Pics from my trip to Puerto Vallarta - 2009

Some pics from my trip to PV in fall 2009. Just a few of my favorites I wanted to share since I finally managed to upload the photos to my computer.

Tomorrow, some of my favorites from Cabo San Lucas.

Enjoy!

Nieuw Amsterdam - Latest Press Release

INSPIRING NEW YORK THEMES HIGHLIGHT PUBLIC AREAS ON MS NIEUW AMSTERDAM, THE NEWEST HOLLAND AMERICA LINE SHIP

Seattle, March 11, 2010 — The extensive array of upscale public areas aboard the new Holland America Line Signature-class ship ms Nieuw Amsterdam reflects the brand’s enhanced premium-class facilities and amenities, highlighted by décor honoring the historic glamour of New York City, known as Nieuw Amsterdam by its Dutch founders. Art, craftwork and historical artifacts documenting New York’s Native American history and Dutch influences, along with the history and glamour of Holland America Line’s 138-year association with the world’s greatest city, are displayed throughout the ship’s expertly finished public areas.

The new facilities are highlighted by Silk Den, a serene 52-seat lounge on Observation Deck (deck 11), featuring sweeping views of the ocean. Immediately adjacent is Tamarind, Nieuw Amsterdam’s Pan Asian restaurant, which also features pan-optic sea views and, like Silk Den, is decorated with fine Asian handicrafts, including framed leather carvings set against gold leaf.

Guests in search of their own private outdoor haven need only visit the Observation Deck Cabana Club, a private, outdoor oasis located high above the lower decks. Guests can reserve the airy, tented Cabanas by the day or for an entire voyage. Nieuw Amsterdam also offers a second collection of Cabanas lining Nieuw Amsterdam’s mid-ship Lido pool area. Equipped with luxurious chaises, ottomans and upholstered settees, the Cabanas feature bathrobes and plush towels, refreshments ranging from iced fruit skewers and frozen grapes to chocolate-covered strawberries and champagne, and iPods™ uploaded with a choice of music.

Additional premium facilities found on deck 11 include the Explorations Café powered by The New York Times. This comfortable, seagoing coffee bistro features an extensive library, Internet terminals, international newspapers, plush chairs and sofas, and a comfortable, upscale environment for reading and conversation. The Crow’s Nest lounge, which completes Observation Deck’s public areas, overlooks Nieuw Amsterdam’s bow and features a collection of Nieuw Amsterdam memorabilia dating back to the original ship’s 1906 launch and the heyday of Nieuw Amsterdam II, which carried the cream of international society between New York and Rotterdam in the post World War II era. A plush and quiet vantage point by day, the room transforms into a stylish dance club in the evening.

Kids are in control on Panorama Deck (deck 10), which features Club HAL®, the dedicated youth facilities and activities center offering supervised, age-appropriate programming for kids 3 to 12. And, because teens desire their own space, Holland America created The Loft, a hip lounge where teen-age cruisers can meet, have fun and hang out. The Loft is equipped with comfortable chairs and sofas, games and a new video editing facility, and is decorated as a typical New York street design of large murals featuring creations by top New York City graffiti artists, crosswalk, street signs, a real New York yellow cab and old-fashioned hot dog stand.

In addition to a fully equipped Fitness Center offering the largest gymnasium ever on a Holland America Line ship, Lido Deck (deck 9) features the inspiring Greenhouse Spa and Salon, providing premium beauty and wellness rituals from facials to bamboo and Thai poultice massages. The Greenhouse Spa’s Thermal Suites offer premium private settings for detoxifying and relaxing therapy. Ladies can have their hair and nails done in the Salon. A relaxing Hydrotherapy Pool and Sauna complete the Greenhouse Spa facilities.

Lido Deck is also home to the ship’s largest pool, the Lido Pool, which also features three Jacuzzis, and is flanked by the Cabanas. The entire area is covered by a retractable magradome, offering year-around opportunities for relaxing on deck. Guests can stop by the nearby Lido Bar and Terrace Grill for burgers, fries and grilled fare. Continuing on Lido Deck, the nearby Lido Restaurant features a wide variety of casual “comfort” cuisine with individual stations offering specialized ethnic and regional dishes.

The Sea View Pool on Deck 9 aft offers a sunny retreat with inspiring views of the ocean and ship’s wake. Guests can break for refreshments at the Sea View Bar, which completes deck 9.

Promenade Deck (deck 3) begins with the Half Moon, Hudson and Stuyvesant meeting rooms, which offer flexible and functional meeting facilities including full audio/visual capabilities. The rooms provide the ideal private settings for group meetings and other gatherings. Nearby is the Screening Room, an ultra-plush 36-seat movie theater screening first-run films and special presentations.

Promenade also features The Signature Shops, an upscale shopping area headlined by Merabella, a luxury boutique offering high-end designer jewelry collections. Promenade also features Fine Jewelry, which specializes in diamonds and exotic gemstones; Fine Watches, offering top global brands; and Destination & Apparel, which features classic nautical wear and designs tailored to specific cruise regions. The Ocean Bar, centrally located on Promenade in the ship’s atrium, provides a stylish vantage point from which to enjoy pre- or after-dinner drinks.

The Culinary Arts Center presented by Food & Wine magazine, a state-of-the-art demonstration kitchen featuring gourmet cooking lessons from Holland America Line Master Chefs and celebrity guest chefs on many voyages, highlights the Lower Promenade (deck 2) public areas. The Culinary Arts Center is an interactive demonstration center providing guests with up-close access to the newest food preparation techniques and practices taught by the masters. When not providing cooking demonstrations, the room becomes the Queen’s Lounge, an upscale performance venue and presentation room. Meanwhile, night club Northern Lights offers guests a magical venue for late evening dancing.

Lower Promenade’s Explorer’s Lounge continues Nieuw Amsterdam’s New York theme with a stunning wall-to-wall mixed media collage of the 17th Century New York City skyline by Dutch artist Harald Vlugt. The room also features sculpture and decorative accessories from New York’s early Native American and European inhabitants. Nearby is the Digital Workshop powered by Microsoft Windows, an interactive design studio featuring free workshops led by Microsoft-trained “techsperts” who show guests how to take better pictures, make movies, edit images and create scrapbooks using Microsoft Windows and Windows Live. Here, cruise image-makers can also learn to share images via email, blogs and social networks, creating instant vacation updates.

Lower Promenade also includes a fully equipped Casino, offering 116 slots, blackjack, roulette, craps and a variety of poker games. Located adjacent is the Casino Bar, highlighted by a display of large-format contemporary and classic photographs of New York City (NYC) street scenes, sports icons, and American and Dutch celebrities. The NYC-centric décor is continued in the nearby Piano Bar, which also features live keyboard music.

Nieuw Amsterdam’s soaring Atrium is highlighted by a majestic telescoping chandelier designed to honor New York City’s iconic skyline. The LED-equipped chandelier is lit in an ever-varying spectrum of rich colors.

The Deck 2 Pinnacle Grill and Pinnacle Bar offers an exclusive, reservations-only dining experience and exclusive wine lounge in a glamorous setting. The grand, three-level Showroom at Sea spans decks 2 and 3, and offers impeccable sightlines for feature production shows and headline entertainment.

Built at Fincantieri’s Marghera yard near Venice, Italy, the 2,106-guest Nieuw Amsterdam will sail its maiden voyage July 4, 2010. After several 12-day Mediterranean sailings, Nieuw Amsterdam embarks on a fall crossing of the Atlantic for the warmth of the Caribbean with seven-day eastern and western island itineraries from November through March of the next year. For more information on Nieuw Amsterdam, visit www.hollandamerica.com.

Westerdam in Curacao

Prinsendam in Rio de Janeiro

A GREAT picture of Prinsendam in Rio. Picture opens up to a much higher resolution and you can get a good view of her new aft balconies in this picture.

From the Readers - Zaandam in San Diego

More thanks are due to Cruise Critic's PathfinderEss for being my eye in the sky in San Diego. Zaandam looks INCREDIBLE today as she just started a new sailing

A Snowy Day at the Shipyard

Nieuw Amsterdam has her Communication Domes

From the Readers - Oosterdam Departing Puerto Vallarta

Here's the second photo series Ine sent me. The Oosterdam leaving Puerto Vallarta. Ine went on to tell me in the email that the Oosterdam is very special to her. While she's never been on a cruise onboard she was in Rotterdam during the christening where the Oosterdam was nose to nose with Rotterdam.

Thanks Ine!

From the Readers - Oosterdam Arrival in Puerto Vallarta

Ine has provided some of the best HAL Mexico photos I've seen. She emailed me a two part series on Oosterdam in her Winter home of Puerto Vallarta. The other ships in the pictures are the Carnival Splendor and the Norwegian Star.

Rotterdam and Statendam in San Diego

Pictures from 'PathfinderEss' of Rotterdam and Statendam side by side in San Diego this past Monday.

Have any great pictures of HAL ships in port? Send them in and I'll post them!

DBA

From the Readers - Pictures of Oosterdam - Live in San Diego

The Oosterdam begins its first cruise today since the Olympics charter.

On deck? A cruise to Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan.

Thanks to Cruise Critic poster PathfinderEss for capturing and sharing these photos.

Ryndam's New Paint Job

From the recent dry dock

Meet the Crew - Jeff Morrow - Guest Relations

Jeff is one of my friends at the Seattle HQ and works in the Guest Relations department. We were talking about the blog after he submitted those great Zaandam pictures following his most recent Hawaii trip (Click Here) and I asked if he'd like to share more about himself for all the readers. So here he is. Enjoy!

DBA

Pololu Valley Lookout on the north shore of the Big Island

Where were you born?
I was born in Silvis, Illinois, a town of about 7000 people near the Mississippi River. My parents had a little outboard motorboat so we spent a lot of Summer Saturdays on the river, either cruising around or sunning ourselves on a little sandbar island we liked. I still have an affinity for small towns and the particular beauty of the Midwest, but I love the vibrancy of big cities, as well as the mountains, forests, and mild climate of the Pacific Northwest, which is my current home.

When did you first know you wanted to work in the travel/cruise industry?
I didn’t, actually. I quit college after my freshman year because I really didn’t know what I wanted to do and felt like I was wasting my time and money. Instead, I enrolled in a 1-year travel program because it was fast and cheap. After I got into the travel industry it was hard to get out - it’s easier to get a job in a field where you have experience. But it didn’t take me long to discover the thrill of travel, and the perks that come with working in the travel industry can be addictive. I eventually returned to college and got a degree in English to indulge my love of reading and writing, but came back to the travel industry because the opportunities are so varied and plentiful.

When did you start working for HAL, and have you worked for other cruise lines previously?
I started at HAL in March of 2004. I previously worked for a small riverboat cruise line in Illinois, though they just did day cruises and dinner cruises – no overnight accommodations. As far as the travel industry goes, I’ve also worked for Amtrak (my first travel job back in the late 80s) and a number of hotels.

What areas have you worked in at the HQ?
I started in Reservations, and within a year transferred to Windstar Reservations back when they were still owned by HAL. Just before the sale of Windstar was announced I transferred to Business Development - a rare example of good timing on my part. After a little more than a year in that department the Communication Specialist position became available in Guest Relations, and I couldn't resist the opportunity to finally use that English degree I spent 13 years paying for. It's nice to have a job that combines two things I love - travel and words.

Any special achievements, awards, acknowledgements or fun facts in life or while with HAL?
I once won third place in a typing contest, and I used to do pretty well at spelling bees. As far as HAL goes, this month is my 6-year anniversary, which I consider an achievement since that’s twice as long as I’ve worked for any other company. I must be getting less restless as I age.

Tell me about your family and where you live.
My original family would be mom & dad and 2 older sisters – Dana & Wendy. Dad passed away many years ago, but my mom & sisters are well and all still living back in Silvis. They aren’t quite as obsessed with wandering as I am, though I did take them on a HAL coastal cruise on the Volendam a few years back and we had a great time. They also came to visit me in Seattle last summer and I took them out to the Olympic Peninsula to see where the vampires hang out – they’re big Twilight fans. A few years ago I met Henry and added him to my family, and we registered our Domestic Partnership with the State of Washington as soon as they gave us the option back in 2007. We bought our first house last summer, and my mom & sisters were our first houseguests. Luckily, Henry loves traveling as much as I do. In fact, we just booked our third HAL cruise.

What is your favorite ship in the fleet?
That's hard to say, since I've sailed on so few of them. I'm intrigued by the Prinsendam because I prefer smaller ships, but of the ships I've sailed on, I'd choose the Amsterdam. It was just a 3-day Coastal sailing, but everything about it was wonderful, except for the scrambled eggs. We were in a Deluxe Suite, so I spent a lot of time lounging and reading on the huge verandah, and thought the Neptune Lounge was a very nice perk. I love the Astrolabe art piece in the Amsterdam's atrium as well.

Since you have also worked for Windstar Cruises when it was part of HAL, what is your favorite Windstar ship (or other small ship)
The only one I've sailed on is the Wind Surf, and she was a beautiful ship. I was lucky enough to be sent on a fam cruise for work - the Barbados northbound itinerary. I felt like it was a karma payout for every good deed I'd ever done in my entire life. And it was the best food week of my life. So I have a deep fondness for the Surf.

What is your favorite port of call?
Of the cruise destinations I've been to, I would probably choose Iles des Saintes. It's a tiny little port in the French West Indies - basically an old fishing village - terribly quaint. Supposedly the residents are descended from pirates. There’s a protected cove on the Atlantic side that was the first place I ever snorkeled. I also had an interesting walk down an old dirt road, through a New Orleans-style above-ground cemetery, to an empty beach. It was marked "Dangerous!" on the tourist map, which is probably why it was empty, and probably what compelled me to go there. The surf was pretty impressive, and it was at the end of a little runway, so I got to see a couple of small planes take off right over the beach. It was a wonderful day, made even better by the fact that I had absolutely no idea what to expect from this port. Of course, if I went back now it would have a lot to live up to in my mind, and would probably fail. Low expectations can be a wonderful thing.

Name your dream 10-day itinerary if fuel and logistics were of no concern. (Meaning you can depart from Rome and be in Costa Rica the next day if you like, etc)
This one's tough - too many choices. I guess the first stop would be Dubrovnik, which I've wanted to see for a long time now. From there we'd got to Tunis to visit the ruins of Carthage (Henry is a Hannibal fan). Next stop would be Stockholm, as I've heard it's the most picturesque of the Baltic capitals from a sea-going perspective. I'm kind of fascinated by the Faroe Islands, so that would be stop number 4, then to Belize City to do some snorkeling and visit a Mayan ruin. After a detour down the Amazon and back, we'd make a quick stop in Antarctica just to say we were there. Next we'd sail north through the Chilean fjords to Lima for an excursion to Machu Picchu. Stop number 8 would be Easter Island, then to Auckland to satisfy my New Zealand craving. The final stop would be Bangkok for some great Thai food and a quick land excursion to Cambodia to visit Angkor Wat. Then home to figure out how I’m going to get to the other 10,000 places I want to see…

"Secret Beach (my favorite beach) on the north shore of Kaua’i."

Thanks for sharing with everyone Jeff!