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Does anyone remember Mr Ouzo on the Volendam?

bcscot

By bcscot,
in Holland America Line

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bcscot

bcscot

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We were delighted by the daily antics of Mr Ouzo, the bridge mascot, on our very first HAL cruise, on the Volendam. Someone on the bridge had a very good sense of humour & would put Mr Ouzo (stuffed toy) in different positions at the bridge window each day. On one day in port, he was sitting at a control panel with a notice saying 'AUTO PILOT' on his back. Each day we would go to see what Mr Ouzo was doing that day. It added to the fun & gave us a good laugh.

 

We are about to embark on our 12th HAL cruise & 8th HAL ship, but we have never again seen a bridge mascot. Not having been back on the Volendam, we do not know if he is still there. Does anyone?

 

He also had a friend that looked like an 'Ewok', from 'Star Wars', so we referr ed to them as Mr Ouzo & the Ewok! Full marks to the Volendam bridge crew for their sense of humour.:)

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Stakeout

Stakeout

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been on the Volendam mucho many times.. think it's been 15x so far

 

took this pic on Mar 29 '07 on the Volendam on our last cruise ..

 

that's me looking up from the deck below the bridge taking the pic using the 4x zoom as we are transiting back thru the Canal from Gatun Lake that afternoon...if you look close at the reflection I'm 'pointing' toward those lil' doods on the window in the bridge ..... it's all one pic .. that's the window frame separating the two panes of glass on the bridge..:cool:

 

IMG_1894-1Canalexitpictaker032907.jpg

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bcscot

bcscot

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Thats him, Mr Ouzo, with his official HAL name-tag & his little friend the 'Ewok' too. Both hard at work on the bridge.

 

That is a great picture. Thank you very much.

 

To anyone else going on the Volendam: watch out for any further sightings of Mr Ouzo!:)

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bcscot

bcscot

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Dang, I was on the Volendam 3 times in 2 years and didn't see the little guy!

 

I have to learn to be more observant. He's a looker, that's for sure.

 

Diane

 

Diane: You certainly have an eye for good looks.

 

Stakeout: Those pictures are good. I am still not sure how exactly you took the first one?

 

To all: Thank you for your input. I am glad that you will be watching out for the furry friends on Volendam in future.

 

!:) :) :) !

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bcscot

bcscot

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I never once saw Mr Ouzo at the buffet & I take it that none of you did either. I do not think that many of the crew are allowed to go to the buffet & presumably Bridge Mascots are not allowed. Besides, I think that the counters would be too high for the little fellow to reach! Maybe this explains his rather spindly limbs. He looks happy enough though.:)

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May4

May4

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I never once saw Mr Ouzo at the buffet & I take it that none of you did either. I do not think that many of the crew are allowed to go to the buffet & presumably Bridge Mascots are not allowed. Besides, I think that the counters would be too high for the little fellow to reach! Maybe this explains his rather spindly limbs. He looks happy enough though.:)

 

Of course! What we have here is a vigilant Bridge Mascot. He would never abandon his post while on a hunt for carved ham, and side dishes, and gooey desserts, and 10 kinds of bread. How could he carry a tray either?

 

:confused:

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bcscot

bcscot

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Paul: Mr Ouzo is a HE, not a she or an it.

 

May4: He is a very conscientious little fellow & never leaves his post. On some days we noticed that the 'duo' were the only ones to be seen on the bridge (especially on port days). We were very glad that they were there to run the ship safely.

 

I think this explains why they are never seen at the buffet.:)

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bcscot

bcscot

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I was just wondering if Mr Ouzo was unique or if anyone else has seen a bridge mascot on any other ship, either on HAL or on other lines.

When I was on either the Statendam or Zaandam, I seem to remember seeing the preview of the ship's tour on DVD & noticing a Mr Ouzo like character on the bridge, on the film. This made me wonder if HAL issues mascots to all their ships, & if the Volendam is the only one which shows him off to the passengers.

 

Maybe Mr Ouzo is a gregarious mascot, while all the others are a little shy. They may be there, but in hiding. What do you think?:)

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  • 4 weeks later...
bcscot

bcscot

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I have just returned from a week on the Ryndam. We met the Volendam in Juneau & sure enough, through binoculars, we could clearly see Mr Ouzo & the Ewok at the window of the bridge. It is good to know that they are still going strong onboard the Volendam.

 

Not only that, but we also saw a bridge mascot on the Ryndam. We could not see him clearly but he looked a bit like a 'wild west' version of a leprechaun (sort of Taz like). He was accompanied by a very colourful snail-like creature. Honestly, I was not over-imbibing!

 

Any other sightings out there? This is a bit like the Loch Ness Monster!

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