Click here to return to SHIPPING NEWS
The PK POV (A Peter Knego Blog)
OCEAN MONARCH Rules The Aegean
PART SIX: Sunday, September 24, 2006
By Peter Knego
From starboard Sport Deck to the Aegean Sea aboard MV OCEAN MONARCH. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2006.
The OCEAN MONARCH at Heraklion. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2006.
Mary Hopkin's lilting, melancholic, Paul McCartney-produced "Those Were The Days" is playing on the lido's speakers. The wonderfully eclectic music here ranges from soulful Nina Simone ballads to Frank Sinatra, and, yes, the obligatory, inescapable Celine Dion. It is 10:40 AM and we are berthed in the not terribly scenic harbor of Heraklion, Crete. The modern MV KNOSSOS PALACE and the Japanese-built KRITI are in the western part of the port. A small container ship, the ROERBONG, is off our stern. Acres of asphalt on our starboard side lead to the sprawling city. Rocky, barren mountains lay beyond, partially obscured in a woolen patch of gray clouds. An occasional break allows the sun to come through. A steady breeze and moderate temperature make it much more pleasant than on our last visit aboard ATALANTE in 2003. We have chosen not to take any excursions in order to relax and enjoy the OCEAN MONARCH. In just a few moments, we will depart for Santorini, our last port of call on this very short, itinerary-intense voyage. The handsome red, white, and black funneled tug CAPETAN GLAMIS has just arrived at our port side stern.
Top, as we arrived at Mykonos, the ORIENT QUEEN awaited the MONARCH. Bottom, floodlit, the OCEAN MONARCH and Mykonos make a lovely pair. Photos and copyright Peter Knego 2006.
After I dozed off on Friday, the OCEAN MONARCH delivered us to Mykonos. The Louis ships, SEA DIAMOND and ORIENT QUEEN, were at the new pier, and in order to keep the last berth free for the inter-island Fast Cat ferry, OCEAN MONARCH anchored a few hundred yards from shore. The sun was setting by the time we had tendered in, so we politely declined the bus ride (7 Euros round trip) into town in order to photograph the ship. Hopefully, the efforts paid off as OCEAN MONARCH's running lights and illuminated public rooms reflected in the deep blue waters.
We returned on the first tender back for the open-seating buffet dinner. The waiter recommended the chicken soup, which was excellent. I zeroed in, as expected, on the eggplant offering (this one seared with onions, garlic, and tomato. The buttery Greek potatoes were quite tasty, as were the Greek and legume salads. Although we were both tired, we managed to get to the "International" show. The lounge was packed and all the non-smoking seats in its center were filled, so an early exit was planned. However, the show was such a captivating surprise, we remained throughout. The four Romanian dancers (three women, two men) were not only beautiful, but classically trained. The singers ( a handsome, dimpled dark haired man and two ABBA-esque ladies) were skilled, as well, offering restrained, perfectly paced versions of "Those Were The Days"( yes, again, but with a male vocal) and "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" (a huge hit with the Spanish and Brazilian crowd), among others. A classical violinist played a brilliant number, accompanied by the ship's band. The hostess, Cristina, while blonde and Brazilian, had a certain warm, multi-lingual "Melina Mercouri magic" that you only find on Mediterranean ships. From the familiar to the obscure, the show was sheer delight and, thankfully, the crowd thoroughly appreciated it. No special effects, revolving stages, elaborate lighting and techno-gadgetry, and, yet, a show that held its own against any of the "big" lines.
We "aired out" by walking around the sheered, fully-encircling promenade. On the bow, with lights out, the band of the Milky Way cut the speckled skies in two. The great constellations, first named by the ancient Greeks in these very waters, hung overhead.
Dawn over Kusadasi and the OCEAN MONARCH's lido. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2006.
Yesterday, Saturday, I awoke at dawn as we approached Kusadasi. The normally busy port was empty and under a translucent cloud cover. As the sun rose, the skies turned pink for a few brief moments. On aft Bridge Deck, crew members were hosing off the stone-covered pool terrace and the adjoining lido's long rows of plastic deck chairs.
The OCEAN MONARCH's pool and our favorite seats for lunch and breakfast. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2006.
We took breakfast on the deck, with the usual good assortment of cold cuts, tomatoes, eggs, bacon, sausages, breads, rolls, cereals, and yogurt. The muesli was quite good and the melons and pineapple just right.
The SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE arrives at Kusadasi. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2006.
Soon, a faint white speck on the horizon turned into Saga Holiday's SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE (ex PRINCESS MAHSURI, BERLIN) and berthed right next to us. As we have both been to Ephessos, Mike took the Turkish Bath excursion and I chose to stay on board to document the MONARCH's public rooms. As I ran out of both slide film (20 rolls) and video tape (13 hours), it was a great relief to find them available in the new pierside shopping complex.
Captain Eleftheriou at his desk on the OCEAN MONARCH. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2006.
At 10:00, I had an appointment with Captain Nicos Eleftheriou. Knowing he was a former Sun Line captain, on the prior day I sent him a DVD of ON THE ROAD TO ALANG. When I arrived at his office, he greeted me with a friendly smile and asked me to sit down. The title page of the DVD was on his TV screen. We visited for a few moments and then he cued through the video toward its end, to footage taken aboard the STELLA OCEANIS on my first Greek Islands cruise in 1992. In the shot of the dining room, as the camera panned across, he froze the frame on a group of officers. Using the remote, he zoomed in, and said, "That is me."
I was quite pleasantly shattered, of course! The good captain was hugely grateful that I had documented the lovely Sun Lines ship and could not have been more welcoming. He told me of his sea-going career and we both waxed over the "golden days" when Sun Lines shone over the Aegean.
The captain's pedigree is quite extraordinary, beginning with the Greek navy, Efthymiadis, and Cycladic Cruises. In 1985, he joined ILLIRIA, which was then cruising for Travel Dynamics, and was the first captain to sail a passenger ship into Antarctica. His passengers included Henry Kissinger, Ronald Reagan, and Dr. Nicholson.
In 1989, after nearly five years at sea with no break, he joined the CITY OF MYKONOS (ex SAN MARCO) as captain, but was persuaded by an old friend, the port captain of Sun Lines, to go to the STELLA OCEANIS in 1991. He remained with her through 1995, until taking command of the STELLA SOLARIS. In 1997, he left just before the Royal Olympic merger of Sun Lines and rival, Epirotiki, for Festival Cruises and their FLAMENCO, BOLERO, and, later, MISTRAL. He was most recently master of Golden Sun Cruises' AEGEAN I before joining the OCEAN MONARCH this year.
From top to bottom: The wheelhouse, facing port; the starboard Siemens telegraph; aft from the fo'c'sle head; and the conversion builder's plate from 1975 when the cargo ship PORT SYDNEY was rebuilt into the deluxe cruise ship, DAPHNE. Photos and copyright Peter Knego 2006.
I had taken nearly an hour of the busy captain's time, so at 11:00 AM, left his office to document the wheelhouse and fo'c'sle area. I was astonished to find the two original Siemens brass telegraphs in use, definitely remnants from the ship's PORT SYDNEY origins. Aside for some plates on their top edges, they are identical to those I salvaged from the ex-IVERNIA of 1955.
Leaving Kusadasi behind, the view aft from OCEAN MONARCH's port wing. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2006.
The OCEAN MONARCH hoisted her lines at noon and started to slip away from Kusadasi. Captain Eleftheriou saw me on the fore deck and invited me up to the bridge wing, where I was able to capture the ship's boisterous whistle exchange with her attending tug. Two American ladies followed me, wanting to get a photo with the captain, which he politely obliged.
OCEAN MONARCH's pleasing lines in the afternoon light off Patmos. Photo by Mike Masino, copyright P.K. Productions 2006.
As we entered the narrow strait between Greece and Turkey, I found myself in a rare sunning moment out on the lido. More calories were consumed at tea, including a delicious bread pudding with vanilla sauce. Then, off in a tender we went, gathered at its stern for perfectly lit views of OCEAN MONARCH anchored at Patmos. Mike wandered about the tourist village while I blogged away at an internet cafe.
Babis Eleftheriadis, a waiter with a golden pedigree. Photo by Mike Masino, copyright P.K. Productions 2006.
The excellent Montreux Dining Room, facing forward. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2006.
We came back on board in time for our fist dinner at our assigned table for two, #6, on the starboard side. The lights of Patmos slipped past the window of the pleasant Montreux Dining Room, which still has its original 1970s built ceiling featuring geometric metal grillwork. Our savvy dining steward, Babis Eleftheriadis, was clearly no newcomer, so I asked if he worked for Sun Lines.
"Sun Lines and Royal Cruise Line", was his response.
"STELLA SOLARIS or OCEANIS?", I asked.
"SOLARIS, OCEANIS, and MARIS."
"Wonderful ships, sadly gone", I said.
"Yes, I have a DVD of them broken up in India", he finished.Needless to say, we had much to talk about! Babis started work in 1968 aboard Chandris Lines' ELLINIS (ex LURLINE) on a fourteen night Mediterranean cruise from Southampton, later going to AUSTRALIS (ex AMERICA, WEST POINT), then two Hellenic Mediterranean Lines ships, the Greek army, and a return to AUSTRALIS. He served on board Karageorgis' NAVARINO (ex GRIPSHOLM), noting, "What a pleasure it was to work on such an elegant ship." From there, it was off to ATLAS (ex RYNDAM) and JUPITER (ex MOLEDET) for Epirotiki, followed by a long break before returning in 1989 to the three STELLAs, a five year stint with Royal's second ROYAL ODYSSEY (ex ROYAL VIKING SEA), a return to STELLA OCEANIS, TRITON (ex CUNARD ADVENTURER, SUNWARD II) and OLYMPIC (ex EMPRESS OF BRITAIN, QUEEN ANNA MARIA, etc.) and then Festival Cruises, the AEGEAN I, AEGEAN SPIRIT (ex PROVENCE, ENRICO C, etc.), and Celebrity's MERCURY and SUMMIT.
The OCEAN MONARCH's decks at night. Top, facing forward from aft Bridge Deck. Bottom facing aft from Sports Deck. Photos and copyright Peter Knego 2006.
The Greek-themed show was packed for a good reason. The bouzouki player and ship's band were excellent. A walk around the brightly lit decks was not enough to make me feel lighter before going to bed, however.
End of Part Six
Click here to continue to final blog The End of the Iberian to Arcadian Ship Odyssey
Click here for previous blog From Piraeus to Palouki
Click here to return to SHIPPING NEWS
