- Captain Albert's Website and Blog -

Ocean Liner History and Stories from the Sea, Past and Present. With an In Depth focus on Holland America Line

12 Dec. 2015; Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA.

Time to go home. I have been three months on the road and my “Senior Management” is eagerly waiting to see me again. I have been on the Westerdam for four weeks and before that on the Zuiderdam and on the Rotterdam. The last three weeks of the Westerdam visit was all about being a teacher, mentor and the “all knowing ships captain” with putting 5 new 3rd officers on the road towards a wonderful career with Holland America.

Two of the five already have an assignment and will go to the Amsterdam and the Rotterdam. The other three will return home and will wait to be slotted into the schedule on one of the ships. And that might even mean a return to the Westerdam. I know the ship will be happy to have them.

I will be home until the beginning of February depending on the fact that my schedule turns out to be as I have planned it for the moment. If so it will mean a three week period on the Maasdam which will include Brazil and the Amazon and then flying t Italy to help with the arrival of the Koningsdam. I will be there for 2 months so I hope to be able to give a day by day account of what it takes to get the “Koningsdam show on the road”.

But everything is very much subject to change and time will tell if it will go the way it has been planned.

Until that time my blogging will come to an end as I do not think a narration about me in the local supermarket is of much interest.

However you might want to check the blog/site after the holidays as I will start uploading the bios of the current captains in the fleet. I received permission to do so from the company in September and now I will have the time to start filling in the blanks.

I would like to thank all readers for their interest in my daily ramblings and hopefully it was found to be interesting and diverting.

Let me finish with the Christmas message wish which I normally read out on the stage when I am the “captain on the bridge and not the captain in the bar…….or in the training room”:

ON BEHALF OF HOLLAND AMERICA LINE, MY OFFICERS, STAFF AND CREW, I WISH YOU A HAPPY, SAFE AND PEACEFUL SAILING ON THE TURBULENT WATERS OF THIS WORLD, AND MAY YOUR FUTURE BE AS BRIGHT AS THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL.

 

The ms Westerdam Nautical Excellence Class.

The ms Westerdam Nautical Excellence Class.

17 Comments

  1. Captain Albert
    Merry Christmas to you and “Senior Management.”
    PS The new officers look so young!!
    Regards,
    Roger T

  2. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you, Capt. Albert!

  3. Raphael & Ferissa

    December 13, 2015 at 3:11 pm

    Dear Captain Albert,

    Thank you very very much for your super interesting blog, we enjoyed reading it everyday and we will be happy to continue to follow your blog after the holidays.
    We wish you happy holidays and a happy new year.
    Hope to be on one of Holland America beautiful ships in the near future.

    All the best,

    Ferissa & Raphael

  4. Have a great vac Kaptein!

  5. Robina Herrington

    December 13, 2015 at 4:59 pm

    Thank you very much for the last three months ( is it really?) of your remarkable blogs, you
    Really are very interesting and make really ordinary things so informative, facets that would never have occurred to me. Thank you again, have a good break, I know ‘Senior Management’, will Keep you on your toes! Have a really enjoyable break,

    HAPPY CHRISTMAS,
    AND A HEALTHY NEW YEAR.
    Best wishes Robina

  6. Tallulah and O.K. Bryant

    December 13, 2015 at 5:30 pm

    We always enjoy your daily updates and will look forward to your return. We enjoyed our dinner with you on the Ryndam back in February. Wishing you and Leslie a blessed Christmas and will look for you on another dam ship.

  7. Captain Albert,

    Once again many , many thanks for your wonderful daily blogs. You have certainly opened the eyes of your readers to all the backroom activities to keep all passengers and crew safe and happy while cruise the seven seas with HAL.

    I have noted that one of your class is joining Rotterdam and I hope I will have the pleasure of meeting him/her when I join Rotterdam in Dubai on 29 January.

    Looking forward to your blogs in the New Year and so until then:-

    I wish you and your family a Blessed Christmas, a Peaceful and Healthy New Year.

    Kind regards

    Ted Dixon

  8. G. E. "Robbie"Robinson

    December 14, 2015 at 9:21 am

    We’ve sailed with you twice while you were Captain on the Prinsendam. Completely enjoy following your blog and hope to cross paths with you again. My wife and I are 5 Starr members and really enjoy being at sea on a HAL ship.

    Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and your wife!

  9. It’s been a fun read everyday 🙂 I’m looking forward to your return to the blog! (especially since I will be dealing with post-Holiday cruise withdrawal then… 😉 ) I hope the schedule works out as planned, since it will be nice to read your blog and be a ‘fly on the wall’ during the Koningsdam preparations. Best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

  10. Vrolijk Kerstfeest voor u en uw familie en een fijne jaarwisseling met beste wensen voor 2016!
    Enjoy your holiday and we look forward to our cruise on the Koningsdam and your new blogs in 2016.

  11. Missed Career at Sea

    December 14, 2015 at 9:12 pm

    Comment to 11 Dec. 2015; Half Moon Cay, Bahamas.
    1st Try
    On 13 Dec 2015, 1527hrs PST
    2nd Try
    On 14 Dec 2015, 1809PST
    Captain, how time flies (again). You know for sure how I’ve always appreciated your blogs, learning at the start what all these stripes and “krulletjes toch betekenen” …
    Wishing you a good time off. Enjoy the festivities with Lesley and extended family and friends!
    The best compliment is well your “dream team” that responded to your enthusiasm and talents in teaching. Congratulations for sending a well-equipped new “batch” into the field (sorry, onto the seas!)

  12. Thank you captain for a wonderful insight into the training of HAL’s seagoing team. I look forward to learning more about the “maritime life” upon your return, and I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy & Healthy New Year!

  13. Missed Career at Sea

    December 15, 2015 at 7:02 pm

    3rd Try
    Captain, how time flies (again). You know for sure how I’ve always appreciated your blogs, learning at the start what all these stripes and “krulletjes toch betekenen” …

    Wishing you a good time off. Enjoy the festivities with Lesley and extended family and friends!

    The best compliment is well your “dream team” that responded to your enthusiasm and talents in teaching. Congratulations for sending a well-equipped new “batch” into the field (sorry, onto the seas!)

  14. Your blog is a great treat and a wonderful way to start my day…..Always interesting and informative. Thank you again for the work you do to share your sea life with us.

    MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND THE “BOSS”.

    Can’t wait to read about the Koningsdam.

    DFD

  15. Missed Career at Sea

    December 16, 2015 at 4:52 pm

    Thank you for helping out, Captain, to get this comment onto your blog!
    You know for sure how I’ve always appreciated your blogs, learning at the start what all these stripes and loops could mean …
    Wishing you a good time off. Enjoy the festivities with Lesley and extended family and friends!
    The best compliment is well your “dream team” that responded to your enthusiasm and talents in teaching. Congratulations for sending a well-equipped new “batch” into the field (sorry, onto the seas!)

  16. That Guy in Portland

    December 19, 2015 at 3:39 am

    Enjoy your time off Captain, and we look forward to you coming back soon. I really enjoy your blog, so very interesting.

    Merry Christmas and happy new year!

  17. Thank you so much for dropping in on the Cruise Crtic meeting on the Dec5 sailing of Westerdam.
    I will remeber it always as the highlite of my sailing journal.
    A Merry Christmas to you and yours and may our paths cross again!

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