international date line question

[nsw104]

Going on the Volendam 4/14/14 Eastbound from Japan to Vancouver, crossing the date-line.Cruise is listed as a 16/17 day cruise. Is there any sort of celebration/ceremony when you cross? Also, are tips charged for 16 or 17 days? Thanks

[CaveDiving]

Going on the Volendam 4/14/14 Eastbound from Japan to Vancouver, crossing the date-line.Cruise is listed as a 16/17 day cruise. Is there any sort of celebration/ceremony when you cross? Also, are tips charged for 16 or 17 days? Thanks

 

I do not recall any celebration for crossing the date line in either direction.

 

Tips are charged for the number of nights you are occupying your cabin on the ship, not the number of days on some calendar.

 

Scott & Karen

[RuthC]

I've crossed that line a couple of times, and there was never anything to mark the occasion. But then, the official time change was at 2:00 AM.

 

As to the number of days the cruise lasts, are there two possible disembarkation ports? That could be the difference in the 16/17.

On my next trans-Pac I can leave the ship in either Seattle, or stay on one more day to Vancouver. The Date Line doesn't come into the count of days on board.

[OCruisers]

At one time we were given a certificate for having done it.

No idea if that is still being done. :confused:

 

LuLu

[take us away]

Did the Grand Asia in 2012 and received an 'I crossed the date line" certificate.

[dobbsie]

We just returned from Grand Asia/Pacific on the Amsterdam. Crossed the dateline both west and eastbound. Certificates were presented for each crossing.

[LoveHAL]

Going on the Volendam 4/14/14 Eastbound from Japan to Vancouver, crossing the date-line.Cruise is listed as a 16/17 day cruise. Is there any sort of celebration/ceremony when you cross? Also, are tips charged for 16 or 17 days? Thanks

Have you checked out the Roll-Call for your 4/14/14 cruise? Do so, and you will have an opportunity to meet some folks that will be on this voyage with you.

[indokiwi]

In 2012 we did the crossing from Kobe to Vancouver on the Zaandam. There was a huge ceremony with the Norse god of the Ocean (looking at my certificate and it says "King Aegir") and his nine daughters (all representing different types of waves). Volunteers from the passengers were selected to be dunked by the King and then the Captain and other staff officers also jumped in. All of us were presented with "official" certificates. It's called the Royal Order of the Golden Dragon to cross the International Dateline. That's what's on our certificates. The ship had ordered them special from the same supplier that does the certificates for the US Navy. They said it was because crossing the dateline was more special than the equator since you can do that anywhere in the world and the IDL in only one place. But, that all being said, I do believe that different Cruise Directors have more imagination and plan more ahead than others. This cruise was Michael Headla, whom I believe is one of the best CDs in the industry and the best for HAL. I think that I have heard that he's on the Oosterdam right now. He made everything special and a big production (but then again his mother was the CEO of Dollywood and Dolly Parton was his godmother, so he knows a thing or two about pagentry).

 

As for the time changes, because you are heading east and therefore doing all of those hour forwards, you won't do them at 2am as previously stated by another poster. They do the time changes for that cruise at 2PM - the CD comes on and says to set your watch forward and there is a big break in programming, etc. It's much better than losing that hour of sleep....although an hour is an hour....it just feels better to have it in the afternoon.

 

I will try to scan and post my certificate. It's pretty cool.

[indokiwi]

OK, I figured out the scanner :D

I did erase my name

[SilvertoGold]

OK, I figured out the scanner :D

I did erase my name

 

Ours looked something like this, but not in colour.

[nsw104]

Thanks for all the responses!! Something to remember the cruise!:)