Favorite HAL Presenters & Cruise Directors

[Btimmer]

In another thread it was suggested that a good topic would be to share who our favorite presenters have been in on prior HAL cruises. I'll start with my two favorite presenters (in no particular order).  I have some others, but I'll save those for a future post.

 

Terry Greenburg who speaks on Asian culture

Dr. Kam or Master Kam who also speaks on Asian culture with more of an emphasis on China.  He also leads Tai Chi classes.

 

Who's been a favorite presenter while you've been on board a HAL ship? This topic should stir up some pleasant memories.

 

[Aquahound]

My favorite HAL Cruise Director is no longer with them.  It was Hamish.  Honestly, I've found everyone else on HAL to be....meh.  

Edited April 18, 2021 by Aquahound

[1ANGELCAT]

Captain Albert for HAL history. I’ve had several great CD over the years. Dave Shea and JT Waters come to mind

[oaktreerb]

Captan Albert’s history of Holland America Line was my favorite presentation.  I continue to follow his blog on the HAL website.  

Edited April 18, 2021 by oaktreerb

[Storylady]

Thom Faulkner was my absolutely favorite Cruise Director. I loved his sense of humor. We never missed a show in the Showroom at Sea because you never knew what Thom was going to do next. 

[rkacruiser]

Well, I am going to have put my memory into gear to provide some good memories.  

 

Susan Wood comes to my immediate memory whom I enjoyed.  (Some thought her "shtick" got old, but I enjoyed it.)  She was a Cruise Director.  

 

CD Gary Walker on my 2002 Volendam's Maiden Asia Pacific Cruise.  The "Voice from the Bridge" reports with Captain Jonathan Peter Harris were both informative as well as being hilarious at times.  They were a comedy team that was better than any HAL employed for that cruise.  

[sail7seas]

1 hour ago, 1ANGELCAT said:

Captain Albert for HAL history. I’ve had several great CD over the years. Dave Shea and JT Waters come to mind

 

MY late DH and I always enjoyed Jazzy Jeff.       any one know if he  is  strill   with HAL?        

 

I hope so...  🙂  

 

 

 

[Cruising-along]

1 hour ago, Aquahound said:

My favorite HAL Cruise Director is no longer with them.  It was Hamish.  Honestly, I've found everyone else on HAL to be....meh.  

Hamish is no longer with HAL?  We really enjoyed him on our last cruise (fall of 2019, Nieuw Statendam.

[RuthC]

I agree that Susan Woods and Thom Faulkner were both excellent cruise directors.

I was convinced Susan was triplets, all working the same ship at the same time. She was everywhere, at all hours of the day and night, and seemed to have more energy than a houseful of toddlers. 

Going way back, Rick Spath was one of the best ever. 

[USN59-79]

I think of Gene Young when I think of excellent cruise directors.  He was usually on the Amsterdam, we were once on the Prinsendam with him also.

[bcummin]

Frank Buckingham was the best Port Lecturer ever.

Barbara

[RuthC]

9 hours ago, bcummin said:

Frank Buckingham was the best Port Lecturer ever.

Barbara

Totally agree. He could not only tell you where the best pub in the port was, but who was tending bar the day you were in port! (ok, maybe a slight exaggeration. maybe)

[StLouisCruisers]

We enjoyed Kainoa on several HAL South Pacific and Panama Canal cruises.  His port lectures were always a full house.

 

He was with us on our 2017 South Pacific Maasdam cruise but left the company abruptly in Tahiti.  Many speculative reasons why were floated around but I won't go there.  I hope he is doing well whatever he may be doing.

 

 

 

[RD64]

Jorge and Hannah - cruise director and assistant made a great team. I hope they are back when cruising resumes.

[Cruising-along]

12 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

We enjoyed Kainoa on several HAL South Pacific and Panama Canal cruises.  His port lectures were always a full house.

A lovely person and great speaker!  We also enjoyed him on a few cruises.  I do hope he's ok.

[T8NCruise]

14 hours ago, Aquahound said:

My favorite HAL Cruise Director is no longer with them.  It was Hamish.  Honestly, I've found everyone else on HAL to be....meh.  

Are you sure he left HAL?  We had him and his "WooHoo" during his earliest days on HAL, and again in 2019.  He became the CD on the World Cruise, but had had to drop the "woohoo" by then.

[Fred321]

36 minutes ago, RuthC said:

Totally agree. He could not only tell you where the best pub in the port was, but who was tending bar the day you were in port! (ok, maybe a slight exaggeration. maybe)

I agree with both of you. He was on the Prinsendam round South America in 2011 which was our first HAL cruise. Almost 1000 sea days later he is still the best of what has been a mostly good group. We were lucky enough to become friendly with him on that trip and enjoyed a number of lunchs off the ship and some dinners with him in the dining room. Endless stories, a great sense of humor. At times it was like being in a Monty Python sketch.

[kazu]

36 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

We enjoyed Kainoa on several HAL South Pacific and Panama Canal cruises.  His port lectures were always a full house.

 

Thank you.  I was wracking my brain trying to remember the correct spelling of his name to post.

I completely agree with you.  He was on our lecturer on our Hawaii, Tahiti, Marquesas cruise and fantastic.  If you didn’t get to the show room early, there were no seats to be had.  Standing room only!

 

He got off on our cruise too before returned to the U.S.  I think that’s been his arrangement - just like the Hawaii teachers and entertainers got off before we returned.

[kazu]

10 hours ago, bcummin said:

Frank Buckingham was the best Port Lecturer ever.

Barbara

 

46 minutes ago, RuthC said:

Totally agree. He could not only tell you where the best pub in the port was, but who was tending bar the day you were in port! (ok, maybe a slight exaggeration. maybe)

 

He was fantastic and so helpful too.  We only had him once on the Prinsendam and I consider us blessed to have had the pleasure of having him on board.

[StLouisCruisers]

7 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

Thank you.  I was wracking my brain trying to remember the correct spelling of his name to post.

I completely agree with you.  He was on our lecturer on our Hawaii, Tahiti, Marquesas cruise and fantastic.  If you didn’t get to the show room early, there were no seats to be had.  Standing room only!

 

He got off on our cruise too before returned to the U.S.  I think that’s been his arrangement - just like the Hawaii teachers and entertainers got off before we returned.

 

Jacqui, it's easier for me to remember his name because one of my grandson's has the first name Kai.  Also I put names in my photo books a lot, and can look back to refresh my memory.

 

I do hope his getting off the ship early is a usual thing for him.  People were spreading rumors about him being in some kind of trouble, and that just didn't seem like him.  Such a funny, interesting and informative guy!

[Aquahound]

38 minutes ago, T8NCruise said:

Are you sure he left HAL?  We had him and his "WooHoo" during his earliest days on HAL, and again in 2019.  He became the CD on the World Cruise, but had had to drop the "woohoo" by then.

 

He went over to NCL, but maybe he came back.  I guess I don't really know.  I hope he did.  He's the only CD I've seen on HAL who brings a little bit of energy.    

[FRANKIEDNYC]

Hamish is definitely a fabulous cruise director.  He was o. The 2020 world cruise from which we were evicted due to covic.  Only problem was he wears such a sstrong cologne that many people seemed to.be allergic to.  Our all time favorite cruise director goes back a out 10 of more years ago.  His name is Mike Conningham(sic)  He was the funniest and most personable cruise director ever.  We were lucky to cruise with him several times before he was moved to corporate

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

14 hours ago, Cruising-along said:

Hamish is no longer with HAL?  We really enjoyed him on our last cruise (fall of 2019, Nieuw Statendam.

Does he Know ???

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

11 hours ago, USN59-79 said:

I think of Gene Young when I think of excellent cruise directors.  He was usually on the Amsterdam, we were once on the Prinsendam with him also.

He works at a Hotel .today 

[kazu]

1 hour ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

Jacqui, it's easier for me to remember his name because one of my grandson's has the first name Kai.  Also I put names in my photo books a lot, and can look back to refresh my memory.

 

I do hope his getting off the ship early is a usual thing for him.  People were spreading rumors about him being in some kind of trouble, and that just didn't seem like him.  Such a funny, interesting and informative guy!

 

I have no problem remembering his name but the spelling is what I was afraid of blowing.  Sometimes I’m a tad dyslexic.  Even when I did my Live thread, I had to keep checking the On Location to make sure I was spelling his name correctly 😉 

 

He got off when we were on too.  I can’t remember if it was Tahiti or not as our itinerary got bounced around due to weather issues.  His mother operates a pearl place and I believe that is where he gets off.