope that not all small ships will be sent for scrap or sold off to the Asians?

 

The one thing I like most about Oceania is that it is not run by a bunch of suits. The cruise line has an active, aggressive chairman, Frank del Rio, who insists on high standards and hospitality on all of his ships. I hope that the Apollo investors allow him to continue his winning ways, but time will tell.

 

We all know the current market for cruising - mass market ships filled with "cheer" and "fun." It has been so refreshing on this thread to learn that others also march to a different xylophone.

 

So I’ll sail on Saga Cruises or Oceania, look forward to hearing about Europa, and make sure to miss the itineraries for the Spring Break crowd and summer kiddie brigade. In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy the marvelous information y’all bring to this thread.

 

Ruby

[Kapricorn]

In 5-99, we took a Baltic cruise on her sister, Norwegian Dream, nee Dreamward. The stretch job was in our opinion really poorly done. What had been a rather comfortable ship now seemed crowded, with a very confusing deck plan, and ill-conceived Freestyle dining. The ship did not handle that concept well at all.

 

That brought to mind my cruise on the old Westerdam in 1999 to Alaska. Holland-America had purchased this ship from Home Lines in 1988 and then, I believe, lengthened her. While she was a comfortable and friendly ship, I found the layout rather confusing, especially access to the rear stairs to the buffet. By the end of the cruise, I was still getting lost finding my way to these stairs.

 

I, too, had thought of the name Norwegian Wind as denoting something else. A most unfortunate name, in my opinion.

 

D'maniac.