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Hi all, this is the final post that will be made on this site. Please continue to use it to research any questions you might be able to already find an answer to, but no new comments will be approved, nor will emails be answered. Thank you again for your interest in this site.

Brad aka DBA

Titanic

It's not often in this day and age that you're able to comment on something that occurred 100 years ago. Certainly almost everyone around these days wasn't around to experience it, news and media coverage wasn't sensationalistic about everything as it is today (a blessing and a curse depending on the occasion) and many times it's a situatgion that wasn't even relatable.

However, I find myself in a position where we're on the 100th anniversary (? that word usually has a positive reference point), of one of the greatest losses in maritime history - Titanic.

Titanic wasn't only a tragedy because it was a shipwreck that left over 1500 souls doomed in the freezing Atlantic Ocean. Titanic was a tragedy because it was preventable. Titanic was a tragedy because of how far human ingenuity and creativity had taken humanity up til that point and because the trust in the technology was so great and built so much ego and expectation that no one, and no thing could love up to.

Titanic was also a tragedy because at the time the maritime laws and requirements set a specific number of lifeboats, regardless of tonnage and capacity. 16. If you've seen the movie, if you've read the history lessons. The moment you hear the figures and know that should something happen barely 1/3 of the people can be saved, shivers go up and down your skin. And following this tragedy, that all changed with the formation of SOLAS.

Pride in your technology and pride in your ship is one thing, but what about others crossing the Atlantic at the time. Did anyone warn Titanic? Did any other ship in the area know of the vast ice field and try to prepare the ship? In fact, 3 did. Holland America Line's ss Noordam, Cunard Line's Caronia and a Greek steamer called Athenai. In each instance Titanic reported back with thanks and indicating only moderate and variable weather at her present location.

Well, we all know what happened next and how the tale unfolds. And 100 years later the story of Titanic, its impacts on society at the time, the great minds, creators, aristocrats and working people that were killed - they shall never be forgotten.

In Remembrance...

May the lessons of Titanic never be forgotten.

1912-2012

Every soul who perished that day will always be remembered.

Mexico Quake

The only HAL ship remotely close to this quake was Statendam. After hearing about the quake while at work I pulled up our fleet's ship tracker (no, this is not something available to the public) and took a look. Statendam was off the coast of Zihuatenejo which was 430km DRIVING distance from the epicenter. Take out the turns in the road and probably still a good 400km away... and as the ship was at sea and there were no tsunami warnings, the ship was unaffected.

Thoughts and wishes for a fast clean up and recovery following this massive quake go out to all affected.

New Rudi Sodamin Cookbook Coming Soon!

Fans of Chef Rudi are in luck as there's another cookbook on the way!



Here's the desciption of Appetizers as it appears on www.ecookbooks.com:
Each year, more than 600,000 passengers board Holland America’s luxury ships to enjoy thrilling adventures and the fine cuisine for which the cruise line is renowned. Passengers also take advantage of cooking classes and demonstrations held daily at the ships’ culinary centers. In this book, Holland America’s master chef, Rudi Sodamin, presents more than one hundred recipes, so guests can prepare at home the favorite first courses they taste on board. The dishes included range from the perfect hors d’oeuvre to pass at an elegant cocktail party, such as smoked salmon rosette on pumpernickel; to a first course that works well on a buffet, such as Tuscan bread salad with seared tuna; to an appetizer for a family gathering, such as penne with sausage and mozzarella. Appetizers will keep you entertaining in high style.

You can order your copy at the following link, which is likely one of many that will be selling it:
http://www.ecookbooks.com/p-28472-appetizers.aspx

New Mariner Tiles On the Way!

The new Mariner tiles which depart from the recent trend of the classic posters from the past and return to the ship specific (with a twist) format will be making an appearance soon across the fleet and in some instances may already be given out.

As mentioned above, these tiles are now CLASS specific and split into 6 groups:
S Class - Statendam, Maasdam, Ryndam, Veendam
R Class (non-flagship) - Volendam and Zaandam
R Class (Flagship) - Amsterdam and Rotterdam
Vista Class - Zuiderdam, Oosterdam, Westerdam and Noordam
Signature Class - Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam
Elegant Explorer - Prinsendam

As always, these tiles are given to return guests and are issued during the Mariners Brunch which occurs usually toward the middle of any given sailing. If guests indicate on the RSVP card for this event that they will not be attending, they will be deliverd to the stateroom before the end of the cruise or they can be requested at the Front Office. If a return guest has somehow come off the ship without their tiles, the Mariner Society in the Seattle HQ can assist in getting a pair of the tiles to you.

For your viewing pleasure, here they are:

NBC's Matt Lauer's Ancestors Came to America via SS Rotterdam

A great video from NBC's Today Show

Click Here for Video

New Year, New Look, New Approach

Hey everyone,

After being on a bit of a hiatus and having a chance to get back to my blog roots, so to speak, spending the week on Carnival Magic for John Heald's Bloggers Cruise (long time readers know he was the one who was my inspiration to start a blog), I've decided to revamp and retool quite a bit of what you see on here.

I'll be working over the next few weeks on the specific approach I want to take so please be patient, and while you're waiting for the all new DBA, please be sure to use any of the search features to on the right side of your screen for any questions or information you're looking for.

See you again soon!
DBA

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy New Year and any/all other applicable holiday messages to you and yours!

-DBA

Thanks for visiting!

I hope all of the information provided and in some case chronicled over the last few years is of assistance when looking to plan a cruise (or your next cruise) with Holland America Line.

The search features on the right side of the blog can help you narrow the nearly 1000 posts to find precisely what you are looking for.

Cheers!

ms Westerdam Tour - Superior Verandah Suites SS 8068 and SS 8070

Each variety of stateroom has a few rooms onboard each ship that are wheelchair accessible. These rooms allow for additional widths to accommodate a chair and have reconfigured bathrooms among other changes. Here are some pictures of SS 8068 which is wheelchair accessible.

Bed and desk area

Seating area

Door going out to verandah

Bathroom with full roll in shower (same space as where the toilet is)

As well as a more standard tub/shower combo but with additional grip bars

For comparison, here is SS 8070, the exact same room type but with regular accommodations for those not needing the space for a wheelchair or to assist with mobility issues. For more complete images, Access and Compliance has a full library of wheelchair accessible room images and can be contacted by phone or email.

Desk area with TV

Queen bed

sitting area

Separate shower stall and full tub/shower combo

Dual sinks here as well

ms Westerdam Tour - Deluxe Verandah Suite SA 7066

Deluxe Verandah Suites, (depending on the ship category can be S, SQ, SA, SB, SC) are the second largest accommodations on every Holland America Line ship. Here are some pictures of SA 7066.

Bedding and desk area

Vanity area and bathroom

More of the bathroom which has 2 sinks, a tub/shower combo as well as a separate shower stall

More of the desk area

Desk area also showing the TV and speakers

Large seating area that turns into a double sleeper sofa.

ms Westerdam Tour - Penthouse Verandah Suite

The Penthouse on Holland America Line's ships (category PS no matter the ship) is the creme de la creme of accommodations. Each suite is hand built onboard, these are NOT the "plug and play" boxes that you see if you follow the shipbuilding process, and features 1 kitchen, 2 bathrooms (1 7 piece bathroom and 1 guest bathroom), bedroom with vanity area, massive walk-in closet suitable for any length of voyage, expansive living room, a central music system available nearly anywhere in the suite and sliding glass doors to the large verandah complete with dining area, sun loungers and hot tub.

Having stayed in a Penthouse before on Eurodam this past December, I know all about the intricacies of these rooms, the perks and the additional items that come inside you would not find in lesser rooms, but being that I was on port side and thid was PS 7045 on starboard side, you would think I would have been less turned around in here. There have been a few changes to this suite over time, primarily the dining room chairs, but nevertheless, here is a look at 7045.

Art in the corridor across from the Penthouse's front door.

Art in the foyer upon entering. In this case it's a figure from Western Mexico dating back to 400 BC

The large seating area in the living room

TV in the living room. Inside the many cupboards and doors you will find a CD player, surround sound for the TV, DVD player and many other items. The main doors at bottom open up into a double, if not queen size, sofa bed.

View of the dining room from the living room. Note the bedroom in the distance

More art, this bust is located in the living room

The incredibly comfortable recliner in the living room.

The large king size bed, behind it, more art - a jewel and gold crusted nautilus shell

The amazing capsule shower with body jets, bench and foot massager

The dual sink countertop and jetted tub

A closeup of where your bath water comes from

A view of the living room and dining room, along with desk area by the window, from the bedroom 

ms Westerdam Tour - Pinnacle Grill and Pinnacle Bar

The Pinnacle Grill is one of the finest meals you will ever have onboard, and for just $25.00 per person at dinner, you can enjoy a multi-course meal with personal, attentive service. The decor of each Pinnacle Grill in the fleet is rather unique, and here is the design for Westerdam.

The entrance, as well as an embarkation day advertisement for the "Night at Le Cirque" menu which brings favorites from the New York and Las Vegas eatery for $39.00 per person.

Tables in the Pinnacle Grill

Additional tables

Additional tables

You guessedd it... additional tables

This section of 2 and 4 seat tables is in a semi-private area and all along a large bank of windows

The Pinnacle Bar is a venue that was first introduced on ms Noordam and over time was brought to her 3 sisters, Zuiderdam, Oosterdam and Westerdam as well as on Signature Class sisters Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam. As you've likely seen before, the layout and deign of each Pinnacle Bar is rather unique and creates its own feel for the ship's primary wine bar.

Pinnacle Bar counter area

From the bar looking toward the rest of the seating

Another view of the counter

One of the walls of the venue, with lots of display shelves of various vintages.