MV REGAL EMPRESS History and Tour on MaritimeMatters
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All text and photographs copyright Peter Knego 2008 unless otherwise noted. Note: click on image to view a larger version.
Finalized: February 2, 2009
January 23, 2009
REGAL EMPRESS cuts through a calm Bahamian sea.
I make it a point to return to Imperial Majesty Cruises grand little REGAL EMPRESS every year for a 48 hour “savor-fest” of her now one-of-a-kind vintage features. At best, she has a few months to go before SOLAS 2010 puts a final coda on her long and varied career, which began in 1953 for now defunct Greek Line’s transatlantic liner and off-season cruise service (click here for the MV REGAL EMPRESS History and Tour on MaritimeMatters).
Since my most recent cruise in the ship last March , she has made headlines twice. First, in October for a charter to FEMA housing Hurricane Ike relief workers at Galveston, TX, and then in December when an eight night “Yes, We Can!” charter cruise to Baltimore was announced for people interested in attending President Obama’s inauguration on January 20.
As it turned out, the Obama charter fell through, freeing up the ship for her previously scheduled three night cruise on January 23, which tied in perfectly with my plans to visit Florida. I was particularly delighted to have that third day to explore and document all the nooks, crannies, and fixtures that make this ship so special.
And, before I go any further, I suppose I should insert my usual disclaimer so that people do not go on board this historic former ocean liner expecting swirling water slides, vertiginous rock climbing walls, shimmering glass verandahs, triple deck showrooms, eleven eateries, and the usual squared off, glittering modern cruise ship hardware. There are plenty of ships offering such things but only one with acres of gorgeously polished empire hardwoods, nickel light sconces, acid-etched glass, teak decks (installed long before teak was exploited into endangered status), gracious curves and decades of history that speak to the willing listener with every creak and rattle the REGAL EMPRESS emits. In exchange, an occasional faucet may dribble, then spatter, some passageways barely clear a tall man’s scalp (while others end as suddenly as they appear), and locating a rather spartan lower deck cabin may take a few attempts.
Totally random, non pariel paneling shot.
Fifty six in ship years is a very, very long time. At the equivalent of her age (112, perhaps? -- the two-to-one, ship-to-human age ratio is as good an estimate as any), we should all be so lucky to be in such condition, fully functioning and still doing what we were designed to do.
As the modest OLYMPIA, she shared the busy mid-1950s Manhattan passenger ship terminals with the likes of the LIBERTE, AMERICA, ANDREA DORIA, UNITED STATES, QUEEN ELIZABETH, ILE DE FRANCE, QUEEN MARY, SATURNIA, STATENDAM and dozens of other long since vanished ocean liners of the day. And when she returned as CARIBE I in the early 1980s, she was part of a cruise fleet that included the NORWAY, ROTTERDAM, MARDI GRAS, FESTIVALE, CARNIVALE, CARLA C, BRITANIS, THE VICTORIA, AMERIKANIS and many more that have all transitioned to the seas of ether.
Still with me? Then let’s head once more into the blue with the one and only REGAL EMPRESS. And maybe, just maybe, if the ship gods are kind and merciful, it will not be for the very last time, after all.
From taxi trunk to gangway, the boarding process was a svelte twenty minutes. Everyone at each stage (and some of the faces are beginning to look very familiar) was pleasant and welcoming. Upon entering the ship, a white-gloved staff member greeted my traveling companion, Rob Di Stefano and me and tried to lead us to our cabin, U109 on starboard Upper Deck. I only say “tried”, since we were a bouncy step ahead of him and very familiar with the surroundings.
Cabin U109, facing starboard.
U109 was one of the suites added late in OLYMPIA’s career when she was converted from part time transatlantic service to full-time one class cruising. Sporting pale wood-toned melamine paneling, it and the other cabins in this portion of the ship replaced the then redundant but utterly groovy Zebra Room. U109 is very spacious with a queen bed, separate sitting area, large brass-framed windows and loads of storage space. Adjacent to the Purser’s Office and forward stairtower, it would be a fine home for the next three nights.
Our usual “REGAL routine” consists of unpacking, then heading immediately up to La Trattoria on aft/starboard Promenade Deck for the lunch buffet offerings. It was especially nice on this sunny but moderate day to sit in a shaded booth adjacent to the pool bar and consume a bit of salad, barbequed chicken and the ship’s uniquely doughy sugar cookies with a cup of tea. But it was not long before the cameras began twitching, insisting on being freed to snap away at all the history and midcentury maritime features in our midst.
Port Sun Deck, facing aft.
This afternoon, I would focus on the outer decks and superstructure. Of course, since my first visit to the REGAL E, way back when she was CARIBE I in 1983, I have been on board for countless inspections and no less than seven cruises. I have thousands of images of the ship in my archives and yet am compelled to continue clicking away in every conceivable format.
CELEBRITY CONSTELLATION at Fort Lauderdale.
At 4:30 CELEBRITY CONSTELLATION pulled away from her berth, just as boat drill began. I lingered as long as possible to capture her imposing departure before heading to station seven on the starboard side, just in time for roll call.
REGAL EMPRESS and CELEBRITY CONSTELLATION outbound at Fort Lauderdale. Photo and copyright Bill Hoey 2009.
We were well underway when muster ended, so I crossed back to the port side in the shadow of the bridge wing, keeping the lifejacket tucked between my knees as REGAL EMPRESS sailed into the windy channel. Bill and Katy Hoey were among those gathered on the north shore balconies saluting as our ship responded with several gusty whistle blasts.
Commodore caprail.
ISLAND PRINCESS and NOORDAM were the next to be unleashed, entering the channel as we zig zagged on a southeasterly course to Nassau.
Horse racing by the pool.
The pool area was alive and kicking with revelers gathered for Happy Hour and the horse race. REGAL E began her gentle bobbing as the cool winds and seas picked up.
Outbound sternset.
NOORDAM nears.
I wandered the aft tiers for views of the sunset, then settled down at the fantail to watch as NOORDAM picked up speed off our port stern. I couldn’t help but think the larger ship had the better view.
Olympian Hallmark.
Olympian Hall/Caribbean Restaurant, facing aft.
Olympic sconce.
At 7:15, we were at our “usual” table, number one, at the aft/port entrance to the Caribbean Restaurant, which has changed little, save for the chairs and some additional chandeliers, since its original incarnation as OLYMPIA’s tourist class Olympian Hall. There is no space afloat that rivals its vintage charm and absolutely stunning maple paneling, which literally glows in the starry luminescence of the nickel wall sconces along its perimeter.
Gazpacho.
Selwin, Rob Di Stefano and the pepper mill.
Our Goanese waiter, Selwyn and assistant waiter, Eliecer, brought a delicious assortment of courses, from the goat cheese and filo dough appetizer to the spicy gazpacho soup (billed as creamy tomato) and a salad to the catch of the day (a buttery, lemon and caper-drenched sea bass). It was another dinner on REGAL EMPRESS to best anything offered on her mass market competition, even before considering the added glory of the honey-hued woodwork, polished nickel, paintings and marquetry.
High calor-e-onic.
Dinner ended with one of the ship’s fantastically flaky Napoleons.
The red-eye flight from California meant no post dinner social life or show in deference to a much-needed night of long sleep.
January 24, 2009
A wing, some clouds and a prayer.
At 7:15, I was up and out to forward Sun Deck to watch as REGAL EMPRESS motored past the lighthouse and into Nassau harbor. At the far end of the terminal complex, NCL’s NORWEGIAN SKY shared the outer quay with the COSTA FORTUNA.
Pirouetting before the NORWEGIAN SKY and COSTA FORTUNA on a sunny Nassau morning.
REGAL EMPRESS spun slowly around and backed in to the terminal adjacent to the Front Street shopping area. Once we had berthed, I grabbed a cup of tea and some eggs from the buffet. Another REGAL EMPRESS fan, Eric Beeson, stopped by to visit for a few moments before heading off with his family to swim with the dolphins on one of the highly-promoted shore excursions.
Facing FORTUNA.
I returned to Sun Deck for a photo or two of the perfectly lit COSTA FORTUNA, then spotted an incoming Carnival FANTASY class ship. As I wanted some shots of REGAL E from across the basin, I raced over to the middle pier before the view was obscured.
CARNIVAL IMAGINATION nudges into Nassau.
The CARNIVAL IMAGINATION took the far side, after all, allowing me to document her arrival before snapping a leisurely series of clips and images of REGAL EMPRESS.
MV REGAL EMPRESS at Nassau.
Cruiser stern lines.
Bahamian bollard to bow.
Once back on board, I took advantage of the empty public spaces for yet another detailed docu-fest.
Time Passages: Midships Sun to Promenade Deck stairtower strata.
Aft Restaurant to A Deck stairtower.
The nickel railing in the stairtower connecting the aft lobby on Restaurant Deck to A Deck is exactly like that found on Elder Dempster Line’s RMMV AUREOL of 1951, a ship built by the same shipyard, Alexander Stephen and Sons, and in many ways a prototype of SS OLYMPIA.
OLYMPIA chair in the Casino.
A gathering of original OLYMPIA chairs surrounds the Texas Hold ‘Em table in the aft/port section of the Monte Carlo Casino.
Left to right: Ranito Sabino, Peter Knego, Shelley Smith. Photo by Rob Di Stefano.
This was my third time on board with Ranito, the ship’s housekeeper extraordinaire. He was just finishing up his 8:00 PM to 8:00 AM shift and stopped to visit in the Purser’s Lobby.
Main Deck gallery, facing aft.
I finished up most of the public rooms and captured the Caribbean Restaurant on HD before joining Rob for lunch, which included Chicken Stracciatella Soup, Greens With Feta Cheese, Chicken Cacciatore and a Cherry Strudel. An influx of passengers returning from their various shore excursions soon followed.
Reflections of REGAL E.
RCCL’s recently transfered MONARCH OF THE SEAS completed the Nassau line-up, taking the berth across from us. Rob and I ventured off in the early afternoon to visit Starbucks and attempt to post the beginning of this blog but the signal was out.
Nassau blogging.
We returned to the ship for tea and cookies on deck, then watched as COSTA FORTUNA sailed off in the twilight, followed swiftly by the NORWEGIAN SKY. As REGAL EMPRESS cast her lines, dinner was being served. Tonight, the courses would include fried mozzarella, chicken velouté soup and cheese ravioli. Afterwards, we headed to “Name That Tune” in the Grand Lounge, hosted by new Canadian cruise director, Jonathan, then the Behavin’ Bahamian Beach Party on deck before calling it a relatively early night.
January 25, 2009
REGAL EMPRESS Library, facing aft. Stitched photo by and copyright Bill Hoey 2009. Note: This one is worth clicking on!
On the usual two night REGAL EMPRESS cruises I’ve made in the past, at this point in the journey, I’d be up on Sun Deck watching our return to Fort Lauderdale. With the extra day, it would be a far more leisurely and enjoyable morning, beginning with a trek to the walnut paneled Library, which can be hired out for weddings and use as a conference room. Hard to decide what is more beautiful between the carved Greek Line medallions or the Ware painting of London on the forward bulkhead.
Walnut Library Greek Line crest.
REGAL EMPRESS Library, facing forward.
Grand Lounge blown glass windows.
Other little details called out for documentation, once more.
Homeward bow-nd.
REGAL EMPRESS navigation officers.
Aft from port wing.
Meanwhile, on the bridge, it was basically little more than “hove to” as the REGAL meandered in the calm seas, under a perfect, temperate, sunny sky. Off on our port side, we passed the Great Stirrup Cay out island where two large cruise ships were anchored.
Seventy two times around the Sun Deck equals 10.28571428571 miles.
Rob and I took advantage of the wrap-around teak promenade on Sun Deck to do some jogging. It was all undone by lunch and tea that afternoon.
MV REGAL EMPRESS over stern at sea.
Deck chairs were filled and a number of activities were held in the pool area, including a vegetable carving demonstration. This was much like leisurely cruising of days gone by on the last classic ship in American waters.
Cruising stern.
Lustrous lift.
’Tween davit sunset.
Nightfall came too quickly, but not before a magical sunset shone a flattering magenta light on all who gathered to watch. It was the perfect day to remember the REGAL EMPRESS by.
First class “fish marquet”.
Dinner, drinks with Eric and Tracy Beeson in the port recess of the Commodore Club, a bit of the show (tonight, it was a singer/impersonator who did a wicked Tom Jones’ “Delilah”), the Latin Party at the buffet and pool (where the ship’s singer covered some contemporary tunes), a linger under the Milky Way and various constellations on forward Sun Deck, and finally off to U109 for some sleep. Well, not quite just yet -- I almost forgot to document the beautiful marquetry bits in the former First Class dining room, now the officers’ dining room, on Restaurant Deck.
January 26, 2009
Crossing “CARIBEs”: MV DISCOVERY SUN from MV REGAL EMPRESS off Fort Lauderdale.
By the time I made it up to Sun Deck, the hotels and condos along the South Florida coast were well in view. In Fort Lauderdale, there were three large white ships in port. I knew one of them was Regent’s SEVEN SEAS MARINER as she was our next destination. As we got closer, I could see the others were Regent’s SEVEN SEAS NAVIGATOR and Residensea’s floating condo, THE WORLD. Meanwhile, a plume of orange-ish smoke in the channel belonged to none other than Discovery Cruises’ Freeport-bound DISCOVERY SUN. She and REGAL EMPRESS shared common ancestry in that they each sailed for Commodore Cruise Lines as the CARIBE. DISCOVERY SUN and REGAL EMPRESS exchanged whistle salutes shortly after we picked up the pilot.
Residensea’s THE WORLD at Ft. Lauderdale.
Fourteen Seas: MV SEVEN SEAS MARINER plus MV SEVEN SEAS NAVIGATOR at Fort Lauderdale.
From Sun Deck, I could hear as Captain Stavros Kontas and the pilot maneuvered REGAL EMPRESS to her berth. The captain was also master of OCEANBREEZE (ex SOUTHERN CROSS, CALYPSO I) and very proud of his current former Greek flagship.
Watching you watching me on the REGAL E. Photo by and copyright Bill Hoey 2009.
I positioned myself on the starboard side with video camera propped atop the searchlight, hoping to capture the Hoeys on their balcony as they apparently were doing the same in reverse.
Alas, it was time to wrap up yet another REGAL EMPRESS cruise, one filled with yet more happy sea trekking memories.
Special Thanks: Martin Cox, Rob Di Stefano, Captain Stavros Kontas, Glenn Ryerson, Ranito Sabino, Shelley Smith
END
