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The Royal Caribbean Fan Blog

"Long Live the Queen." - The Royal Caribbean Fan.

The year after I visited the Fairsea at the Port of Las Angeles I had the chance to visit the legendary Queen Mary at her home in Long Beach. The ship was ordered in 1929, served as a troop ship during World War II and eventually was retired and became a hotel in 1967. My trip was part of a YMCA field trip to see her and the Spruce Goose, the mammoth plane built and flown once by Howard Hughes. The Goose was housed in a large dome next to the Queen Mary and after touring it the group walked over to the massive ship looming in the air at the pier. I had seen the Queen Mary used as a set for numerous movies and TV shows. Usually my mother or father would point out that it was the Queen Mary being used again. After awhile it was easy to pick out that it was her, be it the dining room, the bridge or promenade decks.

Actually boarding her lead to a tour of the onboard museum and a space which was actually a pool which looked over one of the ships propellers. Seeing a huge propeller, green and dark under water, while actually on ship was a unique experience. Walking around the top promenade lead to the chance to climb into a WWII quad 44 mm anti-aircraft gun. The same sort as armed ships all through WWII, including some ships my grandfather had served on. However the highlight was spending time on the bridge, with the classic brass ships telegraphs, ships wheel and the wooden deck and décor. It was legitimately awe inspiring looking back. The visit became a favorite story of mine. For years afterward I would collect old editions of Sea Classics and read about the time the ship rammed a British cruiser, sinking it and the famous people who had traveled on her. The ghost stories would be highlighted on TV. The ship would come up when people spoke about cruising. Every time I was able to proudly say I had been there and knew the ship.

Heaped on top of the still fresh memories from the Fairsea I almost felt as if I had been on a cruise or a trip across the ocean. From that point forward I always felt like I was simply burning time until my “next” cruise, even though it would be over ten years as an adult before it finally happened.

"Saxonia, Long Beach and the Love Boat" - The Royal Caribbean Fan.

"Love Boat soon will be making another run
The Love Boat promises something for everyone
Set a course for adventure!"
~Charlie Fox / Paul Williams

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One of my favorite TV shows to watch when I was having sleep-overs at my grandparents or great aunts house was the Love Boat. Another Aaron Spelling gem with corning plots and ensemble casts of guest stars I recognized from watching entirely too many old movies and "re-runs." The implied maturity of some things was utterly lost on my young mind. I was more interested in the ship, captains table dinners, etc.

In 1983 friends of my parents took us to the cruise terminal at the Port of Los Angeles. They had taken a honeymoon cruise aboad the Sitmar Line "Fairsea." The Fairsea was a Saxonia class ocean liner built by Cunard in the 1950s. She was intended for passenger trade between the UK and Canada. Like most ocean liners she was sold and rebuilt as a tropical cruise ship.

Fairsea was moor at the east terminal. Back in those days you could actually walk right onto a cruise ship without passing through any security, which is exactly what we did. For the next four hours we walked all around the ship, even visiting the stateroom my parents friends had staid in. Years later when I learned what "turn around day" was like for the crew I understood the curiously unhappy look the steward gave as six people showed-up while he was stripping bed sheets off the bed.

Over the four hours we were on the ship I saw every public space, bar and even the small arcade for the kids.

It was standing outside leaning on a wide teak wood railing along the lowest pool deck that hooked me on cruising. The railing was warm though not hot from the sun. There was a cool breeze. And looking out over the water around the port I decided I wanted to take a cruise. Everything around me just resonated.

The day ended with walking around the late "Ports-o-Call" shops south of of the terminal. There, we ate dinner at a restaurant seated at a table along the waters edge. Around five p.m. the Fairsea, brightly lit, sailed by. Half an hour later, none other than the Pacific Princess passed by, her white paint seeming to glow. Hanging along the side all the way to the waterline was a mass of streamers from the traditional send-off celebration. It was like seeing a childhood myth emerge from a TV screen. It was a real ship, there really was a Pacific Princess. That I knew the show was mostly filmed on sound stages was beside the point.

My first cruise would not come until August of 1999, but that day was the time and place which hooked me on cruising.

From the Blogs

Ships That Pass in the Night - Video

For my first few cruises I had an itch to wake early to see what it was like when a ship entered port. I failed miserably to do so until January of 2016 aboard Oasis of the Seas. The video included here was the result of that success. This all makes what I did seem like a lot. In truth I cheated. As I had the entire cruise, I setup my tripod and camera on the balcony and with the help of my alarm, staggered out of bed and started it recording. The results have become one of my favorite lunch-time videos. It is relaxing, peaceful and as the end of any cruise sometimes feels, a little bit sad as it marks the end of another adventure.

What does it look like when a ship enters a port?

Hurricane Irma Notes - Sunday Sunday Sunday!

Irma is ashore for the time being, having crossed the Keys and landed on the mainland near Napals. So far damage is consistent with a catagory 3 but not producing the over-hyped devestation predicted. Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise lines are sending ships to several islands to pick-up stranded travelers and make drop-offs of emergency supplies. Despite massively over-stated social media posts describing nothing short of primal chaos and even civil war among the leeward islands, the recovery process is underway. Schools are preparing to reopen in several U.S. Virgin Islands, damage assessment is underway at St. Thomas, and U.S. Navy ships are well represented in the relief efforts. The much discussed situation on St. Maarten is one of two sides of one island. The Dutch side of the island is essentially stable and quickly recovering. Some looting was reported and verified but was never the wide-spread gangs of roving thugs. Even the initially panic stricken descriptions from government officials has become far more constrained and accurately detailing the situation. The French side of the island however both took the brunt of the storm, the bulk of major damage and was the location of most of the worst civil unrest. Irma will begin to wind-down from this point forward but will reach Indianapolis, Indiana by 2 p.m. on Thursday. The greater Ohio region will see a considerable amount of rain.

The Red Cross hurricane relief page for those that wish to help.

Carnival Splendor Suffers Engine Loss.

: Category: Cruise Aficionados Cruise Aficionados

The Carnival Splendor returned to Miami without further incident after losing sufficient power to run a full speed. Ship-board services were not impacted but without enough power to sail at normal speeds Carnival Cruise Line canceled stops at St. Thomas and Amber Cove.

The Splendor takes on supplies after the 2010 engine room fire which knocked-out all power.

Passengers on the cruise were provided a $100 onboard credit, a 50% refund on the cruise and a 50% toward a future cruise. Due to the ongoing repairs this weeks cruise has also been changed with stops in Grand Cayman, Belize City, Mahogany Bay, and Cozumel canceled and replaced with a short sailing to the Bahamas, featuring an overnight port in Nassau and a full day in Freeport. Passengers on this cruise will receive the same compensation as those on the previous weeks.

The Carnival Splendor suffered a loss of power in 2010 while operating out of the west coast. The ship needed to be towed it back to San Diego and U.S. Navy helicopters to fly food and supplies. The ship is a variant on the Concordia class used by Costa Cruises, the namesake of which sunk in 2012 with the loss of 32 lives. In December 2016 Carnival announced its intention to transfer the ship to Princess' Australian fleet in 2019.

People Watching on the Oasis of the Seas

: Category: Royal Caribbean Fan Royal Caribbean Fan

People watching. We all do it. On a cruise everybody has a story, even if they don't post online about it. (Like you should in our message boards!) For my money, next to the sunsets and watching the water and ships, people are the most interesting thing to do many nights. On Oasis of the Seas these past two cruises, I've tucked myself in defilade with a Coconut Ranger Cookie or slice of pizza, a bit of ice tea and "people watch."

Formal nights are the best for this passive activity. Those nights above all others, you get to see folks as they'd like to see themselves. The formal outfits, old party dress', and those non-conformists who just slum in any old thing. Added to the mix are a legion of photographers, who seek to entice you to get your photo taken. You'll notice that more and more the public spaces become rigged with lines and rope fences to either guide people closer to photographers or protect choice locations from being invaded as they are used in pictures. In truth folks line-up for these photo-ops. With digital media, online sharing options and the lower cost of non-film based photos, the lines are able to offer a lot more for the money. People clearly respond as well.

To traditionalists lament the lack of wide adherence to a single dress standard it does underscore that folks are free to do as they wish onboard.

Symphony of the Seas - the Fourth Oasis Class.

: Category: Cruise Aficionados Cruise Aficionados

Leave it to the wonders of social media to break the news that Royal Caribbean's fourth Oasis class will be named "Symphony of the Seas."

Symphony of the Seas, as seen by Lloyd Marchand

An image shared online by "Lloyd Marchand" shows the aft portion of the ship still being assembled at STX France was photographed and the news has spread widely online. What you are able to see here is actually several things. The ship is put together in large "blocks" which are in-turn moved with large cranes and lowered into position where they welded into place. There are at least three blocks in this picture. The middle block is where you see the name highlighted against the bear steel. It is the section hosting the Aqua Theater, one of the signature features of the Oasis class. Behind this block appears to be a section intended for the bow of the ship. Finally a larger and flat section is seen in front of it that might be related to the lifeboat deck.

Latest Reviews

Video Escape

Carnival Splendor Suffers Engine Loss.

People Watching on the Oasis of the Seas

Symphony of the Seas - the Fourth Oasis Class.

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