Memorial Cruise - Scattering Ashes

[WeLoveCruising]

Instead of planning a cruise as a nice vacation, I'm planning my next trip on the Maasdam to scatter the ashes of my aunt who passed away last year. She and I took the Maasdam Canada New England cruise together a few years back, and it was her very specific last request to be scattered by me and my sister onboard the Maasdam on that very same itinerary.

While on the Maasdam last fall, I talked to the HM and Captain about it, and they said that they can do it from the bow of the ship, with a little ceremony. Firmin the HM told me that they actually call the bridge at the moment of the scattering and record the co-ordinates, and give a little rememberance certificate about it.

Just wondering if anyone has ever done something like this before, and how it worked out. I've been researching and I know its not legal in some public places to dispose of ashes ("cremains" seems to be the word everyone is using), but I'm sure the officers will advise us on that. If we cant do it from the ship, I have a back up plan for in port.

Thanks

[songbert]

I think it's wonderful that you are honoring your dear aunt's wishes.
She would want you to have a nice vacation as well, I'm sure.

Dear friends of mine scattered her father's ashes on a Panama Canal cruise a couple of years ago. He was born there while his father was working on building the canal, so it had very special significance. Her mother wasn't able to make the trip, but they were able to call her on their cell phone and "share" that moment with her, long distance.

As long as it is approved by the Captain, I would think you would be good to go. Sounds like they are very accomodating; perhaps because they get regular similar requests?

Have a memorable time.

[Seacruise]

I just did this on the Oosterdam in November. All arrangements made through HAL.

Once done we got a signed certificate from the captain on rice paper saying where it was done.

It was truly something to remember and flowers were provided by HAL at no cost.

Send me a PM and I will be more than glad to explain it all.

Phil

[DutchByAssociation]

Instead of planning a cruise as a nice vacation, I'm planning my next trip on the Maasdam to scatter the ashes of my aunt who passed away last year. She and I took the Maasdam Canada New England cruise together a few years back, and it was her very specific last request to be scattered by me and my sister onboard the Maasdam on that very same itinerary.

While on the Maasdam last fall, I talked to the HM and Captain about it, and they said that they can do it from the bow of the ship, with a little ceremony. Firmin the HM told me that they actually call the bridge at the moment of the scattering and record the co-ordinates, and give a little rememberance certificate about it.

Just wondering if anyone has ever done something like this before, and how it worked out. I've been researching and I know its not legal in some public places to dispose of ashes ("cremains" seems to be the word everyone is using), but I'm sure the officers will advise us on that. If we cant do it from the ship, I have a back up plan for in port.

Thanks

What a touching tribute to a lost loved one.

My belated condolences,

DBA

[Northshorecruisers]

What a beautiful thought. I'm so glad to hear that HAL is open to this. On your cruise, celebrate your aunts life. Evidently, this cruise had a great deal of signifigance to her to make this request and other than the somber occasion, I'm sure she wants you to have as much enjoyment out of this cruise as you had when you sailed with her.

[Petronillus]

Let me add my condolences and best wishes. What a touching and fitting memorial and tribute!
A question for the readers of this thread: From a practical perspective, I'm surprised that the ceremony takes place at the bow of the ship. I would have expected the stern. Isn't there less likelihood that the ashes would blow back from the stern than from the bow?

[brownie1005]

Instead of planning a cruise as a nice vacation, I'm planning my next trip on the Maasdam to scatter the ashes of my aunt who passed away last year. She and I took the Maasdam Canada New England cruise together a few years back, and it was her very specific last request to be scattered by me and my sister onboard the Maasdam on that very same itinerary.

While on the Maasdam last fall, I talked to the HM and Captain about it, and they said that they can do it from the bow of the ship, with a little ceremony. Firmin the HM told me that they actually call the bridge at the moment of the scattering and record the co-ordinates, and give a little rememberance certificate about it.

Just wondering if anyone has ever done something like this before, and how it worked out. I've been researching and I know its not legal in some public places to dispose of ashes ("cremains" seems to be the word everyone is using), but I'm sure the officers will advise us on that. If we cant do it from the ship, I have a back up plan for in port.

Thanks

WeLoveCruising - First, may I offer my condolences.

I appreciate your starting this thread, as I am also going to be scattering my father's ashes during a December Panama Canal cruise this year.

Seacruise - Belated condolences to you, as well. I would be most appreciative if I may also receive your firsthand information regarding the arrangements.

Please let me know the best way to contact you. (I don't know what PM means, sorry.)

Thanks very much
Karen

[sail7seas]

Such a coincidence you should start this thread, WeLove.
After you and I 'spoke' about your doing this, DH and I flew home from our Eurodam cruise.

While waiting in Logan Airport for our luggage, I started chatting with a lovely woman and her mother. They had HAL tags on their carryons so I asked what ship that were returning fr0m (they had tags from more than one ship).

The adult daughter told me they had just honored her deceased husband's wishes and had sprinkled his ashes from the ship. She said the GRM handled it wonderfully for her and the Captain did, indeed, present them with a certificate noting the exact longitude/latitude at the spot where they had been at the moment.

She was so content with how it had been handled.....she said she was very appreciative for the sensitivity and kindness with which she was able to honor her late husband's request.

What are the chances I would have met and spoken with this lady in this manner at this time?

[MrsMuir]

My respect for HAL just went up about ten notches after reading these posts. My late brother-in-law was honored in this way, but from a private yacht off the coast of Long Beach, not far from the Queen Mary. An old Norwegian fisherman Thank you, HAL, for showing such compassion by making these memorials possible.

[Seacruise]

WeLoveCruising

Seacruise - Belated condolences to you, as well. I would be most appreciative if I may also receive your firsthand information regarding the arrangements.

Please let me know the best way to contact you. (I don't know what PM means, sorry.)

Thanks very much
Karen

Visit my profile on here and then visit the webpage in the profile and go to contact us. This stops all the spam for me.

Phil

[Seacruise]

Let me add my condolences and best wishes. What a touching and fitting memorial and tribute!
A question for the readers of this thread: From a practical perspective, I'm surprised that the ceremony takes place at the bow of the ship. I would have expected the stern. Isn't there less likelihood that the ashes would blow back from the stern than from the bow?

HAL does it at the Stern of the ship. One has to watch "blow back" if you don't use a bio gradable Urn.

In my case my Dad immigrated to Canada on a HAL Ship in 1955 so we thought he would leave via one. In fact my Dad still had his original steamer trunks he came to Canada with and the HAL tags were stll on them.

Phil

[pjs9876]

Thank you for posting this thread. I am happy to hear HAL will do this for the family. We let my father's remains go in a river that he loved. It was a little more complicated than it should have been. This sounds like something I would like for ME. Again, Thank you for posting.

[Iris5383]

Thank you for letting us know about this.

[cruisequeen10]

That is how I want to go. I have already told my relatives that they are to book the most expensive cabin and have fun, then dump me somewhere. That is the only way I can afford to cruise, dead.

[navybankerteacher]

Condolences to you, and congratulations on your thinking to ask HAL. Really decent of them to accomodate you in this fashion. In international waters, there should be no legal concern - as I incurred once in coastal waters.

[WeLoveCruising]

Thank you all for your kind words and sentiments. This seems more common than I thought, and its nice to know that HAL has a plan for doing this kind of thing from time to time.

My aunt loved lighthouses and the Canada / New England coastline, it is just a perfect setting - and she specifically requested the Maasdam, which is a big tribute to the crew and the wonderful time we had sailing together a few years ago.

I guess the stern does make more sense than the bow. I have to say, my aunt, who had quite the sense of humor, did warn me about that :)

[JimVrhovac]

Ruth and I have talked about this several times and you have answered the questions for us.

Ruth & Jim

[SDHALFAN]

First of all: my sincere condolences on your loss and my admiration to you for carrying out your late Aunt's wishes and my Kudos to HAL for handling the ceremony in such an elegant and comforting way.

I had thought, before reading all these posts, that it was actually illegal to scatter ashes at sea - shoot, I was wrong once again. Oh wow, that must be the second time this year that I have been wrong;):D.

My late husband's wishes were to be cremated and for his ashes to be scattered at sea but since the ceremony was handled by the U.S. Navy (he was a retired Naval Officer) his ashes were "dumped" at sea just off the coast of San Diego. Okay, to be perfectly fair to the U.S. Navy his ashes were contained since the ship was within territorial waters and the burial at sea was indeed a very impressive, honoring and moving experience. I know this because the Captain of the ship (the USS Boxer) took the time to send me a video of the burial at sea, a letter expressing his condolences at my loss and explaining exactly where my husband ashes had been consigned and the weather conditions that day and sent me the U.S. flag that had draped my husband's "coffin". Ed would have loved every moment of the ceremony and my thanks will always be with the Captain and the crew of the USS Boxer for how gently and respectfully they handled Ed's "last deployment".

How wonderful to know that, God willing, perhaps my heirs will follow my wishes and scatter my ashes at sea when the time comes. Now I just have to think which of HAL's fleet I will choose for my last hurrah.

Once again, my sincere condolences on your loss and my kudos to you for carrying out your Aunt's wishes - I bet she's is smiling in Heaven right now and saying thank you for respecting my wishes. She must have been a joy to know.

God bless,

Valerie:)

[solocanadian]

My sincere condolences with the loss of your Aunt. My late husband and I had several cruises under our belt with HAL. He was 23 years older than me and always felt he would pass before me. He'd sit in the Ocean Bar and tell all who could hear, that he wanted me to take a HAL cruise and "dump him over the stern". These were his true words. Well he died in 1998 and his family doctor also doctored for HAL. Doc told me when he was sailing and said he'd help. I contacted Seattle and they gave me their blessings. Once I had booked the cruise {Vancouver to Alaska return} they said they would contact me on board which they did. To make a long story short I chose the place. They offered the services of the ship's Chaplin for the cruise. The Chaplin, Food & Beverage Manager, Family HAL Doctor and my cabin-mate attended. Service was held at the stern of the ship in a private place ot accessible to the passengers. It was all very respectful and well done. The ashes were released along with rose petals. HAL advised I was the first person to request this. Since then there have been many more.
A friend put his wife's ashes to sea on a HAL ship. A lot of family and friends went on this cruise. HAL even sent out printed notices to all family and friends on the ship with time and location and location of the following Wake.
Since I was the first I never received the co-orindates printed on Rice
Paper - what a nice touch.
Fred now rests at the bottom of the sea off Bella Bella, BC along the inside passage to Alaska. Sincerely, Gail:)

[cruisinjudy]

We are doing this next week on Oosterdam with my Mother's ashes. Others on here have been very helpful to me.

[cruisinjudy]

That's right. And it is not illegal, it just needs to be done in the open ocean a certain number of miles from shore.

[callmedeb]

Condolances on your loss (and to the others who have replied to this thread).

I've told my family (and put it in my will) that if they can't find a pirate ship's cannon to fling my ashes out to sea, scattered from a cruise ship will do just as well. But they have to wear eyepatches.

(and no, I am not kidding)

Deb

[Boytjie]

That's right. And it is not illegal, it just needs to be done in the open ocean a certain number of miles from shore.

Correct, I should have said International Waters - we were told 12 miles.

Best wishes for you, Judy, doing this.

[Boytjie]

I've told my family (and put it in my will) that if they can't find a pirate ship's cannon to fling my ashes out to sea, scattered from a cruise ship will do just as well. But they have to wear eyepatches.

(and no, I am not kidding)

Deb

Love it!

[mamaofami]

We are doing this next week on Oosterdam with my Mother's ashes. Others on here have been very helpful to me.

Judy, I'm so sorry for your loss. What a wonderful way to honor your mother's memory.

[PathfinderEss]

Please note that this is a 3 year old thread.
Thanks KK, sometimes I forget to look up.
We did a ash scattering about 9 years ago up in Alaska on the Amsterdam, it was a very nice expierence. I can highly recommend it to anyone thinking about be sprinkled at sea.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Note that the signature on the post you quoted is a link to a site that sells urns, and it is the poster's first. I think it is basically an ad.

I noticed that -- amd when I posted about how old the thread was -- that person's "green" light was still and I was hoping he was aware that we all knew he was advertising with bringing up an old thread.

He/she may or may not have read what I posted.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We are doing this next week on Oosterdam with my Mother's ashes. Others on here have been very helpful to me.

That's right. And it is not illegal, it just needs to be done in the open ocean a certain number of miles from shore.

Sorry for your loss.

[Indycal]

It is a beautiful way to honor someone you love. I scattered my mom's ashes from the ms Oosterdam last Feb., here is a link to that thread with some more info on the type urn and PAPERWORK you must have with you: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/archive/index.php/t-1583515.html

[cruisinjudy]

Thanks Carol, Boytji and KK.
Indycal's thread was very helpful.

[Typhoon1]

HAL will accommodate any reasonable request.