Aug 31 Zuiderdam - Alaska

[cruz chic]

Startwin, I'm surprised you are saying the service is different in a Neptune. Gee, where have I hear that:D;). You'd think it is the same as an inside from some posters around here. Glad you are enjoying it. I'd love to have a Neptune for my next cruise but it's so not going to happen. Thx for checking in.

 

Sapper, it's a good think you behave yourself :D.

[sapper1]

Startwin, I'm surprised you are saying the service is different in a Neptune. Gee, where have I hear that:D;). You'd think it is the same as an inside from some posters around here. Glad you are enjoying it. I'd love to have a Neptune for my next cruise but it's so not going to happen. Thx for checking in.

 

Sapper, it's a good think you behave yourself :D.

 

My Goodness, yes. Lets just hope Annette behaved or I will hear about it. :D

[Mumsysailor]

No one in the Piano Bar - audience or entertainer? Good job you've got that Neptune Suite, what would you do with your evenings otherwise?

 

Enjoy your wine and that lovely balcony.

 

Mumsy.

[RuthC]

Nice to hear from you. Great to hear that your toilet flushes (at least so far); would like to hear if the public toilets are in operation, too ;). They were all out of order when I sailed the Zuiderdam (great cruise, though).

OK, you used a colloquialism I'm not familiar with: what's a "tosser"? :confused:

[cruz chic]

Nice to hear from you. Great to hear that your toilet flushes (at least so far); would like to hear if the public toilets are in operation, too ;). They were all out of order when I sailed the Zuiderdam (great cruise, though).

OK, you used a colloquialism I'm not familiar with: what's a "tosser"? :confused:

 

I'm thinking loser but the google search provided something else that I won't post here:eek::D.

[CowPrincess]

>SNIP< On the way through, at each checkpoint, the agent indicated that we were “Neptune” - well, opensezme! Our first indication that we were “special”, LOL.

 

 

>SNIP<

 

 

 

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!

 

 

 

>SNIP <

 

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.

 

 

>SNIP<

Lordy I have arrived – I am now a “Neptune”!!!

 

Startwin, I'm surprised you are saying the service is different in a Neptune. Gee, where have I hear that:D;). You'd think it is the same as an inside from some posters around here. Glad you are enjoying it. I'd love to have a Neptune for my next cruise but it's so not going to happen. Thx for checking in.

 

.

 

Enjoy being a "Neptune" :D

 

(... maybe only Canadians get better treatment in Neptune/PH than in the "cheap seats"? :D )

[RuthC]

I like your idea of digging in your heels and not purchasing any alcoholic drinks while on board. More power to you for that.

It would be great if you mention it on your cruise survey (paper or electronic, doesn't matter). Tell them you didn't purchase any drinks, and exactly why and what they should do about it.

One more method to get the point across.

[sapper1]

Nice to hear from you. Great to hear that your toilet flushes (at least so far); would like to hear if the public toilets are in operation, too ;). They were all out of order when I sailed the Zuiderdam (great cruise, though).

OK, you used a colloquialism I'm not familiar with: what's a "tosser"? :confused:

 

I'm suspecting it would be the opposite of a "keeper". Just guessing.

[RuthC]

I'm suspecting it would be the opposite of a "keeper". Just guessing.

I took Lorene's idea and Googled it. There is a clean definition, although negative.

[sapper1]

I took Lorene's idea and Googled it. There is a clean definition, although negative.

 

Oh my!:o

[Cindy]

I hope you have a great time...sounds like you're off to a wonderful start!:D

[startwin]

Day 2. The fog horn was sounding all night, and the fog eventually cleared mid-morning, but came down again very suddenly mid-afternoon….. after I had gotten a sunburned nose while snoozing on the top deck. Earlier, I went to the gym and hopefully worked off some of the calories I’m collecting. Had room service breakfast – hot tea was luke warm, and I think the English muffin was toasted yesterday. For lunch we just snacked in the Neptune Lounge.

 

 

 

Talking of the Neptune Lounge – I got the concierge name wrong yesterday. It’s Giovanni, not Michael. Close! Got talking to more people in there… I don’t think anyone actually booked a Neptune suite, everyone seems to have been upgraded or accepted an upsell.

 

 

It was a sea day, spotted lots of whale activity before the fog descended again. And the scenery through the Inside Passage is always spectacular.

 

 

Tonight was formal night. I spotted 4 tuxes in the MDR, and several shirts/no tie/no jacket. It sort of reminded me of the “formal optional” night we had last year, and which was a disaster, IMO. Oh, and definitely no days of the week mats in the elevators.

 

 

 

Tomorrow we’re in Juneau – I’ll be heading to the library for free internet. I am finding it very slow on the ship in spite of the upgrades reported recently.

[erewhon]

Thanks for your report of day 2.

 

Hope you will experience breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill at some stage of the cruise.

[kazu]

Annette - so great you had time to do the reports.

 

Glad you like the Neptune Suite:D

 

Surprised you were told that the reception is for first timers - all suite passengers get invited - it's one of the 'perks'.

 

I confess, I had to look up tosser too:o

 

Sounds like you are having a good time:D

[cruz chic]

Thanks for your report of day 2.

 

Hope you will experience breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill at some stage of the cruise.

 

That was my favorite perk.

[solocanadian]

[quote name='Rowsby'][SIZE=3]Hope you have a great cruise.....and enjoy that suite.....!!![/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]It looks sunny and beautiful there......we love Vancouver....[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]This is a webcam link of the east side of Canada Place......[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][/SIZE]
[URL]http://www.visioncritical.com/the-view-from-here[/URL][/QUOTE]
[B][SIZE="3"][COLOR="Blue"]Too bad they didn't have one for the West side of Canada Place. That web cam from North Vancouver is PATHETIC.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]

[startwin]

Forgot to mention in my last report - we spent an hour in the Ocean Bar after dinner. Met some lovely people, and were pleasantly surprised to have several come up and introduce themselves. I later checked the events programme and discovered we had been at the LGBT gathering!

[startwin]

[quote name='lorekauf']Startwin, I'm surprised you are saying the service is different in a Neptune. Gee, where have I hear that:D;). You'd think it is the same as an inside from some posters around here. Glad you are enjoying it. I'd love to have a Neptune for my next cruise but it's so not going to happen. Thx for checking in.

Sapper, it's a good think you behave yourself :D.[/quote]

You betcha it's different!! Now how the heck am I ever going to be avle to go back to a regular veranda cabin:eek: And evidently, the plumbing is better too - every flush a winner:D

[Mumsysailor]

[quote name='startwin']Forgot to mention in my last report - we spent an hour in the Ocean Bar after dinner. Met some lovely people, and were pleasantly surprised to have several come up and introduce themselves. I later checked the events programme and discovered we had been at the LGBT gathering![/QUOTE]

Glad to hear that you're experiencing lots of new things and meeting new people. What are you going to try next?

Mumsy.

[cruz chic]

[quote name='startwin']You betcha it's different!! Now how the heck am I ever going to be avle to go back to a regular veranda cabin:eek: And evidently, the plumbing is better too - every flush a winner:D[/QUOTE]

I hear you. I think I'm going to have a bit of a shock "roughing it" in a veranda cabin. Just a few years ago I always did insides.

Too funny about the ocean bar.

[startwin]

Reporting in from The Grind internet cafe in Juneau. The weather is lovely - no rain so far (touch wood) and when it isn't foggy it's brilliantly sunny.

The Pinnacle Grill has not been open for breakfast, until today. However, as we had a lunch reservation we decided to give it a miss, but will go for b/fast there the rest of the week. Lunch was good, but it was kind of odd how they were supposedly booked up all week for both lunch and dinner, but the Neptune concierges managed to get in in today. And guess what - only 2 other couples in the whole place! Odd,

We are docked quite aways from town - a 20 minute walk, or there is a shuttle bus for $3.00 both ways. Now, there was no mention of this anywhere, but the Neptune concierge told me about it. Another Neptune benefit..... information!

I just read through this thread, so to answer a question or 2..... "Tosser" = Pr*ck, in my world! Sorry if that's a shock to the sensibilities, but it is a perfect description of the individual involved, LOL.

Sapper - that couple is getting off in Skagway to do a land tour, so not sure if I will see them again.

Saw loads of whale activity again this morning, all of us watching from the treadmills were very excited, and it was a large pod, putting on quite a show for us.

Capt. Willems is our captain on this cruise - a very nice man, but he looks way too young to be driving this ship! Perhaps it's just me though as everyone looks young to me these days.

Right then, off to do some shopping, if I can get anywhere near the stores. 4 big ships in today, and the Solstice is anchored in the bay.

[cruz chic]

Your tosser explanation gave me a laugh. I know lots of tossers then:D. I'm enjoying your updates. Sorry to hear you are so far from town.

[AlohaPride]

[quote name='startwin']Forgot to mention in my last report - we spent an hour in the Ocean Bar after dinner. Met some lovely people, and were pleasantly surprised to have several come up and introduce themselves. I later checked the events programme and discovered we had been at the LGBT gathering![/QUOTE]

This is what we did on our very first night of our very first cruise :) Still one of our fondest memories (my husband went to the piano bar on his own, and then when I showed up an hour later the audible groan and jokes were hilarious ;) )

[Krazy Kruizers]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=5]Interesting that most people were either upgraded or did an upsell to a Neptune Suite.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[madera1]

Sounds like you are enjoying the suite perks. Thanks for the tip about the shuttle while in Juneau. Hope your shopping trip was a success.