This report is for the most dedicated readers on Sawatdee, since itтАЩs off in the hinterlands of the Any Other Country forum, but for those of you who are willing to venture out past the borders of the Land of Smiles IтАЩd heartily recommend a sail someplace on one of the ships of Holland America.

This was the ship at dock in Honolulu.



I took a round-trip on it last month from California to Hawaii -- along with 650 some-odd crew members, 99% of them Indonesian or Filipino males. OK, not just me... I had to share them with another 1,400 passengers, but most of them didnтАЩt seem to give the crew a second glance, as long as they had their drinks delivered, their food served and their little chocolates in place next to the folded towel animals on their evening beds.



The crew themselves were gracious, pleasant and unfailingly willing to please, from the front desk guysтАж



тАжto the dining room hostsтАж



тАжto the buffet wait staff and bus staffтАж



тАжto the dishwashers, w-a-y back in the scullery.



As anyone who reads my posts know I tend to wander off the usual trail. The galley, crew areas and such are often interesting to me, and I appreciate a view other than the тАЬapproved tourтАЭ ones just as often as I can finagle my way into them. HereтАЩs one of the shipтАЩs entertainers, posing while showing me around backstage of the huge evening entertainment showroom:



My favorites were the stewards in the formal dining room. Since they spoke the most fluent English, I could joke around and have fun with them the easiest. Most had a wonderful sense of humor and likewise a sense of тАЬsanookтАЭ as lively as the Thai.



Although there were strict rules about the crew mixing with the passengers away from their regular assigned areas (you couldnтАЩt invite a new friend to your cabin or out to one of the other areas for a drink, for example) they were free to do as they wished when on liberty in port.



It was two weeks of total relaxation while being pampered by the staff of the ship. For those willing to try something different, I certainly recommend it.



Similar Threads: