You're Old If You Can Remember When.....

[FrankieSue]

I miss the beautiful orchids on each table in the Lido….😢

[wandb]

The wonderful productions on stage (we called it Broadway at Sea!)

 

And yes, the chilled blueberry soup. 😋

 

But mostly, we miss the Ryndam—our first and favorite cruise!

[Stpatsirish]

Peanut butter was only available in first class!

[FrankieSue]

11 hours ago, FrankieSue said:

I miss the beautiful orchids on each table in the Lido….😢

 

[bakcd]

I remember assorted liqueurs at the ice cream station to top your ice cream.   

[FrankieSue]

I also remember when you could bring onboard any number of bottles of your favorite wine, without any fee (if kept for your cabin), with only a corking fee if you brought it to the dining room….

[bluesplayer]

The kitchen tours where they served food samples and showed the crew doing the ice carvings.  The wine steward who wore a giant necklace with a spoon attached.  We asked him what that was for and the reply was "for tasting wine".  When we requested him to taste the wine the response was..  well, we don't really do that, it's just for show.  We talked him into it.   The pool games.  Chocolates every night on your pillow.  When Mariner status was more recognized than Casino offerings.  

and yes...  still the FANTASTIC crew remains!!

[kirkc]

On 10/3/2023 at 6:48 AM, HamOp said:

Did you get found out?

Eventually, but the woman who “discovered” me would not believe me. She was very surprised when she was awarded a bottle of bubbly at one of the parties.

[POA1]

On 10/3/2023 at 11:22 PM, Heidi13 said:

 

Rob - last time I recall seeing the Noon lottery was back in the 80's. Back in those days, I don't recall a casino on any of the P&O ships.

HAL still had a guess the miles traveled contest as late as 1999 on the Maasdam. I don't think there was any wagering, but they did give a prize. It was probably a photo frame or something similar.

[obriendan]

On 10/2/2023 at 12:03 AM, canadianbear said:

I loved the printed stationary on our first cruise ever and was in a Neptune suite.  I also remember in the MDR where they’d use a utensil to “scrape” off any crumbs before the next dish was served.  

And say it was for the bread pudding!
 

Dan

[Susanmaz]

Remembering the days when we got really nice “trophies” when winning a game like trivia or scavenger hunt. We still use the coffee cups from the Noordam when we won trivia and the wonderful insulated travel mugs we won. Then sometime around 2013 they started handing out the itinerary pins…we came home with dozens of pins - all went to the thrift store as a donation.

[HamOp]

The OP here,

Just wanted to say thanks to all those who replied to this thread, and you provided quite a walk down memory lane.  I learned some past things that I had never heard about.

Thanks again.

HamOp

 

And remember, you have to grow old, but you don't have to grow up!!🤪

Edited October 6, 2023 by HamOp

[DFWGUYZ]

On 10/3/2023 at 8:22 AM, POA1 said:

Poolside ice carving demos.

 

And we remember pretty much everything except skeet shooting. We still take our boarding documents and put them in the blue leatherette folder. It confuses people in the check in line.

My memory is failing...I think I was thinking about Cunard when I mentioned skeet shooting...my bad.

[RuthC]

2 hours ago, DFWGUYZ said:

My memory is failing...I think I was thinking about Cunard when I mentioned skeet shooting...my bad.

Once upon a time, HAL did have skeet shooting. I remember it on my first cruise very clearly. 

[Iamthesea]

First HAL cruise was in 2005 with my parents.  We had all but the skeet shooting on our cruise.  I am pretty sure that the same was true on our 2008 and 2010 cruises.  After that, some of the special services stared disappearing.

 

For Celebrity, one of the most memorable services was of the sorbet parade around the pool.   On sea days in the Caribbean, lemon sorbet was handed out by crew members.

[bakcd]

We had skeet shooting on the Home line.   

[VegasRealtor]

You had an actual key to your stateroom door, and a beer was 50 cents, paid in cash!

[geocruiser]

I have a funny story about skeet shooting.  I was traveling with a friend of mine.  This was towards the end of when they were having skeet shooting.  She was a blond with big blue eyes.  So, I went with her to the skeet shooting.  The office in charge saw her and started to give her lessons on how to hold the rifle and shoot.  He was treating her as if she knew nothing about it, a helpless female. (he did not know her) My friend let him say his lecture and show her..  Then she took the gun and hit every skeet.  He was shock.  Then she told him the truth that she was NYPD officer.  We both had to laugh.

I never forget the look on the office's face when she started shooting.

 

[New Jersey Pat]

I miss the ships without the lanai cabins when promenade seating was open to all passengers 

[luvteaching]

This thread brings back so many memories and that's great. I do wish HAL would reinstate some of the no-cost or low-cost items that have gone away. There was something about the Yum Yum man and the chimes calling you to dinner that felt elegant. I still have some of the notepads that were personalized and I'm so glad to see libraries coming back. 

 

Something I've been missing is the lack of ship/HAL specific merchandise in the gift shops. I love my license plate holder that says "My other car is a DAM ship" and it's transferred to a few cars! Last month on the Westerdam there was very little in the way of Westerdam related merchandise and the HAL stuff was ok but pretty much all clothes. 

Karen

[1ANGELCAT]

@luvteaching, I have the same license plate frame. I think it’s on the 3rd car now.

[markf]

Not that long ago, about 15 years or so, there was a buffet waiter, known an Hunky Dory. He had the ability of memorizing every passengers name. He would meet you ask yiur name and , know it for the  entire cruise.

Amazing !

[Gsel]

On my coffee  cup "I am not old, just a recycled teenager"!  I remember most of those things, miss the things that are gone, and hope they come back while I can still walk! 

[Heidi13]

How about back in the days when you could bring friends and family aboard with you at embarkation, so they could also enjoy the ship for the afternoon. Just prior to departure you had repeated announcements, "All ashore that's going ashore", followed by the sailaway party, with pax lining the railings and friends & family down on the dock. Don't forget the tons of streamers thrown from the ship, that at times, almost kept the ship alongside.

[Crown Vic]

On 10/4/2023 at 9:48 AM, wandb said:

But mostly, we miss the Ryndam—our first and favorite cruise!

Did a transAtlantic, many years ago, on the 15,000 ton Massdam from Montreal to Southampton. The smoothest transAtlantic we have ever done…