Titillating over Viking Cruises – Page 2 – River Talk & Cruises

Judy Patsch · 2015-03-24T17:18:23Z

Our Davenport officials are so excited about landing shore stops on the future Viking Cruises. But something really jumped out at me in today's article in the Quad City Times: their senior VP of sales was quoted: "It's not about being on the vessel, it's when you get off the vessel." Viking River Cruises picks Davenport I wrote a letter to the editor, whether or not it gets printed, here it is: In today's article about Viking Cruises, their senior VP of sales was quoted: "It's not about being on the vessel, it's when you get off the vessel."Fortunately for those of us for whom it IS about being on the vessel and cruising on the river, as I write this our beloved venerable Steamer DELTA QUEEN is enroute to New Orleans to undergo restoration for a return to cruising on the Mississippi River system. Her return is dependent upon receiving another Congressional exemption to a 1966 Safety at Sea law meant for oceangoing vessels, but once that exemption is obtained, it will be full steam ahead for her new owners in preparing her to ply our waters again, and yes, to stop in towns along the way as a part, not the main object, of her trip. Her passengers have been spending money here during her QuadCities' stops ever since her first trip here in 1954, and will again if Congress acts this session. So congrats Davenport on Viking, but don't forget your longtime friend the DQ. Congrats to us steamboat and river fans, as one of our treasures is a step closer to sharing the cacaphony of her calliope and the soothing slap of her paddlewheel with us again. LONG LIVE THE DELTA QUEEN!

14/07/2015 3:17 pm

Past Ships

Hi Jim - In reply to you question. I started out on the "FRANCE" for the French Line. No idea about the tonnage but she carried 1500 pax. I only worked the NY Caribbean Cruises but it got my foot in the door. Then Incres Line on the M/S Victoria with 800 pax sailing out of everywhere are going everywhere. No two cruises were the same from the Black Sea to up the St. Lawrence to Quebec. Then a time with Norwegian Cruises working aboard the Starward, the Seaward, Sunward (my old joke, we're coming out with a new ship called the Backward). All these ships carried about 1500 pax and once I was flown to Germany where they were built to dead head them back and get the social/entertainment activities ready to go.I then worked for Princess Cruises, then to DQSC (Betty Blake hired me through my New York Agent) Then after a Vic Tooker debacle where he told Betty I had quit after a winter lay up, I went back to blue water for Carnival Cruises aboard the Carnivale 2,000 pax - the old Queen Anna Maria of Denmark. Activities - exactly as on the DQ. I have saved old daily programs and there are the bingo's, the navigation/tour talks, the games and quizzes etc. My favorite of all these lines, The DQSC. People didn't throw up during bingo anymore. lol. Actually I loved being home in the USA and being able to have a view other than water.