Saga Rose Greenland Voyager August 2007

[Druke I]

Haven't been on Azamara - but the reviews are getting better. We have been on three of the Renaissance class ships - Pacific Princess, Oceania's Regatta, and Oceania's Nautica. They are sister of the Azamara ships - and we like the small ships very much.

 

SagaRuby is correct about The Peninsula in Hong Kong. Fabulous hotel. Way back in about 91 or 92, when ex-pat daughter & hubby were living in Hong Kong, Virginia & I flew out to see them, but stayed a couple of nights in the Peninsula before going over and camping out with them. They serve a wonderful prime rib dinner there. Their airport van was (is) a Rolls Royce sedan!!

 

We've always talked about going back and staying there again, but haven't made it - but we did sail Singapore to Beijing, Regal Princess, Mar 01, with a port call in Hong Kong.

 

Singapore is another neat city - been there a couple/three times.

Edited November 26, 2008 by Druke I

[franu]

Thanks for all of your kind thoughts and words. It was a difficult decision which I am continually second guessing. I need to have something to look forward to and this one made sense both itinerary and price. Darn that single supplement.

Fran

[Kapricorn]

Fran, I'm sure that you made the right decision to book on the Azamara cruise. I've heard nothing but nice words about the ship and its itineraries. Do stop second-guessing yourself.

 

Yesterday I had my yearly physical, and my doctor pronounced me "very fit!" I explained to him about my lack of energy during the dark winter months and that I usually took three or four cruises to sunny climes during that season. He said that I have SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) - which was no surprise to me. I am getting a Bright Light Therapy System, which certainly will come in handy when my cruise opportunities are gone after the proliferation of apartment barges.

 

Happy Thanksgiving to Americans on this roll call!

 

Donald.

[Saga Ruby]

Fran and ships cat have each sailed recently on ships which were heading into the sunset. I am curious whether y'all saw covert or overt liberating of memorabilia on QE2 and Marco Polo. Did you hear any passengers giggling about their souvenirs which were beyond normal?

 

I hope each of you has some mementoes from your sentimental journeys, but also wondered if other passengers were hauling off lamps and other fixtures. Did you see anything taken that was beyond the pale in your opinion?

 

I continue to be amazed at the rumours of changes to the QE2 in Dubai. They are so severe that one wonders why they bothered to buy the ship at all. When a glass funnel is to replace the real one, as far as I'm concerned, the ship has lost its value as a tourist hotel.

 

Have any of our readers seen souvenir thievery onboard ships that would compare with hotel thefts in the past? I heard stories about TVs, lamps, bedding, room decorations being taken as a matter of course; nowadays, the hotels seem to have everything pretty much nailed down - or charged to a credit card.

 

Ruby

[Druke I]

Well, thievery does exist, unfortunately.

 

I'm fairly well attuned to that, but haven't observed too much "in progress".

 

Some "hot" artifacts do turn up on e-bay.

 

Much of what does appear on the market is gotten legitimately, however. Peter Knego, for example, has obtained many artifacts from the scrappers at Alang and other sites. You can read of his experiences over at http://www.maritimematters.com, among other places.

[Druke I]

Cruise Critic's Editor has posted on the Oceania Cruise Line's Forum that Oceania's Nautica was approached by suspected pirates this morning, in the Gulf of Aden.

 

Rifle shots were fired by the pirates, ship evaded them and left the area at flank speed! No injuries reported.

 

Some of you thread readers may recall that SagaRuby and I were on Nautica 2 years ago at this time in the same area, and there was some concern about the pirates then, also.

 

Nautica is equipped with the sound devices, aka "sonic blasters".

[Host Sharon]

Fran and ships cat have each sailed recently on ships which were heading into the sunset. I am curious whether y'all saw covert or overt liberating of memorabilia on QE2 and Marco Polo. Did you hear any passengers giggling about their souvenirs which were beyond normal?

 

I hope each of you has some mementoes from your sentimental journeys, but also wondered if other passengers were hauling off lamps and other fixtures. Did you see anything taken that was beyond the pale in your opinion?

 

I continue to be amazed at the rumours of changes to the QE2 in Dubai. They are so severe that one wonders why they bothered to buy the ship at all. When a glass funnel is to replace the real one, as far as I'm concerned, the ship has lost its value as a tourist hotel.

 

Have any of our readers seen souvenir thievery onboard ships that would compare with hotel thefts in the past? I heard stories about TVs, lamps, bedding, room decorations being taken as a matter of course; nowadays, the hotels seem to have everything pretty much nailed down - or charged to a credit card.

 

Ruby

 

I didn't see anything overt on QE2, although a couple of small items may have fallen into my suitcase..er...I didn't say that!! I gather one person was caught on an earlier cruise trying to unscrew one of the wall clocks that are by every lift and asked to put it back. I do not blame him. I would have loved one too, but since they are all connected to the ship's electricity was a bit worried about electrocuting myself!! In view of what is going to happen to the ship I don't think I would have felt guilty anyway. I think it would have been hard to walk off with anything of note, although what happened on the final voyage I don't know.

Edited November 30, 2008 by ships cat

[Host Sharon]

Did you see Nautica had a run in with pirates.

 

"A luxury cruise ship carrying scores of British passengers has come under attack from Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden.

 

Two pirate boats opened fire on the six-star Nautica as she sailed between Somalia and Yemen on Sunday.

 

The cruise ship, which carries 690 passengers and 386 crew, was sailing past several groups of fishing boats when two small skiffs tried to intercept it.

 

Captain Jurica Brajcic began evasive manoeuvres when the pirates were about 1,000 yards away from the ship and managed to avert the attack.

 

While cargo ships and small pleasure boats have been attacked by Somalian pirates, this is only the second time they have attempted to hijack a cruise ship.

 

Three years ago, rocket-propelled grenades were fired at the Seabourn Spirit. Two of the ship's officers were injured when it exploded.

 

A spokesman for Oceania Cruises said: "Nautica was immediately brought to flank speed and was able to outrun the two skiffs.

 

"One of the skiffs did manage to close the range to approximately 300 yards and fired eight rifle shots in the direction of the vessel before trailing off."

 

Fortunately, no one aboard the ship was harmed and no damage was sustained. The ship's main defence against attack, a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), was readied during the attack. It emits a high-powered beam of sound, which at close range, can shatter a person's eardrums.

 

The six-star ship was carrying American, British and Australian passengers on a 32-day cruise from Rome to Singapore. British passengers have paid more than £15,000 for the cruise.

 

The ship's last call was in Sagafa, Egypt. She is due to arrive at Salalah, Oman, on Monday.

 

 

A close call there.

[franu]

I am curious whether y'all saw covert or overt liberating of memorabilia on QE2 and Marco Polo. Did you hear any passengers giggling about their souvenirs which were beyond normal?

No I didn't see or hear anything with one exception. There were so many logo items that were being given away that there was no reason to go further. The one exception was that one of a pair of oriental statues went missing. I really don't understand how it occurred. It must have been an inside job as it was both bulky and very heavy. The Captain made numerous announcements regarding this statue saying that it belonged to the new owners.

 

I can't imagine that anyone carried this statue off the ship. Perhaps it is very close to where it was. To try to fly anywhere with that much overage could bankrupt most people.

 

I am happy with the items that I came home with. Nothing that I wasn't given.

Fran

[Druke I]

I beat you by some 4 1/2 hrs, but you did put the full report in, while I only referred to it, with some highlights.

[Host Sharon]

I beat you by some 4 1/2 hrs, but you did put the full report in, while I only referred to it, with some highlights.

 

Oh well, sorry - didn't look back. It is a frantic week for me, trying to get my book half way completed, plus pack for next week, plus some cat sitting duty......I'll be glad to get back on baord a ship with no one telephones or papers.

[Druke I]

MV Athena, all 16,144GRT of her, was attacked earlier in the day in Gulf of Aden.

 

Details very sketchy at this point. Ship departed England, and is sailing for Australia, with about 400 Australian passengers aboard.

Edited December 3, 2008 by Druke I

[franu]

MV Athena, all 16,144GRT of her, was attacked earlier in the day in Gulf of Aden.

 

Details very sketchy at this point. Ship departed England, and is sailing for Australia, with about 400 Australian passengers aboard.

 

Druke, Seatrade Insider refutes this. Here is their story about it.

 

Grant Hunter: ‘Athena never under threat’

4/12/2008

Classic International Cruises md Australia, Grant Hunter, told Seatrade Insider that a report in a Sydney newspaper today about an attempted hijack of Athena off the coast of Somalia yesterday is ‘totally incorrect.’

 

The story quoted an unnamed couple who said the 650-passenger Athena, which is en route to Western Australia to operate the company’s fifth extended season ex-Fremantle, had been ‘surrounded by pirate boats’ and that pirates had made three dramatic attempts to board the ship.

However, Hunter said it was confirmed that small ships sighted by Athena were, in fact, a tuna fishing fleet and that CIC’s 16,200gt flagship was never under any threat.

He said because of recent incidents in the Gulf of Aden -- notably the attack on Oceania Cruises’ Nautica last Sunday -- Athena’s captain followed all security measures and was in constant communication with the authorities. He said fire hoses were placed strategically on the decks and passengers were instructed to stay inside the ship for approximately 45 minutes.

Athena is due to arrive in Fremantle on December 20 to commence her four-month programme that includes cruises to and from South Australia, as well as voyages along the West Australian coast and to Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia.

Commenting on P&O Cruises Australia’s decision to home port Pacific Sun in Fremantle at the end of next year, Hunter said Athena will return again in December 2009 to operate the company’s sixth consecutive extended season. ‘We have opened up the cruise market in Western Australia and we are getting strong support from repeat passengers,’ he said.

 

Fran

[Druke I]

Thanks for the clarification. Just goes to show the old adage "Just because it is in black and white does not mean it is true" is quite accurate..

 

I do know that some people allow their over-active imaginations to conjure up all sorts of stories.

 

The press often adds to the problem with their inaccurate reporting.

 

One report on the wire re Nautica described her as a giant luxury liner (all 30,200GRT of her).

[Kapricorn]

I've always wondered why the enclosed forward promenades of transatlantic liners of the past, with chairs and plants, are called "winter gardens." For me, winter conjures snow, earmuffs and uncomfortable chilliness. This hardly would be what transatlantic lines would wish to conjure among their first-class passengers?

 

Donald.

[franu]

ASTOR Pirate Threat

December 4: It was reported today that Transocean's 1987-built ASTOR (ex ASTOR, FEDOR DOSTOEVSKIY) was likely saved from an attempted pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden on November 28. The Germany Navy frigate MECKLENBURG-VORPOMMEM chased off two distant speed boats with warning shots when the boats approached the 20,606 gt ASTOR. No call for assistance was made by the crew of ASTOR and passengers were oblivious to the activity. ASTOR was headed for Dubai

 

Is this the new reality? Where can we relax and expect to be safe?

• Not the Gulf of Aden
  
• Not Mumbai
  
• Not Thailand
  

What next?

Fran

[Druke I]

While I do not recommend "throwing all caution to the wind", I don't limit my trips to only "safe" places. There ain't no such thing.

 

There are few spots, if any, on this globe that are absolutely crime/terrorist/irrational behavior free.

 

I was very relaxed Nov 86, on Nautica, Istanbul to Singapore. Istanbul has had many bombings, we stopped in Mumbai, we transited the Gulf of Aden, we had port calls in Thailand, we transited the Straits of Malacca.

 

Perhaps I am just a fatalist.

[franu]

Perhaps I am just a fatalist.

 

It is my kids that may not be fatalists. Possibly only one as the other just returned from a land trip of Cambodia. I, myself, have other issues regarding travel in those areas but the world is big enough for me to have alternatives. Perhaps when I get back to those places, things will have changed.

Fran

[Saga Ruby]

Oh well, sorry - didn't look back. It is a frantic week for me, trying to get my book half way completed, plus pack for next week, plus some cat sitting duty......I'll be glad to get back on baord a ship with no one telephones or papers.

 

All best wishes for a fine cruise. At what ports will Aurora be calling? Is this a Scandinavian cruise?

 

 

 

 

Is this the new reality? Where can we relax and expect to be safe?

• Not the Gulf of Aden
  
• Not Mumbai
  
• Not Thailand
  

What next? Fran

 

I have been in Paris while bombs were being set off in waste bins on the Champs d'Elysee, I have been in southern Italy when cholera was blooming, and I was on Nautica with Michael as we sailed thru the Gulf of Aden with Somali fishermen as escorts.

 

I intend to go where I want, when I want and, if live ammunition is not flying thru the air when I visit a foreign locale, I'm happy. I always admired Churchill standing on the roof of a government building in London during the Blitz, shaking his fist at the bombers as they flew overhead.

 

Ruby

Edited December 6, 2008 by Saga Ruby

[Host Sharon]

This is my Christmas Markets cruise Ruby - Overnight in Hamburg, two days in Copenhagen, Oslo, Amsterdam, Bruges (although I am going to Ghent). I am travelling with a friend on this one so hopefully will be fun. It centainly was last year, despite an accident in Copenhagen where I slipped on the granite cobbled dockside, broke my glasses and was escorted on board with blood pouring down my face! My friends on that cruise were offloaded in Oslo because he needed emergency hospital treatment. It was still a good cruise though so am repeating it this year.

Edited December 7, 2008 by ships cat

[franu]

This is my Christmas Markets cruise Ruby - Overnight in Hamburg, two days in Copenhagen, Oslo, Amsterdam, Bruges (although I am going to Ghent). I am travelling with a friend on this one so hopefully will be fun.

 

Your Christmas Markets cruise sounds exciting. I would really like to hear about it and see your photos on your return. Now the important thing is to stay well and safe.

 

Have a really great time.

Fran

[Host Sharon]

Thanks Fran - I shall do my best!! I love Scandinavia, and in winter it is even more magical.

[Saga Ruby]

. . . despite an accident in Copenhagen where I slipped on the granite cobbled dockside, broke my glasses and was escorted on board with blood pouring down my face! My friends on that cruise were offloaded in Oslo because he needed emergency hospital treatment.

 

So sorry to hear about your slip on the cobblestones. As one who has worn glasses since age 10, I commiserate with your broken glasses.

 

In the 80s, I was in Acapulco on a beautiful, sunny spring day, waiting to board a Royal Viking ship. Several of us were sitting at the top of 3 steps close by an open area with picnic benches. Passengers arrived in a taxi which parked head-in toward the steps upon which we perched. We heard a loud, squealing sound, obviously a car at high speed, looked left, and saw a Ford Mustang out of control.

 

The 'Stang couldn't make the turn, smashed into the back of the taxi in front of us, rammed the car up the steps toward us. Two men in white tees and black pants jumped out of the Mustang and raced up a dirt hill across the street, disappearing into the greensward.

 

Ship medical staff came out to treat the passengers in the back of the cab who were inert. Fortunately, they suffered "only" whiplash and wore c-collars for our entire voyage. I asked the couple what they were told by the Mexican authorities who came to investigate the crash. The couple was assured that the men had been caught at the scene and would be dealt with, although we witnesses knew better. The couple was asking witnesses to fill out a narrative of what they had seen, in order to have their Stateside insurance companies accommodated.

 

All my life, as a child in Mexico, my father told my sister and me that, if any police activity happened to or around us, to run away, if even we had a broken leg. Everyone at the scene is thrown into jail first then debriefed later and Mexican jails are not a good place for anyone to stay. I found that the Acapulco incident fulfilled every single thing we had been taught as children.

 

Whether it is terror in Mumbai or the random event in a foreign locale, being aware and ready for anything is a handy habit to have.

 

Ruby

[Druke I]

I had to look up your use of the word "inert", which incidentally you did use correctly, according to my Oxford College Dictionary.

 

I'm much more familiar with its usage in the Explosive Ordnance Disposal field, describing a piece of ordnance or an Improvised Explosive Device that is or has been rendered safe.

 

I suppose many of us are guilty of seeing a word used in an unfamiliar way, and jumping to the erroneous conclusion that it has been used incorrectly.

 

Not too many people would use the word greensward. I'm surprised that you did not work the word copse into your story.

 

I won't comment on the practices of the Mexican Police Services.

Edited December 7, 2008 by Druke I

[Kapricorn]

I wonder if a policeman has ever written in his report: "They found a corpse in the copse."

 

Did anyone notice my previous e-mail asking about winter gardens?

 

Donald.