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Joanie's Alaskan Adventure 2011 has begun:)

IRL_Joanie

By IRL_Joanie,
in Holland America Line

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erewhon Holiday Sharing Rare

erewhon

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Hey! How do you guys get HAL to comp the hotel? Is it booking through HAL?

 

If so, my travel agent better start giving us a better discount!

 

Last year, I had read here on CC that HAL was "giving" a hotel night, to those passengers booking a balcony category cabin or above. Asked our travel agent to enquire.

As we were flying into Vancouver 3 days before the cruise, we communicated with the hotel to ensure that we booked a room with a view of the harbour and the HAL ships.

This worked out perfectly,..... when we first entered the hotel room we saw the Ryndam departing.

 

A charming HAL representative met us at the airport, escorted us to a taxi which to our surprise, HAL paid for.

We were also offered a coach tour of Vancouver enroute to Canada Place, which we declined, as this was our 3rd visit to Vancouver, and were staying at the Pan Pacific.

Also included was the collection of our luggage from the hotel room, (delivered to our cabin while we were at lunch in the main dining room.)

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scopewest

scopewest

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Joanie, have a wonderful cruise.

 

Thanks to your posts we booked SC6166 on the Oosterdam, our first aft suite, and yes we told them no upgrades on the reservation per your advice. One month to go so I shall enjoy reading your posts to make the time go faster!

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NMLady

NMLady

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Joanie, best wishes from the other end of NM, the middle of the desert.

 

I loved our Alaska cruise last year and I hope the weather is as co-operative for your cruise as it was for ours.

 

Looking forward to the rest of your posts -- although shipboard internet is pricey and you'll probably be busy in ports.

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solocanadian

solocanadian

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Hi Joanie: Gail here. Would love to take Skytrain/CanadaLine on the 24th for a short Meet & Greet. Will not drive down to Canada Place because of the expensive parking. If we cannot meet, don't fret. Do keep in mind there could be border line ups on the 25th so don't leave late. Many Canadians love to shop in Washington State due to good bargains & our strong dollar. Once you get on Highway 99 [Canada] I-5 [Washington] and through the tunnel you should be safe doing 100 KM per hour. Have a great cruise & enjoy that wrap balcony. Cheers, Gail:D

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dobiemom

dobiemom

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Hi Joanie: Gail here. Would love to take Skytrain/CanadaLine on the 24th for a short Meet & Greet. Will not drive down to Canada Place because of the expensive parking. If we cannot meet, don't fret. Do keep in mind there could be border line ups on the 25th so don't leave late. Many Canadians love to shop in Washington State due to good bargains & our strong dollar. Once you get on Highway 99 [Canada] I-5 [Washington] and through the tunnel you should be safe doing 100 KM per hour. Have a great cruise & enjoy that wrap balcony. Cheers, Gail:D

Sorry to interrupt Joanie's thread, but I saw a familiar name and just wanted to say hi to solocanadian: Hi Gail! :D

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solocanadian

solocanadian

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Hi Marsha, Dobiemom; Sure was a treat meeting you & your daughter. Wish we lived closer. Thanks again for the Diet Coke. It went down very well with my Rum, which I'm enjoying right now. I'm booked next year on a back to back Alaska cruise with Hal about this time of year but will probably cancel because of the single supplement. They want over $4000.00 for 14 days & that is Ridiculous. If I were able to spend that kind of money, it sure would not be on Hal. I'd rather spend that kind of money on Crystal. They at least let you take a bottle of booze on board & I'm willing to bet their food is better. I've been a guest on Crystal in Vancouver a few years ago, but never sailed with them. Perhaps it's time for a change. Keep well, Gail.:D:D

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IRL_Joanie

IRL_Joanie

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Joanie's Alaskan Adventure 2011

 

Our Alaskan Adventure began months ago with every detail planned down to the most minute detail taken care of. From what itinerary, how many weeks, what cruise line (like there would be any doubt *Grin*), what ship, what stateroom, what excursions, when to dine on board the ship and where, what airlines and when we wanted to go.

 

We had decided on the last 2 weeks of the Alaskan cruising season (September 10th-24th 2011) as we had been on the first two weeks of the Alaskan cruising season (May 10th-17th 2008 and May 17th-24th 2009) with Holland America Line (HAL) and absolutely loved it with all of the snow still on the mountains and the wildlife just coming out of hibernation and waking up. Now we wanted to do the last two weeks so that we could see the other end of the spectrum. I'd been told by friends that we'd probably get to see what is called by Alaskans 'Termination Dust', that first trace of snow falling on the mountain tops, not much, just enough to show that summer was coming to an end and winter was on its way.

 

We chose HAL's ms Zuiderdam because of its itinerary and being the last HAL ship doing the Inside Passage from Vancouver, BC, Canada to Glacier Bay and Skagway. We've been to all the ports along the way, Juneau, and Ketchikan, and seen both Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay, but never Skagway or Vancouver. So we booked the Zuiderdam for 2 full weeks, chose United Airlines to get there and back home again, chose and paid for our excursions and our dining choices, and counted down to the big day of leaving the house on Friday 9 September 2011.

 

This was not to be as easy as we thought. On Saturday evening 3 September 2011 my hubby, Bless his heart, discovered while going to print out our flight schedules, that United Airlines had not only changed our flight schedules, but had also changed their policy regarding doctor statements for life saving medical devices, such as Portable Oxygen Concentrators (POC) now having to be signed and dated within 10 days of each and every flight aboard a United Airlines flight. This meant that even if you are on a cruise in a foreign country or just plain out of your home city for more than 10 days, you cannot fly on United Airlines as the now more than 10 day old signed and dated doctor's statement regarding your use and knowledge of the use of the POC is no longer valid. No amount of pleading would change the United Airlines Aero Medical peoples minds. Basically I was told, go find a doctor in the few hours you will be in Vancouver on the 24th of September 2011 because we will not let you on the plane to return home to Albuquerque New Mexico on the morning of 25 September 2011.

 

So we started the panicking!! Hubby found flights with Southwest Airlines to and from Seattle that we could get with no problems (flights home would be free as we could use our Rapid Rewards points.) The only problem now was to get from Seattle to Vancouver and return the same way.

 

I went to the wonderful and extremely knowledgeable experts on Cruise Critic and asked for help. Boy do they help! And they were so quick to tell me what, where, how, what not to do and where to avoid. Everyone was fantastic!!

 

By 4:45 p.m. MST (my time) everything was changed, and we were no longer in a panic, all thanks to Cruise Critic Members!!

 

So, our schedule now is flying out of Albuquerque, NM on Thursday evening to Seattle, pick up our rental car from Alamo, spend the night there at one of our favorite airport hotels, get up and leave the hotel around 9 a.m. (in order to miss most of the rush hour traffic) and drive the 240 or so miles to Vancouver, of course stopping along the scenic way and taking photos and me having my necessary smoke breaks (since I cannot smoke in a rental car *Grin*), and get into Vancouver and our HAL booked hotel at Canada Place LONG before we'd have gotten there aboard our originally planned United Airlines flight!!

 

Upon completion of our cruise on the 24th September 2011 into Vancouver we will check into our HAL post cruise hotel at Canada Place and hubby will go and pick up our rental car from Avis, just abut 7 blocks from our hotel, and park it in the hotel parking area ($35.00 overnight self park or valet park $39.00) and we will leave early the morning (before 7 a.m.) on the 25th to drive back leisurely to Seattle in order to make our 3:05 p.m. flight back home. BTW, with our new flights with Southwest Airlines we now have Direct flights, they are 3.15 hours long and we have been able to cancel our United Airlines flights and while we do not get the cash back for them, we were able to get a $548.00 USD voucher useable within 1 year from yesterday. So it is only costing us approximately $200.00 USD to make this change, including the extra hotel room in Seattle and the one way rental cars. Life is Good!!

 

It is now Monday morning, 5 September 2011, and I am once again my calm, cool, collected self (Yeah Right, like I am ever any of those things *Grin*) and I have decided that I will start this almost Live from the "Z" Alaska Adventurers Cruise off with a bang a few days early!!

 

I will have my new Net Book with me and will try to post from each of our US Ports of call, starting with our arrival in Vancouver on 9 September.

 

I just want to take this time to thank ALL of Cruise Critic for your Wonderful help and expertise in the United Airlines debacle/chaos!!

 

You guys are the best and if anyone tries to say differently, I am proof of just how good you are!!

 

Joanie

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Wednesday 7 September 2011: The day before we leave!!

 

First I need to make a small correction. Our Car rental in Seattle is Hertz not Alamo as I'd said previously.... Hubby said Alamo One Way with International Drop Off Fees and Taxes was nearly $450.00 US$. For that outrageous price I could have rented a Limo to take us there!! (I know I called a couple of the Limo companies recommended by you, my fellow CC members and their prices were $456.00 each way, per car not per person)

 

Also to be noted is that I saw my Primary Care Physician Tuesday morning, 6 September 2011 with Southwest Airlines Format/Form in hand along with his now 18 month old Signed and Dated Original form letter stating I know how to use the POC and .. blah.. blah.. blah.., and was out of his office in less than 20 minutes:) He mentioned that in the last few weeks he has had several of his oxygen patients needing him like this and even 2 patients who have had to bring in relatives from out of town who needed the United Airlines requirement to be met. So, it was/is not just me!! But good to go now for 1 year with Southwest Airlines:)

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Thursday 8 September 2011

 

Thursday was easy as pie to get our baby girl, Mid Night, to the kennels and then back home to load up the car and head for the airport for our 6:50 p.m. Southwest flight. Got to the airport and was sitting at the gate with no problems with my POC!! Funny incident did happen when the Southwest Gate attendant looked at my Dr's statement As soon as he saw my Dr's name he said that was his doctor also and if OUR doc said I knew what to do, when and where, then I was good to go.

 

We board the plane and head off into the wild blue yonder right on time and headed for Seattle. Our flight was 3.15 hours long. All was going good until about 1 hour before we were due to land and the woman sitting in the aisle seat next to me took off all her make up and then started reapplying it!! Wierd when you consider that we are landing at around 10 p.m. or so and most women are not thinking of putting their face on at that time unless they are in the world's oldest profession....

 

So, we get into Seattle, pick up our rental car from Hertz (thank you to the Canadian CC member (cannot remember names right now and I am doing this off line at the moment so cannot look at who said what) but thank you for telling us about the Gas prices per liter!! We bought the gas through Hertz at $3.75 a gallon so we did not have to worry about filling the tank before turning it in in Vancouver. And then the fight begins!! Well, not really a fight but a furor over hotels and their names... Seems in my panic the previous weekend, I told hubby that the hotel we'd stayed in the last time we spent the night at the airport was called Red Roof Inn, so he booked a night with them for only $79.00. Great price right?? YES BUT,,, Of course there is a BUT.... I SCREWED UP!!!!!!!!!!!!! I meant to say that we had spent the last time at the Red Lion Inn and screwed up the name.... I had never stayed at a Red Roof Inn and had pictures running through my head of a sleaze bag flea ridden place.... Well, I had to apologize to hubby after we check into our room and I see just how nice the room is and super super clean!! For the price it is quite a good deal. I would highly recommend the Red Roof Inn!!

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Friday 9 September 2011

 

Friday morning dawned a beautiful sunshiney day.Temps forecasted to be in the mid to high 80's with no rain!!

 

Car loaded we head off at a little Seattle 10:00 a.m. for a nice, leisurely drive to Vancouver. Westopped for a fantastic lunch just outside the city limits of Redmond and had lunch at Dennys. I loves my Moons over My Hammy!!! Yummmmmmmmmmm

 

After lunch we stopped at a Mini Mart and picked up a couple dozens bottles of Mountain Dew for hubby and off we went!

 

Gertrude 2 was set to 900 Canada Place (Gertrude 2 is our GPS) and less than 3 hours later we were at the front door of the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel. I checked us in as hubby turned the rental car into Hertz. I was able to luck out and get one of their smoking rooms on the 10th floor facing the port itself. WOW!!!! What a gorgeous view!!!!! ot only did we have a beaasutiful view of Canada Place and the Port but also Seagulls, especially the one that tried to come into our room via the teeny tiny window on the bottom right side *yikes!!!* (I'd had the porter open the window and turn the air high with the room door wide so thssat it could clear out the scented cleaning products smell (some of you may remember that I am allergic to scented products.) Anyway, I forgot to close that little window and when we came back with dinner a couple of hours later and were eating, a seagull decided to perch on our window sill. I guess he saw and/or smelled my Gyros and decided he wanted some to.... Hubby started dropping some of his dinner out the window to the ledge and then realized that bird was coming in!!!! Never saw the man close a window so fast in my life!!!

 

For those interested, the Food Court below the hotel is all fast food places. There are 2 Chinese, 1 subway, 1 McDonalds, 1 Starbucks, 1 Pizza Place and a Greek Restaurant and a Diner. Like I said, these are all fast food places and there is a rather large common area in which to sit at a table and eat your meal.

 

So after eating and digesting it was off to bed for us.

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Saturday 10 September 2011

 

I awakened at about 3 a.m., too excited to sleep any longer. I get dressed and headed off for some exploration of the area immediately around the hotel and port (too scared to go out of site of the hotel Bell Hops.) The Bell Hops were sweeties and got me 2 cups of coffee while I sat and chatted at/with them for the better part of 2 hours.... I swear I kept trying to let them alone, but they wanted to hear New Mexico and our cruising with HAL.

 

We checked in with the HAL representative at 8 a.m. and she told us to have our luggage picked up as soon as possibke and to be down to her desk by 9 a.m. instead of the normal time of 10:45 because she'd just learned the Zuiderdam was getting ready for 3 very large British and Australian tour groups and that Customs was going to opoen at 9:30 instead of the normal time. Turns out that there are more than 900 British and Australians on the ship and only about 100 American and Canadians. WE ARE OUT NUMBERED!!!! LOL

 

9:30 we are the first in line at the Customs Entrance. 10:00 a.m. we have cleared Customs, received our Key Cards and are in the HC and Suite waiting rows. At 11:00 a.m. we are boarded right after the 2 Austrailian families in the Penthouses (one of whom in 7046 has invited me to their stateroom to take photos since they know mine are probably out dated as they used my site to make their final decision (and the CC members who have sent in their comments about 7046) to choose their stateroom!! They are not CC members.... YET... But I am working on them.

 

We checked our stateroom out, leaving the carry ons behind and had lunch in the MDR.

 

OH IMPORTANT HUNKY DORY NOTE!!!! He no longer goes by Hunky Dory!!! He is working on promotions and now his name tag reads his real name of Imam. Per the Maitre' de in the Main Dining Room, Imam is more professional than Hunky Dory:) And yes, he is the Assistant Dining Room Manager on level 2.

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Sunday 9-11-2011

 

Today began at 3 a.m. Unable to sleep well with the thoughts of what happened 10 years ago this date, I arose early and went to the Aft Lido deck to contemplate all that happened on 9-11-01 and the lives lost not only that date, but also since.

 

I had planned a silent vigil for 5:46 a.m. Ship time to coincide with the New York City Ground Zero Moment of Silence. While I thought there might be 1 or 2 passengers joining me (they'd stated on HAL's Facebook site that they'd be there), we had more than 25 passengers and Crew joining us for a full 24 minutes of silence. It was wonderful to see so many waken early to help commemorate this tragic day in our history. Afterwards 2 of the crew membors sang a song of life and sadness and thanked us all for remembering not only our own loss in the US, England, Spain and India but also Bali and for those still suffering from the terrorism.

 

Sunday was a sea day so we just kind of hung out in the stateroom and on the Verandah, taking a few hundred photos as we traveled the beautiful Inside Passage. We've decided that we are putting down 2 Future Cruise Credits, one for the Panama Canal and one for the Inside Passage for the month of May in 2013.

 

Dinner was super fast in the MDR!! We walked (I scootered) in and was met by the hailing of "Mrs. Jett!!!" Seems our 2nd Maitr' De on the Oosterdam from May of 2008 is now the 2nd Maitre' De here on the Zuiderdam also!! As soon as I came in he recognized me by name. I knew his face but could not remember his name *Chagrin*

 

We had 5:45 dining and were about 12 minutes late (hubby getting into his tux..... We were seated immediately at our table #79, a table for 2 right at the railing (beautiful spot!!) and were waited on immediately by Paul anfd his assistant, Yoga. The 3rd Maitre' De, Chandra, came over and introduced himself and told us that his 2nd Maitre' De' Bernie had seen our photos in the MDR dining room database 2 cruises ago and told him that if we were the same people from the Oosterdam in 2008, he was in for a great treat. Now to be remembered like that, as a good thing, really makes you feel loved and makes you feel like you are part of the family!! As Bernie stated as we were leaving (1 hour after entering the MDR) once you have endeared yourself to the crew, you are family.

 

Hubby went to the show, and I went to bed.

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Monday 12 September 2011

 

As I type this I am on our verandah cruising into Tracy Arms Fijords. It is a BEAUTIFUL sunshiney day, COLD as Hades, But beautiful!! Hubby is telling me that critters are popping up all over the place beside the ship, so I am signing off and will write more tomorrow and try to post from Skagway tomorrow.

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Monday 12 September 2011 Continued

 

OMG!!!!!! Tracy Arm Fjords are beautiful!!!! And for those who've complained that they did not get to go all the way to the glacier(s) I can explain why!! The water is not deep enough in the channel to go any further than it does now. BUT... We did get to go just beyond what the Park Ranger called "The Baby Glacier" before turning around and parking aft in towards a beautifyl waterfall for more than 30 minutes while the Celebrity Infinity went by us:) ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!!!!

 

Weather was besautiful and sunshine until about 6 pm. in Juneau when it apparently rained in the city. We were on a Whale Watching excursion and did not get any rain.

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Tuesday 13 September 2011

 

We are in Skagway. It is an overcast day with light rains periodically. Hubby has an excursion.

 

I did manage to find out that the Suites DO NOT get same day laundry service!!! IF you turn your regular laundry in before 9 am. you will get it back within 48 hours. The only way you will get laundry service returned the same day is if you hve Dry Cleaning or pressin only. I think you might get Express service if you pay for it via the Laundry Package, but not regular Suite :aundry Service.

 

OK, I need to sign off so I can post this. Will post again from Ketchikan on Thursday.

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IRL_Joanie

IRL_Joanie

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Hi Joanie: Gail here. Would love to take Skytrain/CanadaLine on the 24th for a short Meet & Greet. Will not drive down to Canada Place because of the expensive parking. If we cannot meet, don't fret. Do keep in mind there could be border line ups on the 25th so don't leave late. Many Canadians love to shop in Washington State due to good bargains & our strong dollar. Once you get on Highway 99 [Canada] I-5 [Washington] and through the tunnel you should be safe doing 100 KM per hour. Have a great cruise & enjoy that wrap balcony. Cheers, Gail:D

 

Gail, Would love to meet you!!! We are staying at the Fairmont Waterfront at Canada Place. I will check this thread to see if this is good for you and we can meet there?? It would be awesome!!

 

Joanie

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IRL_Joanie

IRL_Joanie

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Just a quick note on how I am connecting to the internet from the stateroom. Hubby has a Hot Spot on his Cell Phone and I am using that in port here in Skagway. We can only do this in US Ports as it is to expensive otherwise. The connection speed is awesome!!

 

OK time to go let my Roll Call know I is alive and well:)

 

Miss CC so much though. You all are wonderful and I miss you!!

 

Joanie

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