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The PK POV (A Peter Knego Blog)
The End of the Iberian to Arcadian Odyssey
Part Seven: Monday, September 25, 2006
By Peter Knego
The OCEAN MONARCH's starboard docking wing, at sea. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2006.
In Athens' modern El Venizelos Airport, I begin this final blog installment. Time has warped during these past two-plus weeks of documenting the ships in and about the southern European waters of Iberia and Arcadia. Certain days have felt like an eternity, while clusters of them have rushed by.
From top to bottom: The OCEAN MONARCH has an excellent observation area on Sports Deck level (top two images), the forward portion of which is sheltered by a curved windscreen. She also has a fully-encircling Boat Deck promenade (bottom -- shown facing forward on the starboard side) with an open observation deck forward. Photos and copyright Peter Knego 2006.
After our departure from Heraklion yesterday, OCEAN MONARCH met with wind-whipped swells, taking them in steady stride. Ominous clouds appeared, but then gradually broke up, allowing the sun to prism the mist from the ship's bow waves into fizzling rainbows. The sea had become such a magnificently deep blue, it almost hurt to look away.
We took lunch in the dining room, sharing a table with four of eight friendly Australians who had embarked on a global tour. They certainly appreciated the vintage appeal of OCEAN MONARCH and shared some wonderful stories about some long gone liners like FAIRSTAR, OTRANTO, and FEDOR SHALYAPIN.
Santorini is only 66 nautical miles north of Heraklion, so it was not long before the rocky outline of the remains of Thira (a once sprawling volcanic island that is believed by some to have been the ancient "continent" of Atlantis, destroyed in a cataclysmic eruption that left only a narrow crescent of its rim intact) came into view. We entered the bay with its fjord-like cliffs bathed in moving patterns of shadow from a patchwork of low-lying clouds.
SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE returns, this time with the backdrop of Santorini to enhance her modest lines. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2006.
In the distance, the SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE slowly seeked out her anchorage underneath the white-stucco clifftop village. On our port side, green lagoons lapped at the black pumice of the caldera for an extraordinarily dramatic sight. As we neared our anchorage, the Japanese-built, blue-hulled, ferry-cum-cruise ship, GOLDEN PRINCE (for a brief spell Epirotiki's second APOLLON) came into view, along with the massive yacht, ESMERALDA, and the smaller, but still stately, MICHAELA ROSE. The latter is owned by the sister of Carnival Corporations CEO, Mickey Arison.
From top to bottom at Santorini: GOLDEN PRINCE, ESMERALDA, and MICHAELA ROSE. Photos and copyright Peter Knego 2006.
Our visit was very brief. We tendered to shore, took the first available cable car up to the top (the donkey climb is only appealing once), walked around a bit and took quite a few photos in what is truly one of the most spectacular places on earth. While waiting back at the bottom for the first available tender, we walked along the marina for closer views of ESMERALDA and MICHAELA ROSE. By the time we got back to OCEAN MONARCH at 6:45, the SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE had raised anchor, blew her whistle, and began her slow journey across our bow and out to the open sea. The cliffs behind her were bathed in a surreal orange light.
The OCEAN MONARCH's reception area is on Pacific Deck. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2006.
At 7:30, just as dinner was to begin, I met with the chief engineer, Takis, in the reception area. Quite to my delight, he invited me to the engine room to document the maneuvering process.
Top, Takis in the top level of the main engine space. Bottom, your correspondent visits the starboard control panel. Photos by Peter Knego and Takis, copyright P.K. Productions 2006.
Your correspondent visits the starboard control panel. Photo by Takis, copyright P.K. Productions 2006.
The space, itself, is spotless. The green decking is freshly painted and the instruments are immaculate and, where, applicable, beautifully polished. Takis had me sit between the port and starboard control stations to watch in awe as the engineers turned valves, monitored gauges, and awaited the commands rung down from the bridge on the two Siemens repeaters. It was like being on the set of Fritz Lang's METROPOLIS. From "Finished With Engines" to "Stop" to "Slow Ahead", and later, "Full Ahead", the engineers worked in synchronous unison. The phone from the bridge rang with an alarm-like sound in order to be heard over the machinery, which went from silence to gentle rumble to persistent cacophony, broken by hisses of steam and the chime of the telegraph bells. It was an honor to not only see these 50 year old machines, but to witness them come to life. The MONARCH can still make her sixteen knot full speed, but generally operates at just over fourteen knots, consuming one metric ton of oil per hour.
At dinner, I had a chance to talk to Joao Rodrigues, the ship's Portuguese maitre'd. Another veteran, he worked for Chandris (THE VICTORIA, AMERIKANIS, and BRITANIS) before going on to Celebrity and Festival.
Back in the cabin, packing, both Mike and I wondered where the time went.
At 5:00 AM today, I semi-consciously pulled open the curtains by my bed. We were at our Piraeus berth and the ORIENT QUEEN was twinkling by. I lay back down for another hour of sleep before the alarm went off and we hurried out to breakfast. I had a moment to photograph some of the vacated cabins before we left.
The OCEAN MONARCH's six deluxe suites featured balconies, separate sitting areas, bedrooms, and vast bathrooms with full tubs. They were far ahead of their time in 1975 when the DAPHNE entered service and hold their own against some of the nicer ships of today. Photos and copyright Peter Knego 2006.
A large outside with a king sized bed (top); a Mediterranean deck outside cabin with two portholes (center); and an inside cabin (bottom). Photos and copyright Peter Knego 2006.
By 8:00, we were in the terminal, wheeling our luggage back to the Hotel Glaros.
The rest of the day was spent wandering Piraeus: blogging away at a very smoky internet cafe; walking out to the far western edge of the peninsula to witness OCEAN MONARCH sail past the breakwater on her next cruise (at a very punctual 11:05); visiting the excellent ship book shop, Telstar; trying to get a ferry to Ambelakia (which no longer runs from Piraeus, having been replaced by the one we already took to Palouki); and walking to Zea Marina for a final lunch at our favorite local restaurant, Drosopita.
From Spain to Greece, with MONTEREY, LE LYDIA, and OCEAN MONARCH "missions" accomplished, it was with a pang or two of regret and a great deal of satisfaction that we boarded the X96 bus to the airport and our series of flights home.
END
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