Royal Viking Line brought me to China, for the first time in 1984, first class of course. The excitement was huge. In Highschool we had a young history professor, who once said: The yellow breed will rule us one day for two reasons. First because there are plenty of them and secondly, they are not lazy. This was hard to believe, when I first explored China onboard the Royal Viking Star.
As this blog post developed, all of a sudden I began to realize, that I spent most of my time with Royal Viking Line in these waters. So it turned out to be pretty much a wrap up of my career with a wonderful cruise line from 1983 until 1990.
How it all started.
After I finished my cook apprenticeship at the Gasthof Adler in Mellau, Austria I did the compulsory military stint.
Army mustering celebration in 1975. The hair dew according to the Rolling Stones hard-core fan, I still am.
Afterwards I worked at the Gasthof Adler in the kitchen and in the restaurant.
In 1979 I went to to Germany and attended a vocational college and then studied business administration for 3 years in Stuttgart, Germany.
Around 1980.
In 1980 I was home in Egg, Austria and went one evening to Mellau. There I met Franz Langer. The biggest show-off I have ever seen, I thought. Franz was befriended with Franz-Bernhard Fuchs, who was Pastry Chef on the Royal Viking Star. The two of them had some time off, while the Royal Viking Star was lengthened in Dry Dock in Bremerhaven. From my friends in Mellau I learnt, that Franz had already flown in Oysters from Paris for his parties in Mellau.
I remember Langer's rented BMW with his hard hat with a huge imprint CHIEF STEWARD located inside the rear window very prominently.
This was a world sensation at that time to cut a ship in half and add a 22 meters section.
Langer was Chief Steward at that time and he suggested I should work for Royal Viking Line, once I finished my studies. Also First Baker Bernhard Meusburger from Mellau worked onboard the Star at that time. In addition Kurt Bischof from Mellau was at that time First Cook in the hot galley onboard the Royal Viking Sky.
It was known in those days, that I was almost impossible to get a job at Royal Viking Line. The US Dollar was very high and nobody left, except for vacation.
In summer 1983 I did my final exams. I was fancy free and ready to see the world. Since 1980 Franz Langer, originally from Cologne in Germany, spent his off-time from then on only in Mellau. He was a friend of a son of the Hotel Sonne in Mellau, Gerhard Bischofberger. I went there and asked, if it would be possible to call Langer on the ship. He was still Chief Steward onboard the Star.
This was quite cumbersome in those days. You had to log in an overseas call and eventually they called back, when they had a line. Franz suggested, I should apply directly with the San Francisco office to the attention of Ulrich Baur. He furthermore suggested, I should apply as F&B Controller. I had to ask first, what that was.
Hotel Sonne Mellau
The normal application process went for us through a recruitment agency in Switzerland, headed by a Frau Siegentaler. Kurt Bischof explained that to me once. You would receive a contract from the Oslo office, you then had to go to your nearest Norwegian embassy to certify it (in my case Bern in Switzerland) and they would send you to a doctor for the medical check-up. The company would send you a flight ticket and the agent would pick you up at the airport of the destination. The first flight home, you had to pay for yourself.
When I was asked by locals at home how much such a cruise would cost, I always had the same answer ready: 10,000 Austrian Schillings per person and day for a medium category without flight. At that time, of course, that was an exorbitant sum by our standards.
So I made my application and was waiting for an answer. One day in autumn I received a telephone call from the telephone company telling me, that I would receive a call from San Francisco in the early evening. Now I got really excited. Even though I took advanced classes in English I began to write down possible answers to the questions, Mr. Baur might have. When he called me I noticed immediately the heavy Swiss dialect, and I noticed also that my English was much better than his. After two sentences, he suggested we should carry on the conversation in German. He offered me a position as F&B Controller, but only the following year early summer. I had no problem with that and agreed. The combination of a trained chef and a degree in business administration paid off.
A earlier picture of Ulrich Baur as Hotel Manager with his Asst. Dianne Dawson.
My plan was to have a carefree winter and perhaps work as a ski trainer back home.
On Dec. 19. 1983 I reicved a call again from the telephone company, that I would receive a call in the evening from Singapore. Franz Langer called me. The fish cook burnt his legs badly on a steam kettle and had to sign off sick. They needed a replacement fast. This would be a good experience for my future job, blah, blah blah.
The Royal Viking Star in Singapore after Kloster bough the company and registered the ships in Oslo.
I had to be in Jakarta in 2 days time. I had to ask first, where that was. No contract, no medical, pay for your own ticket, you will get reimbursed, just come. OK, I had busy days ahead of me. Luckily Kurt Bischof was at home and he could answer all my questions. I had to go and buy cook uniforms, I booked a flight from Munich to Jakarta, 25.000 Austrian Schillings at that time. It was snowing like crazy. I had to leave on a Sunday morning at 4:00 am. On Saturday evening I went through my check list. All of a sudden I realized, that I did not have money to pay for the flight at the airport. Credit cards were not common in our valley then. I called my banker in Mellau. His wife answered the phone. Her husband went to church and would probably go to the Gasthof Adler afterwards to play some cards. So I drove to Mellau and found him at the Adler. I asked him to go over with me to the bank to give me money from my account. This was the only time I was in the safe room of the bank in the basement.
Since I did not get a contract, obviously I did not get a cruise itinerary with the respective port agents' information from the Oslo office either. So I had no clue where I was heading. Being a good son, I soon sent postcards from various ports of call.
My father brought me to Munich and I slept almost through the entire flight. The agent picked me up and brought me to the Intercontinental Hotel in Jakarta.
This foto I took from the hotel in Jakarta.
The following morning he was there again and brought me to the Royal Viking Star. I was frightened, when I stood in front of her. I boarded the ship on Chrismas Eve 1983 at exactly 10:00 am and all the bells went off. I sought to myself, what a nice welcome. But instead it was lifeboat drill. Like all of us, I could not find my way around for the first couple of days.
There I was at the saucier post and had no clue.
Nobody seem to like me in the Galley. Later on I found out, that much better cooks were already waiting for this position. Probably a favor from Franz Langer, I needed the least. My first job, was to cut hamburger garnished. My knife was not very sharp and the tomatoes were more crushed than cut. On the Entremetier post, there was a beautiful long knife laying on the table. I took it and now it worked. All of a sudden this hulk of a man with a long beard stood next to me. He told me quite clearly: if you take this knife ever again, you are dead meat. It was Chef Entremetier Raspo. In the evening I still had troubles with my knife. Raspo came over and said: here you have decent knife. They were all crazy in those days.
Raspo and Asst. Butcher Martin Walchshofer in the Crew Bar.
Our Christmas New Year's Activities for the crew.
My first Skald on Christmas Day.
Hotel Manager Sigi Maier, Hotel Manager Asst. Dianne Dawson and her mother, Chief Steward Franz Langer.
Fish Cook Frank from Germany, Sauciers Andi Buchner, Switzerland and from Vienna, Grill Cook Harald Schulze from Germany.
Walter Schippel and Roland Kainhofer were First Cooks in the Hotel Galley, Paul from Norway was First Cook in the Cold Galley and first Waltner Wasner from Germany, then Felix Sailer from Switzerland were Pastry Chefs.
Cook Klaus Wankmiller from Tyrol joined a couple of days before me in Hong Kong. Also Cook Heinz Sohm from Germany joined then and he was my first cabin mate.
Heinz Sohm from Germany and Harald Schulze.
Me, Klaus Wankmiller and Manuel from Austria.
Vila, Vanuatu.
Noumea, New Caledonia.
Crew Bar Stern, next to the Crew Purser's Office.
New Year's Eve Crew Party in the Venus Lounge, where the Captain read the wishes from all the ships around the world. I will never forget that. I felt pretty special at that time.
The Christmas Cruises ended in Sydney Australia.
The Royal Viking Star in front of the Opera House in Sydney, Australia.
I survived my first cruise and did not get seasick once.
Hotel Manager Asst. was Dianne Dawson, Mai-Britt Johannessen was Hotel Purser, Karen Kvam was Crew Purser. Andreas Friis-Lund was Concierge, Dan Higgins was Skald Editor, Dave Dobbins Printer and his girlfriend Heidi Fron was Hotel Purser Asst., Peter Leypold was Sous Chef, Wenche was Crew Steward, Peter Longley was Asst. Cruise Direktor, Carole Klein was Social Hostess, the Abe Weinstein orchestra, Allan Schooley was Cruise Consultant and funnily enough I have to clue who was F&B Controller. Definitely not Josef Matt or Alex Don.
A picture with Staff Captain Olsen to the left. I remember, he had a severe hearing problem.
Until spring we were in the South Pacific and South East Asia.
Tonga.
Tonga.
Suva, Fidji.
Me, Harald Schulze, Breakfast and Hot Snacks Cook Manuel from Spain, Klaus Wankmiller.
Apia, Western Samoa.
General Cleaning on the last day of the cruise.
Almost all Utility Personnel came from Spain and Portugal.
Drinking and smoking in the galley, hard to believe nowadays.
Piano Bar, Papeete, Tahiti.
Bora Bora.
First Baker, Bernhard Meusburger from Mellau.
Preparation for the Polynesian Cooks Party in Papeete.
Oswald Schadt, me, Heinz Sohm.
Norwegian Grand Buffet.
Felix Sailer and Urs Keller.
Roland Kainhofer.
Cold Party First Cook Paul from Norway.
Auckland, New Zealand.
Martin Walchshofer and the Bar boys.
Pastry Cook Markus from Switzerland.
Me and 'Ayatollah', somewhere.
Head Office structure: President: Warren Titus, VP Hotel Operation: Ulrich Baur, Director: Erling Frydenberg, Anni Martinsson, Alan Warden, Purchasing: Bob Coven, Sigurd Galteland (Oslo Office), Fleet Executive Chef was Theo Ruch, Entertainment: Brian Beaton, Shore Excursions: Jim Droney, VP Marine Operation: Captain Ingar Engan.
The new Royal Viking Star after the lenghtening of the ship in Bremerhaven.
Funilly enough the Bridge deck with the Casino and the Casino Bar was not portrayed.
Pattaya, Thailand.
Me and the British Masseuse Lesley in Pattaya.
Singapore, Bugis Street.
Soup Cook Oswald Schadt and his girlfriend Lesley.
The dude in the front I even know from behind. Hollywood Butcher Horst Katschnig.
Now it is time to explore China.
It was really special to us, to be allowed into the People's Republic of China. I presume we were the first cruise line to do so.
By the time Mao died, his designated successors were already dead: Lin Biao died in 1971 after an alleged coup attempt, and Deng Xiaoping was linked to the 1976 Tiananmen Square protests after the death of Premier Zhou Enlai and demoted. Thus, the previously little-known Hua Guofeng was designated as Mao's successor. Hua and his supporters, who stood for the continuation of Mao Zedong's policies, were outmaneuvered and deposed by Deng by 1980.
In December 1978, the "Four Modernizations" course, closely associated with Deng's name, was endorsed by the party leadership. Victims of Cultural Revolution and other excesses were rehabilitated and economic freedoms expanded. A market economy gradually replaced the centrally planned economy inherited from the Soviet Union to increase the system's economic efficiency. A peace and friendship treaty was signed with Japan, a former wartime adversary, and foreign investment was gradually permitted.
Deng visited the United States, which subsequently became an important foreign policy partner. Special economic zones designated areas where free-market mechanisms could be experimented with, and in 1984 another 14 coastal cities were opened.
The National Flag.
The large star symbolizes the leadership of the communist party, the smaller stars represent the four classes:
Workers, peasants, petty bourgeois, the national bourgeoisie. Entrepreneurs who had sided with the Communists since the war against Japan in the 1930s and 1940s.
These four terms were characterized by Mao Zedong in a 1949 speech as the four groupings that made up the Chinese people.
In addition, the number five also has a traditional meaning. Traditionally, people speak of five rulers, five colors, five elements, five virtues, five varieties, and historically, five parts of China: China proper, Manchuria, Mongolia, Xinjiang, and Tibet.
The Royal Viking Sky was docked in Shanghai during the Circle Pacific Cruise from April 17 from 7:00 am to April 18 5:00 pm in 1982.
According to my knowledge Warren Titus had a good connection to a certain Hong Kong Chinese, a Mr. Wu. He was major shareholder of the Cathay Pacific Airline and also owner of the Travel Agency Arrow Travel. Mr. Wu had connections to China and this relationship allowed Royal Viking Line to do regular Cruises to China.
A view fotos from a crew tour to Beijing in 1983. Great people I did not know then yet.
Shanghai, Dinner at the Seamen's Club.
The Royal Viking Star in Dry Dock, Hong Kong November 1983.
We arrived in Hong on March 25, 1984 and stayed overnight at the Ocean Terminal.
The first two China cruises, I was still cook in the Galley.
The passengers and crew members, who boarded in Hong Kong had already completed the most adventurous part of their journey. That was the approach to the old Hong Kong airport, whose approach and departure aisle led right through the busy Kowloon district.
One could look into the bedroom of the residents from the airplane.
My 14 days China adventure cruise began in Hong Kong on Mach 26. 1984.
The Ocean Terminal with its glittering shopping world in Hong Kong.
We had an IBM System 32 on board at that time, which generated all the passenger and crew lists, as well as the cargo lists needed for the almost daily customs formalities.
But the Chinese needed all those myriad lists in Chinese characters.
Arrow Travel brought on board about 12 to 15 people who now translated all the lists into Chinese by hand. From 1985 onwards, our computer system on board could also output the lists in Chinese. By the way, the computer with a length of about 2.5 meters, a width of 1 meter and a height of 1.5 meters was located at F&B Controller's office. Some of you may still remember the floppy disks of about 30 x 30 cm.
I believe that Dietmar Wertanzl started around this time as Concierge. Once Franz Langer was promoted to Hotel Manager the Dream Team of the Royal Viking Star was pretty much complete.
The new Hotel Manager came onboard this cruise as well. I was soon to become Purser Assistant and my uniform was already tailored. He did not like his uniform and demanded that his stripes had to be put on mine. Naturally I did not like the man. He did not stay long, anyway.
Bascially the initial itinerary of this China Cruise was kept until 1990. Exception: In the spring season of 1984 the arrival/departure times of Shanghai were different. Later on we went to Qinhuangdao instead of Xingang and two view more new places.
I have received a parcel today (August 9.) from our ex colleague Ranveig Gro Bredal. She sent me amongst many other things a complete set of the SKALDs from this very cruise. Thank you very much and a big hug from all of us.
Wenche and Ranveig.
My Bar here in Austria was quiet last night. The weather is too nice and everyone is outside or on vacation. So I got up very early this morning. I couldn't wait to read the SKALDs, Ranveig sent me. It was a very emotional morning for me. So many fantastic memories.
At 7:30 am my brother Gerhard called me to go mountain biking with him this morning. A perfect way to clear the head. I will take some pictures for you from the Bregenzerwald valley.
Off we go.
The outer Bregenzerwald with its gentle hillside.
We reached the top for today.
In the distance you can see Lake Constanze.
Direction towards the Inner Bregenzerwald with its serious mountains. Just behind the mountain range is the famous Arlberg skiing region with its posh villages Lech, Zürs and St. Anton.
A rewarding moment.
My home town Egg in the Middle Bregenzerwald.
Egg.
On the last leg up the hill to my home it was getting quite hot.
View from my rooftop terrace.
Perhaps some of you can understand now, that living somewhere else was never an option for me. And perhaps it was not good for my career, but the next step for me was always home and never some head office on the US west coast or in Florida.
My brother has to look after his babies.
I think, I just make a quick Minestrone and then we go back to China.
So Mr Riezler, move the hoof and get on with the story.
Representatively for all China Cruises we will wake up with a brand new SKALD every day on this voyage.
Hong Kong, March 26 1984, sail 5:00 pm.
At 5:00 pm the Royal Viking Star departed and we were in the East China Sea heading for Shanghai, China.
March 27 1984. at sea.
Wanna know who was on and what was going on? Well read your SKALD.
Great Bar Tenders.
Dan, David, Heikki and Mustafa.
March 28 1984. at sea.
Coming closer to Shanghai the ship enters the mighty Yangtze River. The you make a left turn to get into the Huangpu river delta. In those days the riverbanks were a restricted military zones. We were only allowed to arrive and depart after dark. Some of you might remember, that photography was strictly prohibited during the passage.
March 29 1984 Shanghai, China. dock 5:00 am. overnight.
The clearance procedures of the vessel took in those days a perceived eternity.
The dark brown Huangpu was bustling with activity. I assume that all sewage was discharged into the river.
In the front of this skyline we were docked then.
I had a long chat in the Crew Mess with a very nice gentleman who spoke fluent English and German. He came on board and was from the International Seamen's Mission. Just as in the Soviet Union, the flow of tourists was clearly controlled and directed. The crew was invited to the Seamen's Club or the Peace Hotel. Otherwise, there was nothing in Shanghai at that time.
In the evening I went with colleagues over to the Seamen's Club, which was within walking distance. Oh my god, what a cultural clash. The city was dark, no street lights, hardly any car, if any they searched around with parking lights. You could see in the open workshops of the craftsmen. The dress of the entire population was either the little greenMao uniform or the blue work clothe.
The Seamen's Club apparently was before the Soviet embassy. In there was a huge bar counter. The only two alcoholic beverages available were a very good Tsingtao lager beer out of the big bottle and Irish coffee. There were also private rooms at the seamen's club, were one could have dinner.
Like in the Soviet Union there was a general curfew at midnight.
March 30 1984. Shanghai, China. sail 5:00 pm.
This morning everybody had to get up early. Breakfast was served at 5.30 am.
The 720 passengers were unceremoniously divided into two groups. They made a full-day trip by train to Wuxi or to Suzhou.
Therefore, most of the crew had 'lunch off' and you could experience the city of Shanghai.
So let's go an hit the town.
I often stood on this bridge later on. The water stank beastly. In the small river floated everything imaginable in garbage up to dead cows.
There were hardly any vehicles on the streets. Some trucks and some official black sedans.
But there were millions of bicycles.
I took the pictures you are looking at with my Minolta SLR camera.
Back to work.
As of 1985 sailed at Midnight from Hong Kong and arrived at 10:00 pm in Shanghai. We left Shanghai at 10:00 pm.
Our next port of call was Dalian, China. But we had to cross the Yellow Sea first.
March 30 1984. at sea.
April 1 1984. Dalian, China. dock 8:00 am, sail 5:00 pm.
Naturally it had to be on April Fool's Day.
After 20 years of seafaring, I can say that Dalian was the dirtiest port I visited. The reason was the nearby black coal mining. The conveyor belt went all the way to the port and the coal was shipped from Dalian.
The whole area was covered with black coal dust and our housekeeper and her cleaning crew had no joy with the dirt dragged on board.
The area today, unbelievable.
During the night the Royal Viking Star had to cross the bay over to Xingang, China. Today Xingang has been swallowed by the metropolitan area of Tianjin.
April 2 1984. Xingang. dock 8:00 am. overnight
Already on the three days version of the SKALD you can see, that there was something very special going on there.
Hard to believe that the Skald Editor produced the daily newsletter and many other printed matters on an ordinary typewriter.
A little quiz for you. Who remembers where onboard the Royal Viking Star the Skald Editor had his little office space and where the print shop was located?
Xingang was then a village and was the port for the capital Beijing, which is located about 270 km inland.
Here something very special happened. Passengers made their journey to Beijing and stayed there for 3 days and 2 nights. In the best case all went there, now and then we had up to 12 passengers who stayed with us on board in Xingang.
After elaborate immigration and customs formalities (at that time, one needed a separate visa for each province travelled through on land), the journey started at 9:00 am in a bus convoy. All traffic lights up to Beijing were set to green.
There were two stops, the famous 'rest stops'. There was a little place there where everyone had to go once, which went down in history. No visitor will ever forget these toilet facilities.
Once in Beijing, the passengers moved into what was then a purely Chinese-oriented hotel. The first western oriented Sheraton Great Wall Hotel was under construction. The hotel was OK, the problem was the Chinese breakfast. Our guests couldn't do much with the eggs buried in the ground for 100 days, naturally rotten of course.
From this base the passengers went with their ship tour bus escorts to the various tours, offered.
It happened sometimes (also on this voyage) that we had had to leave the pier and anchor outside. There was no tender service provided. The ship came alongside again, when the crew and passenger busses came back from Beijing.
For us on board, this was the best time. On the first day we did 'general cleaning' on the whole ship. In the late afternoon, the first cabin parties started on A-Deck and on Bridge Deck.
In Xingang itself there was only the Friendship Store. A tourist store selling white T-shirts of the best quality, the famous Tiger Balm (eucalyptus ointment), as well as souvenirs such as beautifully painted small caskets and the like.
On the 2nd day, most of the crew had the day off. In the evening the whole crew was invited to a wonderful dinner in the dining room and afterwards there was a show in the Bergen Lounge for the crew.
On the 3rd day they had to prepare again for the returning passengers.
We prepared a reception for the guests as only Royal Viking Line could do at that time.
By now, the passengers had had enough of China. Later, as Food & Beverage Manager, I once jokingly told a returning passenger that we would serve a nice Chinese dinner tonight. He pretty much told me to piss off.
Instead, we surprised the guests with an 'All American Dinner' that included all culinary American delights, plus a typical American show. Our US passengers had become very humbled and many cried during the performance.
About one or two busses of crew members were allowed to go to Beijing each time with a separate crew tour and a small contribution towards expenses. They completed more or less the same program as the passengers. I will come back to this in detail a little later.
I always found the Chinese people to be very polite and nice. They always gave me the feeling that they smiled at the big white ship with the many rich people and actually felt superior to us. In the Soviet Union at that time, it was just the opposite. The people there were grim and wanted to be like us.
April 5 1984. at sea
The Royal Viking Singer and Dancers.
April 6 1984. Pusan, South Korea. dock Noon. sail 8:00 pm.
The reception was tumultuous. A sailor had accidentally hoisted the North Korean flag on the mast. That was not to be trifled with at the time.
As is known, North and South Korea are still in a state of war today. At that time in the harbor area there were embrasures barricaded with sandbags in small huts.
In the port of Pusan.
While most of the crew went to Texas Street to do their shopping, I went to the market.
In contrast to the Chinese, I have come to know the South Koreans as an unfriendly people.
While the A-Deck cabins were piled up with suitcases, canvas zipper bags and leather jackets obtained in Texas Street, the Royal Viking Star set sail for Japan.
April 7 1984. Nagasaki, Japan. dock 8:00 am, sail 6:00 pm.
A must in Nagasaki was a visit to the Peace Park. There is the memorial to the 230,000 people killed by the 2 atomic bombs dropped by the Americans on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Many of our passengers visited the memorial and made their personal apologies.
The following day we travelled through the beautiful Inside Passage.
April 8 1984. at sea.
Lesley and Asst. Butcher Martin Walchshofer.
Pink Party at the Crew Bar.
The cooks had to tease the gay community just a little bit.
April 9, Kobe, Japan, dock 8:00 am, sail Midnight.
The Purser Staff.
My first encounter with Kobe. I went ashore for a while in the afternoon. In the terminal building there was a little souvenir kiosk. They sold Zippo lighters there with an imprint 'Bravo Hitler' and showed a swastika. Many cooks and waiters bought one, not because they were Nazis but things like that were forbidden at home and it was something very special.
From Kobe, they organized full- and half-day excursions to Osaka and Kyoto. A special experience was the ride on the Bullet Train, the fastest train in the world at that time. From Osaka, one could visit the sacred Mount Fuji.
Japan was already very well developed at that time and had a very high standard. Prices at that time were comparable with Hong Kong and the Sony Walkman was the absolute hit then. It took another two years in Austria until they became available there.
Mount Fuji.
In Kobe being a turn around port we also had to do storing. Lasting fresh produce was purchased from Sims Trading in Hong Kong for two cruises back to Hong Kong. Perishable items were purchased in Kobe through Fuji Trading with its representative Hendrik Kjaer from Denmark. The qualitiy was incredibly good. Strawberries arrived individually wrapped in little wooden boxes. But you had to pay the price for it.
This was my first cruise to China. The cruise back to Hong Kong had the exact same itinerary.
This cruise it was my turn to explore Beijing.
Our little tour bus with Lesley and Anthea.
Lunch Stop.
At the back Roland Kainhofer and his girlfriend Margunn.
Most of our beautiful staff members I did not know by name.
First Cook Cold Pantry Eschlimann from Switzerland. First Baker Bernhard Meusburger from Mellau.
Felix Sailer an I visited the kitchen.
They did not have fridges or freezers at their facility.
The preparation kitchen on the rear.
Beijing here we come.
Tiananmen Square.
Mao Mausoleum.
As China slowly opened up there were many Chinese tourists everywhere and they took pictures like crazy.
Unfortunately I cannot find a pictures with the children with the slit on their little pants.
The next morning in front of our hotel.
The Great Wall with a lenght of 6260 km.
This was an incredible feeling for me. Now I was sitting here looking at one of the modern Seven Wonders of the world.
Chichén Itzá, Mayan ruins on the Yucatán Peninsula (Mexico), Great Wall of China, (People's Republic of China), Cristo Redentor, statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Colosseum, ancient amphitheater in Rome (Italy), Machu Picchu, Inca ruined city in the Andes (Peru), Petra, rock city (Jordan), Taj Mahal, mausoleum (India)
Me and Bernhard.
A meal in the evening.
The following morning
Forbidden City.
On the way to the Summer Palace.
Heading back to Xingang.
This was a very rewarding experience for all of us.
On April 24. 1984 I moved to the Purser's office and became the first male Receptionist in Royal Viking Line's history.
There was an opening and knowing, that I would be F&B Controller the following contract, this probably made sense to Signe and Franz.
With my colleague Robin from Canada.
Urs Keller was probably happy to get rid of me. After my apprenticeship, I did not go and work at hotels with international standards. I learnt a solid foundation in Mellau, but not the fancy stuff. I went back to school instead and did my exams.
I was happy to move out from the cabin, I shared with Heinz Sohm. He had a girl-friend Barkeeper from Switzerland and sleeping below them was not an easy task. In addition, I was not used to the physical work any more having been to school for the past 5 years. Im moved in with a Deck steward from California.
Then we did another two cruises into mainland China.
the Royal Viking Star docked at Ocean Terminal in Hong Kong.
May 17. 198 Norwegian Constitutional Day in port of Shanghai.
Captain Harsheim was doing a very nice speech and we all joined the parade on promenade Deck.
On the last cruise of the season our passengers were put up in the brand new Great Wall Sheraton Hotel Beijing. This improved the Beijing experience tremendously.
On the last China cruise this season I took over as Night Auditor. Now I had a single cabin for the first time. Actually not really. There were not enough crew bunks at that time so Bellhop Michael Cancilla from Sausalito, California move in. We slept in one bed, he during the night and I during the day.
Viking Chronicle
The last cruise ended in Yokohama, Japan.
The Royal Viking Star in the port of Yokohama
I went for lunch with Bernhard. As we stepped down the gangway a school class of little girls in there uniforms were passing by. The looked at Bernhard and started giggling. They probably have never seen such a tall man.
Bernhard was in the start-up team of the Royal Viking star in 1973. Later on he took a break and returned for this contract. So he also had to pay for his flight ticket back home. It was als cook Manfred Jaud's first contract. Bernhard suggested that his cousin Dr. Norbert Bischofberger should search for cheap tickets in San Francisco.
Norbert is a son of the Hotel Sonne in Mellau. He studied bio chemistry in Innsbruck and at the ETH in Zurich. Now he was teaching at Stanford University and was co-founder of Gilead Sciences in the Bay Area of San Francisco. Through his research some of the big problems on this planet could be solved. Tamiflu a medication against bird flue, a single pill a day medication for people with aids to live comfortably today with the disease and the only cure for people with hepatitis C.
Bernhard sent off a letter in Hong to Norbert asking him to get tickets for the three of us.
Many of the passengers stayed on board because they had booked the crossing via Honolulu and Maui, Hawaii to San Francisco. The rest boarded in Yokohama, Japan.
Sailing up to Hawaii was not a pleasure trip for the crew. The Royal Viking Star had been gone from US waters for many month and a visit from the almighty inspector Mr. Yashuk from the US Public Health Service was to be expected.
Grill Cook Harald Schulze.
On the way to Hawaii.
I was happy, not to work in the galley any more. The F&B departments and housekeeping had so-called station or general cleaning more or less every evening after service.
Of course I had a hot wire to my friends in the galley. This was the time when wooden work tools were forbidden. So cooking spoons, cutting boards and chopping blocks had to go. But there were no plastic substitutes on the market yet. Therefore the habit of hiding stuff in the cooks' cabins during inspection started because of this.
Anyway Yashuk boarded the vessel in Honolulu, Hawaii and we passed inspection.
The following day we anchored off Lahaina, Maui
Bernhard and I went over to the Princess Hotel. There you could swim from the pool beneath a waterfall into a bar set up in the water.
For the first time the feeling for the upcoming holiday as captured me. It has been a busy 6 month an I was longing for my family and friends back home.
On June 22. 1984 we arrived in San Francisco.
The Royal Viking Star docked at Pier 35 in San Francisco, USA.
Bernhard and I were standing on Promenade Deck looking for Norbert on the pier. He was waving at us and then we knew, everything will be just fine. We signed off and said Good Bye to the Royal Viking Star.
Already a few years later on you could not set one foot off the ship, unless the Crew Purser could show a flight ticket to the Immigration Officer on board, which got you out of the United States the same day.
Then Norbert broke then news to us. Due to the Olympic Games this summer in Los Angeles it was almost impossible to get any flight tickets to Europe. In any case our flights to Zurich were in two weeks time. I was really sad to hear that. Norbert had already packed up his car with tent and cooking utensils. So we went by car through Yosemite and Death Valley to Las Vegas and on the way back via Santa Cruz to San Francisco.
But first we went across the Golden Gate Bridge to bid our Grand Lady farewell on her way to Alaska.
Manfred, Bernhard, me and Norbert.
Yosemite Valley.
Grand Canyon.
Empty car battery.
Death Valley.
Las Vegas.
Bryce Canyon.
The Marina at Lake Mead.
Norbert, me and Bernhard at a Café in front of the Embarcadero Center in San Francisco.
After vacation, I would do my training for F&B Controller here.
The Royal Viking Line headquarters in Embarcadero Center One on the top two floors. (39 and 40)
So finally the three of us went home to Austria on a well deserved vacation.
End of Part I
Some of the destination pictures I have taken from the Internet.
Some of the pictures I have pinched from the RVL Facebook groups. If somebody would like to have his/her picture removed, I will certainly do so.
I would like to thank the following people for fotos, materials and /or information.
Hannes Furlan, Hubert Moosbrugger, Luis Moosmann, Remy Chartois, Stefan Beindl, Peter Lago, Maria Goodfellow, Michael Edletzberger, Frans van Walle, Bernhard Meusburger, Ranveig Gro Bredal, Lynda Paris, Dianne Bunt, Jim Droney.
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Klaus Riezler.
