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When was your 1st hal cruise??

George C

By George C,
in Holland America Line

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Love the beach

Love the beach

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Posted
Well, you know, I sort of just "lurked" on the roll call because I didn't want to participate in all the crazy activities you guys planned -- I'm not really a "walk the plank" type, and the "cabin crawl/clean the bilges" event didn't appeal to me either.

 

Unfortunately, I was busy at the time of the meet and greet -- I had to go down to the naughty room because they found the small cask of spirits hidden in my trunk. :mad: Wouldn't give it back til the end of the cruise....

 

 

 

Honestly, I think the guy was a bit of a crook. Literally. He told a friend of mine that he was a convicted felon back in Spain but they'd commute his sentence (death by hanging) if he agreed to work this cruise. If I had to hear one more joke from him about whether his cabin was smaller than his jail cell, I'd have tossed him overboard myself.

 

My poor dog is wondering why I am laughing so hard!:D

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Tika

Tika

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As a young child I was always fascinated by the big ships docked in New York when my father drove down the West Side Highway. We always asked him to slow down as we gazed in awe of the big ships. For a surprise he booked a transatlantic crossings to and from Europe. I was totally hooked by the age of 14. Rolling forward and married I convinced my DH to try a cruise to Bermuda. He was extremely reluctant but conceded and I booked the old Statendam for a cruise to Bermuda. I think it was the end of July or the beginning of August. It was last minute booking and we were in a stateroom way forward and up on a high deck near the bow. These were the days when there were grand bon voyage celebrations at the pier with family, friends waving. streamers etc. It was so exciting!!!!!!!!!

Once boarded we were informed that there was a major fire on the Homeric (anyone remember?) because of the fire "many" of the pax were transferred to the Statendam. The ship was bursting at the seams but no complaints from us, remember this is DH's first cruise. Next came some rough seas. Stateroom up high near the Bow DH became very ill..........it wasn't going good for him but he survived and we finally reached Bermuda. As we approached the beautiful island the Captain announced that there was a dock strike and the ship was not going to be able to dock! Now there is this packed ship bursting the seams and no one could disembark. The ship cruised around and around the island for I guess two days before she headed back to New York. I was happy just to be on a ship and was in awe how the crew managed the overwhelming huge crowd of disappointed pax. I don't know how I ever got my DH to cruise again but since that first cruise we have cruised many, many times. We were fortunate to cruise to Bermuda on the Veendam her very last time to dock in Hamilton a few years ago and now we are booked on the Oosterdam for a Southern Caribbean cruise Jan. 2016. Always a magical adventure being on board one of these Grand Dams of the Seas!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Tika

Tika

Posted
Posted

As a young child I was always fascinated by the big ships docked in New York when my father drove down the West Side Highway. We always asked him to slow down as we gazed in awe of the big ships. For a surprise he booked a transatlantic crossings to and from Europe. I was totally hooked by the age of 14. Rolling forward and married I convinced my DH to try a cruise to Bermuda. He was extremely reluctant but conceded and I booked the old Statendam for a cruise to Bermuda. I think it was the end of July or the beginning of August. It was last minute booking and we were in a stateroom way forward and up on a high deck near the bow. These were the days when there were grand bon voyage celebrations at the pier with family, friends waving. streamers etc. It was so exciting!!!!!!!!!

Once boarded we were informed that there was a major fire on the Homeric (anyone remember?) because of the fire "many" of the pax were transferred to the Statendam. The ship was bursting at the seams but no complaints from us, remember this is DH's first cruise. Next came some rough seas. Stateroom up high near the Bow DH became very ill..........it wasn't going good for him but he survived and we finally reached Bermuda. As we approached the beautiful island the Captain announced that there was a dock strike and the ship was not going to be able to dock! Now there is this packed ship bursting the seams and no one could disembark. The ship cruised around and around the island for I guess two days before she headed back to New York. I was happy just to be on a ship and was in awe how the crew managed the overwhelming huge crowd of disappointed pax. I don't know how I ever got my DH to cruise again but since that first cruise we have cruised many, many times. We were fortunate to cruise to Bermuda on the Veendam her very last time to dock in Hamilton a few years ago and now we are booked on the Oosterdam for a Southern Caribbean cruise Jan. 2016. Always a magical adventure being on board one of these Grand Dams of the Seas!!!!!!!!!!!!

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3rdGenCunarder "Live from...." Rare

3rdGenCunarder

Posted
Posted
As a young child I was always fascinated by the big ships docked in New York when my father drove down the West Side Highway. We always asked him to slow down as we gazed in awe of the big ships. For a surprise he booked a transatlantic crossings to and from Europe. I was totally hooked by the age of 14. Rolling forward and married I convinced my DH to try a cruise to Bermuda. He was extremely reluctant but conceded and I booked the old Statendam for a cruise to Bermuda. I think it was the end of July or the beginning of August. It was last minute booking and we were in a stateroom way forward and up on a high deck near the bow. These were the days when there were grand bon voyage celebrations at the pier with family, friends waving. streamers etc. It was so exciting!!!!!!!!!

Once boarded we were informed that there was a major fire on the Homeric (anyone remember?) because of the fire "many" of the pax were transferred to the Statendam. The ship was bursting at the seams but no complaints from us, remember this is DH's first cruise. Next came some rough seas. Stateroom up high near the Bow DH became very ill..........it wasn't going good for him but he survived and we finally reached Bermuda. As we approached the beautiful island the Captain announced that there was a dock strike and the ship was not going to be able to dock! Now there is this packed ship bursting the seams and no one could disembark. The ship cruised around and around the island for I guess two days before she headed back to New York. I was happy just to be on a ship and was in awe how the crew managed the overwhelming huge crowd of disappointed pax. I don't know how I ever got my DH to cruise again but since that first cruise we have cruised many, many times. We were fortunate to cruise to Bermuda on the Veendam her very last time to dock in Hamilton a few years ago and now we are booked on the Oosterdam for a Southern Caribbean cruise Jan. 2016. Always a magical adventure being on board one of these Grand Dams of the Seas!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Wow, what a first experience for your DH! He's a good sport if he was willing to give cruising a second chance. We were in Bermuda just after a dock strike. The only affect it had on our experience was that the pub we went to was out of Guinness--the kegs hadn't been unloaded yet.

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pollux

pollux

Posted
Posted

First HAL was the Statendam in Dec 1963 transatlantic NY-Rotterdam.

Ship went 30 days in drydock in Rotterdam.

Took the Statendam back in Jan. 1964 trans atlantic to NY.

Bunk beds inside cabin with seatbelts for rough seas.

Which we had going over.

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kensinsd

kensinsd

Posted
Posted
November 2008 - Sea of Cortez - on the "beautiful and elegant*" Ryndam!

 

* words used by the Captain on each of his announcements... will never forget it

 

I wonder if that was the same Captain we had in 2014 on the Westerdam, which was my first and so far only :( cruise.

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sapper1

sapper1

Posted
Posted

Our first HAL cruise was on the Maasdam in 2002. I had always been rather lukewarm to the idea of cruising but my husband pointed out that he had accumulated a gazillion RBC points and suggested I use them to book a cruise since we were going to be in Florida for a month anyway. Well I managed to get a weeklong Caribean cruise in an outside cabin for around $190 in top up fees.

 

It was all very pleasant but we waited until 07 to try again. This was a 10 day Panama cruise and we have taken one or two cruises every year since. In 09 we were seduced by friends into taking a 26 day cruise. We were totally surprised at how we loved the longer cruise and ever since we have mostly taken extended cruises.

 

Discovering Cruise Crutic along the line has really added to our enjoyment since we have met so many amazing people and learned a lot of money saving tips as well.

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CowPrincess

CowPrincess

Posted
Posted
Our first HAL cruise was on the Maasdam in 2002. I had always been rather lukewarm to the idea of cruising but my husband pointed out that he had accumulated a gazillion RBC points and suggested I use them to book a cruise since we were going to be in Florida for a month anyway. Well I managed to get a weeklong Caribean cruise in an outside cabin for around $190 in top up fees.

 

It was all very pleasant but we waited until 07 to try again.

 

>SNIP<

 

Wow, and you mentioned a while ago that you are now 5 star. That didn't take long once you started cruising! Good work! :D

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mudscraper

mudscraper

Posted
Posted
My first cruise on a Holland America ship as part of the Holland America Line was August 2012 Alaska RT from Vancouver. And we've never looked back.

 

My odd phrasing above is be cause first Holland America SHIP was Statendam IV after she had been sold to Paquet Cruises. Again it was Alaska RT from Vancouver since the ship carried a Glacier Bay permit with it. A lot of the ship's design remained. Our cabin looked very much like this one, with batik curtains.

 

SS-Statendam-twin.jpg

 

The best part was the beautiful indoor pool made of blue, green and gold mosaic tiles. It was stunning, but seldom used. It took me 31 one years to get back on a dam ship and Im dam happy we did!

 

I remember that pool. The ship was the Rhapsody.

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Topsham

Topsham

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Posted
He was extremely reluctant but conceded and I booked the old Statendam for a cruise to Bermuda. I think it was the end of July or the beginning of August. It was last minute booking and we were in a stateroom way forward and up on a high deck near the bow. These were the days when there were grand bon voyage celebrations at the pier with family, friends waving. streamers etc. It was so exciting!!!!!!!!!

Once boarded we were informed that there was a major fire on the Homeric (anyone remember?) because of the fire "many" of the pax were transferred to the Statendam. The ship was bursting at the seams but no complaints from us, remember this is DH's first cruise. Next came some rough seas. Stateroom up high near the Bow DH became very ill..........it wasn't going good for him but he survived and we finally reached Bermuda. As we approached the beautiful island the Captain announced that there was a dock strike and the ship was not going to be able to dock! Now there is this packed ship bursting the seams and no one could disembark. The ship cruised around and around the island for I guess two days before she headed back to New York. !

 

Hello Tika,

 

The fire on board HOMERIC was 1 July 1973. The galley was gutted and as the ship was quite old, Home Lines made a decision to scrap the ship.

 

STATENDAM started the weekly service to Bermuda started in 1974. Before that she came on occasional runs.... going back to 1960. Unfortunately I do not have all the dates for the STATENDAM. I will have to go back to the files. Next chance in Hamilton it should be easy to find what cruise you were on... and about the dock strike roughly that period. July.August 1973.

 

Stephen

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George C

George C

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Hello Tika,

 

The fire on board HOMERIC was 1 July 1973. The galley was gutted and as the ship was quite old, Home Lines made a decision to scrap the ship.

 

STATENDAM started the weekly service to Bermuda started in 1974. Before that she came on occasional runs.... going back to 1960. Unfortunately I do not have all the dates for the STATENDAM. I will have to go back to the files. Next chance in Hamilton it should be easy to find what cruise you were on... and about the dock strike roughly that period. July.August 1973.

 

Stephen

I was so unimpressed by Statendam cruise in 80 or 81 that I did not sail Hal for another 28 or 29 years ( Rotterdam was so much nicer)

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