JessWright

Apparently, ceremonies for the medallions vary from ship to ship or the decision of the captain. I attended a medal ceremony on the Volendam several weeks ago when returning from Hawaii. It was held in the Crow's Lounge with many mariners in attendance. I have attended similar ceremonies on the past 5 cruises since the Covid pandemic. Hope to attend other in the upcoming 2 cruises in the spring.

The Volendam is about 24 years old, and it is the oldest ship in Holland America's fleet. I sailed on the Volendam, over the Thanksgiving holiday, for an 18-day roundtrip cruise from San Diego to Hawaii. The ship was a pleasant surprise. I have sailed on the Zaandam, its sister ship, many times, but enjoyed the Volendam more. My next cruise on the Volendam is in early April. It is a 15-day cruise from San Diego to Ft. Lauderdale via the Panama Canal. I prefer the smaller ships. The trip to Hawaii marked my 51st cruise with Holland America. My ocean view cabin was on the main deck, and it was in excellent condition. I ate all of my meals in the Lido - many good choices; a few not.

I am scheduled to board the Volendam ship to Hawaii on the 22nd. My scheduled boarding is 1:20. However, as a 5-star Mariner with 51 cruises with HAL, I plan to board much earlier.

I sailed on the Zaandam, last month for 11 days starting April 22. It was a repositioning cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Montreal. I was in an ocean-view cabin 3375 - midship - lower promenade, starboard side. It was in a great location, sort of. The problem was that it is under the kitchen. So, I heard a lot of things rolling, things being dropped, etc. until about 1:15 at night, then again around 4:00 am. While I tolerated it, a passenger - a few doors away, said he went up and complained. (I am uncertain if it helped.) Otherwise, I enjoyed the ship and cruise. The Captain was Ane Smit (He is excellent) and the Cruise Director is Daniel Edward (also excellent) until he leaves to return to England in June. I have sailed many times on the Zaandam and love it.

Thanks for the update. I am also planning to sail on the Volendam to Hawaii next November.

I am currently on an 11-day cruise on the beautiful Rotterdam. It is a treat. I attended the Mariners cocktail party around the pool a few days ago. I was also given 2 coupons for drinks to use anytime during the cruise. (I have 30+ tiles in a box at home, so don't care if I get one or not.) I board the Nieuw Amsterdam for a 7-day cruise right after this cruise, so I'll see what happens there. In the meantime, it is just nice being on the Holland America ships again.

I ran into the same problem earlier this year. When I tried to contact my "excellent" Personal Cruise Consultant (PCC) of many years I was told that she was not working there anymore. So, I called HAL's toll-free telephone number for reservations and asked to be assigned a PCC. A Supervisor gave me the telephone number of another excellent PCC. She has help me to complete several future cruises. Do try that approach and lots of luck.

I chatted with my Personal Cruise Consultant today while finalizing a cruise for November 30. During the conversation, she mentioned that there WILL be a Labor Day sale from September 1 - through later next week. So, you may check HAL's website, like I plan to do with hopes of finding something fun.

I've had the HAL Barclay credit card for over 9 years and found it very helpful. I have been able to apply $500 towards 2 different 7-day cruises, and once to pay the total cost of a 7-day cruise. I charge all of my cruises with my Barclay card and expect to have enough points to pay off another 7- or 11-day cruise soon. I don't bother to use points to use for on-board activities. I highly recommend the card.

I sailed on a 9-day cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Montreal in May 2022. It was the ship's first cruise since the April 2022 Drydock in Spain. I had an ocean-view window. There were no obvious changes, except one less outlet. (One cannot watch TV and charge a cellphone at the same time.) Otherwise, the cabin seemed the same as my previous 3 or 4 cruises on the Zaandam. It was fine with me. I spend very little time in my cabin. Actually, I have signed up to sail on the Zaandam from Florida to Canada in April 2023.

I was on the Zaandam in May (2022) for a 9-day cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Montreal. There were 2 duplicate binders with a listing of shore excursions for each port at the Shore Excursion Desk, but nothing more.

I am a 5-star Mariner but was not given a priority status when boarding the Zaandam on May 12. Check-in has changed - big time. I was given a check-in time of 2:00 but checked in with the noon group. (Lucky me) I was sailing from Ft. Lauderdale to Canada, so I had to go through about 3 or 4 processing stations. No more picture taking at the counter. I was met by someone for a Facial Recognition station to match my passport photo. I failed at first, until I took my glasses off. My room key was NOT given to me at the counter but was waiting for me in the mailbox at my cabin. Again, prepare for changes, and please be patient.

I was on the 9-day Zaandam cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Montreal, and just read all the interesting comments. First, it was good to be back on the Zaandam, and I thoroughly enjoyed the cruise. Next, to add a few things that have not been mentioned: (1) The Lifeboat Drill has been modified. We are to check in with a person at a certain time at your assigned lifeboat station. Then, watch the instructions on the TV in your cabin. (I think it is channel 26) Supposedly, the TV is locked and will NOT show any other channels until you watch the instructions. Outlets - I saw only one outlet in the cabin, other than the outlet for hairdryers in the bathroom). Thus, you either have the TV plugged in OR you use the outlet for chargers. I could NOT find any music stations on the TV during that cruise. They may be added later. Excursions Tickets - They are no more. You find your ticket on the Navigator (Wallet) or show the Tour Guide your room key before boarding the bus. No Newspapers. I missed them a lot. No Final paper bill on leaving the ship. It is on the Navigator. (My cabin was an ocean-view on the main deck - midship). The cabin had a new shower put in, although I saw tubs in other cabins towards the front of the ship. The one Fitness Manager is James Mason - with the same name as the popular movie actor. I was in the gym each night. He is excellent, and I noticed he devoted a lot of time talking with passengers on a one-to-one basis. The Awards Program - Sadly, I was not aware, nor invited to the awards program. I am well in the 5-star category, sans a gold medallion. Maybe on the next cruise in November. (I don't know why I am constantly overlooked) Towel Animals - They were mainly extinct, which is okay. However, one was there the "last night" of the cruise. I was very glad to see a number of familiar crew members, especially Ian. He walks with a limp but gave "EXCELLENT" presentations on "The History of Holland America", and "Highlights of Canada". The auditorium was packed each time. The presentations were excellent and informative. The Lido - I ate all my meals in the Lido, and enjoyed "most" meals, including the famous bread pudding. Again, I thoroughly enjoyed the cruise. Captain Smit, and his assistants did an excellent job. That was my 47th cruise with Holland America. It is good to be back. Now, to look forward to the 11-day cruise on the new Rotterdam to the Caribbean this November.