HOMERIC 1986-1988 I Know She's MARELLA DREAM....

[Mrs.Linarcos]

However, I'm looking for interior photos of her when she was with Home Lines. and then when she became the WESTERDAM with HAL. Thank you so much for your kind assistance. 

[ryndam]

On 8/17/2020 at 9:31 AM, Mrs.Linarcos said:

However, I'm looking for interior photos of her when she was with Home Lines. and then when she became the WESTERDAM with HAL. Thank you so much for your kind assistance. 

 

Although I never sailed on the Homeric or the Westerdam, I have every brochure that Home Lines issued between 1986-1988 when Home Lines was purchased/merged with Holland America. Home Lines' photography was very sparse in those brochures. There were no overall pictures of the decks, public rooms, nor even the cabins. Virtually all photos were close-cropped vignettes that could have been taken on either Atlantic or Homeric, or possibly even left-overs from Oceanic or Doric. 

 

I've included some scans from the introductory 1986 brochure, the 1987 brochure and the final 1988 brochure.

 

I know have Westerdam brochures from the HAL years, pre-lengthening and post-lengthening. I just need to search the archives (aka boxes in the closet). I'll scan and post what I unearth.

 

Rob

 

 

[Mrs.Linarcos]

On 8/17/2020 at 9:31 AM, Mrs.Linarcos said:

However, I'm looking for interior photos of her when she was with Home Lines. and then when she became the WESTERDAM with HAL. Thank you so much for your kind assistance. 

Thank you so much those photos are so good. 

[ryndam]

5 hours ago, Mrs.Linarcos said:

Thank you so much those photos are so good. 

 

I was mistaken. Holland America stretched the Homeric immediately upon delivery. They never sailed the ship in its original Home Lines configuration. Below are the relevant pages from the Westerdam's inaugural season with HAL.

 

Holland America was as stingy with ship photographs throughout the 1990's as Home Lines was in the 1980's. All of the  HAL brochure images are close-cropped vignettes that could have been taken on any HAL ship. Or they are so generic, they could have been stock photos from any ship, any line. The only interior photos I could find are these cabin photos, scanned from the 1992-93 brochure.

 

Rob

[Mrs.Linarcos]

1 hour ago, ryndam said:

 

I was mistaken. Holland America stretched the Homeric immediately upon delivery. They never sailed the ship in its original Home Lines configuration. Below are the relevant pages from the Westerdam's inaugural season with HAL.

 

Holland America was as stingy with ship photographs throughout the 1990's as Home Lines was in the 1980's. All of the  HAL brochure images are close-cropped vignettes that could have been taken on any HAL ship. Or they are so generic, they could have been stock photos from any ship, any line. The only interior photos I could find are these cabin photos, scanned from the 1992-93 brochure.

 

Rob

Thank you again, I remember this brochure, more than the first one you put up in my request. And yes, they did stretch her out.

 

[marco]

Interesting that so many folks complain about cruising "not what it used to be" and how the lines are cutting back.  But if you look at the front of the brochure in the above post, for the 89/90 winter season,  rates for a 10 day cruise start at $1539.  30 years later, some lines offer a 10 day cruise for prices starting even lower than that.  Of course they are cutting back...to offer the prices they do, they have to.   $1539 in 1990 would be  $3051 in 2020.  I don't think there is any mainstream line offering starting rates of $3000 for a 10 day cruise.

Edited August 23, 2020 by marco

[Mrs.Linarcos]

1 hour ago, marco said:

Interesting that so many folks complain about cruising "not what it used to be" and how the lines are cutting back.  But if you look at the front of the brochure in the above post, for the 89/90 winter season,  rates for a 10 day cruise start at $1539.  30 years later, some lines offer a 10 day cruise for prices starting even lower than that.  Of course they are cutting back...to offer the prices they do, they have to.   $1539 in 1990 would be  $3051 in 2020.  I don't think there is any mainstream line offering starting rates of $3000 for a 10 day cruise.

I know what you mean, those were very good prices then, I don't even think Cunard would offer those prices like that for a 10 day trip, unless you got a really expensive room.

[marco]

We sailed on it 2X as the "Homeric" and 1X as the "Westerdam"...a beautiful ship!

[Mrs.Linarcos]

1 minute ago, marco said:

We sailed on it 2X as the "Homeric" and 1X as the "Westerdam"...a beautiful ship!

I wished we had. 😞 😞 That's why I have been asking for interiors of her. I'm sure she was then. Home Lines and HAL always did an exquisite job when it comes to decor for their ships.

[rkacruiser]

2 hours ago, Mrs.Linarcos said:

Home Lines and HAL always did an exquisite job when it comes to decor for their ships.

 

An exquisite job for service and cuisine on both lines, as well.  

[rkacruiser]

21 hours ago, ryndam said:

Below are the relevant pages from the Westerdam's inaugural season with HAL.

 

If there is any improvement that has been made over the years to the brochures that the cruise lines issue, in my opinion, it is the wasted page or two of fares available for the cruises.  Who ever paid what the "brochure rate" was?

 

In 2020, the question has recently been--and I am afraid will continue to be--is a brochure for the cruise line in which one is interested even available?  

[marco]

On 8/23/2020 at 4:16 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

If there is any improvement that has been made over the years to the brochures that the cruise lines issue, in my opinion, it is the wasted page or two of fares available for the cruises.  Who ever paid what the "brochure rate" was?

 

In 2020, the question has recently been--and I am afraid will continue to be--is a brochure for the cruise line in which one is interested even available?  

Indeed....."once upon a time"  the brochure rate was the price, no matter who you contacted.  Of course, this was long before the internet and on-line agencies.   As far as brochures, there are readily available.  You can ask one to be mailed to you from the cruise line.  If you have sailed on any line with any frequency, your mailbox should contain  several with some regularity.  We just recently recieved the 2021/2022 brochures from Cunard, Princess and Crystal.

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, marco said:

 As far as brochures, there are readily available.  You can ask one to be mailed to you from the cruise line.  If you have sailed on any line with any frequency, your mailbox should contain  several with some regularity.  We just recently recieved the 2021/2022 brochures from Cunard, Princess and Crystal.

 

I am a HAL 5 Star Mariner, Princess Captain's Circle Elite, some status with Carnival (don't recall what--maybe Gold), and Cunard World Club Member.  The brochures that I get with any regularity are from cruise lines that I have never sailed:  Regent and Oceania.  

 

HAL is supposed to send a new Cruise Atlas each time one is produced; rarely happens.  Princess will sometimes send a new brochure, but with no regularity.  I receive the World Club Magazine from Cunard, but no brochures.  As for Carnival, brochures are simply not available.  Research must be done online. 

 

I have had more success in obtaining a brochure, if one is available, by requesting it from my travel agent rather than the cruise line.

 

Given how Covid has so up-ended the cruise lines' itineraries and schedules, it's pointless to try to obtain anything from them currently.  

[norboy76]

Sadly I have 0 brochures for the Homeric, just a nice menu from 1988 which was her last year for Home Lines, the menu is dated Feb 27, 1988 and has a nice picture of the ship on the front an back cover. I also have tiles when she was the Westerdam for HAL and a pewter model for when she was the Costa Europa, but I have nothing for any of the names after that.

[Rotterdam]

I sailedon this ship both as Homer's & Westerdam...she was lovely & the slight edge she had over OCEANIC was an aft pool & shallower draft so Homer's could dock in FRONT STREET.

OCEANIC would drop anchor in the bay & we would tender into Hamilton...

I celebrated my 30th bday on board HOMERIC...WONDERFUL MEMORIES.

[norboy76]

On 8/17/2020 at 10:31 AM, Mrs.Linarcos said:

However, I'm looking for interior photos of her when she was with Home Lines. and then when she became the WESTERDAM with HAL. Thank you so much for your kind assistance. 

Sadly she is now in Lay-Up and there is talk about her being scrapped, as she has had a name change and is just called Ella now. Laid up, Expected to be Scrapped in Turkey.

[sjclynn]

On 8/22/2020 at 3:25 PM, ryndam said:

 

I was mistaken. Holland America stretched the Homeric immediately upon delivery. They never sailed the ship in its original Home Lines configuration. Below are the relevant pages from the Westerdam's inaugural season with HAL.

 

Rob

 

Not correct. The inaugural season was actually 1988-90. I sailed on the Westerdam in February of 1989 and it had not been stretched at that point yet. 

lynn