The recent winter storms allowed to me finish my Regal Empress video clips a bit earlier than expected.

Regal Empress video clips

Video clips of other ships I encountered during that trip are found here:

Ships at Port Everglades (Ft. Lauderdale) - Celebrity Solistice, Crown Princess, Discovery Sun, Westerdam, Independence of the Seas

Ships at Freeport - Norwegian Majesty, Discovery Sun

[ 01-11-2009: Message edited by: Ernst ]

JUST KIDDING AND JOCKING A BIT AROUND.

They are so great to watch I loved theme. Specially the Regal Empress and the Westerdam.

I gather she is a tad smelly these days though. Peg required in areas?

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Originally posted by PamM:

I gather she is a tad smelly these days though. Peg required in areas?

Pam

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Not really smelly. Just an "old ship" smell which I love. The minute I walked onboard I was reminded of my childhood.

The original woodwork is just wonderful. We really enjoyed our time in the Commodore Club which has many original features. Food and service were also quite good.

Negatives are the constant announcements which go on and on from morning right through dinner .... and the cabins which are a bit scary. Very small bathrooms (regardless of cabin category) and old beds and bedspreads which have seen better days. I would not even touch my bedspread!

Overall though a gem and I'm so glad I finally got to experience this classic.

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Originally posted by eroller:
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Negatives are the constant announcements which go on and on from morning right through dinner .... and the cabins which are a bit scary. [....]

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In a very peculiar way these persistent announcements were sort of entertaining - as I did two trips 'back-to-back' it felt a bit like being in the movie 'Groudhog Day'.

I also stayed in cabin U1 and it's indeed not the cabin for a world cruise. But then, I did not go on a world cruise.

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Originally posted by dougnewman:
Ernst, these are brilliant as usual.

But on the smell issue I have to disagree Ernie, some parts of the ship were smelly, and not in a good "old ship smell" way. Much of the ship did have the "old ship smell," but some other parts had some that I could have done without.

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Many of you here know I sailed her as Olympia when a child. My re-sailing was 3 decades later as Regal Empress and first thing I noticed when reboarding was recognition of the smell.

To me it was a combination of fresh butter, brass polish and wood oil.

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Originally posted by Ernst:
To make this clear: Whatever you are smelling while watching the video clips - pleasant or unpleasant - is not related to anything described above but very likely your own business.

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In her Olympia years she did not have fin stabilizers. Our voyage was December in the Gulf Stream. On that part of the trip there were smells of stomach grease

In all pleasantries, the old ships with fine woods, linoleum and brass have a certain aroma that polymers and olefins do not.

In fact, when I first boarded QM2, I could see the woods and brass but felt a disconnect when not having the aroma. Hey, there plastic on that ship.

[ 01-13-2009: Message edited by: desirod7 ]

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Originally posted by desirod7:

In her Olympia years she did not have fin stabilizers. Our voyage was December in the Gulf Stream. On that part of the trip there were smells of stomach grease

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I try very hard to forget this smell but it could have been related to that. (I don't want to know)

When I was aboard Regal Empress moved a bit in the waves - maybe more than she should have - but I would not have considered it as noteworthy at all. However, there were quite some seasick passengers (more than usually for these circumstances) and there were 'p**e bags' placed all over the ship. It is of course entirely possible that this might have been related to other things and not only to the movement of the vessel - I don't know.

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Originally posted by desirod7:

In all pleasantries, the old ships with fine woods, linoleum and brass have a certain aroma that polymers and olefins do not.

In fact, when I first boarded QM2, I could see the woods and brass but felt a disconnect when not having the aroma. Hey, there plastic on that ship.

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The ship certainly does have some lovely areas, particularly the library.

I was very amused, though, at the Christmas decorations -- certainly not of the caliber of most cruise ships.

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Originally posted by Cunard Fan:
Ernst, if you don't mind my asking, how did you get permission to see the engine room?

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Originally posted by nathan:
These videos are truly fascinating, and they show the type of things I would want to see. Everyime I get back from a cruise, my friends always ask why I took pictures of the ship and not of people! [...]

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Originally posted by Ernst:

It might be fine photos but it's certainly not good for video to have 'empty' public rooms.

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Originally posted by desirod7:

Ernst, what type of equipment do you use?
[...]

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Originally posted by Ernst:

I just politely asked for it.

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Originally posted by Ernst:
I just politely asked for it.

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Originally posted by dougnewman:
our polite request for a bridge visit was refused (but we got a free bottle of wine out of it). Didn't even ask about the engine room.

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I gather from reading LL that sometime between Ernst's trip & yours there was some sort of small fire somewhere. Perhaps that could have been the reason why bridge visit requests were turned down?

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Originally posted by PamM:
Erm.. Doug, where are your photos? We have seen Ernie's lovely ones, and he went after you

Pam

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Actually, Doug and I sailed together. There were six of us all together. All ship enthusiasts.