Fresh flowers on HAL ships?

[fuzzywuzzy]

I also love the orchids in the buffet area and in washrooms. Very classy touch.

[RuthC]

I can remember a few years back -- around 2006 -- We were on the Volendam. Everywhere we looked -- artificial flowers.

 

Very, very few real flowers anywhere.

That was because the Volendam has a theme of "flowers", and the artificial flowers were placed as part of the permanent décor.

That ship has more flowers, when you consider both artificial and fresh, than the other ships.

[sail7seas]

Hoi Alphen; might be a new thing; florists from Holland; what a concept Did you ask him if he played violin?;) Up to now, the only onboard florists I'm familiar with have all been Indonesian and wear yellow polos. Tot ziens!

 

 

The florists I met on Veendam last week were wearing yellow polo jerseys. :)

 

A man and woman, both young and very enthusiastic.

The arrangements we saw around the ship were a huge improvement over what we saw earlier in the week.

 

 

 

 

 

That is what they looked like on Day 1!!!

 

 

Then, were that our cabin, on DAY ONE, those flowers would have been discarded and we would have requested fresh. I would not have dead flowers in our cabin. We actually had two arrangements in our cabin.

 

One was there when we arrived and though small was a nice touch of color and pretty on the table. During the week, a second small arrangment was delivered and we enjoyed having that on the counter. :)

 

You just seem to have the worst luck on the ship sometimes.....including dead flowers. I always feel bad when I read of something that was disappointing for you.

 

[sail7seas]

I also love the orchids in the buffet area and in washrooms. Very classy touch.

 

 

I also love the orchid plants.

 

Once in a while, I'll spot one in Lido that has a cluster of blossoms and it is so beautiful. I also love they have a variety of colors and don't have only purple. :)

 

[Copper10-8]

After some search in the archives, I did not locate a photo, but I captured him on video, of which a print is enclosed, at that moment he was in a sort of purple. From what he told us, he was travelling from ship to ship, sticking around longer when he liked it there. I did not think of asking about his violin skills though. :D

 

It was during our TA on Noordam in 2010.

 

Definitely not an Indonesian dude!;)

[Krazy Kruizers]

The florists I met on Veendam last week were wearing yellow polo jerseys. :)

 

A man and woman, both young and very enthusiastic.

The arrangements we saw around the ship were a huge improvement over what we saw earlier in the week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then, were that our cabin, on DAY ONE, those flowers would have been discarded and we would have requested fresh. I would not have dead flowers in our cabin. We actually had two arrangements in our cabin.

 

One was there when we arrived and though small was a nice touch of color and pretty on the table. During the week, a second small arrangment was delivered and we enjoyed having that on the counter. :)

 

You just seem to have the worst luck on the ship sometimes.....including dead flowers. I always feel bad when I read of something that was disappointing for you.

 

 

 

Those were the flowers on the table in front of the sofa. The flowers on the desk were just as bad.

The flowers on the dining room table were better.

We really expected to see new flowers arrive in the evening.

We saw the florist a few times in the Lido -- she didn't look as though she was enjoying her job.

She left in one of the ports after we went through the Panama Canal.

[Alphen]

Definitely not an Indonesian dude!;)

 

:-)

[erewhon]

During our last cruise, (Oosterdam Christmas/New Year), there were no flowers on the dining room tables for a least 6 nights, including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

 

The sad flowers in the stateroom were removed on the 27th December, two days later I asked the Concierge when would the flowers be replaced?, the following day a fresh arrangement of a carnation, a rose and a daisy arrived in the stateroom.

 

The morning we ordered room service breakfast, no little vase of flowers.

[kazu]

Flowers were plentiful on the Prinsendam and very nicely done. I had no idea how often the arrangements outside of the Pinnacle Grill were changed until this last cruise when we happened to be there when it was being done.

 

The arrangements were absolutely gorgeous - including those in the room:)

[OlsSalt]

That was because the Volendam has a theme of "flowers", and the artificial flowers were placed as part of the permanent décor.

That ship has more flowers, when you consider both artificial and fresh, than the other ships.

 

Thank you for this reminder in case others on the Volendam think this decor feature is evidence of HAL "cutting costs" somehow. Looking forward to a Voldendam cruise ourselves next year so it will be fun to take a survey of its theme decorations. We did a fascinating photo collage of the Faces of the Rotterdam as we found hundreds of "faces" in the decor every where we looked, once we started looking. Wonder what the over-riding decor theme will be on the Prinsendam.

[RuthC]

There are two ships with a theme. The Volendam, as mentioned, has a theme of flowers. The Zaandam has music as it's theme. There are even etchings of scales in the glass doors. Bill Clinton's saxophone is on display---along with other interesting instruments.

[jtl513]

Flowers were plentiful on the Prinsendam and very nicely done.

They must have re-stocked in FL, because on our cruise just before yours the MDR tables had some pretty sad-looking ones, or none at all. It was a game for a couple of tables near us to steal someone else's flowers before they arrived.

[kazu]

They must have re-stocked in FL, because on our cruise just before yours the MDR tables had some pretty sad-looking ones, or none at all. It was a game for a couple of tables near us to steal someone else's flowers before they arrived.

 

Strange - why not stock up in Europe (unless your ports weren't 'flower friendly')

 

Saw lots of flowers being brought on in a couple of our ports.

 

The MDR had flowers on every table and it was evident they were new and fresh. The bouquet entering the sports deck by the Crow's Nest was a masterpiece as were those by the PG, in the Ocean Bar and Explorer's Lounge.

 

Neptune Lounge had gorgeous roses lined up.

 

Our room had two different flower arrangements and they were definitely fresh and new and very lovely. Flowers were replenished about every 5 days:)

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

If you happen to notice in the On Location program a talk on flower arranging by the ship's florist, I recommend you go. They are very interesting and the florist is asked questions about where the flowers are bought, etc. For the Grand Voyages on the Amsterdam, the florists are a couple from Holland. As they are also on the re-positioning cruise through the Canal in December, we have heard the gentleman speak twice. Enjoyed the presentations very much.