2009 M/S Mount Washington Cruises

[Rattlesnake Gal]

The Mount (http://www.cruisenh.com/index.html) has a new cruise schedule this year.
Printable evening schedule. (http://www.cruisenh.com/EveningSchedule.pdf)

Monday through Friday there will only be one cruise from Weirs Beach that will not stop in any other ports.

Saturday and Sunday there will be two cruises per day. Saturday’s stop will be in Wolfeboro and Sunday’s will be in Alton Bay.

July and August there will be a second cruise on Friday mornings that will stop and pick up passengers in Wolfeboro.

There will be two fall foliage cruises per day with stops in Wolfeboro Monday through Friday and Alton Bay on Sunday.

The Dinner Dance schedule (http://www.cruisenh.com/schedule.html)has also been scaled back to four nights a week.

Cruise NH (http://www.cruisenh.com/index.html) has dropped the price of Saturday evening cruises from $53 to $49.
With twenty or more in your party, be sure to ask for a group discount.
Wednesday evenings children 12 and under cruise for free - limit of two children free per family. Youth ages 13 – 16 get $10 off the adult price.
Monday evenings get a $10 discount for anyone 60 and over - ID required.

Season pass packages and gift certificates are available. (http://www.cruisenh.com/cgi-bin/store52/agora.cgi?product=GiftCertificate)

Check out this interesting video where Captain, Jim Morash describes the history of the Mount Washington's. (http://web.me.com/mediavideo1/Out_To_find/MSMTWashington.html)

Full moon:
Saturday,May 9th
Sunday, June 7th
Tuesday July 7th
Thursday, August 6th
Friday, September 4th
Sunday, October 4th

Looking forward to the 2009 boating season. Have fun!

[Pineedles]

It appears RG that there will be no stop at Centre Harbor, very sad. I guess the Monday only visit last year still didn't draw enough passengers. I remember standing on the dock as a youngster with my cousins imploring the Captain to 'blow your horn"; and most times he would accomodate us directly in front of the dock as they approached CH's docks.

Hopefully, this will not be the final schedule for future years and the Mount will be coming back to CH some day. It is understandable though, and I wish the Steamship company and their employees the best in these trying times.

In the meantime I will post the last picture I took last year of the Mount leaving CH.

[WINNOCTURN]

It appears RG that there will be no stop at Centre Harbor, very sad. I guess the Monday only visit last year still didn't draw enough passengers. I remember standing on the dock as a youngster with my cousins imploring the Captain to 'blow your horn"; and most times he would accomodate us directly in front of the dock as they approached CH's docks.

Hopefully, this will not be the final schedule for future years and the Mount will be coming back to CH some day. It is understandable though, and I wish the Steamship company and their employees the best in these trying times.

In the meantime I will post the last picture I took last year of the Mount leaving CH.

What about the stop in Meredith?

[Rattlesnake Gal]

It does not look like there will be any port stops other than Wolfeboro, Alton Bay and of course Weirs Beach.

[WINNOCTURN]

I think I recall some time this winter reading some thing in the Meredith News about the lease for the dock was do to be re-negotiated. Maybe things did not work out with the Town?

Doris E Schedule.

http://www.cruisenh.com/doris.html

[Webbsatwinni]

Were there just not enough passengers to center harbor to support the route?

We only went once last year, this year we are buying the family pass and plan on doing a night cruise or two with friends that will be visiting.

On a side note, does this change the ice out criteria? Only 3 ports need to be clear of ice?

[Pineedles]

Were there just not enough passengers to center harbor to support the route?

We only went once last year, this year we are buying the family pass and plan on doing a night cruise or two with friends that will be visiting.

On a side note, does this change the ice out criteria? Only 3 ports need to be clear of ice?


Good question Webbsatwinni! I wonder if it does change the critieria? Who is the judge for the official ICE-OUT rules?

From what I saw last year there were very few passengers embarking from CH on Mondays, even in decent weather.

[fpartri497]

thanks RG for posting the video of Capt. jim morash It was great. very enjoyable to watch.

:D

[rander7823]

One of our favorite things to do was ride to Wolfeboro get off shop & have lunch and catch the ship back to the Wiers. The girls are going to be heartbroken. One less thing to do on vacation now.

[WeirsBeachBoater]

One of our favorite things to do was ride to Wolfeboro get off shop & have lunch and catch the ship back to the Wiers. The girls are going to be heartbroken. One less thing to do on vacation now.

July 1- Sept 6, The Mount is scheduled to make the trip to Wolfeboro. So the girls can still get their Lunch and shopping in!

[Resident 2B]

July 1- Sept 6, The Mount is scheduled to make the trip to Wolfeboro. So the girls can still get their Lunch and shopping in!

WBB,

The issue is the Mount will only go there once a day. The girls would either have to walk back swim bach or stay overnight.

We also enjoyed taking the Mount to Wolfeboro; shopping, eating then returning to the Weirs later in the day. That will no longer be possible. :(

R2B

[WeirsBeachBoater]

Maybe I am reading wrong, but it appears on the site that from July-Sept the Mount will be doing 2 cruises a day on Friday and Saturday. Take the morning, stay in Wolfeboro for 2.5 hrs return on the afternoon.

[Resident 2B]

WBB,

You are correct about being able to do this on Firdays and Saturdays during the summer months.

R2B

[rander7823]

I read it 3 times and still thought that wasn't possible. But I like your interpretation better. We'll check to make sure though....like to swim but without our red/orange caps we might get run over on the way back.:)

[WeirsBeachBoater]

WBB,

You are correct about being able to do this on Firdays and Saturdays during the summer months.

R2B

I have been reading the cryptic brochures for years. ;) and I know a Guy if you know what I mean. LOL

[rick35]

Every time I saw the Mount up close last season I thought there weren't enough people on board to pay for the cost of the fuel. I commented to my wife several times that I was surprised that they hadn't reduced the number of trips each day. Like everything else the Mount is affected by the economy and reducing the number of daily trips is a far better outcome than stopping operations altogether. Can any of us imagine the Lake without the Mount? The Mount is one of the few majestic symbols of whats great about New Hampshire. We lost the Old Man a few years ago. Lets hope we don't lose the Mount too.

Rick

[fatlazyless]

Instead of cruis'n Lake Winnipesaukee's three hour trip in the luxury of the Mount and using up all that 4-dollar diesel fuel, maybe they want to find some old Grumman aluminum 'war' canoes that can hold eight paddlers and one stern-steer, fearless leader in the stern . "......ugh.....shut up and paddle....Wolfeboro is just up there, a ways!"

Picture this........for just twenty bucks each ....eight paddlers gets to paddle the lake and turn a three hour luxury cruise into an all-day paddle.


Hey, what ever happened to the Queen of Winnipesaukee, that 46', two masted sailing schooner that was based out of the Weirs? On a breezy Saturday or Sunday, that boat would get so many passengers, all crammed on deck, lining the rails with legs out over the gunnels, that it looked like a boat load of boat people trying to escape across the ocean to Miami. :D

[John A. Birdsall]

As I look back at the mounts organization over the last 50 plus years it seems to me as they cut the cruises back, they cut the people going on it.
When the mount made two daily cruises m-s to Alton Bay it seemed to me to be full as they cut the cruises there seemed to be less and less aboard.

Yes, today the cost of fuel and upkeep must be horrific and perhaps they need to cut back. But perhaps it might be better to put the sophie C in say Wolfeboro, the Doris E. in Alton Bay and the Uncle Sam in either Meridth or Center Harbor and due cruises with them as well.

Eh what do I know.:laugh:

[nj2nh]

I remember when the Mount came down to Alton Bay twice a day - every day.

The times they are a changin'.

And not for the better.

nj2nh

[gtxrider]

I to remember to the mount coming twice a day past Sandy Point. The morning cruise signalled it was almost lunch time and the late afternoon meant supper time was close.:liplick:

We tried to get our skiing in before the mount made the morning run down Alton Bay.

[WinnDixie]

Whew! The Mount will be sailing this year! Thanks, Rattlesnake Gal for starting this thread. I am coming up later on this summer and definitely am planning a trip on the Mount...just like the days of yore! I've copied the schedule, and will plank down the $25 and go! I can see where people would miss the extra trips so they could stop over and ride back later. I never did that, so I am just glad it'll still be around. After some of the talk last year I was a little worried. I ,like nj2nh , remember when it went to Alton Bay twice a day, and also when the cruises were about four hours...at least I think they were. I had a brief panic when logging on here, as I forgot my password (old age is annoying!!) for a minute...so my memory might be off a little. But..bottom line...you are right, rick35, we lost the Old Man (which I'll never get over!)...let us never lose the Mount!

[wildwoodfam]

WBB,

You are correct about being able to do this on Firdays and Saturdays during the summer months.

R2B

Looks like the Mount will VISIT Wolfeboro ONCE and Alton Bay ONCE on weekends, but will depart TWICE from the Weirs. Am I reading that wrong?

[WeirsBeachBoater]

Unfortunately, you almost need a Doctorate to understand the brochure. The Mount will only pickup passengers at those ports once, it will visit twice, They have to return the passengers to those ports. Therefore, if you get off on the first cruise you can return on the afternoon run. I hope that helps clarify.

[Ropetow]

Unfortunately, you almost need a Doctorate to understand the brochure.

Nope. Doesn't help. I have one and can't figure the darn schedule out. Maybe what you really need is a Ph.D. in Mount Scheduleology.

[WeirsBeachBoater]

Nope. Doesn't help. I have one and can't figure the darn schedule out. Maybe what you really need is a Ph.D. in Mount Scheduleology.

I stand corrected. That is a good one! :laugh:

[CEP]

Well! I can see that it won't be long before the Mount will be permanently docked at the Weirs as a restaurant.
Tradition? :(

[WinnDixie]

Well! I can see that it won't be long before the Mount will be permanently docked at the Weirs as a restaurant.
Tradition?
Yesterday 09:04 PM
___________________________

Help! You're scaring me!!

[nj2nh]

My husband's mother came over to the US in the 1950's on the first Queen Mary. When we were on our honeymoon in California, the Queen Mary was docked in Long Beach and was a hotel/restaurant. We stayed there one night since my husband wanted to see what it was like. It was cool and beautifully done :coolsm:, but so not a good fate for the grand lady.

Should the Mount ever end up as anything but what it is now, it would just be one more nail in the coffin of Lakes Region tradition. It would just be terrible. :(

nj2nh

[Resident 2B]

I have no relationship with the Mount other than my wife and I have season passes.

If we are to help the Mount's situation, we need to get proactive and we need to do it this summer. Although it is great to see the Mount going by the camp, condo or lake estate, it is even better to be on-board. This goes for both the day and night cruises.

It would be a shame to see the Mount as we know it discontinue operations. However, we can do something to help and that is through purchasing passes and tickets for the cruises. Bring along guests that are visiting and they will get a great perspective of the whole lake and have a great time doing it.

Perhaps the 2009 Winni Forum Fest could be held on the Mount? They have a nice private room on the lower deck. Just a thought!

R2B

[nj2nh]

We take a cruise every summer - no matter how much my kids have come to hate it, hate it, hate it. Of course, they are teens and they hate everything.

Maybe I can get the entire family (husband, two sisters-in-law, one brother-in-law, one niece, one nephew, me and my two boys) to all go this year. That would certainly boost the Mount's ecomony!

nj2nh

[Pineedles]

I have no relationship with the Mount other than my wife and I have season passes.

If we are to help the Mount's situation, we need to get proactive and we need to do it this summer. Although it is great to see the Mount going by the camp, condo or lake estate, it is even better to be on-board. This goes for both the day and night cruises.

It would be a shame to see the Mount as we know it discontinue operations. However, we can do something to help and that is through purchasing passes and tickets for the cruises. Bring along guests that are visiting and they will get a great perspective of the whole lake and have a great time doing it.

Perhaps the 2009 Winni Forum Fest could be held on the Mount? They have a nice private room on the lower deck. Just a thought!

R2B

This is an excellent Resident 2B, suggestion! Hold the 2009 forum on the Mount! Forum fests have always been free but we all know that those of us that show up for them contribute either many hours organizing the getogether or contribute our wares, treasures, or blood sweat and tears to make it a sucess for the sponsered organization or host site. I see no reason why we can't help a private organization this year, as opposed to a non-profit, since we have been giving the gov't so much money already to bail out private firms. Heck, at least we would be helping a company that we all love and want to continue to offer the tradition that many of us grew up with. MY bad ending a sentence with a preposition.

Besides the bad grammar, why not? It would get lot of press coverage if we publicized the fact that a bunch of yahoos were going to help a private company out. Imagine that, citizens who can help the country out of this malaize without the help of gov't bailouts? This is what it is going to take folks. The gov't's planaint workin.

[Argie's Wife]

I haven't had a good excuse to go on the MW yet, so the Forum Fest would be a great one! It is up to the board where they want to go but I'm for this... I also believe we haven't always given to non-profit organizations, as money has been raised for web-cams, etc., as appropriate.

Or we could take this one step further... have the event on the MW and give the proceeds of the raffle to another charity of our pick. This way we'd be helping *2* organizations at the same time.... just a thought...

[Dave M]

If the Mount is making stops at Wolfeboro & Alton Bay, don't they have to return to drop off the passengers that got on. Seems to me you can still do the stop over and get back on. The thing you have to worry about is if you got on at Alton Bay and plan a stop over, will the Mount return there doing their run. We know it will end up at the Weirs so thats a not an issue.

Dave M

[cruisenh]

Firs I want to thank all our friend on the forum for your heartwarming comments. It is good to know we are wanted on the lake. We assure you we intend to keep the M/S Mount Washington a part of the Winnipesaukee landscape for years to come. :)

Here is a few announcements that may be of interest:

The first public cruise of the season is the Mother’s Day Champagne Brunch Cruise on May 10. There are 2 departures from Weirs Beach at 10 AM and 1:30 PM. It includes a buffet brunch and entertainment with dancing for children and families.

Memorial Day Weekend, May 23, 24 & 25
Kids (12 and under) cruise free aboard the M/S Mount Washington during Memorial Day weekend. The offer is good on all daytime cruises from all ports. (Limit 2 kids per adult) See the schedule on line: www.cruiseNH.com

Memorial Day Weekend, May 23, 24 & 25
Veterans and military personnel and their families qualify for a $10 discount on all daytime cruises Memorial Day Weekend.

We look forward to welcoming you on board. We are committed to deliver a quality product and welcome your input.

[Rattlesnake Gal]

I think that R2B has a great idea of ForumFest VI being held on the Mount Washington! Would it be too cost prohibitive for the fester's?

[robmac]

I think it's a great idea !

[Island Girl]

I used to think it was a bad idea. However, I spent a lot of time last summer on the Mount and think it is a great place for an event. Here are my thoughts... feel free to add or argue or whatever!

In the past our events had the following features
· People are used to just showing up and leaving when they want<O:p
· The only costs have been donations to the raffle and any food people brought and raffle tickets
· We brought all of our own food<O:p
· We brought a lot of raffle items<O:p
· Getting someone to organize it is difficult and organizing the event a but stressful!
<O:p
If we go on the Mount<O:p
·People would have to commit ahead of time if we want a group rate (if that is possible)<O:p
·Bringing our own food is probably an issue<O:p
·We might have to pay for space to hold our raffle, of course if the Mount is the recipient of the raffle funds that might help<O:p
·Maybe instead of a raffle, just buying a ticket on the boat is our good will for the year!<O:p
·Organizing might be easier without all the volunteering!<O:p
· The views are spectacular<O:p
·There is indoor and outdoor space, so weather is not an issue<O:p
·We get to see each other again<O:p
·We don’t have to cook<O:p
·We could do it in the summer when more people are around<O:p
·It would show our support for a most important part of our lake culture<O:p
·We could do an evening cruise!
So.. talk among yourselves… it would be nice to settle this early and with good spirit!!
<O:p</O:p
Just my current thoughts<O:p</O:p
IG

[cruisenh]

I think that R2B has a great idea of ForumFest VI being held on the Mount Washington! Would it be too cost prohibitive for the fester's?

We would love to host your Forumfest on the MOUNT. Please contact our ticket office: 603-366-5531 and we will work out something.

I am new at this and slow. The reply above got in before mine. Just want to say that the MOUNT does not want to be recipient of any raffle funds. Things are not that bad! We will, however, be happy to donate some tickets to your raffle.

[Island Girl]

... to organize this years event... come on... step up... you know you want to!!!

As Argie's Wife found out last year... you don't need to be appointed, or blessed by the group.. you just have to start doing it.

We have three people in favor of the Mount right now... in some circles, that is a trend!


IG, who want to be there now

[IslandSib]

Hope this rallys support what a great idea!
Count me in!:cool:

[Argie's Wife]

Just a suggestion...

Although *I* think the MW is fitting there are some drawbacks. I'll list a few I can think of off the top of my head:

Cost
Late comers can't join (unless they're really good swimmers) because once the MW leaves, that's it!
We probably can't bring our own food (not a huge problem but I recall eating some to-die-for chilli someone made last year!)
The fest times are limited to the time we're on the MW
And would they possibly have rules about us holding a raffle? I'd hope not but that's something to consider...


In short... It's a good idea but there might be a BETTER one that suits all nicely.

HOWEVER...

Without being a total buzz kill... a mini-fest there (aka gathering of friends) might really rock at that location.

Just my $0.02.


p.s.
I jumped in to help organize things last year because I didn't want to see the event be a no-go. It was great meeting everyone and the Loon Preservation Center was great!

[Meredith lady]

I, too, think the Mount is a great idea. I didn't attend the Fest last year but would love to go this year.

[Janet]

I'd love to attend also no matter where it's held - however, how 'bout scheduling it in the summer so more people can attend.