The Most Missed....

[ICRE1629]

What ship that is now gone do you miss the most? It can be any ship from any line.

[luckycruzer]

Italians dressed in white coats taking you to your cabin upon boarding. White gloves to serve dinner continental style. the dinner chimes and anniouncement

[bigwally]

My first, NCL MS Southward on the 3 day Mexico out of San Pedro.

 

I guess the missus and I looked like an interesting couple, because we were invited to join the Captain and his good lady for the formal dinner.

 

Unfortunately though, this crashing bore of college proffessor was also at table and, for me at least, somewhat ruined the evening. That aside I can still look back on the trip with a great amount of fondness.

[chasetf]

What ship that is now gone do you miss the most? It can be any ship from any line.

Though now all the way gone..... mine would be the France / Norway. I sailed her when she was the two class ship the France........ and we sailed first class. :D

 

I wish I had sailed her as the Norway....

[henepup]

Though now all the way gone..... mine would be the France / Norway. I sailed her when she was the two class ship the France........ and we sailed first class. :D

 

I wish I had sailed her as the Norway....

I sailed the Norway in the late '90's. I was my first and second cruise. The service was great!! What a wonderful ship!:) :)

[NCCruzQueen]

Mine would have to be the Song of Flower. Only 180 pax, all-inclusive and it had that private yacht feel. She was able to get into small ports. All the crew and staff were extremely friendly and would do anything for you. I was on her last sailing. She is my favorite ship.

[RuthlessBoss]

We certainly miss the MIRAGE which did short trips to the Bahamas from Port Canaveral a few years back. My introduction to cruising was done on this ship, 4 times. It was small, but did a great job, especially entertainment. We used to sit every night and listen to "Big Al", at times I think he dreaded us being there as we'd ask for a line dance song, and I think he hated country western music.

[sullaRaffaello]

The Raffaello. It was my first ship. I went student fare ($150) one way NY to Italy tourist class. Fantastic! My first introduction to real Italian food, not some Americanized nonsense. Free wine at lunch and dinner and 30 cent Heinekens.

[DeepWaterMariner]

I've got two. The first is the Bremen. It's the ship on which I met my wife. That was a different era of cruising on a true transatlantic liner that was making ends meet by doing cruises in the off season. The crew was all one nationality (German), one sitting in the dinning room, superb service and food, and cheap German beer on tap.

 

The second is the Rotterdam, the one before the current one...I can't keep track of the numbers. The beautiful Ritz Carlton night club, the great movie theater, terrific food, and the Lido.

[slotl]

Ah, the "old" Rotterdam. We cruised her from NY to Freeport, Nassau and Bermuda (1969), another trip from NY to the Caribbean, and Alaska (in the 1980's). We loved the white glove service, the quality of the food. We were too young and "stupid" to care about our minimum rate tiny inside rooms. Our first 7 day cruise cost $195 each. Those were the days.

 

Henepup, you are lucky you never cruised the SS France when it was the Norway. We booked her on a "special" transatlantic cruise from NY to LaHarve France to South Hampton (1996). She was going into dry dock to get sprinklers installed. The ship was "returning" to its birthplace as the France(LaHarve), so there were mainly French on board (in all the first class areas). Because it was going into drydock, the ship ran out of liquor, soft drinks, etc. You needed to go from bar to bar to find what you wanted (if it was available at all). In the dining room there were NO menus. Dinner was served (no choices). It was marketed as the dinner Charlie Chaplin (or other celebrity) had when they crossed the Atlantic on (insert date here). The Americans were livid, the midnight buffet was packed. Finally, we were offered the choice of a steak, or chicken, or fish (grilled). 7 days of HELL.

 

Based on that cruising experience, we have not cruised on NCL since and don't plan to again.

[DeepWaterMariner]

slotl, our first Rotterdam cruise was in 1971, 6 days to Cape Canaveral (canceled due to high winds) and Nassau. I think we paid a total of $390 for the two of us in one of those small inside cabins with uppers and lowers. I was young enough to handle the climb in those days.

[beachnut41955]

I really miss the old NCL Skyward. I guess since it was my first cruise it will always hold special memories for me.

[slotl]

We were on the "old" NCL Skyward and Starward in the early 1970's.

 

If you remember, the Skyward was all of 17,000 tons. We are talking SMALL!!. The thing that I remember most about our 7 day Caribbean cruise on the Skyward is that there were not enough public rooms. Tharefore, because of the lack of public rooms, there were very minimal onboard activities. The cruise staff needed to end one activity before it could begin another.

 

My husband and I love small ships, but this one was just too small.

[Host Walt]

Italians dressed in white coats taking you to your cabin upon boarding. White gloves to serve dinner continental style. the dinner chimes and anniouncement

I'll join you in that choice. She was our first and last cruise on Sitmar (booked the transCanal from San Juan to Acapulco througfh Sitmar, then the sale to Princess happened and she became the Dawn Princess right before we sailed but without the "witch of the sea" logo on her stack.)

 

Fond memories...

[CGTNORMANDIE]

Having sailed on the FRANCE, THE BREMEN, THE LEONARDO DAVINCI AND THE NORWAY...I miss them all!!! I have to say...the Italians and the LEONARDO, the French and the FRANCE and the Germans and the BREMEN were all fantastic. They just don't have the same level of service and quality anymore.

[seadancer]

I would have to say the S.S. Seabreeze. There was just something about the ship and crew. As a matter of fact i have a collection going from the ship. If there any donors out there let me know:D .

 

 

Jeff

[DeepWaterMariner]

CBTNormandie, there was a bit of a feeling of going abroad when you sailed on those ships which had a crew who were all from the same country in which the ship was registered. The Bremen was truly a German ship from top to bottom. German beer in the bars, waiters in the dinning room, officers on the bridge. The same goes for Italians on the Leonardo (visited her in port but never sailed on her), the French on the France and so forth. The last ship I sailed that exhibited that national feeling was the Stella Solaris with it's all Greek crew.

 

There was a bit of that on cruise ships when Royal Caribbean ships were all registered in Norway with watch keeping officers of that nationality or when Princess had officers from the UK but that has even passed.

[Philly Steve]

The Queen Elizabeth. She was my very first experience with passenger ships and what a grand one she was.

[martodd]

It was our first cruise, and although we have cruised many times since then, it will always be our favorite.

It's size gave it such an intimate feel, and it had the look of the classic cruise liner.

It is so sad that it is now at the bottom of the ocean. That was heartbreaking news to us.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

I've got two. The first is the Bremen. It's the ship on which I met my wife. That was a different era of cruising on a true transatlantic liner that was making ends meet by doing cruises in the off season. The crew was all one nationality (German), one sitting in the dinning room, superb service and food, and cheap German beer on tap.

 

The second is the Rotterdam, the one before the current one...I can't keep track of the numbers. The beautiful Ritz Carlton night club, the great movie theater, terrific food, and the Lido.

 

TWO FINE SHIPS!!!

I was never able to sail on the ROTTERDAM but we did get to sail on the BREMEN and I can remember looking at the ROTTERDAM and wishing I was going to sail on her. The BREMEN was so good...you are right...the German crew and the German beer and different foods. To this day...the German breakfast sausage remains in my mind as the best thing I ever had for breakfast...LOL!!! There was a certain style and ambiance and the BREMEN had it by the bucket load. When you stepped aboard her you felt you were transformed into another world. How about the brass band on deck every morning the ship was at sea??? Sadly...we will never see that again.

[DeepWaterMariner]

CGTNORMANDIE, I remember the brass band playing on deck as we left the pier in NYC. It wasn't a sail away party like they have these days, just part of the excitment of sailing an ocean liner out of NYC.

 

I had been stationed in West Germany in the Air Force a few years before sailing on the Bremen. Sailing on her was like being back in Germany.

[tvaud]

Italians dressed in white coats taking you to your cabin upon boarding. White gloves to serve dinner continental style. the dinner chimes and anniouncement

 

I'll join you in that choice. She was our first and last cruise on Sitmar (booked the transCanal from San Juan to Acapulco througfh Sitmar, then the sale to Princess happened and she became the Dawn Princess right before we sailed but without the "witch of the sea" logo on her stack.)

 

Fond memories...

 

Yes...but don't forget the Fairsea and Fairsky. :) I miss them all.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

CGTNORMANDIE, I remember the brass band playing on deck as we left the pier in NYC. It wasn't a sail away party like they have these days, just part of the excitment of sailing an ocean liner out of NYC.

 

I had been stationed in West Germany in the Air Force a few years before sailing on the Bremen. Sailing on her was like being back in Germany.

 

The BREMEN was a showcase of the best that Germany had to offer. Including the crew...who were fantastic. I can remember our first introduction to the BREMEN. When you entered the ship on embarkation day...they had a giant welcome mat rolled out. Some of the officers were there greeting the pax as they walked onboard. Later on they had a tea with violins and dancing...silver tea service...Vienna pastries...and fine china.

 

I loved the bars oboard...you are right...the German beer was the best. I remember a stein of Lowenbrau being sold for 25 cents. The service was superb. The nightclub was way down inside the ship and the atmosphere was delightful. The Midnight Buffet was always an array of interesting snacks...and the party would just go on until the wee hours.

[DeepWaterMariner]

Ahh, the price of drinks, particularly beer. They were unbelievably cheap. Of coarse this was in 1969 but even by those standards they were cheap. I remember buying a beer for me and a screw driver for my new friend (eventually my wife) and the round of drinks was less than a buck. The Bremen did have great bars but for my wife and I there will never be one better than the Bremen's Pine Bar. That is where we met for the first time. I remember the violins playing in the Observation Lounge for ballroom dancing. If anything shows what a different era that was its that classy music in the Observation Lounge. I also remember their late night club deep in the bowels of the ship. It seemed as if drinks were even cheaper down there.

[cruiselover57]

Ah, the "old" Rotterdam. We cruised her from NY to Freeport, Nassau and Bermuda (1969), another trip from NY to the Caribbean, and Alaska (in the 1980's). We loved the white glove service, the quality of the food. We were too young and "stupid" to care about our minimum rate tiny inside rooms. Our first 7 day cruise cost $195 each. Those were the days.

 

Henepup, you are lucky you never cruised the SS France when it was the Norway. We booked her on a "special" transatlantic cruise from NY to LaHarve France to South Hampton (1996). She was going into dry dock to get sprinklers installed. The ship was "returning" to its birthplace as the France(LaHarve), so there were mainly French on board (in all the first class areas). Because it was going into drydock, the ship ran out of liquor, soft drinks, etc. You needed to go from bar to bar to find what you wanted (if it was available at all). In the dining room there were NO menus. Dinner was served (no choices). It was marketed as the dinner Charlie Chaplin (or other celebrity) had when they crossed the Atlantic on (insert date here). The Americans were livid, the midnight buffet was packed. Finally, we were offered the choice of a steak, or chicken, or fish (grilled). 7 days of HELL.

 

Based on that cruising experience, we have not cruised on NCL since and don't plan to again.

 

Hi there!

 

Sorry to hear about your bad experience aboard the old Norway! My aunt and uncle sailed on that ship awhile back and said it was great. I think because it was getting up there in years, it was time to retire her! As for NCL, we were on the Norwegian Star last year to Mexico and it was wonderful! Although I still prefer a set time for dinner, I didn't mind the freestyle cruising for a change. Their service, food, entertainment, etc. were impeccable. You should give NCL a try in the near future - you'll find yourself deciding between 10 different restaurants and none ran out of food!

 

Laurie