Dave_P

Rich,

I have always been intrigued by Petty Officer 1st Class Communications Technician avatar as I read your posts.  I was also in the Naval Security Group and during my active service was CTM1.  My wife and I are on board Noordam enjoying our third cruise from Vancouver to Sydney on Holland American.  I also am an avid photograph as you are and have been photographing the ship spaces.  I would like to meet up with you on one of the many sea days an see if we know someone common from our NAVSECGRU days.  Yesterday, I meet a gentleman from the Army Security Agency who is also an avid photographer.

When we boarded the one of the first I did was to see if they had move the 3rd deck explorer's lounge to the Crow's Nest and was excited to they kept it though split in half by adding the Microsoft Class space and new furniture in the remaining space.  If you would like to get together let me know when  and where.  Just not during the Dr. Wright's astronomy lectures.  Two years, ago on this same cruise, a retired Astronomy Professor gave astronomy lectures which were equally as good as Dr. Wrights with more emphasis on current discoveries.

Dave

On the 19th of January we booked the 27 day "Mediterranean Treasures & Passage to Americas" ms Koningsdam cruise leaving Civitavecchia on the 12 October arriving in Fort Lauderdale on November 8th. Thanks to the original posters and subsequent posters I know my cruise has been cancelled. I have yet to receive any notification from Holland America. My long time travel agent called Holland America two days and was told the Koningsdam has been "redepolyed" and they could tell him nothing more.

I find it very interesting that some of the posters have received E-mail correspondence from Holland America while we have not. My wife and I are trying to decide if should we do the 25 day ms Westerdam cruise on the 14th of October from Rome to Fort Lauderdale or the Royal Princess on the 11th of October from Rome to Fort Lauderdale. Right now, I am leaning towards the Royal Princess since I like it's itinerary a little bit more. I have never had Princess cancel any of the 22 cruises we have booked. The Koningsdam was our 5th booked Holland American cruise.

It really make me wonder if Holland American does not care for my business. We have a cruise on the ms Noordam departing Vancouver, BC for Sydney, Australia on the 25th of September. That is, if they do not cancel it out from under us. I am thankful, that at least it Koningsdam cruise was cancelled before I bought our airline tickets from Seattle to Rome.

As a reader of this forum for many years, I now know what if feels like to have a booked cruise cancelled out from under you for a charter or in this case who knows what reason. It is certainly Holland America's right to cancel cruises or "redeploy" cruise ships just as it is my right to choose who I give my cruise business to. I just do not understand how they can be this sloppy running their business. I am beginning to think it may be much better to do one cruise a year on Oceania than two cruises on Holland American.

Dave_P

We have done two transatlantic cruises from Port Everglades (2012 Emerald Princess to Copenhagen, 2013 Ruby Princess to Rome). Both cruises left on time and I expect the Ruby Princes to leave on time for the UK when we embark on it at the end of the month. I will say it is quite crowded at the cruise terminal if you arrive at 11:00 am. You should expect to be in line for an hour or so. For me the biggest irritation of embarkation is finding a place to sit for lunch in the Horizon Court after boarding. The sail away out of Port Everglades is really fun with the spectacle of multiple ship departing and the excitement of the start of the cruise.