Cruise Talk: Written aboard the new Zaandam while at sea!!!

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»	Cruise Talk » Ocean Liners and Classic Cruise Ships » Written aboard the new Zaandam while at sea!!!

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Topic: Written aboard the new Zaandam while at sea!!!

Barryboat
First Class Passenger
Member # 33

posted 05-05-2000 10:38 PM

Hello everyone!!!

I'm using the internet cafe aboard the new Zaandam. Just enjoyed a two day trip to Half Moon Cay. The ship is very beautiful, I'm very impressed, and from an ocean liner buff as I am, that's a huge compliment to Holland America!! Way to go!! Attention to detail is excellent, food is great, entertainment...so so.

see ya all when I get back.

barryboat

Posts: 1851 | From: Bloomington, Minnesota (Home to the Mall of America) | Registered: Mar 99 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 05-06-2000 05:23 AM

Hi Barry, it's great to get 'live' postings from ships to this forum. We really envy you!

If something dramatic happens - like the Zaandam sinks, please do let us know before you abandon ship - what a scoop that would be for Joe and Travelpage.com.

Have a great cruise!

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

sympatico
First Class Passenger
Member # 797

posted 05-06-2000 02:44 PM

Barryboat - you say you spent 2 days at Half Moon Cay - lucky you. Was this a trip for travel agents and dignataries? Also, did they just go to HMC, stay overnight and then you also had the next day there? Now that I could take. Nothing to do but lay on the beach under an umbrella and swim in that beautiful clear, cool water. Heaven.

Posts: 3305 | From: Toronto, Ont. Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

Mary Ann
First Class Passenger
Member # 317

posted 05-06-2000 06:08 PM

Barryboat-
How exciting! We've been waiting since booking last July to hear the first word about the ZAANDAM and now finally, some great news!! Please be sure to fill us in on all the details when you get back. Also did you take any pictures?

Anxiously awaiting your return, Mary Ann

Posts: 32 | From: Texas, USA | Registered: Aug 99 | IP: Logged

Barryboat
First Class Passenger
Member # 33

posted 05-07-2000 11:07 AM

It was just a two day cruise that went to half moon Cay...we were only there for the day on Friday.

The ship is very beautiful! Lots of fine wood, Very ocean liner like. The ship moved through the ocean effortlessly, and there was absolutely no vibration. I did not like the big organ in the atrium area...it was way too big and I thought it was an ugly piece of art. It looked like a big plaster-paris molded pipe-organ and it filled the entire three deck high atrium.

More later, I've gotta go. It was a great trip but very short...I was even there for the christening ceremony!

Posts: 1851 | From: Bloomington, Minnesota (Home to the Mall of America) | Registered: Mar 99 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 05-07-2000 04:51 PM

A 'Big Organ' on a ship?

Are you joking Barry? Are you being rude?

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

Barryboat
First Class Passenger
Member # 33

posted 05-07-2000 07:10 PM

Malcolm, no I meant a "pipe-organ" like in a church.

Posts: 1851 | From: Bloomington, Minnesota (Home to the Mall of America) | Registered: Mar 99 | IP: Logged

sympatico
First Class Passenger
Member # 797

posted 05-07-2000 08:00 PM

Malcolm - get your mind out of the gutter!! You really are funny.
Barryboat - just been informed that there are some nice pictures of the "Z" on www.sealetter.com. On the home page, at the top, there is a note about it - just click it on.
There is a great picture of Captain Jack and Willem Cruijsberg, Hotel Manager. No picture of the "Pipe" organ!!

Posts: 3305 | From: Toronto, Ont. Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

Barryboat
First Class Passenger
Member # 33

posted 05-08-2000 01:15 PM

Sympatico, That's a nice link you suggested! I did a video tour of the Zaandam, and I even toured the engine room with my video camera! Our cruise was flawless. The ship was beautiful. I took about three rolls of pictures with my camera. I met up with several people I've been wanting to meet for a long time. I met up with Theodore Scull, one of the writers for Cruise Travel Magazine, and also Lawrence Miller. I also met a friend of mine that I met on the QE-2 when I was working on the ship in 1992...Ben Lyons is his name...he was about 15 when I first met him, and now he is making the sea his career. Looks like he is going to be working as an officer aboard the Independence soon and he will be writing cruise reviews for Port Hole magazine. I also met with Kirk Lanterman and got to talk with him about the industry and some projects I was working on.

Holland America is making a transition to include a younger set of passengers and to change it's image of being a cruise line for the stoggy old people only club, to an upscale cruise product for families, couples and a broader range of ages groups. I think this is a smart move and Holland America is being very careful by testing the waters little by little to include a younger generation of cruisers. The Zaandam had a music theme throughout the ship depicted in artwork. Stephen Card, a great artist who paints wonderful images of ships at sea, has about 6 different paintings aboard the Zaandam. Holland America still has a more conservative approach, however, than most other cruise lines which I think they will maintain regardless of the transitions they're going through.

I love to go to movies and while onboard, even though I have already seen the movie, I wanted to experience their theatre and see if they really offer free popcorn with their movies, and sure enough, free bags of freshly-popped popcorn were available as you enter the theatre!

I appreciate the indonesian staff perhaps better than the European staff or Jamaican staff on other ships.

Posts: 1851 | From: Bloomington, Minnesota (Home to the Mall of America) | Registered: Mar 99 | IP: Logged

K&K
First Class Passenger
Member # 1040

posted 05-08-2000 05:45 PM

Barryboat: It was great to hear from you while on the ship.I know it was expensive just to send a quick e-mail from the NCL Wind. Do you remember what the cost per minute was.

I know you are quite connected but how did you get to view the engine room and with a camera! Think there is any chance for me to view it.

If possible I would love to see some of your pictures.
Kevin

Posts: 446 | From: Sandpoint,Idaho,USA | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

Chalk Dust
First Class Passenger
Member # 1272

posted 05-08-2000 07:11 PM

BarryBoat -- I too would love to see some of your pictures. WOW three rolls of film! Maybe some of them will be in your new magazine???

Also, thanks for the great report from your interview with Kirk Lanterman.

Posts: 47 | From: Flower Mound, Texas, U.S.A. | Registered: May 2000 | IP: Logged

Chalk Dust
First Class Passenger
Member # 1272

posted 05-20-2000 09:26 AM

BarryBoat - Did you ever get your three rolls of film processed? Could we see any of them? I am dying to see a picture of the big pipe organ people are talking about.

Posts: 47 | From: Flower Mound, Texas, U.S.A. | Registered: May 2000 | IP: Logged

Barryboat
First Class Passenger
Member # 33

posted 05-20-2000 01:07 PM

Chalk Dust, I did develop my rolls of film, but I would have to e-mail them to Joe at Travel Page for him to post them ( Joe is it ok if I e-mail to you some photos from Zaandam?)

Posts: 1851 | From: Bloomington, Minnesota (Home to the Mall of America) | Registered: Mar 99 | IP: Logged

joe at travelpage
Administrator
Member # 622

posted 05-20-2000 05:21 PM

Absolutely, I will post them as soon as I recieve them.

Joe at TravelPage.com

Posts: 29976 | From: Great Falls, Virginia | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

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