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Daily Reports from the Westerdam to Alaska and Denali


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2 hours ago, Crew News said:

The Exc Chef is named Vitta and the PG Managers name will be verified at dinner tonight.

 

11 hours ago, SilvertoGold said:

Roger:

Would you be able to mention who the Exc Chef is, as well as the Pinnacle Manager?

 

 

The PG Manager is named Renzo.  It is quite evident that he is a former PG waiter.  His choreography using food runners and having desserts at hand when entrees are served is a treat to watch.  Waiters do not disappear to search for food from the kitchen.  My PG dinner tonight was 1:10 minutes which is the best I have experienced in 11 years sailing with HAL.

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The day began with overcast with a strong hint of rain and temps in the 50’s.  It ended with breaking clouds and a magnificent sunset.  Tomorrow in Skagway is another threat of shower.

Breakfast was in the Lido Market and with a later port day, the book readers had staked out their tables and many passengers wandered amongst the tables in search of a spot to eat.  I found a spot at one of the group tables and eventually was joined by members of the Aussie tour group.  Discussions of “real” American issues were conducted and compared to Aussie issues.  I was able to provide more HAL tips to make their cruise a bit better as well as what to expect on their Skagway dogsledding excursions.

My excursion to Mendenhall Glacier was a two-mile walk to Nugget Falls for some good photos.  Some of those at the Falls spotted my expensive-looking camera and asked me to take photos of them with their cell phones capturing the falls in the background.  It could be a nice concession opportunity if the falls were not located in a National Forest.  Returning to the Visitor Center, I enjoyed a good presentation on the black bear population.

With the Mt Roberts Tram in the clouds, I opted to eat a late lunch and review my photos  I made a quick trip to the Alaska Fudge Company as well as the gourmet popcorn shops.

Dinner at the Pinnacle Grill was memorable with the chance to taste the new menu, observe the best choreographed PG meal I have ever experienced, and take note of PG changes.  The amuse was a near-puree of escargot in foam and, surprisingly, I ate all of it.  The basket of bread (sadly lavosh is no more) contained split rolls that were pre-buttered.  Another tasty change to the PG offerings.  The wild mushroom puree (soup course) was thick and epitomized the earthiness of the main ingredient.  The very spicy lemongrass soup is no longer on the menu.  The pastrami salmon was amazing with just a hint of mustard and molasses making it a perfect appetizer.  Wanting to try a new entree, I ordered the short ribs with truffled pasta.  The nearly six ounces of fork-tender rib meat and sauce was more than I could possibly finish without losing room for dessert.  My requested new-menu cheesecake lollipops were not available, and I was served a large slice of NY cheesecake instead. I liked the new additions to the PG menu but will miss my favorite lavosh.

Observations:

  • ·    Regular photos in the Photo Gallery are $20 with candid photos $40.  I did not pursue the differences in the two.

  • ·    The ship conducted three diesel generator drills with each time announcing that all of the elevators would go to Deck 3 momentarily.

  • ·    Laundry turned in at 9:00 AM was retuned at 3:00 PM.  I am still amazed.

  • ·     The Lido Market orange juice now contains pulp and no longer tastes like Tang.

  • ·    Breakfast had no 2% milk available.

  • ·    Table hogs were in full view in the Lido Market as they read books/tablets with their dirty dishes still in front of them.

  • ·    Only a few ships were in port so the crowds on the street were tolerable.

More tomorrow.

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7 hours ago, Crew News said:

 

I have never seen a pitcher of warm milk at the Beverage Station.  There are pitchers of cream and milk but both are cold the last time I used them.  There are fresh lemons at the Beverage Stations but no ginger tea.  I asked the Lido Market Manager and was told that fresh ginger is available upon request if you wish to make your own tea.  If you have a favorite tea, feel free to bring it with youi.

 

7 hours ago, Crew News said:

 

I have never seen a pitcher of warm milk at the Beverage Station.  There are pitchers of cream and milk but both are cold the last time I used them.  There are fresh lemons at the Beverage Stations but no ginger tea.  I asked the Lido Market Manager and was told that fresh ginger is available upon request if you wish to make your own tea.  If you have a favorite tea, feel free to bring it with youi.

Thank you so much for looking and I will be packing my teabags now. I’m enjoying your report.

 

7 hours ago, Crew News said:

 

I have never seen a pitcher of warm milk at the Beverage Station.  There are pitchers of cream and milk but both are cold the last time I used them.  There are fresh lemons at the Beverage Stations but no ginger tea.  I asked the Lido Market Manager and was told that fresh ginger is available upon request if you wish to make your own tea.  If you have a favorite tea, feel free to bring it with youi.

 

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Who else thinks HAL should pay @Crew News to be their permanent cruiser?  

OK if not permanent, at least whenever he wanted.

 

Wouldn't it be cool if he could be on every cruise you were on? 

 

We would want to recruit another CC member who happened to be on the same cruise to always bring @Crew Newsevening nacho chips in the preferred bowl and chicken wings as an evening snack from the Lido.

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@Copper10-8, many thanks for the photos and information about fire preparation procedures on board.

 

My 2 remaining concerns are: 
(@Crew News, this is not a request from you to research this further!  Please enjoy your cruise!) 


1) I wish there was a non-destructive way to affirmatively test whether the Westerdam's sprinklers are still working.

I realize the rooms would be soaked if they did fully test the room sprinklers.  
They probably can't even test them during dry dock for this reason. 

 

@Crew News actually just 1 more question please:  Can you see a sprinkler in your room's ceiling?


2) New fire regs the Westerdam is exempted from based on its 2004 ship build date.

 

The question I'm planning on asking the Captain or an officer is: 

"When you are fire safety inspected,  do they ever cite you for an issue. but then exempt you for compliance to a certain regulation because of your 2004 ship build date?"

 

One real-life example of how this matters:  

I had to go to Dubai for work in 2017, after this hotel fire happened.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPCL3sNVBcM

 

Reasons cited for how the fire spread so astonishingly fast through the hotel / skyscraper include: 
"At the heart of safety concerns is the use of polyurethane and aluminium composite cladding on buildings throughout the height of the emirate’s building boom. The material was only outlawed by new buildings regulations in 2013."
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/dubai/12076792/Dubai-skyscraper-fire-new-years-eve-2015-live.html

 

One of the podcasts I listen to said flat out:

the reason why the fire spread so fast was the  hotel's sprinklers did not work. 

 

I will return to Dubai in December 2020 for the Dubai World Fair:
https://www.expo2020dubai.com/en

https://twitter.com/expo2020dubai/status/1135608732338085890
( When I was there in 2017, every single taxi driver, expat, and Emirate talked about their 2020 World Fair in the most enthusiastic way possible. The pics being posted in their twitter feed look amazing, as do each of the country pavilions. I've got to see it!   The Emirates were such gracious hosts.  The level of service in my hotel and any restaurant was the best I've ever experienced.  I felt like the Queen of Sheeba.)

 

I have not researched hotels yet, but I definitely will only stay in hotels built after 2014,  (which won't be hard to find.  The hotel building boom I saw in 2017 was amazing.  Cranes EVERYWHERE.) 

 

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6 hours ago, SempreMare said:

@Copper10-8, many thanks for the photos and information about fire preparation procedures on board.

 

My 2 remaining concerns are: 
(@Crew News, this is not a request from you to research this further!  Please enjoy your cruise!) 


1) I wish there was a non-destructive way to affirmatively test whether the Westerdam's sprinklers are still working.

I realize the rooms would be soaked if they did fully test the room sprinklers.  
They probably can't even test them during dry dock for this reason. 

...........................

 

Last one because I don't want to keep hijacking Crew News' live thread

 

Fire sprinklers and the fire suppression system onboard HAL ships are inspected and tested on a regular basis. I know, because it is part of the security guards safety duties on sea days when they report to the 1st officer (the safety officer) at 0800 hrs. and proceed to conduct inspections of those sprinklers, fire hoses, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, dampers, etc. In addition to these physical inspections by the guards and fire safety attendants, the technical guys conduct regular pressure readings and flow times for every riser. Lastly, there are weekly safety inspections/rounds by selected officers in teams of three where the various ships fire zones are "divided up" and all safety-related items inspected. I have been part of those inspections

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7 hours ago, SempreMare said:

Who else thinks HAL should pay @Crew News to be their permanent cruiser?  

OK if not permanent, at least whenever he wanted.

 

Wouldn't it be cool if he could be on every cruise you were on? 

 

We would want to recruit another CC member who happened to be on the same cruise to always bring @Crew Newsevening nacho chips in the preferred bowl and chicken wings as an evening snack from the Lido.

 

HAHAHA!!!!

 

 

Joanie

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7 hours ago, SempreMare said:

@Copper10-8, many thanks for the photos and information about fire preparation procedures on board.

 

My 2 remaining concerns are: 
(@Crew News, this is not a request from you to research this further!  Please enjoy your cruise!) 


1) I wish there was a non-destructive way to affirmatively test whether the Westerdam's sprinklers are still working.

I realize the rooms would be soaked if they did fully test the room sprinklers.  
They probably can't even test them during dry dock for this reason. 

 

@Crew News actually just 1 more question please:  Can you see a sprinkler in your room's ceiling?

 

 

 

There is indeed a fire sprinkler above my bed as well as a smoke detector.

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Roger

 

Enjoyed your description of the Pinnacle's innovative choreography and new menu items.  Will look forward to more info from your next complimentary 5 star meal there.  How is the accounting for the complimentary meals? 

Thanks for the heads-up about dealing with the Pinnacle, not the Front Office, for Pinnacle issues. We have accounting  problems with the complimentary meals in the Pinnacle every cruise.  (No problems with Tamarind or Canaletto accounting, or with the Pinnacle lunch).   I really do think these problems could be solved with having the room cards programmed, as they are for the Explorations Cafe. That works properly 100% of the time!

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9 hours ago, SilvertoGold said:

Roger

 

Enjoyed your description of the Pinnacle's innovative choreography and new menu items.  Will look forward to more info from your next complimentary 5 star meal there.  How is the accounting for the complimentary meals? 

Thanks for the heads-up about dealing with the Pinnacle, not the Front Office, for Pinnacle issues. We have accounting  problems with the complimentary meals in the Pinnacle every cruise.  (No problems with Tamarind or Canaletto accounting, or with the Pinnacle lunch).   I really do think these problems could be solved with having the room cards programmed, as they are for the Explorations Cafe. That works properly 100% of the time!

 

Note that this workaround is only for the Westerdam.  The best solution is to have something in writing from HAL Seattle before you go to battle.  Get a name for the person denying the discount and submit that name oa Comment Card

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The day began with overcast with a strong hint of rain and temps in the 50’s. Temps quickly rose to the 60’s in Skagway and the day ended in bright sunshine.  Tomorrow is Glacier Bay with partly cloudy skies and temps in the high 40”s.

Although the ship was eligible for departures at 6:30 AM, many passengers decided to spend the morning in the Lido Market until their excursions later in the day which made finding a table for breakfast nearly impossible.

My excursion to Lake Bennett on the train left at 9:30 AM for an eight-hour combination bus/train ride.  The bus ride to Cairncross, with the exception of spotting a small black bear at the edge of the road, was boring with only a few stops of 5-minute duration.  The train ride back to Skagway yielded lots of great photos and the included lunch was very tasty.  The turkey sandwich, chips, grapes, cheese cubes, and vanilla brownie really hit the spot.  There was another couple from Albuquerque, New Mexico in my dining car which was only half filled.  There was also a WWII vet wearing his WWII hat enjoying his 94th birthday cruise.  After many excursion train rides, it was good to see that clearing US Customs no longer takes place out of town but now happens at the Skagway Train Depot just prior to leaving the train.   

With a late departure time, the MDR was only half-filled.  My dinner took 45 minutes and I can heartily recommend the flat-iron steak.

I turned in five Comment Cards to the Front Desk and then asked if the Mariner Society email declaring my eligibility for a Sel de Mer Loyalty Discount had been received.  A member of the Front Desk staff assured me that I had now received the correct discount.  The staff did not give me a good feeling that future Mariners would receive the appropriate discount in the future.  To date, I have not received any acknowledgement of the receipt of my comments or an admission that one of their Supervisors had performed poorly. 

My evening ended with the proposition of needing to spend $275 in excess OBC

Observations:

  • ·        No new observations for today.

Tomorrow is Glacier Bay as well as our second Gala Night.

More tomorrow after Glacier Bay.

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Thanks for the great reports! We sail in a little over 3 weeks and hearing about your trip is making me even more excited! You had mentioned that the Canaletto was supposed to have their new menu by now.  Were you able to confirm this and have you been able to try the new dishes yet? Looking forward to hearing more about your journey and seeing the menu, when you have time! Safe travels and thanks again for the reports! 

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2 hours ago, TwinMommyByGrace said:

Thanks for the great reports! We sail in a little over 3 weeks and hearing about your trip is making me even more excited! You had mentioned that the Canaletto was supposed to have their new menu by now.  Were you able to confirm this and have you been able to try the new dishes yet? Looking forward to hearing more about your journey and seeing the menu, when you have time! Safe travels and thanks again for the reports! 

 

I will be at the Canaletto tomorrow evening and will have only the new items.  I will try to post the new menu but the internet speed is slow while at sea.  As a minimum, I will post it before 6/15. 

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13 minutes ago, Crew News said:

 

I will be at the Canaletto tomorrow evening and will have only the new items.  I will try to post the new menu but the internet speed is slow while at sea.  As a minimum, I will post it before 6/15. 

When on the Westerdam last week we had the Saturday shrimp special (yummy).  We had it on the Rotterdam last summer several times on our VOV, so I was quite surprised when the Canaletto Mgr told us it was a brand new dish....he even looked surprised when we told him we'd had it last summer on the Rotterdam. 

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1 hour ago, Cruising-along said:

When on the Westerdam last week we had the Saturday shrimp special (yummy).  We had it on the Rotterdam last summer several times on our VOV, so I was quite surprised when the Canaletto Mgr told us it was a brand new dish....he even looked surprised when we told him we'd had it last summer on the Rotterdam. 

 

The shrimp did not change in the new Caneletto menu.  Sadly, the Ossa Bucco changed from Friday to Monday and I missed it this cruise.  I will compare the two menus and choose only some new items.

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4 minutes ago, Crew News said:

 

The shrimp did not change in the new Caneletto menu.  Sadly, the Ossa Bucco changed from Friday to Monday and I missed it this cruise.  I will compare the two menus and choose only some new items.

I did wonder if he knew what he was talking about!  It definitely was not a new item.

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9 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

I did wonder if he knew what he was talking about!  It definitely was not a new item.

 

I have known the Canaletto Manager for a number of years and will confront him to get his response.

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46 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Is the menu on your website the old or the new canaletto menu?

 

Still the old one.  I will have the new one up by 6/15 or sooner if I have decent internet speed in Denail.  Keep an eye on my Home pageand your email .

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8 hours ago, TwinMommyByGrace said:

Thanks for the great reports! We sail in a little over 3 weeks and hearing about your trip is making me even more excited! You had mentioned that the Canaletto was supposed to have their new menu by now.  Were you able to confirm this and have you been able to try the new dishes yet? Looking forward to hearing more about your journey and seeing the menu, when you have time! Safe travels and thanks again for the reports! 

 

Yes he not only confirmed it, but was able to scan it and send me a copy.

 

Joanie

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3 hours ago, Crew News said:

 

I have known the Canaletto Manager for a number of years and will confront him to get his response.

No need -- he said it was brand new to the Westerdam -- why he seemed surprised that we'd had it last summer on the Rotterdam I don't know. I thought other ships have had that dish also.

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3 hours ago, Crew News said:

 

Still the old one.  I will have the new one up by 6/15 or sooner if I have decent internet speed in Denail.  Keep an eye on my Home pageand your email .

Thx.  Our next cruise is in Sept.  We have time.

Someone told me you used to live in Huntsville.

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