Live review with pics, HAL Nieuw Amsterdam 6/11 Vancouver

[cl.klink]

Thanks again for posting.

 

 

 

Those fish and chips looked amazing! Love the tempura style! Where did you get these? Will have to make a note to be sure and try!

 

 

 

The wine tasting looked fun! Is there a charge for the event? Do you have to sign up in advance??

 

 

 

Appreciate your taking the time to answer our questions!

 

 

 

Save travels back home! SOOOOO curious if your passport will turn up!!!

 

 

 

Fish Pirate Saloon was the place I got fish and chips.

 

The wine tasting was $25.

 

It'll be interesting to see if the passport surfaces, but not expecting it.

 

- Joel

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Evelfog1]

Thank You so much for taking the time to take us along with you and your family on your adventures!

 

I will be on the Nieuw Amsterdam in November and have already begun the countdown :p

[cl.klink]

Thank You so much for taking the time to take us along with you and your family on your adventures!

 

 

 

I will be on the Nieuw Amsterdam in November and have already begun the countdown :p

 

 

 

 

I'm sure you will enjoy it!

 

- Joel

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cl.klink]

DISEMBARKATION, June 18 2016

 

Vancouver was cool, misty, and overcast as we came under the Lions Gate bridge around 6:15 am. Early breakfast in Lido for last time. Awaited our color/# to be called to go down to gangway to leave ship. People jammed in everywhere. This is often the most chaotic part of a cruise, as almost everyone all wants to be at the same place at the same time to do the same thing with lots of bags in tow and feeling anxious without the excitement of an impending or ongoing cruise to help. We entered this fray at 8:35 am and were on our bus by 9:05 am. Not bad.

 

The HAL excursion we did was Vancouver highlights with airport drop off. Saw Stanley Park, a nice area just west of downtown. It would be a long walk or short drive from the pier. Offered nice views of pier across the water in between. Otherwise, bike, jogging, walking trails in a wooded and at times lush green area, with nice water views. Some totem poles. Coffee and gift shop. The aquarium is in it. To the west of it are very nice homes, condos. We then drive past BC Place Stadium where football and soccer teams play, and Rogers Arena where Canucks play. On through Vancouver's Chinatown. Next to Gastown, a poplar area dense with trendy shops, cafes, restaurants, just to the east side of the cruise pier, which we passed one last time. Fond farewell Nieuw Amsterdam.

 

Frequent signage in Chinese, less often in French, add to the international feel of Vancouver, which otherwise feels a lot like a US city. In fact, the film and TV industry here is big and often pawned off as a street in a US city (filming one block with Seattle police cars).

 

Cost of Vancouver housing is sky-rocketing, in part, the bus driver said, because of off shore purchasers. Whomever owns homes and condos, he said that many are being leased out at a profit which drives costs up more. Young people have a hard time affording to live and work here, so that's becoming a stress too, apparently.

 

This excursion was, I must say, not good. Lasted less than advertised, overpriced, and guide said some unpleasant things about politics that estranged me from the get go. An unpleasant end to an otherwise mostly very good trip. Next time I'll just take a cab.

 

Unloaded at airport by 11:15. At gate by 12:20. A meal for lunch at a Vancouver Canucks restaurant was a fun setting but, alas, taint cruise quality food.

 

Made it to Denver and had a much better meal at the airport version of John Elway's restaurant. Made it through Denver and onto a plane with both passports still in hand!

 

Final airport destination Kansas City, made it, though it's a late night. We'll sleep in an airport hotel and drive home tomorrow.

 

Done.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cl.klink]

Approaching Lions Gate bridge on way into Vancouver

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cl.klink]

Back in port

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cl.klink]

The disembarkation slog begins

 

The slog

 

The disembarkation slog is over and we're on the bus

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cl.klink]

Stanley park, looking east back at pier, ship docked

 

Stanley Park

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cl.klink]

Canucks restaurant at Vancouver airport

 

Elway's restaurant at Denver airport

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cl.klink]

Farewell Nieuw Amsterdam

 

Joel out.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RMLincoln]

Thanks for sharing your story and all the great pics. You did an amazing job just getting your replacement passport. So happy for you that you got to enjoy this great adventure. Walking on a glacier was sure a pinnacle experience for me. Enjoy the planning for the Med! m--

[SherriM]

Sorry to hear that the excursion was less than promised. But glad that you all made it "home" with passports intact!

Thanks again for the delightful commentary on your cruise!

Felt like it was OVER too quickly!!!

[Queen of DaNile]

What a harrowing passport story! The stars certainly must have been aligned for you to get the replacement in one day! Glad you made it home intact and enjoyed your cruise. Thanks for sharing the stories and photos.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the review.

[Mystymom]

Thank you for a wonderful review of our favorite HAL ship! Happy sailing!

[sue1898]

Hopefully you can answer an internet question for me. We leave on this same cruise a week from Saturday. Because of family health issues, we will need to stay in touch. Did you have reliable internet the entire week? I'm particularly interested in the glacier and scenic cruising days. Thanks for any insight you can provide.

[cl.klink]

Hopefully you can answer an internet question for me. We leave on this same cruise a week from Saturday. Because of family health issues, we will need to stay in touch. Did you have reliable internet the entire week? I'm particularly interested in the glacier and scenic cruising days. Thanks for any insight you can provide.

 

we had internet the whole way, yes. It was often slow, though.

 

That said, last year we did this cruise and the internet was out for a day while we were in glacier bay national park. I think that was a coincidence -- the internet was just out, and that was the day it happened to occur.

 

Chances are imperfectly good that you'll be OK.

 

- Joel