[pompeyfan]

CANBERRA PART TWELVE


This is the final episode. Before two Pacific cruises from Sydney, Canberra left Sydney on a three day cruise to knowhere. Below is a message from the captain concerning this cruise.


SS CANBERRA MESSAGE FROM THE CAPTAIN VOYAGE 38

As you are all aware our weekend cruise was marred by the behaviour of some groups of passengers in Tourist Class. I should like to thank all members of the Ship’s Company for their patience and tolerance during that weekend and particularly for the way the ship was cleaned up and made ready for the cruise by noon on Tuesday. As you probably know the Press and Radio in Sydney were commenting on the behaviour of those passengers and I am sure you will be interested to read a statement issued by our Sydney Office to the Press and Radio. It reads as follows:

“Canberra’s Weekend cruise was marred for some passengers in the Tourist Class section by acts of sheer vandalism and hooliganism by some groups of young passengers.

Glasses were smashed, dozens of cigarettes burns were left in the lounge carpets which were laid only a few months ago, lifebuoys were thrown overboard, and fire extinguishers were set off.

Some passengers have complained that the culprits were members of football clubs(rugby). Although several such groups were travelling it is not known whether or not they were responsible for the damage.

At one stage the passengers started to rip the cricket bats and caps from the bulkheads of the Cricketers Bar. One autographed Test Match bat is missing and so is the English County Cap.

The Ship’s Company stripped the bar of every moveable item to save irreplaceable cricketing souvenirs. These are being replaced for Canberra’s ten day cruise beginning at noon to Nuku’alofa, Auckland and back to Sydney.

P&O’s Director of Passenger Services, Mr Kevin Mitchell said today: “We deplore the behaviour of a minority of passengers who behaved like animals and who showed complete disregard for their fellow passengers and property. Attempts were made to quieten them down but they made little effort to respond. Senior Officers patrolled the public rooms and decks until the early hours of each morning but as soon as their back were turned the trouble flared.

Our three-day cruises have been very popular with the Australian holidaymaker. They give an opportunity to those with limited resources to experience a P&O cruise. This is the first time in the history of P&O Cruising that we have had such a problem to this dimension. Because of the events of the weekend we are seriously considering discontinuing these weekend cruises as we would not wish to give the impression that this behaviour is characteristic of P&O cruising. We are determined to maintain our high standards. It is regretted that so many people were deprived of such an opportunity to go cruising but we shall not tolerate this kind of behaviour aboard our ship’s”.

Footnote: The Canberra sailed on Friday night and retuned to Sydney last night. She cruised off the Northern NSW Coast and turned east to Lord Howe Island and Balls Pyramid.

W. B. Vickers
Captain

There was a funny story concerning a night watchman steward who was a former marine. A large man, certainly not one to mess with. He was carrying a plate of sandwiches to a cabin, when one of the drunken passengers told the steward to hand them over. The steward told he could have one sandwich, but not all of them. The passenger punched the steward who did not flinch, dusting himself off before knocking the passenger out whilst still holding the plate of sandwiches. The passenger muttered something like Pommy so and so before hitting the deck. I was called to pick him up. The steward was logged by the captain for hitting a passenger, but on his way out, the ‘Old Man’ said:”Well done” !

I brought my ex wife back on the homeward ‘line voyage’ from Sydney arriving in Southampton on 12th December 1972.