by Joe Koshuta, TravelPage.com
January 1, 2000 - Happy New Year from on board m/s Volendam:
At the stroke of midnight, the ship's horn let out a mighty blast and the night sky was filled with fireworks and lots of confetti. The band played Auld Lang Syne, champagne corks popped and everyone ran around hugging each other shouting Happy New Year. In the Atrium, a special recorded version of Dick Clark's rockin' New Years Eve was played but I'm not sure how many people saw that since everyone seemed to be up on the Lido Deck.
It was nice to see passengers of all ages participating in the event. The ages ranged from children under a year to a gentleman who was 102 - quite a range. Party hats, streamers and noise makers had been handed out throughout the evening and everyone looked appropriately silly for the big event. The ship was decked out with strings of lights and the crew had done a good job of transforming the lido pool area into a big dance floor with the number 2000 floating in the pool. The "2" was broken in half when I passed the pool at 12:30 so I guess someone must have jumped in to mark the big event.
The party continued well into the morning and the band was just starting up another set when we retired around 1:30 AM. The clock's were set back an hour as we headed towards Cozumel which is yet another benefit to celebrating the New Year at sea - you get an extra hour to ease into it. Too bad they didn't change the clocks at midnight as we could have celebrated the big event all over again.
For those of you interested in Y2K issues, life at sea was about as uneventful as it appears to have been at home. During the Captain's cocktail party last night he mentioned that the dreaded 7:00 PM EST (12 Midnight Greenwhich Time) had passed a half hour earlier and everything was continuing to work just fine. We did have a bit of a chuckle though as we were sitting at the Ocean Bar right at 7:00 PM and the bartender could not get the computer to work. She ended up writing up the tab by hand.
This morning began with breakfast in bed and as we are at sea all day, I plan to make as relaxing a day as possible. I hope all of you had a great evening last night.
Check back later for updates or click here to learn more about Holland America's Fleet.
| VACATION & CRUISE SPECIALS
|
Check out these great deals from CruisePage.com
|
| Carnival - 4-Day Bahamas from $229 per person
|
|
Description: |
Enjoy a wonderful 3 Day cruise to the fun-loving playground of Nassau, Bahamas. Discover Nassau, the capital city as well as the cultural, commercial and financial heart of the Bahamas. Meet the Atlantic Southern Stingrays, the guardians of Blackbeard's treasure.
|
| NCL - Bermuda - 7 Day from $499 per person
|
|
Description: |
What a charming little chain of islands. Walk on pink sand beaches. Swim and snorkel in turquoise seas. Take in the historical sights. They're stoically British and very quaint. Or explore the coral reefs. You can get to them by boat or propelled by fins. You pick. Freestyle Cruising doesn't tell you where to go or what to do. Sure, you can plan ahead, or decide once onboard. After all, it's your vacation. There are no deadlines or must do's.
|
| Royal Caribbean - Bahamas Getaway from $129 per person
|
|
Description: |
Experience the beautiful ports of Nassau and Royal Caribbean's private island - CocoCay on a 3-night Weekend Getaway to the Bahamas. Absorb everything island life has to offer as you snorkel with the stingrays, parasail above the serene blue waters and walk the endless white sand beaches. From Miami.
|
| Holland America - Eastern Caribbean from From $599 per person
|
|
Description: |
White sand, black sand, talcum soft or shell strewn, the beaches of the Eastern Caribbean invite you to swim, snorkel or simply relax. For shoppers, there's duty-free St. Thomas, the Straw Market in Nassau, French perfume and Dutch chocolates on St. Maarten. For history buffs, the fascinating fusion of Caribbean, Latin and European cultures. For everyone, a day spent on HAL's award winning private island Half Moon Cay.
|
| Celebrity - 7-Night Western Mediterranean from $549 per person
|
|
Description: |
For centuries people have traveled to Europe to see magnificent ruins, art treasures and natural wonders. And the best way to do so is by cruise ship. Think of it - you pack and unpack only once. No wasted time searching for hotels and negotiating train stations. Instead, you arrive at romantic ports of call relaxed, refreshed and ready to take on the world.
|