Crew News

Current Vegetarian menu: HAL Vegetarian Menu

FWIW I take a small plate (fits in 1-gallon Ziploc bag) of various cheeses during the Lido Market breakfast to keep in my minibar for a late evening snack. Boxed crackers travel well in checked luggage and provide a tasty accompaniment to the chilled cheese. My current Lida Market Late Buffet menus show various cheeses (change each evening) available with crackers (don't remember seeing them) that offer another source of cheeses than available at daily Lido Market breakfast. Lido Market Late Buffet Menus

Welcome to Cruise Critic. Since internet satellites are positioned over the equator, the signal strength in the Caribbean is very much better than in Alaska. The ship bandwidth is shared between the ship needs and passengers' wishes. This means that late evening, and especially after midnight, the ship needs are less and more bandwidth is available to passengers. It is my experience that internet connection speed is determined by a number of factors: stateroom walls are metal, some Neptune Suites may have their own repeater in the stateroom, many repeaters are located in hallways, and there are unobstructed repeaters in public areas. Some passengers get better internet speed when they eliminate the metal walls obstruction by sitting in their open room doorway, setting up near the Internet Cafe, or seated at a Deck 9 indoor pool table (my favorite around 10:00 PM if I need a good connection). In the Caribbean last year, there was sufficient speed for a family in the Deck 9 hot tub to pass a tablet around to wave to their family members back home. On another note, halfway through that cruise, I upgraded to the Premium package and noted a doubling of speed. I also tried adding the minimum three-devices package to my account (for $10/day) to keep everything connected and will do so on all future cruises. Feel free to ask lots of questions to help in your planning.

No limits in the Main Dining Room but the Specialty Restaurants are another story.

Here is one of the Nieuw Amsterdam Lido cabanas:

There is a 14-Day Holland America cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam to Alaska next May that happens only a few times each year and I will be aboard in pursuit of more amazing photographs. I am happy to answer any questions to help in your planning if you decide on my recommendation.

Welcome to Cruise Critic and congratulations on your wedding. From my view as a photographer, Alaska cruises in May are my favorite with lower prices for both cruises and airfare, amazing views, least rainy Month, lots of new creatures (eagles, seals, whales, etc) experiencing life, still a morning chill in the air, and snow on the higher peaks. With early port times each day, most passengers are up early for breakfast and in bed early to recover from long days ashore, so amazing entertainment is not in great demand. You can be entertained anywhere but you can only experience the unspoiled scenery of Alaska a few months each year. Is a honeymoon better relaxing on a beach or on an adventure together?

Welcome to Cruise Critic. Feel free to ask lots of questions to help in your planning. Make sure you join your roll call. I would recommend purchasing a Premium internet package before boarding to get the extra speed and savings. Once onboard and during your first login, you will be offered the chance to purchase a minimum of three (3) additional device connections. I paid $10/day to add the three additional devices and enjoyed the convenience.

The menus change every season and the 2022/2023 HAL Caribbean season has yet to start. I will be in the Caribbean at the end of December and posting the 7-Day menus then. FWIW the Gala Night menus rarely change for several years for all HAL cruises/locations. On 7-Day cruises the first Gala Night is the silver menu and the second Gala Night is the Gold menu.

Here is a link to my 5208, 5223, and 5225 photos: NS Deck 5 Aft Staterooms

https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid#wb-cont For all travellers entering Canada by air, land or marine mode on or after October 1, 2022: Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is not required COVID-19 pre-entry and arrival tests are not required Quarantine after you enter Canada is not required Using ArriveCAN is not required if you’re flying into Toronto Pearson, Vancouver or Montréal-Trudeau international airports, you can still use ArriveCAN to complete your Advance CBSA Declaration to save time upon arrival Pre-boarding tests for cruise passengers are not required As always, travel documents are required Health checks to board planes and trains are not required Wearing masks on planes and trains is not required It's still strongly recommended that you wear a high quality and well-fitted mask or respirator while you travel

I have been using Topaz AI for the past few days to enhance some older photos and like the efficiency it brings. Serious noise and focus issues are best left to the major Topaz products but for just a final touch to photos, the new Topaz AI is both a time saver and photo quality builder. It works on both RAW and JPG files with the enhance "subject only" option a big plus.

The bow of the Zuiderdam was open in Glacier Bay Alaska this summer from 7:00 AM until 4:00 PM. As noted in previous posts, the itinerary determines when the bow will be open.

After many kitchen tours on HAL cruises, I noted that with the exception of Pinnacle-class ships, a single crew member cooks every Room Service Breakfast. On Pinnacle-class ships, there is another person. Vista-class Pinnacle-class

After much discussion of minibar temps a few years ago, I brought my infrared thermometer on my HAL cruise. Temps of sodas stored in the door were 43 degrees and those in the back were 38 degrees. (Temps of morning Room Service breakfast eggs in my aft-facing stateroom were 120 degrees.) FWIW I bring a collapsible cooler that stores a lot more ice than the small ice bucket in a stateroom and the Room Stewards are happy to fill it. In my experience, a Ziploc bag and packed in ice is an excellent way to store meds.

There was a small medal ceremony with the Captain on the Zuiderdam last April

Bring 8X binoculars to spot the harbor seal pups in Glacier Bay and then use your camera with telephoto lens to capture a photograph.

April 2022, I had a friend booked to accompany me on a B2B. My friend had to cancel the first leg and it cost me an additional $197. When it was necessary to cancel the second leg for my friend, I just had a "no show" and paid nothing extra. i paid only my Crew Appreciation charges for the second leg. Lesson: Cancellation may cost more than just a "no show" but of course YMMV. Inquire about the costs for cancelling before taking that step.

There is Chivas available on the bar menus but it did not make it to the list of beverage packages, it seems.

The minibar is prestocked before you board the ship. When you see your Room Steward on Embarkation Day, tell them you want the contents removed. If the contents are still there when you return from dinner, find your Room Steward ad let them know you are not happy. If the minibar is still full the next morning, use the "Let Us Know" tab on the Navigator app and provide your displeasure. The latter will have someone from "Beverage" at your door within the hour.

If you want late dining, your travel agent or HAL Cruise Consultant can make that part of your booking number.

On some, but not all cruises, MDR dining times can be booked on the HAL website on the Cruise Activities tab for your cruise.

Same price. Size for spirits are liters You can also purchase liquor from the Shops and it will be delivered on the night before you leave the ship. Here is the Shops liquor price list from April 2022: Shops Liquor Price List

Here is the spirits and liquor list that you can order on the HAL website (Cruise Activities) for your cruise: Spirits and Beer for Stateroom. Wines and Champagnes that you can order: Wine and Champagnes for Stateroom.

Use the ship laundry. It will be cheaper and more convenient than waiting to do your own laundry at a laundromat away from the ship. You will get an "In transit" card to use to return directly to the ship, after going through Security.