Copper10-8

Just a heads up; Crew on HAL do get let go mid-contract, or anywhere in between the start and end of a contract however, having said that, it is done 99% of the time for discipline and as a result of breaking a rule, and/or rules, of that same contract. It involves a formal meeting with the captain, senior management, the HRM (human resources manager) and the crew member's supervisor and/or dept. head present and it takes place inside the hotel general manager's office, sorta/kinda like a captain's mast in the military (for those of us who have served). The involved crew member is usually represented by the unit (Indonesian or Filipino - if that nationality) president. It is the role of the security officer to encapsule/document the violation(s) in report form after conducting an investigation, which is forwarded to the captain beforehand. On the day of the hearing, the SECO will escort the crew member to the hotel GRM office and/or will meet him/her in front of same, waiting to be escorted inside. I've been to plenty of those meetings in that capacity, with incidents ranging from a cook using the restroom facilities and forgetting that he had a pot on the stove that could have easily caused a fire in the galley, to crew physically fighting among each other (an immediate termination of contract!), vandalism, public intoxication, use of narcotics (another immediate dismissal), yes; theft, it happens, etc., etc., you name it. In that meeting, the captain will present the crew member with the charges against him/her, and the crew member will then get an opportunity to respond and defend his/her actions. Witnesses can be called and, upon the conclusion, the captain will render a verdict based on the evidence and statements received (Seattle HR will have been contacted before to concur). The captain and senior management will endorse the paperwork and the HRM will facilitate the crew member and, if let go, will arrange for transportation back home I have never heard of a crew member being let go mid-contract because the company is in financial difficulties but that's just me

To answer your question in post No. 1, I don't like the practice, never have, never will!

As a rule of pinky finger, cruises that depart from Vancouver leave English Bay behind and sail up the Strait of Georgia on a northerly course between the Canadian mainland and Vancouver Island, Seymour Narrows and Discovery Passage are next (Canadian pilots are mandatory) bright and early around 0200 hrs. / 2:00 AM during slack tide. What follows is Chatham Point and its 90-degree turn, Race Passage, Johnstone Strait, Blackney Passage (another 90-degree turn), and Blackfish Sound, passing Port Hardy. The ship will enter Queen Charlotte Strait into the open (Pacific) ocean arm of Queen Charlotte Sound, keeping the Haida Gwaii Islands (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands) to her west and dropping off the two BC pilots at Triple Island, continuing on to either Juneau or Ketchikan. Cruises that depart Seattle, transit Puget Sound northbound, enter the Strait of Juan de Fuca (aka the Salish Sea) and drop their U.S. pilots off at Port Angeles, WA. The ship will then enter the Pacific Ocean proper and sail northbound hugging the west coast of Vancouver Island. North of Vancouver Island, she will also enter Queen Charlotte Sound and starts following the same course as the ships that departed Vancouver. That course only changes if the destination is/are the ports of Whittier, Steward, Kodiak, Anchorage in which case the ship will remain in the open Pacific Will attempt to find out why K-dam followed the No. 2 option for her last two cruises

That's funny! One day after concluding our lowly 11-day Pacific Coastal/Alaska cruise on Nieuw A, earlier this month, we received $649 OBC credit on our cc. Why? Because we used a decent HAL PCC. Go figure that one................🧐

Just beat me to it! 😉 Congrats and a Happy Retirement to Kaptein Albert! His two (originally, now more to come) books are outstanding if you are into the history of HAL. He will always be "Mr. HAL" when it comes to that topic!

Great police work and cooperation between two agencies! Unless it was all Vegas Metro and then it still remains good police work to take a crook off the streets

History - and geography - have always been my favorite topics in school, still are 😉 Math, not so much! 🙃

Looks like we're both right 😉 Maarten Tromp was Piet Hein's flag captain on the Vliegende Groene Draeck (really cool name; the Flying Green Dragon) during the fight with Ostend privateers in 1629, a battle in which Admiral Hein was killed. One year before however, in 1628, Witte de With was Hein's flag captain on the Amsterdam during an expedition near Cuba to capture the Spanish treasure fleet. That feat ultimately resulted in the famous Dutch folk song, kinda the unofficial Dutch national anthem, that every Dutchman knows as "de Zilvervloot" / the silver fleet, still sung today in the stadiums where the Dutch national soccer team, aka "Orannje" / the Orange is beating their opponent

That would be Witte Corneliszoon de With (28 March 1599 – 8 November 1658). What was the name of his ship during the capture of the Spanish treasure fleet near Cuba? Hint: There is a Holland America Line connection in that name!

Just having some fun! "Eye-meyden" is prob the closest you're gonna get - The "ui" is very hard to pronounce for non-Dutch speakers. It's the same pronunciation as Zuiderdam

Bottom line; has to do with the Amsterdam City Council introducing a 8 Euro per pax, per day tourist tax for cruise ships visiting my city of birth on 01 Jan 2019. IJmuiden, btw, the gateway to Amsterdam via its locks and the Noordzee Kanaal / North Sea Canal, doesn't charge that kind of tax

Please tell me you are not calling the Dutch, Danish? 😁

You spell that name pretty good for an Irishman 😉 For extra bonus points and a HAL key chain, who was Piet Pieterszoon (son of Piet) Hein?

Day 10 - Friday 05 May 23 - Ketchikan, Ak (con't) Nieuw Amsterdam left the dock at approximately 6:35 PM and sailed south down Tongass Narrows, then via Nichols Passage to Dixon Entrance and into Canadian waters at Hecate Strait. We had a 7:15 PM dinner reservation at Canaletto, Nieuw A’s Italian-themed restaurant inside the Lido Market, starboard side midships. The Canaletto host, Rose, from Kenya, guided us to a nice window seat. The manager up there is Anthon Broto Prakoso from Indonesia. This was our third, and last, specialty restaurant dinner. We wound up sharing a small plate of Veal and Sage meatballs with glazed cipollini onions in a rustic tomato sauce; and we each had a cup of Minestrone soup, farro, borlotti bean, minestrone and Pecorino cheese; and, for the large plates, we shared the braised beef short rib Gnocchi with mascarpone, butter-roasted carrots and celery; finished it up with a dessert each of gelato ice cream which came in malaga, pistachio and bacio flavors. We each had a glass of Moscato which is the Italian name for Muscat Blanc. The entertainment on the Main Stage was once again (2nd performance) the comedy and magic of Craig Diamond at 7:00 and 9:00 PM. We had already seen him once, so decided to check out, for the first time, the Third Avenue West trio inside the Ocean Bar. Third Avenue West consists of a pianist, bassist and a vocalist/guitarist. Tonight, they performed at 5:00, 6:00. 8:30 and 9:30 PM. They played easy listening music which can be danced to. There is a wooden dance floor in front of them. We stayed there until about 9:30 PM while enjoying a glass of Disaronno Originale (Amaretto) and Remy Martin VSOP cognac. It is good to see a live band in the Ocean Bar again! So, at 10:00 PM, we had the late-night comedy of Lamont Ferguson, also someone we had seen before but we think Lamont is uniquely funny. The black shirts had set up about six rows of folding chairs on the dance floor of the B.B. King’s Blues Club, similar to what they had done when Captain Jeroen was preparing his “Erwten soep” (Dutch green pea soup) during the northbound Pacific Coastal cruise to Vancouver. We grabbed two of those because, at 9:30, the booths and chairs facing the dance floor had already been taken, an obvious sign of Lamont’s popularity. Met a retired Vancouver Police constable now residing in Courtenay on big Vancouver Island. It was fun and interesting exchanging “war stories” with him. Lamont, once again, did not disappoint, especially his ending which demonstrated how women/men react to certain songs from the past and current, complete with snippets of those songs. At 10:30 PM, the B.B. King’s Blues Club once again turned into a dance studio with dancing to the hits. Tomorrow, Saturday, will be our last day onboard as Nieuw A sails for Vancouver, BC

December 8, 2022 https://thepointsguy.com/news/newark-airport-terminal-a-first-look/

Unfortunately, there is no local hospital at Gustavus, or at Park Ranger HQ at Bartlett Cove, some 10 miles away. After being off-loaded from the Nieuw A tender, this patient is/was looking at a medevac flight from Gustavus Airport to Juneau, AK and a visit to Bartlett Regional Hospital there. Hopefully he/she took out extra insurance because that will not be cheap event! Not the first time, nor will it be the last time, for a medevac from a cruise ship near Glacier Bay National Park via ship's tender. to Gustavus Airport

That's an oldie - Richard Harris in "Orca" 1977 😉

I wouldn't do it either, waaay too much anxiety! Plus Canada Place does not have the smoothest disembarkation process at this time, especially with multiple ships in port. We had three total a week ago last Sunday and it all seemed kinda hectic once off the good ol' Nieuw Amsterdam Just an FYI if you wind up taking a HAL airport bus to YVR. We did it one week ago yesterday during the Vancouver marathon. Once the buses reach the airport, instead of directly going to the terminals, they go to a "holding lot", pretty sure somewhere off Miller Road near the cargo area. The driver explained it as "the terminal area is so busy that they're (YVR) are making us go to this holding area until we get clearance to proceed to the terminals" The wait/hold there was not that long - about 10 minutes - but there was only one other bus with us in that lot. Don't know what it will look like and how long the hold will be when it's really busy. Not sure how long this procedure has been in place; maybe a Vancouver local will know A really positive thing about YVR is that they have really cleaned up/managed the line to go through pre-clearance with U.S. CBP (Customs & Border Protection). Last time we flew out of YVR - pre-Covid - that line was the mother of all lines, slinking its way from the ticket counters/airline check-in, all the way to the front windows of the terminal building. That bad boy took at least 30-45 min. to reach a point where a sign said "Nexus pax this way" Wish we had known that one, now we do! A week ago Sunday, there was no line whatsoever inside the terminal check-in area and the entire CBP facial recognition/see the CBP agent/local security screening process took about 30 min. total. Great job YVR! I second the suggestion about taking the HAL Vancouver city tour/airport transport bus when taking a later flight. It applies to disembarking pax who have flights of 2:00 pm or later. Besides, YVR is one of the nicest airports inside once you have cleared CBP and security screening. Lots of stuff to see and do Good luck to you in your decisions!

Day 10 – Friday 05 MAY 23 - Ketchikan, AK So, on Friday morning Nieuw A. left Clarence Strait and came sailing down, so southbound, Tongass Narrows, the Y-shaped channel at 0900 hours, passed Guard Island, and eventually Ketchikan International Airport with an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-790/MAX N626AS running up and getting ready to takeoff for Seattle’s SEA-TAC in one hour and 39 minutes as Flight AS 7005. Btw, the only way to reach the airport is to take one of the two small car ferries across Tongass Narrows! They run two departures every hour in each direction from 6:15 AM until 9:30 PM. One of the aircraft parked on the general aviation apron was a Cessna 172 with big Alaskan bush wheels, big, fluffy, puffy tires, which make it easier to land on unimproved grass and dirt strips. While this was all happening we had our breakfast in the PG. Upon arrival at Ketchikan proper, Nieuw Amsterdam then got ready to take her place port side alongside at Berth #2 out of the four cruise ship berths, along Front Street. Nieuw A was safely docked by 1000 hrs. Behind us at Berth #3 Celebrity Solstice was already alongside (0700-1600). Joining us for the third time since Victoria, Discovery Princess was at Berth #4 (0800-1600) and in front of us at Berth #1 was our stablemate Westerdam, all the way from Japan (1000-1900). We would be here today until a 6:00 PM All Aboard time. Ketchikan is located on Revillagigedo Island (named in 1793 by Captain George Vancouver), seven hundred miles north of Seattle, WA, and 235 miles south of Juneau, AK. in the Ketchikan Gateway Borough, the southeastern most city in Alaska. Ketchikan's economy is based upon government services, tourism and commercial fishing. The Misty Fjords National Monument is one of the area's major attractions while the city is surrounded by the Tongass National Forrest, which is managed by the United States Forrest Service from their headquarters in the Federal Building downtown. Deer Mountain, a 3,001 feet peak, rises immediately east of the city's downtown area. Ketchikan’s maritime heritage is proudly reflected in its nickname: “The Salmon Capital of the World”, and the region’s history runs deep in cultural and geological evidence that is still vibrant today. With a population at the 2010 census of 8,050 within its city limits, it is the sixth-most populous city in the state. Unlike Glacier Bay yesterday, which was just glorious weather, today in Ketchikan would be a dreary day, but that’s expected in the first week of May and big boys don’t cry! We were looking at light rain all day long with temps in the mid fifties Fahrenheit so, rain gear on and umbrellas in the backpack. After having a lunch of New York Pizza and a salad, consumed in the Lido, we had a 3:00 PM ship sponsored shorex by the name of City Highlights, Totems & Creek Street by Trolley. It was described in the literature as learning the history and culture of Ketchikan; while passing by some of the city's most colorful landmarks; traveling through downtown Ketchikan and passing the bustling boat harbor, lush City Park and beautiful Ketchikan Creek. Next; an opportunity to stretch your legs on a brief photo and shopping stop is next, followed by a stop at Saxman Totem Park and a visit to one of Ketchikan's finest stores to purchase authentic Native-made items as well as curios. Finally, the trolley goes back to Creek Street where you can get off and make your own way back, or be driven back to the ship. Besides the visit to Saxman Totem Park and learning about its history, I would not recommend this tour! Yes, we did follow Ketchikan Creek and drove by Walker Field where the Ketchikan girls’ softball team was playing a game in the drizzle, our driver/guide made an immediate left turn on Stedman Street which turns into South Tongass Hwy. There was no leg stretching, photo and shopping stop, ah well! South Tongass Highway, among other things like U.S. Coast Guard Station Ketchikan, leads to the town of Saxman, located a little less than three miles south of Ketchikan. Saxman is a predominately Alaskan Native Tlingit community which was founded in the late 19th century when residents of the traditional Tlingit villages of Cape Fox and Tongass decided to consolidate their communities at a new build village location on Revillagigedo Island. The area, a site of just one square mile, has a population of just over 400 today, mostly Native Alaskans, and remains rich with Alaska Native culture including the Saxman Totem Park. The park includes an extensive collection of traditional totem poles, a totem carving center, tribal house, and the cultural hall. So, our only stop on the shorex was in Saxman at the Saxman Village’s Totem Park. The 25 totems here are authentic replicas of original poles that were left in abandoned villages as Native Alaskans moved into more populated cities. The park was designed along a main axis—Totem Road—with totem poles on each side, and a rectangular area enclosed with logs carved with frog heads. Leading to the square, there are two stairways marked by totem poles on each side. The flanking poles represent bear and raven figures, the symbols of the two phratries of the Tlingit people. The art of totem pole carving was a luxury that experienced its heyday in the mid-1700s to the late 1800s. The fur trade had provided the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian peoples with a newfound sense of wealth – and time to focus on the artistry of the totem. These poles were symbols of cultural and economic wealth that told comprehensive stories about the people and legends of the land. The two poles out of the 25 that stood out to me where the Proud Raven pole, aka the “Lincoln Pole” because of the likeness of Abraham Lincoln at the top, and the Seaward Pole, aka the Secretary of State Pole, because of the likeness of Mr. Lincoln’s Secretary of State, William H. Seward, who was perhaps more than any other one person, responsible for the purchase of Alaska from Russia. After learning about some of the totems from our guide/trolley driver, we were given about 20 minutes to check out the gift shop across the street. Unfortunately, both the interiors of the tribal/clan house, nor the carving (restoration) building were not part of this tour. Once back in Ketchikan, near Creek Street to be more specific, everyone was given the opportunity to vacate the trolley, look around, and walk the relatively short distance back to Front Street and the ships, or be driven back there in the trolley. We chose the latter option and looked around some of the stores on Front Street, prior to reboarding Nieuw A via the long shoreside gangway to Deck 1 port side. We didn’t feel good about this shorex because it did not deliver what was advertised. To be con't

Gotta love that C-17 Globemaster II from Elmendorf, thanks!

It's coming! Transitioning 😉

Please lower the anxiety level for that disembarkation morning by getting a later outbound flight

Day 9 – Thursday 04 MAY 23 - Scenic cruising Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve (con't) This was the second/last, as HAL calls it now, dressy night. Dinner for us was a 7:15 reservation at the Tamarind Restaurant and low and behold, we were once again seated in Ing Ing’s (see pic) section! Happy Days! We started out with the Emperors Nectar (Maria); mandarine Napoleon, apple juice, cinnamon syrup, ginger beer, lemon juice, and Moonstone Asian Sake (moi); creamy body, big pear flavors, hint of sweetness warmed up and served in a flask. We followed that up with and appetizer of Lobster & Shrimp potstickers (Maria); smoked shoyu, pickled ginger and the Satay sampler (moi); Thai chicken, Malaysian lamb, Chinese Beef, Indonesian pork, and Vietnamese shrimp that comes with green mango, yuzu kosho and black bean powder. For our main entrée, Maria wound up having the Thaii Basil Szechuan Shrimp; chili pepper glaze, Asian spices, straw mushrooms, sweet bell peppers, scallions, chili sauce with Jasmin rice on the side, while I had the Wasabi and Soy Crusted Beef Tenderloin with brown rice. For dessert, Maria chose the Mango Posset; coconut macaroon, passion fruit jelly, mango sorbet, while I had chocolate ice cream. Once again, we had an excellent dinner as well as professional service from Ing Ing and her colleagues. Plus to top it off, we had a view from our table of a very nice Alaskan sunset. The main entertainment tonight was the comedy act of Lamont Ferguson, the pickleball enthusiast who has performed on all eleven HAL ships. we caught his 9:00 PM show and this guy is both unique and very funny! He has a late show on Friday night and we'll be there again As usual, we finished up the night with the BB King All-Star band in the lounge named after him/them. Tomorrow (Friday) is the last port of this particular voyage, that being Ketchikan

HAL's crew name tags have never had countries on them, unlike (unless I'm wrong) RCI and Princess! They do however, at times have national colors/small flags on them! As explained, the national flags you will see - and that continues today - behind a name indicates the language (besides English) that particular HAL crew member can speak! So, you'll find Dutch, Spanish, German, French, Portuguese, Italian and Greek flags behind names for that purpose. Those are the ones you will see the most. To a lesser extent, you'll sometimes see Japanese, and Chinese (PRC) flags on name tags because, at times, you'll find Chinese employees in the gift shops, and I've had my hair cut by a hairdresser from Japan once. When a HAL crew member comes onboard for his/her first contract, the first person they will see is the ship's HRM (Human Resources Manager), who will meet them as a group (or as individual, depends) on the dock/in the terminal. The HRM will lead the group up the gangway and to a meeting room (crew mess/training room/half moon room, etc.) where the newly embarked crew will get an orientation with speeches from the captain, the hotel general manager, the senior nurse, the environmental officer, the security officer and the safety officer, usually in that order. They - the crew - will be handed a personal information/personal property inventory form at that meeting/orientation to fill out, and one of the questions on that form is if they are proficient in a language other then English. If they answer Yes and identify that language, the crew officer (think crew purser) will have the flag of the country that represents that language affixed behind the name of that individual on their name plate. Hope that 'splains the origin of the flags on HAL crew member name plates

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