curtdesilets

First installment for pictures. All photos will be uploaded to a shutterfly share site. I don't think you need to be a member to view.

 

ENDICUTT ARMS!

 

https://cruisingmemories.shutterfly.com/alaska/397

Excellent! You had very favorable weather.

The Blue Ice comes out in the glaciers better when it's cloudy, which it looks like it was!

I think the grill in the Terrace Cafe is new since you were last on board. Every evening grilled steaks, lobster tails, prawns, lamb chops and vegetables are available, cooked to order, from the grill along with many other entrees.

 

Great picture! On our last Oceania Cruise (10 day Sirena to Mexico), we primarily ate here. The food was as good as the MDR, and it was hot and ready to go @ 630pm when it opened. We are early diners and thus skipped the Main Dining room due to the time it took to eat.

From what I gathered, Amsterdam has not changed the "Crows Nest" into the Explorations Central monstrosity. Am I right?

The last 3 times I've been there it was in the 80s and I lived shorts both on and off the ship.

That is super rare' date=' if not impossible. Definitely not all 7 days of a cruise 3 times in a row.

Here are Juneau averages June 62H 48L, July 63H 51L, August 63H 50L, Sept 57H 45L.

Nice Try Sherlock. ;>)

It may be expensive to maintain, but those prices charged to the passengers are outrageous. I think they are definitely turning a profit.

[\QUOTE]

 

Most excursions in Alaska are expensive. The short tourism season, higher costs in general and high demand are all factors. For Alaska, I generally budget 2 - 2 1/2 times what I would expect on a similar excursion in the Caribbean. For example, we are looking at a 3 1/2 hour whale watching excursion in Dominica in December. The cost is $ 50 per person. A similar tour in Alaska is $ 115 - $ 160.

 

 

 

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That is true. But specifically for this Skagway Train: We were on the train a few cruises ago and they were running 3 or 4 trips in a day. The lines were crazy. A quick calculation based on our fare was that their take was insane. Hard to say how much the cruise lines cut were however.

Bill and Mary Ann Posted some info on the drydock here.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2578780&highlight=Bill+and+Maryann

 

There are photos in their blog here.

 

https://cruisingwithbillandmaryann.blogspot.com/

 

Cheers, Denise

Thanks for that. I read all the pages on the blog pertaining to their 17 day Panama Canal transit on Amsterdam. LOTS of Info!

It may be expensive to maintain, but those prices charged to the passengers are outrageous. I think they are definitely turning a profit.

- - -

On another note, I heard it was recently closed due to a landslide. Any word if it is open again?

Very good review. Glad you had a wonderful time. We were thinking of taking the Eurodam to Alaska this year, but instead chose the Amsterdam. Perhaps next year on Eurodam for us.

I think she just sailed her 1st week in Alaska last week, returning Sunday June 3.

Anybody been on her since the 12 day dry dock in Early May 2018?

Just Curious as we sail Amsterdam to Alaska in 3 weeks and change. Any info would be GREAT! :D:D

Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach are two different entities.

Port of Long Beach Occupies the East Side of San Pedro Bay whereas POLA has the West Side.

Combined, they are the biggest Port Complex in the Western hemisphere.

Port of LB: http://polb.com/

Port of LA: https://www.portoflosangeles.org/idx_about.asp

-Curtis (Long Beach Guy)

By that criteria, is going through the Panama Canal also a come-on since that is the only way to get from the Caribbean to the Pacific. And the Inside Passage is just way to get to Alaska from Vancouver and has no stand-alone value on its own? Or is HAL simply noting this is a scenic area so passengers can appreciate this added value for that particular cruise choice.

The latter...It is trying to say we will sail through a scenic area. My point is that they all do!

Similarly, HAL started advertising that since all HALships departing Seattle sail on the WEST side of Vancouver Island, rather then the more scenic (and more difficult to navigate) EAST side of Vancouver Island, that we will enjoy "Scenic Cruising of Puget Sound". Well, as expected, all Seattle Cruise Ships have to navigate through this area. Go figure!

That subject was a sore subject on our recent cruise. It's well known that those who reserve a lanai, like we do, have a reserved chair outside the cabin. It caused some serious arguments along the way, thankfully not with me. However, they can have a reserved chair, too, if they are will to pay a hefty premium for the lanai cabin. It is clearly stated in the 2018/2019 catalogue that you will have a "reserved chair waiting for you" should you book that cabin.

Crazy that there are disputes over reserved chairs for Lanai guests. Maybe a good way to secure them is to get that "Fake Barf" that you used to be able to order from the back of comic books. Spread those around the chairs and nobody will bother you. ;p;p

HAL Amsterdam is doing Hubbard Glacier this Season. That part is truly scenic!

I think it is come-on. Almost all Alaska ships cruise through this section en route to Juneau. It is the area in which the Humpback Whales linger in the summer months and where all of the Whale Watching tours go out of Juneau. But the ships have to pass through it to get to Juneau. -Curt.

Made our final payment today. Looking forward to Amsterdam after the refurb!

PG Lunch has a unique menu, not seen on PG dinner or anywhere else on the ship. worth a try, multiple times!!

Don't tell anyone but the pinnacle lunch during the glacier day on an Alaska Cruise is perhaps the best viewing experience you can have,. Our little secret.

As a fellow Left Coaster you're certainly at lower risk than most of missing the cruise due to flight delays, but if it's actually the unpacking rather than cost of a hotel room that stops you coming in the day before you just need to get more efficient at packing;-) One change of clothes in your carryon means no need to unpack the main suitcase until you're onboard, and good packing technique means still no wrinkles even if the rest of your clothes are in the big suitcase another night.

 

Vancouver is an awesome place to explore, and booked before it sells out the YWCA Hotel is a very cheap 'insurance policy' against problems traveling Day Of. Plus any extra cash you spend in the city might help knock another couple of cents off my next property tax increase;-)

We've done some half day tours when we have a late returning flight. I would rather spend more time there. Maybe head up to Whistler as well. Wife likes to just hit the cruise ship during cruise week however. Lovely city you have!

Thanks for all of the responses. My hypothesis was incorrect it seems (OP) :(

For those in the know, what happens to the Crew after the Grand Voyage? Amsterdam starts her Alaska Season soon after her current voyage and dry dock. I would imagine a whole new crew after May 10, 2018. We sail Amsterdam during Fourth of July week, apparently her 6th voyage after dry dock. Thanks in advance.

June 29, 2014, lots ice trying to get as close as the captain could on the Amsterdam.

Wow! That picture really captures the BLUE ice! Outstanding. Glaciers are so cool, literally and figuratively that is.

OP Curt here. Thanks for all of the responses. I think we have done Tracy 3 times in the past and never saw Sawyer, so I am just curious. Looks like some of you had some better luck! Thanks for those beautiful pictures!!

Additionally, I think I recall that past guests (we are Mariner 2 Star) can have a sit down lunch in the dining room.

Is that still the case?

If so, what are the typical lunch times for that?

We will see after the dry dock what changes there are. I think we are the 6th 7-day cruise after drydock so I will report back!

"US Direct" was the name I knew it under - it disappeared many years ago; came back again for a year; disappeared again; came back yet again for a season but only in one direction; then disappeared once again (~3-4 years ago was last time IIRC).

 

While I can appreciate the advantage for 'must go home immediately' US cruisers that don't have the vacation time to spend even an extra day, from a local tourist income perspective the lack of it is a win - since you have to do Canadian immigration/customs at the pier at least a few extra folks must think "oh well, may as well go see some stuff/buy some things" and plough cash back into local economy even if it's just for a few hours pre- or post-cruise. So thanks for helping keep my taxes merely super high instead of super-insanely high!

Thanks for the info, and I sense, a little sarcasm. My wife wants to unpack only once, on a ship, so we take a early flight in and board the same day rather than spending an overnight pre-cruise. For Vancouver, that flight now has to be VERY EARLY indeed.