Some classic i like very much (first the Dutch)

ss Statendam 3 my ultimate favorit all time classic

ss Rotterdam 4 and 5
ss Nieuw Amsterdam 2
m.s. Willem Ruys
m.s. Dempo / Balaroen.

Some foreign vessels.

ss Ile de France
ss Normandie
ss Mauretania (30's)
ss Empress of Brittain (30's)
ss Bremen / Europa
ss Conte di Savoia
almost all Italian line ships off the 50's and early 60's

Some new builds.

m.s. Rotterdam 6
ms Statendam (class)
mv Costa Romantica
ms Aurora
ms Oriana
ms Europa
gts Radiance of the Seas
ms Disney Wonder / Magic.

there are more vessels i like and not mantion above. what i really don't like is repro vessels as Queen Mary 2 impressif in size but not in design a missed chanse. A brand new modern cruise ship would have classic features without copy the past. I think over a 20 years ore so we turn oure heads whene the Rotterdam ore the Aurora sailing past and say they don't build ships like this anymore.

But inn the end it's everybody's taste and who am i to say you ore he/she have a bad tast.

quote:

---

Ship & Sea Lover wrote:
What do you like the most: a ship with the typical old classic style look or a ship with the today's (2005) look??

---

Classic or boxy? As long as I get half decent service for a reasonable price and she doesn't sink, I would be happy with either.

******

******

Cheers

[ 03-03-2005: Message edited by: bulbousbow ]

quote:

---

Originally posted by bulbousbow:

Classic or boxy? As long as I get half decent service for a reasonable price and she doesn't sink, I would be happy with either.

******

Cheers

---

And, I understand, popular.

Still, there is the "Mona Lisa"

Has anyone sailed on her recently ? From the pics on the website she really looks a very nice ship.

1- As a product which can be used
2- As a way to express my artistic creativity
3- As objects for my fascination with ship history

1- When I would sail a ship the connection with the sea would have to be there. I don’t want to sail if it feels like staying in a land based hotel. For me this connection is not simply a balcony because I feel sailing is a social event, you want to be amongst other people and enjoy a view from a public deck and not from a stupid balcony. I would prefer the balcony space as useful inside space, besides a porthole is more in character with sea travelling.

If there is connection with the sea (interior wise and exterior wise in the form of plenty outer decks) I would not mind sailing on a modern ship.

--

2- From another point of view I photograph ships, I use the shapes to create interesting composition, the classic ships with plenty of curves and sheer simply photograph more easy and with more enjoyment. If I look at ships artistically the new builds are tremendously pains in the rear end and no fun to photograph in my own fashion.

--

3- From a historical point of view (and ship history tends to make a bit cynical) the current box ships have no real connection left with ocean liner history. Some ships did survive and went on cruising in the 70’s cruise ship designs showed their connection with the ocean liners. But sadly these ships that survived the transition are fading at a fast rate nowadays. Even the classic looking cruise ships are becoming scares. Somewhere in the mid 80’s cruise ships started to be considered as buildings or mass produced objects which lead to what we see today. Unlike car design the leading cruise companies did not see the need to stylise their ships as a way of PR or distinguishing one self from the competition (also because nowadays there isn’t much competition left anyway so why bother)

If I look at ships with a passion for liner history I would compare new build cruise ships and ocean liners like a horse/carriage and a car (both have wheels but that is all they have in common)

quote:

---

Originally posted by Johan:
Still, there is the "Mona Lisa"

Has anyone sailed on her recently ? From the pics on the website she really looks a very nice ship.

J

---

You are right Johan, Mona Lisa does look like an interesting ship to sail on. I often enjoyed photographing her as Victoria. If I’m not mistaking Mona Lisa does also make one day and night party trips from Hamburg for about 99 Euro’s. It would be excellent to make such a trip experience one of the few classics around.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Onno:

You are right Johan, Mona Lisa does look like an interesting ship to sail on. I often enjoyed photographing her as Victoria. If I’m not mistaking Mona Lisa does also make one day and night party trips from Hamburg for about 99 Euro’s. It would be excellent to make such a trip experience one of the few classics around.

Onno

---

I d love too !!
but i think they are already sold out
and the other voyages are really too long, for me at least now, when i am Saga material perhaps

Modern box boats can also be nice, I think
And FinnJet is indeed yet a classic!

Did you travel on finnjet, ERnst
must be wonderful to race ov er the baltic on this ship, and arriving in St Petersburg, longer, much better than arriving on that dreary Poelskaya airport, brr

quote:

---

Originally posted by Johan:
Onno and Ernst
you say it all very well !

Modern box boats can also be nice, I think
And FinnJet is indeed yet a classic!

Did you travel on finnjet, ERnst
must be wonderful to race ov er the baltic on this ship, and arriving in St Petersburg, longer, much better than arriving on that dreary Poelskaya airport, brr

J

---

It is already 12 years ago that I travelled with him. (From Travemünde to Helsinki and back) This was my worst storm ever. (it was in January, a wonderful expierience) There were really high waves with the water (not only spray) coming up to the windows of the "passenger brige". (one of my favourite observation lounges!)
Once we were rolling to the side, all dishes fell from the tables, the light went out and the pianist stopped playing. Obviously we changed course, I guess it was not that much roll angle, but it was still frightning. We could not enter Travemünde for hours due to the high waves, and it needed all tugs they had to put him to the right postion at the pier. (they could not move the gangway)