Thu Sep 2nd Bermuda: A quiet, very restful day – lots of reading in a shady corner – then specially prepared Steak Tartar (by Roland, a longtime Austrian chef turned restaurant manager here on Crystal) for dinner, then a gala, high-spirited show (at 9 and themed to Broadway musicals) and finally the full band playing up on deck, under the stars & as we sail from Bermuda. Then out into the dark abyss!
Below: Bermuda is famous for its crystal clear, turquoise-blue waters … today, Michael found a small, rock-lined hideaway not too far from the ship itself for some quiet time, reading & swimming …
Our friend Allan Davidson, a local Bermudian & former officer with the Furness-Bermuda Line, took this photo (above) of the Crystal Symphony by night
Fri Sep 3rd at sea: Sound the trumpets, well softly – he doesn’t like personal celebrations. Today is Michael’s birthday and, quietly, we go off to Prego, the ship’s Italian grill, for a celebratory supper. A delicious 5 courses!
Crystal is noted for its lecture program – absolutely one of the very best on all the seas: authors, astronomers, movie stars, economists, political analysts and even experts telling us how to live longer & live better. Myself, in 100 trips on Crystal (since Aug 1990), I’ve sailed with & enjoyed listening to countless celebrity speakers: Walter Cronkite & Barbara Walters, Debbie Reynolds & Jane Russell, Marvin Hamlish & Dionne Warwick, Anne Jeffreys & Marion Ross, Art Linkletter & Hugh Downs, Dr Ruth & Rex Reed. This trip, we have two splendid speakers: General Anthony Zinni (below), with a huge military & US Government history and holder of no less than three PhDs; and Dr Alec Murphy, a well regarded geographer. Both present their talks with that great added ingredient: passion for their subject. (PS: Alec Murphy discover today that we actually sailed together some 40 years ago, on the Polish liner Stefan Batory (in Sep 1981), traveling from London to Montreal.)
Otherwise, smooth, glass-like seas as we head north to Boston.
Fluffy towels, a shaded chair, a smiling steward delivers a tall glass of iced tea …
Michael likes Hendrik’s gin for a pre-dinner drink!
Tue Aug 31st Bermuda: Knives & forks!The food onboard is nothing short of superb – and of course wickedly appealing. Tonight after a dinner of Caesar Salad, Boston clam chowder and grilled, well seasoned prawns, three of the many dessert offerings (in Waterside, the ship’s main restaurant) included a Vanilla Tart with Chocolate Flavors, French Apple Tart a la Mode and something called Dream of Raspberry Trifle. (PS: Behind the scenes, that small army of Austrian chefs & bakers are always thoughtful – no portion is too big, too overwhelming. And the presentation is usually on very large plates or canyon-style bowls. But then, with little more than a yum-yum and even a slight smile, the waiter will deliver a 2nd helping! Yes, it can all be downward in deep decay.)
Elegant, beyond thoughtful and almost royally poised at 6 ½ feet in height, Dragan (from Serbia) has been a most splendid server! He has been with Crystal Cruises for 21 years.
Wed Sep 1st Bermuda: We have only 175 passengers aboard (950 is normally top capacity) – so with over 400 crew, the ratio is roughly 2-to-1. A half-dozen waiters crowded round us at lunch and, at dinner, it was three servers & a wine stewardess. A longtime Crystal regular later noted, “The entire ship is like a big yacht. In your lectures, you used to say that on Crystal they all but chew the meat for you! Well, now, they just about swallow it for you as well! Can it get more pampered!” And a lady on her very first Crystal voyage noted: “This is spectacular! I think I really am onboard one of the ‘floating palaces’ you talk about in your lectures.”
Now quite rare – a quartet of those red British phone boxes!
Hear ye, hear ye – Crystal’s back in town!
Berthed in the Dockyard, the former Royal Navy base here in still very British Bermuda, and then ashore for a café lunch with Stephen Card, a dear friend of some 40 years & of course the celebrated, very gifted, quite brilliant maritime artist. His glorious paintings have been covers for many of my books. But time has passed indeed – I still remember having dinner with Stephen here in Bermuda nearly 35 years ago, in June 1988, on a cruise visit, but then on Royal Caribbean’s Nordic Prince. Just two years ago, Stephen came aboard the Viking Sea for another happy dinner (but then docked in Hamilton).
Exotica! Tonight, we dine in Umi Uma, the ship’s superb Asian grill. Umi Uma (which means “seahorse” in Japanese and the symbol of Crystal Cruises) and which offers legendary Nobu’s fusion cuisine Japanese/Asian/Latin American. Alone, there are 35 varieties of sushi. But my choices are much more moderate: Shrimp Tempura (with Nobu’s Dipping Sauce), then Soft Shell Crab Spring Rolls (with Nanban Salsa) followed by Filet of Wagyu Beef (with grilled onions & asparagus and coupled with 3 sauces accompanied by steamed Japanese vegetables & brown rice) and finished off with Vanilla & Coconut Tapioca Soup (really a cross between pudding & ice cream and served with green tea ice cream). The setting alone is stunning, the food & service flawless. (PS: Remember that Crystal Cruises itself was Japanese owned until several years ago, but now comes under the umbrella of the Genting Hong Kong Group, the huge casino, hotel & travel operator.)
Often redecorated & restyled, Umi Uma began on the Company’s first ship, the Crystal Harmony (back in 1990), as Kyoto (and when guests were given ivory chopsticks) and then became Jade Garden and finally Silk Road. It is quite divine & has always been a very “hot ticket” on Crystal ships.
Overnight in beautiful Bermuda … shoreside lights, the ship itself aglow, a few thousand stars overhead & so pleasant dreams!
27 August 2021 — San Francisco: Artists have danced, sung, entertained and enlivened San Francisco outdoor public spaces as part of the popular SFWednesdays (www.sfwednesdays.com) series of FREE public performances this summer in some of the City’s most iconic outdoor public spaces. The series continues this Wednesday, September 1 (12pm – 2pm) in three simultaneous offerings at Union Square, Embarcadero Plaza and Mint Plaza.
The series of free live events is designed to reactivate downtown public spaces and reconnect San Franciscans and visitors with the city streetscape. In an effort to support the economic recovery of the cultural and business community, the program employs local artists performing in popular venues where retail and hospitality naturally mix with day-to-day workers. Sites such as Union Square, Embarcadero Plaza, Mint Plaza and Mechanics Monument Plaza will feature music, dance and other live performances as San Francisco renews and recovers. Attendees are encouraged to share their experiences online via social media with the hashtag #sfwednesdays
The schedule for the final five performances follows:
September 1
Union Square – Junior Reggae (12pm – 2pm)
Embarcadero Plaza – Alafia Dance Ensemble (12pm – 2pm)
Mint Plaza – The Pleasure Palace (12pm – 2pm)
September 15
Union Square – Kally Price Old Blues & Jazz Band (12pm – 2pm)
Embarcadero Plaza – InSyncKathak Dance School (12pm – 2pm)
Mint Plaza – Rob Reich Trio (12pm – 2pm)
September 29
Union Square – Golden Gate Tango Ensemble (12pm – 2pm)
Embarcadero Plaza – Arenas Dance (12pm – 2pm)
Mint Plaza – King Dream (12pm – 2pm)
October 6
Union Square – Del Sol Quartet & The Last Hoisan Poets(12pm – 2pm)
Embarcadero Plaza – The Lost Shapes (12pm – 2pm)
Mechanics Monument Plaza – Surplus 1980 (12pm – 2pm)
October 20
Mint Plaza – DJ Christine Chung (12pm – 2pm)
Embarcadero/ Bocce Court Entrance– DJ Patrick Diaz (12pm – 2pm)
Mechanics Monument Plaza – jxtheo with Boondock Squad (12pm – 2pm)
media contact: DP&A, Inc/ David Perry (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com
Weekly Jazz, “Jump”, Jane Monheit, “The Judy Show!”, Gyrations of Elvis & “Liberace & Miss Peggy Lee Coming Out of COVID” Kick off Return of Michael Holmes’ Purple Room in September
Iconic Palm Springs Cabaret & Supper Club To Require Proof of COVID Vaccination for All Guests and Employees
Labor Day Weekend Features Open Dining with Mark Kahny’s Live Jazz Combo
25 August 2021 – Palm Springs, CA: Last month, when Michael Holmes announced that Palm Springs’ iconic Purple Room would reopen on August 31 for the first time since COVID turned off the footlights, the result was immediate, heart-warming and challenging.
“The phones haven’t stopped ringing and the emails haven’t stopped,” said Holmes, who has been working overtime to get the venue up and entertaining post pandemic. “Running a supper club is the most gratifyingly exhausting experience during the best of times. With the ‘Delta Surge’, this is the most challenging of times. But, Labor Day, we’ll be ready.”
On Tuesday, August 31, the Purple Room will reopen with its usual format: Jazz and Blues focus on Tuesdays with Rose Mallett. Wednesdays swing with Michael Holmes and Darci Daniels and their music of the Rat Pack era. Jazz, Broadway and ‘60s pop takes the stage Thursdays with Sharon Sills. For Labor Day Weekend — Friday, Saturday and Sunday, September 3, 4 & 5, the great live jazz combo led by Mark Kahny will feature some of the area’s favorite singers. Also, for the first weekend, open dining — with reservations suggested although not required — will be instituted, the same as the Purple Room’s weekday format.
The Purple Room will require proof of vaccination for all guests and employees. Additionally, masks will also be required to enter and move about the club but may be removed at table while eating and drinking. During September, there will be a lot of both in celebration of the beloved nightspot coming back to life. Things start, appropriately enough, with an act fit for a King: the King himself.
“I gotta’ tell you, I’m all shook up about playing the iconic Purple Room,” says Scot Bruce whose critically acclaimed Elvis: The Early Years plays Friday, September 10 with additional performances scheduled in October. “I’ve ‘done’ Elvis all around the world, been in music videos with Faith Hill and Sheryl Crow, worked in Disneyland, appeared on Days of our Lives and been praised by CNN, but giggin’ for Michael Holmes’ is a real delight.”
On Saturday, September 11, things get jumpin’ with Palm Springs JUMP!:the musical revue homage to such legendary Palm Springs regulars as Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Lucile Ball, Keely Smith, Sonny Bono and more. Created by and featuring Michael Holmes, Charles Herrera and Darci Daniels, the evening features the musical flair of Palm Springs celebrated pianist, Joel Baker. Palm Springs JUMP!is an evening of high-energy entertainment and a hats-off salute to the Hollywood glamour for which the Desert is famed.
“We have more fun than should be legal,” says Holmes who first presented the popular show in 2019. “The spirit of classic Palm Springs lives when we’re all on stage together.”
Since one night isn’t enough to contain all the sequins and sensational singing, Friday and Saturday, September 17 & 18 brings Lee Squared! Liberace & Miss Peggy Lee – Coming Out of COVID.
“We had just begun our World Tour when the planet went into lockdown,” said Liberace and Peggy’s alter egos David Maiocco and Chuck Sweeney. “We’re ecstatic to be not in a Zoom Room but onstage at The Purple Room.”Rounding out the month September 24 & 25 is one of the world’s most-sought-after singers today, the incredible Jane Monheit: our generation’s Ella Fitzgerald.
“I am so thrilled to once again play Palm Springs and work with Michael Holmes and his incredible team,” said Monheit, a Purple Room regular and supporter of the GoFundMe campaign that helped the venue get through COVID. “There are very few world-class venues that define cabaret, and the Purple Room is one of them.”
Autumn falls into place with such favorites as Ann Hampton Callaway, Liz Callaway, Jonathan Karrant, Amanda McBroom, Sharon McNight, Marilyn Maye, Diane Schuur and Billy Stritch. The Holiday Season features crowd pleasers Branden & James: A Christmas Gift, Elvis: the Early Years & Blue Suede Christmas with Scot Bruce and the Skivvies: Say It Ain’t Snow. Plus, of course, weekly spectacles of “The Judy Show!” with Michael Holmes including a special “Old Fashioned Christmas” are guaranteed. In addition to these special guests, The Purple Room continues Jazz and Blues focus on Tuesdays with Rose Mallett. Wednesdays swing with Michael Holmes and Darci Daniels and their music of the Rat Pack era with. Jazz, Broadway and ‘60s pop takes the stage Thursdays with Sharon Sills.
“It takes more than the worst pandemic in 102 years to keep us down,” laughs the perennially optimistic Holmes who bought and restored the venue, site of the 1960s era ‘Rat Pack’s’ first performances, in 2015. “With the generous support of our friends and fans around the world, we’re getting through.”
The full schedule and ticket ordering information for the 2021 Purple Room season can be found online at www.purpleroompalmsprings.com with a link to Brown Paper Tickets.
About Michael Holmes’ Purple Room The sophistication and glamour of the Rat Pack era comes alive at Michael Holmes’ Purple Room, the desert’s premier supper club. Tucked away in the Club Trinidad Hotel, The Purple Room is where Frank, Sammy, Dean, and their pals cavorted on and off the stage in the swinging 60s. Step in and you’ll be transported back to the elegance of the era: an intimate and inviting room, classic cocktails with a modern twist, world-class cuisine, and the best in live entertainment – six nights a week! Hobnob with celebrities, locals, and visitors alike at Michael Holmes’ Purple Room — where Palm Springs plays! Michael Holmes’ Purple Room Supper Club can accommodate any type of event from Birthday celebrations to Anniversary parties to corporate buyouts. For parties of 10 or more, please call (760) 322-4422.
LIVES OF THE LINERS:CRUISING & CRUISE SHIPS – AUGUST 26, 2021
Above: Cruising in Hawaii on the Independence (Jul 1980)
From Bill Miller
Update: August 2021
Sun Aug 15thReturn! Some 160 cruise ships were back in service by August – operating with new onboard protocols and reduced capacities and masked staff & crew. Most voyages are reportedly full.
Mon Aug 16th Raising the anchor! With more cruise vessels sailing again, premium cruise brands are quickly resuming operations around the world.
MSC Cruises marked a full year of resumed cruising today.
Tue Aug 17th Norwegian Cruise Lines has resumed cruising from Miami & from their brand new, state-of-the-art terminal.
Carnival China: In a huge shipyard near Shanghai, work is progressing on the first of Carnival China’s new mega-cruise liners. The unnamed ship will be approximately 100,000 tons, carrying 2,500-plus passengers and is due late next year.
UK Cruising: David Hutchings reports: The first was on Saturday, August 7th, and the second on Saturday, August 14th, after the UK welcomed the return of the cruise industry. ABP would like to thank all teams who helped make these weekends such a success and who continue to support operations as we gear up to for the return to international cruise over the coming months.
The ships in port on August 7 and their terminals were as follows: Anthem of the Seas at City Cruise Terminal; Marella Explorer at QEII Cruise Terminal; Regal Princess at Mayflower Cruise Terminal; and MSCVirtuosa at the new Horizon Cruise Terminal; with Iona returning from her maiden voyage at Ocean Cruise Terminal.
Marella Explorer, MSC Virtuosa, Iona and Regal Princess all returned to the Port of Southampton on Saturday, August 14, when they were joined by Celebrity Silhouette.
Ultra ultra Luxury! There are few experiences as singularly luxurious as eating caviar in bed. Or returning to your suite to find your butler has cleaned your sunglasses, untangled your charging chords and drawn a post-massage bath. There are far worse ways to spend a vacation.
On Silversea’s new Silver Moon, which was completed in October of 2020, but sat unused until this June due to the coronavirus pandemic, travelers can expect this type of timeless luxury. At the French restaurant La Dame, for example, Dover sole is filleted tableside. All guests have access to a butler, and there are live orchids in the suites and fresh flowers at every turn.
Wed Aug 18th Carnival Cruise Line is temporarily moving to an every-other-day bacon schedule at its Lido Buffet fleetwide.
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ new flagship, the Bolette, set sail from Dover, England on Aug 16th. According to a press release, the Bolette is offering a three-day sailing of the Isles of Scilly’s 140 islets, where guests will be able to explore rock formations, long, sandy beaches, and the coastlines of the Channel Islands. The Bolette is the former Amsterdam of Holland-America.
Fri Aug 20th Royal Caribbean: There’s a milestone moment coming this weekend in the cruise world — one that has been mostly overlooked amidst the flurry of cruising restarts in recent weeks: New York City finally will become home to one of the world’s largest cruise ships. Royal Caribbean‘s famously giant Oasis of the Seas — the groundbreaking vessel that ushered in the current era of 5,000-plus-passenger megaships — will begin, on Sun Aug. 22nd, sailings out of the New York City area’s Cape Liberty Cruise Port. Measuring 226,838 tons, the soaring Oasis of the Seas will be by far the largest cruise vessel ever to sail out of the region. (Photo below from Captain Justin Zizes)
Commissioned in 2009, the Oasis of the Seas is an icon in the world of megaships. At the time of its debut, it was nearly 50% bigger than the next biggest cruise ship, and it was chock full of then-unprecedented features (three separate deck-top pool zones; a boardwalk-like amusement area that mimicked the Jersey Shore; and a tree-lined “Central Park” to name a few — all part of seven distinct “neighborhoods”).
Even today, the Oasis of the Seas remains one of the world’s three biggest and most-amenity-filled passenger vessels. It’s only surpassed in size by two sister ships that have rolled out since 2016, and only by a tad. It can hold up to 6,699 passengers with every berth filled.
PS: Just in case you wanted to know, the ship’s funnels had to be clipped by a few week so as to squeeze under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. The Queen Mary 2 just makes it with 14 feet clearance.
Pricing! There are some amazing deals out there – like $54 per person per day on a Royal Caribbean trip and $42 per person on MSC Cruises.
Sat Aug 21st Regent Seven Seas Cruises has achieved the largest booking day in the company’s 29-year history with the launch of its 2023-2024 Voyage Collection when sales opened at 8:30am on Aug. 18th. Reservations surpassed Regent’s previous largest booking day – which was set on Oct. 21st 2020, with the launch of its 2022-2023 Voyage Collection – by 15 percent.
Regent said that travel trends identified from the booking day include a desire for “longer, more exclusive experiences in bucket-list destinations, as illustrated by a significant rise in bookings of the $11,000-a-night Regent Suite and more unfamiliar and exotic regions being reserved.”
Sun Aug 22nd Royal Caribbean International’s new Wonder of the Seas has departed on sea trials from the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard at St Nazaire, France and where she is under construction. The 230,000-ton Oasis-class ship will now spend a few days at sea, testing systems and performance with teams from the shipyard, vendors, class society and other stakeholders aboard. Originally set to debut this year, the Wonder will now enter the cruise market in 2022 and become the biggest cruise ship in the world, and the fifth Oasis-class ship in service after the Oasis, Allure, Harmony & Symphony of the Seas. The new ship can carry up to 6,800 passengers, has a crew of 2,400 and measures 1,188 feet in length.
Docking the Oriana at Reykjavik in Aug 201
Carnival Cruise Line returned to the West Coast on Saturday, as the Carnival Panorama resumed service in California. Based in Long Beach, the 2019-built vessel departed on a seven-night cruise to the Mexican Riviera. The sailing marks the return of the brand to the region after a 17-month operational pause.
Tampa, Florida: Our good friend Tom Cassidy reports: “Earlier this week the Port of Tampa Authority announced that cruising will begin again. RCI will resume sailing from the port in Oct with the Serenade of the Seas. Celebrity and Carnival will follow in Nov and NCL in Dec.
Mon Aug 23rd Re-start: As half of the world’s cruise fleet returns to revenue sailings in August, 58 cruise lines are currently in service globally.
Fred. Olsen has announced that it has become the first cruise line to complete an international voyage since the resumption of cruising, as their Borealis returned to the UK from Iceland this morning. The 68,000-ton Borealis set sail for the rugged landscapes of Iceland on Aug 14th with some 800 guests onboard. It was the first international voyage to set sail from British waters since all UK cruise operators paused their operations in March 2020. The cruise called into Reykjavík, Ísafjörður, Eyjafjörður and Seyðisfjörður, and guests were able to leave the ship and explore ashore in organised shore excursions. The Borealis is the former Rotterdam of 1998.
AIDA has sold their Aidacara to Russian buyers, who reportedly will operate the ship as Astoria Grande. The 38,500-ton ship dates from 1996.
Norway is marking the official opening of the Hurtigruten Museum. The opening ceremony takes place on Aug 28th. The Museum highlights the famed Norwegian Coastal Express of passenger ships and includes the preserved coastal vessel Finnmarken.
Out of the old shoebox:
Below: A Sat afternoon in Sep 1973 at New York – the Sea Venture outbound for Bermuda
Thank you to all our readers, correspondents, those “agents” in faraway places!
