How is Dolly Smith?

[Copper10-8]

3 hours ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

 

I thought that Dolly Smith might have been on our 2018 Grand Asia.  Was that possible? She was always accompanied by a female companion, and would usually see her (or some woman who looked like her) in the Lido at lunch.

 

Yes, she was with you on the 2018 Grand Asia - see below

 

[RuthC]

16 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

I just have to admire her determination to keep on cruising. 

After sharing a cabin with her for 33 days, all I could think was "I want to grow up to be just like her!". I thought she was an amazing woman. 

[Copper10-8]

Dolly has her favorites on board, especially on the GWV. One of them is AMDM's executive housekeeper Shiv Charan. She's also in the habit of dining with an invited crew member at her table for two at the railing of the MDR on Gala nights, one of them is Shiv. A couple of pics of Dolly with two of my security guard supervisors, Jade and Lito. Petty Officers/Guard supervisors never get to eat in the main dining room so invitations from Dolly, like the one to Jade, are very much welcomed

 

 

 

 

 

[rkacruiser]

God Bless Her!  May she stay well from this virus!

[Copper10-8]

Dolly and her personal protection detail 😉 - Amsterdam 2016 Grand World Voyage

 

 

 

[wandb]

What a wonderful thread!!  It has been a joy to read through the whole thing. 

Ms Ruth, I still hope to be on the same cruise as you one of these days!

[Sea Birds]

Not sure if this was Dolly.

There was a woman on the Grand Asia 2018 who had a companion pet cat. The woman used a walker and the cat accompanied her everywhere. She even took the cat to the various ports. One day the companion cat was at the Front Desk and the staff were the "cat-sitters"!  Popular cat. Sure brought a smile to the passengers and crew.

 

[JimnKaren]

We cruised with her one time...it was memorable. She would sit in the piano bar with her 'beverage' and smile like no one else was smiling. Time to go anywhere? A staff person was there! I once saw her try on her own and so many crew members ran to her, it was amazing that she could still stand!

AMAZING!!

[Btimmer]

I believe she sailed with us on the Maasdam last fall.  I specifically remember the cat and chatted with her  about the cat.

[Sir PMP]

4 hours ago, rob7 said:

Not sure if this was Dolly.

 

There was a woman on the Grand Asia 2018 who had a companion pet cat. The woman used a walker and the cat accompanied her everywhere. She even took the cat to the various ports. One day the companion cat was at the Front Desk and the staff were the "cat-sitters"!  Popular cat. Sure brought a smile to the passengers and crew.

 

 

No, Dolly doesn't bring a cat on board..

[Copper10-8]

No cat for Dolly. Now, on the 2014 Grand Asia/Pacific there was a little dog under quarantine for all countries visited. Her owner caused quite the uproar but that's an entirely different story 😉

[Sir PMP]

18 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

No cat for Dolly. Now, on the 2014 Grand Asia/Pacific there was a little dog under quarantine for all countries visited. Her owner caused quite the uproar but that's an entirely different story 😉

I was on that one, she did not make a lot of friends..

[Copper10-8]

18 minutes ago, Sir PMP said:

I was on that one, she did not make a lot of friends..

 

"Sandy," since she was not allowed to get off, was "adopted" by the Front Office ladies

[cruzingnut]

46 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

"Sandy," since she was not allowed to get off, was "adopted" by the Front Office ladies

 

If anyone is wondering if she got off of this years world cruise, Dolly did indeed get off.  She was escorted home by one of the Adagio guys.  Don't ask me where home is though but she did get off.

 

Linda R.

Edited May 6, 2020 by cruzingnut

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

On 3/22/2020 at 5:20 PM, RuthC said:

After sharing a cabin with her for 33 days, all I could think was "I want to grow up to be just like her!". I thought she was an amazing woman. 

Ruth, we were on that cruise also.  It was quite a cruise especially with the black uut in the eastern US.

 

Kissing Annie was supposed to be on too, but unfortunately she died on board on the previous cruise.  She had sailed against doctor's orders.  At least, she was doing what she loved.

 

I think we were at a table for the Mariner's luncheon with Dolly a couple of years ago.  At least, my memory of the woman nexct to me looked a lot like Dolly.

 

Lenda

[Sir PMP]

1 hour ago, cruzingnut said:

 

If anyone is wondering if she got off of this years world cruise, Dolly did indeed get off.  She was escorted home by one of the Adagio guys.  Don't ask me where home is though but she did get off.

 

Linda R.

She lives in Oregon.

[Copper10-8]

2 hours ago, cruzingnut said:

 

If anyone is wondering if she got off of this years world cruise, Dolly did indeed get off.  She was escorted home by one of the Adagio guys.  Don't ask me where home is though but she did get off.

 

Linda R.

 

Home for her is in Oregon. This will be the longest period of "no cruising" for her

[RuthC]

3 hours ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

Ruth, we were on that cruise also.  It was quite a cruise especially with the black uut in the eastern US.

That was something! The (very) late sailing made for the most memorable sail down the Hudson at 1:00 AM on the most balmy night. It was spectacular! 
The 38 consecutive hours of 45' seas, with the water flooding the show lounge was another memory to last a lifetime. Listening to the dishes in the Lido crash made me wonder if we would have enough to last the full cruise! 

3 hours ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

Kissing Annie was supposed to be on too, but unfortunately she died on board on the previous cruise.  She had sailed against doctor's orders.  At least, she was doing what she loved.

I knew Kissin' Annie had died on the cruise before, just couldn't remember which year, as I did the cruise again in '04 (same ship; same dis/embarkation ports). I also can't remember which port she was dropped off in. Do you remember? 

[rkacruiser]

17 minutes ago, RuthC said:

Kissin' Annie

 

First "met" her on Volendam's 2002 Asia Pacific Cruise.  I was successful in not getting kissed.  She was quite a character and helped to make an already special cruise for me even more "special".  

Edited May 6, 2020 by rkacruiser

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

34 minutes ago, RuthC said:

That was something! The (very) late sailing made for the most memorable sail down the Hudson at 1:00 AM on the most balmy night. It was spectacular! 
The 38 consecutive hours of 45' seas, with the water flooding the show lounge was another memory to last a lifetime. Listening to the dishes in the Lido crash made me wonder if we would have enough to last the full cruise! 

I knew Kissin' Annie had died on the cruise before, just couldn't remember which year, as I did the cruise again in '04 (same ship; same dis/embarkation ports). I also can't remember which port she was dropped off in. Do you remember? 

Ruth, sorry I don't know which port Annie was dropped off in for sure.  Some how, the first thought that came to mind was Rotterdam or Amsterdam., but that is just a guess.  Someone on the ship mentioned that Annie had died when we were talking about her.

 

We almost missed the ship in NYC as our flight was cancelled after we checked in.  Fortunately, an alert ticket agent realized that the Marine Terminal at La Guardia was open as they had a backup generator for the Coast Guard.  She routed us through Reagan National and then on the shuttle to NYC.  We met a friend in DC who had been routed from O]Hare through DC.  Another friend from Ontario spent the night on the train in Albany, but made the ship.

 

That was a memorable cruise, and there were a lot of stories of how people made the ship. It's cruises like this that stand out.

 

Do you remember if Dolly mentioned if she went through La Guardia and was on the bus to the pier without her luggage.  There was a lady that would have been about her age on the bus when we got on..  The HAL ground person told here not to worry, the luggage would be taken the the ship.  My DH would not let the driver leave the airport until he, the ground agent and the driver went into the dark terminal and found her luggage.  All the luggage from the incoming passengers and outgoing passengers was mixed together.  Fortunately, they found it because of the HAL luggage tag.  

 

Lenda

Edited May 6, 2020 by Quartzsite Cruiser

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

13 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

First "met" her on Volendam's 2002 Asia Pacific Cruise.  I was successful in not getting kissed.  She was quite a character and helped to make an already special cruise for me even more "special".  

The 2002 APEC cruise was our one and only encounter with Annie.  I remember at the Halloween party where she tried to kiss all the men and the observant ones managed to move out of her way including my husband.  Also, the second seating shows would not start until she was escorted to her front row seat.

[rkacruiser]

18 minutes ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

The 2002 APEC cruise was our one and only encounter with Annie.  I remember at the Halloween party where she tried to kiss all the men and the observant ones managed to move out of her way including my husband.  Also, the second seating shows would not start until she was escorted to her front row seat.

 

I don't recall the Halloween party, but do recall waiting for the second seating shows to begin.  

 

I recall sitting at the Crow's Nest Bar with WCB and his wife as Annie "swept" through the room one evening trying to kiss anyone wearing pants.  WCB saw her before I did and said to me:  Here comes Annie!  I had a sudden need to visit the Men's Room!

 

There was so much about that cruise that made it so special.  An unexpectedly rough day West of Vancouver Island that first day at sea along with other days when King Neptune was upset, the fugitive Priest from Los Angeles that was arrested and turned over to the USCG at an unscheduled stop at Dutch Harbor, our sail into Tokyo, the gift exchange/welcoming ceremony between the Japanese Officials and Volendam's Captain, the Noon Talk from the Bridge involving Captain Harris and CD Gary Walker (more funny at times than any of the comedy performers), Captain Harris' pithy comments over the PA about our experiences with "Chinese Custom Officials, Immigration Officials, and Official Officials" after we had dropped our last Chinese Pilot:  Kissing Annie is a special part of my memories of that cruise.  That cruise remains my #1 favorite cruise experience!

[RuthC]

37 minutes ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

Do you remember if Dolly mentioned if she went through La Guardia and was on the bus to the pier without her luggage. 

I don't know if her luggage was ever missing, but she had it when she boarded. I arrived at the cabin first. 
She packed very light for such a long cruise; I remember that!  

I found it less expensive to use a limo than to fly. No problem at all getting to NYC! 

[Sue from Canada]

7 minutes ago, RuthC said:

I don't know if her luggage was ever missing, but she had it when she boarded. I arrived at the cabin first. 
She packed very light for such a long cruise; I remember that!  

I found it less expensive to use a limo than to fly. No problem at all getting to NYC! 

Ruth, I would love to share a cabin with you.  What bedtime stories you could tell me (LOL) about all your travels.  I'd even give you my nightly chocolate on the pillow.

Edited May 7, 2020 by Sue from Canada

[RuthC]

8 minutes ago, Sue from Canada said:

Ruth, I would love to share a cabin with you. 

Thanks. That was very nice to read. 

 

I haven't done a share in a very, very long time. I figured the shares on the first two Voyages of the Vikings paid for the third. Those first two roomies were great, and I can't say enough good things about them. The third, on the other hand, was the roomie from hell. I could keep you up all night telling war stories of her! 

 

She wasn't the reason I stopped doing shares, though. Partly it was because of the change in policy regarding pricing. And partly I decided I can afford an inside by myself.