End of a long saga

I was very sad to learn that Saga Ruby will be leaving their fleet in 2014.

I have never sailed with Saga but my first ever cruise, way back in 1977, was with my parents on Vistafjord as Saga Ruby was called at her launch. She was then a newish and very stylish liner in Norwegian America Line's fleet of two (with Sagafjord). 

Our cruise to the Baltic kick-started my love of cruise ships and cruising. My favourite memory is of sitting on deck on a lounger and being tucked up in a wool blanket (woven with NAL lettering) by the deck stewards and being brought mugs of steaming bouillon. It could have been 1877 rather than 1977. This must have been on our second cruise on her to Spitzbergen and Norway, since we had temperatures in the 90s in the Baltic!  

I didn't cruise for many years after that, but when I was able to start travelling again, I chose to sail on Caronia - as Vistafjord was then named. She was then sailing under Cunard colours. This was an amazing experience - a one-class cruise ship, but Grill-Class throughout.  I was seated on the staff-captain's table and the service was amazing - place-cards at table every night so we all got to rotate around the table and talk to each other. In Cadiz the most spectacular Flamenco dance troupe came on board to perform. It was on Caronia that I first sailed into Venice, standing on the proper wrap-around promenade deck under the bridge as the mists cleared to reveal this Medieval masterpeice. In Dubrovnik, the scars of the then recent war were still evident. From the top of the Rock in Gibraltar, the red funnel of this tiny 26,000 ship was barely visible, even on a bright autumn day. 

Caronia at Venice

As Sir Hugh Casson once said, "Ships alone invite and receive an affection that is almost personal in its intensity.’ Why is this?  Why do tears well up in my eyes at moments such as the QE2 leaving the UK for the last time?  They are only large chunks of metal after all, but perhaps the throb of the engines is like a beating heart, as they carry people to places they may have only previously dreamed of seeing.

P&O 175 Grand Event

At last, the culmination to all the preparations, including our book.
It was long and exhausting but worth every minute, despite the horrible weather!

Andrew was picking me up at 3.20am so I had set the alarm for 2.45, but woke up at 2.30 so got up anyway! Hardly worth going to bed really, but surprisingly I had slept! We drove to the Holiday Inn by Dock Gate 8 to pick up a couple of his friends who were going on GA cruises and had booked the same 4.30am Red Funnel excursion to see the ships sail in. As we were taking the car on board, we had to be there by 4am. We joined the line of cars and waited, and waited , and waited...while lorries boarded a regular sailing and the Red Eagle had to stand off till this one departed. Then we realised the reason for further delays as instead of parking the cars on board in straight lines, they were making every one perform a u-turn and park facing the way we drove on!. Meanwhile, three of the ships had arrived and berthed! Officially Andrew and I were on board to sign books, but we were hoping to get a lot of photos as well, despite the fog, mist, rain and general gloom! In fact, between dashing up to watch and photograph the vessels, and spending half an hour on the bridge chatting and photographing, we sold/signed 26 copies that morning.

Arcadia arriving at dawn

The last of the seven ships arrive.

When we got back at 7.30am, we drove off, took Andrew's friends back to their hotel and set off with cameras etc to get the ships from port. After a quick breakfast in M&S, and some more photography, A went off to the container port, with the intention of climbing a crane for more piccies (although the fog put paid to that) and I spent a bit longer round Mayflower Park etc, before getting the Hythe ferry back to Caryll's. I was hoping to have a break and a rest there, but Radio Solent decided they want to record an interview with me in their studio at 1pm, so........back to the Hythe Ferry. Hythe Town and waterfront is normally (in my experience) a quiet village-like area but today it was heaving. Not only were there coachfuls of visitors but it was market day, and the ferry had given up running a timetable and was sailing when full (the pier train was making two trips per ferry-load instead of the usual one). This meant I was late arriving at Town Quay to get the free City Link bus to close to the studio. I made it just about for 1pm and we recorded a very short interview about P&O, the book and cruising in general (all the media people seemed to be playing up the possible drop in numbers after Costa Concordia!).


Now, I was stuck with two and a bit hours to spare, not long enough to get back to Hythe and back again for the 4pm Red Funnel sailing. I was also lugging round a heavy bag full of photography equipment! Lunch in M&S I thought. Then back to Mayflower Park in case the visibility was any better... then a long wait at the passenger boarding entrance to the Red Funnel ferry. The weather again closed in and as we were updated on the Red Arrows appearance on - off - on - off) we also had an announcement that the harbour master didn't want us going up into the main docks to see Adonia swing and start the procession, due to poor visibility. So we floated about opposite Hythe Pier for a bit until the ships started to loom through the mist. It wasn't total and constant obscurity, There were periods of brightness thank goodness and we were able to see the fireworks, but could only listen to the wonderful sounds of the ship's hooters as they all passed each other. All around were hundreds of small vessels including a pretty Thames Sailing Barge. The first event ship out was HMS Dragon and THV Patricia with the Princess Royal on board. She was going to take the salute at Spithead. Adonia led the procession of P&O cruise ships out, followed by Ventura, Arcadia, Oriana, Aurora, Azura and Oceana. We stayed in position for a bit to see each ship up close on our port beam. As Azura began to leave the Ocean Terminal we speeded up to the head of the procession again and up to Calshot, taking position off Cowes to hear the ships each receive a gun salute from the Royal Yacht Squadron.

Out of the shelter of Southampton Water the wind was greater and it was raining and very cold, although the visibility was hugely improved. By now I was physically shaking with cold and wet! But no-way was I going to miss the next bit - the salute. As they rounded the Brambles bank, the ships took different courses to split into two ranks and pass Patricia alternately port and starboard. It was a moving and fabulous sight and I will confess to a lump in the throat. Just before Oceana (the final ship) arrived I was called in to sign books, and didn't make it out again, although truth be told, I was so cold and achy by then I didn't mind any more. We sailed up as far at Portsmouth, getting a wonderful close-up to Patricia as she was heading there to offload her passengers. People poured back inside Red Eagle to warm up and get dry. There was a very good live band on board as well as a barbeque on the car deck - a real celebratory atmosphere. After initial disappointment that the event might be a wash-out, it turned out to be a memorable and once-in-a-lifetime event, that I would not have missed for anything. I seem to have taken some 700 photos, so in due course will edit and post them - so watch this space