Nieuw Amsterdam and its invisible Captain

[seapals2]

We sailed for the first time in August this year with HAL on the Nieuw Amsterdam and realised that after being on the ship for a few days we had neither heard or seen a Captain. No welcome party .. no photo in the daily news .. nothing. We didn't even know his name.

We had a lot of service issues in the dining room and other public areas and feel this has spilled down through the staff from the indifference of the Captain. They are taking their lead from him .. if he cant be bothered to meet and chat to his paying passengers then why should they show them any respect or do their job with a smile.

Finally on about the 5th day we did here his voice at around 6 am he informed the ship following the emergency signal that there was a small fire and he would get back to us if we needed to take action. He did not reassure us in the least .. it could have been anybody making the announcement. Finally we got the all clear but we never heard his voice again.

On the last night in the Crows nest we did finally see a couple of senior officers sitting at the bar. Not being sure of the shoulder stripes we asked if either of them were the captain? They weren't but they assured us he was a very nice man. We will just have to take their word for it.

[OVgirl]

Were you able to find out his name at least?

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

My theory on this situation is that the home office has advised Captains to be less noticeable around the ship. The Captain on my recent cruise gave excellent reports every noon and as we were about to sail away and I always appreciate those. He was also involved in the muster drill over the intercom. I did see him once coming down a stairway and greeted him as I know who he is. But there was no Captain's toast - I was told these have been discontinued - a surprise to me since when I was on a HAL ship in May, there was one. I assume he was at the Mariner's Luncheon on the last day.= but I did not go. I suspect passengers will have fewer social interactions with officers on the ship.

[kalliekae]

I'm glad someone else has noticed this. I have to say that we rarely see the HAL Captains out and about the ship. In contrast, on our 3 Royal Caribbean cruises, the Captains were extremely noticeable. We often saw the Captain walking around the ship and interacting with the crew and guests. We were struck by the differences last year when we sailed on the Nieuw Amsterdam and then on the Allure a few weeks later. The crew on the Allure was happy and outgoing and we felt it was a direct reflection of how the Captain acted on the ship. We never saw the Captain on the NA and I couldn't even tell you his name, but I know the name of the Royal Captain. I wonder if this has to do with the reserved nature of HAL itself and thus the Captains are very reserved and standoffish.

Edited September 7, 2016 by kalliekae

[Scrapnana]

I have only done three cruises on HAL but was really spoiled on the Westerdam. Captain van Eerten was on both of these cruises and was very visible. On my 33 day cruise I saw him out and about the ship almost every day. Then I got on Nieuw Amsterdam. The captain was Bas van Dreumel but I only knew that because his name was on the "Explorer". There was no welcome show, cocktail party, etc. and he did not attend the Mariner's Lunch. It was disappointing.

[foodsvcmgr]

Question for SJSULIBRARIAN - curious as to why HAL corporate would request/require their Captains to be less visible around the ship?

 

I will say having sailed several times a year recently with HAL, Celebrity, and Cunard that HAL Captains are infrequently seen and don't mingle in social settings compared to other lines.

 

Last couple cruises even the Welcome Aboard Toast and introduction of officers had been discontinued. I don't expect the Captain to entertain me, I am not looking to engage them in conversation beyond a polite "Hello", but is it really that hard for them to at least take ten minutes to welcome their guests at the beginning of the cruise? To at least look like they even care?

[headhunterke]

I always like the captain's daily announcements, so it's a shame should they be advised to be even less noticeable. It's not as if they come onto the PA every hour or so.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Question for SJSULIBRARIAN - curious as to why HAL corporate would request/require their Captains to be less visible around the ship?

 

I will say having sailed several times a year recently with HAL, Celebrity, and Cunard that HAL Captains are infrequently seen and don't mingle in social settings compared to other lines.

 

Last couple cruises even the Welcome Aboard Toast and introduction of officers had been discontinued. I don't expect the Captain to entertain me, I am not looking to engage them in conversation beyond a polite "Hello", but is it really that hard for them to at least take ten minutes to welcome their guests at the beginning of the cruise? To at least look like they even care?

 

My commentary was just an opinion because in the past HAL captains had been more noticeable. I agree with you - I don't expect the Captain to entertain me but I do think the now discontinued Welcome toast was a nice touch to the cruise.

[Queen of DaNile]

Jeroen Van Donselaar was the original Captain for our recent cruise and was replaced (for personal reasons) by Bart Vaartjes. Both Captains did a daily announcement about the ship's position and weather conditions. Captain Vaartjes and CD Linda held a very well attended "Chat with the Captain" in the Vista Lounge where he explained features of the ship and did a Q & A session. While I don't recall seeing either Captain mingling with passengers, it was a greater comfort to hear periodic updates particularly as we were faced with tropical storm Hermine in the Atlantic, knowing that the Captain was truly "in charge" of the ship.

Edited September 8, 2016 by Queen of DaNile
clarity

[ShipsAreTheBest]

All Captains has different personalities, I suppose. I thought I read on Captain Albert's blog in recent months that HAL was doing away with the Captain's welcome toast.

 

Without knowing a lot of the particulars of your trip, I will say that you are less likely to hear from or see your captain on an Alaska cruise, particularly if there is a lot of fog. The captain and staff captain have to split their time on the bridge when there is fog, and the time not on the bridge is spent doing the paperwork/inspections/meals/sleeping that he has to fit in. Usually the captain will spend the night hours on the bridge in this case because he can plan his rest periods a bit better than the staff captain, who has to supervise the deck department during the day.

 

I find that in longer sea voyages with less port time and more sea time, you are far more likely to see the captain out and about because the schedule is much less demanding.

[Tennessee Titan]

I have only done three cruises on HAL but was really spoiled on the Westerdam. Captain van Eerten was on both of these cruises and was very visible. On my 33 day cruise I saw him out and about the ship almost every day. Then I got on Nieuw Amsterdam. The captain was Bas van Dreumel but I only knew that because his name was on the "Explorer". There was no welcome show, cocktail party, etc. and he did not attend the Mariner's Lunch. It was disappointing.

We have cruised on 5 Trans Atlantics (Nieuw Amsterdam) with Bas Van Dreumel as the Master. We found him to be most friendly and engaging, always stopped to talk when he was walking the deck, attended all receptions. A truly nice man....

[wales4ever]

Do you need to see the captain all the time? I don't I don't really care who the captain on any cruise I am on, as long as they are doing a their job well. Same for all the officers unobtrusive is best for me. Incidentally I was on a Celebrity cruise last December when that female captain started - you could not get away from her! talk about publicity stunts - she was more like a children's television presenter than a shops captain. Standing at the entrance to the main dining room one day, in the kids club making puppets the next. Another day in the shops working as a sales promoter. No idea who actually sailed the ship but it sure was not her. And when there was a major disaster and a couple of passengers died the whole crew brushed it under the carpet apart from a quick announcement and a note in the cabin.

[kjw869]

I have only done three cruises on HAL but was really spoiled on the Westerdam. Captain van Eerten was on both of these cruises and was very visible. On my 33 day cruise I saw him out and about the ship almost every day. Then I got on Nieuw Amsterdam. The captain was Bas van Dreumel but I only knew that because his name was on the "Explorer". There was no welcome show, cocktail party, etc. and he did not attend the Mariner's Lunch. It was disappointing.

 

We were also on the Westerdam in May of this year with Captain van Eerten greeted us in the Neptune Lounge the first day. Later in the cruise, my wife and I were two of ten passengers who were selected for the Captain's Dinner. We met for cocktails in one of the lounges for about 45 minutes before dinner. He was the most friendly of any of the dozen and a half Captains we have met.

 

The dinner and conversation afterward lasted past 10 PM, so we all enjoyed the fours we spent with the Captain. My wife who is normally very quiet was seated next to him, but when she found out he has dogs at his home in England, they had something to talk about the rest of the evening.:)

[Boatdrill]

We sailed for the first time in August this year with HAL on the Nieuw Amsterdam and realised that after being on the ship for a few days we had neither heard or seen a Captain. No welcome party .. no photo in the daily news .. nothing. We didn't even know his name.

 

Keep in mind that on all Alaska sailings (I'm assuming you were on one ?) pilots are onboard and that always takes more time from the Captain. If you did the Inside Passage from Vancouver (with the Seymour Narrows, etc. ) it's a port intensive itinerary that's repeated week after week with no real sea days. That itinerary requires a bit more attention than sailing around the west side of Vancouver Island, as when departing from Seattle.

 

A quick call or visit to the Reception Desk to ask the Captain's name always works. :)

Edited September 8, 2016 by Boatdrill

[Krazy Kruizers]

On our Westerdam cruise this past spring -- 21 days -- we saw the captain only 2 times. We did not even see him out and about on the ship. Rarely heard him on the PA as he rarely gave any information as to ports for the next days.

[sapper1]

I have only done three cruises on HAL but was really spoiled on the Westerdam. Captain van Eerten was on both of these cruises and was very visible. On my 33 day cruise I saw him out and about the ship almost every day. Then I got on Nieuw Amsterdam. The captain was Bas van Dreumel but I only knew that because his name was on the "Explorer". There was no welcome show, cocktail party, etc. and he did not attend the Mariner's Lunch. It was disappointing.

 

You posted my thoughts on our shared experience exactly. If we hadn't immediately switched to the NA after coming off the Westerdam then maybe the contrast wouldn't have been so stark.

[Krazy Kruizers]

All Captains has different personalities, I suppose. I thought I read on Captain Albert's blog in recent months that HAL was doing away with the Captain's welcome toast.

 

Without knowing a lot of the particulars of your trip, I will say that you are less likely to hear from or see your captain on an Alaska cruise, particularly if there is a lot of fog. The captain and staff captain have to split their time on the bridge when there is fog, and the time not on the bridge is spent doing the paperwork/inspections/meals/sleeping that he has to fit in. Usually the captain will spend the night hours on the bridge in this case because he can plan his rest periods a bit better than the staff captain, who has to supervise the deck department during the day.

 

I find that in longer sea voyages with less port time and more sea time, you are far more likely to see the captain out and about because the schedule is much less demanding.

 

 

 

I also read somewhere on here about the Captain's Welcome Aboard being done away with -- quite some time ago..

Last October on the Eurodam there wasn't any toast and again this spring on the Westerdam there wasn't any toast.

[Happily@Sea]

On our Westerdam cruise this past spring -- 21 days -- we saw the captain only 2 times. We did not even see him out and about on the ship. Rarely heard him on the PA as he rarely gave any information as to ports for the next days.

 

 

That sounds like Captain Smit [the alternating captain for the Westie (for now), not too talkative - one minimal daily report, one minor crisis [electrical smoke alert]. Very engaging in the Captain's Q&A - seemed to enjoy the Central American west coast potion - a departure from the normal Caribbean fare.

 

Maybe he's like me - more comfortable when talking face-to-face rather than over a phone or [heaven forbid!!] a microphone. "D

[kalliekae]

I don't expect a Captain to be there as entertainment for passengers, but it would be nice to see him once in a while. Our cruises with Royal were only 7 days and the Captain and officers were always visible. Those ships were far larger than HAL ships with much more to do and the Captains still found time to interact with the crew and passengers. I don't think it's too much to expect a Captain to welcome the passengers aboard a ship via an announcement or be present at a welcome back reception. I think it's a shame that HAL has cut out the toast and I really don't see how this is a cost saving measure. Public relations is important.

 

Obviously, for those who are long time HAL mariners, they will be the ones who get to dine with the Captain and that's fine with me since I"m not really interested in that sort of thing. However, a Captain should at least walk through the ship a few times during any cruise no matter the length of the cruise. JMO.

[iancal]

We really do not care whether or not we see the Captain or know his/her name.It makes no difference to our enjoyment of the cruise.

 

On most, if not all, of our Princess & Celebrity cruises the Captain and senior staff have been introduced at the first show. We really do not care one way or the other and quite often we give it a miss.

Edited September 8, 2016 by iancal

[Krazy Kruizers]

That sounds like Captain Smit [the alternating captain for the Westie (for now), not too talkative - one minimal daily report, one minor crisis [electrical smoke alert]. Very engaging in the Captain's Q&A - seemed to enjoy the Central American west coast potion - a departure from the normal Caribbean fare.

 

Maybe he's like me - more comfortable when talking face-to-face rather than over a phone or [heaven forbid!!] a microphone. "D

 

I think that he was our captain.

As for the Q&E -- he spent about 40 minutes talking about the bridge. Only a couple of people got to ask questions -- only 10 minutes given to people wanting to ask questions.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I don't expect a Captain to be there as entertainment for passengers, but it would be nice to see him once in a while. Our cruises with Royal were only 7 days and the Captain and officers were always visible. Those ships were far larger than HAL ships with much more to do and the Captains still found time to interact with the crew and passengers. I don't think it's too much to expect a Captain to welcome the passengers aboard a ship via an announcement or be present at a welcome back reception. I think it's a shame that HAL has cut out the toast and I really don't see how this is a cost saving measure. Public relations is important.

 

Obviously, for those who are long time HAL mariners, they will be the ones who get to dine with the Captain and that's fine with me since I"m not really interested in that sort of thing. However, a Captain should at least walk through the ship a few times during any cruise no matter the length of the cruise. JMO.

 

 

I do remember when we sailed on Princess seeing the captains and other officers walking around the ship. That used to happen on HAL ships.

We are long time cruisers on HAL -- well over 1000 days and haven't been asked to dine with a captain since 2009. And staying in the PS doesn't mean anything as to invitations either -- we just like the extra cabin space and 2 bathrooms.

[Copper10-8]

I think that he was our captain.

As for the Q&E -- he spent about 40 minutes talking about the bridge. Only a couple of people got to ask questions -- only 10 minutes given to people wanting to ask questions.

 

Only ten minutes?? And he talked for forty?? What is this world coming to:eek:

[Happily@Sea]

Only ten minutes?? And he talked for forty?? What is this world coming to:eek:

 

 

Actually, Cpt Smit's presentation was quite humorous - considering the subject matter. He was asked about blowing the ship's horns, he said only when it was required/requested; but he did blow it a few times for the pretty ladies who had danced on the pier.

[Copper10-8]

Actually, Cpt Smit's presentation was quite humorous - considering the subject matter. He was asked about blowing the ship's horns, he said only when it was required/requested; but he did blow it a few times for the pretty ladies who had danced on the pier.

 

Thanks; that must have been one of the two questions then ;)