the good ship ‘Minghua’

A great time for all on the good ship ‘Minghua’

MS Minghua (the Spirit of China), what a name to build a dream on! My husband, Captain Brett Hilder and I, are always looking for a ship to take us to Pacific ports, without having to join a large cruise ship with about 2000 passengers. Earlier this year we read of a ship from China that was about to enter the South Pacific trade, alternating her itinerary with trips to Manila, Hong Kong, Shanghai and other Asian ports.

We waited until Minghua was to make South Pacific voyage 10, when she was to call at our favourite islands, where we have a lot of happy memories and many friends in each port. Voy age SP 10 sailed from Brisbane an June 16, for Cairns, Port-Vila, Suva (where I was born), Nuku alofa and Auckland, and then

returning to Sydney.

The long-established firm of Burns, Philp are the agents for Minghua in Australia, New Zea and, the Pacific islands and the East. My husband served with BP’s for 42 years, rising from ;adet to commodore before BP’s ;old their fleet in 1970. We herefore were given VIP treat nent, with a beautiful cabin on he boat deck with two beds, easy :hairs and table, plenty of space o move.

Minghua is a graceful ship of 15 000 tonnes, 168 m long 22m n beam, twin pro

pellers, with two Danish B & W engines giving 24 000 horse power. Her cruising speed is 17 'fi knots, her maximum speed 20 knots. But one day during our voyage she attained 21 knots.

She was built in France in 1962 by the Atlantic Shipyards at St Nazaire and was first named Ancerville. She was then a three class ship but since being bought by China is now one-class. She is a good sea vessel, has stabilisers that work well, and is air conditioned. She has a capacity for 550 passengers, but generally has been carrying about 300.

We were amazed at the high standard of the passengers, among whom the age group 30- 65 predominated, and there were no hippies to mar our joy in this truly elegant ship.

Captain Chien Fang An was the senior Master, and appeared at all social functions, but a second Captain, Li Yong Heng, was also carried. Mr Wu was Chief Engineer. On the day we sailed from Brisbane the Captain gave a ‘welcome-aboard’ cocktail party at 6 pm for all passengers in the main lounge, with dress formal. My husband always travels well equipped and there was a surprisingly large pro portion of men in dinner jackets.

We were introduced to Captain Chien by Carol Fletcher, one of the several charming Australian girls who travel in the ship in

various capacities to assist pass engers, acting as hostesses and seeing that all passengers’ wants are attended to immediately.

Captain Chien is a smiling man of great charm. The cocktail party was followed by a ‘wel come aboard’ dinner. It was my birthday and I was very surprised during dinner to hear the execu tive chef de cuisine , Monsieur Andre, approaching singing ‘Happy birthday to you’, and bearing a beautifully decorated birthday cake for me, arranged diplomatically with one candle and bright little paper shunshades. This nice touch of welcome was repeated through out the voyage for each birthday or anniversary. Monsieur Andre was formerly of the Savoy Hotel, London, and on the ships Oriana, Viking Sky and Sea Princess.

The head chef was Mr Chang Tse-Pu. Following dinner was a choice of entertainments for all tastes.

At sea next morning and during each day of the voyage we were given a programme of events of the day. At the head of the sheet was ‘Word for the day’ in Chinese, for example ‘Chin’, (pronounced Ching) and meaning ‘Please’. Another was ‘Shay Shay’, for thank you.

Each day we were given a different word which we prac tised on our table steward, who thought it a great joke. These smiling men spoke practically no English and were given English lessons each day. We ordered our meals by numbers as the stew ards could not read the menu.

This system, used in other ships I have travelled in, works very well. In Minghua I was never once brought the wrong order.

The programme for the day started at 6.30 am, with early morning tea or coffee in the lounge on A deck. Following this, every half hour seemed to have some form of entertainment for

those who wanted it. Starting with Yoga with Helga at 8 am.

Helga is the charming wife of Captain Arthur Cole, formerly of Burns, Philp, and although they were both travelling as passen gers, Helga, a Yoga expert, offered her services and her class was readily attended by the energetic ones.

Following breakfast at 8.30, one found friends in the ‘Head ache & Hang-over Bar’, or at a ‘Get Fit’ class, or dancing with Clare in her ‘Left-footers’ danc ing class’. At 10 am the ship’s mileage tote was opened to guess the day’s run to noon. At noon the mileage was announced. My husband Brett won on the first day, just to prove to himself that he had not lost his expertise during his first year of retirement - after that effort he did not enter the tote again.

Two-thirty pm was movie time for those not wanting a siesta.

The ship’s large cinema has an excellent sound system. The films shown were current ones, of popular appeal. The same pro gramme was repeated at 8.30 pm. At one stage the air conditioning in the theatre went haywire and the temperature dropped alarmingly. It was hil arious to see movie-goers, myself included, wearing fur coats, heavy sweaters and wrapped in rugs, when Minghua was steam ing between Port-Vila and Suva, But everyone took it in good part.

For the young at heart or those who liked loud music, the Ritz Disco was the place to go. The Ritz opened at 10 pm, and continued on until the early hours. Tea, coffee and snacks were available.

The staff of girls and the cruise director worked tirelessly decorating the main lounge with balloons and appropriate decor ations for some different function each night. We had the usual fancy dress ball, an Island night, French night, Tarzan and Jane, and a Chinese banquet.

There was generally one Chinese dish on the menu daily in the dining room some passengers had hoped for more.

The food was of good quality and nicely served.

Captain Chien was proud to show the passengers over the bridge of his ship. Two days after leaving Cairns it was announced that passengers could go to the bridge in order those from decks D & C first, then decks B & A, and finally promenade; and boat decks. We were therefore the last party to arrive, and although Captain Chien had been talking all morning, he had lost none of his enthusiasm when our party arrived. Minghua is equipped with the most modern satellite navigator, but the officers were also using the traditional sextants for naviga tion. The captain will not use the automatic pilot, but keeps a man at the helm at all times, insisting that automatic equipment can go wrong, however modern it may be. My husband heartily agreed.

TTie satellite navigator is a big black box which prints out the ihip’s position, course and speed it every second of GMT.

Captain Chien graduated Yom Dairen Nautical College in 1953, and spent four years on

the China coast. He then served on the England-Europe run, and now speaks about half a dozen languages fluently, including German and Polish.

Captain Chien has been Mas ter of Minghua since August 1979, when the ship was in Hong Kong for a refit and big engine overhaul.

The sea during the whole cruise was remarkably calm, except when leaving Auckland, the last port before Sydney.

Minghua changed course to avoid a low coming across from Tasmania, but the wind force reached 8, and the sea was rough.

Next morning at breakfast many passengers were conspicuous by their absence. Halfway through breakfast they began appearing, and I was intrigued to notice that they all had about half an inch of adhesive tape stuck behind each ear. I could not contain my interest, and on asking was told that one of the ship’s Chinese doctors had stuck it on for them, assuring them that it was an age old Chinese cure for sea-sickness.

After watching the former ailing ones settling down to a hearty

breakfast, 1 feel that this simple remedy probably works.

The solo entertainers aboard Minghua were people known

internationally. Commencing

with Edith Dahl, comedienne, billed as ‘the Wackiest Dame in Show Business’. This statuesque blonde with peaches-and-cream complexion made no secret that she had been born at Seattle in 1904. Passengers found this hard to believe when she was dressed in a beautifully beaded gown slit to the thigh.

Edwin Duff, with his spendid voice, entertained the passengers with popular songs with hardly a break. Born in Dundee, Scotland, as a baby he accompanied his mother to the theatre where she worked daily. Edwin told me that the theatre was his ‘baby-sitter’.

Jose Daroya, arranger and composer is a gentle Filipino who charmed the passengers with his playing on the electric organ in the cocktail lounge before and after dinner.

The Total Entertainer was Clare Thomas, ‘the girl with the roving mike’. All passengers en joyed her singing as she has that

certain style which goes over well with all age groups. Dancing around the floor with her mike she encouraged the audience to sing along with her. At times she appeared to be in her twenties, but she proudly assured us that she was a grandmother. Clare was a good performer and was always beautifully gowned. She taught the ‘Left-footers’ danc ing class daily at 11 am, and many men and women finished the trip much better dancers, thanks to Clare’s classes.

Last but by no means least was Mario Malaga, a teenager who played the grand piano in the main lounge. I am sure this young man will soon be heard on the leading concert platforms of the world. One passenger, a music teacher, said of Mario: ‘This boy is one pianist in ten million; he has an extraordinary gift’, and we heartily agreed.

Now that the new Minghua brochure is printed, my husband and I are trying to decide which trip we will do next, as from now on Minghua , with her smiling captain, officers and crew, will definitely be our ship.