June 7, 2013: This is a work in progress for which I hope to add narrative where appropriate.
The Basics:
who/what/when/why not...
(ship, itinerary, etc.)
Stateroom: VERANDAH, VA #8121
Dining: Early Upper Dining
Dining: Early Upper Dining
"Nieuw Amsterdam"
The Itinerary
The Stateroom:
Triple-closet (2 standard, one with shelves and safe) opposite the door to the bathroom, all just inside the main door. TV, art work and requisite guest robes opposite the bed, here configured as a queen vs. option of two separated twins.
Bath included adjustable shower and 3/4-length tub with
3 grab-bars; "aromizing" shampoo, conditioner and soap
are in the wall-mounted dispensers. Plenty of over-sized
bath towels, hand towels and wash cloths, replenished
freely and frequently. [Egyptian cotton, of course]
Mirrored bathroom wall opposite tub/shower with shelf
below sink and 3 mini-shelves above. (Hair dryers are
provided along with US-compatible electrical outlets.)
And, of course....
Animal-shaped towels every evening, along with chocolates and the schedule of events for the following day...importantly pointing out which bars had "Happy Hour" and when.
Rescue at Sea:
5-4-2013
Here's an e-mail I'd sent to family and friends on May 16th, the day after I returned home:
Subject: The Cruise: Nighttime Mid-Atlantic Rescue
Below is the official press release regarding a diversion
in our itinerary. A 43-foot yacht had been drifting without a rudder
for 4 days before calling for help (having tried to improvise
unsuccessfully, including re-purposing a door into a make-shift
rudder). The two-man crew had been moving the yacht from St. Maarten to
Southampton, England -- via the Azores -- on behalf of its owner. That
vessel continues to bob on the Atlantic until waves and weather take it
under; by laws of the sea, it's free for the taking should you wish to
mount a salvage effort.
I took the following photos of my stateroom TV to show how our ship diverted course, turning south to retrieve the sailboat's crew then resuming our northeasterly route to the Azores. (Yet after pleasant weather during our crossing we encountered high seas and wind-whipped rain too treacherous to actually discharge the rescued sailors at our first stop, Horta in the Azores, the port noted in the press release.)
A day after the rescue our captain and key personnel gave a Q&A presentation for the passengers which was really interesting; unfortunately the video of that has not been posted on-line -- for you to get a better sense of the drama -- as they had hoped to do. If I see it I'll capture it for myself and share it with you if you'd be interested.
(Deja vu? The last time I "sailed" across the Atlantic was in the summer of '68 on the USS Shasta. We were diverted for nearly two weeks trying to locate a missing submarine, USS Scorpion, wreckage of which was found much later on the sea floor. Dare I ever try to cross the Atlantic again, odd luck omen that I may be?)
-- Tom
I took the following photos of my stateroom TV to show how our ship diverted course, turning south to retrieve the sailboat's crew then resuming our northeasterly route to the Azores. (Yet after pleasant weather during our crossing we encountered high seas and wind-whipped rain too treacherous to actually discharge the rescued sailors at our first stop, Horta in the Azores, the port noted in the press release.)
A day after the rescue our captain and key personnel gave a Q&A presentation for the passengers which was really interesting; unfortunately the video of that has not been posted on-line -- for you to get a better sense of the drama -- as they had hoped to do. If I see it I'll capture it for myself and share it with you if you'd be interested.
(Deja vu? The last time I "sailed" across the Atlantic was in the summer of '68 on the USS Shasta. We were diverted for nearly two weeks trying to locate a missing submarine, USS Scorpion, wreckage of which was found much later on the sea floor. Dare I ever try to cross the Atlantic again, odd luck omen that I may be?)
-- Tom
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Press Release.
For more information about Holland America Line.....................
Press Release.
Holland America Line's Nieuw Amsterdam Performs Nighttime Mid-Atlantic Rescue of Two Sailors
PR Newswire
SEATTLE, May 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Saturday, May 4, at 6:50 p.m. (UTC-2), ms Nieuw Amsterdam received a call from the U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Center at Norfolk, Va., regarding a mayday signal it had received from sailing yacht Embla, which was disabled and adrift. Nieuw Amsterdam immediately diverted from its course and arrived on the scene at 9 p.m. local time.
The cruise liner then initiated rescue of the sailboat's crew, two males ages 29 and 61. The men were taken aboard Nieuw Amsterdam following a security check and provided food and accommodations. They will disembark in the next port of call at the Azores.
"It is a time-honored law of the sea that any ship in the vicinity should render assistance to a vessel in distress that has issued a call for help," said Richard Meadows, Holland America Line's executive vice president of sales, marketing and guest programs. "While the incident diverted the ship from its course, we were happy to be able to safely rescue the two men and are incredibly proud of the crew of Nieuw Amsterdam for their efforts."
When it received the call, Nieuw Amsterdam was approximately 600 miles east of Bermuda on its trans-Atlantic crossing to Europe, and sailing yacht Embla was approximately 35 nautical miles south-southwest of the cruise ship, according to the Coast Guard. Nieuw Amsterdam is expected to arrive at Horta, Azores, Wednesday, May 8, on schedule.
The cruise liner then initiated rescue of the sailboat's crew, two males ages 29 and 61. The men were taken aboard Nieuw Amsterdam following a security check and provided food and accommodations. They will disembark in the next port of call at the Azores.
"It is a time-honored law of the sea that any ship in the vicinity should render assistance to a vessel in distress that has issued a call for help," said Richard Meadows, Holland America Line's executive vice president of sales, marketing and guest programs. "While the incident diverted the ship from its course, we were happy to be able to safely rescue the two men and are incredibly proud of the crew of Nieuw Amsterdam for their efforts."
When it received the call, Nieuw Amsterdam was approximately 600 miles east of Bermuda on its trans-Atlantic crossing to Europe, and sailing yacht Embla was approximately 35 nautical miles south-southwest of the cruise ship, according to the Coast Guard. Nieuw Amsterdam is expected to arrive at Horta, Azores, Wednesday, May 8, on schedule.
For more information about Holland America Line.....................
<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
In the Azores...or not:
5-9-2013
~~~~~ high winds ~~~~~
~~~~~ high seas ~~~~~
~~~~~ unsafe conditions ~~~~~
~~~~~ unsafe conditions ~~~~~
~~~~~ NO Port Call in "Horta" ~~~~~
Room Service:
(yadda, yadda, yadda)
In the Azores...at last:
5-9-2013
Cruise Directors:
Margaret & Bob Preston,
3-Star Mariners with Holland America
and La's boys...
Cadiz, Spain:
Sunday, 5-12-2013
(shops closed, etc...)
Málaga, Spain:
Monday, 5-13-2013
(Sister ship Eurodam, as seen from my verandah)
(Sharing the pier with our sister ship Eurodam)
To the right, a Hop-On/Hop-Off bus in Málaga
Málaga's famous Sideways Cathedral (...needs work, Tom)
Cartagena, Spain:
Tuesday, 5-14-2013
(from my Verandah #8121 looking toward
Party Verandah #8050...midway down the line)
Barcelona, Spain
5-15-2013:
Our cruise concluded upon docking in Barcelona, Spain. A subsequent Delta flight deposited us in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, at which point my Cruise Directors cut me loose; they flew on to Tampa and I to White Plains. The adventure ended that Wednesday...the memories linger.
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