Dutch Vikings Return from Voyage to New World

"Seehorse Video" wrote in message
...

"Tom K" wrote in message
...

"Charles" wrote in message
d...

SNIP

By the way... this was the only cruise I've ever been on where the
captain YELLED at all of us during life boat drill. He told everyone to
BE QUIET very loudly and sternly. Everyone said that he sounded MEAN.
He did joke about it later at a get together.

SNIP
--Tom

Hi Tom,

What was your take on the captain's attitude? Most of us go through the
drills with a "ho-hum, been there" mind set, but there is a slim chance
that the info could be vital. I think I might have applauded the captain
for literally taking command. Any opinion?

Harry Cooper

I'm not Tom, Harry, but I too, applaud the captain for speaking out as
sternly as he did...as at most life boat drills, there is a lot of chatter
and there would be many people who would really be clueless as to what to do
if there was a real emergency.. He did say that the longer that people
talked the longer we were going to stand out there and if we wanted to start
enjoying the cruise there had to be silence. We were told not to bring our
life jackets to the drill..it seems that there have been accidents with
people tripping over the straps going back to their cabins...we were just
told to check for our jackets in the cabin closets and directions as to what
to do and take in case of an emergency.

--Jean

"Jean O'Boyle" wrote in message
...


I especially like the smaller HAL ships in Alaska...they are similar to
the experience we had on the old Pacific Princess. Cozy and friendly.
My favorites remain, Oceania with Celebrity, HAL and Royal Caribbean tied.
I will have to give Carnival a try sometime next year...it is three years
since I was on one of their ships.

And WHY NOT Cunard next year?

If it's 3 years since Carnival, how long since Cunard?

I think that HAL changed the impressions of at least some of our Viking
Group. HAL did not object to our hats, in fact they got a kick out of the
whole thing...but the whistles were painful to the people with hearing
aids...the staff treated that situation in a nice manner though, I
thought. From what I remember someone saying, Princess was not quite as
nice about the hats etc.on one Viking cruise. What really got the
attention were our Viking shirts...Very pretty shade of blue with a design
that said "Vikings Go Dutch" in a white banner at the top with pastel
colored buildings (like in Curacao) for the design and of course Susie's
flamingo was there, too. Good job, Susie!...some people wanted to know
where they could buy one!

We really enjoyed ourselves.and I think a good time was had by all. Our
Trivia Team won some very nice navy fleeced long sleeved shirts with
zippers at neck. The prizes they gave out this time were much nicer than
what they have given out before.

There is still significant dissention in the ranks over some of the "dam"
INCORRECT answers that the cruise director gave.

--Tom (grumbling after the trivia loss... LOL


--Jean

"Jean O'Boyle" wrote in message
...

LOL! Tom, He did get the attention of all the "gabbers!" As you remember,
I asked him at the get together whether he was ticked off or did he always
talk that way because I had the vision of him wearing a black eye patch
and a peg leg...He laughed and answered that it did get the attention he
wanted. He said too many people do not realize the seriousness of the
drill and take it too lightly...He remembered what I said when I saw him a
day or two before we disembarked and mentioned he was not wearing the
patch and wooden leg that day! He was British

He said he was from South Africa.

--Tom

and a bit reserved but really quite friendly. He was about and around the
ship quite a bit, which was nice.

--Jean

"Tom K" wrote in message
...

"D Ball" wrote in message
...
Welcome home, Susette & The Vikings! (Good band name--I'm afraid to
ask if y'all perform...I know The Vikings put on a show wherever they
go! Hint hint Charles, do you have any pix of the crazy hats on parade
or ?)

Thanks to all for your reviews and impressions. I am so happy y'all
had a great big fun group cruise together!

Tom, you are the Renaissance man--when you put on your creative
writing hat (post 1), there is no better reading! Your nit-picky
analyses are, of course, helpful in evaluating ship/line fits. I had
to ROTFLMAO when you wrote, "We're likely more critical than 99% of
the people out there, but as an engineer, that's the kind of stuff I
notice." Understatement of the year.

When some of our old pharmaceutical executives used to do unannounced
cleanliness inspections of the production areas, they'd do it with white
gloves on.

YIKES! That sounds too much like the inspections we went through when
clearing and moving out of military housing and being re-assigned to another
post! ;-) White gloves!!! Memories!

Other people walk down the hallway on the ship, maybe they're looking at
the artwork.... me I'm looking at how the hinges on watertight doors
work....

WHAT??? After all the comments you made to me around the ship about the art
work??? Taking me up to see those statues of Neptune and the Mermaids???
VBG

- We are what we are...

And you are one of a kind, Thomas!!!! ;-)

--Jean


--Tom

"Jean O'Boyle" wrote in message
...

I'm not Tom, Harry, but I too, applaud the captain for speaking out as
sternly as he did...as at most life boat drills, there is a lot of chatter
and there would be many people who would really be clueless as to what to
do if there was a real emergency.. He did say that the longer that people
talked the longer we were going to stand out there and if we wanted to
start enjoying the cruise there had to be silence. We were told not to
bring our life jackets to the drill..it seems that there have been
accidents with people tripping over the straps going back to their
cabins...we were just told to check for our jackets in the cabin closets
and directions as to what to do and take in case of an emergency.

--Jean

I saw 2 elderly people fall during the cruise anyway (one in the buffet
restaurant, and another in the theater)... I can see the straps on the life
jackets being an accident waiting to happen.

And I thought that the narrow steps in the 3 main stairways were very
dangerous. My food (size 13) never fit on the steps. I had to walk down
the steps with my feet at a 45 degree angle just to avoid rolling my ankle.

--Tom

In article , Jean O'Boyle
wrote:

Anymore, anything shorter than 10 days is TOO short for us! Seven days go by
too quickly!

I agree with you. My other cruises this year were 10 days or over.
Seven is too short. Maybe for the next Viking cruise I might a back to
back like Barb and Tobie did.

--
Charles

"Jean O'Boyle" wrote in message
...


WHAT??? After all the comments you made to me around the ship about the
art work??? Taking me up to see those statues of Neptune and the
Mermaids??? VBG

Those are an artistic treasure for all mankind... not unlike a beautiful
Vermeer painting..... NOT.


- We are what we are...

And you are one of a kind, Thomas!!!! ;-)

--Jean


At least giving the ship a thorough inspection, we were able to find many of
the little out of the way places where they hide the old people while taking
photographs of the ships for the brochures.

Charles was right... they DO have places where they can hide the old
people...

--Tom

"Charles" wrote in message
d...
In article , Jean O'Boyle
wrote:

Anymore, anything shorter than 10 days is TOO short for us! Seven days go
by
too quickly!

I agree with you. My other cruises this year were 10 days or over.
Seven is too short. Maybe for the next Viking cruise I might a back to
back like Barb and Tobie did.

--
Charles

Unless it's a VERY good itinerary like Norway, or the Med... 14 days on a
back to back in the Caribbean... might be way too much for me. In the
Caribbean, I'm usually ready to come home after a week.

--Tom

In article , Tom K
wrote:

There is still significant dissention in the ranks over some of the "dam"
INCORRECT answers that the cruise director gave.

--Tom (grumbling after the trivia loss... LOL

I checked online and the Seven Seas he used are the Greek or Roman
definition. In the east they had seven different seas like the South
China Sea. It depends on your time period or location. After the
discovery of America that definition changed.

--
Charles

"Tom K" wrote in message
...

"Jean O'Boyle" wrote in message
...


I especially like the smaller HAL ships in Alaska...they are similar to
the experience we had on the old Pacific Princess. Cozy and friendly.
My favorites remain, Oceania with Celebrity, HAL and Royal Caribbean
tied. I will have to give Carnival a try sometime next year...it is three
years since I was on one of their ships.

And WHY NOT Cunard next year?

Tom, it is tempting just to have done it, but..
1. Too stuffy ? with all those formal nights...;-)
I might just surprise you and tell you that I've booked one! I wish Cunard
would have itineraries that take you eastward, let you stay a week in London
and then return the next week involving no trans-Atlantic air travel. But Ed
probably would not go for 13 formal nights!


If it's 3 years since Carnival, how long since Cunard?

BUT, BUT, Tom, Cunard belongs to Carnival!!!! ( d & r)



I think that HAL changed the impressions of at least some of our Viking
Group. HAL did not object to our hats, in fact they got a kick out of the
whole thing...but the whistles were painful to the people with hearing
aids...the staff treated that situation in a nice manner though, I
thought. From what I remember someone saying, Princess was not quite as
nice about the hats etc.on one Viking cruise. What really got the
attention were our Viking shirts...Very pretty shade of blue with a
design that said "Vikings Go Dutch" in a white banner at the top with
pastel colored buildings (like in Curacao) for the design and of course
Susie's flamingo was there, too. Good job, Susie!...some people wanted to
know where they could buy one!

We really enjoyed ourselves.and I think a good time was had by all. Our
Trivia Team won some very nice navy fleeced long sleeved shirts with
zippers at neck. The prizes they gave out this time were much nicer than
what they have given out before.

There is still significant dissention in the ranks over some of the "dam"
INCORRECT answers that the cruise director gave.

But you said that you LIKED the CD! I didn't...he was pokey and not with
the program, I've enjoyed others more!

--Tom (grumbling after the trivia loss... LOL

Yeah, but you lost to such a good team!! ;-)

--Jean