TONY Archbold, sales extraordinaire Australia
for Holland America Line and Seabourn returns
for one more column where he answers some
of the queries put to Cruise Weekly this week.
Could you shed any light on the considerations
that go into the naming of a new ship?
Traditionally, Holland America Line has chosen
ship names that reflect our rich history. This is
why you will see ships such as the Rotterdam,
which is the sixth ship with this name. Many
of the names of our ships have been used in
the past and often reflect a connection to
Dutch cities, regions or rivers. Take the Nieuw
Amsterdam for example. It has been used in
the past and reflects the original name for
New York. In the recent past, though, we have
evolved with ship names and conducted name
searches and contests. Eurodam is a name that
reflects this approach. It was selected from
several nominations for the name and reflects
a nod to our roots but also to our global reach.
And finally, a name must be relatively easy to
pronounce for as a many as possible in Dutch
and in English. We have not yet determined
the name of our new ship, due in February
2016. But I’m certain that when we do, it will
reflect well on our tradition and roots and I will
be able to pronounce it the first time.
What policies, procedures or flexibilities
are in place to cater for those who may not
necessarily take to the nightly menu offerings?
For both Seabourn and Holland America Line,
our culinary offerings are an essential and
highly acknowledged part of the experience
for our guests. We take creation and delivery
of our menus very seriously and call upon a
selection of great chefs from around the world
to assist us in formulating menus that are
highly appealing to a wide range of tastes. We
have our Culinary Council, on which a selection
of fine, highly regarded chefs meet to create
our menus under the highly experienced and
much rewarded Master Chef Rudi Sodamin.
However, we are always aware that taste is
a highly personal thing. Along with taste, we
also have to take into consideration issues
concerning allergies and medical requirements
so we seek to be as flexible as possible to meet
these needs. We always appreciate advance
knowledge of specific needs especially
where medical requirements require specific
approaches. However, even at the table our
waiters can assist by communicating specific
Cruise Weekly extends its sincere thanks
to Tony for his recent contributions
