Life On Board
Traditional values, service with a smile.
Compared with today's giant cruise liners, RMS St Helena is a small ship.
There are no theatres, no casinos, no golf ranges.
On the other hand the emphasis is on relaxation. Life on board is far
from frenetic. You can bask in an atmosphere of sun, sea and relaxed, friendly efficiency. Almost nothing is too much trouble
for the officers and staff who believe that one of their responsibilities is to ensure you have an enjoyable voyage.
There are all the traditional ocean-going pastimes of beef tea, the sun deck and swimming pool, deck games, films, discos,
bingo, race nights, quizzes and many other ideas from the fertile minds of the Purser and his staff. Sometimes there is even
cricket!
There is plenty of time to do just what you wish. Lounge on the sun deck by the heated swimming pool with a cool
drink and a book (the ship has a well-stocked library of books, videos and audio tapes. For the interested, RMS St Helena
is an open vessel; you are welcome to visit the bridge or the engine room. You have only to ask.
For the more energetic, the deck games; for the really dedicated or over indulgent, there is the exercise room.
Perhaps, most significant of all, the chance and time to meet new people, converse and make good friends.
Crossing the line
Of course, the Ship also has the compulsory visit of King Neptune to collect his
dues whenever she crosses the line but, to make up for that there is the Captain's cocktail party, one of the great pleasures
of shipboard life.
The pleasures of the table
For the gourmet, the galley is one of the Ship's greatest assets and would
grace many of the world's best restaurants. The chef and his galley staff pride themselves on the quality of the meals they
serve. One of the great pleasures of the ship's day is the six-course dinner served in the attractively appointed dining saloon,
with every senior officer hosting a table.
Both breakfast and lunch may be taken in the dining saloon or, for the more abstemious, continental breakfast and a buffet
lunch are served in the sun lounge.
Any type of special diet can be provided for with pleasure: you simply need to make your requirements known in ample time
before the ship sails to ensure that arrangements may be made to have the ingredients available.
Beef tea is served every day in the sun lounge while the bars in the main and sun lounges are open at lunchtime and in
the evening.
Afternoon tea, with cakes and sandwiches, is served in the main lounge in the afternoon.
Home or hotel - the choice is yours
RMS St Helena has all the facilities of a first class hotel. The
Purser's office provides limited banking facilities, changing travellers' cheques and foreign currency. It also acts as a
post office and information point as well as publishing the Ship's daily newspaper.
There is a shop. Not a supermarket but selling both souvenirs and essentials for the voyage. There is a highly efficient
laundry service to do all your washing and ironing but, should you wish to use it, there is also a personal laundrette fully
equipped with washing, drying and ironing facilities.
Every cabin also has 24-hour steward service but, should you wish to make a cup of tea in the middle of the night, you
are welcome to make use of the facilities in the steward's pantry.
The ship has two very comfortable lounges, both with
fine views Each has a bar with waiting staff to attend to passengers' needs The Hotel Services Officer is also happy to make
arrangements for private cocktail parties in passengers' cabins.
Each Sunday while at sea, divine service is held in the main lounge. Holy Communion, Mass and other religious services
are also held if the relevant priests or ministers are aboard.
Informality amongst the efficiency
This is your holiday, so relax. While swimwear is not allowed in
the dining saloon or other public rooms, dress during the day is very informal as it is during the evening. As a guide to
what to wear at dinner, the ship's newspaper publishes the recommended 'rig of the day' for ship's officers and passengers
may choose, if they wish, to follow suit
All the officers, hotel staff and crew are very friendly. Part of their function is to help you enjoy your time on board.
Every senior officer hosts a table at dinner, so you are able to get to know them well over the course of the voyage.
Fares for the standard sail-fly-stay packages, including the southbound cruise from Portland and the flight back from Cape
Town to London, or the northbound cruise to Portland and flight from London to Cape Town and hotel for one night between the
flight and cruise, as well as two to seven nights on the island of St. Helena, vary between £3,200 and £6,300 pp double occupancy.
