These are extraordinary times and I
hope all of you are safe
and sound. Six weeks have already passed since
your first
Cruise Update so I hope your brochure has arrived and
you
are enjoying the prospects of Cruising next February
1-16.
Four weeks ago our cruise announcement
was published in
the Liberator Online (the email newsletter of the Advocates
for
Self-Government).
That means another 57,000 libertarians
will be looking into this event. The LP
NEWS shared our
contact information in the most recent newsletter so
another
40,000 subscribers can find out about our fun and fellowship.
We already have 10 cruisers booked from CA, IN, and MI.
I hope you will be able to join us too!
With this update I'll begin two regular
features;
"frequently asked questions" and "a day on the MS Statendam"
(an
abbreviated log of the weeks on the ship).
Question 1. What travel documents
do I need to travel with the
ms
Statendam? For U.S. citizens, a passport is best,
but not
required. An official (raised seal) birth certificate
and photo
driver's license will do. As security measures
change, so may
the cruise line requirements. A passport will always
be safest.
Question 2. Will I get sea
sick? Although this is a very individual
problem, it is remarkably rare on a ship this size.
Unless you get
motion sickness riding in the front seat of an automobile,
you will
do fine on a Cruise on this size ship. Of my 94
days at sea, only
one was rough enough to lead me to take an anti-nausea
pill.
With that, I had no problem. I enjoy cruising without
a worry,
even though I consider myself quite sensitive to motion.
(I HAVE
become ill after small boat fishing, riding in the back
of a van, or
when reading in a car, so don't join me for those activities.)
:-)
Don't wait for me to answer your question
in this feature. Send
me an e-mail with your question. I'll send you
a personal response
and it will help me address other's similar questions
in this forum.
Both the Fly Cruise Plan and the Transfers
mentioned below are
described in the Holland America Hawaii Brochure.
When you book,
let me know of any "add-ons" you'd like.
DAY ONE ON THE MS STATENDAM
If you fly into the San Diego airport
on the Fly Cruise Plan (or
purchase a Transfer for those making their own flight
arrangements)
a Holland America Employee will greet you at your gate
and direct
you to a waiting bus. Your checked luggage will
be handled for you
and appear at your cabin this evening.
As you arrive at the San Diego pier,
the size of the many cruise
ships becomes apparent. Several HUGE ships are
in line at their
companies' terminals. There is electricity in the
air as you step up
to present your boarding documents to the Holland America
personnel
at the boarding desk, traverse the gangway and board
the MS STATENDAM.
As you enter the ship, you find yourself
five floors up on the
Promenade Deck with an open atrium. It reminds
me of the lobby
of a Hyatt Regency Hotel. A white gloved attendant
welcomes you
aboard and directs you to your cabin. Once there,
you'll find it
spotless and ready to explore. The steward for
your room will stop
by to introduce himself. He will become a good
friend during the
next fifteen days, working very hard to please you.
After "muster" (a lifeboat drill) you'll
join most passengers on
the sports deck to enjoy a "sail away" party and watch
the ships and
port as you cast off and head out to begin your vacation.
Then it's
time to meet and greet your fellow cruisers at our group's
private
cocktail party. An open bar, hot and cold Canapés
and friendly
libertarians make this a great beginning for our vacation.
Then on
to the dinning room for the first of many gourmet meals.
You'll meet
your server and his assistant when you get to your table.
They'll
pamper you at every meal and leave you wondering how
they do this
12 hours a day, seven days a week and still remain so
cheerful.
Dinners become a get-together for you
and your friends to
share the day's events after everyone "does their own
thing" each day.
If you've requested a table for two, each evening becomes
a private
renewal of the relationship you've come aboard to celebrate.
Each
night after dinner you'll be able to enjoy a stage show,
the casino,
the midnight buffet, late night dancing and more!
Next update will include DAY TWO ON
THE MS STATENDAM.
Please plan to join us. Unfilled staterooms in
our reserved group
of staterooms will be released next month, so make your
reservation
before the end of next week! Send me an email request
and I'll
email you the booking form prompting all the needed information.
Cheers!
Ken
P.S. If you have any friends or family who might
enjoy receiving
these "Cruise Updates", please have them email me with
their preferred
email address.