# Sailaway streamers



## shamrock

Back in the day when passenger ships looked like ships and not blocks of flats that moved....we would throw a few tons of paper streamers and poppers over the side as we sailed away from the quayside at the start of a voyage (==D) 

I used to love doing that...really added to the party atmosphere (==D) 

Nowadays its a case of a band (if you're lucky) by the pool and hyper expensive cocktails with daft paper umbrellas poking out of them at sailaway (Smoke) 

Why can't we have our streamers and party poppers again?

It's not like you can't buy environmentally friendly, recycled streamers that melt to nothing in water...

I miss my streamer throwing when leaving the port...anyone else?


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## Ian6

Yes, those streamers were great but in the era of passenger ships carrying families to a new life half a world away they were also the cause of much sentiment. 'Breaking the last link' as it were. 
Often times the very last link was the GPO telephone line which gave a good 'twang' as it broke. Despite departure times being known long in advance the little green van was usually late. That last link got a cheer when it snapped.
Ian


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## Pompeyfan

Have not seen that for years, not since 'line voyages' in fact when relatives and friends was able to stand on dockside streamers galore from the Prom Deck in particular. It was the same or even more in Sydney and Auckland, people crowding the Circular Quay passenger terminal and Princes Wharf at Auckland, now a hotel. 

Having said that, there were a few poppers, possibly a few streamers and party atmosphere at the start of Oriana's world cruise a few years ago, but nothing like the old days with streamers held by those on board and at dockside breaking only when the ship moved away. 

In those days, it was saying goodbye, sometimes forever. But cruises are different, they are back before you know they are gone?!.


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## shamrock

I am wondering if something might be done aboard Allegra next year in Singapore. It will be her final departure after 5 years of weekly visits/semi-homeporting for the ship when we leave for Italy on April 4th.

Would be nice to mark her leaving the traditional way


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## Dickyboy

shamrock said:


> Back in the day when passenger ships looked like ships and not blocks of flats that moved....we would throw a few tons of paper streamers and poppers over the side as we sailed away from the quayside at the start of a voyage (==D)
> 
> I used to love doing that...really added to the party atmosphere (==D)
> 
> Nowadays its a case of a band (if you're lucky) by the pool and hyper expensive cocktails with daft paper umbrellas poking out of them at sailaway (Smoke)
> 
> Why can't we have our streamers and party poppers again?
> 
> It's not like you can't buy environmentally friendly, recycled streamers that melt to nothing in water...
> 
> I miss my streamer throwing when leaving the port...anyone else?


They used to do that on the Franconia on the NY-Bermuda run, even though they were back inside a week. Some of us junior ratings used to chuck the odd bog roll in the other direction hand grenade style. They were enviromently friendly, and travelled a lot further. We got caught though.(==D)


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## ray bloomfield

38 days cruising aboard Costa Allegra from Singapore to Savona coming up in March 2010 and it can't come soon enough!

I was always told never to wish ones life away, cos the end will come soon enough, an you're a bloody long time dead


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## Leith Lass

*Streamers*

Streamers are banned at Southampton for evironmental reasons, and also because they were sticking to the huge buoys that are attached to the quay. I suppose if the 30th / 31st August are anything to go by, when there's four huge ships each day = a lot of paper. We have not been able to throw streamers at sailaway for three years now.


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## Alasdair Cook

Yes i noticed when we sailed away from Southampton on 18th October on the Black Watch no streamers or brass band! as had happened on my last cruise back in 1981 on SS UGANDA. i felt quite let down. Might have been sailing on the Isle of Wight ferry! I wondered if it was incase we strangled someone with a streamer! But why no Brass band? surely there is nothing environmentaly freindly against them or is it noise pollution!


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