Classmates,
The USNA Class of 1978 Caribbean Cruise is all set. You can now make your reservations by calling our Personal Cruise Consultant, Ian Phares, at 800-355-3017 ext. 29322. We will cruise on Holland America’s ship ms Nieuw Statendam departing Fort Lauderdale February 9, 2020. Our itinerary includes port calls at Half Moon Cay, Bahamas; Falmouth, Jamaica; Georgetown, Cayman Islands; and, Cozumel, Mexico, before returning to Fort Lauderdale on February 16, 2020. You can find all the details in the attached flyer.
When you are ready, call our Personal Cruise Consultant and Ian will assist you in choosing the accommodations that best suit you. The flyer gives you an idea of the price range and this link https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/cruise-ships/ms-nieuw-statendam/0.html will show what the cabins look like and provide deck plans to help you choose your cabin. Recommend you access this link while talking with the Cruise Consultant so you can view the deck plans while he discusses different types of cabins. Ian will quote you a price which will include all taxes, fees, and port expenses. If you are not sure these are included, just ask Ian.
Here are a couple of other things to consider: 1) alcohol is not included, and 2) a daily tip charge of approximately $15 per person per day will be added to your room bill.
I made my reservations last night and everything went smoothly. You will be asked to make a refundable deposit and final payment will be on November 26, 2019. If Ian is not available when you call, leave him a message and he will call you back. Just tell him you are calling about the USNA Class of ’78 cruise. He lives in Seattle which may help you time your call.
If you would like to make airline reservations and/or hotel reservations pre or post cruise, Ian can offer you discounted reservations. This is optional as many of us may prefer to use airline and hotel reward points.
Bill Burke has arranged an Embarkation Cocktail Party and several group dinners for our enjoyment. Our dining plan is “As You Wish” so you can join us for the class events or make other dining plans if you desire.
I am glad to answer any of your questions, but if it is a question specific about the cruise, please give our Cruise Consultant a call.
Thanks to Bill for setting this up for us.
Finally, here is a link to a Miami Herald newspaper article about the ship:
Traditionalists won’t recognize this historic cruise line — and that’s the idea
Fair winds…
Glen
Glen Woods
President, USNA Class of 1978
the ms Nieuw Statendam – Schedule
Date – Port – Arrive – Depart
Feb 9 – Fort Lauderdale – 5:00pm
Feb 10 – Half Moon Cay – 8:00am – 4:00pm
Feb 11 – At Sea
Feb 12 – Falmouth – 8:00am – 5:00pm
Feb 13 – Georgetown – 8:00am – 4:00pm
Feb 14 – Cozumel – 11:00am – 11:00pm
Feb 15 – At Sea
Feb 16 – Fort Lauderdale – 7:00am