Remembering Nikola

As several of us know from postings on a longer thread, our dear friend from the SeaDream crew, Nikola, passed away in Italy a little over a week ago.

Many will know him as a long time maitre d who only within recent weeks had been promoted to hotel manager on SD1 after completing a degree from Cornell. He was only 36 years old and leaves behind a newborn son from just this past May and a new wife back home in Croatia. We are all saddened by his untimely passing.

Someone properly said Nikola deserves a separate thread to remember him by and to share the sad news with the broader SeaDream guest family. Corporate Chef Sudesh has started a memory page for tributes on forevermissed.com where one merely enters his name - Nikola Ivanovic - if you wish to share a tribute on the page dedicated to Nikola.

Please count your blessings every day - laugh and love while we can - and please remember Nikola and his family.

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Thanks for starting this thread, JES. Nikola was such a wonderful crew member, and friend, and we were shocked to hear of his passing. It is a tragedy for all who knew him, but our hearts break for his young wife and for his newborn son who will never know him. My DH has contacted SD to inquire as to whether a fund has been set up for the benefit of his wife and son. We have not yet heard back, but when we do we will share that information on this thread.

Zimmy, thanks for the wonderful words and heartfelt sentiment. Hope others share as well. Particularly glad you mentioned a fund to help his wife and son. We too asked SD in Miami and was told our email was being forwarded to the CEO. That was about a week ago and so far no word back. I know of others who have made the same inquiry and also have yet to hear back. Perhaps if enough of us inquire that will make the difference. It is a testament to how close regular SeaDreamers are to the crew that we genuinely consider them family.

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As to a family fund, I just discovered some information on one in the http://www.forevermissed.com web page under Nikola Ivanovic. One has to click the “please click here for other information” link toward the top of the page before the tributes start to access the information.

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Thank you to SeaDream for providing the information regarding a fund for the benefit of Nikola's young son. (Follow the instructions in JES4845's message above to find it.) We have considered ourselves to be part of the SeaDream family, and have developed close relationships with a number of the crew members. Zimmy and I had a special fondness for Nikola, who could always find a way to "make things work." As much as we are looking forward to our August cruise, it will be bittersweet because Nikola was supposed to be sailing with us. Rest in peace, dear friend.

Thank you to SeaDream for providing the information regarding a fund for the benefit of Nikola's young son. (Follow the instructions in JES4845's message above to find it.) We have considered ourselves to be part of the SeaDream family, and have developed close relationships with a number of the crew members. Zimmy and I had a special fondness for Nikola, who could always find a way to "make things work." As much as we are looking forward to our August cruise, it will be bittersweet because Nikola was supposed to be sailing with us. Rest in peace, dear friend.

My hubby & I are so happy Seadream and Sudesh have created this memorial. We look forward to donating and watching little guy Roko & Mom grow knowing the Seadreamers Nikolav so proudly gave himself to day and night, with total love, respect and dedication to us all. We miss him profoundly, yet know he is with God.

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My hubby & I are so happy Seadream and Sudesh have created this memorial. We look forward to donating and watching little guy Roko & Mom grow knowing the Seadreamers Nikolav so proudly gave himself to day and night, with total love, respect and dedication to us all. We miss him profoundly, yet know he is with God.

 

 

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Also pleased to report that SeaDream posted this same information directly on the SeaDream Facebook page with a tribute to Nikola as well.

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We plan to contribute as well. I hope there will be enough to start a scholarship fund or something for Roko’s future. I also hope all the tributes here, on FB, and ForeverMissed can be saved somehow so that Roko knows how much his father was loved and respected. It breaks my heart that he will never know him, but I am sure his mother will keep his memory alive.

Those of us who sail frequently develop such a wonderful relationship with crew — this as sorrowful as losing a member of our own family.

Vandrefalk

Knowing that wire transfers are a bit tricky, especially for those of us from the US (what information they shared may not be enough), I took the liberty of suggesting to SeaDream that the organizers of the fund for Roko establish a PayPal mechanism if they can. Will keep everyone posted. Second Vandrefalk’s words about losing a family member as many of us feel that way. I keep asking myself “why? why?” did we lose someone so young, and vibrant and full of life? Sadly Nikola is not the only example of this but he happens to be the one in this instance that we together knew, respected, enjoyed, and loved. So together we must carry on his memory and help his wife and young son as best we can to return the many examples of Nikola’s kindness, smile and basic humanity.

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Knowing that wire transfers are a bit tricky, especially for those of us from the US (what information they shared may not be enough), I took the liberty of suggesting to SeaDream that the organizers of the fund for Roko establish a PayPal mechanism if they can. Will keep everyone posted. Second Vandrefalk’s words about losing a family member as many of us feel that way. I keep asking myself “why? why?” did we lose someone so young, and vibrant and full of life? Sadly Nikola is not the only example of this but he happens to be the one in this instance that we together knew, respected, enjoyed, and loved. So together we must carry on his memory and help his wife and young son as best we can to return the many examples of Nikola’s kindness, smile and basic humanity.

 

 

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Excellent idea about the PayPal account. Instructed my banker to send via the bank info provided and have not heard back. I will follow up and see if it has been processed. Us Seadreamers will let Roko and Ivana know how much he meant us! He was our family too !

Excellent idea about the PayPal account. Instructed my banker to send via the bank info provided and have not heard back. I will follow up and see if it has been processed. Us Seadreamers will let Roko and Ivana know how much he meant us! He was our family too !

That’s very helpful. I’m getting with a financial institution today to try to make it happen. The first one I tried said they needed more information - phone numbers, addresses, etc. - than has been provided thus far. Also, PayPal is much easier and less expensive. If others encounter difficulties please contact SeaDream and hopefully someone can get the PayPal option available. It is a testament to SeaDreamers and the wonderful crew that so many feel so deeply for Nikola and his family as our family, too.

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Excellent idea about the PayPal account. Instructed my banker to send via the bank info provided and have not heard back. I will follow up and see if it has been processed. Us Seadreamers will let Roko and Ivana know how much he meant us! He was our family too !

For what it's worth, I sent the information provided to SeaDream to my banker here in the US late Tuesday afternoon. They checked internally and told me yesterday morning that the information provided was sufficient. The wire was processed yesterday afternoon and the funds have been deducted from my account. My banker said it could take 3-5 days for the funds to be posted to the designated account but I'm assuming that it will eventually arrive and I appreciate SeaDream getting this information out to us.

That’s very helpful. I’m getting with a financial institution today to try to make it happen. The first one I tried said they needed more information - phone numbers, addresses, etc. - than has been provided thus far. Also, PayPal is much easier and less expensive. If others encounter difficulties please contact SeaDream and hopefully someone can get the PayPal option available. It is a testament to SeaDreamers and the wonderful crew that so many feel so deeply for Nikola and his family as our family, too.

 

 

This is what my banker said

 

To make a contribution to the account below it would be consideredan international wire transfer, which includes an international wire transferfee. Due to it being international the account is less likely able to betraced, it would be safer to contribute to a PayPal account to better protectyour account information in my opinion. I hope this helps, the choice is yours.

 

 

Hope all is well, have a nice day.

Happy to report that our wire transfer was initiated today — yes, it may take a couple of days and there was a $50 transfer fee. No mention of security issues.

Vandrefalk

Happy to report that our wire transfer was initiated today — yes, it may take a couple of days and there was a $50 transfer fee. No mention of security issues.

 

Vandrefalk

How about their address in Zagreb

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I tried to do the transfer online, but couldn't because I didn't have the address on the account. However, my banker was able to do it with the information I had, and she called today to tell me that it has gone thru on my end. However, I will have no ability to determine whether the funds actually get to where they are supposed to be, which is not a comfortable feeling. I would have preferred to do it through SD.

I think you can contact SD for the address and phone that my banker said I needed. Just got that info from SD yesterday and will try the wire transfer on Monday. Thanks to all for persistence in making this work. Least we can all do under the circumstances!

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We are so shocked and saddened to hear this. For us, Nikola WAS Sea Dream, everything good about it.

Oh no. I’m just seeing this. [emoji22][emoji22]

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