Bertram's logbook

And now the parade with the sparklers!

I confess, last night I got stuck zapping through an old episode of Traumschiff...

Back then it was still being filmed on the MS Deutschland - a ship that I never really liked because it was just too stuffy, stuffy, stuffy and always reminded me a bit of a floating boudoir with all its red plush, the fake stucco elements and the highly polished gold fittings ... But in its day it was considered the ultimate in luxury at sea. It's incredible how the cruise industry has changed since then! Or can anyone today still imagine a 5* ship with just five balcony cabins and a single restaurant where meals were served in two sittings? The daily routine was also very different back then: Right after breakfast, you were already looking forward to the 10 o'clock bouillon on deck and before dinner, you were not initially concerned with your aperitif, but mainly with the dress code: Would a light-colored suit without a tie suffice today or would it have to be the classic black suit with a tie or a dinner jacket and bow tie?
Thankfully, we are miles away from such requirements today. Instead of morning bouillon, there is now a full program around the clock and instead of a strict dress code, there are usually so many dining outlets on board that you can decide for yourself whether you want to dine in a shirt and jeans or a tux and evening dress.

And the audience has also changed a lot: While 20 years ago I was often mistaken for a crew member in civilian clothes ("Young man, can you check the drain in my cabin?" - "Madam, I'm not the on-board plumber, but a passenger traveling with you, completely unskilled and now in my early 30s, so thank you for the young man"), I felt quite old (and clumsy) on my last cruise during the yoga session by the pool.

The fact that the industry has changed so much in such a short space of time was probably due to a whole host of factors - from the technical possibilities that suddenly allowed mega liners for up to 7,000 passengers, to the trend towards slowing down and the desire to travel slowly. The fact that we are now facing the next big change came as a complete surprise. But it will certainly be much more serious than the last one.

Incidentally, I have just googled the MS Deutschland. It is now sailing for Phönixreisen under its old name: a week of "Spring magic in Fjord Norway" can currently be booked from 799 euros in a 3-bed (!) cabin on the helmsman's deck. Stuffy, stuffy, bourgeois? I think I'll go for it anyway. Who knows what will follow ...

And now the parade with the sparklers!

Jörg Bertram

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