Aug 31 Zuiderdam - Alaska

[startwin]

I don't intend doing a "live-from" but I'll start a thread, just in case. I'm taking my netbook, and will try to post while in port.

 

We're off in about an hour - the joys of living close to port:D And so excited because this is my first Neptune suite! The weather is glorious in Vancouver today after a really miserable rain front yesterday, and a major storm overnight on Thursday. Those flying in the day before wouldn't have enjoyed much scenery with the mountains socked in by clouds. Fortunately, it did clear up a bit later in the day, and was warm. I spent the day running around doing last-minute stuff, and packing.

 

Sailaway promises to be a good one with sun forecast for today and tomorrow. Sailing out of Vancouver is so scenic, I am always so proud and appreciative of where I live on days like this, and it makes the rainy winters (and spring and fall:D) worth it.

 

So if don't check in again - my apologies for starting this thread, but as I said, if I get a chance I will add to it.

[trophy_23]

Have a great trip! Nice weather change for you today atleast.

[cruz chic]

Have a wonderful time. I'll enjoy hearing your take on the Neptune suite.

[solocanadian]

Have a great time in your Neptune suite. Did the same thing in May on the same ship. Let's hope this sunshine holds for a couple of weeks.:D Bon Voyage

[Krazy Kruizers]

Bon Voyage!!

Have a great cruise.

[sapper1]

Bon Voyage Annette. Hope you are able to find some wifi signals.

[canadianbear]

We needed that big storm Thursday night to provide you with a beautiful day today for your departure. Hope you are feeling better and have a wonderful time in a Neptune suite! The first time is always the best I think. I loved breakfast in the Pinnacle and hope you do too.

 

I'm sure you'll find wifi in a couple of the ports and will be watching for updates.

 

2 more weeks and it's our turn for the Zuiderdam and Alaska.

 

Enjoy!

[Typhoon1]

Farewell and enjoy your cruise. Keep us posted if you find time.

[Mumsysailor]

Have a wonderful time Annette. Enjoy the Neptune Suite. We look forward to hearing all about it..

 

Mumsy.

[RuthC]

How fortunate to have a beautiful day for sail-away! It doesn't always work out that way. Have a great time.

[Rowsby]

Hope you have a great cruise.....and enjoy that suite.....!!!

It looks sunny and beautiful there......we love Vancouver....

This is a webcam link of the east side of Canada Place......

http://www.visioncritical.com/the-view-from-here

[Vict0riann]

Have a wonderful cruise. Wish we were there!

[PathfinderEss]

Hope you have a wonderful cruise Startwin.:)

[maxie99]

Hope you have a great cruise.....and enjoy that suite.....!!!

 

It looks sunny and beautiful there......we love Vancouver....

 

This is a webcam link of the east side of Canada Place......

 

http://www.visioncritical.com/the-view-from-here

thankyou for that website, i was so dissapointed with what was offered with the web cam views

[KNOT2L82SAIL]

I hope you have an absolutely awesome ... and trouble free time! Post when you can. And if not, we understand. Enjoy!:D

[madera1]

Have a great cruise in your Neptune Suite. Perhaps we will be in the same room when we board 3 weeks from today! It will be our first time in a suite as well. Please post a review after the trip if you get too busy to do a live from report.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Divi]

We just got off the Zuiderdam today. We had wonderful weather in all three ports. Shorts weather. Glacier Bay was overcast but still beautiful . We had some rain yesterday on our sea day but we consider ourselves very fortunate.

We didn't find any wifi in port though. Perhaps we were just too busy enjoying ourselves to look very hard.

Service and food were great. We enjoyed the entertainment.

My only complaint, no "days of the week" mats in the elevators. Not really much of a complaint!

[erewhon]

startwin,

 

Thanks for your thread, don't worry if you don't have a chance to post during your cruise, you can always report back later.:D

 

Hope life in the Neptune Suite exceeds your expectations.

 

It's the first of September here, we are having a beautiful sunny day, hope you have similar weather during your cruise.

 

Wishing you a fabulous cruise.

[erewhon]

Hope you have a great cruise.....and enjoy that suite.....!!!

 

It looks sunny and beautiful there......we love Vancouver....

 

This is a webcam link of the east side of Canada Place......

 

http://www.visioncritical.com/the-view-from-here

 

Thank you for this webcam link.

[AlohaPride]

Bon Voyage!

[NoobCruise]

Have a fabulous cruise and enjoy your suite and the Neptune Lounge!

[kazu]

Bon Voyage - have a great cruise and a wonderful time in your Neptune Suite:D

[startwin]

Day 1. Got to the pier at 11:20, luggage quickly taken – with hand held out for a tip which annoyed me because these are longshoremen earning scads of money (a friend of mine does this, so I know from him). Oh well. Then waited at the HAL office about 20 mins for a wheelchair for DH. Finally I went in search of one and found a HAL agent who managed to locate a wheelchair, and took us all the way through security, check-in and to the ship, where we waited for a steward to come take over. On the way through, at each checkpoint, the agent indicated that we were “Neptune” - well, opensezme! Our first indication that we were “special”, LOL.

 

 

Onto the ship and to our suite – 7088. Wow. Wow again. Those who “always book suites” can bypass this bit as I’m sure they will be bored. The place is HUGE! We can swing several cats around and still have room to spare. Big deck too, and as this is just as the “hump” begins, we look forward and sideways. A wonderful cabin layout, and way more cupboards and drawers than we can use. Peeking into adjacent cabins they didn’t seem nearly as big, and not as nice a layout. Waiting for us was sparkling wine and a bottle of water, complimentary. A dressing room – nice. But evidently it was a man who decided to put the magnifying makeup mirror in such a dark location. Fortunately I brought my own, which sits on the bathroom counter were the light is good. Tons of room in there too.

Off to the Mariners lunch, where we sat with a 2 really nice couples – from Australia and from St. John – and here we find what a small world it really is. Sapper – they know you and your DH! Unfortunately, a whole night has gone by since then and I can’t remember their names!! Wasn’t too impressed with the food, way too salty, but the company and location was good. I cannot stand the Lido buffet on embarkation day.

 

 

To the Neptune Lounge – another first for me. Sophie and Michael are our concierges. Nice, met more Aussies (lots on this cruise) who are very friendly, and a bunch of people in there who seem to think they are way too special to talk to new people. Their loss. At the “suite party” later, the same mix of people again, and talked at length with another Vancouverite who was travelling with his gorgeous companion who was about 30 years younger than him. Hmm. She’s Russian. A very nice girl, he was a bit of a tosser though. Several officers there, who all escaped as quickly as possible! Some woman from “Locations” (huh?) explained that these parties are mainly for first-time suite people to try them to book suites again. I told her we’re not likely to for our next cruise as it would be way too expensive for 22 days, so she quickly went on to the next person, LOL.

 

 

Dinner: again, being “Neptune” paid off, as our open-dining-waitlisted for main suddenly turned into a 2-top early dining, which is what we wanted. Food was OK – I ordered off the everyday menu and the chicken breast was excellent. No dessert for me, DH enjoyed his enough for both of us!

 

 

 

Did my 2 miles on the Promenade deck after dinner, and I can definitely confirm that there are no “No Jogging” signs anywhere. Just the usual “do not sit on the rails” “do not throw anything overboard” etc. And no ashtrays.

 

 

No one in the Piano bar, we didn’t want to go to the show, so it was an early night for us. We’re quite boring!

 

 

One final note…. I usually order wine at dinner, but being so miffed at HAL for their change in wine policy and the way they handled it, I am not buying any alcohol at all, just drinking my wine in my room. But my gosh, the sales pitch everywhere, pushing all alcohol, wine tastings, beers, whatever. Made me dig in my heels even more.

 

 

Oh, and another thing…. Since our cruise on the Zuidy last year, all the loungers have been replaced with really nice ones by the pool and on the aft Lido deck. Haven’t found anything needing repairs yet, but am spending most of my time in my suite –where the toilet flushes every time!! Lordy I have arrived – I am now a “Neptune”!!!

[Rowsby]

How fun.....sounds like you're loving that suite......!!!

[sapper1]

That is so funny about meeting people who know us. If you don't see them again to get their names I imagine at some point we'll run into them and they'll tell us they met someone on a cruise and they knew us. :)

 

I am so glad you are enjoying your suite and will be following your adventures.