Captain's Intoduction

In 2017 we were fortunate to fly first class on Air France from D.C. to Paris, on our way to board the Koningsdam. Prior to take off the captain left the cockpit for a few minutes to introduce themselves and go over the flight.

Do the HAL captains visit Pinnacle and Neptune suites to say hello and welcome aboard?

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Do the HAL captains visit Pinnacle and Neptune suites to say hello and welcome aboard?

 

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No, not on the ships we have sailed on. ( in Neptune Suites).

Comes across as a little elitist to me. Let the people in coach eat cake.

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Comes across as a little elitist to me. Let the people in coach eat cake.

 

 

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Well it happens.

As to meeting the Captain on a HAL ship, you might have the opportunity to meet him or her no matter your cabin level. In our case we have met several Captains in a number of circumstances, not only because we have been in the Penthouse a couple of times.

I make it a point to try and thank the disembarking passengers after my post-flight checks have been completed, these will be Economy class passengers as Business and First have disembarked by that time.

Every long flight, during my inflight-rest, I go around the aircraft, especially the Upper deck ( I fly B747) and do thank each passenger flying First personally, if they are not busy or asleep, or give a personal explanation of a delay or issue. Unfortunately, I can not do that for all 460 passengers onboard.

Before Take-Off though? No, FAR too busy. A Welcome via the Personnal Adress is all that is possible.

We are the highest representative of the company we work for, and so yes, there should be acknowledgement of those who pay our wages, people DO like to see the person who is/was ultimately responsible for their wellbeing onboard, we are in the Service industry ( as well as in the transportation industry) so it is part of the job.

I would imagine that at some point during a cruise, especially a long one that the Captain would have a few minutes to stop by and say hello to those in the premium staterooms.

Often times, flying Delta either the Captain or First Office will thank their departing passengers.

Despegue, you obviously understand hospitality.

The only time I have seen a captain visit the Neptune Suite passengers (and PS) was when Captain Dag did our party for the entire ship on our Prinsendam sailing.

Everyone was to come out of their room into the hallway with a glass to meet their neighbours and staff came by with wine to fill your glass. An officer came along to each floor. The Captain did visit the neptune suite hallways as did the staff captain. He could very well have visited the other floors as well but, that I don't know.

The Neptune Suite reception on that ship held the first evening still is in the Captain's day room and you do indeed get welcomed by the captain and his officers.

There was a time when the captain, hotel manager and quite a few other officers as well as the manager of the shops, art gallery, etc., would host a get together for about an hour in the Neptune Lounge between the 2 fixed dining times on the first night of the cruise. Those staying in the Neptune and Pinnacle Suites would meet them and get to talk with many of them and have a cocktail and appetizers.

Those days are gone.

On our last cruise -- 21 days -- we saw the captain only 2 times -- at a distance.

On Westerdam last Janurary, Captain Smit went around each table in MDR to chat with everyone on one of the Gala Nights (at least for early fixed dining upstairs). It was our first HAL cruise, so I assumed all captains do that on each cruise, but it sounds like that doesn't happen very often...?

I just want the captain , be it an airplane or a ship, to be competent. Get me to where we are going in a safe and timely manner. I guess some passengers just like getting their ego stroked.

On Westerdam last Janurary, Captain Smit went around each table in MDR to chat with everyone on one of the Gala Nights (at least for early fixed dining upstairs). It was our first HAL cruise, so I assumed all captains do that on each cruise, but it sounds like that doesn't happen very often...?

That was really nice of your captain.

Have never seen that on any of our cruises.

Its been a few years since I was in a Neptune Suite, but the first night reception in the Neptune Lounge always had the senior officers in attendance. Its amazing how some captains seem to be everywhere and some you rarely see. On this years world cruise on the Amsterdam, Captain Jonathan seemed to always be around. You would see him in the Lido about 5 minutes after he made his midday announcement, in the main dinning room at night with his wife, and was our live model at the last drawing class of the cruise. We sailed on the Maasdam this summer and rarely saw the captain.

Since we're referring to the past, hey there used to be a time when there was a Captain's toast in the main show lounge, along with a receiving line just inside the doors of that lounge, when each pax, who was/were so inclined, was introduced to the captain, hotel manager and cruise director and got a pic taken. Those receiving lines were long and on the "S"-class ships stringed past the front office and shorex office. The captain's toast included an introduction on stage of the ship's dept. heads (between eleven and fourteen of them), employee of the month, and the shooting of confetti from a giant champagne bottle by the cellarmaster. The powers to be (Seattle) decided to end that activity (the handshake and pic) many years ago and the toast was downgraded to just the intro of ship senior management and the employee of the month, the only exception being Capt. Mercer on Amsterdam's GWV who still introduces his dept. heads

Besides the already mentioned "suite welcome aboard reception" in the Neptune Lounge during the first evening, there was a "suite cocktail party" in the Crow's Nest (on Maasie at times in the combo Hudson/Half Moon rooms), and a "suite luncheon" in either the Pinnacle Grill or Crow's Nest. The cocktail party also went by the wayside and not sure about the luncheon.

Look, cruise ship captains are busy men (men on HAL, men and women on other lines) with, besides having to be on the bridge in command, at times during ungodly hours, volumes upon volumes of electronic "paperwork" to get done on a daily basis. There are regular staff meetings, senior management meetings, oversight of investigations conducted by the S/O, "captain's (disciplinary) hearings", weekly drills complete with debriefings, onboard training sessions, Mariner Society presentations and luncheons, meetings with local officials, plaque presentations, etc., etc.

Some captains are obviously "people persons" and go out of their way to be approachable to their guests in the ship's public areas; others not so much. Tis what it is

Since we're referring to the past, hey there used to be a time when there was a Captain's toast in the main show lounge, along with a receiving line just inside the doors of that lounge, when each pax, who was/were so inclined, was introduced to the captain, hotel manager and cruise director and got a pic taken. Those receiving lines were long and on the "S"-class ships stringed past the front office and shorex office. The captain's toast included an introduction on stage of the ship's dept. heads (between eleven and fourteen of them), employee of the month, and the shooting of confetti from a giant champagne bottle by the cellarmaster. The powers to be (Seattle) decided to end that activity (the handshake and pic) many years ago and the toast was downgraded to just the intro of ship senior management and the employee of the month, the only exception being Capt. Mercer on Amsterdam's GWV who still introduces his dept. heads

Besides the already mentioned "suite welcome aboard reception" in the Neptune Lounge during the first evening, there was a "suite cocktail party" in the Crow's Nest (on Maasie at times in the combo Hudson/Half Moon rooms), and a "suite luncheon" in either the Pinnacle Grill or Crow's Nest. The cocktail party also went by the wayside and not sure about the luncheon.

Look, cruise ship captains are busy men (men on HAL, men and women on other lines) with, besides having to be on the bridge in command, at times during ungodly hours, volumes upon volumes of electronic "paperwork" to get done on a daily basis. There are regular staff meetings, senior management meetings, oversight of investigations conducted by the S/O, "captain's (disciplinary) hearings", weekly drills complete with debriefings, onboard training sessions, Mariner Society presentations and luncheons, meetings with local officials, plaque presentations, etc., etc.

Some captains are obviously "people persons" and go out of their way to be approachable to their guests in the ship's public areas; others not so much. Tis what it is

Who was the captain in the first pic? I recognize the person in the all white suit, that's Wawan, later hotel mgr...

The closest welcome I received was me holding open the door to the Neptune Lounge for Captain Ane Jan Smit and where I then waited for him to get his espresso so I can pull myself one. I can tell he needed it and myself being an introvert conversation was not had by all.

The only time I have seen a captain visit the Neptune Suite passengers (and PS) was when Captain Dag did our party for the entire ship on our Prinsendam sailing.

 

Everyone was to come out of their room into the hallway with a glass to meet their neighbours and staff came by with wine to fill your glass. An officer came along to each floor. The Captain did visit the neptune suite hallways as did the staff captain. He could very well have visited the other floors as well but, that I don't know.

 

The Neptune Suite reception on that ship held the first evening still is in the Captain's day room and you do indeed get welcomed by the captain and his officers.

Captain Dag did come by, just quickly though, on the LP deck, for that "street party" that he organized on Prinsendam. We also had someone from the hotel department, I think, liberally pouring the wine.:D

And, Copper, a few weeks ago, on Zaandam, Captain Friso and other officers did form a receiving line at the entrance of the showroom before the Captain's toast. The only things missing were the introductions, on stage, of the officers, and the presentation to the "crew member of the month".

Who was the captain in the first pic? I recognize the person in the all white suit, that's Wawan, later hotel mgr...

WaWAN was one of ghe vey best Dining Room managers (Maitre d) on h HAL ships. He was the take out maitre d' for years . Wawan, Yerko, Gildus And Henricus. (still with HAL) were (are) so great at at their work. THOSE were t he days.

Thnks.

if anyone finds that HAL, please let us know where it has gone.

I was not aware Wawan ever became a Hotel Director. Are you sure he did? If so on which ship was he in that position? :)

ARE you possiblyh athinking of formr e Exec Chef, Mike Mahn and resent years, is hotel Director :) Fabulous gent

Who was the captain in the first pic? I recognize the person in the all white suit, that's Wawan, later hotel mgr...

Capt. in the 1st pic is Coenraad Menke, take-out captain of the current Maasdam; HM next to him is Dirk Zeller. Wawan Kartawan is indeed the staff member doing the introductions. He retired as Maitre 'd.

Capt. in 2nd pic is Hans "Eul" Eulderink, take out captain of the "N"-class Noordam, "S"-class Statendam and (current) Veendam

WaWAN was one of ghe vey best Dining Room managers (Maitre d) on h HAL ships. He was the take out maitre d' for years . Wawan, Yerko, Gildus And Henricus. (still with HAL) were (are) so great at at their work. THOSE were t he days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thnks.

if anyone finds that HAL, please let us know where it has gone.

I was not aware Wawan ever became a Hotel Director. Are you sure he did? If so on which ship was he in that position? :)

 

ARE you possiblyh athinking of formr e Exec Chef, Mike Mahn and resent years, is hotel Director :) Fabulous gent

Correct, he was the first Indonesian Maitre' D or Dining room manager, now retired, so is Henricus..

I’ll try to dig out my photo with the captain of the Veendam back in Feb 1998. As a NS passenger, we were invited to a cocktail party with the ships officers. My goodness what a party ❤️. Champagne flowed ( Moët) Caviar And shrimp appetizers and much more. Sad to see that go. But I’m grateful to have done it once anyway

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I’ll try to dig out my photo with the captain of the Veendam back in Feb 1998. As a NS passenger, we were invited to a cocktail party with the ships officers. My goodness what a party ❤️. Champagne flowed ( Moët) Caviar And shrimp appetizers and much more. Sad to see that go. But I’m grateful to have done it once anyway

 

 

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They are indeed nice. That's the one nice thing of the ship about to leave the fleet - the Prinsendam - they still do it ;). (May, 2018).

Since we're referring to the past, hey there used to be a time when there was a Captain's toast in the main show lounge, along with a receiving line just inside the doors of that lounge, when each pax, who was/were so inclined, was introduced to the captain, hotel manager and cruise director and got a pic taken. Those receiving lines were long and on the "S"-class ships stringed past the front office and shorex office. The captain's toast included an introduction on stage of the ship's dept. heads (between eleven and fourteen of them), employee of the month, and the shooting of confetti from a giant champagne bottle by the cellarmaster. The powers to be (Seattle) decided to end that activity (the handshake and pic) many years ago and the toast was downgraded to just the intro of ship senior management and the employee of the month, the only exception being Capt. Mercer on Amsterdam's GWV who still introduces his dept. heads

 

To go a bit further back; at one time there was a recieving line with a young lady dressed in a Dutch Girl costume intruducing everyone to the Captain and the other ship officers. Everyone (or every party/orcouple) got their photo taken with the Captain. This was in the terminal before entering the ship.

I have had the extremely good fortune to have Captain Jonathan Mercer on 4 different cruises. He was out and about every day greeting the guests, after the 2nd cruise with him he even remembered both my name and my husbands name even though we were just veranda passengers, never Neptune or Pinnacle.

I thought Captain Mercer had retired about 3 years ago. Delighted if he has not retired.

Capt. in the 1st pic is Coenraad Menke, take-out captain of the current Maasdam; HM next to him is Dirk Zeller. Wawan Kartawan is indeed the staff member doing the introductions. He retired as Maitre 'd.

Capt. in 2nd pic is Hans "Eul" Eulderink, take out captain of the "N"-class Noordam, "S"-class Statendam and (current) Veendam

Even more fun is guessing which ships these were taken in. Here’s my guess:

Captain Menke is on the ss Rotterdam - that looks like the entrance to the Queens Lounge - I recognize the light fixtures in the foyer in the background and just make out part of the famous double-flight “trick” main staircase.

Captain Eulderink is either on the ss Veendam or Volendam. I’d recognize that 1950’s American-built ship overhead (aka ceiling) paneling anywhere - complete with the old-school heat (fire) detectors. Plus the wall sconces in the background - saw them in a late ‘70s brochure photo of the Main Lounge on one of the V-sisters (and my vote is still Veendam). Based on the hair styles, I’m saying early ‘80s since the Vs were gone by 1983.

To go a bit further back; at one time there was a recieving line with a young lady dressed in a Dutch Girl costume intruducing everyone to the Captain and the other ship officers. Everyone (or every party/orcouple) got their photo taken with the Captain. This was in the terminal before entering the ship.

I have had the extremely good fortune to have Captain Jonathan Mercer on 4 different cruises. He was out and about every day greeting the guests, after the 2nd cruise with him he even remembered both my name and my husbands name even though we were just veranda passengers, never Neptune or Pinnacle.

I thought Captain Mercer had retired about 3 years ago. Delighted if he has not retired.

I remember the girl in the traditional "Volendam" costume and yes, she was positioned inside the terminal near the gangway which leads to the ship. Do not remember captain and senior staff with her at that location however. Those individuals are pretty busy prior to departure