TRAVEL Sunday, January 26, 1992 — North Shore News - 35 Royal Odyssey: The grand dame of a new era ROYAL CRUISE Line has always been a cruiser’s line. The original owner, a Greek re- joicing in the name of Pericles Panagopoulos, designed his first ship, the Golden Odyssey, to ac- commodate the same number of people as a Bocing 747. The pian was to launch air/sea cruises from North America to the Mediterranean and other exotic places. It worked so well he built a bigger ship, the Crown Odyssey, which enabled the line to offer more itineraries to a growing number of repeat passengers. Cruisers are loyal. if they like a line, they sail again and- again. They make friends with the waiters, the cruise staff and other passengers. : The dedicated book their next cruise before they get off. One woman told me it made the disembarkation easier if she knew she was coming back. Not so long ago Roval Cruise Line found itself in the enviable position of having passengers clamoring for more. As presiderit Jim Naik conclud- ed, if he didn’t get another ship and new itineraries he would start losing RCL passengers to other lines. : He got what he wanted, the el- egant Royal Viking Sea, built in 1973 for Royal Viking Line, whose common parent, Kloster Cruise, was juggling its fleet to get the best formula. Last month the 28,000-ton vessel emerged from a Singapore shipyard as tne Royal Odyssey after a $20 millicn refit but stiil set up for 765 passengers. David Wishart | TRAVEL TIPS Reports of RCL scrapping the one-seat dining and adding more cabins proved unfounded, the on- ly visible changes being the addi- tion of a breakfast bakery at the main pool buffet area, and the substitution of three whirlpools for the small pool on one of the upper decks. So it’s basicaliy the same ship with a fresh look, which is not a bad result as the RVL trio of Star, Sea and Sky were well built by Finland’s Wartsila yard. The Royal Odyssey’s lines are ‘modern without being glitzy, a grand dame of the new era, if you will, The broad decks are teak, with the all-around promenade deck one of the best afloat for walking or finding a lounger and blanket. Public rooms are spacious and there are lots of them, including a library, card rooms and a writing Photo submitted THE ROYAL Odyssey in Hong Kong on her inaugural voyage. Cruises Best! ne Mexican Cruise _7 days $799 ried Vancouver Caribbean Cruise. 7 da 50% off 2nd passenger includes air from Seattle Eariy booking discount expires 2/15/92 NORTH SHORE VENTURE TRAVEL " & CRUISES SUMMER CHARTER | FLIGHTS BRITAIN & EUROPE May to Oct. 1992 LONDON from $648 to $858 MANCHESTER from $648 to $858 AMSTERDAM from $688 a $848 PARI frora $898 to $958 FRANKFURT from $7858 to $898 Prices vary according to dates. Calt us for details room, several of them inheriting the elegant leather uphoistery of Royal Viking. Royal Cruise Line used the Greek design firm of A & M Kat- zourakis, which rejected the cur- rent trend .of pastels in favor of dark patterns and colors. Overall the effect is acceptable, with much fine British-made carpeting throughout the ship. However, a white rather than peach paint might have brightened up the walls, and the dining room has been saddled with dark brown chairs so that it looks as dreary as an Athens furniture store. But what more than compen- sates is the Greek staff, wonder- fully amiable professionals who could bring life to a Liberty boat canteen. This is RCL’s strong suit, the big change that everyone noticed soon after they boarded the ship. The next thing was the wine list, with selections for just $9 and ex- cellent chardonnays for about $20. It was a champagne send-off as Royal Odyssey ieft Singapore and headed for the equator and Java. Here we docked at Semarang, where a fleet of buses waited io drive passengers to the temples of ~~ | FESTIVAL OF TRAVEL FELMS WORLD TRAVEL SHOW “WESTIN BAYSHORE HOTEL Friday, Jan, 31 Saturday, Feb t Sunday, Feb 2 TICKETS $5.00 AT THE DOOR. CHILDREN FREE 5:pm-8 pm 12 noon -6 pm 12 noon - 6 pm ROSEWAY . FRAVEL-= CRUISE NIGHT Featuring Colonial America plus Bermuda 12 days on “Royal Odyssey’’ Oct 28, from New York, to Washin ton, D.C. ... Williamsburg, Virginia, Hamilton, Bermuda Charleston, South Carolina Savannah, Georgia St. Thomas, Virgin islands Sen Juan, Puesto Rico You con save $3250 to 52,000 per couple by. booking with Raseway Join us at 7:39 p.m. on Wednesda February 12,1992 at Canyon House 3590 Capilano Rd. North Vancouver RSVP - 926-4344 Borobudur. One small group, probably the same people seen blowing bubble gum as we sailed from Singapore, strayed off the tourist track and were spotted at Semarang Golf Club, a tidy little nine costing all of $8 a round, $8 for rental clubs and 50 cents a caddy. Bali was the next port of call, as beautiful as ever, but sad to say that the vendors have become ab- solute pests. This has nothing to do with the fact that I fell for a watch whose day-date is perma- nenily on the eighth so that it only BCAA We also sell insurance. ° Homeowners © Out-of-Province Medical Insurance Autoplan ° Term Life Some sestrictions may apply. BCAA Insurance Agency 908 Park Royal Mail South 922-3361 Fax 922-3532 00 ofOUSE The Sooke Harbour House Inn ROMANTIC ACCOMMODATION . ¥ BYTHE-SEA Fresh Seafood Cuisine tells the correct day once a month. I loved the three days at sea be- tween Bali and Manila. These are times when a ship gets inte its stride, when the orphans of the sea come on deck, to stroll, scan the horizon and wonder if a storm will unleash a new friendship. Round about now the Royal Odyssey is sailing between India and Africa, then to Australia, Hawaii and will be doing an Alaska season out of Vancouver this summer. Pericles Panagopoulos, wherever he is, would be proud. fe ootLoose ne_| SoG EX?0'92 IN SPAIN | 11 NIGHT/13 DAY TOUR| il 984-3404 or 988-5506 Canadian Cuisine 1528 Whiffen Spit Read, RR#4 Sooke (604) 642-3421, 642-4944 Reservations sugyested for rooms and dining 23 miles west of Victoria 3 Week Vacation CYPRUS/EGYPT 3 weeks Cyprus $2995 2 weeks Cyprus and 1 week Egypt Trip to Egypt indudes all meals ond o four day Presidential cruise on the siver Nite from Luxor to Aswas. YOUR LAST CHANCE TO HAVE A VACATION NOW AND PAY AT LAST YEAR'S PRICES. THESE RATES APPLY THROUGH FEBRUARY & MARCH ONLY. Cruises to Holyland ond Egypt available ot prices ranging from $126 to $475 (Royal Suite). RERE’S WHAT OUR READERS ie YO SAY ABOUT THEIR CYPRUS VACATION “We were taken care of most “It will stond cut os one ot the highlights of our life!” « 683-1344 Sponsored by Todeys Times, Canadian Airtines, Cyprus Airways & Aphrodite Holidays Conads.