Any news from the Amsterdam?

[rkacruiser]

4 hours ago, SharonN said:

We were lucky our ship's escort was one of the engineer's wives and she was in contact with the Shore Excursion Office while on the trip. So when we got back they had the buses waiting for us 

 

One of the advantages of some HAL tours is having that ship's escort.  I have witnessed the advantage of having that individual on some of my tours both for myself as well as other guests.  

[cruzingnut]

I went hunting this afternoon and thru some looking around I was actually able to find the container ship, Gulf Bridge, with our luggage!  Hunted some more and found a webcam so I got a shot of it at the dock unloading.  It will be there until late the 20th and then it's off to Mobile, AL.

[prescottbob]

11 hours ago, cruzingnut said:

 

It really was a miserable day.  So much so that we didn't even bother getting off the ship, especially since we were docked so far from the terminal. 

Yes, not a great port day but in so far as the ‘final ports’ we had no issues really.

 

Cairns: I left mid AM to pickup stuff at the Central Market (yea, raining and such) for cough drops and other essentials which was maybe 6 blocks from our dock. In the PM we did a HAL tour to Kuranda for a train ride back to Cairns with unlimited wine and snacks which was great. Scenery was fabulous. Weather was fine (cloudy but okay).
 

Townsville: we had a private tour (yea, rainy) that covered the Aussie Army museum, mountain drive and the town plus a honey tasting joint . Wonderful!

 

Darwin: We had plans with Philip and other members of the MDR staff (including our table mates, aka waiters) for a 4 hour deep sea fishing trip. Unfortunately the port was cancelled. And so it goes...

Philip and I would pass each other that particular day and, well, just frown.

 

In any event, we made it to Fremantle & made it back to our ‘terra firma’

 

I’m happy all is well with everyone and the only ‘worries’ & concerns are refunds & pieces of luggage.

 

Thank God (or whatever your belief of choice, if any) that you still enjoy your freedoms & have the wherewithal to enjoy cruising & to provide wonderful opinions on this message board.

 

Be well.

Bob

 

 

[Sir PMP]

2 hours ago, prescottbob said:

Yes, not a great port day but in so far as the ‘final ports’ we had no issues really.

 

Cairns: I left mid AM to pickup stuff at the Central Market (yea, raining and such) for cough drops and other essentials which was maybe 6 blocks from our dock. In the PM we did a HAL tour to Kuranda for a train ride back to Cairns with unlimited wine and snacks which was great. Scenery was fabulous. Weather was fine (cloudy but okay).
 

Townsville: we had a private tour (yea, rainy) that covered the Aussie Army museum, mountain drive and the town plus a honey tasting joint . Wonderful!

 

Darwin: We had plans with Philip and other members of the MDR staff (including our table mates, aka waiters) for a 4 hour deep sea fishing trip. Unfortunately the port was cancelled. And so it goes...

Philip and I would pass each other that particular day and, well, just frown.

 

In any event, we made it to Fremantle & made it back to our ‘terra firma’

 

I’m happy all is well with everyone and the only ‘worries’ & concerns are refunds & pieces of luggage.

 

Thank God (or whatever your belief of choice, if any) that you still enjoy your freedoms & have the wherewithal to enjoy cruising & to provide wonderful opinions on this message board.

 

Be well.

Bob

 

 

You don't have to be afraid of God.

[Indianadaytripper]

Yesterday received $200 from HA on my credit card. Thinking maybe payback.

 We paid $200 future cruise credit in 2019 onboard for the 2021 WC

  We paid  $200 future cruise credit in 2020 onboard for the 2022 WC.
  Did anyone else receive this backup from HA. Didn’t try HA because of their latest challenge.

 

[michaelfl]

6 hours ago, Sir PMP said:

You don't have to be afraid of God.

amen

[Hygge!]

2 hours ago, Indianadaytripper said:

Yesterday received $200 from HA on my credit card. Thinking maybe payback.

We received $200 back a week ago or more.  I called and they had to dig but finally said it was for the luggage that we had wanted to insure.  They said that HAL would be insuring it.  I suggested they send out something about the refund to keep the calls from coming in.  

[Indianadaytripper]

17 minutes ago, Hygge! said:

We received $200 back a week ago or more.  I called and they had to dig but finally said it was for the luggage that we had wanted to insure.  They said that HAL would be insuring it.  I suggested they send out something about the refund to keep the calls from coming in.  

We didn’t insure our luggage, hopefully arriving at our home in a few weeks. Your idea of  HA notifying persons of actions would be nice and should be standard procedure. Seeing actions on ones credit card should always have some kind company interaction.

[prescottbob]

20 hours ago, Sir PMP said:

You don't have to be afraid of God.

Goodness. Quite the response.

 

Be well.

Bob

[michaelfl]

our luggage has arrived in miami

[RuthC]

7 minutes ago, michaelfl said:

our luggage has arrived in miami

Yippee! 
Hope for a speedy arrival home to all those waiting for it. 

[Himself]

22 minutes ago, RuthC said:

Yippee! 
Hope for a speedy arrival home to all those waiting for it. 

 

 

I hope you people soon get your luggage.   This has been a long ordeal for the 2020 World Cruise passengers.

[KirkNC]

1 hour ago, Himself said:

 

 

I hope you people soon get your luggage.   This has been a long ordeal for the 2020 World Cruise passengers.

Based on our email it will take about another month to get off loaded and cleared through customs and the finally shipped or picked up. We actually are supposed to get tracking data once it is shipped.  We anticipate receiving it around the end of September.  It will be interesting to see if we get it all (5 suitcases for us), what condition it will be in and finally what’s in it, we have forgotten after six months 😎😜😳.

[Himself]

2 hours ago, KirkNC said:

Based on our email it will take about another month to get off loaded and cleared through customs and the finally shipped or picked up. We actually are supposed to get tracking data once it is shipped.  We anticipate receiving it around the end of September.  It will be interesting to see if we get it all (5 suitcases for us), what condition it will be in and finally what’s in it, we have forgotten after six months 😎😜😳.

It is so sad you have to wait six months.  Somehow I think this could have been done a lot better.  The luggage should have been brought to Florida BEFORE the repatriating of crew commenced.

[michaelfl]

when we were kicked off the ship on march 20 or so nobody really knew how this pandemic would develop. over time i think it was more important to holland america to repatriate the crew. to a certain extend this is understandable, these guys really had a tough time and for these "little boys and girls"  getting back to their families was more important than our tuxedos and dirty underwear......

[Mary Ellen]

4 hours ago, michaelfl said:

when we were kicked off the ship on march 20 or so nobody really knew how this pandemic would develop. over time i think it was more important to holland america to repatriate the crew. to a certain extend this is understandable, these guys really had a tough time and for these "little boys and girls"  getting back to their families was more important than our tuxedos and dirty underwear......

Exactly. While we look forward to getting our luggage ‘someday’, we have absolutely NO problems with the crew being repatriated first. Although, we don’t have any “dirty underwear” (or any other dirty clothes) in our luggage. Even if it had only taken the expected few weeks for the Amsterdam to get to Florida, I didn’t want anything fermenting in our luggage. All of our dirty clothes flew home with us. Now, being in a non-climate controlled container for awhile, even our clean clothes will probably have accumulated some aroma..... 🥴

[bcummin]

It was indeed important to get the Men and Women of the crew returned home safely.

Barbara

[michaelfl]

12 hours ago, Mary Ellen said:

Exactly. While we look forward to getting our luggage ‘someday’, we have absolutely NO problems with the crew being repatriated first. Although, we don’t have any “dirty underwear” (or any other dirty clothes) in our luggage. Even if it had only taken the expected few weeks for the Amsterdam to get to Florida, I didn’t want anything fermenting in our luggage. All of our dirty clothes flew home with us. Now, being in a non-climate controlled container for awhile, even our clean clothes will probably have accumulated some aroma..... 🥴

 

in case you hadn't noticed....i was joking about the dirty underwear.....

[Mary Ellen]

1 hour ago, michaelfl said:

 

in case you hadn't noticed....i was joking about the dirty underwear.....

No way to tell, besides I know of some who definitely left dirty clothes in their luggage. One didn’t let his wife know until after they were home.

[michaelfl]

amsterdam has now been renamed bolette,  rotterdam is now borealis. farewell......

[cruzingnut]

Probably the last bit of news about the Amsterdam.  Yesterday she arrived in Scotland where she'll be officially turned over to Fred Olson.  Here is a screen shot of her going under the first of 2 bridges on her way to Rosyth.  She had to wait until extreme low tide to squeeze under them to get in.  She'll join the Rotterdam that is already there.

 

Linda R.

[rkacruiser]

I have periodically been following the CC Fred. Olsen Cruise Line section and it has been interesting to read the posts of our friends across the pond about their two new vessels.

 

They lost two favorite vessels:  Boudicca and Black Watch, both former Royal Viking Line ships.  The Corporate office of Fred. Olsen has been in as much disarray in "digesting" the sudden changes as much as many of us have experienced over the years with the Corporate office of HAL.  For me, the similarities of experiences that our friends in the UK have/are experiencing to our experiences with recent HAL Corporate decisions are extremely similar. 

 

It will be very interesting, at least for me, to learn the reaction of our UK friends when Borealis and Bolette enter service.      

[St Pete Cruiser]

14 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

I have periodically been following the CC Fred. Olsen Cruise Line section and it has been interesting to read the posts of our friends across the pond about their two new vessels.

 

They lost two favorite vessels:  Boudicca and Black Watch, both former Royal Viking Line ships.  The Corporate office of Fred. Olsen has been in as much disarray in "digesting" the sudden changes as much as many of us have experienced over the years with the Corporate office of HAL.  For me, the similarities of experiences that our friends in the UK have/are experiencing to our experiences with recent HAL Corporate decisions are extremely similar. 

 

It will be very interesting, at least for me, to learn the reaction of our UK friends when Borealis and Bolette enter service.      

June 2013, we boarded Ryndam in Dover for a Norwegian cruise.  The Boudicca was docked ahead of us.  There was a strong gale blowing and I was concerned that the Ryndam would be a able to clear the breakfront.  The Ryndam, with her bow thrusters and a tug assisting did well.  The Boudicca was left behind to wait for less wind.  She looked good, albeit small, even next to the 55,000 ton Ryndam which was 20 years newer.  Who would have known that 7 years later, the Ryndam would be In Cyprus awaiting a buyer and the Boudicca would be replaced by the newer than Ryndam Rotterdam/Amsterdam?  

[cruzingnut]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

I have periodically been following the CC Fred. Olsen Cruise Line section and it has been interesting to read the posts of our friends across the pond about their two new vessels.

 

They lost two favorite vessels:  Boudicca and Black Watch, both former Royal Viking Line ships.  The Corporate office of Fred. Olsen has been in as much disarray in "digesting" the sudden changes as much as many of us have experienced over the years with the Corporate office of HAL.  For me, the similarities of experiences that our friends in the UK have/are experiencing to our experiences with recent HAL Corporate decisions are extremely similar. 

 

It will be very interesting, at least for me, to learn the reaction of our UK friends when Borealis and Bolette enter service.      

 

I've seen you on the F.O. board.  I'm following too.  It's interesting that we are complaining about loosing our smaller ships and they were complaining about these "bigger" ships!  Of course, they are used to being able to go pretty much anywhere with their smaller ships and now will have to dock further away or not even get into places. 

 

I'll continue to follow, as you are, to see what they say once they finally get on board.

 

Linda R.

[Oceansaway17]

On 8/27/2020 at 10:21 AM, michaelfl said:

our luggage has arrived in miami

I would suggest you and the others open you luggage outdoors a few feet away from house. Use gloves and mask and put stuff out of suitcase in sun or garage and wait a couple of days.

I would lysol spray your suitcase and keep outside under cover for a few days.

Put NOTHING inside your home for 2 days and be careful washing etc. Good luck.

 

All of you please post phots of outside of suitcases so we can see condition and also if any notes put inside by border or security