A new HAL Blog! (Yes, I'm a HAL employee!)

[cruzisme]

hi fellow Maritimer

even tho' I now live on the West Coast, I am a true blue born New Brunswicker, Moncton in fact. so it is nice to see another Herring Choker (have you heard of that expression?) on the CC boards.

[babyorca]

Wow! Just passed 1000 posts!! Awesome. Congrats!!

[TahoeTraveler]

I will soon be interviewing one of the favorite Captains in the HAL fleet, and want to know what questions YOU want answers to. The top 5 questions (frequency and/or my favorites) will be asked along with some of my own, and I may even have a little something for the person asking my favorite question of all those submitted.

 

Here's what I need:

1) Your name (first is fine if you don't want the whole thing posted on here)

2) Where are you from (city and state/province/country will do nicely) - NOTE: if your question ends up being my favorite, I'll come back to you asking for the whole address)

3) Your question. Keep it general. What do you want to know about someone behind the 'wheel' of one of your favorite 'Dam Ships'?

4) When was your last Dam Cruise, what ship?

5) OPTIONAL - Feel free to include a photo/photos of your recent vacation and I'll post them on the blog.

 

Please have your inquiries in by December 4. Sooner would even be better. (And no, I'm not telling you which Captain beforehand... that's part of the fun, but he is currently in control of one of our ships... and not one in dry dock or a shipyard)

 

"DBA"

 

I am glad you are doing this, as there are a couple of questions I have had ever since completing our last HAL cruise.

 

We are Tami and Mike from Gardnerville, NV (Lake Tahoe area), our last cruise was with Captain Christopher Turner on the 14 Oct Zuiderdam Panama Canal Sunfarer. I actually have two questions, if it's okay for me to post them:

 

My first question is: Do the captains have to attend any sort of formal public relations training in addition to their nautical training in order to perform their jobs on a cruise ship, and if so, what kind of training? I became curious about this after our interactions with Captain Turner, who was, in a word, fantastic. He was absolutely the most personable, kind, and competent Captain I have ever met. The way he handled even the most minor of complaints was amazing, and I just wondered if he attended some sort of training in how to deal with "difficult" passengers and situations.

 

My second question is: Are the captains allowed to have their wives onboard and if so, how does that work? We enjoyed dinner one evening with the ship's doctor (who was VERY busy on our cruise!) and his lovely wife, and found their situation very interesting. I was wondering if it worked the same way for the captain.

 

Thanks a bunch for letting me ask these questions that have really been bugging me!

[catl331]

KAZU--Why are some captains aloof? Same reason why some passengers are not upbeat and vivacious. Personality types. Goes for Doctors also!! I guess it is more important to have a captain that has excellent sailing skills and more important to have a surgeon who can operate under stressful situations. On the last HAL cruises I have been on, they have been featuring coffees with the officers so they can mingle more.

[DutchByAssociation]

Wow! Just passed 1000 posts!! Awesome. Congrats!!

 

Many thanks.

 

Not sure what the criteria is for a sticky around here, but I submitted a request to the hosts. If you think it should be a sticky also, you're more than welcome to ask as well.. maybe it's a popularity contest. LOL

[DutchByAssociation]

"DBA"

 

I am glad you are doing this, as there are a couple of questions I have had ever since completing our last HAL cruise.

 

We are Tami and Mike from Gardnerville, NV (Lake Tahoe area), our last cruise was with Captain Christopher Turner on the 14 Oct Zuiderdam Panama Canal Sunfarer. I actually have two questions, if it's okay for me to post them:

 

My first question is: Do the captains have to attend any sort of formal public relations training in addition to their nautical training in order to perform their jobs on a cruise ship, and if so, what kind of training? I became curious about this after our interactions with Captain Turner, who was, in a word, fantastic. He was absolutely the most personable, kind, and competent Captain I have ever met. The way he handled even the most minor of complaints was amazing, and I just wondered if he attended some sort of training in how to deal with "difficult" passengers and situations.

 

My second question is: Are the captains allowed to have their wives onboard and if so, how does that work? We enjoyed dinner one evening with the ship's doctor (who was VERY busy on our cruise!) and his lovely wife, and found their situation very interesting. I was wondering if it worked the same way for the captain.

 

Thanks a bunch for letting me ask these questions that have really been bugging me!

 

TahoeTraveler -

 

I can answer the second one. Yes, Captain's can have their wife onboard. If you look back at the eurodamnews.com blog (later evolved to the HAL Blog, but still it's own URL) Captain van Donselaar and his wife Pam were on at the same time, and she was also one of the MAJOR photo contributors before the ship started the revenue voyages.

[TahoeTraveler]

"DBA"

 

Thanks for the answer to my second question. I assumed that was the case, but, being retired military and knowing the strange rules they have about married couples (my husband, who was also in the Air Force with me, was deployed to the desert at the same time as I was, and we had to sleep in separate tents!!), I wasn't sure if there were similar rules regarding ships' captains.

 

Appreciate the response.

[IRL_Joanie]

Many thanks.

 

Not sure what the criteria is for a sticky around here, but I submitted a request to the hosts. If you think it should be a sticky also, you're more than welcome to ask as well.. maybe it's a popularity contest. LOL

 

I think it should be a sticky! And I have clicked on the top right triangle and posted a request to the Hosts asking for it to be one. This thread is definitely a must have/read for all of us. It gives such fantastic info and should be permanent IMHO. (the triangle is to the right of the post # in this case my post is 1009 so you want the triangle to the right of 1009 (BUT do it to one of DBA's posts, as I think that will get more attention)

 

For instructions on how to ask the Hosts to make this a permanent sticky on the main page:

 

at the top right of a post (preferably one that DBA has made), click on it. A box will open for you to make a comment.

 

DO so!! And make sure you explain why you think it should be a permanent sticky.

 

Do not forget to include your CC name at the bottom of the comment.

 

Joanie

[DutchByAssociation]

Thanks to Cruise Critic for making my thread a sticky!

 

[Assateague Island Princes]

Yup, thanks CC! Good to see you here in a sticky, Dutch!

[DutchByAssociation]

Now I just have to keep getting people to ask me questions, etc so they can justify keeping it as such :D

[Krazy Kruizers]

We were looking at the 2011 Noordam cruise for both February and March -- see nothing for January -- WHY??

Also on the February and March cruises there is nothing listed as a "Collector's" cruise like there is for 2010 on HAL's web site. WHY??

Our TA has a brochure throught the spring of 2011 and there is a Collector's cruise listed. When she called HAL a few days ago she was informed that she wasn't reading correctly!!

Something is wrong here.

[DutchByAssociation]

We were looking at the 2011 Noordam cruise for both February and March -- see nothing for January -- WHY??

Also on the February and March cruises there is nothing listed as a "Collector's" cruise like there is for 2010 on HAL's web site. WHY??

Our TA has a brochure throught the spring of 2011 and there is a Collector's cruise listed. When she called HAL a few days ago she was informed that she wasn't reading correctly!!

Something is wrong here.

 

Great observation.

 

I will mention this to the internet team if it isn't by any chance what is getting worked on with the scheduled maintenance tonight.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you -- will wait and see what happens next week.

[DutchByAssociation]

After I read your post, I sat here for several minutes trying to think of dry dock and charter calendars and schedules. I'm not aware of anything in 2011 that would have the entire month blocked oput for the ship... Until I have a chance to check a few resources at work and likely notify the internet team, this is indeed a mystery

[Krazy Kruizers]

I also thought it strange that the entire month of Januray has nothing listed for the Noordam.

[DutchByAssociation]

I considered for a brief moment just how much this thread would explode if I had said it was being transferred to P&O in January, but realized that would go over about as well as the Hindenburg.

[GPoll189]

DBA,

 

I don't know if you know this but some of us think that the Noordam is the best ship in the fleet. I know everyone has their favorite ship, just like everyone has their favorite flavor of icecream. However, this would be a great trick for April fools but not now. Thanks for not doing this to us.

[DutchByAssociation]

DBA,

 

I don't know if you know this but some of us think that the Noordam is the best ship in the fleet. I know everyone has their favorite ship, just like everyone has their favorite flavor of icecream. However, this would be a great trick for April fools but not now. Thanks for not doing this to us.

 

Yeah, I realized it would cause nothing short of mass hysteria in here and exactly... as it wasn't April 1st, there wasn't a reason to "go there" as it were

[kazu]

KAZU--Why are some captains aloof? Same reason why some passengers are not upbeat and vivacious. Personality types. Goes for Doctors also!! I guess it is more important to have a captain that has excellent sailing skills and more important to have a surgeon who can operate under stressful situations. On the last HAL cruises I have been on, they have been featuring coffees with the officers so they can mingle more.

 

 

careful cat, my husband is a physician, however he is one of the few that I would want operating and then talking to the family. and that is my point I guess - I think that skilled people can also be caring and socially adept and they should be.

 

Our captain had excellent sailing skills, he tried something at least 12 other previous cruise ships had declined. and he was amiable. you can have both qualities (I think they are called leaders? not sure.)

 

In any case your point is well taken, but I was really blown away by this one and his staff. I hope HAL gets more like them because when I used to go on a competitior (unanamed) all of their captains were around. I prefer HAL needless to say but this captain made this cruise so special.

 

Take care all, Jacqui

[kazu]

hi fellow Maritimer

even tho' I now live on the West Coast, I am a true blue born New Brunswicker, Moncton in fact. so it is nice to see another Herring Choker (have you heard of that expression?) on the CC boards.

 

aren't you kind, your home town isn't that far from us. Was Quispamsis arround when you were here? We are just outside of Saint John. We are terrible HAL addicts. We have to give good service at whatever we do and we love to get good service back. I have always found HAL impeccable at it. Tried a few others and it just wasn't worth the savings in a few dollars. Take care, and glad to see there are some Maritimers in our midst. Jacqui

[IRL_Joanie]

DBA, I just wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS on getting the Sticky Status!!

 

Looking forward to seeing more people being able to utilize your wonderful knowledge!!

 

Joanie

[jaspersmycat]

DBA:

 

First congrats on the sticky.

 

I am wondering is Life Vest-less Muster drills are an experiment on certain HAL ships or if each captain gets to decide?

 

Thanks

[DutchByAssociation]

DBA:

 

First congrats on the sticky.

 

I am wondering is Life Vest-less Muster drills are an experiment on certain HAL ships or if each captain gets to decide?

 

Thanks

 

Not totally certain. I know Carnival has started doing this, but not sure if it will be a Carnival Corp-wide thing or if each line will make their own decisions.

[bob brown]

It has been suggested that I repeat my inquiry re: webcams with you....

Why doesn't HAL post its bridgecams on the web, like its corporate mates Cunard, P&O, Princess, Carnival, Costa, all do?

With HAL's unique itineraries, and ports-of-call, it seems a shame.:confused: