Who Went First?

[sail7seas]

First trip with HAL..... Transatlantic on Veendam in 1937. Don't remember it but i was there.

 

Susan

 

 

Wow, that will be hard to beat. :)

 

Did Mariners Society have record of that sailing or did you have to provide them with information?

 

[solocanadian]

My first cruise on Hal was 1990 on Rotterdam V.

[sail7seas]

I think Retired Mariner's Society Director, Margaret Binnendyk, founded the Mariner's Society but am vague as to year.

 

Does anyone know what year Mariner's Society officially became the repeaters society of HAL?

 

[OCruisers]

Not as long ago and haven't cruised on HAL as often (only 5 times) as most of you.

 

Our first HAL cruise was in 1986 with an older couple we met on a Princess or Sitmar cruise and had enjoyed playing bridge with them. They found a HAL cruise (their favorite cruise line) for a week in the Caribbean which worked for us as an extra cruise without the children so we went with them and three others with them later.

 

LuLu

~~~~

[durangoscots]

Wow, that will be hard to beat. :)

 

Did Mariners Society have record of that sailing or did you have to provide them with information?

 

I didn't even try although I guess I could prove it since my arrival in U.S. is recorded. I also did a 1958 crossing on the Statendam... also not counted in my mariner's account... probably not worth it now.

 

Susan

[FoghornLeghorn]

I didn't even try although I guess I could prove it since my arrival in U.S. is recorded. I also did a 1958 crossing on the Statendam... also not counted in my mariner's account... probably not worth it now.

 

Susan

 

Fascinating! Would love to hear more details about either (or both) of your early crossings.

[whogo]

We are late comers. Holland America was our sixth cruise line, eighth cruise, Rotterdam VI, 1999 "Ireland and Nordic Isles" from Harwich to Guernsey, Cobh, Dublin, Isle of Man, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Shetland Islands, and Copenhagen. The Isle of Mann featured the Tender of Doom, with water crashing over the boat. Quite a thrill ride for those of us that weren't seasick! Wonderful cruise.

[DeepWaterMariner]

Our first on HAL was on the Rotterdam V in 1971, the year after we got married. It was like a second honeymoon even in an inside cabin with upper and lower beds. My first cruise was in 1968 on the old Greek Line's Olympia and my wife's was in 1967 on the Oceanic.

 

On our 3rd HAL cruise, in 1973 on the Statendam, we met an old guy that had immigrated from Holland on HAL back in the 1910s but I don't remember the specific year.

[MadManOfBethesda]

Our first HAL cruise was in 1993 on the Statendam. Our first cruise overall was 10 years earlier on Commodore's MS Caribe "The Happy Ship." As a side note, the one thing that sticks out in my mind about that first cruise in 1983 was that we paid $699/pp for an inside cabin on a 7-day Caribbean cruise. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Cost-of-Living Calculator, that equates to $1,638.75 per person in 2013 dollars. If people want to know why cruiselines have been cutting back on quality and services through the years, that price would be Exhibit A.

[rkacruiser]

First ocean cruise and first HAL cruise: July, 1970 aboard Rotterdam V, an 11 day Caribbean sailing out of New York. Purpose: my traveling companion and I were celebrating the earning of our Master's degrees in June, 1970.

 

First cruise experience was aboard the Georgian Bay Line ship, the S. S. South American, a short cruise from Detroit to Buffalo to Cleveland and back to Detroit. I don't recall the year for certain, but it was around 1957. My Mother took my brother and me; my Father would not go. She booked a bedroom aboard the ship, which would be considered a suite by today's standards. I don't know why she decided to do this other than she loved to travel and took Jim and me with her. I have always "blamed" her for instilling the "travel bug" in me.

[CruiseWhere]

Newbie!!!!!~ HAL 2011 Veendam to Bermuda with DH and my Mother, first of four cruises cruised so far on HAL and a 3 Star Mariner!

First cruise ever 2004.

[serendipity1499]

October, 1998-10 days on the Ryndam with our Sailing Club to the Caribbean.. Fun Trip! Capt. Simon Dowes was our skipper..

 

Prior to that had sailed on several other lines..

Cheers...Betty

[Typhoon1]

Carnival in 1981. We finally saw the light in 2003.

[prescottbob]

1958 14 Day RT Caribbean out of NYC on the old Statendam (III).

 

Mariner's points awarded (they had some old records I guess).

 

 

Bon Voyage & Good Health!

Bob:)

[BlueLadyBlue]

Next year - 2014 can't wait! :D

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

I might have to plan a 2016 HAL cruise. That would mark a 50 year span between HAL cruises. :D

 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[ASIWISH]

Unfortunatley, I can still fit all my cruises on one line in my Signature Line....

 

I gotta get busy!!!!

 

2008 for me....

[HAL-4-me-1952]

March, 1952 -- Transatlantic on the SS Ryndam delivering me to NYC as the newest immigrant to the US.

[rafinmd]

I might have to plan a 2016 HAL cruise. That would mark a 50 year span between HAL cruises. :D

 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

I think it HAS to be on the current Statendam.

 

Roy

[happyglobetrotter]

1973, Mediterranean cruise on a small Costa ship (300 pax), Enrico C. And we did not sink !

[AirGorilla]

First cruise -- Carnival's Carnivale, 1989

First HAL cruise -- Noordam, 1994

Last HAL cruise -- Zuiderdam, 2004

 

AG

[jbhcw]

Okay...I'll jump in here....first cruise..Premier...big Red Boat...Starship Majestic...early 90's

 

First Hal ship....the Maasdam out of Norfolk...November of 05 I think...

 

Between the 90's and now...way too many cruises...but we have loved them all:):):)

[greatver]

We were on the old Rotterdam sailing on Nov. 25, 1964 out of NY to the Caribbean on our honeymoon. It was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and was a stormy night. The SS Shalom, an Israeli cruise ship, collide with an oil barge in NY harbor that night resulting in one death.

 

We started again in August 2001 on a Baltic cruise on the Amsterdam and are next on the Ryndam transAtlantic in November.

[Homosassa]

My husband sailed round trip trans-Atlantic when he was 6 (1952) and 8 (1954). He was credited with both round trips for Mariners.

[rafinmd]

I think Retired Mariner's Society Director, Margaret Binnendyk, founded the Mariner's Society but am vague as to year.

 

Does anyone know what year Mariner's Society officially became the repeaters society of HAL?

 

 

I think Copper10-8 will soon be finishing a short contract. When he's back on land I bet he'll have the answer.

 

Roy