Caronia
Steamship Historical Society Luncheon & Tour
August 23, 2001
by
Armand Mantia
Today my local chapter of the
Steamship Historical Society was invited for a tour and luncheon
onboard the Caronia of Cunard Line. As a very infrequent visitor to
New York, the opportunity to visit this elegant, classy lady could not
be refused.
By way of brief background, the
Caronia was originally built as Vistafjord for the late, lamented
Norwegian-America Line. While she always lived in the shadow of her
older and slightly more beautiful fleetmate Sagafjord, she quickly
gained a reputation as one of the finest ships at sea; a truly refined
travel experience for those accustomed to only the best. Once NAL was
purchased by Cunard, many feared for her reputation, but those fears
were unfounded as Cunard actually improved an already superb product.
Recently refitted, reflagged and
renamed Caronia, this ship still has much to offer the refined traveler
in spite of the newer, and flashier, entries into the ultra-luxury
market.
Her classic exterior, with long
sweeping lines and pronounced forward sheer looks even better in her
new full Cunard livery of dark blue hull, white upperworks and orange
and black funnel. They simply don't build ships like this anymore.
Exterior and interior maintenance were excellent. The hull showed no
signs of rust and the public rooms were spotless.
After being welcomed onboard, we were
taken on a tour of the public rooms. The first impression is one of
quiet, understated elegance. As Vistafjord, her interiors were usually
in blond Scandinavian wood, with complimenting fabrics. With the
latest refit, her palette has become darker and richer, sort of an
English gentlemen's club gone to sea.
The principal public rooms are
located on the Verandah Deck and include the Garden Lounge. Located
overlooking the bow, this is perhaps the most ideal room at sea for
the classic white-gloved formal tea served here daily. It is bright
and airy and would be a wonderful venue to spend hours with a book
watching the world go by. The White Star Bar, located just aft,
reminded many of the now gone Ocean Bar of Rotterdam V. It is a very
masculine, formal room, definitely not a "pub." A full
theater is quite comfortable, done in shades of gray.
The Ballroom is the largest room
onboard and, while it cannot possibly compare with the show lounges on
board newbuildings, it is still a nice spot for the scaled-down
production shows and less formal afternoon tea served here. The
ceiling treatment is still the original Vistafjord decoration
Promenade Deck houses the Piccadilly
Club, the small late night venue/disco. It is somewhat tiny, but to be
perfectly honest, given the average age of a Caronia passenger, is
most likely more than adequate. It also has the entrance to the Tivoli
Restaurant, the Italian themed alternative dining area. Containing
seating for only 25, reservations are available to all passengers for
only one visit per cruise.
As the ship was getting ready to
embark passengers for a Newfoundland/Labrador Cruise, many of the
staterooms were in the process of being serviced, and therefore were
open to inspection. Our guide, Russel, a member of the entertainment
staff, was quite aware of the make up of his group and our very
special interest in the ship. He made it a point to bring us to the
"high rent district' before those cabins were closed. Simply put,
it would be very, very easy to become extremely comfortable on the
Caronia. A particular treat was viewing either the Franconia or
Carmania duplex suite. WOW! These two duplex suites are fabulous. A
more than adequate sleeping area, with full bath and large private
balcony is located on Bridge Deck. Going up your private spiral
staircase, you come to the living area containing full entertainment
center, beautiful wet bar, private work-out room and personal sauna. A
second private balcony also includes your own private hot-tub. It's
nice to be the king!
Standard inside and outside doubles
and singles are well designed and appointed. However, there is a wide
variation in sizes and configurations, so a travel agent who is familiar
with this ship would be invaluable in choosing your cabin. There are
two cabins on Promenade Deck worth noting. (Get your deck plans out)
#171 used to be the dance studio during the very early Vistafjord
days, and has a very strange shape. Immediately aft, is #173. I don't
know what it used to be, but it is the only cabin I have ever seen
where the bathroom is actually down a small, steep flight of steps. A
rush call after a big night, or in heavy seas could prove to be
deadly!<G>
The biggest disappointment is the
Franconia Dining Room. Those familiar with the Sagafjord dining room
remember what a glorious space that two deck high stunner with
"grande decent" staircase was. Vistafjord was given no such
extravagant treatment, and the low ceiling of the single deck room
makes it slightly claustrophobic. However, the superb cuisine we
shared more than made up for the rooms shortcomings. Would that more
ships could serve this quality of food.
My overall experience of this short
visit was that the Caronia is a superb example of what high end
cruising should be. She cannot possibly compare in the bells and
whistles department with newer tonnage, even in her own category,
which includes Crystal, Silverseas and Radisson. She shows her age in
her design and layout, but she wears it well like any gracious lady
should. She is a real ship, not a floating Las Vegas and will appeal
to anyone who wants an elegant experience in traditional surroundings.
Once the Queen Mary 2 comes into
service, Caronia's future is not assured. There are strong rumors that
Cunard plans on disposing of her rather than spend money on another
refit for the upcoming new SOLAS laws.
Copyright ©
2001 Armand Mantia
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