I am not one for change, when I find something I like, I stick to it.   I loved my first cruise on The ms Rotterdam, Holland America Line’s flag ship.  It was my perfect fit, no need to ever try a different cruise line again.  That is until my second cruise on the Costa Atlantic

 

For the first half of my second cruise it was a challenge not to compare the ships.   They really are not the same product;  both are excellent, but designed to be completely different experiences.  The Atlantic is more of a good time ship, always something fun to do.  Rotterdam, for me at least, is more relaxing, restful, and classic. 

 

In the end I realized the significant differences came down to a few areas, the primary one was Holland America’s Frank “the Port Lecturer” Buckingham.  Frank really made my holiday experience special while on the Rotterdam. 

 

Every port Frank would give a lecture, you didn’t have to attend in person, because they were played on a loop on HAL TV, I would listen to the information on the next day’s port every night before bed.  His information was so thorough, it was often heard on shore excursions “but Port Lecture Frank said…” if there was a discrepancy between his information and the tour guides.

 

I was lucky enough to be with his group on a Shore Excursion in St. Petersburg to the Yusupov Palace.  Rasputin was murdered here, and Franks description of the events was more accurate and engaging then the tour guides.  It was one of the best nights of the cruise. 

 

In Stockholm he told me where to buy the best Pippi Longstocking Doll and that the best way to see the city was on the Hop-on-Hop-Off Boat. His advice made for one of my best port experiences.  

 

While sailing in and out of some ports he would, “blather on,” about what we were seeing over the loud speaker.  These were some of my favourite cruise moments.  Frank had all the stories behind the land marks, and even how some of the World War II remnants were used during the war. 

 

Frank made my day in Berlin; literally.  He sat with me for an hour the day before we reached port.  He asked me what exactly I wanted to get out of my day in port, and then he laid out a fail safe route for me along the Unter den Liden, and added if I had time, that I should make sure to visit these other destinations, that he carefully plotted for me along my route.  He gave me the confidence I needed to explore the city on my own. 

 

Frank is amazing, and I’m not the only one.  At dinner, on the Atlantica, I was listening in on a pervious HAL cruisers conversation, and they were talking about Frank.  75,000 results come up when you Google Frank the port lecturer.  He is famous, and in my humble opinion justifies the cost differential between HAL and some of the other cruise lines.

 

In short, all my Mangacake moments would be avoided if I always traveled with Frank.