Most HAL Days?

[iceman93]

At the Mariner reception on my most recent cruise, the captain opened the floor to questions. One that came up was what Mariner has the most days on HAL. The captain didn't know specifically, but did say he was aware of a lady who had over FIVE THOUSAND days on HAL ships. Needless to say, this is more than most people who WORK on HAL ships!

 

Does anyone know who this person is? And, given the possibility that the 5000+ days is an urban legend, who here at CruiseCritic has the most HAL days?

[Sea King]

5,000 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!:eek:

 

that's 13.698 years:eek:

 

that probably includes 10+ world cruises

 

wonder if the Mariner Society gives a "solid gold, diamond and ruby" medallion at that level;)

 

in any event, I need just another 39.9 years and we'll be even!!!:cool:

 

by the way, can you imagine having had 5,000, breakfasts, lunches, dinners and midnight buffets on board:)

[RevNeal]

How many days did Kissing Annie have??? RuthC, do you know?

 

While 5000 days may seem like something of an Urban Legend, it's not beyond the realms of possibility. On my Panama Canal cruise in 2004 one of the ladies aboard the Zaandam was recognized at the Mariner's Reception for having just passed 1700 days. That was a 21 day cruise, and she had been aboard for the two Alaska Cruises just prior to ours and was scheduled to be aboard for two more 10-day Caribbean Cruises that were following our Panama Canal Cruise (55 days, total). I remember asking her how many days she averaged in a year and she said that, on HAL, she usually cruised between 100 and 150 days a year, but that 2004 was a special year because she had also done the World Cruise earlier that year and was booked for 20 more days in December aboard the Veendam.

 

by the way, can you imagine having had 5,000, breakfasts, lunches, dinners and midnight buffets on board:)

 

No ... it would take a fork-lift to get me off the ship. :) I would look like Jabba the Hutt.

[2bout2c]

I don't think Kissing Annie had that many on Holland America. She traveled on Cunard, and Princess also before switching to Holland. I would guess it's Dolly.

[TedC]

We were at a Mariner Party a few years ago and one couple had 2,500 days on HAL - that's almost seven years - and they were both mobile.

[RuthC]

Sorry, Greg, I don't know how many HAL days Kissin'

Annie had. :o

But I do agree with 2bout2c that it's probably Dolly Smith with the >5000 days. When she was my roomie in '03 she had well over 3000 days. Since then she's had ample opportunity to hit the 5000-day mark. I know she did the World Cruise at least once since then, and I believe she did that lengthy Circle Pacific a year or two ago.

 

She's no Urban Legend. She's my cruising hero! :D

[kakalina]

There are two lovely ladies that this would fit. One is known as Mama Lou and the other is known as Dolly. They are both wonderful ladies and it has been my pleasure to get to know them and they both claim to have over 5000 days on boards HAL ships. I know they are both members of the Presidents Club.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Wow - that is a lot of days.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Don't know the answer to your question.

 

We had a couple on one of our cruises who had over 1500 days.

[jhannah]

I thought of Mama Lou, too. Someone said they thought she had passed away. Does anyone know for sure? Last time I saw her was on the Zaandam almost 2 years ago.

[LizB1]

It could be either Dolly or the couple from St.Louis that we sat with at the Captain's Table in '05 on the Maasdam. They had gone on over 20 World Cruises and are still sailing. Or he might have been referring to Hansi Bratt who died a few years back as she practically lived on the ships - including the WC.

 

I do know it wasn't Kissin' Annie although she had a lot of days on HAL.

 

I agree with RuthC that Dolly is a "gem".

[bepsf]

Dolly Smith - Is she among the ladies who book the World Cruise every year and never get off the ship?

I understand that there's a group of ladies who book every year and all they do is sit in the Explorers Lounge every day knitting scarves, mittens, hats, etc. out of wool provided by HAL and given to the children of an orphanage in one of the port cities...

[ODECCIT]

I thought of Mama Lou, too. Someone said they thought she had passed away. Does anyone know for sure? Last time I saw her was on the Zaandam almost 2 years ago.

 

 

She was on our Volendam cruise 11/23-12/03 just few weeks ago. I think she is going to cruise for 6 month on her.

[AWED23]

Dolly Smith - Is she among the ladies who book the World Cruise every year and never get off the ship?

 

I understand that there's a group of ladies who book every year and all they do is sit in the Explorers Lounge every day knitting scarves, mittens, hats, etc. out of wool provided by HAL and given to the children of an orphanage in one of the port cities...

:cool: Thanks Brian, you have given me the perfect excuse to book a world cruise...My wife is a knitter and would/will enjoy meeting that group while I go about my rounds.:rolleyes:

[RuthC]

I doubt it very much, Brian. Dolly isn't the "sit at home knitting" type. She's up and at 'em, and off to see the world. She has (had?) a video camera and takes lots of pictures. Then she brings those tapes back home and shares them with guests at nursing homes.

[AWED23]

Dolly Smith - Is she among the ladies who book the World Cruise every year and never get off the ship?

 

I understand that there's a group of ladies who book every year and all they do is sit in the Explorers Lounge every day knitting scarves, mittens, hats, etc. out of wool provided by HAL and given to the children of an orphanage in one of the port cities...

:cool: Thanks Brian, you have given me the perfect excuse to book a world cruise...My wife is a knitter and would/will enjoy meeting that group while I go about my rounds.:rolleyes:

[kakalina]

I thought of Mama Lou, too. Someone said they thought she had passed away. Does anyone know for sure? Last time I saw her was on the Zaandam almost 2 years ago.

 

Jim: Mama Lou was on the Zaandam with us earlier this month. She said she was going on the Volendam for awhile and then returning to her beloved Zaandam.

 

She is so funny. Did you know she has at least one of almost every type of uniform worn on the ship in her size? She wears them all the time along with an official HAL name tag with either Mama Lou or Captain Mama on it. She even was kind enough to give me one of those cool fish shirts the Lido guys wear on the hot weather cruises. She is a hoot, no doubt about that.

[ANSalberg]

Re; "Kissing Annie" -I thought she was a real character, but sometimes it was scary having her on board. On the 2002 I believe -Pacific Rim cruise we found her in her "dog-ear" hat wandering around Cairns Australia, LOST! For all the fuss made over her onboard the ship -we wondered "How on EARTH anyone could watch her go ashore ON HER OWN without tagging along -or encouraging someone to go along" We found her bewildered as to where the ship was or how to get back -"Could you just TELL me how to get back" We said -No- we were on our way back anyway- we'd just walk along with her -which we did. It upset me for quite some time that she was ENTIRELY ALONE that day. I believe she died 2 years later in Europe ON [or being TAKEN off] the Rotterdam.

Certainly it isn't HAL's responsibility to "baby-sit" these oldsters - but we felt this was a disaster looking for a place to happen. NO CHILD would be allowed that kind of freedom - It was fortunate we knew WHO she was and what she needed to do to get back to the ship -AND fortunately it was still daylight........This incident was anything BUT amusing. It was dangerous!

Anne

[sail7seas]

My first thought when I heard Kissing Annie had passed away was that she died doing what she loved so much......cruising HAL. There was a certain justice and peace to that IMO

 

I'm happy she got her 'final cruise'.........

 

[Copper10-8]

Man, you gotta love those ladies you all are mentioning! Have heard about some of them onboard from crew but never had the pleasure to sail with them

[Love Cruises]

I have also had the pleasure of meeting Dolly and she is a lovely women... very vivacious. No "airs" about her ... real down-home.

 

Last year when we were on the msSTATENDAM, people told us she had just gotten off the day we got on. I would love to meet her again. Hopefully, one day soon!

[RevNeal]

I adore Mama Lou. I met her in 2004.

I hope to meet Dolly some day.

 

Yeah ... now that you mention it I remember Annie saying that she had far more days on Cunard. I miss her. But ... she's on that GREAT cruise that never ends, and on which every day earned is as a thousand years of chocolate buffets. :D

[Vic The Parrot]

It's too bad that the total number of days doesn't really mean anything.

[Krazy Kruizers]

You got that right there Vic!!

[kryos]

She is so funny. Did you know she has at least one of almost every type of uniform worn on the ship in her size?

I heard that on the World Cruises they do something neat in the way of a passenger activity. Passengers can sign up to be "crew for a day." I doubt they actually work all day, but they get to play the role of their favorite crew position. They get a uniform for the job, and can even opt to sleep in crew quarters for the one night. The CD on my Zuiderdam cruise was telling me about it ... said that unfortunately that sort of thing will only work on the World Cruise due to the number of passengers that could be interested in participating on a shorter one.

 

Sounds like a neat thing, though. Wonder if that's where she got all her uniforms?

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita