oaktreerb

HAL has been offering 10 Wednesday specials recently. Not that these offerings would be considered specials but Wednesday would be a good day to promote new itineraries. 🤔

Talk to the “maitre’d” at the entrance to the dining room the first night you are onboard. It is much easier to do if you arrive at 5:15/5:30 pm.

Did you find out how she managed to get on without being vaxed? I guess maybe 95% had to be vaxed. If her bragging caused problems for the crew the Captain should have told her to quit bragging. I think I would have used the Navigator App to “let them know” about her presence and attitude.

I really like having the Koningsdam sailing out of San Diego. I’d like to book my 7 day Koningsdam November cruise for 2023 and I don’t care if it’s Mexico or Pacific Coast. I’ll be happy to cruise in the US especially if it’s on the K. I keep watching for new offerings. Maybe they’ll show up on a Wednesday. Maybe HAL is trying to project international cruising prospects for the season but I’m not flying to a foreign country (Canada not included) for a long cruise. I hope they keep the Koningsdam in San Diego and don’t send it to Asia!

2-3 days is not much time since distances are vast. You might skip Denali and spend your time in the Seward/Anchorage/Turnagain Arm area. Kenai Fjords, Exit Glacier, Seavy sled dog tour, Wildlife Conservation Center, Sealife center, Girdwood (Alyeska). Look online at what this area has to offer.

In past years there has been a “hop on hop off” bus to the Fortress of the Bears and the Raptor Center. It picks up at the Convention Center where the cruise ship shuttle drops you off. and runs a circle route through the day. Probably cheaper and more versatile than a taxi . I have no clue what a taxi would cost but it’s been awhile since you posted and you may not get a response.

HAL decision making re: Covid isolation will most likely be the policy across the fleet. I was just on the Nieuw Amsterdam and couldn’t tell you which areas were closed off but I know for sure where the closed corridor was on the K. We were right next door.

Good to know since we booked one of those “quarantine” rooms in the 4th deck firewall corridor for our January cruise on the Koningsdam.

We had a 10:30 check in time in Vancouver and went through the check in and immigration process and also had to sit with the group before being allowed to board also around 11:30. I did have to point out that we were 4* so that we were directed to sit with the group that would board first. No problem for me because I knew that later in the day those lines to check in would be long and I would be onboard having lunch. I knew there were bus loads of people coming around 2 pm and I was amazed that everybody was cleared and the ship was pulling out right on time at 4 pm. Did you go to the dining room when you got onboard? The HAL greeters will direct you to the Lido or to your room (which should be ready when you board) but the dining room may be open. It was on our cruise. The great thing about the current early check in times and the short wait before boarding is that your room should be ready which means the Lido is less crowded. People aren’t waiting around in the Lido for the rooms to be ready.