The Las Vegas HAL CC group meets up with Mr. Deering

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Another wonderful evening with a good time had by all here in Las Vegas. As reported several weeks ago the Hotel Managers of Holland America are hold a conference here in Las Vegas starting tomorrow. Tonight's little get together was thrown together very quickly. I had wanted to be able to invite others from out of town but it was unknown till a few days ago what the Hotel Mangers agendas would be. Tonight ended up being their own free time but many were still arriving tonight. We were very lucky to have James Deering come to dinner with us. We had a wonderful time and of course talked about our favorite subject HAL.

Of course a Las Vegas Get Together would not be complete with out pictures.

Here is a link to view the pictures.
http://community.webshots.com/album/551011797jVlaui

[shonuf]

Lucky, lucky, Lisa. I hope the food was as good as the company!

[RevNeal]

It is so strange to see Mr. Deering "out of uniform." :)
Looks like a great night.

[sail7seas]

How very fun!!! They have all 'air-dropped in' and it should be an amazing week.

I was teasing with a few that now they've all gone to Las Vegas for their 'meetings', are we to expect to find little eiffel towers, Venetian Canals, erupting volcanoes, water shows a la Bellagio, rain forests and Roman chariots on the new Signature Class ships?

(Somehow none of them commented on that!!!! :)

Thanks for sharing with us, Lisa.

[Copper10-8]

Thanks for sharing the info and pics Lisa! Looks like you guys had a great time!:)

[bepsf]

Thanks for sharing the pix Lisa!

So did James share any juicy gossip about new developments?

I sure hope that he was able to have his wife fly in and spend time w/ him while he "wasn't working" - you couldn't miss her, she looks like a younger Dyan Cannon!

[dakrewser]

Looks like you had fun! But, c'mon Lisa, spill! What tidbits of gossip did you discover? :rolleyes:

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Brian, unfortunately she could not make it, I would have liked to meet her as well. As far as juicy gossip there were a few things mentioned;) In all honestly my mind is a fog this morning since I am already at work. I can say two of the things the Hotel Managers are discussing here at their conference is about adding addition perks and benefits to the Suites as well as additional perks to Mariners. Bare in mind this is all still in the planning stages so nothing definite.:)

Greg, I thought it would seem strange to see Mr. Deering out of uniform but actually it was not. We had such a great time, I could listen to what he had to say for days:D Our dinner was located at great restaurant that was in Sun City Anthem Community Center that had a wonderful view of the sunset over the strip and then views of the strip at night.

John, Welcome Home. I wish you and everyone else could have been there.

I can say that the Hotel Managers have a very FULL week ahead, their first meeting started at 9 this morning and they have them busy every day starting in the morning till late at night. Monday they will all move out to the Las Vegas Strip area and stay at various hotels and partake in several different Fine Dining Venues then attend a few shows and of course check out the spas.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Lisa, thanks so much for sharing! Those were fun and it looks like your group had a really nice time.

[Lurker1]

[quote=LAFFNVEGAS]as well as additional perks to Mariners. Bare in mind this is all still in the planning stages so nothing definite.:)

Greg, I thought it would seem strange to see Mr. Deering out of uniform but actually it was not. We had such a great time, I could listen to what he had to say for days:D


Additional perks for Mariners sounds good! We met Mr. Deering on the O-Dam on the April 1 cruise to Mexico, and he is very interesting to listen to.

Your weather has to be better than it is here, I think we're having a monsoon.:(

Ken and DW Aileen from CT.

[Ine]

It seems the "Las vegas-CC-ers" had again a great evening.
If only we didnot live that far apart....
So nice to see so many faces on the photos again and hope you are all o.k.

We on the other hand had the pleasure of meeting John (Copper) in NL....

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Your weather has to be better than it is here, I think we're having a monsoon.:(

Ken and DW Aileen from CT.

Our weather is actually very nice and dry except very HOT.We will be 105 plus thru next Friday and then it will start to cool down. Hmmmmm:rolleyes: It started to get Hot with the Hotel Managers Arrived and it does not cool down till they leave, wonderful if there is any correlation there??:D

But the mornings and evening are beautiful. I am sure they had a beautiful morning out where they are staying at Lake Las Vegas. It will make for a nice change of scenery for them.:)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I just remembered one of the things we discussed last night. As several of you know HAL started out having Cruise Critic Q and A get together sessions on the Zuriderdam and Oosterdam. They ended up having to stop this but what can be done and HAL is more than happy to do this is if we from Cruise Critic starts it we can have a Cruise Critic party and HAL will be more than happy to help up set it up and even send out invitation to the cabins. It just need to be instigated my a member of cruise critic. All you need to do is call HAL Guest Relations prior to your cruise and set it up.:)

[Bill S]

Lisa: thanks for posting the report about last night's dinner w/Mr. Deering and sharing your photos!

It was my first time meeting Mr. Deering and I was most impressed: truly a classy gentleman and very interesting to hear what he has to say.

My sense is that while HAL is serious about making things better for everyone, but even more so for full suite guests and Mariners, some things will have to change/evolve to be competitive, but we don't worry about seeing rock climbing walls, bowling alleys and wave pools on HAL ships. HAL does not operate in a vacuum--they know what the competition does, and more importantly, what it's own clientele like about HAL. I left the dinner very encouraged about HAL's future.

We missed having Jim and Donna Hannah again, as they had not arrived home as of last night from an overseas journey, but at least they have previously met Mr. Deering on the Oosterdam.

Thanks, Mr. Deering--it was a true pleasure and honor to have you dine with us! And, thanks to you, Lisa, for putting this together!

[SeaGypsy1]

Our Lisa did a fine job of putting the dinner together and choosing the place. Well done. We had a most enjoyable time talking about all things HAL. Mr Deering was charming and very interesting to talk with. He has a vast knowledge on a number of issues and we learned a lot from him. He is so kind to take his time and spend it with us and we all appreciated the opportunity to have him.:)

[doxiemom]

What a wonderful evening we had last night - great location, great food and even greater dinner companions. Lisa did another A 1 job of organizing the evening. Meeting James Deering was such a pleasure. He is so approachable and interesting. HAL could not have a more outstanding ambassador. To all CC members, we Las Vegas members do share our experiences with you all - what happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas.

Don and Kay Stroud

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Thanks Everyone, but especially Mr. Deering. He is as everyone has said extremely approachable and a wonderful ambassador for HAL. He loves his job and his crew and it shows:) He is one of the many reasons why we love HAL and I call the Oosterdam my favorite ship. We are so very fortunate to be able to have had the opportunity to spend the evening with Mr. Deering. We know from him that HAL does truly care about their passengers especially Mariners but sometimes the overall picture is just too big and we feel they do not care but I know they do which is why I will continue to call HAL my vacation home and continue this addiction:D

Tija if you want you can email me your pictures and see if they came out any better and I can post them as well.

[shipcafe]

Wow it certainly is interesting to see him out of uniform. Thanks for sharing. He is a true professional and gentleman and I'm glad that you got to pick his brain a bit. I just saw him last weekend aboard Oosterdam so it seems funny that he's in Vegas already!

[Atomica]

Lisa, sounds like you guys had a great time with Mr. Deering. I can't wait to see him aboard another ship again - I'm sure Kim would like to meet him as well :)

[Atomica]

Actually, just a little addendum to my last post, but I think part of what sets HAL apart, in my mind at least, is that they have people like James Deering who are very knowledgeable both from a technical and personal standpoint. I was struck by how much of an interest he took in making sure that everyone was having a great time, and I know there's certainly some lines where you'd never find that.

[FlorenceItaly]

Mr. Deering is FIRST class all the way. He exemplifies personal customer service. It's evident he really enjoys his job and represents HAL beautifully.
I feel fortunate to have met him, and hope to see him on future cruises. He has a way of making each person he encounters feel special, and it is genuine. His wife was going to be on the sailing after ours, and I only wish I would have had the opportunity to meet her too. I imagine they are a very special couple.

Lisa, thanks for the pictures and sharing the evening with us!


Marie

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Lisa, sounds like you guys had a great time with Mr. Deering. I can't wait to see him aboard another ship again - I'm sure Kim would like to meet him as well :)

Aaron, you and Kim are still planning on joining us next March I hope. Both Mr. Deering and Captain Mercer should both be there:)

[richcrow]

Lisa,

James Deering truely IS a man who loves his job. We were blessed to have him on our Oosterdam cruise to Alaska this past week. At least he was with us until you just had to steal him away to Las Vegas:) . All kidding aside he attended our Cruise Critic Get-Together, took everyones Stateroom number and invited each of us to a special reception hosted by he and the Capt.

DW and I just arrived home today. So, I hope to have a review posted as soon as I can get organized.

Richard

[Lurker1]

what can be done and HAL is more than happy to do this is if we from Cruise Critic starts it we can have a Cruise Critic party and HAL will be more than happy to help up set it up and even send out invitation to the cabins. It just need to be instigated my a member of cruise critic. All you need to do is call HAL Guest Relations prior to your cruise and set it up.:)

This is a great idea, but might get lost when in the middle of a thread. Do you think you could set this as a separate thread, or maybe one of the hosts post it as a sticky?

[jhannah]

I'm glad you all got to get together with Mr. Deering. We very much enjoyed meeting him on the Oosterdam a few weeks ago. We just got back from Romania last night. Hated to miss out on the dinner, but glad the rest of you were able to host James in a grand way.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Welcome Home Jim, I so wish you and Donna could have been there. HAL has the Hotel Managers non stop busy from 9 AM every morning till Midnight every night till Friday when they all leave so this was the only time that Mr. Deering could get away. Tonight is their last night out at Lake Las Vegas and tomorrow they Hit the Strip:eek: They will all be staying at different resorts to then compare what they saw and did. I am looking forward to hearing from Mr. Deering on what he did and thought.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

This is a great idea, but might get lost when in the middle of a thread. Do you think you could set this as a separate thread, or maybe one of the hosts post it as a sticky?

I agree, actually the thing to do might be to have it as a sticky at the beginning of each ships Roll Call Threads. This way if they want to set up a party with HAL they know what they should do.:)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Lisa,

James Deering truely IS a man who loves his job. We were blessed to have him on our Oosterdam cruise to Alaska this past week. At least he was with us until you just had to steal him away to Las Vegas:) . All kidding aside he attended our Cruise Critic Get-Together, took everyones Stateroom number and invited each of us to a special reception hosted by he and the Capt.

DW and I just arrived home today. So, I hope to have a review posted as soon as I can get organized.

Richard

Richard, sorry we took him away from your cruise when he left the ship in Ketchikan, but if it makes you feel better just know that the Las Vegas CC group felt like we were on a cruise for the evening in the Dessert:D But we did have a nice sunset during dinner over the mountains.:)

[Copper10-8]

Tonight is their last night out at Lake Las Vegas and tomorrow they Hit the Strip:eek: They will all be staying at different resorts to then compare what they saw and did.

When I grow up I want to be a HAL Hotel Manager!;) Who's staying in the Bellagio???

[LAFFNVEGAS]

When I grow up I want to be a HAL Hotel Manager!;) Who's staying in the Bellagio???

I am not sure I would want to be away from home as long as they are but would not mind taking thier place when they do things like coming to Vegas. Gee, if any of them do not want to do their spa treatments I would love to take their place and I will do thier report for them:D John, I actually do not know who for sure is at Bellagio but I know where Mr Deering is but I have been sworn to secrecy;)

[Copper10-8]

I am not sure I would want to be away from home as long as they are but would not mind taking thier place when they do things like coming to Vegas. Gee, if any of them do not want to do their spa treatments I would love to take their place and I will do thier report for them:D John, I actually do not know who for sure is at Bellagio but I know where Mr Deering is but I have been sworn to secrecy;)

Sworn to secrecy!! Wow, even the Germans "Ve have vays of making you tawk ..." would be impressed with that!;)

[Desert Cruisers]

We live in Las Vegas and would like to get on the invitation list for upcoming Vegas Cruise Critic events.

Thanks...Adrienne and Ira:) :) :)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

We live in Las Vegas and would like to get on the invitation list for upcoming Vegas Cruise Critic events.

Thanks...Adrienne and Ira:) :) :)

Hi Adrienne and Ira, We should be having another Get Together some time in late July or early August. Julie who many from this board knows who is a Gift Shop Manager currently on the Zuirderdam, previously on the Oosterdam and Zaandam will be coming to Las Vegas. So we will have a Get Together with her. This last Friday's Get Together was one I had to put together quickly.

[sail7seas]

:) You're right that AT LEAST two HM's are at Bellagio ... and Caesar's, and MGM, and Four Seasons, and ....... ;)

Also sworn to secrecy. :)

[jhannah]

It will be interesting to see what land-based hotel/resort procedures and/or amenities they decide would be good to implement onboard HAL ships. I think it's great that the company wants them to see and experience how that side of their profession works.

[sail7seas]

I have images of Venetian Canals/Gondaliers, Roman Chariotts, mini Eiffel Towers, and Rain Forests/Massive Aquariums showing up on Signature Class ships. :D

[Copper10-8]

Maybe they can adopt those Rio cocktail waitress uniforms for the Front Office staff/ It would become a very popular place;)

[sail7seas]

'Ya think???? :)

[sail7seas]

How about some shops like at Caesar's at Duty Free Prices? Hmmm..... that would work for me!

[Copper10-8]

'Ya think???? :)

It's a tough one but ehh, Yaah;)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

How about some shops like at Caesar's at Duty Free Prices? Hmmm..... that would work for me!

Actually Sail, you are not too far off on this one. I think I can give this bit of info out........ As we all know the first three Vista Class Ships are going to eventually be redone wo look a lot more like thier youngest sister the Noordam. When they actually do this (which means taking away my favorite cabin/verrandah 5187) there are plans to makes lots of other changes. The new Explorations Cafe will be places up near the Oak Bar near the Crow's Nest with having a Coffee Bar there. Then of course we know where the Windstar Cafe Coffee Bar is now will be the Pinnacle Wine Bar, then where the Java Corner is now they will actually make into a real Coffee Bar similair to the Windstar Cafe, then..... drum roll where the Interent Cafe is now they will be having some "High End" shops:) Can us girls say Gucci or Prada:D

[sail7seas]

!!!! Sounds good to me!!!!!

What a coincidence I would have said that!!! :) ;) (about the shopping.)


They must have been reading my mind. :) And the minds of many others of us who have complained hugely about the on-board shops that (IMO) currently stink!!!

As to reconfiguring Explorations/Windstar etc.....great!!!

Noordam has it right. IMO, the new design/layout are miles ahead of Zuiderdam. And the Pinnacle Lounge is GREAT.

[sail7seas]

We would have loved to join you, Lisa, but we're going to be sailing Noordam. We absolutely must sail her during her Inaugural Season which will end before we know it. After our upcoming Maasdam cruises, Noordam will be next for us. We can't wait to sail her.