Life and live from Nieuw Amsterdam up north to Alaska

[*Miss G*]

10 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

These two experienced “super mariners” are assigned cabins right behind the bridge

 

Ohhhhh.  That explains so many things!  Thank you Copper.

[Sir PMP]

If you have a chance, go have a drink in the red onion saloon in Skagway, an old brothel, it's hilarious..

[Copper10-8]

3 hours ago, Sir PMP said:

If you have a chance, go have a drink in the red onion saloon in Skagway, an old brothel, it's hilarious..

 

Too late! We're already gone!  But I've done what you suggested in the past; cool place 

Edited August 14, 2019 by Copper10-8

[RocketMan275]

28 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Too late! We're already gone!  But I've done what you suggested in the past; cool place 

Quick question for wife: any escargot on MDR menu?

[Copper10-8]

5 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Quick question for wife: any escargot on MDR menu?

 

We have not yet consumed a meal in the MDR but will attempt to find out for the wife

[sevenseasnomad]

In another life, you must have been a history/geography professor.  As a social studies teacher, I love the information.  Thanks.  Do you recall all of it or do you have any reference materials?  Doesn't really matter.  Those details add so much for us who are traveling vicariously with you and Maria.  

 

My son was drooling over your pic of the Tamarind steak.  He's hoping to meet you aboard one of the dam ships someday; however, I've warned him that we'd probably never know you're working as part of security on a certain ship.  Who knows?  We could have already been on one of the ships you were working.

 

Glad you're enjoying this cruise.  Alaska is awesome.

[RocketMan275]

45 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

We have not yet consumed a meal in the MDR but will attempt to find out for the wife

I doubt we will either but wife likes to order the escargot delivered to the room.

[Himself]

5 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

Day 3 - 08/12/2019; Juneau, AK. So, after leaving Dixon Entrance behind, Nieuw Amsterdam entered the Pacific Ocean proper at Cape Muzon, and started following the west coast of Prince of Wales Island, before tucking back inside at Chatham Strait at Cape Decision. Chatham Strait turns into Frederick Sound and it was there around 0700 hours and in more confined waters where two compulsory U.S. Southeast Alaska pilots were picked up at the Frederick Sound/ Cornwallis Point pilot station off the little hamlet of Kake, AK. These two experienced “super mariners” are assigned cabins right behind the bridge and will take turns running shifts on that bridge. They will actually stay onboard until our call at Ketchikan on Thursday, so not a bad gig!

 

After that pilot(s) pickup, it is about seven plus hour sail to reach Joe’s town so Nieuw A. continued to sail Frederick Sound which took us to Stephens Passage where a northbound course was followed. In the process, Five Fingers Lighthouse and The Brothers Islands are passed. While south of big Admiralty Island, Nieuw Amsterdam’s older sister Eurodam, passed us to take the lead.

 

Around 8:30 AM, the catamaran St. Phillip from Alan Marine came alongside in Stephens Passage off the entrance to Tracy Arm Fjord to take on those guests who had purchased the six-hour “up close and personal” tour of the fjord and of the twin Sawyer glaciers. After this process, Nieuw A’s shell door was buttoned up again and we continued northbound past Grand Island. At approx. 12:30 PM, we entered the Gastineau Channel at Marmion Island and slowly (there are speed restrictions in place inside the channel) to our berth in Juneau, the CT, or Cruise Terminal dock, were we went starboard side alongside. Nieuw A uses a forward and an aft shore-side gangway in Juneau, both connected by “Big Bertha,” a big Hyster forklift.

 

We had arranged for a 2:15 PM pickup by Harv and Marv for their “Outback Experience,” a four-hour whale watch tour. This included a 30-min drive to Auke Bay where we boarded the “Riptide,” a very maneuverable and fast 32-foot Workskiff with twin 300 hp Mercury outboards. To our pleasant surprise, there were only six of us onboard for a very personal experience by Captain Anies. For the next three hours we were treated to being able to observe an Orca family with the baby frolicking around, a colony of Stellar Sea Lions sunbathing (and some big males making a lot of noise) on an island beach, and a pod of Humpback whales. On the van ride back to Juneau, a photo stop was made at the Brotherhood Bridge for a look at Mendenhall Glacier.

 

Back in town, we decided to have dinner at El Sombrero on Franklin Street where we snagged one of three balcony tables because it was such a nice day.

On Nieuw Amsterdam, All Aboard was at 9:00 PM. Unfortunately, the show “Stages” by the Step One Dance Company was cancelled as a result of a medical emergency by one of the dancers so we wound up back at Billboard Onboard.

 

Tomorrow is Skagway and a train ride to Carcross, Yukon Territory back in Canada, eh. Pic is a look at Nieuw A’s older sister Eurodam passim us in Stephens Passage south of big Admiralty Island

 

I am glaf you could see the Eurodam.  In June we could hear her fog horn but could not see her because we were in heavy fog where we dropped the Tracy Arm folks of  for their trip to the Sawyer Glacier.

[Copper10-8]

46 minutes ago, sevenseasnomad said:

In another life, you must have been a history/geography professor.  ....................

 

My two fav topics in high school in Amsterdam!  I was lousy in math

[Copper10-8]

1 hour ago, RocketMan275 said:

Quick question for wife: any escargot on MDR menu?

 

Escargot are served on this particular itinerary on the first Gala night, so that would have been last Sunday evening

[Copper10-8]

On the way to Juneau, Alaska; Stephens Passage, Nieuw Amsterdam's older sister Eurodam, Grand Island, and Allen Marine's catamaran St. Phillip, waiting to come alongside and pick up pax

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Copper10-8]

PG breakfast with a view 

 

 

 

[oaktreerb]

You picked up the pilots from the pilot station near Kake and they will be with the ship until Ketchikan.  Do they work as pilots on  another ship to return to  Kake?  One of the excursions we took on the Maasdam this year was a visit to Kake with a tour and a cultural dance performance of local native adults and children.  Very special!

Edited August 14, 2019 by oaktreerb

[Copper10-8]

Nieuw Amsterdam's (the Dutch name for the 17th century settlement that became New York City) Atrium chandelier, the New York skyline, both right side up and upside down, made from clear translucent blocks. Lady Liberty is in there as it slowly rotates and changes colors

 

 

 

[Copper10-8]

Marmion Island, the start of Gastineau Channel, passing the survey/research vessel Zephyr, and the approach into Juneau, Alaska's state capital

 

 

 

 

 

[Copper10-8]

20 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

You picked up the pilots from the pilot station near Kake and they will be with the ship until Ketchikan.  Do they work as pilots on  another ship to return to  Kake?  One of the excursions we took on the Maasdam this year was a visit to Kake with a tour and a performance of local native adults and children.  Very special!

 

Southbound ships no longer need a U.S. pilot and northbound ships already have one. They have been known to spend the night in Ketchikan and/or fly back to the airstrip near Kake the same day to wait for the next northbound ship

Edited August 15, 2019 by Copper10-8

[erewhon]

Beautiful photos, pleased that you had good viewing of the whales.

[RocketMan275]

2 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Escargot are served on this particular itinerary on the first Gala night, so that would have been last Sunday evening

Thank you.  Wife will be happy.  She'll order two or three servings as her dinner.  We're in a neptune so that will work.

[Copper10-8]

Arriving in Juneau on a really nice day and going starboard side alongside the CT (Cruise Terminal - even though there is no cruise terminal 🙃) Dock, the second of four cruise ship docks (Alaska Steamship, Franklin and A.J. are the others) in Alaska's capital city. We were not alone with Eurodam at the AS Dock, Ruby Princess at Franklin and Celebrity Eclipse at A.J.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Copper10-8]

Noisemaker  (one of Wings Airlines' five DeHavilland-Canada DHC-3T Turbine-Otters N339AK) on its climb out to go explore the Juneau ice fields for some serious flightseeing; Mount Roberts Tramway car going up in a different direction; "Big Bertha" ready for some gangway hauling; CLAA Juneau Port Agent Drew about to start calling distances (in meters) for Nieuw Amsterdam's final gangway position at the CT Dock, and Nieuw A Security Guard Supervisor Lito (Ravi is the other one) saying hi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Copper10-8]

Nieuw A's welcoming (to Juneau) committee, led by HD Jessica and GRM Annie, at the foot of the fwd gangway and crew members with D-1 visas about to pay a visit to U.S. CBP (they, CBP, not the crew, 😉 have a small office right smack on the Juneau CT dock) A D-1 visa is a U.S. non-immigrant visa which allows travel to United States for those serving as a crew on marine vessels or aircraft, who will depart the US on the same vessel on which they arrived.

 

 

 

[ski ww]

Great pictures, brings back memories of our cruise.   

[puppycanducruise]

Love your comments and pictures.

Looking forward to more.

Thanks.

[Arrowinc]

This is a marvelous review, from someone who obviously knows his "stuff."  Copper 10-8 seems to one of the "go to" people for HAL information, and that makes it even more interesting. 

 

We have booked -- and canceled - a number of trips (cruise/land or vice versa) to Alaska, primarily for various intervening family-related reasons.  At this point, we are considering much the same trip for Summer, 2020.  That said, my question is whether, frankly, it is "too late" for a meaningful trip to Alaska.  It seems that the ports are crowded with cruise ships on every review I read.  Has the (literal and proverbial) "ship sailed" in terms of visiting that area, or does sufficient wilderness remain for it yet to be enjoyed in a meaningful way?

 

Thanks for the thoughts.

[RocketMan275]

14 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Escargot are served on this particular itinerary on the first Gala night, so that would have been last Sunday evening

Question:  son and wife (late 40s) have decided to join us on 14 Sep cruise.  Son and wife would like to know how 'dressy' your cruise has been?  On Gala nights, would son be very over dressed in his tux?  What are the women wearing on Gala nights?  I realize you haven't been in the MDR but just your general impression.