About Holland
America Lines: Holland America's 11 ship fleet
blends old world traditions with modern amenities.
Carrying passengers since 1871, it is outstanding
service by a non-intrusive Indonesian and Filipino
staff that is the hallmark of this five-star cruise
line. HAL Treats travelers to a refined antique
furnishings, Rosenthal china at dinner, fine crystal
and fresh flowers throughout. A high level of service,
impeccable condition of ships, culinary excellence
at each meal and 25% larger cabins attracts experienced,
affluent travelers who come from all walks of life.
Cruise Locations
and Seasons: Caribbean, year-round; Panama Canal,
fall to spring; Alaska, Europe. Eastern Canada,
New England, Transatlantic, summer; Mexico, Hawaii,
spring and fall; South America, world cruise, winter.
Featured Ship:
ms Ryndam
Captain: James Russell-Dunford
Capacity: 1266 passengers Crew: 560
Shipboard
Life
Dress code: : Daily life is casual. Bring
comfortable shoes for touring, swimwear and light
layers for sporting activities.Evening dress falls
into three categories: (3) elegantly casual, (2)
informal and (2) formal.
Impressive art, sculpture and antiques are part
of the decor on board Holland's ships.
Dining on board:
Formal: Rotterdam Dining Room - Open seating for
breakfast and lunch, two seatings for dinner
Casual: Lido Restaurant
Snack: Terrace Grill
Room service: 24 hours
In addition to breakfast, lunch and five course
dinner there is afternoon tea; an outdoor buffet
bar featuring hamburgers and hot dogs; a taco bar
or pasta buffet; an ice cream bar; hot hors d'oeuvres
during the cocktail hours; an evening espresso or
cappuccino and the traditional late-night snack
(one of which is a Dutch Chocolate Extravaganza)
Lighter Fare: Each menu features an alternative
appetizer and entree for those who are watching
their waistlines. Lower in cholesterol, sodium and
calories, meals are balanced and flavorful.
Rotterdam Dining Room
Activities:
Fitness Program/Gym/Spa, tournaments, games, swimming,
bingo; Youth Program (Club Hal for kids and teens
ages 5-17) Crew Shows, Professional Music Productions,
Casino, Movie Theater, Reading Room.
One of the several pools
on boardthe M.S. Ryndam
Services on Board:
Beauty Salon, Ocean Spa, Massage, Stateroom with
international calling, CNN, Boutiques, Photographer,
laundry. Religious Services, abbreviated news reports.
Shore Excursions:
A myriad of touring opportunities for those who
choose to avail themselves.
Tips: On
Holland, tipping not required; crew cannot solicit
tips but is allowed to accept them. No gratuity
added to bar bills. Guidelines for other ships in
the same category are: $3-$3.50 per day for your
dining steward and similar amount for your cabin
attendant.
Itinerary :
Western Caribbean -
FT. LAUDERDALE. Half Moon Cay, Bahamas
At Sea
Grand Cayman
Playa del Carmen, ( Chichen Itza, Tulum options)
Cozumel
At Sea
Key West, FT. LAUDERDALE
Length of cruise:
7 nights
Half Moon Cay,
Bahamas: In 1997 HAL bought the uninhabited
2,400-acre Bahamian island of Little San Salvador
creating a private beach oasis equipped with lounge
chairs, umbrellas, public facilities and al fresco
dining. A variety of available watersports include
boating, snorkeling, diving, fishing, parasailing.
Decadent beachside massage is also an option.
Grand Cayman:
Located directly south of Cuba and west-northwest
of Jamaica, Grand Cayman measures 76 square miles;
it is about 22 miles long and 8 miles wide at its
broadest point. The Cayman Islands remain on Eastern
Standard Time all year long. Home to approximately
30,000 people, the official language of the Cayman
Islands is English. Sights: Diving: Grand
Cayman is one of the Caribbean's premier dive locations
for both snorkelers and scuba divers. Stingray
City: Located in Grand Cayman's North Sound,
this location has become famous for its stingrays,
which have been trained to eat out of your hand.
Cayman Turtle Farm: The world's only green
turtle hatchery. You'll see thousands of turtles
ranging in weight from a few ounces to 600 pounds.
Hell: Hell is a small village with unusual rock
formations allegedly named because one commissioner
said of it: "This must be what Hell looks like!"
Sending a postcard from the Hell post office with
its distinctive postmark is a favorite activity.
Beaches: Seven Mile Beach: The clean white
sands of the island's best-known beach stretch for
much of the length of the Grand Cayman's west coast.
Hotels, resorts and restaurants, punctuate this
area. Shopping: Grand Cayman is a duty free
port, watches, china, perfumes, leather, rum cakes
and liquor are at bargain prices.
Seven mile beach on Grand Cayman
Cozumel:
Lies 50 miles south of Cancun and about 12
miles from the coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.
Approximately 30 miles long and 9 miles wide, Cozumel
is on Central Standard time. A population of about
65,000 features Spanish as the official language,
with English spoken in most shops and restaurants.
Sights: Accessed by launch to Playa del Carmen
on the mainland, the ancient walled Mayan city
of Tulum is built on the seashore above a
towering cliff overlooking the crystal blue Caribbean
Sea. Sophisticated architecture, frescoes, pyramid
shaped castles offer visitors insight into history.
San Gervasio Ruins is a small Mayan archaeological
site on Cozumel. Coba Ruins ( in the depths
of the Caribbean Jungle and an 8 hour tour by motorcoach
through the Yucatan Peninsula feature pyramids,
ruins and rugged terrain). ChichenItza By
Air ( A 45 minute flight to the ruins and Pyramid
of Kukulcan a sacred city, founded in 432 AD,
of six square miles that contains hundreds of structures.)
Diving: Cozumel is world renown for it's
colorful undersea life beneath the waves. Snorkeling,
scuba diving and boat tours are plentiful. Beaches:
By taxi to Playa Sol Beach Club or Chankanaab
Lagoon where admission is $8. Local Cuisine:
Fresh fish and shellfish abound, as do typical Mexican
dishes dating back thousands of years. Among these
are "mole" a complicated sauce for chicken
made with more than 30 ingredients, and "pozole,"
a hearty dish made of whole hominy and either chicken
or pork in a spicy tomato broth. Shopping:
Duty free shops line the Malecon selling jewelry
made of shells, black coral, tortoise shell and
an assortment of crafts from all over Mexico particularly
silver and pottery. Nightlife: Casual, easy
going, San Miguel has nightclubs and bars
featuring Margarita's are a mainstay.
Key West: "The
Conch Republic" is the southernmost island
of the Florida Keys. It is approximately 2 miles
wide and 5 miles long. An English speaking population
of about 30,000 reside year round. Sights: The
Conch Tour Train is a series of open air cars
that travel a 14 mile route with a 60 minute narrated
tour. Depart from Front Street at Duval. The Old
Town Trolley picks up passengers at the ship and
covers all the highlights. Sights: The Mel Fisher
Maritime Heritage Museum, the Wrecker's Museum,
the Hemingway House, the Audobon Home and the Key
West Lighthouse. A popular photo spot is at
the marker signifying the Southernmost Point of
the United States. Beaches: The most popular
beach is Smathers Beach at the end of White
Street. Facilities here include a refreshment stand
and various watersport rentals. Shopping: Key
West Key Lime Shoppe, (key lime gourmet delicacies),
Cat House (for feline lovers) Del Sol
( t-shirts and accessories ) Key West Aloe
Factory (skin care products) Gaspara's Toy
Box, Key West Pearl Company, Wings of Imagination
(The butterfly and nature boutique) Tanzanite
International and Diamonds International Key West.
View of Key West from the ms Ryndam
Personal Commentary
by Bobbi P. Markowitz
As a comprehensive
vacation experience, cruising offers ultimate value.
With every amenity at your fingertips, there is
opportunity to do as much or as little as one pleases.
From gourmet dining to entertainment to touring,
the convenience of unpacking once as your five star
hotel (ship) travels with you is unsurpassed. Appealing
to singles, couples, families - people from all
walks of life, it's easy to see that once you've
experienced a cruise, you're hooked on the concept.
With venues the world over,cruising ensures a leisurely
vacation that encompasses all the comforts of home
with the adventure of seeing world renown places.
Holland America's low key, high caliber style is
consistently excellent, the reason for it's 125th
year in existence.
