Topsham
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Posts posted by Topsham
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Happy Nieuw Year! Hello to many good old friends. Have been swamped so don't post much. I read through frequently. ;-)
Thought you might think about this new ship, due out this June. Roughly the same as the R Class.... 58,000 tonnes. Passengers Max: 999. No inside cabins. ALL balconies. 100 Single balcony cabins. No obstructed views. Main Dining room, Lido restaurant. The 'special' restaurants.... one steak house, one fish restaurant and one 'Asian' restaurant. No any extra charge for restaurants. All one sitting. Dinner 6.45pm to 9 pm. Show lounge. HUGE library. Gym and spa with inside pool. Outside pool. 'The Bunker'... Golf simulator. Card room. Art & Craft for art instructors. All inclusive... includes drinks, wines etc. Dress code: Average week: 2 formal, 2 informal, 3 casual. Dress code enforced in ALL restaurants including Lido. Small shop. No casino. Two captains working this ship. One from Cunard's Queen Elizabeth and the other is ex Holland America Line. Spirit of Discovery. Second ship due 2020, Spirit of Adventure. Age limit: 50 and up.
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Little Saga Pearl 2 is THE real gem! Lovely ship. From what I have heard about Fred Olsen, Saga is a few notches above. On of my good friend went on the Pearl. They have sailed with Olsen and many other cruise lines, including high end. One comment he said, "The crew are some of the best that I have seen on many ships and the food on Saga is much better too!" I agree. If you are doing a short 'taster', please talk so Saga and ask them about dress code. For a four or five day cruise you are unlikely to have a formal and might not have any informal, or perhaps on. For these, don't worry about the dress code. Simple blazer and slacks is fine. Tie if you prefer. Again... this is a sampler cruise. Beware the times for the mina dining room, yes the dining room opens at 6.35 and it closes at 9 but please, do not come back at five to nine. If 99% in the dining room are dining early and the other 1% expect to walk, well, honest, it is completely out of line. No need to be at starting time either, take your time but honestly, most passengers are at table by say, 7.15 to 7.30, that is fine. A few will come in between 7.30 and 7.45, that is fine. If you want you food well prepared, come as I point out here. After 8 is not good.
Two restaurants, Main Restaurant and the Lido. The food is the same. Dress code is the same. Every is the same! The rooms look different but when they are set, BOTH look great. Perhaps the Lido might feel a touch casual. I have enjoyed BOTH restaurants. You might dine with friend in one for tonight and with others in the other on the other night. It is all your choice. Some people will eat only in the Main, a lot of others prefer the Lido.
Mainly main have beer with their meals? I have seen women drinking beer too! Don't sweat. Drink what you want. No one is going to say anything one way or the other. Likewise drink in the bars before dinner or lunch. Drink what you want... even fruit juice!!!!! No packages for alcohol because there is no need for it. The drink at lunch and dinner are free. If you want ten or if you want none, that is your choice. No, you will not get a discount if you choose not to drink. That would be no difference if you want two drink every even or you want twenty.....you pay the same price for you ticket.
Oh, if you want room service, great service. You can choose from a simple service menu OR, call room service and they will bring the restaurant menu to you. No problem. Will drinks too, but not if free.
Enjoy the PEARL, I would take PEARL over Queen Mary!!!!
Stephen
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Back in 1995 for 118 days in the good old ROTTERDAM, I bought 12 cases of wine. I ordered through HAL and when I boarded the wine was already in the wine store. I spoke too the wine steward and told him that when the bottle was empty bring the next one up! It worked. In the end I used only ten cases. Between 1996 and 1997 I used up most of the left. It was on inventory as 'Topsham -Private Stock'. In 1998 I was on board REMBRANDT. The Bar Manager told me that he found a few bottles with my name on them so it was served in the dining room.
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Two weeks ago I tried to download all of the 'stuff', tickets, luggage tags etc. I tried and immediately gave up. I am not going to waste time on this stuff. I kept a note of the booking number and went to the pier. I didn't even need that! I told the porter. that's right the porter, that I had no papers etc. He have me a few blank baggage labels. Filled them in and attached. Next person had a manifest. Showed my passport. He found my name and I was sent to the embarkation label. Walked right through the security, two seconds, and straight to the check in counter. They took passport, showed the creditcard, handed my keycard and I was finished. From taxi to cabin was 15 minutes, Maximium! Probably one of the easiest boarding I've seen.
Leaving the ship in Bermuda my disembarkation was a breeze too. Ship was sailing at 4pm. At 3pm I took to the gangway and straight to the terminal. The port agent came out just before 3.15. The sailing time was moved to 3.30 as all paz were on board. My suitcase in the agent's car and I was back in my house in less than 15 minutes. Easy... the agent is my nephew. ;-)
My only regret was getting off in Bermuda. I should have stayed on board for the rest of the crossing..
Stephen
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- Thanks for this. $800! Wow, wish I'd kept some. I think they were sold for $45... thirty years ago! Sounds like Bitcoin!
The painting... where did you find it? What ship?
Stephen
- Thanks for this. $800! Wow, wish I'd kept some. I think they were sold for $45... thirty years ago! Sounds like Bitcoin!
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Stephen,
Could you please repeat the name of the gallery in Hamilton, I will be there again in June 2018.
Thanks,
Elaine
If you want to reach me before the call at Bermuda, try my e-mail. Easy one to remember: prinsendam at Hotmail dot com
Stephen
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Talking about Prinsendam, here is a photo of a new painting finished back in September. 24 x 36 oils. An enjoyable painting to do. Of course!:)
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Nice to hear from everyone! Merry Christmas & Best Wishes for New Year!
I should be on board the m.s. 'Bermuda' for this summer. The gallery is called 'Gallery 117' just a block past the stern of VEDM. Can't miss it. If you want to meet up, just let the gallery know and they will call me. I am out in Somerset, but I can always get out of the studio for a bit of air fresh. The one man show will be in 2019. Usually have a couple of pieces showing in the gallery. It will be good to see PRDM in Bermuda and VEDM is special too. Best.
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Ah. Managed to resize (one of them) . Hope not too small.
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Hello Mariners!
Apologies for not being in touch with Cruise Critic for a while. The last 18 months I have just been swamped... and guess what, the level of the water rising!
This past I was working on a collection for a one-man show at the gallery in Hamilton. I thought I would be having a break, but no such luck and I am now trying to catch up commissioned works and also trying to plan for the next one-man show. This will be June, 2019.
In May, a new book, 'STEAM & CANVAS'. 100 full pages of new paintings. The publisher tells me he wants a Volume 2... as soon as I can get the images together.
The publisher is also making tiles. Not Mariner tiles, but rather a new series of collectable tiles, "Famous Dutch Ocean Liners". The first four tiles depict the career of the 1938-1974 Nw Amsterdam. Of course that will be followed by 'the' Rotterdam. I'll post a photo as soon as I figure how to resize it!
I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy Sailing for 2018!
Stephen
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I just happen to read up on this topic a few months ago.
?According to the Code of Canon Law, receiving communion in a Protestant church is generally not permissible. According to canon 844, “Catholic ministers may licitly administer the sacraments to Catholic members of the Christian faithful only and, likewise, the latter may licitly receive the sacraments only from Catholic ministers.” The key term here is licit. If a Catholic receives communion from a Protestant minister, it is generally considered “illicit” or unlawful."
Stephen
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PG? Go to the back the school! It is Pinnacle Grill!
Go ahead. Talk to the Maitr'd and see what he says. 14 day cruise should not be a problem with changes. The young son might the food. I doubt a problem at all. The Maitr'd might even get something special for your son.
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Last September I was cruising the Med. No priest on board, but was able to get to Mass for four times. I bit of research before and I was set. First at the port of embarkation, Southampton. Next Lisbon followed by Civitavecchia. Day after the cruise, London. Worked out perfectly. Great way to plan a cruise port. Find the cathedral, usually times at every hour and then find a great restaurant to relax for the afternoon!
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. In most cases, ship arrives a bit earlier - and in most cases going ashore starts 30 - 45 minutes after scheduled arrival time.
Most ships will want to be BEFORE so that docking, gangways and formalities are COMPLETED before at the schedule time. This time is 'passenger' scheduled time. Ship's expected time is usually earlier, just so that there is no delay is getting passengers ashore.
Nothing worse than expecting to be able to get off 'immediately' and you can't. Imagine if you have 4,000 passengers trying to get off and you are the end of the line! Be early or beware!
If you are booking private cars or private excursion the operators are usually well aware what time passengers are free to get off. Check them before by e-mail if possible or phone. Save the hassle and worry.
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In USUAL situation the schedule time is meant to the time that the ship has arrived at the port, the gangways are down and the formalities and the passengers can go ashore. Depending on these things, the ship usually tries to be tied up at the dock a bit earlier, as long as formalities take. All of this is taken into account. You might be a bit earlier, but usually they have to be on time. The schedule is agreed way back in the planning stages, even year or before. The port authorities are all in on this. All of this is planning, usually more than one ship. Stevedores had to be ordered, tug have to be on time etc etc. It is not up to the captain to change.
Departures are different. Most ships, and I mean MOST ships will advertise a sailing time to mean that is the time that the gangways are down and the ship is ready to leave. It is then up to passengers make sure that they are on board at least 30 minutes before sailing. Say sailing time is 4pm. All aboard at 3.30. If stragglers come in they might get on board if the gangways are still in place. When everyone is on board, and they do know because of the check, it is possible to sail early and can as soon as clearance from the authorities and then gangway is down.
Some ports, and usually embarking ports, will have all passengers on board at least one full hour with all passengers on board for local requirements eg Port Everglades.
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I have vivid memories of ss Norway. Dozens of clocks around the ship; no two clocks ever seemed to tell the same time.
Yes, sometimes I have shudders thinking about the NOWAY as well!:eek:
The old NORWAY was a fine ship. Two Carib cruises and two others were Transatlantics and that was she was made for.
The clocks. They were probably the old originals back from the 60s. I can't remember. They work, but heck... she was just plan old.:)
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If you are really worried about time, just ask the bar tender. After closing time and before opening time it probably won't matter much anyway. :eek:
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All of the clocks are 'slaves' of the MASTER CLOCK on the Bridge. The Officer on the bridge resets from that Master Clock. To advance 1 hour, the half hands will take perhaps 20 seconds or so to resit. To advance one hour, the slave are stopped for a full hour. This usually when the night's events are completed say 3.30 am. Some ships the times are changed in midday, but the same Master Clock controls from the Bridge.
On old ships.... forty years ago and before the Navigation Officer, usually the Second Mate, will make of best decision for having a 'Clock Day'. Small book on the Bridge called the Clock Book. The 2/O will send a message out that says, "Clocks will be RETARDED One Hour Tonight". Then the Bridge Quartermaster had to go to all senior officers, Chief Engineer, Mate, Radio Officer, Chief Steward. In the officer's lounge a special notice board. For the crew.... written notice on the chalk board. By the mid 70s new ships had PA systems. Usually done at noon. The old Clock Book kept going years and years later.
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Is there a listing of the bars and clubs on the K-DAM with their drink specialities?
Everyone here will know what is available.
The important thing is that if you want drink 'A' is available in bar 'Z' then tell your bartender that you want a bottle of 'A' but I want it at bar 'Y', they will get it for you. If they say, "No", then find the first Bar Supervisor and tell get THEM to do!
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The descriptions for wheel, ship, anchor, porthole, compass, reef knot etc are the possibly the worst descriptions I have ever seen. I think a second grader could have done a better job. Complete waffle. Very poor.
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I have no idea nor am I implying that anything close to that was spent on stateroom updates.
My only point is that I do not think that $12million, or 3 percent of replacement cost, is a huge amount to spend on a thirty year old ship. I would also guess that the older the ship, the higher the cost of basic engineering and mechanical systems maintenance and updates.
So, no $12 mil would not imply a 'wow' type of complete dry dock to me.
$12 million on for a 7 day drydocking? (You assuming as usual.) What about the other 51 weeks of the year where money is spent on "the higher the cost of basic engineering and mechanical systems maintenance and updates"? Have you forgotten the odd $80 million HAL spent on this beautiful from Cunard/Seabourn. That was spent in les that the first two years.
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In the beginning Holland America Line had black funnels with three bands of green, white and green. These colours are those of the City of Rotterdam, the white stripe represents the River Maas and the green is the banks on the river. In 1898 the funnel could been at distance that appeared to be all black with a white stripe and that was the American Line. At that time was during the Spanish American War so HAL changed to the base colour to yellow-buff.
In 1971 HAL went for new funnel colour of orange with three 'waves' in blue/white/blue. In 1983 the orange base colour to change all white and the three 'waves' were all dark blue. It lasted only three years before they used the Na AMSTERDAM/HALVE MAEN on the funnel.
You can logos for sure, but is it necessary? Carnival Cruise Lines seems to be quite happy for almost 50 years. I can't see that every changes. Cunard? Their red and black has been in use for 156 years. Costa? Same yellow and blue with a few changes that no one seems to understand. My old company, J&J Denholm had a white flag with a 'blue diamond' going back to 1860. That flag, known is the 'DIAMOND D' is unchanged.
Stephen
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The 'old' logo dates back to 1938. It represented the new flagship NIEUW AMSTERDAM. Very stylish and showed the massive bow of the NIEUW AMSTERDAM and at sea shows the 1609 ship HALVE MAEN (Half Moon). HALVE MAEN is the ship of Navigator/Explorer Henry Hudson. The logo represents 400 years of ships, travel, passengers and the peoples of The Netherlands and America.
The logo has been changed very little depending the purpose of use. Might be in blue on the white funnel (from 1983 with the new NIEUW AMSTERDAM) or might be used on brochures like the grey and white, sometime in white/green/ black. The colour tiles made in majolica is my own design based on the HAL logo. It hangs on board one of the Vista Class.
The new logo does not represent the old NIEUW AMSTERDAM and the HALVE MAEN is not even shows at all. At first glimpse it appears to be the same (without the HALVE MAEN) but it is quite different. It now appears to be represents a bow and two funnels of one of the Vista Class. It does not seem to represent the new ships like EURODAM, NIEUW AMSTERDAM or KONINGSDAM. In fact I'm not quite what it is supposed to be represent at all! At a distance it is very hard to tell from before. Just a blue disc on a white funnel.
A simple 'ship' on a funnel is nothing new. The Holland America Line logo is very stylish and has lots of nostalgia and pride. I have seen worse... try out the logo/funnel that was for Premier Cruises. Ugg! A few months ago I was disembarking and I could count no fewer that three trucks with 'ship' logos on the sides, all bringing ships provisions and one was the ship's port agent!
The old HAL logo means lots more than just a splash of paint or a little oval on the cover of a brochure. The new logo... well, a look at the brochures and they can hardly see the logo and if you can see it in a photo of the ship you have to be extra keen to see it. There was a time that you could see that logo on EVERYTHING!
OK... end of the history lesson! :eek:
Stephen
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The 'old' logo dates back to 1938. It represented the new flagship NIEUW AMSTERDAM. Very stylish and showed the massive bow of the NIEUW AMSTERDAM
Veendam Drydock, what will be done?
in Holland America Line
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Outdated? Veendam is now what is called a 'classic' and is a better looking than most ships... even the new HAL ships! The ship is only 23 years old. This ship can last a lot longer. The old NOORDAM and Nw AMSTERDAM are still running.