28-day Westerdam Arctic Summer Solstice Live from the ship June 9-July 7

[LAFFNVEGAS]

3 minutes ago, RetiredMustang said:

 

Lisa,

 

Yes, Eurodam and the Quantum (or similar sized) of the Seas were at the pier.  I agree that, in Sitka, it is generally better to tender, but based on above comments maybe not so much this time, with so many long-time Mariners on this first-time legendary voyage. 

 

I don't know if it is accurate, but we heard from usually reliable sources (the bartenders 😁) that there are more than 800 five-star Mariners on board.

 

Dave

Dave, that number of 800 would not surprise me and could imagine it may even be higher. Just with all the long time CCers reporting in the number of 5 star has got to be high.

[Toad]

4 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Here is the tendering priority

HAL Tours - probably 400 people

Suites - 140 

Presidents Club 25 or so 

Club Orange - Unk number

Then 4-5 star - unk number - but I think this is a big number

Then everyone else....

 

80 people per tender

 

Do the math

 

 

 

[Toad]

So does this mean people in suites are first off then Presidents club and so on, or all of the aforementioned go as one group and then everyone else? 

3 minutes ago, Toad said:

 

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

43 minutes ago, Toad said:

So does this mean people in suites are first off then Presidents club and so on, or all of the aforementioned go as one group and then everyone else? 

 

People in Suites, President's Club and Club Orange - don't need a tender ticket but simply show their keycard and board the next available tender.   There isn't any order or priority inside those groups.  

 

4/5 stars went to the Rolling Stone Lounge and got orange tender tickets; everyone else went to the Ocean Bar and got grey tickets.   

 

As the day progresses, they will call a certain number from each line—I don't know the exact ratio, but if there is an 80-person tender, it may be something like 60 orange numbers followed by 20 grey numbers - and everyone will go on the same tender. 

 

If a suite person/PC or CO wants to go, they will go directly to deck A and hang out there until the next tender.   So if 15 suite people appear on deck A then they will call down 65 numbers etc...

 

On a cruise with very few 4/5 stars then they don't need a tender ticket either.   On the 2024 world cruise there were so many 4/5 stars they didn't bother with 2 lines - everyone went to the Rolling Stone Room.

 

I am 90% sure that Club Orange gets the same status as suite people - but I am not sure.   

Edited June 13 by The-Inside-Cabin

[oaktreerb]

1 hour ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

I was extremely surprised to read you tendered in Sitka, my last several Alaska cruises, all on HAL we docked in Sitka and then took the bus that was offered into town. To be honest I actually preferred when we tendered, it was far more scenic and easier to get into town and walk around.

Was there a reason they did not dock or were there already two ships there?

We had a lovely sail in through the little islands with houses and docks for private boats.  Before the cruise ship docks were built we had sailed into Sitka on a beautiful, sunny day.  I was looking forward to the scenic sail in and it was lovely.  

 

I have been disappointed recently about docking in Sitka and the bus ride into town although we enjoy the humorous narration of the bus drivers. Our tenders did not disembark near the convention center so we had a longer walk from the tender dock near the bridge.  I was beginning to envy those who bussed from the cruise ship dock!  By the time we arrived the town was full of tourists.  The main tourist shopping area near the Russian church was closed to traffic.  So many people!  We headed for the totem park to get away from the crowds.  It would be best to plan for a tour like the Otter Quest, Fortress of the Bears, to start your day.

 

We had priority tendering (NS, 5*)and did not even consider picking up a tender ticket.  There are a lot of high level mariners on this cruise.  Nobody asked us for a ticket.  The tender was full.  Upon returning to the tender dock we had to cross the street under the bridge to find the tenders but there were still groups going out on water tours.  We at first got in a tour line rather than the tender line.  It pays to ask people what line they are in!

 

Today we did the Hubbard Glacier ship excursion with Allen Marine.  Amazing.  This was our second beautiful, sunny day.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

4 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

We had priority tendering (NS, 5*)and did not even consider picking up a tender ticket.  There are a lot of high level mariners on this cruise.  Nobody asked us for a ticket.  

Your gold-tipped cruise card IS your tender ticket for folks in Neptune Suites.    Tender Ticket not required

[Ken the cruiser]

1 hour ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

People in Suites, President's Club and Club Orange - don't need a tender ticket but simply show their keycard and board the next available tender.   There isn't any order or priority inside those groups.  

 

4/5 stars went to the Rolling Stone Lounge and got orange tender tickets; everyone else went to the Ocean Bar and got grey tickets.   

 

As the day progresses, they will call a certain number from each line—I don't know the exact ratio, but if there is an 80-person tender, it may be something like 60 orange numbers followed by 20 grey numbers - and everyone will go on the same tender. 

 

If a suite person/PC or CO wants to go, they will go directly to deck A and hang out there until the next tender.   So if 15 suite people appear on deck A then they will call down 65 numbers etc...

 

On a cruise with very few 4/5 stars then they don't need a tender ticket either.   On the 2024 world cruise there were so many 4/5 stars they didn't bother with 2 lines - everyone went to the Rolling Stone Room.

 

I am 90% sure that Club Orange gets the same status as suite people - but I am not sure.   

I’m hoping if you were on a HAL excursion, these tender tickets would be a moot point as the excursion group would be escorted together to the same tender.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

4 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

I’m hoping if you were on a HAL excursion, these tender tickets would be a moot point as the excursion group would be escorted together to the same tender.

Yes - people on HAL tours don't need tender tickets - they are escorted to the platform.   Sometimes, I avoid private tours in tender ports, so I don't have to deal with the tender lines.   Usually, we go ashore late and wait until they call for open tendering.    

[McGarrett5oh]

2 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

If a suite person/PC or CO wants to go, they will go directly to deck A and hang out there until the next tender.   So if 15 suite people appear on deck A then they will call down 65 numbers etc...

Where is DECK A?

[The-Inside-Cabin]

29 minutes ago, McGarrett5oh said:

Where is DECK A?

The tender platforms are on Deck A below Deck 1. Deck A is also the main deck for many ships' offices, storerooms and other stuff.    Medical is also on Deck A

Edited June 14 by The-Inside-Cabin

[marco2111]

On 6/12/2024 at 5:37 PM, DonnyD-JJ said:

How did the tendering work in SItka?  Did it take a long time to get to shore?

If you were not 5 star or on a holland excursion it did not work well! Waited over 2 hours to get off the ship!

[marco2111]

9 hours ago, DonnyD-JJ said:

So if I read all this right, the people with Independent tours already booked are the last group since I am not a 4 or 5 start mariner - Correct?

Yes!

[TableGirl]

I have to agree the tender operation wasn’t very smooth in Sitka.  Keep in mind, it was our first tender operation on board.  Tomorrow (in Valdez) we are also tendering in and there were what seemed like a million questions in the Valdez/Seward Q&A today with the CD and the head of Shore Excursions - thankfully the onboard lecturer, Kurt was there too,  Kurt has been to these places.  I don’t think HAL has ever (or if they have it’s been a long time) been to Valdez.  Stone made her presentation on Valdez from what she could find on the internet (explaining that they hadn’t been there) and I don’t think and we ever really got around to discussing Seward in much detail.  I must say, I wish people would listen more carefully instead of asking questions which have already been answered as they did on both Q&A sessions so far…..Stone has the patience of a saint.  

 

So now to the excursion I took in Sitka….  I too was confused about where the tender dropped us off.  I was not familiar with the location at all and closing the street in town to vehicle traffic made me lose my sense of direction.  But I still managed to find Ashmo’s Food Truck with wonderful fish and chips for lunch before my excursion.  

 

Anyway, my excursion was HAL sponsored and called “Volcanic Coastline Expedition by Ocean Craft” or something like that.  Maximum 6, but there were only 5 of us.  The lady who picked us up at the pier where we docked and took us the warehouse to outfit us was named Lisa and she was a bit crusty.  She tried to scare the crap out of us but inside I think she was a softie.  Our ‘water craft” (very similar to a zodiac boat) was Captained by Chad who spends 6 months in the summer working in Sitka and the rest of year at his home in FL.  

 

Our small boat took off and returned to the pier where the Eurodam and the RC Quantum of the Seas were docked.  (Seeing those big ships I was glad we tendered in despite the lengthy time it took to get us in from our ship.)  

 

The seats on our small boat were like air filled buoys that you sat on like a horse saddle.  Your feet still touched the floor of the boat.  There was a handle to hold on to in front of you and a bit of a back support.  We were outfitted in cold weather jumpsuits, gloves and balaclavas. I had a hat on under my balaclava and I ended up wearing my own gloves so I could use my touch screen.  Their gloves were far too big for my hands.  I expected this to be a bumpy ride but it wasn’t.  We headed out and Chad realized the wind had just changed (it was his 3rd or 4th trip of the day - we were his last) so he changed courses and we flew across the water.  It was an amazingly smooth ride.  We went into an inlet/cove where we were practically surrounded by gray whales.  We stayed there for about an hour and got lots of pictures.  Being lower to the water level made us feel like we were closer to the whales.  

 

After spending time with the whales he took us along the coastline and explained the trees - he said 4 types of trees make up the Tongass Forest - CASH - Cedar, Alder, Spruce and Hemlock though I must say there was a word before spruce (descriptive of the type of Spruce) but I’m not sure what it was.  Anyway, Lisa had previously explained there is very little topsoil on the slopes and the tree roots all grow together.  Many of the cedars were bare and dying - Chad said that the dead cedars stay in place up to 80-100 years!  Apparently the lack of snow has something to do with the cedars dying.  It is a beautiful coastline indeed.  He said there are no moose, and few bears because the forest is so thick they can’t get through.  There are small deer like creatures though but I can’t remember what he called them.

 

I would 100% do that tour again in a heartbeat.  It was the best.  However, had it been raining it would NOT have been much fun as there was no roof to get under on the boat - it was totally open.  We were so lucky to have better weather than we had in Ketchikan.  Here’s hoping tomorrow in Valdez is nice for our Glacier Cruise.  

[dchip]

5 hours ago, TableGirl said:

I don’t think HAL has ever (or if they have it’s been a long time) been to Valdez.

We were in Valdez on the Maasdam in 2019. 

[Lido deck main]

6 hours ago, TableGirl said:

I have to agree the tender operation wasn’t very smooth in Sitka.  Keep in mind, it was our first tender operation on board.  Tomorrow (in Valdez) we are also tendering in and there were what seemed like a million questions in the Valdez/Seward Q&A today with the CD and the head of Shore Excursions - thankfully the onboard lecturer, Kurt was there too,  Kurt has been to these places.  I don’t think HAL has ever (or if they have it’s been a long time) been to Valdez.  Stone made her presentation on Valdez from what she could find on the internet (explaining that they hadn’t been there) and I don’t think and we ever really got around to discussing Seward in much detail.  I must say, I wish people would listen more carefully instead of asking questions which have already been answered as they did on both Q&A sessions so far…..Stone has the patience of a saint.  

 

So now to the excursion I took in Sitka….  I too was confused about where the tender dropped us off.  I was not familiar with the location at all and closing the street in town to vehicle traffic made me lose my sense of direction.  But I still managed to find Ashmo’s Food Truck with wonderful fish and chips for lunch before my excursion.  

 

Anyway, my excursion was HAL sponsored and called “Volcanic Coastline Expedition by Ocean Craft” or something like that.  Maximum 6, but there were only 5 of us.  The lady who picked us up at the pier where we docked and took us the warehouse to outfit us was named Lisa and she was a bit crusty.  She tried to scare the crap out of us but inside I think she was a softie.  Our ‘water craft” (very similar to a zodiac boat) was Captained by Chad who spends 6 months in the summer working in Sitka and the rest of year at his home in FL.  

 

Our small boat took off and returned to the pier where the Eurodam and the RC Quantum of the Seas were docked.  (Seeing those big ships I was glad we tendered in despite the lengthy time it took to get us in from our ship.)  

 

The seats on our small boat were like air filled buoys that you sat on like a horse saddle.  Your feet still touched the floor of the boat.  There was a handle to hold on to in front of you and a bit of a back support.  We were outfitted in cold weather jumpsuits, gloves and balaclavas. I had a hat on under my balaclava and I ended up wearing my own gloves so I could use my touch screen.  Their gloves were far too big for my hands.  I expected this to be a bumpy ride but it wasn’t.  We headed out and Chad realized the wind had just changed (it was his 3rd or 4th trip of the day - we were his last) so he changed courses and we flew across the water.  It was an amazingly smooth ride.  We went into an inlet/cove where we were practically surrounded by gray whales.  We stayed there for about an hour and got lots of pictures.  Being lower to the water level made us feel like we were closer to the whales.  

 

After spending time with the whales he took us along the coastline and explained the trees - he said 4 types of trees make up the Tongass Forest - CASH - Cedar, Alder, Spruce and Hemlock though I must say there was a word before spruce (descriptive of the type of Spruce) but I’m not sure what it was.  Anyway, Lisa had previously explained there is very little topsoil on the slopes and the tree roots all grow together.  Many of the cedars were bare and dying - Chad said that the dead cedars stay in place up to 80-100 years!  Apparently the lack of snow has something to do with the cedars dying.  It is a beautiful coastline indeed.  He said there are no moose, and few bears because the forest is so thick they can’t get through.  There are small deer like creatures though but I can’t remember what he called them.

 

I would 100% do that tour again in a heartbeat.  It was the best.  However, had it been raining it would NOT have been much fun as there was no roof to get under on the boat - it was totally open.  We were so lucky to have better weather than we had in Ketchikan.  Here’s hoping tomorrow in Valdez is nice for our Glacier Cruise.  

Sitka Spruce

[TableGirl]

Two other things of interest from yesterday’s Q&A on Valdez and Seward:

 

- Someone asked if announcements for tenders could be made in the outside areas as well.  The response was a flat “no” - they are not allowed to make announcements outside of the ship in Alaska so as not to disturb the peace and tranquility of Alaska.  (Noise pollution I guess?)

 

- The ship won’t actually drop anchor, which might make tendering even more complicated - especially for those with mobility issues.  I didn’t get why they won’t anchor - but I’m sure someone else will chime in on this.  Perhaps it has to do with the sea floor?

[TableGirl]

2 hours ago, dchip said:

We were in Valdez on the Maasdam in 2019. 

Then I guess this crew (CD and Shore Excursion staff) have never been and there isn’t an old “file” to go by?

[The-Inside-Cabin]

18 minutes ago, TableGirl said:

Two other things of interest from yesterday’s Q&A on Valdez and Seward:

 

- Someone asked if announcements for tenders could be made in the outside areas as well.  The response was a flat “no” - they are not allowed to make announcements outside of the ship in Alaska so as not to disturb the peace and tranquility of Alaska.  (Noise pollution I guess?)

 

- The ship won’t actually drop anchor, which might make tendering even more complicated - especially for those with mobility issues.  I didn’t get why they won’t anchor - but I’m sure someone else will chime in on this.  Perhaps it has to do with the sea floor?

It can be that the sea floor can't hold an anchor, or there is delicate coral they don't want to damage. Other times, they want to maintain the direction of the ship to facilitate tendering or shelter from wind. When they "hover" using the Azipods, this will usually make tendering easier.

 

They don't want to make tender announcements outside the venues to minimize no-shows. People run down early to get a tender ticket and then never show up when their ticket number is called.  

[Tennessee Titan]

9 hours ago, TableGirl said:

I have to agree the tender operation wasn’t very smooth in Sitka.  Keep in mind, it was our first tender operation on board.  To

 

 

We tendered in Sitka last month on the Westerdam. Just a normal tendering No problems, except we were in a lifeboat (not a tender) and it was a little more crowded and there was no door to close....I guess I just don't understands all the fuss over tendering..

[RetiredMustang]

On 6/12/2024 at 1:29 PM, Seasick Sailor said:

@TableGirl would love to see ship pictures! Lido pool area, lido, MDR, thanks!!

 

I'm not TableGirl, but I was able to get a few shots.  Here are two of the lower MDR I got just after it opened for early dinner:

 

 

 

 

And, this morning, I took several of the Lido before the multitudes assembled for breakfast:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dave

Edited June 14 by RetiredMustang
correct grammar

[TableGirl]

15 minutes ago, Tennessee Titan said:

..I guess I just don't understands all the fuss over tendering..

Some folks waited up to 2 hours to get on a tender.  Seas were a bit rough but not awful, so getting from ship to shore took a bit longer and there was only 1 tender unloading at a time.  And only one tender loading at a time at the ship.  
 

I think people were also confused as to where they would go to get their tender ticket.  If you were on a HAL excursion you went to the World Stage.  If you were a 4 or a 5 star Mariner not on an early excursion you went to the Rolling Stone Lounge.  Everyone else went to yet another location to get their tickets.  I had a paper in my room the night before explaining it but people tend to not read instructions.
 

And if I’m not mistaken, the lifeboats are used as the tenders.  Nope, no doors - at least not on this ship’s lifeboats.

 

It isn't rocket science but people do need to pay closer attention to information given to them.  If you bother to go to the Q&A why not listen carefully to what you’re being told so questions are repeated when they’ve already been answered.  These folks are here to help and want you to have the best experience possible.  They are very patient.

[TableGirl]

@RetiredMustang thanks for posting those pictures.

 

Here are pictures of the Lido area outside.  If I can get them to upload.

 

Edited June 14 by TableGirl
Picture is blank?

[TableGirl]

[TableGirl]

6 minutes ago, TableGirl said:

@RetiredMustang thanks for posting those pictures.

 

Here are pictures of the Lido area outside.  If I can get them to upload.

 

I apologize but my pictures are blank when I upload them.

[Seasick Sailor]

@RetiredMustang Thank you very much for the pictures.