Some Comments about crew members on Zuiderdam.....

[sail7seas]

I have always remarked that, for us, HAL's biggest asset is their Crews.

 

While aboard, we noticed individual crew members who did things that could easily go unnoticed or seem to be unremarkable but because they did what they did, we enjoyed little bits of our cruise that much more.

 

Too often we complain about a cabin steward who slipped up in some regard or a dining steward who didn't smile enough etc I think it important to note when crew persons do those little things more than they have to.

 

We were doing our 'exercise walk' on Promenade Deck the afternoon we were in HMC. We had returned to the ship and wanted to get in our six laps before I finished our packing. Because the tenders were dropped, they roped off a section of Promenade which forbid access as the tenders would be brought back in to that location. There were some crewmen standing in the area and saw DH and I had to turn and walk back to continue our exercise. They knew we were not just strolling. We wanted to count laps and keep up our fast pace. The need to turn made it hard to count laps and slowed our pace for a bit. When we approached that section next time, the roping was down and we were allowed access. They smiled at us as we passed and said "enjoy your walk". THAT made a big difference for us. They knew it was still a while before the tenders would be brought up and there was no good reason to deny us the use of the full deck at that point. Kudos to them.....they made our afternoon Better because of their thoughtfulness and consideration.

 

 

Another episode that comes to mind is when we returned to the ship from being ashore in Costa Maya. It is long dock to walk to and from the ship. When we left the ship in the morning it was a fine walk and we enjoyed it. However, when we returned, the skies had turned very threatening and we walked as fast as we could to to try and beat the pending downpour. We got about 3/4 of the way back and the heavens opened. We were drenched to the bone. We had our ID's scanned and then turned to return the towels we had brought ashore with us. The steward who was collecting (and giving them out to pax leaving) saw I was miserable I was so soaked. He quickly took my wet towel from me and handed me a fresh dry one and flashed a beautiful smile. "Here, Maam.....would you like to try and dry off a bit". He knew we would go immediately to our cabin to clean up but was so thoughtful to try and provide some comfort right then. Just to dry my hands and face and pat off my dripping wet hair did make me feel just a bit more presentable until I could get on the elevator and return to our cabin. He didn't have to do that......He was kind and caring IMO

[Starr Mtn]

Thanks so much for starting this thread! Agree 100% that the HAL crew are the finest - and deserve recognition.

 

On my cruise in May on the Amsterdam - I was using a power wheelchair. In Juneau I went ashore alone and was a bit apprehensive - not about being in Juneau - but getting around on my own since I don't have that much experience with the power chair. All of a sudden I saw the lovely young man who usually brought my breakfast - turn around and leave his group of friends. He had passed by me - then came back to talk with me and ask if I needed any help! What a thoughtful thing to do! All during my cruise - HAL crew members would stop and say hello - or wave from a distance.

[Himself]

Thanks for making such postive remarks about "the little things" There was once a singer who sang a song (Kittie Kallen, I believe) and the one of the lines was "Little things mean a lot." HAL does the little things well and it means much to many people.

Himself

[HeatherInFlorida]

Thank you for sharing these wonderful vignettes!!! I would love to see more of them. So often it's the little things that are overlooked or taken for granted.

 

Wouldn't it be fun to go on our cruises, come back and remember to talk about just these types of things. We seem to have no difficulty remembering the "little" problems (which they often are) ... why not stories like these?

After all, isn't it that single rose our DH might give us for no reason rather than the huge bouquet on our birthday or anniversary??? It is for me;)

[Little Feet]

HAL does have the nicest crew. I keep coming back to this line....having cruised on Celebrity, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and NCL (also Costa but it was soooo bad we don't count it), HAL has the kindest and most thoughtful crew. Dealing with the public is such a challenge, I don't know how they keep their attitudes in line. It appears to be second nature.....how can that be? Anyway, they are the best at service and attitude!

[rkacruiser]

One of the most memorable crew members that I can recall was the young man who was the Deck Steward on the Volendam's Asia Pacific cruise. (I am sorry that I don't recall his name.) His job was to put out and pick-up the cushions for the deck chairs on Lower Promenade Deck each day and also to serve Lemonade or Iced Tea in the morning and afternoon. He was unfailingly pleasant, worked under some very adverse weather conditions(wind, rain, cold), and allowed those of us still on deck in very late afternoon when he was picking up the cushions to continue using those cushions, even though it meant extra work for him to return later to retrieve them. The evening before our arrival in Los Angeles, I gave him a gratuity(I have since wished I had given him more; he so deserved it) and I will always remember his surprised and happy reaction to it.

 

He was just one of many, many pleasant and wonderful crew members I have encountered on the ships of Holland America Line!

[johnnycruise]

Thanks for the positive post. While it is entertaining to read both the good and bad posts, I believe the majority of people on this board have a favorable opinion of HAL ... otherwise they wouldn't have cruised with them so many times! Your recollections show the reason why we keep coming back!

[Robin7]

HAL's biggest asset is their Crews.

 

While aboard, we noticed individual crew members who did things that could easily go unnoticed or seem to be unremarkable but because they did what they did, we enjoyed little bits of our cruise that much more.

You are so right, S7S. We've gone on two Princess ships and now four HAL ships, and the crew on HAL wins hands down every time for best service. We made sure to mention both the diningroom steward and the assistant diningroom steward as well as our stateroom steward by name on our comment cards on the Zuiderdam. They could not have worked harder on our behalf. (Sometimes I felt guilty for having them wait on me!) I've heard that the positive comments about them help them a lot when it comes to promotions and such.

 

One of my favorite things happened on a Princess ship. We had lunch and an unfamiliar steward was waiting on us. (He was from Romania.) One of the desserts was described as a cream puff swan on a puddle of chocolate. Trying to be funny, I told him, "I want the swan on a LAKE of chocolate." He brought the swan in a huge bowl of chocolate sauce! We laughed and laughed. I went right to the Front Office after lunch and got a comment card just so I could commend him for his fun sense of humor and willingness to please.

 

Robin

[LAFFNVEGAS]

One of my favorite things happened on a Princess ship. We had lunch and an unfamiliar steward was waiting on us. (He was from Romania.) One of the desserts was described as a cream puff swan on a puddle of chocolate. Trying to be funny, I told him, "I want the swan on a LAKE of chocolate." He brought the swan in a huge bowl of chocolate sauce! We laughed and laughed. I went right to the Front Office after lunch and got a comment card just so I could commend him for his fun sense of humor and willingness to please.

 

Robin

Robin, that is a Great story. I would of laughed so hard I would be crying.:D Now that is a great Steward, he took it that one step farther.

[HeatherInFlorida]

One of the desserts was described as a cream puff swan on a puddle of chocolate. Trying to be funny, I told him, "I want the swan on a LAKE of chocolate." He brought the swan in a huge bowl of chocolate sauce!

Robin

Robin, hysterical!:D ROTFL!!! But I tell you I'm going to remember this the next time I see a dish described similarly. A lake of chocolate sounds pretty darned good to me:) .

[cusyl]

And who could ever forget Hunky Dorey..he is amazing.

[LoveLifeAtSea]

Sail .... what a great topic! :) Thanks for starting it and allowing others to reminiscence about their wonderful experiences with crew members!

 

Those people have done so much to enhance all of our experiences! I can't imagine what would happen if that part of our experience ever changed!

 

This is great fun reading the experiences shared by fellow posters that either puts a smile on my face (We2Cruise and rkacruiser) or makes me laugh (Robin7)! :)

 

By the way, Heather, I know I'm behind in times, but what in the heck is "ROTFL"?? I'm sure it will be quite obvious when someone tells me! :D

[JimVrhovac]

As I always do I went to the fron desk to have a ship's nametag made for Ruth's Teddybear. We named him "Hurrie" (short for Hurricane - appropriate for this year).

 

Marie waited on me and said " I will have to check and see if we can". This always happens. She called me later that day and told me she had the approval and would have it made for us.

 

I got the name tag the next day with a note attached. She said that if there was anything else she could do to make our trip more enjoyable please ask for her by name. This is the first time we have ever received a note back like this and it made our day. The extra effort impressed us very much.

I is things like this that keep us returning to HAL.

 

NOTE:

Ruth and I always take a couple pairs of slippers along to give out to crew who have really gone out of their way for us. Marie has a new pair of Whinney the Pooh slippers and is the envy of the front desk staff....

 

Jim & Ruth

[LoveLifeAtSea]

NOTE:

Ruth and I always take a couple pairs of slippers along to give out to crew who have really gone out of their way for us. Marie has a new pair of Whinney the Pooh slippers and is the envy of the front desk staff....

 

Jim & Ruth

Jim ... that is hilarious! :D I love it!

[oceanlov1]

i have several stories regarding crew going the extra mile, but one in particular: i left my bag with items just purchased from the ship's store near the front desk. i walked off without it. one of the crew found it and turned it in. the front desk left a voice mail in my cabin letting me know. that was special because i bought quite a few souvenirs........HAL is #1 in my book!

[HeatherInFlorida]

LoveLife, ROTFL is Rolling on the floor laughing...............:D

[Peggy Sue]

We have many great memories of excellent service received on the zuiderdam in may 03. Raymond - our yum yum man .. kept us smiling throughout the cruise. No matter what time of day, Raymond always seemed to be around..with a beautiful smile, friendly greeting and time for a short chat.

 

love reading about everyones experiences!

[LoveLifeAtSea]

Thanks Heather! That is a good one!!!

[debblue]

There Are So Many Crewmembers That Have Become Extended Family Members To Me ,to List Them All I Know I Would Leave Someone Out So I Will Just Say I Don't Consider Them Crew Members They Are Part Of My Extended Family And I Only Travel With Hal Because I Know Someone Will Be There That I Know And I Always Feel Like I Am Home Again. Yes, It's The Little Things I Remember And The Smiles Just Make Me Melt,i Know They Are Heartfelt And Sincere, Hal Crew Are Like Family To Me And I Have Traveled With Hal Since The Late 1970's. I Am A Hal Girl For Sure Happy Sailing Everyone:)

[ualtim]

When I read this thread, it reminded me why my wife and I keep on returning to HAL for our cruise vacations. My first cruise with HAL (wife had previously taken the Statendam to Hawaii and back before we met) was on the old Westerdam in 2001. I had cruised on Princess twice before and enjoyed it, but was a bit aprehensive about HAL as I did not know too much about the line. On our first evening, we went to the Ocean bar to have a few cocktails before dinner and ran into Edsel who was serving drinks. After delivering our first drinks he asked us if we had sailed with HAL before and seemed absolutely delighted that my wife had been on the Statendam at the same time when he was starting out with HAL. He then proceeded to turn our drink receit into an oragami animal. From that night forward, he would always turn our receit into a new and different animal for every round of drinks. He always took care of us to make sure we had the hot appetizers when they first came out, and would come back over and chat when he was not busy. On the final evening, he presented my wife with a wonderful oragami peacock that stood in a champagne cork that he worked on the night before during his free time. We were disapointed when it was time to go as we would miss Edsel.

 

Much to our surprise, the follwing year on the Ryndam we ran into Edsel in the show lounge on our first day! As he was not working an evening bar, we did not get to see him as often as we liked, but he always found us at an event in the lounge or at show time at night. Rembering my wife's fondness of the oragami animals, he would have one ready for her each night and would even work his way up to the balcony from his assigned station to present it to her.

 

As we spent most of our pre-dinner cocktail hours up in the Crow's Nest on the Ryndam, we got to know Lito who was serving drinks in that lounge. We were travleing with another couple and Lito was always johnny on the spot when ever we needed or desired something. When it came to the Mariner reception night, we walked into the show lounge surprised to find both Lito and Edsel working the reception. We could not drink the champagne fast enough! Edsel and Lito acted as if there was a competion to see who could get us the most champagne! Needless to say, we showed up to dinner a bit unsteadier than we had left our room. The other couple (on their first cruise) were looking forward to going cruising again just so that they could attend the Mariner party after we told them the story.

 

On every HAL cruise that we take, we always hope to run into our friends that we have made on previous cruises. It is the little things that seperate HAL form the other cruise lines. Whether it is the Room Stewerd that you never see who always takes care of the little things, the dining staff who has your tea or coffee waiting for you as you finish dinner, the bar staff who welcomes you with their smiles and remembers your fondness of long island ice teas, or the off duty crew members who share the "secret finds" of the cruise port that are not listed in the Port and Shopping guide that ship publishes.

 

There is a chinese restaurant in Cozumel that we are dying to try the next time we are in port. "Best in the Caribbean" according to several of the HAL employees.

[sail7seas]

Thanks everyone for sharing your wonderful stories of terrific HAL crew persons. I hoped when I started this thread that would happen as I know most of us have some great stories to share.

 

 

What would HAL be without these fabulous people working on their ships?

[LoveLifeAtSea]

What would HAL be without these fabulous people working on their ships?

I hate to say it, but probably just another cruiseline...:(

 

IMHO, with "these very special people" Holland American stands out alone as the cruiseline that passengers always remember because of the crew's great personable service, sincere desire to please, and lets not forget their everlasting smiles!!

 

These fabulous people is what separates HAL from the rest! :)

[Robin7]

These fabulous people is what separates HAL from the rest! :)

I can't say enough good about our cabin steward, Aris, on the Zuiderdam. We made his life sooooooooo difficult! We usually left the room for a quick breakfast and went back afterwards so I could sleep while dh read. (The whole vacation was about catching up on sleep and getting our tax work done.) We didn't usually leave for the day until about 1pm. One day it was 1:30pm! I knew he had his break from 2-5pm (which he told us he spends napping!) so he was always right in the hall when we left. On Half Moon Cay day, we actually left for good at 10:15. He looked at his watch and shook his finger at me and said, "You're EARLY!" LOL!

 

Robin

[Ziggy7]

I have always remarked that, for us, HAL's biggest asset is their Crews.

 

While aboard, we noticed individual crew members who did things that could easily go unnoticed or seem to be unremarkable but because they did what they did, we enjoyed little bits of our cruise that much more.

 

Too often we complain about a cabin steward who slipped up in some regard or a dining steward who didn't smile enough etc I think it important to note when crew persons do those little things more than they have to.

 

We were doing our 'exercise walk' on Promenade Deck the afternoon we were in HMC. We had returned to the ship and wanted to get in our six laps before I finished our packing. Because the tenders were dropped, they roped off a section of Promenade which forbid access as the tenders would be brought back in to that location. There were some crewmen standing in the area and saw DH and I had to turn and walk back to continue our exercise. They knew we were not just strolling. We wanted to count laps and keep up our fast pace. The need to turn made it hard to count laps and slowed our pace for a bit. When we approached that section next time, the roping was down and we were allowed access. They smiled at us as we passed and said "enjoy your walk". THAT made a big difference for us. They knew it was still a while before the tenders would be brought up and there was no good reason to deny us the use of the full deck at that point. Kudos to them.....they made our afternoon Better because of their thoughtfulness and consideration.

 

 

Another episode that comes to mind is when we returned to the ship from being ashore in Costa Maya. It is long dock to walk to and from the ship. When we left the ship in the morning it was a fine walk and we enjoyed it. However, when we returned, the skies had turned very threatening and we walked as fast as we could to to try and beat the pending downpour. We got about 3/4 of the way back and the heavens opened. We were drenched to the bone. We had our ID's scanned and then turned to return the towels we had brought ashore with us. The steward who was collecting (and giving them out to pax leaving) saw I was miserable I was so soaked. He quickly took my wet towel from me and handed me a fresh dry one and flashed a beautiful smile. "Here, Maam.....would you like to try and dry off a bit". He knew we would go immediately to our cabin to clean up but was so thoughtful to try and provide some comfort right then. Just to dry my hands and face and pat off my dripping wet hair did make me feel just a bit more presentable until I could get on the elevator and return to our cabin. He didn't have to do that......He was kind and caring IMO

I agree S7S, all to often we are too quick to point out the negitive and not the good, we had lots of good experiences with our crew. We also made sure to note these on our evaluations!

:)

[joanagain]

:)

when i think of the small services provided to us with such big hearts, i think of the yumyum man...

 

and of the lines from "little boy blue"...

 

"Ay, faithful to Little Boy Blue they stand,

Each in the same old place---"

 

he is always a welcome sight, performing a small gesture...

 

there he stands...looking smart in his cape, at his lido station, with a pleasent smile on his face...

 

in early mornings, when he is the official door opener...a small service with a big heart.