Zuiderdam's crew farewell at the conclusion of her 2024 Grand World Voyage

[Copper10-8]

 

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Thanks John!! Saw several familiar faces 😀

[Btimmer]

Thanks for posting.  I, too, saw several people I recognized from our month on the Zuiderdam a couple years ago.

Edited May 25 by Btimmer

[Copper10-8]

The Hotel GM, Henk Mensink, and his wife Christel (as GRM) have done the GWV at least ten years in a row now (with Christel taking a few years off recently). Captain Friso Kramer Freher Gezegd is still relatively new at it after taking over from Captain Jonathan Mercer when the latter retired

[Sir PMP]

2 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

The Hotel GM, Henk Mensink, and his wife Christel (as GRM) have done the GWV at least ten years in a row now (with Christel taking a few years off recently). Captain Friso Kramer Freher Gezegd is still relatively new at it after taking over from Captain Jonathan Mercer when the latter retired

The Mensinks probably into retirement

[cruzingnut]

3 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

The Hotel GM, Henk Mensink, and his wife Christel (as GRM) have done the GWV at least ten years in a row now (with Christel taking a few years off recently). Captain Friso Kramer Freher Gezegd is still relatively new at it after taking over from Captain Jonathan Mercer when the latter retired

 

Longer than that, for sure.  They were on for our first WC in 2010.  I don't remember when they started but Henk told us at one point how long they've been doing the WC and it's been for many years.  Christel is retired and Henk is not far behind. 

 

It was fun last year having Captain Friso after so many years of him "taking the ship out" with Captain Mercer. 

 

Linda R.

Edited May 26 by cruzingnut

[Copper10-8]

22 minutes ago, cruzingnut said:

 

Longer than that, for sure.  They were on for our first WC in 2010.  I don't remember when they started but Henk told us at one point how long they've been doing the WC and it's been for many years.  Christel is retired and Henk is not far behind. 

 

It was fun last year having Captain Friso after so many years of him "taking the ship out" with Captain Mercer. 

 

Linda R.

 

 

Thanks for the update. I knew that Christel had been staying home to take care of her mum in recent years. Didn't know she was also now retired. Good for her! Enjoyed working with both of them! I remember both her and Henk on that tandem bicycle everywhere in the world going for a spin. Me thinks it's going to be hard for Henk to give up the GWV but I'm sure that day is coming

 

Friso was my boss as staff captain / Head of the Nautical/Deck Dept. on Amsterdam for a couple of contracts before he got his promotion 

Edited May 26 by Copper10-8

[Copper10-8]

Henk and Christel going for a bike ride on Jeju Island, South Korea in the middle of Amsterdam's Grand Pacific & Far East voyage (Seattle - San Diego) plus a variety of shots from that voyage from a crew member's viewpoint 

[ski ww]

Thanks for posting the photos.

[REOVA]

Dolly 😇🙏

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

It was a GREAT Farewell presentation 

[Sir PMP]

That was a great cruise, the one above to the left of Dolly is Copper, the Amsterdam mafia.

Bering Sea:

Coffee time:

Debbie Bacon in Hong Kong:

 

Chef Daniel:

 

The Amsterdam in Hong Kong:

 

'Simple' brunch with Cpt. Eversen, Henk, Philip, Presty etc.

[bcummin]

Thank you, Copper-10, for so much.

Henk and Chrystal were both working on our 2007 Grand Asia Voyage, seeming well experienced then.  I would guess that their world cruises began before that.

Barbara

[cruzingnut]

Great pictures and memories!  I remember one presentation that the crew recorded and showed at the end of either a Grand or a WC where Henk and Christel rode their bike into the pool!  That got a lot of laughs!  Miss Dolly......❤️.  Friso looks so young there!  I see Presty in one of the pics.

 

ms Amsterdam was our favorite ship; we had over 900 days on her.  Beginning in 2001 with our very first trans-atlantic from FLL to Rome.  The 2010 WC....so many memories and friends we made over the years on her.  The 2020 WC where we left her to fly home never realizing it would be our last time on her.  Our extended family!

 

Picture of the Amsterdam lying off Petropavlovsk, Russia on the 2010 (wrong way!🤣) world cruise and of our last sight of her in Freemantle, AU March 2020.

 

Sorry, I'm all sentimental about our time on her...😭

Linda R.

[Copper10-8]

For the non-Dutch speakers, "'t Lekkende Azipodje" (meaning "the little leaking azipod" in English) was the name of Amsterdam's "O.B." (Officers Bar) down on A-Deck. Always a popular location at night for those with officer status to unwind, play a round, or two or six, of darts, listen/dance to tunes (it had its own jukebox), have a cold cerveza or something stronger (it had its own assigned bartender with a 0200 hrs. closing time), "shoot the bull", and/or just relax off-shift.

 

The supervisors had their own bar next door known as the "P.O." (Petty Officers) Bar (lots of Karaoke in there at night) and the ratings had the Crew Mess.   

 

[Himself]

Thanks for the post and the pictures John.

[St Pete Cruiser]

John, I miss your frequent posts and your updates on the officers and their ship assignments. 

We saw the old Maasdam in LaHarve recently looking quite good. She was your first assignment, right?