This time we take a look at the Thomson Spirit cruise ship as seen from an onboard point of view. She was built and launched in 1982, then in the final stages of fitting out in 1983, suffered a fire which destroyed her main switchboard. However she was delivered to her new owners, the Holland American Line in 1983, sailing under the name of Nieuw Amsterdam. She was one of two identical ships. The other, originally named Noordam also joined Holland American Line and would later transfer to Thomson as the Thomson Celebration.
Taken from the Promenade Deck this overlooks the bows and shows why cruise ships do not allow passengers to access these areas. Any one of these heavy machines and winches, designed for raising and lowering anchors or letting out and bringing back heavy cables are quite capable of chewing you up and otherwise doing you a serious mischief. Better to forget the recreation of the Titannic scene and come home with all your bits still attached!
The Promenade Deck prior to sailing from a port where the Spirit has had to anchor offshore and use tender boats to ferry people between the ship and shore. Watching the boats being winched back up is always popular and brings the added touch of excitement knowing that departure will shortly follow.
Whilst you cannot stand at the ship's rail at the bows, the Promenade Deck does go right round the front of the ship behind the bow area though once the ship is moving this can be a very windy place. Even with no wind at all, the ship will be pushing into the air at upto 30 miles per hour which will feel like a gale as your hair whips you in the face... so I'm told...
The Promenade Deck during a touch of wet weather in the Norwegian fjords in 2003. After a short spell sailing for United States Lines as MS Patriot in 2000-2002, she was chartered to Louis Cruise Line who sub-chartered her to Thomson and she became Thomson Spirit.
Inclement weather doesn't normally put people off from coming out to watch the mountains and waterfalls of Norway glide by, but this was very early in the morning, probably only around 7:00am and we were heading in towards Flam.
Coming out again later that day a few fellow passengers had joined us but the rain, alas, had stayed all day.
Even the Lido Deck, usually crowded with sunbathers, folks taking food out to eat al fresco from the Lido buffet restaurant, and sightseers hanging over the rail at the stern, was deserted as the rain stained the decking a dark brown.
At night the Promenade Deck is illuminated. People onboard ships are the same mix of sensible and idiotic, happy and depressed, early risers and night owls, sober and drunk, as you would find anywhere in life and a ship out at sea can be a dangerous place for some of those. As much of the public areas as possible will be monitored. If someone goes overboard their chances are slim enough even if they are seen to fall and it is reported straight away. Cruise ships can travel quite fast - 27 knots is over 30 miles per hour - and their turning capability at those speeds is not good.
At the stern of the ship balconies extend out over the Lido Deck and on warm dry nights it is a very nice spot to relax at a cosy table with a glass of wine and a lovely lady - Oh! Sorry! I thought you were my wife! Ah!, there you are, love, yes... funny that wasn't it [gulp]..."
The Lido Deck by daylight. We are now in Stavanger. No, it doesn't always rain in Norway. Just when we are there....
Sometimes the weather will surprise you when you expect it to be a bit wet and rough. The Lido Deck in the middle of the North Sea. The stage area is under a semisphere of canvas - one of the ways you can tell it's the Spirit as the Celebration had a more rectangular stage covering.
Entertaining the assembled people who didn't fall overboard last night are the singing group from the Horizons cabaret bar, Edgar, Ronaldo and Cesar - New Dimensions.
On a sunny day the Lido Deck is where you will find all manner of jolly japes. Competitions, quizzes, and here a demonstration of ice carving. What will it be I wonder?
Apparently it's a turkey... It drips for a while then is carted off to the freezers and will be brought out again that evening as a centrepiece at the entrance to the restaurant.
For the more nimble-fingered staff, or perhaps for those who just have smaller tools, fruit and vegetables come under the influence of sharp objects on another day.
If you want to leave off reading the rest of this article in order to grab some cauliflower out of the freezer and have a go yourself, I will understand!
In the Lido buffet even bread gets shaped into all sorts of surprising shapes!
And I haven't even got around to showing towel folding yet!
The main Reception desk was down on Deck 4 opposite the entrance to the Compass Rose Restaurant.
This was the more formal restaurant and we tended to use it most nights, whilst using the Lido buffet for lunchtimes and sometimes for breakfasts.
Once a week there would be the Parade of the Baked Alaska. This one even had Elvis involved!
By the way - have I mentioned towel folding yet?
Onboard shopping. The ship's shops were shut to shopping until shipping time.
You could buy towels but had to fold them yourself...
Raffles Bar was the piano bar and corresponded to the Explorer's Lounge on the Celebration.
Our favourite daytime snoozing area and evening relaxing area was Horizons Bar. Exactly as on the Celebration but without the added joy of our friends Tom and Maris singing for us every night.
Instead we had New Dimensions, who were very good. Their style was more relaxed with plenty of ballads. As I got to know them I would walk into Horizons and nod to them and say "Rock and Roll night, tonight, lads?" which always brought a smile and then one night they launched into Blue Suede Shoes as I walked in and I got down on my knees to salaam them! I used to be able to do that, secure in the knowledge I could get up again then...
And finally here's a shot of our cabin 080 on one of the two trips we took on the Spirit.
Gosh, I almost forgot to mention the towel folding!
