Are you a Mariner?

[ekerr19]

Hi Laura!

 

 

Congrats on getting the 100 days! I felt the same way in Feb when I my 100 day pin on the Oosterdam.

 

Greg said the other pax in the room put on shades because I was beaming so much.

 

:)

 

 

And I better be on that Hawaii cruise to see Ruth get 300.....

 

:cool:

 

Vic - Thanks so much, it was pretty thrilling and quite fun. We had the Captain laughing and the photos came out nicely. I wish I were seeing Ruth get her 300 too - make sure to take some photos!

[sail7seas]

When folks say Congratulations etc when we are wearing our medals at the Mariners' Parties, my DH always says to them: "You, too, can buy one". While he's mostly kidding, there is a bit of truth there. Buy enough cruises and they throw in a medal and then another and another...... :)

 

[2rg]

bepsf -- Hmmm ... not sure. I know she took 18 cruises and I think I can get a rough idea of how many sea days those were. I know she took a couple of cruises after receiving her 40k medal, so maybe I'm at that point, too. We decorated her casket with the ribbon/medal and her favorite HAL scarf, both of which are displayed at home now.

 

A cruise day translates to approximately 348 miles (not knots) if you use the 115 day criteria, what HAL stated as the number of cruise days necessary to get the 40,000 mile metal. But the ships seemed to have different standards, for example we received ours at 110 days aboard the Ryndam. The last Westerdam also used the 110 day standard. I still keep track of miles sailed, we're at about 58,000 miles in 16 cruises. I seem to remember that HAL announced a new platium metal for 250,000 miles (?) before they changed over to counting days not miles.

[Esme]

A cruise day translates to approximately 348 miles (not knots) if you use the 115 day criteria, what HAL stated as the number of cruise days necessary to get the 40,000 mile metal. But the ships seemed to have different standards, for example we received ours at 110 days aboard the Ryndam. The last Westerdam also used the 110 day standard. I still keep track of miles sailed, we're at about 58,000 miles in 16 cruises. I seem to remember that HAL announced a new platium metal for 250,000 miles (?) before they changed over to counting days not miles.

 

 

I just checked our list and we received our 40,000 mile at 109 days and our 100,000 Gold at around 280-290 days. DH used to keep the number of miles for each cruise, but when I put it on the computer, I just listed the number of days and when we got our medals.

[bepsf]

Folks here have been mentioning a Mariner's magazine -

 

- I've never received one - yet my second HAL cruise was only in Sept.

Is it a bi-annual publication?

[Ziggy7]

Folks here have been mentioning a Mariner's magazine -

 

- I've never received one - yet my second HAL cruise was only in Sept.

 

Is it a bi-annual publication?

Brian, I would call HAL and request one be sent to you, we have recieved 2 different ones since last Aug, when we became Mariners :)

[RevNeal]

After much confusion I finally called Mariner services. They checked the records for me, and HAL policy, and now I know for a FACT how many days I have.

 

Chaplain service days are not included in the total for medal awards (they are "working days"). This means that my 98 days are reduced to 67. Calculating based upon what have currently projected, and not counting the summer cruise in 2006 (I don't yet know if we'll be taking that one), it would appear that I will be receiving my 100 Days medal on "The Voyage Of The Spammed." :D

 

IF Christopher and I make that Baltic Cruise in the Summer of 2006, then I'll be receiving my medal on that cruise ... unless I swing that one as a Chaplain-service cruise. :)

 

Not sure which one I would prefer.

[2rg]

I just checked our list and we received our 40,000 mile at 109 days and our 100,000 Gold at around 280-290 days. DH used to keep the number of miles for each cruise, but when I put it on the computer, I just listed the number of days and when we got our medals.

 

You received your 100,000 mile metal approximately on schedule, 285 days at 348 miles per day. I checked my in-laws and theirs was at 119 days on the Ryndam. My wife's sister and neice received theirs at 116 days on the Statendam. While the mileage system sounds so much better than the day system I guess we can see why the change (Corporate policy) was made.

 

Sorry for the edits but I found an error in my records.

[RuthC]

After much confusion it would appear that I will be receiving my 100 Days medal on "The Voyage Of The Spammed." :D

Greg! it would be such fun if we could get our medals at the same party!

Maybe we could even get a picture of the two of us together with new shiny metal?

Vic---ya gotta be on that cruise! Why haven't you booked yet?????

[RevNeal]

Ruth, it would be great to get my 100-day medal on the same cruise where you get your 300th day! But, Christopher would be a bit upset with me if he missed it. And, frankly, it looks like we WILL be doing that summer Baltic Cruise in 2006 ... which means I'll get it there. :)

 

As for Vic not having booked ... he as a good reason; I trust that he will book once conditions allow it.

[Barocl]

The passenger I've meet with the most HAL days was Dolly. Over 3,000 the last time we sailed together. I'm chasing LizB1, just over 600.

[ImpulsivePuppy]

not enough

[LizB1]

Liz,

First let me say congratulations on all your days with Hal. I knew you were over 1000. I know you will have many, many more cruises. I seem to pale by you with only 540 days aboard Hal. Guess that's not bad for only being 52. I started at ten and went one or sometimes twice a year on longer cruises. I never will catch up to Liz but I can say that four generations of my family sailed Hal. My Mother has over 750 days. Here's to all of us continuing our cruises and that we may all KEEP ON CRUISING......... Adele

 

 

Adele, you may never catch up to me, but I know for sure with your cruising enthusiasm that you WILL reach the 700 day mark and receive a Platinum medallion! I also know that I will never catch up to the likes of Dolly and others we've sailed with, but I am satisfied being where I am.

 

I sure wish we could be on the cruise when Ruth gets her Silver Medallion for 300-days...too bad it won't be this July!

[Vic The Parrot]

Liz!

 

1000+ days .... WOW!!

 

Congratulations are in order on that!

I scanned the 1st page to see what everyone was talking about.

What an accomplishment! I think HAL SHOULD give you the penthouse as a reward!

 

If we run into on each other on a ship, 1st bottle of wine is on me!

 

:)

[Vic The Parrot]

my DH always says to them: "You, too, can buy one". While he's mostly kidding, there is a bit of truth there.

 

Yep .....

 

Recently, seen a 25-day pin for sale on eBay.

Forgot how much the seller was asking, but it looked pretty nifty.

[dougnewmanatsea]

this is why my DH has fewer days than I do at 639.

Poor guy - "only" 639 days. He has my sympathy ;) .

 

Anyway, just realised I din't answer the original question!

 

My "day count" doesn't mean much unless I were to actually get something for having so many days (other than a medallion and a little ceremony). By the time you get 1000 days on HAL as you have Liz, they really ought to be giving you some very special treatment.

 

Just my $0.02.

 

Also interesting that you have never had a complimentary upgrade - I know plenty of people who have had them, and are relatively infrequent HAL pax.

 

Now, to go off on a bit of a tangent, who has been cruising with HAL for the longest and/or who has been on the oldest HAL ship?

 

My grandparents have been cruising with HAL since 1960. They're probably in the 60 or 70 day range. (They're not particularly loyal HAL pax - they've also been on RCI, NCL, Celebrity, Princess, Orient, etc., not to mention various defunct companies from the past. I think HAL has gotten the largest share of their business though.)

 

A friend of theirs was evacuated from N a z i Germany to Britain as a child on an HAL ship - that would have to have been in the late 1930s. I believe the ship was VOLENDAM (I), built in 1921. (My grandparents' first cruise on HAL, in 1960, was in NIEUW AMSTERDAM (II), built in 1938.) My grandparents met her and her husband on an HAL ship, and they have been good friends for 40+ years now.

 

So do we have anyone out there who was on HAL before WWII? Anyone been on ROTTERDAM (IV) (the one HAL had from 1908 to 1940) :) ?

[Bill S]

Laura: yes, the first two pins came pretty darned"fast" compared to the days which are between the red pin and the copper pin/medallion! I don't see us getting to the silver pin/medallion unless we hit Megabucks and live for another decade. . . . . or two!!!!;)

 

 

Barocl: good to see you posting again! Hope all is well!

[bepsf]

A friend of theirs was evacuated from N a z i Germany to Britain as a child on an HAL ship - that would have to have been in the late 1930s. I believe the ship was VOLENDAM (I), built in 1921. (My grandparents' first cruise on HAL, in 1960, was in NIEUW AMSTERDAM (II), built in 1938.) My grandparents met her and her husband on an HAL ship, and they have been good friends for 40+ years now.

 

My former boss' mother emmigrated to the US shortly after WWII aboard Nieuw Amsterdam (II) - her family had been held in a Japanese internment camp in Indonesia when she was a young girl and when the war was over they returned to the Netherlands before she came to the US...

[RuthC]

I sure wish we could be on the cruise when Ruth gets her Silver Medallion for 300-days...too bad it won't be this July!

Liz, that would be so nice if you could be there.

If I'd done those other cruises on HAL ships I would be reaching the 300-day mark this July, but I don't begrudge them. I've sailed five other lines, and that gave me the experience to know that with HAL I found the line that's right for me.

[ekerr19]

 

A friend of theirs was evacuated from N a z i Germany to Britain as a child on an HAL ship - that would have to have been in the late 1930s. I believe the ship was VOLENDAM (I), built in 1921. (My grandparents' first cruise on HAL, in 1960, was in NIEUW AMSTERDAM (II), built in 1938.) My grandparents met her and her husband on an HAL ship, and they have been good friends for 40+ years now.

 

Host Doug -

 

Captain Visser told the story on our Volendam Cruise last month - it was fascinating, I'd never heard it before. I believe that was the end of the Volendam I - though all passengers and crew arrived safely in port, the voyage was not without incident.

[Esme]

My cousin tells me that he returned to Canada from England after the war on the Nieuw Amsterdam 11, when she was being used as a troop ship. Have tried to get him and his wife to go on a HAL cruise with us, but they stick to Celebrity. :rolleyes:

[LizB1]

I do have a friend who just found out that her Grandmother and Uncle came over to Ellis Island in 1910 on the Rotteram IV. This friend, her mother and her daughter have sailed many times on HAL, making that four generations to sail on HAL.

 

Just for the record...my first HAL sailing was on the old ss Maasdam from Hoboken to Southampton for my first overland trip to Europe in 1956. Loved every minute of it and got hooked right then and there. In those days it took us 10-days on that ship. Also sailed a few times on the ss Nieuw Amsterdam which was built in 1939, I believe. Loved that ship with its big leather chairs in the Smoking Room.

 

I didn't sail again for ten years after that Maasdam sailing. Then in 1966 my Mother and I decided to travel in Europe for ten weeks returning on the ss Rotterdam V. We decided it was time to start cruising which then began in earnest in January of 1967.

[longtimecruiser]

Liz,

I too, have sailed on the S.S. Nieuw Amsterdam. I just loved those beautiful leather chairs. As I said before, I have four generations of my family sailing Hal. My grandparents went on the first cruise of the S.S. Rotterdam. It was a 49 day cruise around South America. I was in second grade at the time and went to New York to visit the ship and see off my grandparents. Later, the S.S. Rotterdam was featured in my "weekly Reader" and I was thrilled that I had been on that ship. So, the oldest ship I have been on was the S.S. Nieuw Amsterdam

[RevNeal]

It wasn't all that long ago that I discovered that my Granddad had made a business trip to Europe, cruising on the Maasdam in mid-1930s. He made several other trips in the 1950s to Europe and back on the Noordam and the classic Nieuw Amsterdam II. The last HAL ship he was ever on was a trip he made with my parents a few years before he died. It was on the Rotterdam V.

 

Mom and Dad have sailed on every ship of the HAL fleet since the 1970s except the Vistas, and with Dad's illness it doesn't look like they'll be doing much of that in the near future. I think they both have somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 days, though I'm not certain. They've also cruised with Princess, Celebrity, Cunard, Orient, and Royal Caribbean.

[dougnewmanatsea]

Captain Visser told the story on our Volendam Cruise last month - it was fascinating, I'd never heard it before. I believe that was the end of the Volendam I

The ship survived the voyage - she made it through WWII as well, and was broken up in 1952.

 

I was actually not aware that there was anything particularly eventful about this trip or that it was otherwise well-known - I have not seen these friends of my grandparents' in many years and never heard anything about it first-hand.

 

However I do know that she was one very grateful HAL passenger!

 

My cousin tells me that he returned to Canada from England after the war on the Nieuw Amsterdam 11

This was my grandparents' first HAL ship (first ship of any sort in fact). She is still my grandfather's favorite ship. If you ever meet him on a cruise he will tell you all the various ways that she was superior to today's vessels ;) .

 

(For her part, my grandmother likes new ships, in particular she favors the S-class vessels.)

 

I do have a friend who just found out that her Grandmother and Uncle came over to Ellis Island in 1910 on the Rotteram IV.

That one is hard to beat!

 

But so farit looks like the earliest HAL vessel that an actual CCer has been on is NIEUW AMSTERDAM (II). I have never met anyone who has been on that ship who did not love her.

 

When I was on GRAND PRINCESS in 2000 one of the more interesting things they did at the repeater's party was find the person who had been on Princess longest ago. Actually, they included P&O, or any company that later became part of it - so the winner as I recall was someone who had been on a British India ship in, I think, the early 1950s. (BI qualified as it later became part of the P&O Group, as did countless other British shipping firms; the most famous probably being BI, Blue Star, and the original Orient Line.)