Crew News

Finish your Sel de Mer with one of Rudi's giant souffles.

The train did not go into the Yukon just a loop so no ArriveCan. I spent the first part of the excursion on the platform between the cars getting some great snow pictures. Took a brief nap on the way back. ArriveCAN from what I have seen is just for air or marine entry I have already booked the train to Lake Bennett for next May on the Nieuw Amsterdam. As I get closer to May 7th next year, I hope earlier passengers using the train into Canada will update us.

I can only relate my experience with a traveling partner who needed to cancel a B2B cruise with me. I cancelled her first leg of the cruise and had to pay the cancellation fee, had my solo cruise refared at the current rate, saved the port fees for my partner, and ended up owing $200 more. The second leg of the B2B, I just reported my traveling partner as a "no show" on Embarkation Day. I paid no extra and did not have to pay the Hotel Service Charge for her. Lesson learned.

I enjoyed the Dover sole on the Zuiderdam Sel de Mer pop-up.

sole

There is a permanent kiosk across from the Pinnacle Grill where you can make all of your dining reservations but be prepared to wait in line. OR There will be a temporary podium next to the indoor pool on Deck 9 across from the entrance to the hydro pool. You will see a beverage display with a crew member selling beverage packages and a few feet away will be a podium to make dining reservations. Since they seldom have a sign, you have to ask. I have never seen a line for this reservation podium. If you are planning on two Specialty Dining nights and the "complementary" option is not available on the HAL website, book and pay for just one person each of the two nights. When the paid guest arrives for dinner each night, inform the Restaurant Manager that a "complementary" diner is joining you. If you are able to use the "complementary" option on the HAL website, book a "complementary" dinner for one person each of the two nights you wish. When the "complementary" diner arrives, tell the Restaurant Manage to charge the dinner of the joining party to their room. All tables are at least for two so having someone just "join" you is not an issue. The above will save you having to wait to book your second dinner after boarding.

My Alaska cruise in April was enjoyable with less hassle since I connected from a Pacific Coastal on the Holland America Line (HAL) in the same room on the same ship. No testing issues since I did not fly into Vancouver. This time, I met some amazing crew and fellow passengers, enjoyed the snow surrounding the train tracks in Skagway, loved the seafood feast at the Silverking Lodge in Ketchikan, great photos on Allen Marine whale watching in Juneau, and all of the food that I did not have cook for myself.

If I remember correctly, the vibration was corrected by the time that I sailed on the NA in SC6175 in Nov 2012. FWIW I visited the forward end of the Citizen watch counter in the Nieuw Statendam Shops last November and found a strong vibration coming from the deck, through my feet, and tickling my nose. The salesperson asked what i thought of the vibration. We both agreed that the feeling was a bit invigorating and the salesperson admitted that he spent many hours each day standing at that special spot. I visited that spot several more times during the cruise and never purchased a watch.

That was indeed my cruise. I ate dinner in the Tamarind and the vibration was so strong that i had to hold onto my dishes to keep them from from going over the edge. If I remember correctly, that was before they had the placements available. With only two hands a several dishes, it was quite a challenge.

I was on the Nieuw Amsterdam's (SC-6164) first cruise out of Fort Lauderdale and stocked up on $5 t-shirts from her European ports.

They do have such a package you can find under your booking on the HAL website -> Cruise Activities -> Beverages tab: Water Packages – 12 Bottle Open Water Package - 12 16-ounce premium aluminum bottles of OPEN WATER, an electrolyte-packed purified bottled water delivered to your stateroom. $49.56 6 Bottle Acqua Panna Water Package - 6 1 Liter glass bottles of Acqua Panna, premium natural spring water delivered to your stateroom.. $28.3

As requested: Beverage Packages

I purchased the Premium internet package for my May 2023 cruise two weeks ago.

From HAL, "Enjoy unlimited refills of fountain soda for the duration of your voyage. It includes a souvenir cup that you can take home with you. Only on the ms Koningsdam, the package includes Freestyle Coca-Cola which provides 100+ refreshing Coca-Cola flavors to choose from. A 18% service charge will be automatically applied to your purchase. The Unlimited Soda Package must be purchased for the entire duration of the voyage. All guests booked in the same stateroom must also purchase the package. The package is for unlimited fountain soda and does not include canned or bottled items. Guests will be issued one specialty cup to be used in connection with this promotion. The cup is not replaceable." "However, an allowance of six liters, twelve (12) cans or cartons (500 ml in volume or less) or six (6) cans or cartons (1 liter in volume or less) of water are allowed per stateroom. Any amount in excess of this allowance will be not be allowed onboard. Water in plastic bottles will not be allowed onboard in any quantity, including in ports of call. Guests will be asked to discard open beverages in plastic containers prior to boarding."

Coca Cola Package: "The package is for unlimited fountain soda and does not include canned or bottled items." Quench Beverage Package does include canned sodas.

Some $1 bills for Room Service and bartender tips.

"The Day the Earth Stood Still"....klaatoo barada nikto

These work for me in spite of some difficulty getting the connector ends properly aligned when attaching to luggage.

I strongly suggest you skip Guest Relations and use your smartphone Navigator app, 'Account' tab at the bottom, and then choose the 'Let Us Know' tab. Complete the Comments field. Your complaint will be blasted to all ship management and I can assure you that both a response will be quickly given and corrective action taken without dealing with the Guest Relations filter. On the same token, taking a few moments to commend a crew member when you get excellent service will make them really grateful and earn them rewards. I carry a small pocket notebook, ask crew member's names, and post a kudo for them with the Navigator app as soon as I get a chance. You will make a crew member's day and they will go out of their way to greet you for the rest of your cruise

I spent two weeks aboard the Zuiderdam in April. Since food quality is subjective, assigning an adjective will be left to others. The Taco Bar on Deck 9 was a great way to make a plate of nacho snacks. The seared scallops in the Pinnacle Grill were not seared according to both myself and another table's guests. Kudos to the Lido Market Buffet Manager and the crew at the Late Snack for their willingness to make anything for you. I always had chips available at the Late Snack. Another vote for the prime rib. Here are your menus : MDR Menus

How long will it take to walk around this town? Not long.

Welcome to CC. Your travel agent, HAL Customer Service, or HAL Personal Cruise Consultant can do that for you when you make your reservation.

At your first internet login once on board, you can upgrade to the Premium Package which does allow streaming. I watched a family enjoying the Nieuw Amsterdam hot tub and passing a tablet around so that each member could wave to and chat with their mother back home. I experimented on my last two days at sea in the Caribbean with upgrading to Premium and adding more devices (adds only in increments of three for additional $10/day). The change in download speed was at least double with the Premium Package and I found no blocked websites. I connected all of my devices and did not worry about which one was the "active"device. With internet satellites circling only over the equator, internet speed in Alaska is less than optimal and connections are often spotty. Upgrading to the Premium plan may not make a difference.

As a Diet Mt Dew (Pepsi product) lover, I can only drink one while in port. Beating the luggage scanners both on Embarkation Day and in every port is impossible. I learned to adjust for a few weeks each year.