Well, here we are, back home after the seven day Alaskan adventure. Never has a week gone by so fast.
Since most of our recent cruises have been on the Amsterdam, sailing on a bigger and newer ship was rather nice. Built very similar to the Eurodam which we took to Alaska, followed by a Hawaii cruise, we instantly felt at home here on the Nieuw Amsterdam. One tiny thing we noticed right from the start was that we did not have a mini-pocket map of this ship in our room. Yes, it was probably on the Navigator app, BUT, like a small number of us cruisers, we do not own a cell phone. Nor do we care to. With that said, we still had real menus in all of the restaurants, and had we asked, we could have seen printed drink menus in the lounges and bars.
One of the best sources of information had to be the interactive TV in our stateroom. That had to be the biggest improvement over the tiny TV's we had on the smaller ships. And the flat screen hanging on the wall was large enough to see everything printed on the screen. Have to admit it took us a while to figure out how the remote worked, but once we did, we found everything we needed plus more.
Our impressions on the stateroom concerning size were mixed. This room was situated directly aft on deck five, facing the wake of the ship. It had a comfortably sized veranda with the two lounges with foot stools. We spent a lot of time outside, even in the rain, we could stay dry. And because of the convenience of the veranda, we tended not to get out and about on the rest of the ship as much as we usually do. Of course, one of us was still nursing a recent knee operation, so that was a good excuse – ha-ha. Can't use that excuse forever because it is improving daily.
This VB stateroom was narrower than most, with much less space for clothing and supplies. In our opinion, this class of HAL ships were built for shorter trips, not Grand Voyages. A person using a walker might find it difficult to get inside and walk past the closet doors with ease. The only drawer space were the two night stands on either side of the bed. And there again, the drawers were very narrow. One plus were the convenient charging plugs for your devices such as cell phones or tablets above the night stands. Missing were plug for extension cords here. And there were drawers under the end of the bed to use also.
There were empty spaces in the room that could be used for a clothes rack or stacked cardboard boxes to be used for drawers. Would have been nice to have two extra wall hooks, as there were only two of them.
The desk was located near the window, so if the chair was being used, it was difficult to access the veranda door. It wasn't until later in the cruise, we saw that the tiny coffee table could be moved by the couch or block half of the window and refrigerator, making access to the veranda easier.
There would be no stretching out in the bathtub either. Actually, we never saw such short tubs before. On one side of the sink, there were three small glass shelves for toiletries, and a shelf under the sink with a trash basket built into it. We had asked for three sets of towels and wash clothes, and they were there daily……new and fluffy no less. The shower head was horribly blocked, so we asked our room steward to have it fixed. It took a few days before they finally replaced it with a new one, which worked about 100% better.
In a nutshell, this particular veranda room might be a challenge for storage if this cruise was a Grand Voyage. Or you would have to pack a whole lot less. One thing we might mention here is the internet. We were lucky to have a hotspot outside our room, so we never did have to lug the computer down to deck one across from the front desk, as we did on the Eurodam. At times it was slow, and other times it did not work at all. The blame was put on the area which we were traveling. Probably true, it was frustrating at times. From reading the previous bloggers on Cruise Critic, we figured the best internet plan to buy was the Premium one. So that is what we did, mainly because we had two internet credits that we could use towards it. We hope in the future that HAL sees fit to bring up the quality of their internet, as it does exist on other cruise lines, we understand.
All of the dining venues were good, but the Pinnacle Grill and Tamarind had to "take the cake". The beef entrees have improved greatly compared to previous cruises……even on the GWV. Dining in each specialty restaurant twice or three times, every meal was consistently good. And the waiter service was excellent. We only dined two nights (both gala) in the main dining room. Not sure we already mentioned this, but the headwaiters were allowing entrance to the fixed main (deck three), seating guests at 7:30pm instead of 8pm. Wondering how so many people were halfway into their meal puzzled us. Now we know. Our meals were fine, but the entrees were not as hot as we would have liked. In the specialty restaurants, the plates are very hot, as is the food. Once again, the wait staff in the main dining room was above perfect.
Sorry we cannot report on the entertainment, since we never had the chance to see any of it. To be perfectly honest, we seldom attend the performances even on a longer voyage. We can only assume the Music Walk, Casino, and Mainstage were full of guests every night. The photo gallery is situated where you must walk through it going from place to place. It has been designed to make it super easy to find your photos and purchase them.
The promenade deck is much wider on this class of ship – wider in most parts, with the lounge chairs set back and out of the way of traffic. Maybe because we were in cool Alaska, few people used this deck, except a handful of walkers and an occasional runner or two.
In the ports, debarking was a problem for a short time upon arrival, when people crowded the doors to get off. There are always some guests who need to be the off first. Waiting a little while, if there was a backup, another gangway was opened up. We never had to wait to get off of the ship, or for that matter, getting back on.
If we missed anything here, feel free to ask questions. Considering that we traveled here to Alaska so late in the season, we consider ourselves lucky to have had such good weather. A little rain in Juneau was not a problem for us. Will we come back to this area next year? You bet we will!
Until the next adventure in the Caribbean, which right now, is planned from mid –December through April of 2022, we wish you all well!
Bill & Mary Ann
Monday, October 4, 2021
Report # 11 Final thoughts October 3, 2021 Sunday Sunny & 81 degrees
Report # 10 Debarkation Day Seattle, Washington October 2, 2021 Saturday Overcast & foggy & 48 degrees
Well here we are on the final day of our adventure. It would begin early at 5am, like it or not. Around 5:30am, the Nieuw Amsterdam was nearing Seattle, and we were docked by 7am. Provision loading began immediately, as well as luggage being offloaded. Turning a ship around is a massive piece of work for the crew, and they seem do it with ease.
We had been assigned to group BBBB that got off at 7:45am. So we needed to be in the dining room as soon as they opened at 6:30am. Expecting it to be crowded, we were among the four customers Gan and Widana had this early. Knowing we had a short time, our food was delivered quickly. So our order was the usual Greek yogurt, a bowl of fresh berries (the best we have ever seen), and granola. Then we had eggs, bacon, ham, and English muffins. Gan served us sausages just in case we did not have enough to eat. Heaven forbid, who knows when we will have our next meal???
We could tell that our room stewards were using any opportunity to service the room, even if it was a little at a time. Fresh linens and toweling were already in the drawers under the bed, and the mini bar set up was in a bag behind the window drapes. Spending a small amount of time catching up on reports and photos, our group BBBB was announced for debarking. Time to say goodbye.
There was no waiting at the gangway on deck two, and all we needed were our room key cards to exit. An agent checked our passports as we left the building. Since we had no luggage to pick up, we headed directly towards the waiting buses. This time we had been given a voucher with the prepaid transfer group BBBB number on it to pass off to a staff member. Then we boarded our bus, and were off for the airport by 8am. Although our flight was scheduled for 12:59pm, we would have plenty of time for unexpected delays.
Probably because today was Saturday, the traffic was light, and we arrived at the airport by 8:30am. Instead of being dropped off at the original bus loading area, we were taken to the main entrance. It was a short walk to the security line, and since we already had our boarding passes, we could bypass that line.
However, at the security check, there was a zigzag line that went on forever. We had gotten more than halfway there, when the security folks shut off the line, and directed us to another area. Guess what? That line was just as crowded, and we did the drill all over again. When we went through security at SFO, we did not have to take our shoes off. But here, there was a sign stating that only applied if you were 75 or older. It also said we did not have to take our light jackets off. Wrong, or partially wrong. One of us is not 75 yet, so I reluctantly pulled off the shoes, when the agent said, oh you could "fudge it" and leave your shoes on. Too late, they were off, as was the jacket. Wish we had gotten the TSA free sign on our boarding passes, but it did not happen on this trip. So I knew I would be stopped with the knee setting off the buzzer. That prompted an agent to do a pat down, but around my ankle. Saying nothing that it was my new knee, she said I was fine to go. Oh well, who said flying was fun?
Locating our terminal, we settled down to a small table, plugged in the computer, and caught up on photos and reports. Sure passed the time quickly. The flight was on time, and the actual air time was 1 hour 40 minutes. We landed before 3pm, and located the baggage carousel shortly after.
Our driver was waiting at the carousel, but there were no bags coming out. We told him that on our flight up to Seattle, the two pieces of luggage had been pulled off and were sitting at the wall. Lo and behold, we went to look, and there they were with two other suitcases. Guess these days, folks fly with only carryon luggage to avoid the charges. Instead of following him to the parking garage, he offered to retrieve the SUV, and pick up us outside. Totally fine with us, we waited about 15 minutes.
The ride home was quick, since there was little traffic…..even in downtown SF. Saturday afternoon was a good day to come home. Chatting with the driver about the world affairs made the hour plus ride go by ever faster. We were home before 5pm.
First thing that was asked? What's for dinner? Have not had to think about that for seven days, and boy, it was nice. Anyway, something simple was the answer. Bet we sleep like babies tonight!
Will do a follow-up tomorrow with our impressions of this trip. Thanks for tagging along……….
Bill & Mary Ann
Sunday, October 3, 2021
Report # 9 Day at Sea October 1, 2021 Friday Overcast and 55 degrees
Don't know how it happened, but here we are on the last sea day of the trip…..Friday. It was obviously to us that it was time to pack the luggage, since we had the two rubber mats on the end of the bed when we came back to the room after breakfast. Hint, hint? The good thing is that we had packed light, and it would be easy to get the job done. And having taken advantage of the Port Valet Service, we do not have to worry about the exact weight. We were told that it would not matter if we were a pound or so over the 50# limit with the airlines. And even though we purchased some clothing, both pieces were still well under 50# limit.
At 11am, we had been invited to a Mariner Recognition Event held on one side of the Ocean Bar. This was for the medal awardees who had achieved their next level. About 10 guests got either silver or gold medallions, which had been delivered to their staterooms prior to this event. They had their photos taken with Captain Baijens and Mark Pells, the Hotel General Manager. Finally, we were invited to come up for a photo in appreciation of our loyalty as President's Club members. Even though it was a short and sweet ceremony with a small audience of high numbered Mariners, we appreciate the recognition. And the photo which arrived to our room by 3pm.
The ship must have run out of the commemorative Delft tiles, because we got a message saying that they will be shipped to our home sometime in the future. This is our first voyage on this particular ship, so we are glad they will be mailed. And it is not the first time this occurred. They had to mail tiles a few years ago as well.
Before the ceremony started, we had the chance to chat with Joanne, the Guest Relations Manager. We had some questions about the Covid procedures. She told us that on this size of a ship, they are required to hold 60 staterooms back in case several guests test positive or actually are sick with the virus. In addition, there are 68 guests going on the following repositioning cruise through the Panama Canal to Ft. Lauderdale. They had to be tested yesterday to be able to continue on the next 21 day cruise. Hoping that this will be the method of operation when we join the Nieuw Statendam in December, Joanne said she would get that exact info from HAL. If the answer did not arrive before they closed for the weekend, she will email it to us. We have to say, Joanne has gone the long mile to make sure our trip was perfect. She succeeded.
We decided to take a walk to see the part of the ship we had not seen yet. So we took a ride up the elevator to the Crow's Nest, which did not resemble the same area we know on the now sold or leased Amsterdam. Instead of a bar, there is the Explorations Café, along with the shore excursion desk, a sitting area, a tiny library, and a game corner. No music or dancing up here in the evenings anymore.
The Mainstage is another place we never saw. With show time for us late diners being at 7pm, we managed to miss every performance. Oh well, we are certain to see these shows on another ship in the future. The Music Walk and Casino were also spots we missed. Popular venues for many, we never did seek out this entertainment.
The Dufry Shop is one place we needed to do some shopping. It sure was busy today, since it was the last chance to part with your money. We had fun doing just that, except it was shipboard credit….even better. What we did not spend, we got back in cash at the front desk. The amount could have been credited back to our credit card on file as well. And while we were there, they printed our final statement for us. No invoices are given at the end of the cruise anymore. You do have the option to check out your account on the interactive TV in your room. And while we are on the subject of the TV, the ones they have on these newer vessels are wonderful. Compared to the old and sad TV's on the Amsterdam, these big flat screens have so many more options for viewing, you never need to repeat anything.
Time for lunch, we went to the Lido for salads and a made to order pizza. We really like the pizza here, because the crust is thin, and cooked crispy on the bottom. At this time of day, only the salad, sandwich, and dessert stations are open. But there are no lines anywhere. The waiters still serve beverages too.
There was a bottle of Veuve Cliquot waiting for us to drink in our room, so that is what we did. Usually we do not drink wine, but this is a nice champagne, not a sparkling wine. A very nice gift.
Dinner for us was in the Pinnacle Grill, which was fairly busy for the last night. We were seated at "our" table by the window, and served by an excellent waiter. We tend to stick to what we know best, and that was a Caesar and wedge salad. The clothesline bacon goes perfectly when cut up and used as a salad topping. Entrees were the 7 ounce filet mignons with a side of French fries. The plates are heated, so your food stays warm until you are done. Saving a bit of room, we added desserts of a chocolate soufflé and one Almost Baked Alaska. Before we left, several of the staff stopped by our table to bid us farewell. Many of them had remembered us from the Amsterdam. We cannot say enough nice things about the service and food in this venue. Highly recommended.
Back in our room, we added the last of the stuff to our luggage, then rolled it outside the door for pick up between 9pm and midnight. We must add here that these rooms are so insulated, we never heard any noise from surrounding cabins or even the hallway. Nor did we hear the luggage hitting the walls as they were gathered. With using the Port Valet, we will not see our luggage until we reach the San Francisco airport. Hopefully……
We will follow up with our final comments after we get home. It has been a pleasure sharing our adventures with you all!
Bill & Mary Ann
Saturday, October 2, 2021
Report # 8 Ketchikan, Alaska September 30, 2021 Thursday Raining and 46 degrees
Although our arrival time was set at 9am, the Nieuw Amsterdam arrived to Ketchikan well before that. As we neared civilization, we passed by an NCL vessel, the Encore. It was docked far from town, compared to where we were headed. Never noticed a ship this far out before now.
Slowly, we found our slip directly across from all of the shops in downtown. It was raining, but not as heavily as we had been warned. People were walking with hats or hoods, not using umbrellas. And if Captain Jeroen is correct, the skies may clear in the afternoon. Hope he is right.
After having a leisurely breakfast in the dining room, we decided to wait until the mad rush to get off was over. And having dozens of photos to process, this was as good of a time than any to do this in our room. Just as we arrived back, the phone was ringing. It was Ray from the front desk, offering to escort us off of the ship, since the gangway was jammed. We thanked him, but said we would prefer to wait. This was the first time ever that we have been given that consideration directly from the staff. Of course, we understand we may be the only President Club members onboard at the moment. Nevertheless, we appreciated the offer.
We began our trek around 10:30am, and even though it was still raining, it was a light rain. As we got off of the ship, we could hear the cheering coming from the Lumberjack Show. There were a couple of tours there today, one with the show only for 1 ½ hours for $36. Another combo tour included the show with a crab feast elsewhere for $145 for 4 hours. Samples of other options included the Saxman Village and Totem Poles for $65 for 2 ½ hours, or a wildlife cruise, cannery and village for $110 for 2 hours. More expensive excursions were a boat ride to Misty Fjords for $210 for 5 hours, or the zip line for $190. We have done several of these tours in the past, but recommend the wildlife tour. Today might not be as pleasant with the rain coming down.
The first place we headed for was Creek Street across the red bridge. There is a lot of history here that is somewhat colorful and bawdy. But or main objective was to look for the salmon run up the creek. The tide was in and the waters deep, but we did see dozens of carcasses along the banks. Gulls were thick on the surface, and there were a few seals gorging on some tired and battered salmon. Now we are not certain which type of salmon these were, but the security officer in Skagway said he thought the run was coho. They were not large enough to be king salmon.
Not sure one of us was going to be able to make the climb here today, but we took it a little at a time. This included photo stops and visiting the small shops along the way. One such store sold, among other nice items, jewelry made with real leaves of maple and aspen. The leaves are dipped in nickel, then coated with a gold look alike substance. We bought a set of aspen leaves, since they were reasonably priced.
Continuing up the creek trail, passing the brightly painted houses, we read the history posted on the outside walls. By the time we reached the series of stairs, the crowd had thinned. The new knee got a good workout as we reached the end of the trail. The creek was running the fullest and fastest this time, so we knew there would be many more salmon where the creek widened. Happy to make it this far, we crossed the road to find the more shallow sides of the creek had hundreds of salmon resting out of the current. At the end of their life cycle, they really get battered and beaten up to get to their spawning grounds. Once they have laid their eggs and fertilized them, the fish die. We have heard from locals that during this time of year, they never go walking at night, because the bears come in to clean up the carcasses.
The Deer Mountain Hatchery is located up here. As we crossed the bridge in that direction, we paused to photograph the hordes of salmon in the creek. They were so thick in numbers that they turn the color of the water to gray. Their backs become white, and that is the best way to spot them. While there, a couple of people asked if we knew how to get to the hatchery. They happened to be from the NCL ship, and they explained how they had a free shuttle that brought them to downtown. Recently, the powers to be in Ketchikan stated that only one cruise ship could be in the slips in town. Guess we got lucky to dock there, as it took more time for the NCL folks to get around.
The hatchery was closed to the public, as it has been for several years now. We did have the park up there all to ourselves, as well as the totem museum across the creek. Too bad it was so wet, and we could not sit on the benches. Making our way back to Creek Street, we navigated the descent slowly. On one of the landings, a fellow cruiser accidently dropped her mask in the creek. Not to worry though, because we did notice that the visitor's center and cafes gave out new masks if needed.
One thing we noticed was the presence of the American and Alaskan flags. They were flying proudly on most every street, making us happy to see. The Alaskans are true patriots, and not afraid to show it. The foot traffic had increased by now, and the rain had let up. We were actually starting to see some sun as well. Guess the Captain was right….the afternoon might be just fine.
It was getting to be close to lunchtime, so we headed to a restaurant we knew had good food and beer. Directly across from the ship is a large souvenir store with the Alaskan Crab Co. on the third floor. Except………a note was posted on the elevator stating that they were closed for the season. Disappointed, we decided to head towards the visitor's center, and see what we could find in that direction.
Passing the Tongass Trading Co, we continued towards another souvenir complex. There were few people up here so finding a good restaurant was doubtful. About ready to give up, we went around a turn and found a suitable place called the Bar Harbor Pub and Brewery. This would be perfect. We ordered a local beer, a trio of sliders, and a side of fries. It was plenty for two. Dessert would have been nice, but time was ticking by all too quickly. All aboard was 3:30pm, and we knew not to be late. That brought to mind a story from a few years ago where a couple of guests, loaded with shopping bags, came to the ship after the gangway was pulled. They were denied boarding, despite jumping up and down and even crying. In this case, their passports would have been given to the port agent, and they would need to find their own way home. Hope they had brought their credit cards with them.
On the way back, after a stop in the Tongass Trading Co, where we found another Lazy One T, the rain began to come down lightly. But just enough to create a pretty rainbow over the town. It lasted for about 5 minutes, and was a great way to end our last port of this cruise.
Anyway, we had 5 minutes to spare, and headed right to our room for the sail out of the harbor. We have really enjoyed watching from our veranda, as it has been very sheltered from the elements. Once we got into the narrows, we did spot three whale blows, but they were gone in a flash, with no chance of a picture. The last time we were here, we were heading towards Victoria, and saw dozens of whales. Now we will not even stop in Canada, which is too bad.
Tonight was the final gala evening in the dining room. It is really a mixed bag as far as the dress code goes. There were a few men dressed in suits, sport coats, and even tuxes. The majority were in casual clothing, which was fine. The ladies, for the most part, always look presentable. With one exception. A gal had on jeans, a windbreaker, and a baseball cap. Really? Each to their own, we say. Nothing stays the same forever, does it?
For dinner, we ordered appetizers, Caesar salads, mains of steak and shrimp, and one duck entrée. Desserts included a flourless chocolate cake, and an orange muffin-like cake. The clocks went forward this evening, and although we had intended to check out the entertainment, we remembered our time to go was at 7pm. Oh well, by the time we got this itinerary straight, the cruise was about over.
Tomorrow we will explore some more, going to the forward area of the ship. And we have to visit the shops, because we still have some shipboard credit to spend. That might be fun………
Bill & Mary Ann
Friday, October 1, 2021
Report #7a Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska Wednesday- September 29, 2021 Mostly cloudy and 46 degrees
The following photos are sea otters we spotted in a rainstorm at the entrance to Glacier Bay. They were quite far from the ship, so it is as good as it gets.
Bill & Mary Ann