Favorite ship to get that "medal"?

[DesertDogs]

HAL verified today that we actually have 478 cruised days so the Veendam will be 500 days by the end of the cruise.

 

I hope this satisfies certain members of the cruise critic audience

 

Ruth & Jim

 

Way to go Jim!!!:cool:

[SDHALFAN]

HAL verified today that we actually have 478 cruised days so the Veendam will be 500 days by the end of the cruise.

 

I hope this satisfies certain members of the cruise critic audience

 

Ruth & Jim

 

Congratulations Jim (and your lovely Ruth) on your impending "Gold" medallion. Wear it proudly - Lord knows you have earned it. Wish I could be there to see you "win the Gold" but I will be somewhere, on a HAL cruise of course, in Southeast Asia but I will be thinking about you and remembering how much I enjoyed meeting you and Ruth on the "Yummer Cruise" earlier this year.

 

Valerie:)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

HAL verified today that we actually have 478 cruised days so the Veendam will be 500 days by the end of the cruise.

 

I hope this satisfies certain members of the cruise critic audience

 

Ruth & Jim

Congratulations Jim and Ruth that is fantastic.

I will look forward to seeing it on both of you in February for the Yum Yum Man Worshippers II cruise.

[Aussie Gal]

I know it is only 499 but I am going to ask for some latitude and get it on the Veendam with Captain Albert.

 

We talked about it during the April cruise and it should not be a problem...

 

Ruth & Jim

 

 

We were only a couple of days away from getting our 100 day medal when we were on the Veendam back in 2006 and yet there was no way that we could receive our medal. The Cruise Director said it just could not happen, rules are rules!

 

The amazing thing is now we will get it on the Prinsendam in November next year - we haven't been on a HAL ship since then - and Captain Albert will be handing out the medal. It certainly wasn't planned as we expected to be having Captain Gundersen who has been on the Prinsendam for ever!

 

Jennie

[kryos]

There are "hosted" tables at the Mariners' luncheon, but my understanding is that people are selected for those based on how many days they have sailed. It's possible to be awarded a medallion, yet still be low enough on the "days sailed" count that you don't get to the Captain's table that day.

LOL ... I'd be lucky to get seated at the sanitation officer's hosted table. :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[brucory]

HAL verified today that we actually have 478 cruised days so the Veendam will be 500 days by the end of the cruise.

 

 

 

I hope this satisfies certain members of the cruise critic audience

 

Ruth & Jim

 

Can't believe others would be counting your cruise days, but lucky you to have had so many days on HAL....

 

Congratulations...

 

:D :D :D

[JimVrhovac]

Got an email from Captain Albert this week telling me that he would be proud to give us our Gold Medals. We have sailed with him multiple times and have been on the Veendam at least twice a year.

 

The email also was so he could get some information on the stuff we are taking down to the Schools and Hospitals in Guatamala. We have been workin with Gus from "Go with Gus Tours" for several years.

 

This year (so far) we are taking 6 computers, a laptop, 10 boxes of medications, 12 boxes of medical and wound care supplies, and 20 boxes of schoold supplies, and ONE LARGE BOX OF COLD SODA AND ONE LARGE BOX OF CHOCOLATES. After all these are kids.

 

Fortunately I am in a position in my work where I have access to a lot of medical supplies and get a lot of used computers. A friend wipes them clean puts on a new doss and windows and Microsoft Works on them.

 

If you have seen these kids and the schools you would get active too.

 

The Veendam is very active in charity work also. Last year when they replaced all their mattresses the gave the old ones (3 years old) to several charieties throughout the caribbean.

 

Have a great day everyone.

 

Ruth & Jim

[innlady1]

That warms my heart, Jim!

[sail7seas]

Congratulations everyone who mentioned above they got or are soon to receive their medallions. Thanks for mentioning them. I love reading when folks reach new recognition levels.

 

Trhough the years we have been honored to dine with Chief Officer, Chief Engineer, Hotel Managers and Captains but never because we received a medallion that day.

 

 

[Copper10-8]

Got an email from Captain Albert this week telling me that he would be proud to give us our Gold Medals. We have sailed with him multiple times and have been on the Veendam at least twice a year.

 

The email also was so he could get some information on the stuff we are taking down to the Schools and Hospitals in Guatamala. We have been workin with Gus from "Go with Gus Tours" for several years.

 

This year (so far) we are taking 6 computers, a laptop, 10 boxes of medications, 12 boxes of medical and wound care supplies, and 20 boxes of schoold supplies, and ONE LARGE BOX OF COLD SODA AND ONE LARGE BOX OF CHOCOLATES. After all these are kids.

 

Fortunately I am in a position in my work where I have access to a lot of medical supplies and get a lot of used computers. A friend wipes them clean puts on a new doss and windows and Microsoft Works on them.

 

If you have seen these kids and the schools you would get active too.

 

The Veendam is very active in charity work also. Last year when they replaced all their mattresses the gave the old ones (3 years old) to several charieties throughout the caribbean.

 

Have a great day everyone.

 

Ruth & Jim

 

You and Ruth do great work, Jim! Keep it up!:) I've read the entries in the Captain's blog re: the donations to good causes (schools, hospitals, orphanages, etc.) in Central America the ship's crew is involved with. Awesome stuff!

[JimVrhovac]

It is the members of this board that got the Veendam and Captain Albert involved in this work.

 

One cruise they were questioning what we were doing with all the boxes. They invited Gus onto the ship and he met the Captain on the bridge and ever since then the Veendam and its crew have been actively involved in this charity work.

 

It is thanks to the members of this board. They are the ones that got Ruth and I involved several years ago and we have continued the work...

 

Ruth & Jim

[Copper10-8]

It is the members of this board that got the Veendam and Captain Albert involved in this work.

 

One cruise they were questioning what we were doing with all the boxes. They invited Gus onto the ship and he met the Captain on the bridge and ever since then the Veendam and its crew have been actively involved in this charity work.

 

It is thanks to the members of this board. They are the ones that got Ruth and I involved several years ago and we have continued the work...

 

Ruth & Jim

 

Awesome!

[RustaRoo]

We were only a couple of days away from getting our 100 day medal when we were on the Veendam back in 2006 and yet there was no way that we could receive our medal. The Cruise Director said it just could not happen, rules are rules!

Interesting, and yet I've heard other people who were 'that' close, get theirs early. Likely depends on the ship again.:confused:

[RuthC]

Interesting, and yet I've heard other people who were 'that' close, get theirs early. Likely depends on the ship again.:confused:

I was "that" close to my 300 day medallion when I sailed on the then-new Noordam. They offered to award it to me on that cruise.

I declined the offer as I didn't feel "that" close was enough. I felt it had to be the whole shebang.

[ekerr19]

There are quite a few people here who have "fudged" by more than a day - on a few cruises we've heard of people being short by as much as 7 days just so they could be on a ship or sailing they wanted, but that's way too much fudging, imo.

 

I wish someone could keep track of my days for me, lol!!! I always have to recount before each cruise! I'm thinking of starting a spreadsheet or something...

 

We were honored to be present when Sail and her husband got their 500 day medallions on Maasdam. :) I have a great picture of it too.

 

Jim, I'm so happy you and Ruth will be getting yours aboard Veendam. :)

 

Our 15-yr. old DD will get her 100 day medallion on Rotterdam in December, she can hardly wait.

[sail7seas]

How wonderful your daughter is already getting a 100 day Medallion. What a lucky young lady!! :)

 

pssst...... if you don't mind, could you send me a copy of the photo?

The ship's photographer took our photo with Captain and Hotel Manager and we're happy to have it but I'd love to see the one you have.

Thanks. :)

It was fun have you and DH there with us when we got our medallions. Made it even more special.

 

 

I can't say I have ever bothered trying to keep track of someone else's days. Don't know any reason I would do that. :confused:

 

[ekerr19]

pssst...... if you don't mind, could you send me a copy of the photo?

The ship's photographer took our photo with Captain and Hotel Manager and we're happy to have it but I'd love to see the one you have.

Thanks. :)

 

 

I will be happy to send you a copy of it! I have two - one was Olympic style, remember? That's my favorite. :)

[mamaofami]

I find it hard to understand why anyone would care how many days someone else has or when they are getting their medals. If they chose to fudge it, it's their conscience that should bother them, not anyone else. If on the other hand, you (by that I mean a general you) really want to be true to yourself, you would do as Ruth did because what's the point of getting something you don't deserve?

For me, 100 days at sea is 100 days, not 98 or 99, so I would wait, but I sure would not like someone else to be counting my days for me.

[schmolex]

Truth be told, I couldn't tell you what ship we were on when we got our 100 day medallions. I just remember being a little bummed that we got the zinc ones under the "new " program rather than the silver we were expecting under the old system. (And yes I know they are not really zinc for 100 days, but that may change under the next revision to the system of recognition)

:( Pouting little boy that I can be :(

 

Anyhow, we will be getting the Silver next fall on the Amsterdam during the South Pacific/Australia Grand Voyage. Never been on this ship before, we just liked the itinerary.

 

As for Dinner with the Captain, it never happened with us. Dined with the First Officer on the Rotterdam back in 2001, but it had more to do with being in the Penthouse than anything else. A delightful dinner with a very interesting Officer. Good sense of humor as well.

 

Our usual accommodation tends to be in a Cat. K on Main Deck, but we have a wonderful time wherever we sleep on board ship.

[DesertDogs]

Truth be told, I couldn't tell you what ship we were on when we got our 100 day medallions. I just remember being a little bummed that we got the zinc ones under the "new " program rather than the silver we were expecting under the old system. (And yes I know they are not really zinc for 100 days, but that may change under the next revision to the system of recognition)

:( Pouting little boy that I can be :(

 

Anyhow, we will be getting the Silver next fall on the Amsterdam during the South Pacific/Australia Grand Voyage. Never been on this ship before, we just liked the itinerary.

 

As for Dinner with the Captain, it never happened with us. Dined with the First Officer on the Rotterdam back in 2001, but it had more to do with being in the Penthouse than anything else. A delightful dinner with a very interesting Officer. Good sense of humor as well.

 

Our usual accommodation tends to be in a Cat. K on Main Deck, but we have a wonderful time wherever we sleep on board ship.

 

So -If you don't mind telling - how did you go from a Cat K to the PH?

[Candy]

I was just wondering as I know someone from this site did cancel one cruise knowing that they wouldn't get the "royal" treatment on the one ship compared to what they would get on their favorite ship.

 

And then I noticed last week that someone else has booked a cruise on their favorite ship inorder to receive their medals with their favorite captain and ship.

 

As for us -- no special ship or treatment when we got our 100 day medals. No special ship or treatment when we got our 300 day medals.

 

For 500 days -- it will be by itinerary -- no favorite captain or ship -- so we know we won't be treated any differently than anyone else getting a medal. Although I would something else other than a warm glass of wine at the awards ceremony. ;)

 

We cancelled our November Eurodam and switched to the Thanksgiving Zuiderdam when we realized we were getting our 100-day medallion. Zuidy is our favorite ship (this will be #10) and Mark Pells is our favorite HotMan, but we expect no special treatment, and certainly no seat at the Captain's table. We simply want to have this little celebration among familiar faces.

 

Candy the ZuiderPrincess and Sir James