It’s always interesting to meet fellow passengers on a cruise. I learned that on the first cruise I took as a young teacher while on a six-week European tour in 1976. Since then my husband, Carl, and I have been on several cruises in various countries and on different lines. During that time we have established deep friendships with new cruise buddies. We’ve met passengers from England, Australia, and South Africa with whom we have kept in touch. We have visited our British friends several times in England, and they have been guests in our home.
Our first Holland America cruise was in October 2022 on the Nieuw Statendam, when we sailed from Quebec City to Fort Lauderdale. Recently we did the reverse, starting in Fort Lauderdale on the Holland America Zuiderdam. There were 1,857 passengers: 1,446 from the United States, 336 from Canada, and several from Europe, the United Kingdom, and Asia.
