RSWBADGER

1992 Monarch of the Seas.

Discover the essence of Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival through an array of annual events, installations, and frequently asked questions. Immerse yourself in the spirit of our celebrations and explore the rich tapestry of experiences that define our festival.

The Festival - Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival (vcbf.ca)

Tree Talks & Walks: Stanley Park

April 6, 2024 | 10:00AM-11:30AM
Leader: Nina Shoroplova
Language of Instruction: English

Nina will lead participants through ten locations. Along the way, she will point out ‘Somei-yoshino’ and ‘Shirotae’ cherry trees. Participants will walk along the Promenade and stand in the shade of a fernleaf beech, a tree with an enormous canopy. The walk goes through the two parts of the Shakespeare Garden and through the Air Force Garden of Remembrance, and ends at the ‘Ojochin’ sentinel tree at the Japanese-Canadian War Memorial.

Tree Talks & Walks: Queen Elizabeth Park

April 7, 2024 | 2:00PM-3:30PM
Leader: Alex Downie
Language of Instruction: English

Join former Vancouver Parks Supervisor, Alex Downie, on a guided walk through the exotic and native trees of Queen Elizabeth Park’s arboretum. Founded in 1949, the arboretum features tree species from around the world. This walk will focus on the ornamental and garden-worthy qualities of Vancouver’s diverse tree palette.

Holland America Line has long been known as a leader in cruising in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, and a seven-day "Great Bear Rainforest" itinerary that hasn't been offered in decades showcases a distinct take on cruising in this region. Departing Oct. 5, 2025, and April 19, 2026, aboard Noordam, travelers seeking a more intimate experience can become immersed in the culture, nature and rare wildlife of Ketchikan, Alaska, and Prince Rupert, Nanaimo and Victoria, British Columbia.

"This in-depth exploration of the PNW takes guests through the historic Inside Passage, sailing through some of the most confined waters our ships have ever sailed, said Paul Grigsby, vice president of deployment and revenue planning for Holland America Line.  "This is the true Inside Passage, the storied route between Seattle and Alaska that ships have been sailing since as far back as the gold rush era.  It is a first for our company to plan a sailing focused on this fjord-like waterway that maximizes a daylight transit to allow best opportunities for wildlife sightings," added Grigsby.

The roundtrip from Seattle, Washington, "Great Bear Rainforest" itinerary calls at Ketchikan before heading south to thoroughly explore ports in British Columbia. The ship overnights in Prince Rupert before scenic cruising in Greenville Channel, past the first nation's village of Bella Bella, Johnstone Strait and Seymour Narrows. While cruising, guests can view wildlife like whales, eagles and the rare Kermode bear — also known as the spirit bear. A maiden call at Nanaimo and visit to popular Victoria give guests the opportunity to deeply explore many different communities in British Columbia.

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Holland America Line 

15 Mar, 2024, 09:42 ET

Holland America Line's 2025-2026 Mexico and Pacific Coast Seasons Offer Rare Great Bear Rainforest Itinerary and Sea of Cortez Cruises (prnewswire.com)

26 minutes ago, RSWBADGER said:

Nieuw Amsterdam appears to be underway, leaving Half Moon Cay.

 

 

 

MarineTraffic: Global Ship Tracking Intelligence | AIS Marine Traffic

 

Updated location

Nieuw Amsterdam appears to be underway, leaving Half Moon Cay.

MarineTraffic: Global Ship Tracking Intelligence | AIS Marine Traffic

Eurodam, heading to FLL, minutes ago. Love the Bagpiper on the Aft of the ship.

Ottahand7

No complaints on the noise, neighbors were quiet for the most part, we were able to prop the door open at night to hear the ocean.

Cabins need a refurbishment.

35 minutes ago, gizmodog said:

This is 5 on Eurodam?

We are in 4176, above us is 5, it appears to be slightly smaller than 4.

15 minutes ago, gizmodog said:

We are in Neptune on deck 5 in June (aft) is the balcony on 5 same as 4? I love the table set up where there is not a lot of wind. 

We are currently on the Eurodam,  sailed out of Port everglades last week, we stayed 1 night at the Embassy Suites 

.

The front desk did not have a "Bar setup ", what they had was a selection of small bottled wines and beer for sale to purchase for your room.

We are on the Eurodam also in Neptune Suite 4176, opposite your cabin.

We have sailed on all of the sister ships in Neptune Aft Suites on decks 8, 7, 6 and now 4.

We like the large balcony on 4, and the privacy. A couple of pictures of our setup for the balcony.

1 hour ago, ottahand7 said:

We have one more port so I am going to try to get some final thoughts shared. This is about our aft Neptune Suite 4181.  Space wise the cabin is very comfortable.  Compared to side Neptune Suite there is less space at the end of the bed but more space on the closet side of the bed.  The row of closets next to the bed gave us more than ample space for clothes, let alone the cupboard space under the coffee bar and desk. The coffee maker works but it is not that hot heat wise.  

We were in an aft Neptune on deck 7 our first leg and the layout of the balcony on the 7 aft was superior.  It has space at the back for the dining table and also space for 4 of the padded chairs that can recline.   In 4181 our table is on the side, which can mean more trouble avoiding the wind which we were plagued with almost our entire 50 days so far. 

 

We had adequate charging places in this large cabin with 2 USB ports next to the bed on one side only.  The carpet is tired but no worn bare spots.  Ditto for the fabric desk chair has pilling at the top.  The couch, leather side chairs and the mini chair in the make up area are all fine. 

 

Maintenance wise there are some small areas in the bath that are water compromised that need sanding and painting.  The bath tub has crazing and during the cruise one small chip flaked off so it has a small black spot.  I would imagine it will will be patched on Saturday before new guests. 

 

Our room stewards Wayan and Ricky are excellent and very efficient.  They tidy up in the evening and replace towels and ice.  One of us likes ice and ice water so they fill both the little bucket and the wine chiller. They work extremely hard and we appreciate them. 

 

Noise level in the cabin may be bothersome for some.  There is always the gentle rumbling of the engines.  We actually slept really well and became used to it very quickly.  There is noticable changes in engine speed as we near a port which is in the pre dawn hours.  When the Azipods is engaged that sounds right below us but it did not interfere with sleep.  Being on deck 4 even though we had our share of rough seas the rocking never was bad except a few nights.  Overall no creaking on rough days it can sound like small friction sound.  Another nice thing is being all the way aft there is little hall noise during any time of the day.  

 

Wifi has been overall excellent having a router in our cabin.  Very few times with slow service.  

 

We were pleased with our cabin but preferring deck 7 because of the balcony. 

 

Also from the Eurodam leaving Fort Lauderdale yesterday. We are on this 10 day cruise on a Aft Neptune Suite.

Saturday Eurodam Dinner Menu from the Navigator App.

Friday Menu for 10 Day Eurodam. I like this Menu today.

Thursday Dinner Menu

Today's Menu.

http://www.langland.org/cruises/sanjuan.asp

Which pier is my ship docking at?

http://www.langland.org/cruises/graphics/sanjuan.gif

1. There are three major pier areas in San Juan. Old San Juan Piers 1-6, Navy Frontier Pier, and the Pan American Pier as seen above.
2. In general, those ships who are dayporting in San Juan usually dock at the OSJ Piers (usually Pier 3 or 4) so you can walk right out into OSJ.
3. Cruise ships that start in San Juan will use either OSJ Pier 4 (4-E or 4-W) or the Pan American Pier (PAD-E or PAD-W). Rarely, the Navy Frontier Pier is used.
4. For more information about the piers in San Juan, please visit the Continental Shipping Website.

Sorry wrong picture last post, today Nov 22nd. Equinox. 

28 minutes ago, chamima said:

In the past Celebrity has had sales on the price of the upgrades of the drink package (from Classic to Premium)..

Just wondering with Black Friday coming soon if anyone has heard of this recently.

Day 1 on the Equinox. 

Brutal winds here in FLL today, waiting for Sailaway here at the Hilton Beach resort.

1 hour ago, Wolf 8 said:

Today the Celebrity site homepage has an announcement that Covid-19 tests are no longer required for cruises departing from U.S. ports after 11/2/22.  Did I just make your day or what?

There are some exceptions. It works for our 10 Day November 21, 2022 Cruise.

At a Glance

Beginning with departures on November 2, 2022:

All travelers, regardless of vaccination status, are welcome to cruise with us and will no longer be required to provide proof of pre-departure testing, except for specific sailings where vaccination, testing, or additional documentation are required by law. Exceptions currently include:

Bermuda Itineraries

Galapagos Itineraries

Australia New Zealand Itineraries

Transatlantic/Transpacific Crossings

Select Caribbean Itineraries (those visiting Haiti (Labadee) and Turks & Caicos)

Select Central and South America Itineraries (those visiting Honduras, Colombia, Brazil, and Chile)

Please visit our Country Travel Requirements for more information regarding your cruise vacation.

COVID-19 Cruise Health & Safety Protocols | Celebrity Cruises

The last time we cruised out of San Pedro we stayed at the Hyatt Regency at the port in Long Beach, 10 - 15 minute cab ride. Great walking for a day, lot's of restaurant, hotels and shopping options.