Any news from the Amsterdam?

[rafinmd]

21 hours ago, prescottbob said:

My daughter enjoyed the combination luggage wraps from the '18 adventure (please don't tell her my re-gifting practices). We missed several 'pillow gifts' recently due to the cruise's abrupt cessation in Perth (Fremantle) due, of course, to the COVID-1984 crisis. 

I got those on the '19 Prinsendam Grand South America.   They came on the last formal night although I wished it had been a bit earlier.  I scoured the shops for them and then spent about 2 hours in Aruba looking in all the stores to no avail.  While I would have preferred them earlier I got them with a great sense of relief.

 

Roy

[rkacruiser]

21 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

 

You don't actually believe that HAL has the ability to "tongue-tie" a now retired captain, do you? He no longer is employed by them 😵

 

I regret disagreeing with you, Copper 10-8, but his blog has been posted as part of the Holland America Line website.  If they didn't want whatever he wanted to say posted, it would not have appeared, I don't think.

 

The same with Captain Albert's blog.  It has always been part of a HAL web site.  He has been silent.  With good reason:  he is ashore and has been for some time.  Not much for him to tell us unless he wants to report on his "honey do" list.  

 

Captain Mercer may be smart in remaining silent in the final days even if he could post.  Relating those experiences in a publication might prove to be enriching to his wife and he.

 

 

[DFD1]

I expect he will eventually have lots to say....on his terms and in his own way. I would not expect anything soon, but I would eventually expect a book.

 

I hope he writes one and he may not be able to do that until some more time passes.....for many reasons.

 

Actually, the story is not finished and may not be finished for some time to come.

 

IMO

[Copper10-8]

24 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I regret disagreeing with you, Copper 10-8, but his blog has been posted as part of the Holland America Line website.  If they didn't want whatever he wanted to say posted, it would not have appeared, I don't think.

 

The same with Captain Albert's blog.  It has always been part of a HAL web site.  He has been silent.  With good reason:  he is ashore and has been for some time.  Not much for him to tell us unless he wants to report on his "honey do" list.  

 

Captain Mercer may be smart in remaining silent in the final days even if he could post.  Relating those experiences in a publication might prove to be enriching to his wife and he.

 

 

 

S'il vous plait, no regrets required Mr. B! Out here, we are free to agree or disagree with each others writings without having to display feelings of sadness 😉 

 

So two more centums from my side if you please:

 

#1 You are correct as to Capt. Albert; his blog is part of the HAL blog - it is listed as a subsection there - and, fer sure dude, he does not write about his experiences as traveling fleet master until he is back onboard one of the dam ships. He does however, when he's at home not doing honey do's for she who must be obeyed, update the "captains from the past," "current captain schedules," and other items on his blog such as HAL's history

 

#2 As far as Captain Mercer, his blog, which goes by the name of "Captain, who's driving," unlike Capt. Appie's, is not part of the HAL blog, nor the HAL website. It has never been and one can't find it under either those two entities unless, of course, I am abhorrently misguided; it is listed as a WordPress blog

 

I happen to disagree that Capt. Mercer is in some way being prohibited and/or prevented by HAL from adding one or more final posts to his excellent online Blook, while in retirement. Amsterdam arrived in Fremantle in the land of Oz on 20 March, disembarked her 2020 GWV guests between 21 and 23 March, and then departed Freemantle with crew only, as well as lots of GWV luggage, for Durban, South Africa with a planned onward voyage to Ft. Lauderdale, according to the captain in his March 23rd. blog, a journey of 35 days.

 

Lookie here please; If there were any concerns about disgruntled pax and potential civil actions by any of them via their legal eagle mouthpieces, the fair master could have easily terminated his blog at that time (23 March) since the 2020 GWV was now officially over and his guests were on their way home, peevish as some might have been. Yet the fine captain chose to keep writing to the delight of his many fans - HAL, btw, apparently did not prevent him in any way of doing this -  incl. about HAL's subsequent decision to have him reverse course after calling at Durban, not to go onwards to FLL, pass Go and collect $200 smackers and instead, head back east young man, in order to start disembarking non-essential and ultimately very happy crew in Indonesia and the Philippines.

 

Capt. "M" wrote a total of 7 posts in April and a total of 3 posts in May, his final one on 15 May, exactly eleven days before his relief captain arrived onboard to accept command, allowing Capt. M and his wife to finally go home. So now after arriving home rusticated, he's been "allegedly" placed on some sorta HAL gag order, the infamous "disclosure" in an expired contract, in order to stop him from writing additional posts on his blog? What else is there to say besides what he has written already incl. his posts leading up to Fremantle and the ones after that call? How his flight home went? Did they serve them chicken mcnuggets in-flight? How was the inflight entertainment? What's more uproarious: "Big Bang" or "Two and a half men?" 

 

OK, off the box with saponaceous again to stand by ............    

[bcummin]

I remember that the good Captain Jonathan Mercer posted several years ago that he had set up an independent blog, so that he could speak more freely.

Captain Albert's last post on his HAL blog was superb, but very carefully worded about what he could mention.

I also miss hearing from Captain Mercer, but he has his reasons for waiting.  Surely he needs to rest and relax from a most challenging voyage.

We can wait patiently.

Barbara

 

[michaelfl]

my god, why dont you leave captain m. in peace, close that chapter for good and worry about something else.  yes, the man is obviously a saint in the eyes of many commentators, but why dont you just leave him in peace......

[Himself]

Captain Mercer is now retired. Let him enjoy his retirement.

[Sir PMP]

Hal called me to replace him, now he's retired, so I will start my blog soon, Capt. Pmp..

[michaelfl]

i hope you are as good as his holiness. tell us about your ship, your beautiful, lovely and sweet wife, your fantastic crew and your .........passengers

[Copper10-8]

23 minutes ago, Sir PMP said:

Hal called me to replace him, now he's retired, so I will start my blog soon, Capt. Pmp..

 

That'll be a first; a captain from 's-Gravenhage! Haagse Hopjes in the Grand Dutch Cafe  🙂

[whogo]

I would think that Captain Mercer's weeks in Manila Bay were filled with frustrations and may not make for a fun blog read. What were there, twenty cruise ships all wanting to repatriate their crews? How many governmental bodies had to sign off on every little action? How many little tyrants were there in each of those governmental bodies to throw up roadblocks? How many bureaucrats, politicians, and corporate bigwigs refused to make a decision for fear that the decision would be  wrong? How many times were plans made and changed?

[michaelfl]

34 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

That'll be a first; a captain from 's-Gravenhage! Haagse Hopjes in the Grand Dutch Cafe  🙂

the uitsmijters in the dutch cafe on the koningsdam were great.....

[Copper10-8]

11 minutes ago, michaelfl said:

the uitsmijters in the dutch cafe on the koningsdam were great.....

 

Yeah, you can't beat a good "Uitsmijter" 🙂 - Good to hear you enjoyed them! Next time, try their "Broodje Kroket" Good stuff! 

[Sir PMP]

2 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Yeah, you can't beat a good "Uitsmijter" 🙂 - Good to hear you enjoyed them! Next time, try their "Broodje Kroket" Good stuff! 

And a broodje garnalen..

[Sir PMP]

3 hours ago, michaelfl said:

i hope you are as good as his holiness. tell us about your ship, your beautiful, lovely and sweet wife, your fantastic crew and your .........passengers

It's a new ship called the Ms. Stellendam, she will have 800 passengers and do world cruises only, all year long, Copper will be head of security and live on the ship, he will have to sell his house, we will have the Station band  playing up in the crow's nest, the dining room will be the one of the best in the fleet, all passengers will be 60 plussers with class, and I will have retired captains on board during segments of the cruises and there will be no club Hal..

[michaelfl]

10 minutes ago, Sir PMP said:

It's a new ship called the Ms. Stellendam, she will have 800 passengers and do world cruises only, all year long, Copper will be head of security and live on the ship, he will have to sell his house, we will have the Station band  playing up in the crow's nest, the dining room will be the one of the best in the fleet, all passengers will be 60 plussers with class, and I will have retired captains on board during segments of the cruises and there will be no club Hal..

sounds perfect. how soon can we book ? and what will be the price for a glas of pinot grigio in the crows nest ?

[Storylady]

22 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I regret disagreeing with you, Copper 10-8, but his blog has been posted as part of the Holland America Line website.  If they didn't want whatever he wanted to say posted, it would not have appeared, I don't think.

 

The same with Captain Albert's blog.  It has always been part of a HAL web site.  He has been silent.  With good reason:  he is ashore and has been for some time.  Not much for him to tell us unless he wants to report on his "honey do" list.  

 

Captain Mercer may be smart in remaining silent in the final days even if he could post.  Relating those experiences in a publication might prove to be enriching to his wife and he.

 

 

Last time Captain Mercer blogged on the HAL Blog was March 2014. It was my understanding that he set up his independent blog after that due to having approval from Seattle for what he wrote. I first sailed with Captain Mercer in 2005 on the Oosterman. Have been following Captain Mercer and Captain Albert for years. He said he will write again. So we just have to patiently wait until he does.

[rkacruiser]

2 hours ago, Storylady said:

Last time Captain Mercer blogged on the HAL Blog was March 2014. It was my understanding that he set up his independent blog after that due to having approval from Seattle for what he wrote.

 

I admit that I have not been a regular reader of the Captain's Blog, but it was my impression that it's most recent entries were a part of the HAL web site's Blog.  Obviously, from what I have learned, I am mistaken.  

 

It just that it seems to me, and maybe those 2020 Grand World Voyage guests who are awaiting the arrival of their luggage, there are some "periods" missing to the stories about this cruise.  Captain Mercer certainly has one.  The 2020 World Cruise guests are awaiting one.  

[Sir PMP]

4 hours ago, michaelfl said:

sounds perfect. how soon can we book ? and what will be the price for a glas of pinot grigio in the crows nest ?

Pinot Grigio,  will be $6.95 and booking will start Jan. 1, 2021. You have to book through Copper because he knows the exact price per room, and also he'll have some security questions to make sure you will be allowed on board.

[michaelfl]

8 hours ago, Sir PMP said:

Pinot Grigio,  will be $6.95 and booking will start Jan. 1, 2021. You have to book through Copper because he knows the exact price per room, and also he'll have some security questions to make sure you will be allowed on board.

that is an acceptable price. bookings through copper might not be a big problem, but i dont know if he has access to the files of the german police because of my misdemeanors in my youth in germany.....

[Himself]

21 hours ago, Sir PMP said:

It's a new ship called the Ms. Stellendam, she will have 800 passengers and do world cruises only, all year long, Copper will be head of security and live on the ship, he will have to sell his house, we will have the Station band  playing up in the crow's nest, the dining room will be the one of the best in the fleet, all passengers will be 60 plussers with class, and I will have retired captains on board during segments of the cruises and there will be no club Hal..

No Club HAL?  Where are the Children supposed to go?

[Sir PMP]

1 hour ago, Himself said:

No Club HAL?  Where are the Children supposed to go?

The 80 plussers need to find another hobby...

[michaelfl]

14 minutes ago, Sir PMP said:

The 80 plussers need to find another hobby...

lol lol lol

[KirkNC]

I have been told our luggage will be off loaded in Singapore reportedly on the 9th.  That should put it back home around mid September.

[Indianadaytripper]

23 minutes ago, KirkNC said:

I have been told our luggage will be off loaded in Singapore reportedly on the 9th.  That should put it back home around mid September.

Probably been off loaded , good thanks