My favourite cruise memory is...
-
- Deputy Captain
- Posts: 8964
- Joined: January 2013
- Location: Huddersfield
Re: My favourite cruise memory is...
One of my favourite cruise memories is the sail out from Stockholm through the archipelago whilst dining in Celebrity Eclipses Tuscan Grill restaurant with picture windows all around the aft part of deck 5. We were followed out by Oriana and another cruise ship, which helped to highlight the way the channel meandered through the islands.
John
Trainee Pensioner since 2000
Trainee Pensioner since 2000
-
- First Officer
- Posts: 1835
- Joined: February 2013
- Location: Gower, Swansea
Re: My favourite cruise memory is...
Has to be sailing out of Venice. Late evening. Stood on the deck with a glass of champagne magical.
Another was 10 years later sailing up into Venice through the fog, such excitement be visiting again.
Lindsey
Another was 10 years later sailing up into Venice through the fog, such excitement be visiting again.
Lindsey
-
- Commodore
- Posts: 15968
- Joined: January 2013
- Location: Down Souf. The civilised end of the country :)
Re: My favourite cruise memory is...
Agree Lindsey. Something special about sailing into Venice early morning.
-
- Ex Team Member
- Posts: 11331
- Joined: January 2013
- Location: Cumbria
Re: My favourite cruise memory is...
Sailing out of Qaqortag through the ice floes was pretty special. Beginning to sound like there's a Titanic theme to all of my favourite things (with apologies to Julie Andrews).
-
- Captain
- Posts: 11350
- Joined: January 2013
Re: My favourite cruise memory is...
There is...oldbluefox wrote: ↑14 Jan 2022, 07:23Sailing out of Qaqortag through the ice floes was pretty special. Beginning to sound like there's a Titanic theme to all of my favourite things (with apologies to Julie Andrews).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gK_2XdjOdY
-
- Ex Team Member
- Posts: 11331
- Joined: January 2013
- Location: Cumbria
Re: My favourite cruise memory is...
Can you guess I'm not a sunbathing and beaches character? Much happier with glaciers and the wind around your gills any day.
-
- Captain
- Posts: 11350
- Joined: January 2013
Re: My favourite cruise memory is...
Neither am I foxy…I look forward to the time when we can throw snowballs at each otheroldbluefox wrote: ↑14 Jan 2022, 09:51Can you guess I'm not a sunbathing and beaches character? Much happier with glaciers and the wind around your gills any day.
-
- First Officer
- Posts: 1859
- Joined: January 2013
- Location: Hampshire
Re: My favourite cruise memory is...
We had a very amusing time on board, I think it was Arcadia, when James Cusick was the purser in the days when they had pursers. I'd never come across him before. We'd put down for a table of 8 a we always did and when we boarded found out we were on a table for two. We asked about changing when we went down to breakfast the next morning and were told to go and eat and come back afterwards which we did. The Restaurant Manager said that there was a couple on a table of 8 who had wanted a table of 2 and would we be happy to swap - we said definitely. The Restaurant Manager then said that he thought he ought to worn us that it was an officer's table and that the Purser, James, was a very amusing character, tended to be a bit noisy and were we ok with that, we were! James was a fantastic host and laughed such a lot, often at his own jokes. Also on that table were a couple who had cruised with P&O goodness knows how many times, always in a suite and they always cruised on the husband's birthday which occurred during this cruise. I can't remember his name, other than it was John something. We called him Captain Bird's Eye as he had a very long, twirly white moustache and boy did he like to 'Captain' the table. He'd already been on for two weeks when we joined. I think he found that these new table companions weren't quite as amenable at being 'bossed around'. He wanted for everyone to share out paying for the drinks each evening but as this consisted of very expensive wines, plus port or brandy afterwards we, along with another couple declined and said we'd prefer to buy our own. Of course the nights James Cusick was there he paid which was lovely! Then came the Birthday!
All three couples were invited to Captain Bird's Eye's suite for lunch. We accepted, didn't think we could not. One of the other couples really didn't want to go so they wrote a note saying they had arranged to meet a friend on board for lunch that day. So on the appointed day we went to his suite and as we arrived the women were given a red rose corsage, obviously made by the on board florist and given drinks. It really was very generous. There were large containers of curry and rice being served for lunch with waiters doing the serving. The Captain of the ship plus several officers were there, with James of course. There were a few other passengers there but mostly ship's crew. After a toast from the Captain there was the birthday cake - it was huge. So we all had a slice instead of pudding. We had got very friendly with the couple who declined the invitation so my John wrote them a letter purporting to be from Captain Bird's Eye saying how sorry he was that they couldn't attend and he would arrange for them to dine in his suite one evening when they were free. As we had swapped cabin numbers John was able to deliver it to their cabin. Apparently it took over an hour before they began to get suspicious and eventually guess it was John who had written it but they said they'd spent ages trying to think of a way out. This may all sound very mean spirited but Captain Bird's Eye was so dominating at every meal, only his opinions counted, it did get a bit frustrating. The night after the birthday the Captain had arranged for us to all drink Champagne throughout the meal - very generous - but of course as it was Beef Wellington some of us would rather have had red wine but we didn't have the heart to spoil his enjoyment. Then after dessert out came the remains of the birthday cake and he wanted us all to have a slice there and then. I was far too full to eat that so I said 'how kind but I'd take mine back to the cabin to enjoy later - I got a very disapproving look for that. On our way out of the restaurant that evening we were walking with James Cusick and he beckoned the wine waitress who had served us so well - she was one of the best wine waiters we had - and said to her 'Please get rid of that dratted birthday cake!'
Things did get better as the cruise went on and the couple didn't come every evening. He was so generous but didn't realise how overpowering he was. We got chatting to a nearby table of 2 who had been on the previous cruise with him and seen how he was with that table. They said our table didn't follow his bidding a much as the previous people had. I think it's called being a Benevolent Despot. James Cusick certainly enlivened the proceedings. My John happened to mention to James that he had found it difficult to get a banana to have with his breakfast, they seemed in short supply. When we got back to our cabin that night there was a tray with about a dozen bananas on it!
We mostly loved having our table of 8 and met some lovely people, we are still in touch with some of them. I really would miss, if I cruise again, not being on the same table each evening. I know there's a lot to be said for meeting different people but going down to dinner with people we'd got to know was something special for us.
By the way, Foxy insists that when we were on a table adjacent to him we were exceptionally rowdy - rubbish!
Carole
All three couples were invited to Captain Bird's Eye's suite for lunch. We accepted, didn't think we could not. One of the other couples really didn't want to go so they wrote a note saying they had arranged to meet a friend on board for lunch that day. So on the appointed day we went to his suite and as we arrived the women were given a red rose corsage, obviously made by the on board florist and given drinks. It really was very generous. There were large containers of curry and rice being served for lunch with waiters doing the serving. The Captain of the ship plus several officers were there, with James of course. There were a few other passengers there but mostly ship's crew. After a toast from the Captain there was the birthday cake - it was huge. So we all had a slice instead of pudding. We had got very friendly with the couple who declined the invitation so my John wrote them a letter purporting to be from Captain Bird's Eye saying how sorry he was that they couldn't attend and he would arrange for them to dine in his suite one evening when they were free. As we had swapped cabin numbers John was able to deliver it to their cabin. Apparently it took over an hour before they began to get suspicious and eventually guess it was John who had written it but they said they'd spent ages trying to think of a way out. This may all sound very mean spirited but Captain Bird's Eye was so dominating at every meal, only his opinions counted, it did get a bit frustrating. The night after the birthday the Captain had arranged for us to all drink Champagne throughout the meal - very generous - but of course as it was Beef Wellington some of us would rather have had red wine but we didn't have the heart to spoil his enjoyment. Then after dessert out came the remains of the birthday cake and he wanted us all to have a slice there and then. I was far too full to eat that so I said 'how kind but I'd take mine back to the cabin to enjoy later - I got a very disapproving look for that. On our way out of the restaurant that evening we were walking with James Cusick and he beckoned the wine waitress who had served us so well - she was one of the best wine waiters we had - and said to her 'Please get rid of that dratted birthday cake!'
Things did get better as the cruise went on and the couple didn't come every evening. He was so generous but didn't realise how overpowering he was. We got chatting to a nearby table of 2 who had been on the previous cruise with him and seen how he was with that table. They said our table didn't follow his bidding a much as the previous people had. I think it's called being a Benevolent Despot. James Cusick certainly enlivened the proceedings. My John happened to mention to James that he had found it difficult to get a banana to have with his breakfast, they seemed in short supply. When we got back to our cabin that night there was a tray with about a dozen bananas on it!
We mostly loved having our table of 8 and met some lovely people, we are still in touch with some of them. I really would miss, if I cruise again, not being on the same table each evening. I know there's a lot to be said for meeting different people but going down to dinner with people we'd got to know was something special for us.
By the way, Foxy insists that when we were on a table adjacent to him we were exceptionally rowdy - rubbish!
Carole
-
- Commodore
- Posts: 15325
- Joined: February 2013
Re: My favourite cruise memory is...
We have several special memories.
One is our second ever cruise and the first time in the Arctic Circle when we witnessed the midnight sun. It was an Aurora cruise to Norway and Iceland. We still remember (and still have toe video) of our daughter clearing the floor round her as she danced, with all the actions, to S Club 7's "Reach", at a deck party at midnight with the sun still quite high in the sky.
Another very special one was being stationary for an hour (other than turning 180 degrees half way thrpugh) in front of the Margerie Glacier in Glacier Bay, Alaska, on Island Princess. Awe inspiring. A great cruise that also included a land trip on the Rocky Mountaineer train.
Sailing into Venice was lovely too.
And we will always remember our 28-night cruise to the Caribbean and back on Ventura, where we spent the seas days learning to Ballroom and Latin dance in private lessons with Chris and Emma Burrell.
One is our second ever cruise and the first time in the Arctic Circle when we witnessed the midnight sun. It was an Aurora cruise to Norway and Iceland. We still remember (and still have toe video) of our daughter clearing the floor round her as she danced, with all the actions, to S Club 7's "Reach", at a deck party at midnight with the sun still quite high in the sky.
Another very special one was being stationary for an hour (other than turning 180 degrees half way thrpugh) in front of the Margerie Glacier in Glacier Bay, Alaska, on Island Princess. Awe inspiring. A great cruise that also included a land trip on the Rocky Mountaineer train.
Sailing into Venice was lovely too.
And we will always remember our 28-night cruise to the Caribbean and back on Ventura, where we spent the seas days learning to Ballroom and Latin dance in private lessons with Chris and Emma Burrell.
-
- Senior First Officer
- Posts: 2295
- Joined: January 2013
Re: My favourite cruise memory is...
When it comes down to favorite memories, over the years of cruising there are so many to choose from. All the wonderful places we have visited and the sights that amaze, the enjoyment from the ships, the passengers we have met and still keep in touch with and still on occasions cruise with, the food on board and in the countries we visited has been mouthwatering, the evenings on board and somtimes a evening chance on shore.
Just could not pick a favorite and long may it continue.
Just could not pick a favorite and long may it continue.
Don't worry, be happy
-
- Senior First Officer
- Posts: 2270
- Joined: January 2013
- Location: sarf London
Re: My favourite cruise memory is...
1 standing at the bottom of the gangway about to board our first cruise and marvelling at the size. We thought it was huge - it was Victoria ( the previous one) in 1998. nowadays it would be titchy
2) sailing into our first port - Mahon - a spectacular place but specially on a first cruise
3) sailing into Venice
2) sailing into our first port - Mahon - a spectacular place but specially on a first cruise
3) sailing into Venice
Meg
x
x
-
- Ex Team Member
- Posts: 11331
- Joined: January 2013
- Location: Cumbria