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Costa Flavia 1970
For those of you that enjoy a bit of nostalgia, I’ve scanned and restored the of 35mm slides from my parents 1970 cruise to Nassau on the Costa Flavia. If you look at these pictures you can see the sheer joy of a cruise vacation for a bunch of 30 something couples. There are several picture that will bring back memories of the old days of cruising. With no dedicated area for the lunch buffet, you’ll see an outdoor buffet set up. There is also a great picture of Costa’s famous Italian night and their famous Italian waiters.
Check out our new Coat Flavia 1970 Cruise album.
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The Flavia was a terrific experience. I was the singer and Assistant Cruise Director of The T/S Flavia for all of 1969 and part of 1970. Comedian and Cruise Director Hal Fisher and I were the only U.S.A. citizens employed by the Costa Cruise Line’s Flavia. All others were hired out of Genoa, Italy, point of origin of the Flavia.
Everything about the lovely cruise ship was enjoyable–from the pool, the dining rooms, the huge show room, the after hours dance room, the two off-beat hideaway bars, the entertainment (of course),…everything was lovely. It’s hard to believe I was paid for it.
Most memorable, I suppose, was the week that the Onasis yacht, The Christina, berthed beside us in Nassau. Jackie and the children could be seen strolling to and from the famous outdoor Straw Market. Ethyl Kennedy visited one of the weekends. I recall that, as we departed Nassau one Friday evening, the sun setting, Onasis stood on the deck of the Christine and kept pulling a cord which blew his loud boat whistle in a ‘goodbye’ to the Flavia and its passengers. Fond Memories of the Flavia… Vance Garnett
Vance,
Thank you so much for sharing your fond memories of the Costa Flavia. My parents have such fond memories of that cruise ship as well. A few years later we all cruised on Costa’s World Renaissance. I have very fond memories of that cruise, the wonderful Italian food. Did you stay in the cruise industry after you finished your time on the Flavia or did you move on to other pursuits?
Nice to hear back so quickly and to share fond memories of the grand old Flavia, 16,000 tons of Lady. I did go on to other pursuits, actually. I started playing club dates in Miami — Desert Inn,Deauville, Eden Roc, etc. Then I returned to Washington, D.C. I also worked at Clubsaround here. I used my knowledge of music to become a champion contestant on the NBC game show, “Name That Tune,” and the all-expense-paid trip to Hawaii I won was nice. Later I teamed with the late Audree O’Connel, a wonderful vocalist-pianist, and we played clubs around the capital city. We had a hot act — I say that because one place we worked burned down on a Saturday night after we’d performed there and closed up the place.
However, I would often think back on those Flavia days. I hope your parents are well. Please extend regards from Flavia Cruise Director Hal Fisher and yours truly, Vance Garnett
Thanks Vance,
Mom and Dad are still well and still cruising. They have been able to take advantage of the Galveston Home Port and do quite a few cruises on Carnival and Royal Caribbean. They are planing their next cruise for summer 2009. They are hoping to take the Stattendam to Alaska.
Pretty cool about the Name That Tune winnings. I love to play that on the cruise ships but all I’ve ever won is a key chain or a beach bag.
My family took a cruise at Christmas in 1970. Met several folks we were lucky to meet like “Captain Hiway” and 3 guys from South Africa-hi guys. I had a lot of fun and was never board. I will always remember the great times on and off ship in the Bahamas. Great shows at the casino on Freeport Island. Fun sailing to all the fine workers that took care of us and the beautiful “Flavia”. Erich H…
“Cruise Arizona” and “Eric H, and other Cruise lovers”:
Keep those nostalgic memory-bubbles comin’! Eric, you mention the Freeport shows. How about the crew’s colorful tarantella aboard the Flavia! The shows at the Junkanoo in downtown Nassau
featuring the limbo (”How low can you go?”). The shows at the Paradise Island Hotel & Casino (”the only game in town” at that time) in the lounge and in the big Show Room. Freddie the Maitre’d was a great guy and manager of the casion, Eddie Ciellini, was tiptop. People came from all over the East Coast to gamble, or, as they say nowadays, “enjoy the gaming.” One night I got to talk with two such visitors: Sidney Poitier and Sammy Davis Jr. They were there together just to enjoy some games of chance and catch the show in the show room. A special moment was watching Bobby Darin and Jean Simmons film a scene from the movie, “Happy Ending,” in front of the hotel. And then there were the small non-touristy thatched-roof bars dotting the island, like the Big Bamboo.
Brett and Anne Pechuls — Cruise Arizona’s parents — here!
We have wonderful memories of our very first cruise on the Flavia with three other couples from Atlanta. The Flavia was truly a gem!
Today’s cruise ships are modern technological marvels, but they just don’t have the charm and intimacy of the Flavia and similar older ships. The Commodore’s Boheme comes to mind as one of these old treasures.
In late 1976, we took a cruise on a similar small ship — the Bon Vivant — to Nassau and Freeport. Our daughters and one of their grandmothers went with us.
A toast to the old ships and memories!
~Anne and Brett
Hello, Brett and Anne of the sterling Flavia days,
It’s always great to “talk” with fine folks like you who remember those fun-filled days (and nights) aboard the Flavia. Yes, those older ships were great. Berthed beside us was, of course, the Starward and the Sunward and the Thisward and the Thatward–they dazzled, but you mentioned “charm and intimacy,” and that they didn’t have. There was, however, one fine smaller ship which paralleled our schedule–an elegant vessel called the Ariadne. (One of the cruise ship afficionados reading this will probably remember and provide accurate spelling of he name.) The singer aboard was a pal of mine at the time.
One of the few regrets I had regarding the Flavia in the 1969 year was that it didn’t have TV,…so I missed seeing the lunar landing live, that “giant step for mankind.” Next day in Nassau I went to a little bar and watched the “replays.” Many of the natives did not believe it had really happened: “Hollywood’s been doin’ that for years,” some said;
“God’s not gonna let no man step on the moon.” Other than that “It was great fun/And it was not just one of those things.”
Warmest wishes to you, your lovely daughter, and your Atlanta friends and fellow travelers,
Vance