For many people, whether on land or at sea, it is part of the Christmas tradition: the "Greetings on board" will once again sweeten the festive season for some this year. The traditional programme was first broadcast on Christmas Eve 1953 via Norddeich Radio, a maritime radio station in East Frisia. Today, there are many ways - including modern ones - to follow the programme.
Greetings can be sent in until 8 December
"If 'Greetings on board' didn't already exist, it would have to be invented right now," says Susanne Stichler, who will be hosting the radio classic for the first time this year. Almost 90 per cent of all objects that surround us are handled by shipping. Nowadays, we initiate the transport of goods worldwide as a matter of course with just one click. "Who are the people travelling the world's oceans for us, how do their families cope with the months-long sea voyages?" Stichler and the "Greetings on board" team are looking forward to the answers.
But it's not just on container ships that people spend Christmas at sea - they also spend it on expeditions in the Antarctic, on cruise ships, on tall ships and as sea rescuers, to name but a few. Numerous sailing crews on long-distance cruises also often celebrate Christmas away from home. Or many schoolchildren who are travelling the Atlantic or the Caribbean on the "sailing classrooms" with various square-rigged ships.
Wishes for all these people at sea can be sent to NDR until 8 December. Either by e-mail to gruss-an-bord@ndr.de or as a voice message via the Messenger function in the NDR Info App.
The recording of the greetings will take place on 3 Advent at the Duckdalben Seamen's Mission in Hamburg over coffee and gingerbread. They will then be broadcast on NDR Info on Christmas Eve from 8pm to 10pm. And on a wide variety of channels and technical channels.
Livestreams, app and shortwave radio
The live streams of the programme can be found on NDR Info and NDR Info Spezial. It is also possible to listen to the programme via the NDR Radio app. NDR Info can also be received via FM, DAB+ and DVB-S radio, NDR Info Spezial via DAB+ and DVB-S radio.
NDR Hörfunk has leased short-wave frequencies so that the greetings also reach the ship's crews and crews on the high seas and in harbours around the world: During the period from 6 to 9 pm UTC (7 p.m. to 10 p.m. CET) the shortwave transmits on the following frequencies:
- Europe: 6080 kHz
- Atlantic - Northwest: 15770 kHz
- Atlantic - South: 13830 kHz
- Atlantic-Northeast: 6030 kHz
- Indian Ocean: 9635 kHz
- Atlantic/Indian Ocean/(South Africa): 11650 kHz
