Thank you, Veendam Duck Crew

ShipMaven

ShipMaven

Forever Remembered
Today is the last sea day before the Duck Crew and Veendam arrive back in NYC tomorrow morning.

Welcome home to all the Ducks - no more DIT's, only Ducks. I hope you enjoyed yourselves - and especially those who just experienced their first Ducky cruise.

I dearly missed being with all of you - and seeing you, Lisa63, in NYC. Fortunately (huh???) the hospital stay kept me busy with IV infusions day and night, labs, vitals, etc. at all times of the day and night so I couldn't simply cry my heart out.

Thank you to those who telephoned me from NYC and Bermuda, and who sent emails. They were greatly appreciated.

A special and very grateful thanks to Judi and Mal D. who took over in my behalf at a moment's notice. You've been special friends for many years, and you certainly outdid yourselves.

Thanks to my first-timers who booked with us, and to those who did onboard bookings, particularly for our Amsterdam-Alaska cruise next year. The numbers for Alaska keep growing and growing!

{{{HUGS}}} and QUACKS,

Mary Ann
 
jk

jk

Staff Captain
Mary Ann, Mama Duck,
i am so sorry that you were not on the cruise with. You were so very much missed. The only thing that could have made this th
 
jk

jk

Staff Captain
Mary Ann, Mama Duck,
i am so sorry that you were not on the cruise with. You were so very
much missed. The only thing that could have made this cruise perfect was to have you with us. I truly appreciate all of your hard work that went into planning the cruise. I can honestly say that this was my best cruise EVER! I am honored to now be known as a Duck. What a wonderful group of people. Everyone got along great and no one was left out of anything. I know that I have made some new lifelong friends and can't wait to cruise with the Ducks again. Thanks again for a wonderful cruise. We missed you and hope you are feeling better soon.
 
Jeanie

Jeanie

Staff Captain
Maryann
Thank you for everything, we had such a wonderful time. Very disappointed that we did not get to me you but understand your health comes first.
 
Maisyboo

Maisyboo

Lecturer
DITTO to what JK and Jeanie said.(by the way both great ladies enjoyed meeting you both)
Mama duck so sorry you were unable to go.Everyone really missed you.
Maybe we can meet on the Alaska cruise :banana:
 
E

earl_m

Social Host
Mary Ann! we had a great cruise,wish you were there. and thank you for all the extra goodies, I am ready for next year!!!!
 
bostongal

bostongal

Staff Captain
Mary Ann - Thank you and all the Ducks for a really unforgettable cruise! We were sorry you were not with us and cannot thank you enough for all that you did for us.

We look forward to next year and Alaska with you!

Meg & Marty
 
ShipMaven

ShipMaven

Forever Remembered
Thank you all so much.

Actually, I've been trying to avoid this thread for several days. It was a true heartbreak to miss this Duck Crew cruise and not see old friends and meet all the DITs.

Many of you are on the Amsterdam Alaska cruise next year, and we have quite a few more in addition. I'll raise a toast to that! :cheer:

Many are still talking Circle Hawai'i in 2013. HAL still hasn't announced their itineraries yet, so I'm waiting and then making comparisons between HAL and Princess. But Holland America DOES currently have one itinerary that includes Kona, a late departure from Lahaina and an overnight (2 days) in Honolulu - I'm keeping my eye open for that.
 
JacquieP

JacquieP

Staff Captain
Never fear Mama Duck! You're stuck with many of us forever, so you'll have lots of opportunities to meet the Duckies you missed on the cruise. I'm sure it was a heartbreaker for you to miss this one.
 
ShipMaven

ShipMaven

Forever Remembered
JacquieP said:
Never fear Mama Duck! You're stuck with many of us forever, so you'll have lots of opportunities to meet the Duckies you missed on the cruise. I'm sure it was a heartbreaker for you to miss this one.
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And Mama Duck intends to keep her protective wings over her Ducklings for years to come. That's why she's being extra cautious in following doctor's orders to recover from this illness. Yes, I was in tears missing this one that had been planned for such a long time.
 
E

earl_m

Social Host
We are looking forward 2013 when you tell us about cruising to Hawaii, What ever ship you select would
be fine with us!!!
 
ShipMaven

ShipMaven

Forever Remembered
Earl - As soon as I have satisfactory information on 2013 Hawai'i cruises, I promise to let you know details.

Jennifer - we have people sailing in Europe all the time "in season", but the Ducks haven't planned any group cruises there. Who knows, Funnel may change some people's minds! (JUST KIDDING!!)

River cruises are increasingly popular, but as Earl said, very different from traditional cruising. Very port-intensive and you're on the go from morning until evening sightseeing. Usually, the per diems are higher than those on traditional cruise ships, but you're visiting the countries from a totally different perspective. It's also very important to choose the right river boat - those geared towards Americans normally prohibit smoking except on deck whereas others permit smoking on board.
 
ShipMaven

ShipMaven

Forever Remembered
Ahh, my dear Calgon. With all the European river cruising venues, we would need far more than simply la langue française .

The only trouble is that "Canard à l'orange" is a popular dish - I could be accused of cannibalism suggesting a Duck Crew cruise in Europe, much as I personally would love it. :whistle:
 
ShipMaven

ShipMaven

Forever Remembered
earl_m said:
je déteste de longs tours d'avion
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Ni moi non plus!

And for those who would like a translation, Earl stated that he has no desire to visit or cruise in Europe because he detests long airline flights.

My reply ("neither do I") refers to the last statement of detesting long flights.
 
ShipMaven

ShipMaven

Forever Remembered
earl_m said:
I am curious! Is There is a season to cruise to Hawaii or is it year round!!!
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From the "Mainland" (Vancouver or west coast of USA), cruises normally run from mid/late September through April or early May. The ships are in Alaska during the summer, otherwise there's really no reason why they could not operate year-round from the Mainland. Although many don't care, December and January are considered the rainy season in the Islands with rough seas (heavy swells) that create the high surf for surfers (Banzai Pipeline on Oah'u).

NCLA (Norwegian Cruise Line America) operates 7-day cruises year-round in the Islands.
 
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