jakkojakko

5 hours ago, SarniaLo said:

 

" The safety of our guests is always the most important. We are closely monitoring the situation, and will take necessary precautions to make sure your safety is taken care of." 

This is standard pr speak used by every travel company in the world and does not  mean a thing.  This doesn't mean Hurtigruten is not concerned, but their reasons , as in all companies in the bussiness of making money, primarily are about profit. So that comes first and yes safety is in there somewhere, but only if it is absolutely neccesary or mandated by law.

You can see it in the notice where they say that " there are no restrictions in tourist travel" . Basically this translates to " we will only consider changing embarkation when told by government, not before".  I would be very , pleasantly, surprised when companies (not just Hurtigruten) take responsibility and act before being pressured to act.

Mm apparently there are cpaps that just use regular tapwater. My wife is now using one for three months, including a three week cruise, and has no problem what so ever.

Being in the middle of an ocean does not matter as the internet is via a satelite. Wat matters is the position relative to a satelite. Being far north or south on the globe, near polar regions, reception can be intermittent. Also sailing in deep fjords cuts of line of sight with the satelite and reception is lost. That said, we sailed Rotterdam far north in august and september and had good internet, albeit not as fast as back home, for the whole cruise except when crossing prins cristian sund in greenland.

So for cruises near the equator you should have no problems.

Sanatize door handles, faucets, remote and such with antibacterial wipes on embarkation day. After that just keep the room tidy so the steward can do his job. We're on vacation so I am not in the least bothered by a smudge or some dust.

Currently on Rotterdam and Lido is open from 10:30pm to 11:30pm for limited choices . Always bread, slices of pizza and several hot meal items.

Room service, free, 24hrs per day.

Booked a  verandah guarantee on ms Rotterdam and got a spa verandah. Absolutely the same as any other verandah plus a yogamat we didn't use and energy drinks we didn't use. So do the math. 

1 hour ago, RuthC said:

 

Only ever had indonesian room stewards on HAL. And all were very friendly.

Just dvd

10 minutes ago, RuthC said:

No sign of it being 2:00 AM, either. Or all those flying plates and blood.

I think that's more the editor who wants to have more than just text and uses stock footage to dress up the article. Looking at other newsreports, including bbc, it happened but there is no photo/video evidence (yet).

I am in aviation and those reports have invariably the wrong picture of aircraft.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/breaking-clown-violent-brawl-cruise-18785703

Somehow I don't think this will ever occur on a Holland America ship.

Last year we did a circumnavigation of the island in middle june with no problem. This year there seems to be more ice even a month later, see the ice chart. Anyone on a current cruise that is supposed to go around Svalbard that can report what is possible or not on the cruise?

46 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

Where all of those "haters" who were foaming at the mouth for a chance to take HAL down? 

They are still around and won't react to this. They just wait for another excuse to start again. 

16 minutes ago, CJcruzer said:

 

So I am interpolating from this that there were HAL tender boats not operational - which would mean that there were less than the normal functioning number of lifeboats??

 

All I can say is WOW!   If there had been a real need/emergency/urgency  for those tender boats, what then?

 

This entire episode has made my decision regarding itineraryon the Rotterdam versus another HAL ship for next summer, where tenders are required in several ports.  Even though the Rotterdam has a slight advantage edge in itinerary - would not be happy if I could not get to Shetland Islands, Edinburgh etc.

 

 

 

 

 

I am speculating now, but it is quite possible that they can still be used in an emergency, just not in a tender role as maybe the hoist system is not working properly.

I think you are all missing the point. It was not weather or sea that caused the no tender situation, rather a technical problem with tendering. Now, two reviewers reported this as is shown by following copy/paste.

" Soon after we boarded the ship on May 25th we were informed via a piece of paper stuffed in the “welcome package” that our itinerary had changed. We were no longer going to Flam or Geiranger due to tenders not working. "

and

" There were two key port downgrades due to tender maintenance issues...completely within HA control, and either an example of poor maintenance or an inadequate PM (Preventative Maintenance) Program."

9 minutes ago, sue1898 said:

It's still there, you just have to go to "Community" since it's not a post from HAL but rather from someone that has "liked" the page. Since it's still there with their response, I suspect they are firm in their believe that they had no wrongdoing.

Thank you.

Given what I know and experienced on HAL I have no doubt that they altered course.

3 hours ago, sue1898 said:

Here's HAL response to this video on their Facebook page:

Holland America Line On June 24 at 6:40 a.m., Eurodam was en route to Juneau and slowing to pick up a pilot when the bridge watch observed a pod of humpback whales bubble feeding clear of the port bow near Kingsmill Point. A nearby vessel also alerted the bridge to the pod. Following proper protocols, the captain altered course by 10 degrees to create more distance between the ship and whales, allowing them to safely pass. No announcements were made as it was early in the morning.

Holland America Line ships sail while following a comprehensive Whale Strike Avoidance program developed in cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service and the National Parks Service. Ships have clear guidelines on how to operate if whales are sighted nearby, which include altering course and reducing speed as required.

Someone is really busy controlling anything about this. HAL's facebook video complaint and official response has now been removed allready.

4 minutes ago, IRL_Joanie said:

 

I'd like to point out that the complaint is by a Lawyer known to pursue law suits against the Cruise Industry. I'm not sure of the slang term for Lawyers who chase ship. But "Ambulance Chasers" sounds just as good whether Ship or Car is involved.

 

Joanie

Actually that lawyer is just reporting it. Someone else made the complaint. 

Mmmmm, it seems the video has been taken offline. I think HAL is taking measures.

I watched it a couple of hours ago and the maker is very upset in the video when it unfolds. 

1 hour ago, chengkp75 said:

First off, can we determine where the person reporting this was in relation to the ship and the whales?  The legal limit, as even Walker states, is only 100 yards from the whales, and judging distances at sea can be difficult, especially if you are low down to the water, as in a small boat, or far away compared to the two objects observed, let alone taking into consideration angular orientation of viewer to vessel and whale courses.  I can't run the video, but remember that 100 yards is one third of a ship length away.  I also believe that the NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) has adopted a rule where it is illegal to approach humpback whales at speeds in excess of 14 knots anywhere within 200 miles of the US coast.  So, without data from the ship's bridge, or other accurate data from another source at the site, Eurodam may well have been within it's rights to sail where she did.  Also, depending on where this was, and it was reported only as "on its way to Juneau", can anyone say that there was safe areas to navigate further away from the whales.  Definitely one sided story, as most of Walker's are, but perhaps the video shows more.

 

Love the "fact" Walker puts out that whales have been "impaled" on the bulbous bows of ships.  They may have been draped over the bow, and held there by water pressure while the ship sails, but they are by no means "impaled".

Agree with all.

The video is from the bridge of a pilotboat type, taken perendicular to the course of Eurodam and from a distance. So it is difficult to determine the offset of Eurodam and or wether she alters course. I will try to get some stills from the video.

https://www.cruiselawnews.com/2019/06/articles/cruelty-murder-of-animals/hals-eurodam-ignores-calls-to-reduce-speed-while-approaching-whales/

Article with video of eurodam apparently comming very close to a pod of feeding whales, being warned of it in advance and not slowing or steering away.

Anyone currently on her that can comment?

Being a part of Carnival and ships registered in Holland, could HAL redeploy Veendam's homebase to for instance Curacao and do the cuba cruises from there, bypassing the states? Would americans then be allowed to fly there and do the cruise?

I Have the feeling HAL doesn't assemble tables on nationality but rather on language. Hence they mix the english speaking guest but with other languages, mine is dutch, they put them together. Now for me I would not choose a table with all dutch, I see and talk to them every day. When on holliday in another country I want to feel it and it is very strange to me to be far away and still be immersed with my countrymen. 

There is a distinct difference/vibe with cruises out of Holland, compared to the carribean or Asia or South America.

1 hour ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

I have never had a HAL answer my questions when I have had a TA.  They have always refused to do so:  "You will need to ask your TA about that."

Same here. They even contacted my TA to admonish them that their client contacted HAL!

Now my TA is my daughter , so she told me.

3 hours ago, DocNoosa said:

Hi Jackjacko thank you so much for all the information you have kindly provided - much appreciated. On the upcoming July Spitsbergen & Iceland cruise we will have midnight sun so a night-time atmosphere will be hard to find!

As for the midnight sun. Our room had excellent lightblocking curtains. Take along some clips to close cracks andd the room is dark for the night.