Live and life from Nieuw Amsterdam's third Alaska sailing

[Copper10-8]

On 8/10/2021 at 7:14 PM, Coffeeluvr05 said:

Wow, how do you know all this information? I wish I was able to keep such an account of my travels as you are able to for the rest of us. Looking forward to my turn at all of this beginning this Saturday. 

 

When I worked at HAL as SECO, one of my responsibilities was to pick up the Southeastern Alaska pilot(s) off Kake at the pilot break (door), then escort them to the bridge where the captain/bridge team would take over. I would spend a lot of time on the bridge because it's a place that both interests me and gave me a chance to speak my mother's tongue. I have done several Alaska seasons on different dam ships (Statendam, Volendam, Amsterdam, Oosterdam, etc.)  As such, I learned a lot about the routes and particulars 

[aliaschief]

2 hours ago, kam-ky said:

For Pinnacle Grill, has anyone been able to order off-menu ?    I'm really bummed that the 18 oz ribeye has been removed, and wondered if it could still be available...

Hal has a new beef provider and in our opinion better quality.

[Copper10-8]

Juneau (con't)

 

The "intersection" of Stephens Passage and Taku Inlet

Sailing up Gastineau Channel and one of its "little" waterfalls

First look at Juneau's commercial berth

The infamous radio/telecommunications tower visible on the Juneau webcam

Juneau's four cruise ship docks:

#1 - The A.J. Dock (AJ), the least desirable because it's adjacent the commercial berth and furthest from town

#2 The Franklin Street Dock (FS)

#3 The Cruise Ship Dock (CS)

#4 The Alaska Steamship Dock (AS) - Final approach to by Nieuw Amsterdam

One of the Mount Roberts tram cars on its way down

Big Bertha used to hook up the shoreside gangway to the GW break

Tracy's Crab Shack, a fan favorite

The CLAA port agents - Drew in the center with portable radio - waiting on the dock. When the ship gets closer to getting alongside, Drew will call off the correct positioning of the dock to said gangway on the radio to either the captain or staff captain on the bridge, i.e, "10 meters to come ahead, 5 meters to come ahead, good position"

This bad boy is known as a floating Yokohama pneumatic rubber fender, developed ions ago back in 1958. You will see a lot of them keeping cruise ships from sustaining damage while alongside their berths/docks

 

 

 

Edited August 12, 2021 by Copper10-8

[Copper10-8]

Juneau (con't)

 

What longshoremen aka "linesmen" do in Juneau  - Nieuw A's first line went into the drink again 😉 Time for more Wheaties for that sailor

The Juneau CBP (United States Customs & Border Protection) agents who cleared Nieuw Amsterdam for passenger to go ashore as well as crew shore leave. The hard working Nieuw A crew just received shore leave last week but only in Juneau, Icy Strait Point and Ketchikan. They are anxiously awaiting permission to be able to go ashore in Seattle and Ketchikan (can you say Walmart?) Here's hoping they get it soon! 

This is Glen, the Aussie and a genuine nice guy, seeing off his passengers. He has been doing this in all three ports so far! Glen was a MOM (Manager Onboard Marketing) when I worked alongside him on Noordam. He has since worked his way up to asst. hotel general manager and I have no doubt he'll be a hotel general manager (the new title for the former hotel director) soon

A bunch of Juneau bystanders taking in all the action at the port 

Nieuw A safely starboard side to in Alaska's state capital Juneau 

 

 

Edited August 12, 2021 by Copper10-8

[Copper10-8]

A heads up - I will complete our days at Glacier National Park/Icy Strait Point and Sitka tomorrow since the internet inside the Neptune Lounge seems to be working again thanks to the incredibly talented Hector who helped me out with my laptop - Got a reservation at Canaletto in 25 mins - See ya!! 🙂 

Edited August 12, 2021 by Copper10-8

[AnnieBelle]

5 hours ago, aliaschief said:

Absolutely not. Other than having to wear the mask we are having a normal cruise with outstanding  service. We have not eaten in MDR and in only specialty restaurants. I believe they have their A-team on- board.

 

Internet has improved but we have not had live TV stations entire cruise. Said it’s hard to get a signal up here in Alaska.

 

Favorite watering hole is Tamarind Lounge. Quiet, not crowded and great views.

 

Average temp has been 58 F and grey skies and misty.

Do they still have the Black Pearl drink in the Tamarind bar? That was my go to cocktail when it was the Silk Den.

[aliaschief]

32 minutes ago, AnnieBelle said:

Do they still have the Black Pearl drink in the Tamarind bar? That was my go to cocktail when it was the Silk Den.

Haven’t noticed. We are offered nuts but no appetizers which is not a problem.

[Lunar Dragon]

Hi John,  

Many thanks for the wonderful reporting and my compliments on how well you write in English.  After 35 years of living in the Netherlands, I speak Dutch fluently albeit with a bit of an American accent (never could learn to roll my r’s😀,) but my written Dutch is still poor.  Anyway I am enjoying your posts and I hope you enjoy the rest of your vacation!

 

[0bnxshs]

18 hours ago, Dismomx5 said:

I'm sad about this because I spent many an hour doing the Microsoft lessons on various ships on sea days. I'm quite competent on the computer, but I always learned something! I do, however, realize that using shared computers at sea during a pandemic is probably not the wisest of things to do. 😉

Not so sure books, magazines, etc. are such a great idea for sharing either though.  However, I do miss the old libraries.

[Sir PMP]

4 hours ago, Lunar Dragon said:

Hi John,  

Many thanks for the wonderful reporting and my compliments on how well you write in English.  After 35 years of living in the Netherlands, I speak Dutch fluently albeit with a bit of an American accent (never could learn to roll my r’s😀,) but my written Dutch is still poor.  Anyway I am enjoying your posts and I hope you enjoy the rest of your vacation!

 

Spreek jij een beetje Haags?

[Lunar Dragon]

Nee, wel een beetje Brabants! 😀

[Himself]

Your ship in now arriving in Ketchikan.  You might not even be up yet. I am wearing a shirt I purchased at the Tongass Dock Store.  

[0bnxshs]

@Copper10-8, a quick, hopefully easily answered question for you....

 

Are there any 11 and under (obviously unvaccinated) children on board that you know of?  We are booked in December on NA and have an under 12 child also booked and are hearing now that he will not be allowed to sail from a non-HAL source.

Edited August 12, 2021 by 0bnxshs

[VintageGeo]

.Welcome to Ketchikan..

[aliaschief]

Just some observations that have had no impact on our cruise. No daily wine sip and taste, no hot or cold appetizers, just peanuts, no corsage offered in Neptune Suite on Gala night, no fruit in room or card requesting that I have seen. 
 

We have really enjoyed ourselves even though we rarely go on this short a cruise. Heck, we haven’t even gone to the Crows Nest or roamed the shops. Enjoyed our balcony a lot and all the specialties restaurants.

On a previous cruise from ours someone reported bad service on their T-Mobile phone plan. We have had 4G service in towns.
 

Last night we ate at Rudi’s pop up Sol De Mar and it was just as good as the full restaurant on Pinnacle Class Ships.

 

As we crawl in the no wake zone to Ketchikan we just may have a blue sky day.

Edited August 12, 2021 by aliaschief

[mxschwartz]

36 minutes ago, 0bnxshs said:

@Copper10-8, a quick, hopefully easily answered question for you....

 

Are there any 11 and under (obviously unvaccinated) children on board that you know of?  We are booked in December on NA and have an under 12 child also booked and are hearing now that he will not be allowed to sail from a non-HAL source.

No, there is nobody under 12 on the ship now. You must be vaccinated.

[zelker]

45 minutes ago, 0bnxshs said:

@Copper10-8, a quick, hopefully easily answered question for you....

 

Are there any 11 and under (obviously unvaccinated) children on board that you know of?  We are booked in December on NA and have an under 12 child also booked and are hearing now that he will not be allowed to sail from a non-HAL source.

No, he will not be allowed to sail if not fully vaccinated.  From HAL's site (the FAQ section under Travelwell Health Protocols) -

 

Can children sail, if not vaccinated?

Regardless of age, all guests on voyages departing through December 31, 2021 must be fully vaccinated in order to sail. Guests should always ensure they understand all requirements to travel for their home country and the destinations they plan to visit. Details continue to be updated regularly and official websites and apps developed by government agencies and tourism ministries are the recommended resources to check for the most current guidance.

Edited August 12, 2021 by zelker

[SparklingPinkDaisy]

18 hours ago, Coffeeluvr05 said:

Being a new HAL cruiser, it seems that there have been a lot of inconsistent things since the startup.  I imagine that is true for all of the cruise lines.  I do hope that things start to improve.  

 

I have been looking at the Dining Room menu each day on the navigator app to get a feel for what we can expect and it seems to change each day for dinner, but not for breakfast and lunch.  Is that normal for lunch to be the same menu every day?  Breakfast I get.  It's kind of hard to change that up much.  Just wondering.  

 

Also, does anyone know what the difference is between a large ocean view room and a non large or standard ocean view room is?  Ours is the large version, but I mean how big can it be?

 

Just waiting for my test results and Saturday to come now...

how exciting that your cruise is almost here!!!

 

[Copper10-8]

7 hours ago, Lunar Dragon said:

Hi John,  

Many thanks for the wonderful reporting and my compliments on how well you write in English.  After 35 years of living in the Netherlands, I speak Dutch fluently albeit with a bit of an American accent (never could learn to roll my r’s😀,) but my written Dutch is still poor.  Anyway I am enjoying your posts and I hope you enjoy the rest of your vacation!

 

 

Hartstikke bedankt / Thanks a bunch! Can you say "Scheveningen" 😉 

[Lunar Dragon]

2 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Hartstikke bedankt / Thanks a bunch! Can you say "Scheveningen" 😉 

Ja zeker!  I can even say:   schots en scheve Scheveningse schuitjes 😂

[Copper10-8]

2 hours ago, Himself said:

Your ship in now arriving in Ketchikan.  You might not even be up yet. I am wearing a shirt I purchased at the Tongass Dock Store.  

 

It's a beautiful day in Ketchikan, Father! Supposed to be up to 75 Fahrenheit 😉 

[LawDog61]

Thanks for the great reports Copper.   I especially enjoy all the behind the scene info you share.  Enjoy the rest of the cruise, and regards to your child bride

[Sir PMP]

2 hours ago, Lunar Dragon said:

Nee, wel een beetje Brabants! 😀

Zo'n zachte G..

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

26 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

It's a beautiful day in Ketchikan, Father! Supposed to be up to 75 Fahrenheit 😉 

Nice and warm ..

[CruiseMGM]

Just wondering if anyone on current or past re-start-cruises can answer a question about the spa. Do the spa workers wear masks during treatments? Gifting DSIL a much needed belated birthday massage on our cruise in 2 weeks.

 

Enjoy Ketchikan, Copper and Chief and all others onboard!

Edited August 12, 2021 by CruiseMGM