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The lady with just over 10,000 days is on the move

496and706

By 496and706,
in Holland America Line

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SilvertoGold

SilvertoGold

Posted
Posted
I know we are all saying that mathematically the 10,000 days would be impossible but could they now be stating "Mariner Days" Do we know what type of cabin Mama Lou stays in? I thought I once read she had a Verandah so that would give her double days on a S class ship. :confused:

 

The one time we were on a ship with Mama Lou she was in an inside on main deck forward.

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sun~

sun~

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On the Veendam in 2007 she was in an interior cabin as I recall. In fact I thought she told us she always books interiors and sometimes gets upgraded ..../QUOTE]

 

I met Mama Lou on the Zaandam a few years ago. We had a nice chat and she told me she had an interior cabin. She told me about her pins that she collects and a couple of stories. She was a fair age back then, she must be in her late 80's now.

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LAFFNVEGAS "Live from...." Rare

LAFFNVEGAS

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The one time we were on a ship with Mama Lou she was in an inside on main deck forward.

 

OK so I was mistaken, but I do wonder if they do give her extra Mariner Days which would explain the difference in days. I would guess she does not spend that much on board. But I would not be the least bit surprised that they do not credit her with more Mariner Days ;)

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Fouremco

Fouremco

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At the risk of getting flamed, I think that this had all the trappings of an urban legend. I've no doubt that "Mama Lou" exists, and that she may have spent an extraordinary amount of time cruising, but 10,000 days?

 

And yes, I'm jealous! :)

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DFD!

DFD!

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Doesn't matter how many. She's been around long enough to have way more than most of us. Good for her!

 

I once had a friend who was a great story-teller. His wife was always correcting him about the details in his stories. His reply was for her to leave him alone and not let the details get in the way of a great story.

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Fouremco

Fouremco

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Doesn't matter how many. She's been around long enough to have way more than most of us. Good for her!

 

I once had a friend who was a great story-teller. His wife was always correcting him about the details in his stories. His reply was for her to leave him alone and not let the details get in the way of a great story.

LOL. Quite so! :)

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Storylady

Storylady

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We were lucky enough to meet Mama Lou on the Ryndam sailing out of Tampa back in 2009. Can't remember how many days she had then. We would see her with a different HAL top each day of the cruise. She even had a name tag that said Mama Lou HAL Ambassador.

 

Enjoy this link from HAL Blog on Mama Lou.

 

http://www.hollandamericablog.com/2010/10/27/cruise-diary-more-about-mama-lou/

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HokiePoq

HokiePoq

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Mama Lou is headed to Miami tomorrow to get on the Maasdam (?) I think. I couldn't find a roll call for this, so I'm taking a guess at the ship.

 

She just celebrated 10,000 days a few days ago.

 

Just thought I would give her fans the heads up.

 

Thanks for the update! I've been telling people about Mama Lou since we met her on the Veendam in 2007. So glad she's still on the move! Such an interesting person, too.

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HokiePoq

HokiePoq

Posted
Posted (edited)
At the risk of getting flamed, I think that this had all the trappings of an urban legend. I've no doubt that "Mama Lou" exists, and that she may have spent an extraordinary amount of time cruising, but 10,000 days?

 

And yes, I'm jealous! :)

 

She's for real! She retired to HAL ships instead of assisted living! She was on a walker in 2007, but got off at all the ports and walked around. Everyone onboard loved her, including us. She flew planes in WWII in Britain, married an American, and after he passed, came onboard. Her husband was an admiral in the US Navy. We were two doors down from her and she introduced herself after seeing our collegiate logo which was also where her children graduated. It was a privilege to meet her and I am thrilled she is still doing her thing onboard. I'm hoping it's the Westerdam she's getting on as we board there on Saturday.

Edited by HokiePoq
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Fouremco

Fouremco

Posted
Posted
She's for real! She retired to HAL ships instead of assisted living! She was on a walker in 2007, but got off at all the ports and walked around. Everyone onboard loved her, including us. She flew planes in WWII in Britain, married an American, and after he passed, came onboard. Her husband was an admiral in the US Navy. We were two doors down from her and she introduced herself after seeing our collegiate logo which was also where her children graduated. It was a privilege to meet her and I am thrilled she is still doing her thing onboard. I'm hoping it's the Westerdam she's getting on as we board there on Saturday.

Curiouser and curiouser... Here's a newspaper clipping about Mary Lou, a Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) pilot in WWII whose husband was Navy and whose father was an Admiral. http://wwii-women-pilots.org/classlists/docs/MLNeale,43-1.pdf

 

Their stories are so similar, but...

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Randyk47

Randyk47

Posted
Posted (edited)

As others have said, and we've experienced, Mama Lou is very much real. Her story is legend and I don't think there is a HAL staff, particularly the wait staff, who don't know her or have at least not heard of her. Guess for those who haven't had the privilege we should also say she regularly, if not all the time, where's replica uniforms, at least the tops, of the wait staff and has her own HAL name badge. :D As for urban legends...we've never met the Bear Lady. :o:)

Edited by Randyk47
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Thebes

Thebes

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Posted (edited)

D

We were lucky enough to meet Mama Lou on the Ryndam sailing out of Tampa back in 2009. Can't remember how many days she had then. We would see her with a different HAL top each day of the cruise. She even had a name tag that said Mama Lou HAL Ambassador.

 

Enjoy this link from HAL Blog on Mama Lou.

 

http://www.hollandamericablog.com/2010/10/27/cruise-diary-more-about-mama-lou/

 

What a legend. I like how she helps poor people in ports like Guatemala. Good for her. What an inspiration to humanity :)

Edited by Thebes
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innlady1

innlady1

Posted
Posted
We were lucky enough to meet Mama Lou on the Ryndam sailing out of Tampa back in 2009. Can't remember how many days she had then. We would see her with a different HAL top each day of the cruise. She even had a name tag that said Mama Lou HAL Ambassador.

 

Enjoy this link from HAL Blog on Mama Lou.

 

http://www.hollandamericablog.com/2010/10/27/cruise-diary-more-about-mama-lou/

 

That is so cool!

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maha123

maha123

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We spent the last two weeks on the Ryndam and Mama Lou was on board with us. At the Mariner Medal Ceremony Capt. Timmers said the she had over 10,000 days at sea on Holland America Ships. She was always walking around with her walker, what a wonderful person, she is an inspiration.

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Storylady

Storylady

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Posted
D

 

What a legend. I like how she helps poor people in ports like Guatemala. Good for her. What an inspiration to humanity :)

 

I couldn't find the newspaper article on Mama Lou that I read years ago. But it seems her sons didn't want her living with them even though Mama Lou and her husband helped them with their homes. They put her in assisted living. She didn't like it. She walked out of the assisted living place and moved to the Villages and started cruising. She decided to adopt the crew as her family. Her plan is to spend the kids inheritance on cruising. The article said she cruises about 11 months each year. The sons found out where she was when they read the newspaper article on her. (Hope I am not adding to the legend, but that is what I remember of the article.)

 

Probably some of her days are extra Marnier Days for what she has spent onboard.

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