Crew News

Sorry to hear about your COVID experience and so glad your symptoms were mild. The HAL Pub Crawls are known for bringing the best in HAL passengers and I have managed to only run into a few. Since i am not a evening party goer, I have missed a lot of virus transmission opportunities.

Since I have learned so much from CC, I owe a lot and my live threads just seek to help others in their planning. As I work my way through the culinary chain of supervision in search of obscure menus, such as Late Snack and Half Moon Cay Butler menus, I get some very strange looks but meet HAL crew member who I occasionally meet again. HAL is a small family and I share the names of those I have met on previous cruises with new equivalent-ranked crew members who are always eager to know how their former shipmates are doing. Establishing relationships with crew members gets me a lot of insider info to share here on CC.

No luggage service was available that I could see. Taxis accept credit cards and US dollars for the approximately 40-minute ride (depends a lot on downtown and airport traffic). The train station is under the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel across the street so a about a two block walk with your luggage to get to it. I saw no uber/lyft vehicles allowed into the terminal loading area. I saw lots of shuttle buses and extended SUV Hotel shuttles. For simplicity and efficiency, I just use a taxi. With the current HAL COVID testing end, taking the HAL Shuttle from the terminal back to Seattle might be another choice.

Below is link to my pics from a few years ago. Boat has now changed to fully enclosed. Many more eagles on this trip and more deer. All of my photos from last week are in RAW format and need further processing before adding to this link: Seafood Feast at Silverking Lodge

Just returned tonight from seven days in 5185, Balcony is fully covered and about 12 feet deep. No wind. No soot. Calm out on the balcony even when the ship is moving at 19 knots. Definitely a good location for a plate of Nachos from the Taco Bar in Glacier Bay in the rain. USB port on each side of the bed, 2- AC, and two European plugs at the desk. Room Stewards Sulham and Ietna are the best. See the link below for all of your dining menus and daily activities that I just posted this week. See my Live thread to get an idea of what to expect.

Before I start unpacking, thought I would add the promised disembarkation process that I witnessed. Nobody onboard checked the luggage tag colors before allowing passengers off the ship meaning some passengers' luggage had not yet been moved to the terminal. ArriveCAN was not checked ashore in spite of announcements to have it ready. Vaccination cards were not checked ashore in spite of announcements to have it ready. Passports were not checked ashore in spite of being told to have it out and ready. The efficiency of the taxi pickup services just outside the covered terminal doors was good and took me only 25 minutes to be on my way to the airport. Separate lines for those with mobility issues, had larger taxis and a separate loading lane for pickups. $35 CAD fare to the airport. Taxi driver told me that last week 65 COVID passengers left a single ship and were transported to quarantine hotels. Each taxi had to be sanitized before it could return to the cruise terminal for more pickups. Alaska Airlines does not allow check-in more than three hours before, so no big rush to leave the ship for afternoon flights. COVID test results (not my Victoria address) were checked and at least one passenger had a test two-days old and was forced to get another one in the terminal. Passports and vaccination cards (copies accepted) were verified at check-in. A attestation of COVID test form was provided at check-in for turn-in during boarding time. Boarding passes were checked at baggage turn-in (different from airline check-in). Passport and boarding passes were checked at Security screening (shoes, belts, laptops, etc). Passports and boarding passes checked again at US Customs desk. Some passengers even had passports checked again at the boarding gate desk. If you are taking a short flight to the US, there are no food facilities open near the gates. Grab lunch and water before going the long distance to the gates. There was a Euro Cafe near the gates but it was closed. Except for very small roller bags, regular roller bags were tagged for passenger drop-off at the plane. The completed COVID test attestation form was collected at the same time boarding passes and passports were again checked before heading down the steps to the plane. Caution: Getting down the 15 steps with luggage in both hands is not easy or safe. Fortunately, those with mobility issues were boarded from a different gate location. The pre-flight safety briefing ended with a warning that masks were still required until US soil was touched. About half of the passenger in the Alaska Airlines terminal in Seattle wore masks. More tomorrow.

Everyone got the same menu at least for the times I ate in the MDR. I don't remember seeing any special covers but with the MDR only 50% filled, there were not many opportunities to see other menus. CO on Pinnacle-class ships' menus are slipped into a nicer cover.

Sounds like they got the message after the bad publicity and cancellations.

A few tidbits for the last cruise day: The ship began rocking and rolling before bed with 35 knot winds and 12-foot seas . It was not better in the morning. I reminded myself that I had once packed my luggage in typhoon winds of 85-knots and 30-foot seas in a September heading for Vancouver so I persevered. I called the Front Desk around 10:30 AM to inquire about COVID testing for those flying tomorrow and was reminded that I should have received a note to appear for testing, currently in progress. No note, no problem, just appear in the Screening Room on Deck 3. The only info needed was my room number and date of birth before having the entrance to both nostrils tickled with the narrowest of swabs. Five hours later, I had my negative test paperwork in hand giving an address in Victoria BC?? Hopefully Alaska Airlines will not look too closely. While perusing my cruise account statement, I noted that the cost of Rudi's Sel de Mer for a 5-Star Mariner (25% discount) was $33.32. The computer and Night Auditor is always right. Another observation that I have been meaning to address is the 1:30 PM "reserved" Lido Market buffet line for just crew members and the large Lido Market seating area just before the indoor pool also reserved for crew members. It did not bother me to walk to the other side but it was a change I just recognized. A captive audience?? Another noticed change - In the past 12 evenings, I have eaten five meals in the PG/Rudi's Sel de Mer and received neither a pre-appetizer amuse or a little box of chocolates when I returned from dining. Cost savings can accrue quickly. The Executive Chef and personal Assistant were visiting tables in the MDR much to my amazement. The Assistant Hotel General Manager and Food & Beverage Managers are the most visible senior staff I have encountered in my many HAL cruises. From standing coatless in windy 40-degree weather welcoming back those returning from excursions to greeting guests at the MDR entrance, these two are customer service professionals in every way. Both have gone above and beyond to help me locate menus and find answers for this thread. Since the first day I asked for an empty salad bowl to hold a large serving of chips, my presence near the salad station causes a large green bowl to be raised in my honor. A bag of chips is always in place behind the Late Lido Buffet line for my chip visits. This condition is a repetition of of my two cruises in 2021 with the crew demonstrating a zest for life, the chance to interact with passengers again, and to have employment. Definitely good vibrations. On a less happy note, my two Room Stewards had only three room this cruise and only two the next. They do remain upbeat for the future of more passengers to serve. I was reminded that the fasting for Ramadan ended yesterday for the Indonesians and the Captain visited the crew dining area to speak to them. It is important to mention that I met another bear cam connoisseur and enjoyed talking about the cast of characters. When Otis is in his office and 747 is in the Jacuzzi, all is right with the world. Two months until the first big salmon run. Search for "Brooks Falls Bears" to join the bear watchers. I think that I have answered all of the questions especially for ArriveCAN and when I arrive home, I will update this thread with what I have learned about disembarkation and flying out of Canada. MDR and Specialty Restaurant menus are now posted for 2022 Alaskan season, 7-Day Indian menus are promised via email from the Food & Beverage Manager, and When & Where daily activities are posted. Visit the links below. And so it was May 3, 2022.

Here is a link to the dining room maps that I have acquired: MDR maps. Cigarettes are still sold in the Shops but very limited brands now. Although some ships still tender, Sitka now has a permanent pier outside of town with a free 15-minute shuttle to the downtown Visitors Center. I have not been to Sitka since before the pandemic but will be there this September on the Nieuw Amsterdam. Cruising is a lot different now with less than 50% capacity, cutbacks on little things, crew member so happy to have a job, hotel management staff is much more visible, lobster costs extra except on New Years Eve, etc. Links to my website are at the bottom of this post.

No 5-second rule for escargot? A simple request for butter sauce should be honored.

The deer are wild but they "hang out" on the lodge owner's property. A cup of grain is poured on the ground every few weeks for a snack. The last time I visited the lodge, there were only two but now there are eleven. They are not fed by the owner and you cannot approach them. They are just not afraid if you stroll past them from a distance.

There are three Gala Night menus. The blue menu is only seen as the first menu if there will be three Gala Nights. The escargot is on the Gold menu, served on the last Gala Night. I checked my last 14-Day Alaska cruise and there were three gala Nights. From my analysis, there are actually five regular menus for a 7-Day cruise plus two Gala menus (silver menu first and gold last day). 14-Day cruises repeat the 7-Day menu the second week. That leaves one yet-to-be discovered menu for the second week. FWIW there should be at east one Rudi's Sel de Mer night and that menu has escargot as an appetizer.

The Club Orange serves the same menu as the MDR bit adds an additional entree option. No problems with GF items.

Silverking Lodge review: Squeezing into the van with only a few inches of clearance to the back two rows while avoiding entanglement in the hanging seatbelts was a struggle and not a good beginning to any excursion. The 20 minute bus ride in cramped seating was uncomfortable. Better was yet to come. Much to my surprise, the long boat ride in an open vessel with everyone wearing provided ponchos to protect us from the winds has disappeared. The new boat is fully enclosed with large sliding windows. for photographs. The familiar stop under a large eagle nest to feed the family turned out to be feeding the family relatives as well with ten eagles eager to scoop up fish with their talons much to the delight of the 11 passengers on the 40-passenger boat. A stop to photograph harbors seals near the Navy Sonar Station was a nice change from my previous visit to the lodge. Five nearby Sitka deer posed for photos as we walked up the ramp from the boat to the Silverking Lodge porch. It is surprising how a little grain can ease the fear of humans for the very cute deer. Kids would love the experience as much as photographers. A short forest walk through dense moss-covered trees led us to the largest red cedar tree in North America, 40 feet in circumference to pose for photographs. As for the seafood feast, coffee, bottled water, iced tee, and hot chocolate were offered free with the lodge staff apologizing that they did not have a liquor license to sell alcoholic beverages. Six people sat at two 2019 -dated, newspaper-covered, round picnic tables with place settings including tongs, crab crackers, plastic forks, and napkins stacked neatly. A small container of warm clarified butter arrived and was placed next to the aforementioned feasting tools, and the available seasonings pointed out to the anxiously awaiting feasters. With a warning to catch the corn if it tries to roll off the table, a huge strainer/pot was rapidly inverted in the center of the two tables and when lifted, the protecting newspaper was covered with a foot-tall mound of corn, potatoes, pearl onions, Andou sausage slices, clams, mussels, shrimp, and numerous Dungeness crab leg portions. After taking a pre-feast photo of the pile of seafood+, tongs began searching for favorite items, crackers crunched tough shells, shell pieces were picked away, pieces of delicious crab were dipped in butter , and passed over the lips of awaiting palates. The cycle of tongs, cracker, pick, dip, and consume (TCPDC) was repeated many times until only a few shrimp and pearl onions were just too much for the sated feasters to consume. The lodge owner's daughter capped the feast with six-inch butter-rich chocolate chip cookies. Speaking only for myself, I had more crab than at the George Inlet Lodge Crab Feast, the hospitality was best in class, boat ride was comfortable, photo ops were exceptional, seafood was delicious and plentiful, homemade cookies were almost at the HAL Pinnacle-class Grand Dutch Cafe quality level, and the cramped minivan was not very fun. Overall Grade: A- (only because of the minivan lack of easy entry). I recommend this tour.

Tibits from yesterday (fell asleep early while watching the news): Glacier Bay was raining and dreary which will give me lots of Photoshop practice adding color to gray landscapes. There is still no sign for the bread pudding behind the ice cream station. There was no Alaskan beer on this cruise but hopefully the next will have on tap as well as bottle. Still selling beer from the Panama Canal repositioning cruise. The Rudi's Sel de Mer popup has escargot. My Dover Sole was filleted tableside by my waiter with the skill of a surgeon. When Decks 2 and 3 are used for the gangway, wear a jacket or pass by quickly. Rally cold and breezy. Received my tile but the name on the accompanying card was for my next door neighbor. I am still canvassing the restaurants for cooking oil types. One chef commented that it comes in a large container marked, "Cooking Oil." The MDR assured me that a request the day before dinner will ensure that no canola or soybean oil is used in a special preparation. The Assistant Maitre'd was back at work and played a different song on his ukulele after the last dinner service. Contrary to what others have told me, Henrick does play more than one song. New 7-Day Indian menus sometime today. If I have not answered all questions, please post them again and I will ensure that I get answers. Today is a seafood feast at Silverking Lodge. It is actually a crab boil with lots of components served on newspaper. The excursion also stops to feed eagles, one of whom passed just inches from my head enroute to a morsel the last time I was on this excursion. The clouds have lifted and no rain is forecasted for the rest of the day. FWIW overcast skies make the sky into a giant diffuser that necessitates just a touch of saturation/brightness to make some great photos. More later.

There are plenty of blankets and the weather in June should be a lot warmer than now. Your Mom will love the views and your Concierge efforts.

I could not find a book exchange and saw only travel related hardbound books.

One Crab Feast serving to me is:

It was a HAL excursion and HAL took care of all of the itinerary changes when the ship arrived late to Juneau.

The menu is the same since last year. and it should not change for a year or two. I ate their tonight and the Dover Sole was amazing. Here is the link to the pop-up menu: Rudi's Sel de Mer pop-up

I just tried signing in with my laptop (never used for ArriveCAN before), and it worked just fine to login. I could not use my tablet without starting all over (loading documents) because I originally installed ArriveCAN on my smartphone. Based on this personal testing, the "sole device" rule seems to be only for mobile devices. My test shows that you can just login to your home-created desktop ArriveCAN account using a ship's desktop and get a printed copy of your QR code.

The only drink coupons used now by HAL are for a Mariner welcome-aboard free beverage from any bar, so I was told today. I cannot answer for other ship/cruises.

Any cooking show addict knows how to cook scallops with a high smoke-point oil which is not olive oil.

Slots are open 24/7 on sea days. The Casino opens every sea day for table games at 10:00 AM and they remain open until table-gamers surrender. The Casino opens 30 minutes after departing each port. While in Glacier Bay, the Casino is closed.