VOLENDAM

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

21 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

The concerns are ones that I have thought of.  But, whatever the Volendam may have suffered as being a refugee vessel out to be cosmetic.  And, whatever they may be, they ought not to be so bad that a guest's experience would suffer.  

 

Her upcoming long South America cruise has been a favorite for so many HAL cruisers.  For her not to be able to perform to the satisfaction of her guests is unthinkable for me.

 

A Volendam anniversary note:  It was 20 years ago this month when the Volendam sailed on her first really long cruise:  a very successful Asia Pacific Cruise from Vancouver.  Jonathan Peter Harris was at the helm and Hans Dernison was the Hotel Manager; I was a guest.  It was, and is, the best cruise I have ever taken.  

 

We were also on the APEC cruise,and it was special.  This was before the Grand Voyages, but Peter Harris and Hans Derison decided to treat it like the world cruise.  Not only were there a lot of pillow gifts, but special dinners for all passengers doing the entire 64 days.  A lot of great memories.

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

 

We were also on the APEC cruise,and it was special.  This was before the Grand Voyages, but Peter Harris and Hans Derison decided to treat it like the world cruise.  Not only were there a lot of pillow gifts, but special dinners for all passengers doing the entire 64 days.  A lot of great memories.

 

It was called an "Explorer's Cruise", whatever that designation meant by marketing/sales.  But, it was a "Grand Cruise"!  

 

Did you attend the program in the Wajang Theater on the morning we arrived in Tokyo?  The Volendam's Senior Officers met the Port Officials for a welcome ceremony where gifts were exchanged between the Port of Tokyo and the Volendam?  Captain Harris was presented a beautiful 3 foot high Geisha Doll in a plastic case as one of the Port's welcome gifts.  The Captain said he would have it displayed on the Front Office's desk.  Never appeared there or anywhere during the cruise.  A few years later, Mr. Dernison was the Hotel Manager on the ship I was sailing and I asked him about what happened to the Doll.  He remembered it; he had no idea what happened to it.  

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

27 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

It was called an "Explorer's Cruise", whatever that designation meant by marketing/sales.  But, it was a "Grand Cruise"!  

 

Did you attend the program in the Wajang Theater on the morning we arrived in Tokyo?  The Volendam's Senior Officers met the Port Officials for a welcome ceremony where gifts were exchanged between the Port of Tokyo and the Volendam?  Captain Harris was presented a beautiful 3 foot high Geisha Doll in a plastic case as one of the Port's welcome gifts.  The Captain said he would have it displayed on the Front Office's desk.  Never appeared there or anywhere during the cruise.  A few years later, Mr. Dernison was the Hotel Manager on the ship I was sailing and I asked him about what happened to the Doll.  He remembered it; he had no idea what happened to it.  

 

No, we didn't attend that ptogram.  Our daughter had joined us for the first 11 days and was disembarking that day.  We were busy getting her off and to her hotel before we did a full day of touring.