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MS Veendam August 17-24 Historic Coasts

rafinmd

By rafinmd,
in Holland America Line

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rafinmd "Live from...." Rare

rafinmd

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I thought you were on Veendam:confused:

 

Sorry, my mistake.

 

Thanks for your report, Roy. Enjoying a second cup of coffee reading it! Have you run into Sail7Seas? I recall a while ago her mentioning that she and her DH were joining friends on this cruise.

 

Shiela, I think Sail cancelled, but I have not seen them in any case.

 

Roy

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RuthC

RuthC

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Nice to see that Walk for the Cause is part of your cruise. Hope it's been extended throughout the fleet, and remains a part for a long time.

Since you walk on deck so much anyway, will you be participating?

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greatver

greatver

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So nice to be able to cruise with you vicariously.

 

I was struck by your posting of programs to see that there is still a Happy Hour in the Crow's Nest and Ocean Bar; other postings implied that Happy Hours were a thing of the past.

 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise!

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rafinmd "Live from...." Rare

rafinmd

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Nice to see that Walk for the Cause is part of your cruise. Hope it's been extended throughout the fleet, and remains a part for a long time.

Since you walk on deck so much anyway, will you be participating?

 

Absolutely. I always do both this or the Royal Caribbean Walk for Wishes, but it's a lot nicer when there's a real promenade deck.

 

It was quite cloudy when I went out on deck just past 5 and stayed cloudy most of the day. With an active day ahead of me I walked a mile on the promenade after fetching my first cup of self service coffee of the voyage. In the latter stages of breakfast as we docked the Celtic singers performed in the Lido.

 

This is my second call in Sydney, although I haven't been here since the Regent Sun in 1994. We entered the harbor about 8 and packed into the pier after passing the 600-passenger Phoenix Amadea anchored in the bay. Sydney was once a thriving city but has fallen on difficult times as both the mining and steel industries closed down in 2000.

 

I had booked 2 tours today. The morning tour was "Stroll through old Sydney". We left the pier about 9:30 and visited several churches and homes. St. Patricks was the oldest church in Sydney and is now a museum. St. Georges Anglican Church is no longer in regular use but is still the site of weddings and occasional services. Sacred Heart Church is quite large and was the site of some highland dance demonstrations today. We also visited 2 restored historic homes, the Jost Heritage house and the Cosset house. Our tour concluded about 11 with tea and oat cakes at the Lyceum, a former theater. At the end of the tour I walked about 3 blocks to Tim Hortons for a quick lunch and returned to the ship along the esplanade, a boardwalk running along the harbor.

 

My second tour at 2:00 was to the Fortress of Louisburg. The fortified French City was begun about 1713 and was lost to the British in a siege in 1855. The victorious British completely destroyed the fortress but never built anything on the site. It was restored in the 1960's, a success largely because the failure to rebuild on the site left a wealth of archeological treasures to aid in an accurate restoration. The fortifications beautifully protected the complex from attack by sea but the successful siege came from a poorly protected land attack. The heaviest fortifications were at the Governor's Apartments where about 500 soldiers were also quartered, and that complex was surrounded by a ditch. Without water, it was not a moat, but the ditch prevented a direct line of fire at the base of the complex walls. There was a musket firing demonstration fairly soon after we arrived. We were given about 2 hours to explore the complex on our own.

 

We returned to the ship about 6, and the late time in port provided the perfect opportunity to try Canaletto. My reservation was for 7:30 and we sailed away as I enjoyed a dinner of veal topped off with Tiramisu. The primary evening entertainment was the magic of Devlin, the Matador of Magic. I was in Canaletto for most of the show but did catch the tail end. In the piano bar Eric started the evening with a 20th century pop trivia. I did not fare very well with 10 out of 17 correct.

 

Today's parting shot is a word of support for Sydney. The once vibrant city has been struggling lately and it's greatest export is now it's youth. It is working hard to reinvent itself and seems to be making some progress. May the city prosper again.

 

This post comes to you live from the Veendam. Tootle loo for now.

 

Roy

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rafinmd "Live from...." Rare

rafinmd

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Hey Roy; having a great time following you along! Enjoy your remaining stay on VEDM and if you see CD Linda, tell her I said hi please! Take care and be safe!:)

 

Haven't seen her yet but I'll keep my eyes open.

 

A lot happened this day at sea but there was also a lot of time for rest and relaxation. When I went out on deck it was mostly clear but quite breezy. On a sea day on a ship with a nice promenade deck I would normally walk 5 miles before breakfast but with "On Deck for a Cause" being held I stopped at 3 miles.

 

Holland America partnered for a number of years with Susan G Kohmen foundation with "On Deck for the Cure". That program ended about 6 months ago with plans for a more inclusive cancer event teaming with agencies from several countries, but the revised program was slow getting started. Perhaps opposition from Kohmen was greater than I realized and changing one word may not have been enough. I thought the new event was "On Deck for The Cause" but in the end "THE Cause" became "A Cause". I believe the program is active fleet wide now; this was only the second week on the Veendam. With the reinvented event this was my first walk as a (16-year prostate) survivor. We met in the Atrium at 9:30 and formed on the forward stairs for a picture, completely filling the stairwell. The walk was dry but it had become quite foggy and very windy. There was music at the end point but it was not blaring. A table was set at the end with cookies, fruit, and drinks.

 

There was only a short break between the walk and the 11AM Mariners Brunch. I was seated at a 6-top with 2 couples and one lady. We were all more than 1 star mariners and we all enjoy a variety of cruise lines. Captain Bos sent his regrets due to the thickness of the fog. I enjoyed a chilled soup, short ribs, and key lime tart but it was the company of other Mariners, not the food that made the event. On leaving we were given the S-Class tiles inspired by Captain Card. Captain Bos gave his update about 12:15. He expects fog the rest of the day and rain overnight but a nice day in Portland.

 

I went for a relaxing visit to the hot tubs after lunch and then to the lovely cup cake tea, and finally relaxed a bit more.

 

Everyone looked nice for our second formal dinner. The primary evening entertainment was "Encore", a musical performance featuring the casts lead tenor and soprano. It seemed perfect to close the show with Beethoven's "Ode to Joy". Eric's music trivia tonight was based on music of Frank Sinatra. I bombed completely at 6 out of 17. We moved our clocks back tonight in preparation for our visit to Portland but I used the extra time mostly for sleep.

 

I'm afraid today's parting shot will run rather long. There have been recent debates on the HAL and other Cruise Critic forums about loyalty programs. With the Mariner Brunch falling on day 6 of a cruise I started with 69 credits, it seems like the appropriate time for me to wade in. I come at this from the vantage points of widely varying levels at a number of cruise lines.

 

1. I am about to be 3* with HAL, the midpoint of their system.

2. If Crystal's system were like HAL's, my last cruise would have been my first as a 4*. They recognize milestones rather than level. I've gotten a couple of milestone upgrades and there's a small price reduction to veteran cruisers, but not really much in the way of "perks" beyond what everybody gets.

3. I'm probably just short of the equivalent of 4* with Blount Small Ship Adventures, but their system is unique. I just got a free cruise my last time. I knew it was sometime in my future, but I was totally surprised when my travel agent called and said "this is the one". They really have no other perks for past cruisers except that everybody greets me by name when I step on board, that doesn't happen until a few days into the cruise for newcomers.

4. I'm Diamond with Cunard, probably midway between 3* and 4*.

5. I'm at the second level with both RCI and Celebrity. Celebrity has only one further level while there are several with Royal.

6. I'm at the lowest (or only) level with Windstar, Carnival, and Silversea. Other than with Windstar I have no real desire to return.

 

A loyalty program is a difficult balancing act. A business must reward their faithful customers but must also attract new ones. It's a relationship not a marriage; I want to return because it's attractive to me not because I feel trapped and I expect them to take good care of me and their other customers, both new and longstanding. I see HAL as a little above the middle of the pack in that respect. Celebrity's Captains Club is popular, but on my first cruise with them (a transatlantic) I was in a relatively upscale cabin but was never in 14 days permitted to be in the equivalent of the Crow's Nest to watch a sunrise. I had other concerns with them, but that alone was sufficient to keep them perpetually near the bottom of my priority list. Standing in line for over an hour on my first Cunard crossing waiting for someone to process my ticket while long time customers walked right up left an impression that still colors my impression of their service. The biggest drawback for me with HAL is always being at the end of the line for tender tickets, but so far at least it has not become a practical problem. What I really expect for my loyalty to a cruise line is a string of great cruises. HAL does that well above average for me, while Blount and Crystal do it superbly. Aside from some special family memories, Celebrity has never left me sad to leave one of their ships. The only time I've been ready to leave a HAL ship was on the Rotterdam, where a stay on the Grande Dame and 3 weeks on the Elegant Explorer were in my immediate future. That's my bottom line.

 

This post comes to you live from the Veendam. Tootle loo for now.

 

Roy

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rafinmd "Live from...." Rare

rafinmd

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Thank you all. I just checked in briefly after coming back from tour, and have dinner in 7 minutes. There will be at least a couple more reports; they may be delayed until I'm home. Still have about 90 minutes of internet left, but may be too busy packing to use it.

 

Roy

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LAFFNVEGAS "Live from...." Rare

LAFFNVEGAS

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Thank you all. I just checked in briefly after coming back from tour, and have dinner in 7 minutes. There will be at least a couple more reports; they may be delayed until I'm home. Still have about 90 minutes of internet left, but may be too busy packing to use it.

 

Roy

 

Roy, your week has just gone by too quickly but I have enjoyed all your comparisons. :)

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Copper10-8 "Live from...." Rare

Copper10-8

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Here is a link to a video on last night's news about Halifax Harbour Pilots which features the Veendam on her approach to Halifax.

 

http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/delving-deeper-exploring-the-role-of-pilot-boats-in-halifax-harbour-1.1422656

 

Couple of nice shots of George's Island Lighthouse in Halifax Harbor! Thanks for posting that link

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rafinmd "Live from...." Rare

rafinmd

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Day 7, Friday August 23, Portland ME

 

When I woke at 5 it was a bit cloudy but we had left the fog behind. I walked 2 miles on the promenade deck as the sun tried to force it's way through the clouds. We passed Fort Georges (never used) in the harbor and made our way to the dock about 8. The American Glory was docked at the old Nova Scotia ferry terminal and was joined later in the day by the Independence.

 

All except US Citizens were required to meet with Immigration in the Wajang theater and it seemed to take several announcements to get everybody there. The ship was cleared about 9 and I was off soon afterwards with just a few minutes to spare before my 9:15 tour meeting. The tour was primarily to Kennebunkport, but we started off by making a wide loop around the city, on a peninsula with sea on 3 sides. The city was once a thriving seaport as it was a day closer than New York in the days of sailing ships, but the biggest industry today is tourism.

 

We made an initial visit to Portland Head Light. Sitting prominently at the entrance to the harbor it was the site of a Fort Williams with traces of Battery Blair still present. I have been to Portland several times, usually on land but also once with Blount Small Ship Adventures and visited the light on that trip. The entire area is now a beautiful park.

 

Most of the trip to Kennebunkport (about 20 miles SW of Portland) was on narrow, winding, scenic roads. We arrived about 12:20 for a 12:45 boat trip and all made rushed stops at convenience stores to get some snacks for lunch. Our tour took us out into the harbor where we got a closeup look at a lobster trap and a quick introduction to lobster harvesting, and then on to Walker Point, summer home of President Bush 41, and named for the Walker in George Herbert Walker Bush.

 

We returned to the dock about 1:45 with 90 minutes to explore the quaint town of Kennebunkport. I was a bit puzzled by the attractive Congregational Church. The sign said "Church Gathered in 1838, building erected in 1824. It gave no clue about why there was a building those first 14 years. Leaving Kennebunkport we passed Walker Point from the land side and returned to the ship about 4:45.

 

Six of us were present for the Master Chef's Dinner. After packing my large bag I stopped briefly in the Mix before the show. I saw Eric's play list and it looked like it was in the neighborhood of 260 songs. There were 6 contestants for Dancing with the Stars. The judges ratings were all in the range of 23-27 out of 30 points. The audience applause stood for 15, 10, and 5 points for the top 3, so the judges points were pretty much irrelevant.

 

Today's parting shot comes from the Veendam itself. I enjoy looking at the various plaques mounted on ships stairwells, mostly commemorating ports visited. I found two of these of particular interest on the Veendam. The first was pretty standard, a governor's proclamation on the Veendam's maiden call at my home port of Baltimore. I wish I could see it on more ships. The other was unlike any I've seen before. I've never sailed with Captain John Mercer but I believe he is still active and well respected. He apparently was initial Master of the Veendam and there is a plaque honoring him on that command from the former crew of the USS Curtis, AV4. I don't know the full story but imagine Captain Mercer must have been very well esteemed by his former colleagues on the Curtis to have been so honored. Captain Mercer, thank you for your service to Holland America's passengers and to your country.

 

This is my final planned post from the Veendam. Boston arrival and wrapups will be posted later.

 

Roy

mercer.jpg.a60d50f2653b5a0fbc549358676d897b.jpg

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kazu "Live from...." Rare

kazu

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Here is a link to a video on last night's news about Halifax Harbour Pilots which features the Veendam on her approach to Halifax.

 

http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/delving-deeper-exploring-the-role-of-pilot-boats-in-halifax-harbour-1.1422656

 

Thanks for this link Bobbie - a great story and lovely to see the smiling faces of the crew and the Veendam:D

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hpf

hpf

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Here is a link to a video on last night's news about Halifax Harbour Pilots which features the Veendam on her approach to Halifax.

 

http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/delving-deeper-exploring-the-role-of-pilot-boats-in-halifax-harbour-1.1422656

 

Thanks for the link. I knew it was going to be on, but I had driven our grandson to his Guitar lesson and it was just over when I arrived back home.

 

Thanks Roy for your posts. We'll see you in Nov.:D

 

Helen

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rafinmd "Live from...." Rare

rafinmd

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Thanks for this link Bobbie - a great story and lovely to see the smiling faces of the crew and the Veendam:D

 

Yes, Bobbie, thanks for the link (which I'd never have been able to watch via ship's internet. I just watched it from Club Acela.

 

Roy, I know that there are four dance styles in the Dancing with the Stars competition, samba, tango, waltz and jive. Can you tell me which style dance was the winner?

y

This is terrible, but I'm not 100% sure. I think it was the tango.

 

Helen, just about 90 days until we meet.

 

Ro

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RuthC

RuthC

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After packing my large bag I stopped briefly in the Mix before the show. I saw Eric's play list and it looked like it was in the neighborhood of 260 songs.

260 songs? :eek: That's all??? That would get pretty old pretty fast, especially on a cruise longer than 7 days. :rolleyes:

I wish HAL would go back to hiring musicians who are more well-rounded in selections.

 

Thank you for the delightful reports, Roy. Have a nice ride home. You have a beautiful day for it!

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