Sinterklaas Surprises Eurodam’s Crew

The Eurodam must have some pretty amazing crew and Sinterklaas must have some great “deckies” on board his steamship! Before arriving in The Netherlands for December the Fifth, Sinterklaas and his two Zwarte Piets made a detour to the Caribbean to visit the Eurodam!

It was a shock to everybody! As our crew were sitting in the Officers Bar on what we thought was just another set back night at sea, we were surprised when Sinterklaas and his two helpers walked in. They came bearing traditional candies and gifts in all different shapes, sizes and … even lights. Sinterklaas pulled up a chair, and what a sight to see a Dutch Sinterklaas surrounded by the Eurodam’s Irish-themed Officer’s Bar.

The chief engineer and Sinterklaas.

Sinterklaas called each crewmember up one by one to sit on his lap while his two helpers handed them a gift. Each gift was accompanied by a poem, and Sinterklaas seemed to know even the tiniest details about everybody! Even Chief Engineer Frank De Vries took a turn sitting on Sinterklaas’s lap to receive a gift. It was quite the celebration, as everybody laughed and sang traditional Sinterklaas songs and feasted on candies and snacks. It was a great way for all of us to spend some time together.

Sinterklaas and his two Zwarte Piets only stayed on board for a few hours, as the three of them boarded their steamship in super-pursuit mode later that night to make it back to Europe in time for the December the Fifth celebrations.

Thank you Sinterklaas!!!

Happy Feast of Sinterklaas!

Willem Hooykaas of Ontario, Canada, sent us this question: We are coming on the Nov. 29 sailing [on Eurodam] with our daughter. Will St. Nicholaas Day be celebrated on Dec 5, our last day on board? If so what are the plans?

Eurodam’s Dutch Hotel Manager Stan Kuppens (who should know) took the time to explain the intricacies of the Christmas season in Holland:

The official Dutch name is Sinterklaas. As the U.S. guests don’t really know and understand this celebration, we normally keep it to the crew. We do have the “sint” and “piet” costumes on board and will have our evening get-together on December 5 in the crew area. On that day, we also present a little surprise plate to our Dutch guests.

The Feast of Sinterklaas, or St. Nicholas, is an annual event which has been uniquely Dutch and Flemish for centuries. St. Nicholas’ Feast Day, December 6, is observed in most Roman Catholic countries primarily as a feast for small children. But it is only in the Low Countries — especially in the Netherlands — that the eve of his feast day (December 5) is celebrated nationwide by young and old, Christian and non-Christian, and without any religious overtones.

Although Sinterklaas is always portrayed in the vestments of the bishop he once was, his status as a canonized saint has had little to do with the way the Dutch think of him. Rather, he is a kind of benevolent old man, whose feast day is observed by exchanging gifts and making good-natured fun of each other.

The legend of St. Nicholas actually is based on historical fact. He lived from 271 A.D. to December 6, 342 or 343. His fourth-century tomb in the town of Myra, near the city of Anatolia in present-day Turkey, has even been excavated by archaeologists.

This is his story:
Born of a wealthy family, Nicholas was brought up as a devout Christian. When his parents died during an epidemic, he distributed his wealth among the poor and became a priest.

Later he became Archbishop of Myra, and the fame of his good deeds began to spread across the Mediterranean. Desperate sailors who called upon the Good Bishop to calm stormy seas were heard; prison walls crumbled when victims of persecution prayed to him. He saved young children from the butcher’s knife and dropped dowries into the shoes of penniless maidens.

Over time St. Nicholas became the patron saint of sailors and merchants, and especially of children. After his death, the cult of St. Nicholas spread rapidly via southern Italy, throughout the rest of the Mediterranean and eventually to coastal towns along the Atlantic Ocean and North Sea.

In the 12th and 13th centuries, Holland built 23 churches dedicated to St. Nicholas, many of which still stand. Amsterdam adopted St. Nicholas as its patron saint, and Rome decreed that December 6, the anniversary of his death, should be his official Feast Day.

St. Nicholas’ strong influence in the Low Countries — a region heavily engaged in trade and navigation — was due to his role as patron of sailors and merchants. However, his fame as protector of children eventually took precedence.

In the 14th century, choir boys of St. Nicholas churches were given some money and the day off on December 6. Somewhat later, the pupils of convent schools would be rewarded or punished by a monk dressed up as the Good Bishop, with his long white beard, his red mantle and mitre (bishop’s hat) and his golden crosier (bishop’s staff) — just as he is still presented today.

All Dutch children know that Sinterklaas (the name is a corruption of Sint Nikolaas) lives in Spain. Exactly why is a mystery, but that is what all the old songs and nursery rhymes say. Whatever the case, in Spain he spends most of the year recording the behavior of all children in a big red book, while his helper Black Peter stocks up on presents for December 5.

In the first weeks of November, Sinterklaas gets on his white horse, Peter (”Piet”) swings a huge sack full of gifts over his shoulder, and the three of them board a steamship headed for the Netherlands. Around mid-November they arrive in a harbor town — a different one every year — where they are formally greeted by the mayor and a delegation of citizens. Their parade through town is watched live on television by the whole country and marks the beginning of the “Sinterklaas Season.”

The old bishop and his helpmate are suddenly everywhere at once. At night they ride across Holland’s rooftops and Sinterklaas listens through the chimneys to check on children’s behavior. Piet jumps down the chimney flues and makes sure that the carrot or hay the children have left for the horse in their shoes by the fireplace is exchanged for a small gift or some candy. During the day, Sinterklaas and Piet are even busier, visiting schools, hospitals, department stores, restaurants, offices and many private homes. Piet rings doorbells, scatters sweets through the slightly opened doors and leaves baskets of presents by the front door.

How do they manage to be all over the Netherlands at once? Thanks to the so-called “hulp-Sinterklazen,” or Sinterklaas helpers, who dress up like the bishop and Black Peter and help them perform their duties. Children who become wise to these simultaneous “Sint-sightings” are told that since Sinterklaas cannot indeed be in two places at once, he gets a little help from his non-canonized friends.

The Dutch are busy too — shopping for, and more importantly, making presents. Tradition demands that all packages be camouflaged in some imaginative way, and that every gift be accompanied by a poem. This is the essence of Sinterklaas: lots of fun on a day when people are not only allowed, but expected, to make fun of each other in a friendly way. Children, parents, teachers, employers and employees, friends and co-workers tease each other and make fun of each others’ habits and mannerisms.

Another part of the fun is how presents are hidden or disguised. Recipients often have to go on a treasure hunt all over the house, aided by hints, to look for them. They must be prepared to dig their gifts out of the potato bin, to find them in a jello pudding, in a glove filled with wet sand, in some crazy dummy or doll. Working hard for your presents and working even harder to think up other peoples’ presents and get them ready is what the fun is all about.

The original poem accompanying each present is another old custom and a particularly challenging one. Here the author has a field day with his subject (the recipient of the gift). Foibles, love interests, embarrassing incidents, funny habits and well-kept secrets all are fair game. The recipient, who is the butt of the joke, has to open the package in public and read the poem aloud amid general hilarity. The giver is supposed to remain anonymous because technically, all presents come from Sinterklaas, and recipients say out loud, “Thank you, Sinterklaas!” even if they no longer believe in him.

Toward December 5, St. Nicholas poems pop up everywhere in the Netherlands — in the press, in school, at work and in both Houses of Parliament.

On the fifth most places of business close earlier than usual. The Dutch head home to a table laden with the same traditional sweets and baked goods eaten for the feast of St. Nicholas as depicted in the 17th-century paintings of the Old Masters.

Early in the evening sweets are eaten while those gathered take turns unwrapping their gifts and reading their poems out loud so that everyone can enjoy the impact of the surprise. The emphasis is on originality and personal effort rather than the cost of the gift, which is one reason why Sinterklaas is such a delightful event for young and old alike.

Dutch settlers brought the tradition of St. Nicholas over to New Amsterdam (New York) in the USA.

Thijs is Back!

Eurodam Hotel Manager Stan Kuppens and his son, Thijs.

You might remember and saw the picture on the blog that my son Thijs was born in Venice Feb. 29, 2008, while we were building the Eurodam. When we left Italy on June 20, I had to say goodbye to Thijs because it would be too much of a risk having such a young baby on board.

After spending his first months of his life at home, he has now returned to the Eurodam … and guess what, he can already stand … OK, with a little help from his daddy!

Thijs is a real joy. As you have seen him in his first picture on the blog where he was smiling, he is still doing the same now.

Thijs is one happy boy with so much joy in his life … and he enjoys every bit of it to be on the ship that he saw being built in his town … Venice!

Eurodam’s Crew Belts Out the Ballads

Melissa Searle, Eurodam’s crew purser, sent us this story and photo:

Eurodam’s songbirds, from left, Jeffrey, Meyssi, Agung and Edhy.

The Eurodam hosted a Crew Karaoke Elimination Round in October 2008. Eight very talented crewmembers were selected to participate in the semi-finals, which took place Nov. 6 in the Queen’s Lounge. The house was so packed with crew and passengers that it turned into standing room only. The crowd went crazy for our eight contestants.

It was a very difficult decision, however, the judging panel had to pick four of the eight singers to go on to the finals. The finals were held Nov. 26 in our Main Show Lounge. It didn’t take long for the lounge to fill up with screaming fans, as our crew came one by one to amaze the crowd with their singing talent.

The four finalists consisted of Agung from the housekeeping department, Meyssi from the Pinnacle Grill, Jeffrey from the engine department and Edhy from the deck department. They were each required to sing two songs, and our panel of judges narrowed the four finalists down into first-, second-, third- and fourth-place winners.

It was a very difficult task for our judging panel, as all four contestants were absolutely amazing! The Eurodam is extremely proud of the talent we have on board, not only in our crewmembers’ work ethics and capabilities, but also in their personal talents.

We congratulate all four of our finalists. The results from the competition are below:

First Place: Agung (Lead Cabin Steward) — singing “Hello” by Lionel Richie and “I Love You” by Stevie Wonder.

Second Place: Jeffrey (Garbage Foreman) — singing “The Way It Used to Be by Engelbert Humperdinck and “Suspicious Minds” by Elvis Presley.

Third Place: Meyssi (Pinnacle Grill Stewardess) — singing “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” by Lauren Hill.

Fourth Place: Edhy (Boatman) — singing “Heaven” by Bryan Adams and “Another Day in Paradise” by Phil Collins.

Symbol of Friendship on Grand Turk

Captain Mercer sent us this picture from Grand Turk of Friendship 7, astronaut John Glenn’s space capsule from the Mercury Space Program. Glenn, the first American to orbit earth, splashed down in Grand Turk waters Feb. 20, 1962 — back in the days when spacecraft returned to earth via parachute. In those days Grand Turk had a strong NASA and Air Force presence and he was brought to the island for a medical checkup and post flight debriefing.

In the early years of the space program Grand Turk was a major missile and space tracking station supporting the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs. Glenn’s three orbits of the earth were tracked from Grand Turk, and information was sent to Cape Canaveral, Fla. The Grand Turk Island tracking station officially closed down Feb. 29, 1984, becoming obsolete due to advances in space technology — something the station actually helped to achieve — and was replaced by data-gathering satellites.

Although Eurodam was supposed to call at Grand Turk today, we just heard from Captain Mercer that the ship was unable to dock there due to 40-knot-plus winds and a Force 8 gale.

Photo courtesy of Jonathan Mercer

Halloween at the van Donselaars

Our vacation is all about Jeroen tackling “The Honey-Do List,” as Captain Mercer calls it. These are all of the retrofit home enhancements that need to be done in the house but not necessarily all projects are at the request of “the honey.”

Moreover, in a house less than a year old, we are attempting to get it ready for the Dutch family members that are flying over for Christmas. I am so fortunate that Jeroen is not only a navigator, he is the electrician, the plumber, the tile setter and the IT techie with about five projects going on simultaneously.

Jeroen took a break from his tools to help with a project that was not on his Honey-Do List and not something that he was overly excited about, unlike myself. Carving pumpkins has always been a fun family project for me growing up, but for a Dutchman who has hardly ever carved pumpkins, the thought of removing pumpkins seeds and stringy pumpkin guts was not his idea of a fun pre-Halloween evening.

I started carving using a traditional knife, cutting out the top, then the eyes, etc. Then I heard what sounded like a drill noise coming up from the basement and becoming louder as he approached upstairs where I was pumpkin carving. With a revving electric drill in hand he started to “drill-carve” his own unique pumpkins! I exclaimed he was a “cheater,” albeit I have to admit it was far less arduous than my manual work and safer, too, as six small knife cuts on my hands testified.

When we finished carving and drilling, we placed the finished jack-o-lanterns on the front porch and lit them up with flameless candles that have the same effect as real candles, flickering and all. They were quite a hit with the trick-or-treaters and the neighborhood kids.

As a Dutchman living in the U.S., and celebrating traditions he is not accustomed to, I really admire Jeroen for approaching our strange customs with his Dutch gusto and his American drill!

Jan van Laer’s Long History with HAL

Jan van Laer recently sent us this story via e-mail:

Jan and Janet van Laer

I watched the christening ceremony with great interest. It was very nicely done.

I have a warm spot in my heart for the Holland America Line, going back almost 80 years. In 1931 our family sailed on a HAL vessel from Holland to America to our new home in Yonkers, N.Y. I don’t remember much about this trip, but, if memory serves me right, I believe the captain’s name was Bijl.

Thereafter, we returned on Holland America Line vessels every two or three years until the war came and interrupted those visits.

In June of 1950 I met my future wife, Janet, on board the Veendam. She boarded at Southampton on our trip to Holland and was a guest of Mrs. van den Toorn, the wife of the then president of HAL. We had dinner with them that night. This was right around the time the U.S. entered the Korean War. We married the following year.

In the summer 1960 we again sailed via HAL to Holland to attend the 60th wedding anniversary of my mother’s parents. In 1989 we cruised aboard the New Amsterdam to Alaska, taking our son and daughter-in-law with us.

This coming November we have signed up for a Thanksgiving cruise aboard the Eurodam and are taking our son, Eric, daughter-in-law Stella, and grandson Piet, along with us. Needless to say, we are looking forward to this trip with great pleasure.

The van Laers live in a retirement community in Florida where Holland America Line is promoting the Thanksgiving sailing, so there’s a good chance that they will be surrounded by both family and friends on their holiday cruise.

If you have a Holland America Line story or memory you would like to share with our readers, send us an e-mail and photo to roland@eurodamnews.com.