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| Carved Melon Holland America Logo |
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| Pistol, the one and only canine at sea....here dressed to impress in the Showroom at Sea |
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| Although it is the 140th Birthday of Holland America, the first slide celebrating this fact seems to be a bit 'out dated'. April 18th 2013...that is still a few days to go. A case of back to the future maybe???? |
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| Captain Bas van Dreumel interviewed about his company career, his most favourites ports of call, and places he never yet visited on any cruise.... Answer to the last from the audience.....Cape Horne Well, he did miss it this time around. |
15 April 2013
Skipping Coquimbo, more about that later....
Skipping Coquimbo, more about that later....
Two days at sea, which by now is calm with only a long slight swell giving a faint roll to the ship.
140th birthday party for Holland America. Balloons, birthday cake decorated with ships, globes, logos, and sugary curly cues mounted on the stage of The Showroom At Sea.
Tea and open faced sandwiches were served by white gloved staff. The band played - and nobody danced. Maybe people are so busy digesting, that there is no energy left to dance.
OK, more food instead...
Holland America started 140 years ago as a Dutch based Transatlantic Shipping Line with the first ship called Rotterdam. Now they have fourteen ships, all of them somewhat bigger than the first one. But - no more first and second class passages, we are all in the same boat now.
The showroom was filled to capacity, even 'Pistol' attended. By now everybody knows the ship's only know four legged passenger, a small Yorkie type dog who travels by special dispensation as a 'pyschological/medical/health support' for his owners, or at least one of them, a couple from Florida. Reaction to Pistol is mixed, most enjoy the presence of the dog - lightens things up a bit.
Of course, he is better dressed than most passengers. No gym gear, sweatpants and flip flops for him. To tea he wore an elegant grey and white striped suit jacket, as well as a black tie in his top knot. And his tuxedo on formal night should serve as an inspiring light for some of the less formally inclined guests aboard. He travels - according to his owner - with his personal luggage.
As part of the party, ship's officer answered (carefully prepared) interview questions. Captain Bas van Dreumel was asked, if there was any place on the Seven Seas he had not visited yet. Before he could open his mouth to answer, a voice from the back of the room shouted: Cape Horne!!
Laughter all around - as we indeed avoided Cape Horne this time around...well, that response was better than grumbling.
The well timed responses were otherwise well matched to a little birthday sales pitch, as posters and cruise details of HAL Alaska cruises appeared on command, whenever officers mentioned any of THEIR favourite cruising grounds. Why not.
We are now cruising somewhere west of Antifogasta, Peru, almost on the latitudinal level of Salta and Jujuy in Argentina - certainly a different scenery out here....
