A new HAL Blog! (Yes, I'm a HAL employee!)

[Hobbsey]

Hi Everyone, I'm still around but work has been incredibly busy and I haven't had much time to blog or answer any questions. I will try and go back a little ways to answer some questions.

 

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving!

 

~DBA

 

Welcome back and Happy Turkey Touchdown!!

[ASIWISH]

I heard a rumor onboard last week, that there was new ship being built in Japan - the Grand Statendam. It is to hold approximately 3,000 passengers.

 

Any truth, or fuel, to this rumor?

 

Welcome back!

[ippyndad]

As our last seven cruises have been on HAL, we have decided that HAL is our cruise line of choice for our future cruises, we are thinking of a HAL credit card.

I have read that you receive double points on HAL purchases, does that include paying for your cruise.

[kazu]

DBA - I was away on the Prinsendam when you posted :D Great ship btw:) Just wanted to say so happy to see you back. Hope we can enjoy some of your posts here and there and hope all is well with you:)

[Himself]

Hi Everyone, I'm still around but work has been incredibly busy and I haven't had much time to blog or answer any questions. I will try and go back a little ways to answer some questions.

 

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving!

 

~DBA

 

I bet your wife is keeping you busy with the Honey Do List.

[fuzzywuzzy]

I heard a rumor onboard last week, that there was new ship being built in Japan - the Grand Statendam. It is to hold approximately 3,000 passengers.

 

Any truth, or fuel, to this rumor?

 

Welcome back!

 

 

TOO big....

[RuthC]

Just wanted to say so happy to see you back.

:confused: This thread has been resurrected from last November. DBA hasn't posted here in a long time. Check the posting dates.

[bcd2010]

Check the posting dates.

 

Amen!

[jtl513]

I have read that you receive double points on HAL purchases, does that include paying for your cruise.

Yes. :)

[GeriatricNurse]

Yes. :)

 

DBA, thank you for this info! ;)

[DutchByAssociation]

DBA - I was away on the Prinsendam when you posted :D Great ship btw:) Just wanted to say so happy to see you back. Hope we can enjoy some of your posts here and there and hope all is well with you:)

 

 

Hi Jacqui aka Kazu,

 

Glad you liked the Prinsendamm she is a great ship. As for any more postings, I'm still around reading them and passing information to others, but I've been really busy in my position and haven't had much time to do much of my own posts.

[kazu]

Hi Jacqui aka Kazu,

 

Glad you liked the Prinsendamm she is a great ship. As for any more postings, I'm still around reading them and passing information to others, but I've been really busy in my position and haven't had much time to do much of my own posts.

 

Well, I am glad you are around Dutch - and glad that all is well with you.

Take care - and thanks for all the help that you have given so many of us:):) It is always appreciated - and yes, we absolutely fell in love with the Prinsendam:) and her awesome crew:) Smooth seas:D

[Himself]

I spent two weeks on the Nieuw Amsterdam. Left the last Sunday in January and came back on Lincoln's birthday. I love that ship. Maybe some day they will run her out of Seattle to Alaska and send one of the Vista Ships over to Europe for the summer.

[DutchByAssociation]

I spent two weeks on the Nieuw Amsterdam. Left the last Sunday in January and came back on Lincoln's birthday. I love that ship. Maybe some day they will run her out of Seattle to Alaska and send one of the Vista Ships over to Europe for the summer.

 

Himself-

 

I wish they would put her out on the west coast. I sailed on her for 2 weeks last year and she is an excellent ship. Glad you loved her Himself.

[Himself]

Himself-

 

I wish they would put her out on the west coast. I sailed on her for 2 weeks last year and she is an excellent ship. Glad you loved her Himself.

 

This was my second time on this ship. I was on her for a week last February. I have been on all the DAM ships except the Princendam and the Noordam and I am considering the Noordam next year.

[putums]

Hi, Thanks for starting this great blog. I am cruising on the Veendam to Bermuda August 5th. It is a family celebration for my husband who has beaten the odds of a terrible form of cancer. So far I am booked in a Veranda Suite, I am actually considering to down grade to an ocean view. The reason is family and friends are joining us and are mostly located on deck A. So far the last ocean view room on the A deck has not been booked. My question-is there access to the outdoors from the back. I can't tell on any plans I looked at. If I downgrade it will save me $1000 and I was thinking of buying a suite package for $379. I love having a balcony but am unsure if I want to be a couple of decks away from everyone

 

Thanks

[jtl513]

My question-is there access to the outdoors from the back. I can't tell on any plans I looked at.

There's a lot of equipment out there, and passengers should not be. There are video cameras monitoring the area. This picture is how the door is marked on the Ryndam, and I expect the Veendam would be the same. (I took this picture not long after a drunken jerk on a previous cruise had gone out there and released an anchor while sailing from Mexico back to Tampa. They caught him from the video recordings.)

[putums]

Thanks John for your answer. I am thinking I will keep the balcony and enjoy the sun rises and sunsets together:)

[denmarfl]

Please, please, help me find the costs of the shore excursions for the transatlantic ryndam cruise leaning 4/1/12 from tampa!! The costs may determine whether we go ro not. Help!!

[jtl513]

Please, please, help me find the costs of the shore excursions for the transatlantic ryndam cruise leaning 4/1/12 from tampa!! The costs may determine whether we go ro not. Help!!

CLICK HERE, then click the VIEW SHORE EXCURSIONS FOR THIS CRUISE button just above the itinerary table.

:)

[wailea4me]

Are there self-service laundry facilities on the Zaandam for guests to use?

[boards]

yes there are.

[sail7seas]

There are self-service laundries on Statendam, Maasdam, Ryndam, Veendam - these are the so called "S" Class ships.

 

No self-service laundries on Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Volendam and Zaandam. These are the so called "R" Class ships. (I'm not sure about Prinsendeam.)

 

None of the Vista or Signature Class ships have self-service laundries.

Vista ships are Zuiderdam, Oosterdam, Westerdam and Noordam. Signatures are Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam.

 

I'm not sure about Prinsendam.

[dobbsie]

The Prinsendam has self service laundry. It is free to all.

[jtl513]

No self-service laundries on Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Volendam and Zaandam. These are the so called "R" Class ships.

Are you sure? Deck plans show one on the Main deck near 2614 and one on the Verandah deck with doors near 6154 and 6149. We've never used one, so I don't know if these deck plans are correct. I would think that a World Cruising ship would need them.