Cruise Talk: Ocean Breeze

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Author

Topic: Ocean Breeze

gohaze
First Class Passenger
Member # 586

posted 07-04-2003 08:24 AM

Well, there goes another one. According to Maritime Matters she was sold for scrapping in Alang yesterday. She'll be in Freeport today whilest things are arranged and should leave around the 10th.
She certainly outlasted her newer sistership and had a usefull lifetime, which just illustrates the luck of the draw.
...peter

Posts: 1909 | From: Vancouver.BC | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

Waynaro
First Class Passenger
Member # 3484

posted 07-04-2003 01:43 PM

This one came in total surprised. She was sold fast, unfortunately to the breakers.

Posts: 6108 | From: Vallejo,CA : California Maritime Academy!!! | Registered: Nov 2002 | IP: Logged

lambcom
First Class Passenger
Member # 656

posted 07-05-2003 05:10 PM

For nostalgia purposes here's a picture of the Ocean Breeze I took at the end of May while she was docked in Nassau next to Celebrity's Galaxy.

She was showing her age...

Posts: 179 | From: Montreal, canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

HomeLines
First Class Passenger
Member # 1707

posted 07-07-2003 12:29 PM

This was a total shock! The ship was in such great shape!

Posts: 165 | Registered: Dec 2000 | IP: Logged

gpcruisedude
First Class Passenger
Member # 3533

posted 07-07-2003 08:08 PM

I wonder if Imperial Majesty had their heads on backwards when they sold her to the breakers?? AS they spent a considerable amount on her in 2000...that was only 2 1/2 yrs ago and then to sell her to the breakers, Im sure they could have ran her alongside The Regal Empress and have a ship leaving Ft.Lauderdale every day! That would have made sense or even have ran Ft.Lauderdale to Nassau every 2nd day and let the Empress do Freeport!

WOW! Is their anyone with the $$ to buy her from the Alang Breakers before she gets their??

She would be worth sending to Australia and basing her their PERMANENTLEY!

Well thats all I have to say about her, such a fine ship, sailed on her as the Azure Seas out of L.A. numerous times! An excellent cruise every time and an excellent ship too!

Posts: 865 | From: Grande Prairie,Alberta | Registered: Dec 2002 | IP: Logged

gohaze
First Class Passenger
Member # 586

posted 07-07-2003 09:34 PM

She's nearly 50 years old and a coat of paint can make anything look good to some people. Have you any idea of what her true condition internally is? What about all the piping, the wiring, the steel of the decks under all those coverings which haven't been lifted in years. The hull itself, does it require expensive renewal.
Remember the Pacific Sky with her hull corrosion problems and she's only 19 years old. That cooling water pipe that corroded through in the engineroom of the QE2 and partially flooded it was only 15 years old.
It could well be that the potential costs of survey and repair outweigh any further use.
...peter

Posts: 1909 | From: Vancouver.BC | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

cruiseny
First Class Passenger
Member # 2928

posted 07-07-2003 11:29 PM

I have to agree with Peter, in part because I've heard whisperings that she wasn't in the best of health underneath. Specifically things have been said about hull plating wearing thin, etc.

She is 48 years old and I think that is well above the average useful lifespan of a passenger ship... It's sad to see her go, for sure, but she's had a long and productive career and probably couldn't carry on much longer.

Posts: 4730 | From: New York, USA | Registered: Mar 2002 | IP: Logged

Waynaro
First Class Passenger
Member # 3484

posted 07-07-2003 11:36 PM

I wonder how much IM sold her to the breakers for??? Maybe someone could take a few shots of her before she leave mainland or even Freeport.

Posts: 6108 | From: Vallejo,CA : California Maritime Academy!!! | Registered: Nov 2002 | IP: Logged

Marlowe
First Class Passenger
Member # 1632

posted 07-08-2003 12:37 AM

What seems to be missing from your equation is the value of an almost lost style of travelling at sea can have. At some point all the vintage steamers will be gone and the world filled with more ridiculous mega ships. When that day comes, won't it be tragic if we find a whole surge of cruisers seeking alternative seagoing vacations including those that are vintage styled vintage styled and people start saying "if we had only saved a few of those grand old ships when we had the chance".

Yes, there are real and substantial costs to maintaining and preserving an old steamer and yes, the cruiselines of today see only the profit margin in their planning, but there are also benefits to be had which unfortunately don't show up on balance sheets.

The big question is, which of the few surviving steam liners shall be saved and which discarded. Right now, it seems that except for the ROTTERDAM there is no group of any substance with the capital able to make that decision and in that vacuum, all are being lost to history.

Posts: 414 | From: mt. vernon, wa, usa | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

Aussie1
First Class Passenger
Member # 25

posted 07-08-2003 04:11 AM

Replacing some thin hull plating is not an very expensive affair so that cannot be the sole reason Ocean Breeze is heading out. I expect she is costly to run fuel wise. I expect now she is out of service her owners want to make a quick sale rather than hold out for potentail operators and get caught in the meantime paying for lay up and mainenence costs. A case of take the money and run.

Posts: 493 | From: Sydney,NSW, Australia | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

rd77
First Class Passenger
Member # 2117

posted 07-08-2003 07:14 AM

she is a steamship and hence more expensive to run than REGAL EMPRESS and that is probably the sole thing that has killed her. Remember she had a very extensive refit internally in the 70s, including replacement of all wiring etc., so probably it's just the turbines that are causing her downfall now....

Posts: 1037 | From: The Hague, Netherlands | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 07-08-2003 06:25 PM

For nostalgia too, here's me aboard in '65

Well I looked a bit better than CruiseNY at that age

I tried to get across last month, but sadly the airfare was a bit too pricey for a nostalgic jaunt. I have a few bits of memorabilia ... amongst which is 2 of those pens in which as Southern Cross she slides up and down inside. They came in boxes in those days, goodness knows how much they cost as there's a bit of paper in one box giving details of where to obtain a refill biro at a cost of $1 [or 7s]. The water has evapourated from one of them.. odd? But the other is perfect.
Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

miami cruiser
First Class Passenger
Member # 3117

posted 07-08-2003 10:09 PM

Not to be rude, but that has to be one of the ugliest cabins I think I have ever seen on a current (well, current until last month) cruise ship. It's a good thing the ship did have that refit!

Posts: 158 | From: Miami | Registered: Jun 2002 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 07-09-2003 08:14 AM

Not to be rude, but that has to be one of the ugliest cabins I think I have ever seen on a current (well, current until last month) cruise ship.
Ugly?? She was the height of luxury; to me anyway

We had a sink! [Bath down the hall] Most hotels we stayed in in those days didn't even have that.

There's lots more on my site Miami Cruiser, but in amongst the 'views'. I'll have a soft spot for her always, being the first real cruise I remember, whatever she was really like; and I gather was the 'lower end' of the market after her years of immigrant runs.
Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

miami cruiser
First Class Passenger
Member # 3117

posted 07-09-2003 06:55 PM

Pam, I checked out your site and the other shots of the cabin. Ok, I can somewhat see the charm of it now. The dresser is nice and I love the porthole. I guess in your first picture I was just focusing on that floormat, the base-boards and that pole holding up the bed.
What a great cruise that must have been for you!
It's funny how little has changed at the Miami Seaquarium since you were there!

Posts: 158 | From: Miami | Registered: Jun 2002 | IP: Logged

Aussie1
First Class Passenger
Member # 25

posted 07-10-2003 01:15 AM

PamM thanks for the pictures and web site. I can remember seeing Southern Cross docked at Southampton on the day my family left Britain aboard Fairsky to emigrate to Australia.

Posts: 493 | From: Sydney,NSW, Australia | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

DonD
Just Boarded
Member # 3991

posted 07-10-2003 10:34 AM

It is a sad day to see the ship be placed out of service. This was the first ship I worked on as a DJ and then finally into cruise staff back in 1988. My cabin was in the bow of the ship just below the waterline next to the entrance to the DISCO 1 deck below. There used to be a pool down there. I will miss seeing here as I cruise every year. And will keep every item i have of her past special.

Thanks to all who have commented on a grand ship.

Posts: 1 | From: Indianapolis, In | Registered: Jul 2003 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 07-10-2003 05:07 PM

Welcome to Cruisetalk Don. Save all those memories

How many years were you aboard her? I swam in the indoor pool a lot. If it was too rough for the outdoor pool, we could still use that one in the depths. Water sloshed everywhere, fun for a kid.
Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 07-10-2003 05:15 PM

quote:
Originally posted by miami cruiser:
It's funny how little has changed at the Miami Seaquarium since you were there!

Do you know the names of the bridges or whereabouts those photos were taken?
It's hard to imagine that 38 years ago [now I'm admitting my age!] there was a monorail in a theme park! Must have been one of the first?
Pam

[ 07-10-2003: Message edited by: PamM ]

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

Barryboat
First Class Passenger
Member # 33

posted 07-10-2003 05:55 PM

Azure Seas was my first "paid" cruise out of San Pedro.

Posts: 1851 | From: Bloomington, Minnesota (Home to the Mall of America) | Registered: Mar 99 | IP: Logged

miami cruiser
First Class Passenger
Member # 3117

posted 07-10-2003 06:56 PM

Pam, the monorail at Miami Seaquarium has been torn down, either by man or by hurricane, as it is no longer in place. That's too bad as it looked pretty cool. Those monorail cars did have a pretty cool "George Jetson" futuristic look to them and I'm sure they would be popular today. Disneyland in California may have been the first theme-park to have monorails back when they opened in the 50's. Perhaps some of the World's Fairs before the 50's had them too. Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay has had a monrail for years and was probably there in the 60's too.
As for those bridges, they look like some of the hundreds that still exist in Ft. Lauderdale, the "Venice of America". The main canals have higher bridges so boats can reach the Intracoastal and the Atlantic. Those neighborhoods have changed very little over the years so the pictures look as if they could have been taken yesterday. The cost of a home on the canals has skyrocketed to the point you have to be nearly a millionaire to afford one! Water Taxi's service these areas so people can leave the car at home and take a boat to work!

Posts: 158 | From: Miami | Registered: Jun 2002 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 07-11-2003 09:35 AM

Thanks for the detail Miami cruiser. I've been to FL a few times since and it does always look the same to me as an outsider. I went through my '93 photos thinking we'd revisited the Sea Aquarium then , but it was 'Ocean World' we went to. I recall it being a bit run down. On my look through I found a few snaps of ships I had completely forgotten I'd even taken or seen! So all on topic, sort of

Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

Brian_O
First Class Passenger
Member # 3910

posted 07-11-2003 03:21 PM

quote:
Originally posted by PamM:
I swam in the indoor pool a lot. If it was too rough for the outdoor pool, we could still use that one in the depths. Water sloshed everywhere, fun for a kid.
Pam

Sloshing water? The attached pic that I call "Fools in the Pool" was taken in October 1979 on QE2. It shows 3 brave souls in the notorious First Class outdoor pool on Quarter Deck in moderate seas. OTOH, the One Deck pool was much calmer that day, as it always was.

I remember one night a few years later after the Magrodome had been added that the water was splashing off the underside of the dome and a few unfortunate passengers in the Club Lido got their evening clothes soaked. Someone had forgotten to look at the weather forecast before deciding whether or not to empty the pool that evening.

[ 07-11-2003: Message edited by: Brian_O ]

Posts: 2698 | From: Pointe-Claire, QC Canada | Registered: Jun 2003 | IP: Logged

cruiseny
First Class Passenger
Member # 2928

posted 07-11-2003 04:41 PM

Re: waves in the pool... We were on VOYAGER OF THE SEAS in a rather large storm (consistent 55mph winds) and the amazing thing was the the water WAS sloshing in the pool (at least until they drained it) - but it wasn't from the motion of the ship... Just the wind. I was absolutely STUNNED at how well she performed in that weather.

Posts: 4730 | From: New York, USA | Registered: Mar 2002 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 07-12-2003 05:13 AM

Fools indeed! Surprised the pool wasn't closed in that state. Mind you I've seen similar, but not quite as bad as that one.
Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

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