Cruise Talk: When did Bon Voyage guests become a thing of the past?

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Topic: When did Bon Voyage guests become a thing of the past?

tg_lindo
First Class Passenger
Member # 806

posted 11-06-2002 01:48 PM

Three things made me think of asking this. 1) In a fabulous new book I just received, called "To Honolulu in Five Days" (a picture history of Matson), an old Matson ad proclaims that the public rooms of the ships were open to the public before sailing. 2) The TV show "Rhoda" had an episode where her mother visited the cabin before sailing 3) Come to think of it, when my family sailed on NCL's Sunward II in 1981, we entertained some friends who lived in Miami between embarkation and the "visitors ashore" whistle.

Anyway, did all lines stop this practice at the same time? Did New York end it before or after Miami? I am interested in your stories.

Posts: 349 | From: San Francisco, CA | Registered: May 99 | IP: Logged

lougee1043
First Class Passenger
Member # 3303

posted 11-06-2002 02:32 PM

i would think it stopped about the time they stopped throwing confetti and streamers because they were bad for the enviornment

Posts: 33 | From: oregon | Registered: Aug 2002 | IP: Logged

eroller
First Class Passenger
Member # 1649

posted 11-06-2002 03:02 PM

After the ACHILLE LAURO hijacking in the 80's was pretty much when security was tightened and visitors no longer permitted.

When I was a child in the 70's, I used to go up to the NY passenger piers with my grandmother. You could still tour many of the ships for something like a $1 to the seaman's union. For other ships, you could always make arrangements with the shipping line in advance for passes. It was never a problem, and I enjoyed touring such ships as CANBERRA, SAGAFJORD, VISTAFJORD, OCEANIC, DORIC, ROTTERDAM V, etc.

I sure wish those days were back!

Best regards,
Ernie

Posts: 7046 | From: Miami, Florida USA | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

Green
First Class Passenger
Member # 171

posted 11-06-2002 03:19 PM

quote:
Originally posted by lougee1043:
i would think it stopped about the time they stopped throwing confetti and streamers because they were bad for the enviornment

Guests were still allowed on board the QE2 - at least in Southampton - in Sept. 2000. It was a bit of a performance to arrange it. Names, addresses etc. had to be forwarded to New York. Guests received (by mail) the invitation and were required to show proof of Citizenship and photo ID and, I believe, were photographed when they checked in. We were restricted to four.

As for confetti and streamers - I loved that when a ship sailed - it was so festive! It's only paper after all but I guess the clean up was a problem.....

Posts: 2913 | From: Markham, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

tg_lindo
First Class Passenger
Member # 806

posted 11-06-2002 06:32 PM

Ernie,
Do you have photos?

Posts: 349 | From: San Francisco, CA | Registered: May 99 | IP: Logged

Michael534
First Class Passenger
Member # 2953

posted 11-06-2002 06:45 PM

Hi!
I agree with enroller that it was the Achille Lauro hi-jacking that curb the visiting to ships.

Before the incident, I used to go to Los Angeles harbor and visit every ship that came into port. I was lucky enough to be able to visit quite a few, including the Pacific, Island, and Sun Princess (also when she was Spirit of London), Azure Seas, Steela Solaris, Sky Princess (on her maiden arrival), Daphne, Mariposa, Monterey, Fairwind and Fairsea, and all three Royal viking ships. I went to see my parents off on the Fairsea a few months before the Achille Luaro was hi-jacked and that was the last time I ever threw streamers at a ship. It always added so much to the sailing. I miss the old sends off very much. They were a real treat.

Great memories.

Smooth Seas,
Michael534

Posts: 483 | From: Washington DC | Registered: Apr 2002 | IP: Logged

Tim Agg
First Class Passenger
Member # 3185

posted 11-06-2002 11:58 PM

In Vancouver in the mid-'60's even a kid, like me, could get a visitor pass onto the P & O -Orient ships visiting here - averaging one a month in those days. I always appreciated that P & O scheduled lots of weekend visits so I never actually skipped school to get on board.

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

eroller
First Class Passenger
Member # 1649

posted 11-07-2002 12:22 AM

quote:
Originally posted by tg_lindo:
Ernie,
Do you have photos?

Hi,
I sure do have some photos, although I would have to dig them out under mounds of stuff. Something I want to do one of these days anyway!

Best,
Ernie

Posts: 7046 | From: Miami, Florida USA | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

K&K
First Class Passenger
Member # 1040

posted 11-07-2002 10:19 AM

I agree it was in the 80"s but for us it was when we invaded Grenada.
We had been on several cruises prior and all on RCCL which had a party feel to the life boat drill. With champagne, bands, confeiti and alot of laughter. This cruise in 1983 or 1984 was a shock nothing but straight faces the first roll call we had seen. I remember while cruising we would always see off in the distance navy ships some of which followed us into port.
Kevin

Posts: 446 | From: Sandpoint,Idaho,USA | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

Eric
First Class Passenger
Member # 2724

posted 11-07-2002 11:32 AM

We were able to take visitors onboard at Sydney in oct 2000 by prior notification to the cruise line.
Eric

Posts: 421 | From: UK | Registered: Jan 2002 | IP: Logged

Colin
First Class Passenger
Member # 1676

posted 11-08-2002 11:59 AM

Cunard allowed this right up to September last year.

Posts: 283 | From: Inverness, Scotland | Registered: Nov 2000 | IP: Logged

Blizzard54
First Class Passenger
Member # 1824

posted 11-30-2002 07:43 PM

I remember that in the the 70's and early 80's anyone that had a Captain;s Circle card could tour any Princess ship that was in port. When we said the Nieuw Amsterdam out of Seattle in 1984 we were amble to bring several people onboard for a farewell party. As I recall it was not long after that when the practice ended in US ports.

At this time they do still have some funtions onboard for some groups. It is common to have T/A's come onboard while ships are in port. Also in May of 2001 when the Radiance was in Seattle, The Chamber of Comerce had a breakfast on the ship. They accually got onboard before the ship was cleared for passengers to get off.

John

ps I miss the streamers as well...

Posts: 118 | From: Seattle,WA | Registered: Feb 2001 | IP: Logged

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