The Canberra

[happy daze john in oz]

Seems I have to justify myself to others regarding previous Posts .As regards Free Speech .Yes . Drivel No!

Well what can I say, that is your opinion and whilst I may not agree I will defend your right to have your say. However I find your loquatious verbosity useless, futile and tiresome, doing nothing for the intelect of the conversation. Any comments I have made, or will make in the future are based on either personal experiences, or information gleaned from a reliable source. As such any comments are not, and cannot be deemed derogatary. But if we are to be factual in all our comments then I must advise that I was not an engineer steward, rather an officers steward tending to the needs of deck, engine, radio, electrical and refrigeration officers.
I conclude from your comments regarding the bridge that you were part of the deck department, an integeral and important part of any ship, be it cargo or passenger. As to Port Melbourne, that has changed greatly since Thursday July 11th 1964 when first I saw it. No doubt you are aware of the changes made over the years, such as the removal of the mission to seamen, the reinvigoration of Princes Pier, and the rebuiding of the area.
We are all entitled to our opinions on any matter, it is just that we see and interperate situations in a different way.

[Captain Kong]

Hi Collin, I wasnt sugesting that your friends had poor taste. All I said was from whatI had heard P&O wasnt for me.
P&OAustralia , like John says, does have a very poor reputation, they are more for the younger and wilder type of customer. . P&O UK does have a good reputation, but there are differences between them and Cunard.
For example it is what people preferr, I believe in P&O there is open dining, you can sit anywhere in a restaurant or sometimes at peak periods you have to wait for a table. In Cunard you are assigned a table of your choice and with people of your choice. and that table and dining time is yours for the voyage.
Cunard is more formal, the wearing of dinner suits etc every night. A lot of people do not like to be formal, they preferr casual. That is their choice, it is their holiday.
I preferr Formal, and to be able to sit at my table talking to my companions over a bottle of wine after the meal, without the steward moving me on because someone else is waiting for a table. It is all about whatever suits you. You are paying for what you preferr.
Cheers
Brian.

[happy daze john in oz]

That Brian is what it is all about, the choice of the individual as to what they require from a holliday. There is nothing wrong with P&O Australia appealing to a certian type of client, who well may re-book having had a good experience that satisfied their requirements. But the requirements of individuals is as I said a very personal choice. You are happy with an inboard cabin, I prefer an ocean view. Fine dinning suits me where i can if I choose sit and talk lng after the meal is over. Choice is the issue here, and choice is often based on previous experiences or the advice of trusted others.

[Graham Lewis (2)]

Hi all you devotees of the Canberra, she has recently undergone a multi million pound refit

and is now a cruise ship for CMV, renamed COLUMBUS. I and my wife are taking a Baltic cruise aboard in July 2017

Rgds Graham Lewis

Ps In previous I mixed dates and destinations.We are going to the Baltic this year on the Magellan, and to Iceland and the Northern Isles next year on the Columbus, .A senior moment!!

I can, however remember my first ship to sea in 1954,! it was the REGENT SPRINGBOK, a tanker of C T Bowering

[Doc Vernon]

Enjoy the Trip Graham
Will I am sure bring back some Sea memories to you!
Cheers

[Gulliver]

Hi all you devotees of the Canberra, she has recently undergone a multi million pound refit

and is now a cruise ship for CMV, renamed COLUMBUS. I and my wife are taking a Baltic cruise aboard in July 2017

Rgds Graham Lewis

Hello Graham,you really puzzled me for a minute or two there,as the Canberra was broken up at Gadani Beach in October 1997 ! I think there's even a video of the event in the Gallery.So Columbus is not the ex P & O Canberra of 1961 which many knew and loved . Your Columbus is the 1998 vessel R-One built for Renaissance Cruises,becoming Insignia in 2004,then 2012 Columbus 2, then 2014 Insignia again,then presumably Columbus again after refit in 2015/6.

COLUMBUS 2.jpg

Gulliver

[Peter F Chard]

During one of her calls at Hong Kong I visited a very good friend of mine since primary school days, the Chief Engineer, Geoff Connolly. I was with China Navigation at that time and my ship was in port during that visit. We had had a fair amount of the brown stuff and it was getting near to sailing time so Geoff called his steward and told him to make sure he was given fair warning of " Standby for sailing " so that I could get ashore. We continued drinking the brown stuff and then all of a sudden I realized that the ship was moving ! We raced up to the deck and sure enough we were at sea and the Pilot was just about to disembark into the Pilot boat - I actually fell down that gangway and landed upside down in the Pilot boat to the surprise of the Pilot, crew and skipper of the pilot launch. I just walked ashore at the Pilot station, walked out to the street and hailed a taxi to take me back to my ship !!! No security or immigration bull like today. In passing my youngest brother was Frig engineer for two years on her and always said that they were the happiest days of his time at sea. Regards Peter in NZ.