Anyone Here Going to Venice for Nieuw Amsterdam's Dedication and Inaugural Cruise?

[sail7seas]

I know there is a thread about anyone having booked Nieuw Amsterdam but I am curious about anyone specifically booked on the Inaugural and planning to attend the Dedication.

It's a very exciting thing to see a brand new HAL ship Named especially by a Princess.
Hope some here get to experience that wonderful event.

[scottjeanne]

We are booked on the inaugural cruise July 4th through the 14. I have not been given any information about the dedication. Each time you call HAL they give different info and they say an invitation will be issued to each passenger.

This is an odd cruise (or perhps it is normal for inaugurals). We leave Venice on a three day cruise, return to Venice where I think the VIPs will depart and the passengers booked on the 7 day (versus the 10 day) embark. We then return to Venice to disemberk. So we are in Venice three times in 10 days.

[jtl513]

I know Gerd is trying his darnest to get info because he really wants to attend the dedication! :) (And he'll be on the cruise)

[dutchgal46]

Yes, we are on the Nieuw Amsterdam the 4 th of July. I called HAL a couple of weeks ago, asking about the time the ceremonies will begin, after being transfered to 3 different people, I was told they will e-mail me when the time is set, but now I am begining to wonder if I will even hear from them.
I might call them again.
We are really excited to be part of the dedication and to sleep on a " nieuw " ship.

Anneke

[Mary Ellen]

I have a family member who will be a guest of HAL for the ceremony and inaugural cruise. It will be interesting to see how their experience as one of 'The Invited' will differ from our experience as lowly, paying passengers on the Eurodam.

[kaiachris]

We, too, are hoping for something special on the inaugural sailing of the Nieuw Amsterdam. So far we have not received any emails from HAL outlining any special activities...not even a Venice themed costume party!

[Gerd]

..

Hello "jtl513"

You are so right, I search around and around, but HAL or other sources does not release anything about.

I have strong doubts, that they really will contact al July 4 cruiser by E-Mail, because they do have already a huge problem to be in touch with all of us for normal business, so why it should work for this issue ??

But hope will be lost only later-on.

That’s why I will arrive in Venice area, actually at Padua Sheraton, already two days earlier – and I will try to be a board the Ms Nieuw Amsterdam a.s.a.p. on July 4….



Happy cruising

G E R D




Our marvelous cruises : :)

MS Ryndam – Wayfarer – March 1997
MS Noordam - Transatlantic Island Hook - April 2001
MS Volendam - Southern Caribbean - April 2002
MS Volendam - Westfarer Caribbean - April 2004
MS Prinsendam - Windmills & Waterford – September 2004
MS Westerdam - Western Caribbean - April 2005
MS Statendam - Hawaii Circle - September 2005
MS Rotterdam - Vikings and Czars – July 2006
MS Veendam - Southern Caribbean – March 2007
MS Volendam – Panama Canal – April 2008
MS Noordam – Mediterranean Enchantment – September 2009

136 days - 34'665 Nm :

http://www.hollandamerica.com/images/3starMariner.gif


Future Cruise : :p


3+7 / 10-day Mediterranean Prelude & Inaugural Cruise :

http://ticker.nauticalcities.com/001/3555772246558c9c770ebc7e38eba56d.png (http://www.nauticalcities.com/)


12-day Mediterranean Empires :

http://ticker.nauticalcities.com/001/a4ed661628a8d0b24f580e2daed576d0.png (http://www.nauticalcities.com/)

[sail7seas]

If the Dedication is to be done aboard as was done for Noordam in New York, guests who were sailing the Inaugural Voyage and were aboard in time for the dedication were allowed entry into the show lounge to watch the ceremonies. There are CC'ers here who attended and had a great time.

There were people who had special invitations and attended luncheon and some had reserved seating, but defintely cruisers on the first voyage saw the Dedication.

If it has yet been announced if the Dedication/Naming is to be held on a dock or in the Lounge, I have not heard.

It was very thrilling .......