Cruise Talk: Some ships have it, some don't

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»	Cruise Talk » Cruise Ships » Some ships have it, some don't

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Topic: Some ships have it, some don't

desirod7
First Class Passenger
Member # 1626

posted 08-10-2004 01:25 PM

Some ships have a magical personality and an unquantifiable feel about them that when you board them one is tranferred into a different world, and when on board one becomes a different person.

Others are real nice, but are not quite there with the magical personality

Of the ships I have been on

Those with the unquantifiable feel

TSS Olympia/Regal Empress
Canberra
Royal Viking Star
Queen Mary1
Rembrandterdam
Pacific Princess 1
Queen Mary 2
SS United States

Those that are nice but not have the magic
Queen Anna Maria/Topaz
SS Statendam
Stella Oceanis
Sea Breeze
SSNorway [some do find her magical]
Queen Elizabeth 2 [ship no, cruise format yes]
Norwegian Dawn

Any other thoughts?

[ 08-10-2004: Message edited by: desirod7 ]

Posts: 5727 | From: Philadelphia, Pa [home of the SS United States] | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

Dave the Wave
First Class Passenger
Member # 3813

posted 08-10-2004 04:52 PM

The Regal Empress had a special feel to me as well. Like stepping back in time. The Sovereign of the Seas has a special quality as the first of the mega "cruise ships". I have been 4 times on her and it feels like home.

Posts: 211 | From: St.Pete, Florida | Registered: May 2003 | IP: Logged

Sokker14
First Class Passenger
Member # 2944

posted 08-10-2004 05:00 PM

In my opinion...

Those that have magic:

Cruise ships -

Voyager of the Seas (her sisters lack this)
Costa Atlantica
Sovereign of the Seas
Empress of the Seas
Norway
Millennium
Carnival Spirit
Sun Princess
Paul Gaugin
Costa Allegra

Liners -

QM2
QM1
Normandie
SS US
Titanic
Leonardo Da Vinci
Michaelangelo
Enrico Costa
Azure Seas
Rembrandterdam
Aquitania
Mauretania

Those that are nice but have no personality...

Cruise ships -

Century
Costa Fortuna
Costa Classica
Majesty of the Seas
Navigator of the Seas
Norwegian Sun
Norwegian Sea
Ecstasy
Grand Princess (and sisters)
Oosterdam

Liners:

QE2 (her magic comes from her history, not pers.)
QE1
Raffaello
Olympic
Majestic (and sisters)
Sea Breeze

Posts: 34 | From: New Orleans | Registered: Apr 2002 | IP: Logged

mec1
First Class Passenger
Member # 4287

posted 08-10-2004 06:18 PM

For me Canberra and Caronia and Marco Polo and QE2 and QM2 and Oriana are all ships with a genuine soul and personality.

Adonia, Diney Magic, Topaz, Sovereign, Arcadia, Norwegian Sky all nice but left me cold.

Posts: 1675 | From: London, England | Registered: Nov 2003 | IP: Logged

desirod7
First Class Passenger
Member # 1626

posted 08-20-2004 04:30 PM

Any more thoughts?

Posts: 5727 | From: Philadelphia, Pa [home of the SS United States] | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

annnthony
First Class Passenger
Member # 3733

posted 08-20-2004 06:08 PM

In response, I hit the wrong button, and, rather than re-type the same message, I opened a new thread......."Dislikes"!

Posts: 315 | From: westwood,n.j.,USA | Registered: Mar 2003 | IP: Logged

desirod7
First Class Passenger
Member # 1626

posted 08-30-2007 07:13 PM

Since the thread started I have to add the Queen Mary 2. In 3 short years she has developed a personality and become an institution in herself.

[ 08-30-2007: Message edited by: desirod7 ]

Posts: 5727 | From: Philadelphia, Pa [home of the SS United States] | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

Carlos Fernandez
First Class Passenger
Member # 6432

posted 08-30-2007 08:16 PM

I think all ships do, even the ones being built and mostly the ones on my drawing boards, I feel they are part of me since I am creating something. It's hard to explain, you create a bond between your designs and ships you've travelled on, feeling that will be your home for a couple days, when you get back from a shore excursion (specialy in Jamaica) you feel relief being in her, eating, just being a normal passenger. There have been two ships which really, to me, I have created a bond with, Freedom of the Seas, ever since "Ultra Voyager" was announced I was behind the latest news, looking for construction pictures, and finally when I stepped onboard It was a weird feeling as if I knew who she was. The other ship I am creating a bond with is project Genesis, just like FOTS. This might sound lousy but it's difficult for me to explain. I think Ed Stephan might have also had this feeling with RCCL and Stephen Payne with QM2. When I talk about cruise ships, see or read about them I feel like if they were family, it's weird but hey, it happends.

Posts: 1325 | From: Miami, Florida (Cruise Capital of the World) | Registered: Apr 2006 | IP: Logged

Tim Agg
First Class Passenger
Member # 3185

posted 08-30-2007 10:41 PM

Of the classic ships referred to, I only sailed on Rotterdam V, so have limited experience with which to compare, but now having spent some 60 days, over 5 voyages, on HAL's Veendam I have to say that she goes way beyond "nice." She has enough personality and style. Maybe not quite the magic of Rotterdam, but a good second home to return to!

Posts: 365 | From: Vancouver BC | Registered: Jul 2002 | IP: Logged

mike sa
First Class Passenger
Member # 5957

posted 08-31-2007 01:26 AM

Good question, to me however I think it is often less to do with the ship but more to do with something intangible, for instance I owuld list Grand Princess as a ship that has no soul and as a result have never travelled on her again, but Diamond Princess does, basically the same hardware but a totally different feel from the second you stepped aboard, the same is reflected in the reviews we all pour over - so what is it, well of course it is the crew, I have walked on board ships and been welcomed like an old friend, as if they were truely happy to see you, and then again I have stepped on board and been ignored.

Of course as long as the hardware is in good nick and it is a level playing field I think the same is true of all experiences - we feel it more on a ship than a hotel because we are stuck with it for a period of time and there is nothing you can do to get away from it, the is no external influence, a happy crew makes a happy ship - they are the engine room of a passanger experience.

There is of course also the fading of time, and the this ship is not the same as the first which during my time at sea I experienced many times, when cruisng out of the UK on Pacific Princess I would often hear "this is not as good as the Canberra", strange to say next year on the Royal I then heard "this is not as good as the Pacific " and so on..................

It is also true that the soul of a ship is something you bring with you on vacation.........!

Posts: 2272 | From: Durban, South Africa | Registered: Sep 2005 | IP: Logged

NAL
First Class Passenger
Member # 1102

posted 08-31-2007 07:38 AM

I think ROTTERDAM VI is well on her way to following her earlier sister, ROTTERDAM V.

Posts: 2243 | From: Watsontown, PA | Registered: Feb 2000 | IP: Logged

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