ANSalberg

I've been reading other boards and that's caused me to reflect on some of the discussions lately. I've come up with these and know others will have many more based on more experience than mine, but here goes:

 

Self-service laundry on many ships (lifesaver on long cruises)

Fresh orange juice in the buffet

 

 

Great crew and safety record are a couple more that I see on other lines as well with one glaring exception of late.

I know there are many more to add to the list. I am comparing HAL to other lines of like cost, not the luxury lines. Friend is trying to convince travel partner to go HAL and more reasons will help.

I can think of several VALID reasons;

1. Itineraries. HAL has longer itineraries that sail out of and in to the USA -limiting the DREADED longer flights. [ see "Grand" cruises]

2. Size of ships. The HAL ships are between 1200 and 1800 passengers [ exception is Prinsendam] For many cruises -this wpu;dn't matter all that much but over the years you realise in "Comfort-Zone" for embarkation/disembarkation -dining room/mealtimes - major ship-planned activities.......numbers matter!

3. The CREW; I don't know how many times I've made THIS comment; the CARING and LOVING HAL crews from Indonesia and the Philipines -make ALL the difference in YOUR cruise experience.

;) Anne

Hey, does one need an extension cord if one wants to do some 'blending' on the balcony?:cool:

No; but you better use a condom :)

Copper - I'm reading "D-Day" by Anthony Beevor - a more BRITISH model than American. [ although the landings refer to ALL the beaches etc and Air as well. Its relatively new [ maybe 2 years out?] It IS interesting in the lore of WWII annals. Thought you might be interested.

Copper 10-8. Your history and your own knowledge of the history of ships and cruising is amazing -and I have enjoyed tapping into your expertise; This has been a BOOK'S worth of VERY well-presented information -And I thank you for sharing it!

Anne

Copper 10-8. Your history and your own knowledge of the history of ships and cruising is amazing -and I have enjoyed tapping into your expertise; This has been a BOOK'S worth of VERY well-presented information -And I thank you for sharing it!

Anne

Our FAVORITE is Edward Van Zaane and his DARLING wife Apollonia. He's on the "Amsterdam" and we've sailed with them for -count 'em - 8 months. We will receive our 500 day medals on the fall "Grand" cruise on the "Amsterdam" [ again] and we specifically planned that it be on THAT ship. He is the total professional Captain with our comfort and benefit his main concern - We think he's TERRIFIC,

Anne and Dick

Re- older ships/memories. Two of our earlier cruises were on the old Nieuw Amsterdam & the old Noordam. We cruised with friends & my sister in a "Delux" cabin- the biggest cabin I ever saw! My sister slept in the nook under the window and that cruise was GREAT! The next on her sister ship was a "smaller" cabin right behind the center bar; I thought "We aren't going to like this- its too near nightly noise" but there was a door separating the area and there were I BELIEVE just 4 or 6 cabins with doors opposite each other in that area so we really took delight in knowing our "neighbors" on that ship and the cabin was GREAT!

One morning we wandered into the bar area which was the balcony for a service area where they did programs and such; that morning's was a supplimentary "program" because of a missed port [ bad weather] in the Atlantic and was "Asian cooking" lessons. After the lesson part, waves of waiters brought in huge trays of the food -I leaned over to Dick and remarked "That's too bad to waste all that food; its only 10:30 and I'm sure everyone is still full from breakfast"........enough said; the line was long/ the place picked clean within 20 minutes/it looked as if LOCUSTS had hit!!!!

The smaller ships like those 2 were cosy, and comfortable -even in their last days in service for HAL. My memories are of smiling crew, of sundrenched decks, of people visiting in small groups, of GOOD food and experiments with NEW foods, and I think most would remember them in much the same way; Grand OL' Ladies in their finery.....

Anne

Re- older ships/memories. Two of our earlier cruises were on the old Nieuw Amsterdam & the old Noordam. We cruised with friends & my sister in a "Delux" cabin- the biggest cabin I ever saw! My sister slept in the nook under the window and that cruise was GREAT! The next on her sister ship was a "smaller" cabin right behind the center bar; I thought "We aren't going to like this- its too near nightly noise" but there was a door separating the area and there were I BELIEVE just 4 or 6 cabins with doors opposite each other in that area so we really took delight in knowing our "neighbors" on that ship and the cabin was GREAT!

One morning we wandered into the bar area which was the balcony for a service area where they did programs and such; that morning's was a supplimentary "program" because of a missed port [ bad weather] in the Atlantic and was "Asian cooking" lessons. After the lesson part, waves of waiters brought in huge trays of the food -I leaned over to Dick and remarked "That's too bad to waste all that food; its only 10:30 and I'm sure everyone is still full from breakfast"........enough said; the line was long/ the place picked clean within 20 minutes/it looked as if LOCUSTS had hit!!!!

The smaller ships like those 2 were cosy, and comfortable -even in their last days in service for HAL. My memories are of smiling crew, of sundrenched decks, of people visiting in small groups, of GOOD food and experiments with NEW foods, and I think most would remember them in much the same way; Grand OL' Ladies in their finery.....

Anne

What was your first cruise ship? What cruise line, the year and the itinerary? (if you remember;) ) Did it get you hooked?

1978. Princess "Island Princess" sister ship to "The LOVE boat" The cruise was to Alaska out of VanCouver and back TO VanCouver. Sail away was during our dinner; so my then 14 year old daughter and I raced up to see the sail away. We sailed under the VERY tall bridge and saw a man jump off the bridge and plummet into the water. We were horrified.

Busy years in between that cruise and the next; graduations/ work schedules/ more graduations /weddings and birth's of grandchildren.

We found Holland America shortly after I retired from public library service. Dick retired 2 years later and we were off and running -the bug bit-and never left. "Nieuw Amsterdam" the OLD "Noordam" "Rotterdam" "Zaandam" "Volendam" "Veendam" - and our favorite ship "Amsterdam" [ although we've loved them all]

We sail out again in a bit less than a week on the "Amsterdam" for Asia and the south Pacific. It feels like "coming home" ;)

What was your first cruise ship? What cruise line, the year and the itinerary? (if you remember;) ) Did it get you hooked?

1978. Princess "Island Princess" sister ship to "The LOVE boat" The cruise was to Alaska out of VanCouver and back TO VanCouver. Sail away was during our dinner; so my then 14 year old daughter and I raced up to see the sail away. We sailed under the VERY tall bridge and saw a man jump off the bridge and plummet into the water. We were horrified.

Busy years in between that cruise and the next; graduations/ work schedules/ more graduations /weddings and birth's of grandchildren.

We found Holland America shortly after I retired from public library service. Dick retired 2 years later and we were off and running -the bug bit-and never left. "Nieuw Amsterdam" the OLD "Noordam" "Rotterdam" "Zaandam" "Volendam" "Veendam" - and our favorite ship "Amsterdam" [ although we've loved them all]

We sail out again in a bit less than a week on the "Amsterdam" for Asia and the south Pacific. It feels like "coming home" ;)