Dam games for Dam Dollars?

[7continentKaren]

Do the HAL ships still have the games for Dam Dollars? My husband loved them. Friends just got back from a month long cruise across the Pacific from Australia (I think) to Kiribati, Hawaii and then Seattle and did not see any Dam Dollar games offered. I think they may have been clueless, I hope, as those games were a lot of fun and a great way to meet some people.

[RuthC]

Hi, Karen! I remember you from the Top of the World! How are you???

No, Dam Dollars have gone the way of the dodo. Extinct, for a while now.

[7continentKaren]

You have the right Karen! Wow, that was a while ago. Remember our run to a hospital for our next door neighbor who had appendicitis?

 

Considering how little it cost HAL, I am surprised that they abandoned the Dam Dollar games. We loved them. My husband even got me up at 7 am to walk the deck of Statendam (WWII Islands of the Pacific) for extra dollars. That was no mean feat. All for a sweatshirt...:rolleyes:

 

Nice to hear from you again.

[InTheWASide]

You have the right Karen! Wow, that was a while ago. Remember our run to a hospital for our next door neighbor who had appendicitis?

 

Considering how little it cost HAL, I am surprised that they abandoned the Dam Dollar games. We loved them. My husband even got me up at 7 am to walk the deck of Statendam (WWII Islands of the Pacific) for extra dollars. That was no mean feat. All for a sweatshirt...:rolleyes:

 

Nice to hear from you again.

 

The games still exist, and the branded prizes still exist. They just don't waste a ton of paper to give you a fake currency that will have you assault a little folding table full o mugs and keychains for one hour on the pool deck on the next to the last day.

 

They now give out prizes, usually to the top team or top 3 teams right there on the spot.

 

You won't miss out on any activities, or your chance you get some HAL "merch" ;)

[Krazy Kruizers]

I can't find it -- but there was a thread on here not too long ago about the Dam Dollars. Someone mentioned that people were making copies of the money so that they would have enough "dollars" to "buy" what they wanted.

[1of4]

I am no expert as I have not been on a long enough cruise but I did read one CC member's blog from the recent Grand Mediterranean cruise where she talked about DAM games and earning DAM dollars and had photos of the games as well as what you could buy; also included was a photo of a list and what the items cost. This was on the Prisendam.

[Krazy Kruizers]

It's been a couple of years since we have seen the Dam Dollars on any of the ships we have sailed on.

HAL is just giving out things like key chains, etc., for those who win at Trivia and other games. The numbers of games have also been cut way back.

[PeaceLoveCruise]

Those games were a favorite for us! I hope they're not gone forever!

[bra1nchild]

On the 2011 Grand Med, the program was called Grand Dollars. Trivia winners got 2, second place got one. Participants in the sports and other activities got dollars with winners getting even more. There were two days during the cruise to redeem the dollars for tchotchkes -- mid cruise and prior to disembarkation. i don't know if it has been continued on this year's Grand Cruises.

[lvz2cruz]

On our cruises winners have received coasters or insulated coffee mugs. Participants receive a pin with the ship name on it--I've often wondered what people do with these:confused:.

Last week on Zaandam we were told that they will be switching to different prizes once closets are emptied of current things.

On Celebrity we won t-shirts, visors, hats, luggage tags and straps. Our kids got beach towels, backpacks, hoodies. Maybe HAL will improve.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

I think I remember someone saying that the DAM Dollars have been eliminated or toned down depending on the ship and/or length of cruise because of the "cheating" by some of the passengers.

[Krazy Kruizers]

On our cruises winners have received coasters or insulated coffee mugs. Participants receive a pin with the ship name on it--I've often wondered what people do with these:confused:.

Last week on Zaandam we were told that they will be switching to different prizes once closets are emptied of current things.

On Celebrity we won t-shirts, visors, hats, luggage tags and straps. Our kids got beach towels, backpacks, hoodies. Maybe HAL will improve.

 

We used to partipate in many of the Dam Dollar games -- we never got a pin on any ship.

[sail7seas]

Cruise staff is not like it used to be and there aren't the people to run all the games like there used to be. Cruise Director staff's is reconfigured and now there is party planner and event whatever. I miss all those cute young folks in their khaki shorts and shirts running all the games.

 

[bobpatj]

From what I've heard from friends on the recent Prinsendam Grand cruise, Grand Dollars were still given. On our January 30 day Rotterdam cruise, not a Grand cruise, prizes were still given out for various activities and pins were given often just for for participation. We have quite a collection!

[sail7seas]

What kind of pins?

[InTheWASide]

Cruise staff is not like it used to be and there aren't the people to run all the games like there used to be. Cruise Director staff's is reconfigured and now there is party planner and event whatever. I miss all those cute young folks in their khaki shorts and shirts running all the games.

 

 

With all due respect, what on earth are you talking about? :confused:

 

There used to be a Cruise Director, DJ and 3 or 4 cruise staff. So 5 or 6 people.

 

Now there's a CD, DJ, Techspert, Travel Guide, Life Stylist, Party Planner. So 5 or 6 people.

 

On recent cruises we've had the Travel Guide do the travel/destination/location trivias, the DJ does some of the silly trivias near the pool, the Lifestylist does a lot of the physical activities and sport stuff (pool volleyball, shuffleboard competitions, etc etc). Cruise Director does the big events like the liar's club, show intros, marriage game, etc.

 

I have noticed no differences other than titles and some specializations (Techsperts do all the classes all day every day, Travel Guides know the areasbeing traveled to like the back of their hands... Ian Page and Danielle (forget her last name :( are especially fantastic), Party Planners are usually doing the various cooking demos, tastings, mixology and wine events, etc.

 

But to say there isn't the staff there used to be...? What year are you referring to/how long ago because I've seen no changes to entertainment staff levels since I started cruising HAL in 2006.

 

Again, with all due respect... you just have me completely baffled.

[sail7seas]

Yes, I am aware of the Cruise Director's staff.

 

Like I mentioned, I miss the Cruise Staff.

Most who have sailed for years know exactly about what I am speaking.

A lifestylist?

A travel guide?

A techspert?

 

Not exactly the same thing

IMO

Sorry you are baffled.

I understand..... :D There are times when I also am baffled. :)

I'm surprised to read you only 'go back' to 2006 with sailing and the ships/HAL. I had the impression it was longer.

We've been sailing since about 1991 and HAL since about 1992.... I don't remember exactly the year of our first HAL cruise.

 

[C 2 C]

We started cruising on HAL back in 89 but remember cruises in early 90's best for the activities in board. We filled many books with stamps and tried to trade them in for sweat shirts, track suits and so on. Unfortunately they were out of our size and they told us to hold onto them until our next cruise.... by which time they were discontinued. We now also have a bunch of Dam dollars from our 2008 cruise because they were out of our size and have been discontinued... great memories of activities but ticked off at those who promise but do not deliver the goods.

 

I do remember returning home from our earlier cruises and wondering where the time went onboard because we were always at another activity.. in 2008 those activities had been greatly reduced. I really missed those wonderful activity staffers that made our earlier cruises so memorable.

[sail7seas]

 

 

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I do remember returning home from our earlier cruises and wondering where the time went onboard because we were always at another activity.. in 2008 those activities had been greatly reduced. I really missed those wonderful activity staffers that made our earlier cruises so memorable.

 

 

 

Yes, you remember as do I.

Cruise staff were very different.

 

 

[pms4104]

Cruise staff is not like it used to be and there aren't the people to run all the games like there used to be. Cruise Director staff's is reconfigured and now there is party planner and event whatever. I miss all those cute young folks in their khaki shorts and shirts running all the games.

 

I have not sailed HAL nearly as long as you, since 2000, but I also feel that there used to be more activities, and more staff conducting them. Still don't get the Party Planner thing ... seems like a poor choice of job titles unless that person indeed is planning parties onboard.

[bcd2010]

What kind of pins?

 

Here's a picture of the 2 pins DS won on the Statendam in March. The top one was for golf chipping and the bottom one for participating in the Statendam Olympics (a series of events: Bocce Ball, Ping Pong, Golf Putting, Basketball freetrhows, ring toss and a couple others). They have a tie-tack kind of pinback.

[sail7seas]

Thanks for posting the photos, Barbara.

 

They look fun! Nice.

 

[CaveDiving]

Hi All,

 

We have been on a bunch of HAL cruises and I agree with the opinion that the cruise staff has been reduced lately. Times are tough all over.

 

As has been mentioned, the Dam Dollars are no longer used but Grand Dollars are being used on the Grand Voyages. The CD on the World Voyage offered to exchange any old Dam Dollars for the newer Grand Dollars.

 

I think the name change was to indicate that Grand Dollars were only being used on only Grand Voyages.

 

Unfortunately, although some of the games are fun, the prizes available are not so great. Can you believe they had 1 Gig thumb drives? I hadn’t seen one of them for years.

 

Scott & Karen

[Krazy Kruizers]

Here's a picture of the 2 pins DS won on the Statendam in March. The top one was for golf chipping and the bottom one for participating in the Statendam Olympics (a series of events: Bocce Ball, Ping Pong, Golf Putting, Basketball freetrhows, ring toss and a couple others). They have a tie-tack kind of pinback.

 

Thanks for the pictures.

All the games we participated in -- never was anyone given a pin.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Hi All,

 

We have been on a bunch of HAL cruises and I agree with the opinion that the cruise staff has been reduced lately. Times are tough all over.

 

As has been mentioned, the Dam Dollars are no longer used but Grand Dollars are being used on the Grand Voyages. The CD on the World Voyage offered to exchange any old Dam Dollars for the newer Grand Dollars.

 

I think the name change was to indicate that Grand Dollars were only being used on only Grand Voyages.

 

Unfortunately, although some of the games are fun, the prizes available are not so great. Can you believe they had 1 Gig thumb drives? I hadn’t seen one of them for years.

 

Scott & Karen

 

Thank you for the exploration.

Yes -- cutbacks everywhere -- in all departments on all ships.

1 Gig thumb drives? Where did they find those to give as prizes?