HAL appoints first woman ever in history as Hotelmanager

[wvdleek]

Copper are your sure on that date for joining the Oosterdam? Lisa had posted in the roll call for the 3/22 sailing that she was to be joining their cruise. And I thought I had read the same in another thread at some point.

 

2 April would be possible as she told on radio she would be still at home for the next two weeks.

[Sale Away]

Thanks, Willem! I was so looking forward to meeting her too. Ah well.

[Sea King]

Differences between the departments is as follows:

 

The captain and all the deck officers have gold stripes, of which the top one is 'looped', this is called a Nelson loop.

 

The engineering department has gold stripes, but without the loop.

 

The hotel department officers have gold stripes with white in between.

 

Medical department have gold stripes with red in between.

 

The communications/IT officer has green in between his stripes, and finally there is the environmental officer who has blue in between his stripes.

 

Deck, engine and hotel department have 4,3,2,1, 0.5 and 0.25 officers. Only exception is the captain with 4.5 stripes.

 

thank you for the wonderful explanation .. and for of course correcting Sails on her major error:eek:

 

we can all sleep better tonight knowing what stripes go where:rolleyes:

[Sale Away]

Duh <having a Homer Simpson moment>... I just realized. April 2 is in the middle of my sailing. Would that be the norm to switch HMs in the middle of a sailing? That's our Puerto Vallarta day.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Duh <having a Homer Simpson moment>... I just realized. April 2 is in the middle of my sailing. Would that be the norm to switch HMs in the middle of a sailing? That's our Puerto Vallarta day.

Possibly, this sometimes does occur. More likely she may board the Oosterdam April 2nd and not take over as H/M till the following Saturday giving her a few days with Douglas Herandez to go over procedures on the Oosterdam.

Yes, it is my error of the date when she was to arrive. Either dates changed or I misunderstood Douglas Herandez. I had thought he told me his last week would be the Rosie Charter, but I did hear from him earlier this week and he said he had 3 more weeks. I am assuming but my guess he will leave on 5th of April and she will take over then but come on board the 2nd.

[Ine]

According the interview with Noord Holland Dagblad she was supposed to report and be back in San Diego on March 22.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

According the interview with Noord Holland Dagblad she was supposed to report and be back in San Diego on March 22.

Ine, thanks:) It is very possible that dates were changed which is a very commen thing for when Management of HAL leaves and returns to the ship.

[sail7seas]

In the not so long ago days, ships had formal 'handover' from Captain to Captain and Hotel Manager to Hotel Manager. It was often several days. In these economical, money saving days, handover is often accomplished in about 10 minutes.

 

We saw HM handover and they had a few minutes between them speaking of this or that and I suppose computer and records availability/notations/records complete the transfer of necessary info. They are all so professional and able, that suffices but certainly does not make it easy on them. Once again, shows how very capable, well trained, bright and educated they are.

 

Arriving HM was quickly in uniform and there was no doubt an able HM was aboard and on the job.

 

 

 

[sail7seas]

Ine, thanks:) It is very possible that dates were changed which is a very commen thing for when Management of HAL leaves and returns to the ship.

 

 

Lisa is correct. Those dates are VERY fluid. It is not unusual for dates for start/end of contract to change several times and on short notice.

[Ine]

Lisa is correct. Those dates are VERY fluid. It is not unusual for dates for start/end of contract to change several times and on short notice.

 

In that case she is lucky and will he home for Easter.

By then she needs some sun after all those weeks with rain and storm over here....

[sail7seas]

:) Don't we all welcome that, Ine. It's been a long, wet winter in New England and we are very ready for sun and warm!!!

[grandsix]

We have seen her come up the ranks and was fortunate to be on her 1st full cruise as H.D. She also made history as the 1st female H.D. in Holland America's 135 years of sailing. Quite an accomplishment. She is an excellent manager and very modest nice person.

 

Just to show the kind of person she is, one evening while we were talking to Marcella after the production show, a lady was frantic because she was missing her digital camera. Marcella not only immediately called for assistance, but lent a hand in searching for the camera. Luckily it turned up.

[Copper10-8]

Ine, thanks:) It is very possible that dates were changed which is a very commen thing for when Management of HAL leaves and returns to the ship

Here's another reason why those dates are flexible: the annual HAL upper management meetings are coming up shortly so there will be a lot of short-term reassignments on all the ships

 

And here's that article in the Dutch newspaper about HM Marcella Himmelreich that Ine is referring to. I finaly had a chance to translate it. It talks about her being HAL's very first Dutch female officer which I don't believe is true but she is definetly HAL's first Dutch female hotel manager!

 

[manbehindthecurtain]

Copper are your sure on that date for joining the Oosterdam? Lisa had posted in the roll call for the 3/22 sailing that she was to be joining their cruise. And I thought I had read the same in another thread at some point.

 

 

Actually april 2 is likely, as there are senion management conferences for captains, hotel managers, chief engineers and chief officers end of march and beginning of april. She will most likely relieve another hotel manager for a couple of days so he can go to the second conference....

[Copper10-8]

Interview in the “Noord Hollands Dagblad” (Dutch newspaper) with HAL Hotel Manager Marcella Himmelreich

MARCELLA HIMMELREICH IS NEVER STUCK IN A

TRAFFIC JAM AT WORK

FIRST WOMAN AT THE TOP ON A CRUISE SHIP

By Richard Zut

Heerhugowaard (town in the Dutch province of Noord-Holland)

“I’m never stuck in a traffic jam and when I open the curtains of my cabin, I usually have a terrific view that always looks different”

Looking at it that way, Marcella Himmelreich (31) appears to be a blessed human being. And that she is of course, because this Noord-Holland resident from Heerhugowaard is not stuck in some boring office setting but, as part of her profession, travels the world’s seas. She is doing this as the first female hotel manager on board the imposing cruise ships of the Holland America Line.

She has just returned (a couple of days ago) from her last cruise in the Caribbean area. That was on ms Noordam, built in Venice, and definitely not child’s play, such a powerful floating work area.

A floating village with everything on it, a luxurious hotel with almost two thousand passengers and a crew of 800. A giant ship like that which departs New York and which, in ten-eleven days, will take you to exotic ports like Grand Turk, Tortola, St. Maarten, St. Thomas and San Juan. Or which, in the summer time, cruises to Alaska’s ports. What does such a “jaunt” cost: Between 800 to 2,800 Euro’s.

As hotel manager/officer Marcella Himmelreich is part of the upper management staff (top) aboard Noordam. Primarily responsible for the way things are run in the casino, shops, bars as well as the trendy/exquisite restaurants onboard such as those serving Italian, Asian, Mexican and American specialties.

She dines regularly at the captain’s table but if all seats are taken there, she has her own table with the officers. “I don’t always realize how special my position (job) really is” “To me wherever we may find ourselves in the world, the customer always comes first (the customer is king)” says brunette Himmelreich, petite with “lively piercing” dark brown eyes. “Nope, I don’t “make a big deal out of it” but I am definitely proud of the fact that I was named the first female officer (hotel manager) for a company which has been in existence for 135 years. That was in 2006. I was working in management on the ms Zuiderdam and, to be honest at the time, I was about to look for a job on shore. However, I was then given the opportunity to go to Windstar (Cruises) onboard the Wind Spirit, a large luxury sail vessel with 150 passengers. I did that for about a year when Holland America offered me to become one of their hotel managers. I was flabbergasted. I started in November (2007).”

Marcella’s experience of working in more or less exotic locations has been “fantastic”, but eventually she longs for solid ground under her feet. “I have dreams now and then of starting something on my own. Or to work in a hotel in the Heerhugowaard area where I live with my parents. Something with a bit more regularity.”

As of now, she is always at sea for four months at home for two months. “The ship is also something like a home and you work onboard in a very amicable atmosphere. However, I have been “on the road” for ten years. This always makes for long times from home so I do miss my social life, my family and my friends. But as of right now, I am enjoying my work at sea wholeheartedly and it doesn’t matter to me to which ship (I am assigned). “

On March 22nd, her presence is expected in San Diego where she will be in charge of ms Oosterdam for two months during the Mexican Riviera cruise season. Smiling: “Before I leave I plan to cook a six-course dinner for my family and friends. That’s tradition and I will continue that while I can.”

FIRST LADY ON MS NOORDAM”

Officers on cruise ships world wide are, with few exceptions” male. Marcella Himmelreich is the first Dutch female officer of the Holland America Line. Her father, Willem Himmelreich, also worked for Holland America Line from 1971 until 1974 as “chef de partie”. “He always spoke about that time full of enthusiasm” she says “When my brother Rob and were little, we used to always visit many ports where we saw all kinds of cruise ships. When Statendam was in Amsterdam once we received a tour and that made a big impression on me”.

After Marcella finished her VWO (Voorbereidend wetenschappelijk onderwijs or pre-university secondary) education, she studied at the Hotel Management School Leeuwarden (Leeuwarden is the capitol of the northern Dutch province of Friesland). “Not even really with the goal of eventually starting work on cruise ships, but as faith would have it, in 1998 I was able to do an internship onboard ms Veendam.”

After finishing her education she started/gained employment (with HAL) and was exposed to all facets of the hotel management at Holland America Line. She was appointed hotel manager in November (2007). Her first trip in that capacity was onboard ms Noordam from New York to the Caribbean area and back.

Photo captions:

“As of right now, I am enjoying my work at sea wholeheartedly” says Marcella Himmelreich.

The Noordam passing Gibraltar “The ship is also something like a home” says Marcella Himmelreich.

[manbehindthecurtain]

John beat me to it by about a minute....

[Copper10-8]

John beat me to it by about a minute....

 

Luck of the draw!;)

[Copper10-8]

Differences between the departments is as follows:

 

The captain and all the deck officers have gold stripes, of which the top one is 'looped', this is called a Nelson loop.

 

The engineering department has gold stripes, but without the loop.

 

The hotel department officers have gold stripes with white in between.

 

Medical department have gold stripes with red in between.

 

The communications/IT officer has green in between his stripes, and finally there is the environmental officer who has blue in between his stripes.

 

Deck, engine and hotel department have 4,3,2,1, 0.5 and 0.25 officers. Only exception is the captain with 4.5 stripes.

 

Oz, any cadets onboard, do they have the 0.5 or 0.25 stripes or are they considered 4th officers and get a full stripe?

[manbehindthecurtain]

Oz, any cadets onboard, do they have the 0.5 or 0.25 stripes or are they considered 4th officers and get a full stripe?

 

Cadets have the 0.25 stripe (also known as the spaghetti string). 4th Officers are 0.5 stripe, but are considered full officers.

[Copper10-8]

Cadets have the 0.25 stripe (also known as the spaghetti string). 4th Officers are 0.5 stripe, but are considered full officers.

 

Thanks!:)

[sail7seas]

 

Here's another reason why those dates are flexible: the annual HAL upper management meetings are coming up shortly so there will be a lot of short-term reassignments on all the ships

 

And here's that article in the Dutch newspaper about HM Marcella Himmelreich that Ine is referring to. I finaly had a chance to translate it. It talks about her being HAL's very first Dutch female officer which I don't believe is true but she is definetly HAL's first Dutch female hotel manager!

 

 

You're right, Copper. She definitely is far from being HAL's first female Officer. Off the top of my head I think of Twinkle who was Bar Manager/Bar Superviser through her career.....I believe she was the first female to do that.

 

Marion Koopman is definitely Dutch and has been HAL Guest Relations Manager for years. (She's back. :) YES~!!!! )

 

There have been any number of lovely Dutch ladies with stripes on their epaulets.There are also female Officers in the Navigation/Deck Department.... not just hotel.

 

Eager to meet Ms. Marcella. She sounds very impressive.

[Copper10-8]

Looks like that Dutch newspaper article about Marcella took a right turn into some black hole so here it is one final time

[Copper10-8]

And the Dutch-to-English translation of same:

Interview in the “Noord Hollands Dagblad” (Dutch newspaper) with HAL Hotel Manager Marcella Himmelreich

 

 

 

MARCELLA HIMMELREICH IS NEVER STUCK IN A

TRAFFIC JAM AT WORK

 

 

FIRST WOMAN AT THE TOP ON A CRUISE SHIP

By Richard Zut

 

Heerhugowaard (town in the Dutch province of Noord-Holland)

 

“I’m never stuck in a traffic jam and when I open the curtains of my cabin, I usually have a terrific view that always looks different”

 

Looking at it that way, Marcella Himmelreich (31) appears to be a blessed human being. And that she is of course, because this Noord-Holland resident from Heerhugowaard is not stuck in some boring office setting but, as part of her profession, travels the world’s seas. She is doing this as the first female hotel manager on board the imposing cruise ships of the Holland America Line.

 

She has just returned (a couple of days ago) from her last cruise in the Caribbean area. That was on ms Noordam, built in Venice, and definitely not child’s play, such a powerful floating work area.

 

A floating village with everything on it, a luxurious hotel with almost two thousand passengers and a crew of 800. A giant ship like that which departs New York and which, in ten-eleven days, will take you to exotic ports like Grand Turk, Tortola, St. Maarten, St. Thomas and San Juan. Or which, in the summer time, cruises to Alaska’s ports. What does such a “jaunt” cost: Between 800 to 2,800 Euro’s.

 

As hotel manager/officer Marcella Himmelreich is part of the upper management staff (top) aboard Noordam. Primarily responsible for the way things are run in the casino, shops, bars as well as the trendy/exquisite restaurants onboard such as those serving Italian, Asian, Mexican and American specialties.

 

She dines regularly at the captain’s table but if all seats are taken there, she has her own table with the officers. “I don’t always realize how special my position (job) really is” “To me wherever we may find ourselves in the world, the customer always comes first (the customer is king)” says brunette Himmelreich, petite with “lively piercing” dark brown eyes. “Nope, I don’t “make a big deal out of it” but I am definitely proud of the fact that I was named the first female officer (hotel manager) for a company which has been in existence for 135 years. That was in 2006. I was working in management on the ms Zuiderdam and, to be honest at the time, I was about to look for a job on shore. However, I was then given the opportunity to go to Windstar (Cruises) onboard the Wind Spirit, a large luxury sail vessel with 150 passengers. I did that for about a year when Holland America offered me to become one of their hotel managers. I was flabbergasted. I started in November (2007).”

 

Marcella’s experience of working in more or less exotic locations has been “fantastic”, but eventually she longs for solid ground under her feet. “I have dreams now and then of starting something on my own. Or to work in a hotel in the Heerhugowaard area where I live with my parents. Something with a bit more regularity.”

 

As of now, she is always at sea for four months at home for two months. “The ship is also something like a home and you work onboard in a very amicable atmosphere. However, I have been “on the road” for ten years. This always makes for long times from home so I do miss my social life, my family and my friends. But as of right now, I am enjoying my work at sea wholeheartedly and it doesn’t matter to me to which ship (I am assigned). “

 

On March 22nd, her presence is expected in San Diego where she will be in charge of ms Oosterdam for two months during the Mexican Riviera cruise season. Smiling: “Before I leave I plan to cook a six-course dinner for my family and friends. That’s tradition and I will continue that while I can.”

 

FIRST LADY ON MS NOORDAM

Officers on cruise ships world wide are, with few exceptions” male. Marcella Himmelreich is the first Dutch female officer of the Holland America Line. Her father, Willem Himmelreich, also worked for Holland America Line from 1971 until 1974 as “chef de partie”. “He always spoke about that time full of enthusiasm” she says “When my brother Rob and were little, we used to always visit many ports where we saw all kinds of cruise ships. When Statendam was in Amsterdam once we received a tour and that made a big impression on me”.

 

After Marcella finished her VWO (Voorbereidend wetenschappelijk onderwijs or pre-university secondary) education, she studied at the Hotel Management School Leeuwarden (Leeuwarden is the capitol of the northern Dutch province of Friesland). “Not even really with the goal of eventually starting work on cruise ships, but as faith would have it, in 1998 I was able to do an internship onboard ms Veendam.”

 

After finishing her education she started/gained employment (with HAL) and was exposed to all facets of the hotel management at Holland America Line. She was appointed hotel manager in November (2007). Her first trip in that capacity was onboard ms Noordam from New York to the Caribbean area and back.

 

Photo captions:

 

“As of right now, I am enjoying my work at sea wholeheartedly” says Marcella Himmelreich.

 

The Noordam passing Gibraltar “The ship is also something like a home” says Marcella Himmelreich.

[Ine]

Thank John for the translation, I knew you could do it....:)

 

[jrzebird]

She was H/M on our cruise in January. I had heard about her on CC and was thrilled to have her as our H/M. I was very surprised at how young she is, for such a high position. I guess I assumed she would be in her late 40's or more. And, she's tiny and cute.

 

She must do her job very well, because everything onboard went very smoothly, even with the Code Red in effect. And, after all, isn't that what being an H/M is about ... making things run so that the passengers don't realize there is even a problem?