Life and live from Nieuw Amsterdam up north to Alaska

[Copper10-8]

2 hours ago, Arrowinc said:

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.

 

My personal opinion, it's not too late yet. Going to Alaska can still be a meaningful and rewarding experience. Yes, we had four cruise ships in Juneau, four in Skagway and we're prob gonna have four in Ketchikan, so the towns will be crowded. If you meander outside however, the true splendor of AK still shows. Hope you take that 2020 cruise and find out for yourselves!

[Copper10-8]

2 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

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.

 

On this particular itinerary/ship and this week, we have not seen one tux on the two gala nights. Some suits, some sports jackets with or without ties, mostly slacks and collared shirts around the ship at night. Oh yeah, and some shorts, T-shirts and flip flops/tennis shoes but no baseball hats worn backwards 

[Copper10-8]

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. Got a nice look at Mendenhall Glacier while outbound Auke Bay

 

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 "land" look at Mendenhall Glacier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Copper10-8]

Harv and Marv (con't)

 

 

 

 

[Copper10-8]

Dinner on the balcony at El Sombrero on Juneau's Franklin Street; Mexican in Alaska, why not? A quick look at the Red Dog, and you've just got to get yourselves some gourmet popcorn 😛

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Copper10-8]

Headin' back to Nieuw Amsterdam on the CT dock, passing Eurodam at the AS Dock and saying bye bye to Juneau, always an interesting city to visit and sometimes you can see Russia from there 😜

 

 

 

 

[Copper10-8]

Day 4 - 08/13/2019; Skagway, AK. Upon her departure from Juneau late Monday evening, Nieuw Amsterdam backtracked her route down Gastineau Channel. Upon reaching Marmion Island however, Capt. Jutten made a “U-turn” around the tip of Douglas Island into Stephens Passage and started heading north for the Lynn Canal.

 

The Lynn Canal runs about 90 miles from the inlets of the Chilkat River south to Chatham Strait and Stephens Passage. At over 2,000 feet in depth, Lynn Canal is the deepest fjord in North America (outside Greenland) and one of the deepest and longest in the world. The canal's location as a penetrating waterway into the interior connects Juneau with the communities of Skagway and Haines as well as the rest of the Inside Passage communities, thus making it a major route for shipping, cruise ships and ferries.

 

Nieuw A arrived bright and early in Skagway and it would be a likewise early day for us, no less on our wedding anniversary. We had a quick breakfast in the Lido which had opened for service at 0600. At 0715 hrs., we met our bus driver, Jake from Colorado, at the end of the pier. There were a total of 38 of us Nieuw A pax who had booked passage on one of the White Pass & Yukon Route trains all the way to the city of Carcross in Canada’s Yukon Territory, a trip of about four and a half hours, not including stops at Fraser, BC for Canadian Customs/Borders and Bennett, BC, a 45 min stop for the stretching of limbs. After Bennett, the train staff served box lunches to all pax which were welcomed. The Carcross, YT stop was also for 45 minutes after which we met up with Jake the Man, and began the drive by bus back to Skagway, approx. two and a half hours including a mandatory stop at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection station about thirty minutes out of Skagway. A long, but worthwile trip with some awesome scenery and a chance to scratch the Yukon Territory off our bucket list

 

The railroad began construction in 1898 during the Klondike Gold Rush as a means of reaching the goldfields. With its completion in 1900, it became the primary route to the interior of the Yukon, supplanting the Chilkoot Trail and other routes. The route continued operation until 1982, and in 1988 was partially revived as a heritage railway. In 2018, it was announced that the railway would be bought by Carnival Cruise Lines for $290 million (USD).

 

Upon arrival back in Skagway, we did some strolling and people watchin' on Douglas Street – it was busy with Nieuw Amsterdam (Douglas Street Dock), Ruby Princess (Ore Dock), Golden Princess and Celebrity Solstice (both Railroad Dock) in port today.

 

So, for our anniversary, we had a 6:30 PM dinner in the Pinnacle Grill which was excellent. We finished off the night by viewing the 9:30 PM showing of “Alaska in Concert, “music and footage from the BBC’s “Wild Alaska” series. No more live music by the former Adagio’s nor current Lincoln Center Stage musicians

 

Tomorrow is our scenic cruising inside Glacier Bay National Park. Pic is a look at Skagway’s famous rock wall off the Railroad Dock, the one painted in the past with various ship logos and messages by intrepid bosun’s and sailors. That practice is no longer allowed

 

[cat shepard]

Happy Anniversary to you two!

[ski ww]

Happy Anniversary, glad you had a good day for touring.

[puppycanducruise]

Sounds like a great day.

Happy Anniversary.

[1ANGELCAT]

Happy Aniversary. Love the picture of the Noordam on the wall with Capt Albert ‘s name.

[Copper10-8]

Some of the other ship's art on the rock wall opposite the Railroad Dock wall in Skagway

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Copper10-8]

Northbound a very calm and serene Lynn Canal (not man made) to Skagway; the tug Anna T. repositioning; Golden Princess and Celebrity Solstice at the Railroad Dock (not raining, condensation on the PG windows), Nieuw A st the Broadway Dock, and a celebration 😍

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

😘

[kplady]

First, happy anniversary!

Second, thanks so much for your wonderful travelogue of the cruise. We've been to Alaska 5 times (in June on the Maasdam for 21 days), so this brings back great memories.  Your insights are always right on, and make for an enjoyable read.  Hope the rest of the cruise is fantastic!

Laura

[TiogaCruiser]

Looks like Captain Albert made his mark.

[Copper10-8]

Getting ready to go to the summit of the White Pass at 2,865 feet, through two tunnels, over sky-high trestles and remote valleys, passing Bridal Veils Falls, Inspiration Point, Dead Horse Gulch and onward crossing the U.S.-Canada border, stopping in Fraser and Bennett, BC, into the Yukon Territory to Carcross

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Copper10-8]

12 minutes ago, TiogaCruiser said:

Looks like Captain Albert made his mark.

 

His Bosun sure did! 

[Copper10-8]

Buchanan Rock and the "On to Alaska with Buchanan" sign, circa 1920-1930, Bridal Veil Falls, Mount Harding and Harding Glacier; Slippery Rock; Tunnel Mountain; It gets black inside; the steel bridge, constructed in 1901 and used until 1969, the White Pass Summit and international border

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Himself]

Belated Happy Anniversary to you and your dear wife,  AD Multos Annos!

[Copper10-8]

13 minutes ago, Himself said:

Belated Happy Anniversary to you and your dear wife,  AD Multos Annos!

 

Thanks very much Father Mac! 🇳🇱

[Arrowinc]

Thanks much for the opinion.  I suspect that 2020 will be "the year" for us.

[*Miss G*]

Happy Anniversary!!  You two make a good-looking couple.

 

That skeleton head is amazing!  Someone sure is talented.

 

Your pictures are beautiful.  It looks positively balmy up there!

[Sir PMP]

1 hour ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

His Bosun sure did! 

Yes, and Cpt Kievit, I believe born in Djakarta, he was our cpt on the SS Rotterdam, our 2nd cruise in 1993..

[lazey1]

Thank you so much for posting this, you excellant photos bring back many, many, many good memories of my first tour/cruise with my husband and my parents (all now deceased) aboard the Noordam in June 1989.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Such gorgeous weather you are having. Many happy returns!!!