Alida

Dave, thank you for the photos. I will be on it in May 2017, now I have an idea what to expect, thank you for all you have sent.

Jolanda

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Morning all,

 

 

 

This is my first post here so apologies if it is in the wrong place (mods feel free to move).

 

 

 

Myself, my wife, my parents and my in-laws are all booked on the Ms Noordam on the May 14 2017 Inside Passage sailing (this will be my first cruise but parents are old hats at this).

 

 

 

However, I received a letter from HAL yesterday informing us that they have now removed Tracey Arm Inlet, Glacier Bay and Skagway from our itinerary to be replaced by Hubbard Glacier and Sitka. The reason given is 'Port Congestion' in Glacier Bay (which we were not stopping at, merely cruising around).

 

 

 

The new itinerary almost exactly matches the Hubbard Glacier tour that HAL offer from Seattle albeit we are leaving from Vancouver. Semantics I know as we will cruise the inside passage, at least on the way up.

 

 

 

To me this sounds suspiciously like 1 of 2 things:

 

1) HAL have been too late in applying for their permit for Glacier bay from the US park service and have now had to take that off our itinerary, Skagway makes no operational sense if you arn't going to Glacier bay and Tracey Arm inlet is lost to make up the time required to go a 100 m further North to Hubbard.

 

 

 

2) our inside passage cruise has been combined with a Hubbard glacier tour to make up passengers numbers.

 

 

 

I know there isn't a lot we can do about the itinerary change and will have to live with this new itinerary (with the loss of the chance to view up to 12 Glaciers) and even that HAL do not have to compensate us in anyway but I am just wondering if anyone has heard of this before and has some more insight.

 

 

 

Cheers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been looking on the net but have not found any information so am wondering if anyone has ever had

Just an idea, but I read that Princess cruises was fined 25 million for dumping waste, and since they are part of Carnival cruise lines, all CCL ships may have been banned from Glacier bay. Don't know if that is the reason, but it is worth a thought. By the way,Hubbard Glacier is Gorgeous. And Sitka is worth seeing.

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The Harry James orchestra will be playing on the Oosterdam transatlantic from Fort Lauderdale to Rome, departing March 21, 2016.

 

 

 

 

 

I am on this cruise! Nice to know. Now all I need is a dance partner, since I am going solo. Thank you for this.

An outside solo cabin on the Koningsdam was cheaper than an inside with the single supplement by $400.00 for the 19 day inaugural trip. But, I booked it a long time ago. Solo cabins is the way to go for me.

 

In fact, where is the newbuild supposed to be christened? I don't think I have read anything about that as well!

There is a short clip of a ceremony on YouTube. I don't know if it is just a launching ceremony. But interesting.