LIVE - Legendary Alaska - 28 days with The Inside Cabin - Westerdam

[The-Inside-Cabin]

3 minutes ago, luvteaching said:

@The-Inside-Cabin. Pete and Judy - what a great picture of the two of you! I've followed you on the world cruise the last few years and will definitely be checking this thread out daily. It's a wonderful itinerary. I'm thinking about it for 2025 or later. Meanwhile I'll be boarding the Westerdam, along with a friend, the day you return so leave her in good shape for us please. 

Karen

This is my first cruise on the Westerdsm.  We have over 350days on the Zuiderdam.   Although it's the same class ship - somebody moved some of the furniture!    The library is in a different spot.   No stairs in the Atrium!   

[quilty964]

Thanks for taking me along! 

[SUESEABE]

 

Wishing Judy and you an enjoyable journey!

[KruisinKath]

Stumbled across your World thread and since I enjoyed following along with you so much, I got sucked into the Inside Cabin “vortex,” so am happily following this one, too!  Enjoy your trip!

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Nice sailaway.  45 minutes late.  Not bad

 

Meeting a bunch of great people from cruise critic!

 

tonights menu!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SilvertoGold]

Thanks for posting the evening's menu, always a bonus to see what is on offer, foodwise :)  Seems to be the standard Alaska one and very similar to the one we had in March/April NZ, Austraila, South Pacific (part was Legendary). Once they run through this standard menu you will surley get some different, upgraded ones. Enjoy!!

[hummingbird_206]

@The-Inside-Cabin Thanks for posting the menu.  Just want to confirm this is MDR for everyone (not CO or other?)

 

Anyone know: Is the drink in the souvenir shot glass at no extra charge with the Signature Beverage  package?

Edited June 10 by hummingbird_206

[The-Inside-Cabin]

2 minutes ago, hummingbird_206 said:

@The-Inside-Cabin Thanks for posting the menu.  Just want to confirm this is MDR for everyone (not CO or other?)

 

Anyone know: Is the drink in the souvenir shot glass at no extra charge with the Signature Beverage  package?

Yes,

 

I posted the standard menu.  

 

As far as the drink goes, I'm not sure, but if the limit is $11, I think you would pay 50cents

 

 

[hummingbird_206]

4 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Yes,

 

I posted the standard menu.  

 

As far as the drink goes, I'm not sure, but if the limit is $11, I think you would pay 50cents

 

 

Thanks!  I was thinking the limit was $13, but you're correct it's, $11.  But it will be worth it for me to get a souvenir shot glass on my next voyage for 50 cents.  I'll have to remember to do it, that's always the challenge.

[RuthC]

So great running into you last night. I was just too tired to chat very much. 
Hoping to run into Judy soon. 

I was on the shuttle on the 9:00AM run, along with a couple of mutual friends as our TA had an early boarding (10:30) for their clients, and a party scheduled for 12:30. That cut down somewhat on the number needing to check in and board starting at noon. 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

SEATTLE SAILAWAY – THE LEGEND BEGINS

JUNE 10, 2024

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Our Legendary Cruise begins with a SailAway under a blue Seattle sky

SEATTLE EXPRESS

Our Seattle Express pickup time from the Doubletree Southcenter was 10:45 am, but they say to be ready 15 minutes prior and be in the lobby 5 minutes before that. This is to account for some variation, as you never know where you will be on their hotel pickup list.

Our Tach Luggage is great – we fasten them together and they roll easily. This would be especially useful when we arrived at Pier 91 and found there weren’t any porters

 

At 10:39 am, a 24-passenger shuttle bus arrived labeled Beeline Tours. I expected a bus marked as Seattle Express, but this Beeline Tour bus was what Seattle Express arranged for our transfer. I learned later that your bus will usually be a Seattle Express Bus – but there are always some exceptions.

Our Seattle Express Transfer used a Beeline Tour Bus

 

Our bus was packed, and we had to keep some of our smaller roller bags in the aisle. We left at 10:54 a.m. and arrived at Pier 91 at 11:27 a.m.

PIER 91

Arriving at Pier 91 – The Majestic Princess is on the left.

 

This was our first time leaving on a cruise from Pier 91 in Seattle. I expected our shuttle bus to drop us right by the terminal entrance and be met by porters to help with our luggage. Instead, we were dropped over 100 yards away at the end of a long row of bus and shuttle parking spots. There weren’t any porters so we had to roll our bags to the terminal on our own. Once again, the Tach Luggage was a big help.

This is the view of the terminal from Row R – where Seattle Expressed dropped us off. The massive queue to the right was for the Majestic Princess. We didn’t have to wait to get into the terminal, but it was at least a 100-yard walk

 

Once in the terminal, we were directed to the luggage drop-off point, where the bags were immediately X-rayed. If you hang around, you should be able to see if your bag gets flagged for having contraband.

Your luggage is immediately X-rayed after you give it to the porters.

 

Back toward the front of the terminal, we snaked through a 6-minute line where they checked our boarding passes and passports. We used our passport cards instead of our passports – which were accepted without question. They printed out a hard copy of your boarding pass on the spot if you didn’t have one.

The was the initial queue to where they checked your boarding pass and passport. Security was on the second floor beyond the escalators.

 

Security was up an escalator and took 5 minutes. After Security, the line is divided into the Priority line (Suites, 4 and 5 stars, Club Orange) and the Standard line. As it turned out, the non-priority line was empty, but we stayed in the priority line anyway, which took only a few minutes. Check-in using the standard iPad process was quick, and we were on our way to the ship via the optional photo station. The total time from arriving on the bus to walking on the ship was 40 minutes. The total time after we dropped our bags was 25 minutes.

OBSERVATION DECK

Our Verandah Cabin, 10010, is on the Observation Deck behind the Crow’s Nest. The room seems fairly standard, although I think this verandah is slightly smaller than others. Signs on the deck light switch say they are controlled by the bridge. We are close enough to the bridge where the deck lights may be an issue at night.

Not sure how this really works – Do I call the bridge to turn on the lights?

The Retreat Cabanas are above us, but we haven’t heard anything. The Cabin seems fine, and the location is convenient for us as we spend more time in the forward part of the ship in the classrooms, casino, and World Stage.

Cabin 10024 has an inside cabin but has a window to the jogging track, which gives you some natural light.

The window on the left is for cabin 10024 Our cabin 10010 Cabin 10010 Verandah

 

SAILAWAY

Cruise and Travel Director Stone kicked off the SailAway at 3 pm at the SeaView pool by introducing the entertainment team while the waiters passed around a variety of snacks

 

Cruise and Travel Director “Stone”

Note: Stone’s full name is Towanna Lynette Stone – but she goes by her last name/nickname, “Stone”.

 

One of the bartenders juggled some bottles and glasses as we cast off and sailed into the channel. The assistant cruise directors led some of the guests in line dancing.

Juggling Bartender Goodbye Seattle!

I recognized Dee and Jay from the YouTube Channel @ParoDeeJay. They were live streaming the SailAway—check it out HERE. They also have nice port guides on many of our Alaskan Ports—check out Ketchican HERE. I spoke with them briefly, and they will be putting out more content over this cruise—subscribe to their channel!

WHO MOVED THE FURNITURE?

I have spent over 350 days on the Zuiderdam and know her well, every nook and cranny is familiar. The only other Vista Class ship we have been on previously was the Oosterdam. Aside from the artwork, no polar bears in the Lido pool – dolphins instead, no significant changes.

Here is what I noticed so far:
No handwashing sinks in the Lido.
No staircase from Deck 1 to Deck 2 in the Atrium.
No Staircase from the Forward Elevator Lobby down to the Casino
The library is slightly further forward.
Shop layout a little different – you HAVE to walk thru the Effy shop to go forward of the classrooms.
Men’s and Women’s bathrooms are reversed for the restrooms near the Rolling Stone Lounge. I walked in the Women’s by mistake. The deck plans are not quite right here.
Captains Collection Holland America shop is not on the Westerdam – that space is back to the Art Gallery.
Texas Hold’em table is in the Casino instead of the Gallery Bar.
The center aisles in the World Stage are on an angle instead of straight

MAIN DINING ROOM

We have a table for four, #27, for the three of us at 7:30 pm Fixed. We requested a large table. We arrived exactly at 7:30 and found a long line which moved quickly as people learned how to find their tables. You weren’t escorted – and if you said you knew where your table was you were quickly waved in.

Table 27

 

The late show starts at 9 pm and with dinner at 7:30 we haven’t usually finished until a little after 9 pm. We asked our waiter if he could get us out by 8:45 and he said he could and we wrapped up by 8:40 (We skipped desert).

This cruise will have four dressy nights.

WE ARE ALASKA

WE ARE ALAKSA is a multimedia presentation this evening on the World Stage, where the Cruise Director reads from a script on the teleprompters. It started by going over the history of Holland America in Alaska. It explains how Bush Pilot Chuck West kicked off what would become the Alaska Tourism industry in 1947 – creating West Tours. The bulk of the presentation covered snippets from the various ports we are scheduled to visit and was customized to our itinerary. Very interesting.

Cruise and Travel Director “Stone”

[Hogladyrider]

@The-Inside-Cabin..Pete I am hoping that Jay from Parodeejay will interview you while on this cruise.

[madera1]

Looking forward to read more about this legendary cruise!

[Zyc]

I guess I shouldnt be, given the modern world, but I was surprised to notice one of the passengers stated he was a 'cruise specialist' which I assume is a travel agent, and now another passenger has a You Tube channel, which presumably funds his fare by recording what people do on the trip. Is this normal, I had always assumed the passengers were there to enjoy the trip, not make a living off it.

[forwardho]

Following your adventures as always. Have a safe trip.

[Hogladyrider]

3 hours ago, Zyc said:

I guess I shouldnt be, given the modern world, but I was surprised to notice one of the passengers stated he was a 'cruise specialist' which I assume is a travel agent, and now another passenger has a You Tube channel, which presumably funds his fare by recording what people do on the trip. Is this normal, I had always assumed the passengers were there to enjoy the trip, not make a living off it.

Welcome to the world of modern "social media".....yes many "influencers" fund their cruising from the monies they make on You Tube.  It has become pretty overwhelming the past 5-10 years.

I am enjoying following several EXPERIENCED cruisers blogs on this adventure which is how I prefer to follow along.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Our first dressy night was yesterday 

 

menu here 

 

great service.   Great food. 
 

 

 

 

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

We arrived Ketchican

 

Todays menu

 

 

 

 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

4 hours ago, Zyc said:

I guess I shouldnt be, given the modern world, but I was surprised to notice one of the passengers stated he was a 'cruise specialist' which I assume is a travel agent, and now another passenger has a You Tube channel, which presumably funds his fare by recording what people do on the trip. Is this normal, I had always assumed the passengers were there to enjoy the trip, not make a living off it.

Some do make a living from cruising.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

4 hours ago, Zyc said:

I guess I shouldnt be, given the modern world, but I was surprised to notice one of the passengers stated he was a 'cruise specialist' which I assume is a travel agent, and now another passenger has a You Tube channel, which presumably funds his fare by recording what people do on the trip. Is this normal, I had always assumed the passengers were there to enjoy the trip, not make a living off it.

99.9% of the passengers don't have YouTube channels.    

 

I'm not sure who said "Cruise Specialist" or in what context, but many people who use that agency say they are WITH "Cruise Specialist,"  not that they ARE a "Cruise Specialist."

[julia]

Well, now I'm truly bummed that we decided to cancel this cruise after seeing how many "very important people" (Pete, Judy, Ruth, Parodeejay, etc) are onboard!  Dang!  😲😪😂

[albingirl]

16 hours ago, madera1 said:

Looking forward to read more about this legendary cruise!

I really enjoy your other blogs/threads/postings.  I'll be following.  Thanks for doing this!

[Hygge!]

Skinny deck, we are on deck 6 and have chairs with foot rest. But you are in a great spot! High up there.  Hope to see you around. 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

CRUISING THE INSIDE PASSAGE

JUNE 12, 2024

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We enjoy a dressy night at sea enroute to Ketchikan via the Inside Passage.

THE INSIDE PASSAGE

The Inside Passage is a protected waterway that runs along the Pacific coast of North America, stretching from Puget Sound in Washington State to the Alaska Panhandle. We spent the entire day sailing north thru smooth seas. Early in the day we spotted colorful houses along the coast. As the day wore on, the sky became more grey with mountains in the distance and lush vegetation near the water.

THE RETREAT

The Westerdam has 14 Cabins on Deck 11, which are available for rent daily or for the entire voyage—$85 for a sea day and $55 in port.   You can reserve on for the entire voyage in advance by calling Ship Services in Seattle for a discounted rate.   Once the cruise starts, see Guest Services about renting one for the day.

We reserved three sea days—today for the Inside Passage and later when we cruise Glacier Bay and Misty Fjord. Three Cabins were rented for the entire voyage, so there were plenty of choices left—we picked Cabana #14. Cabana #14 has a power outlet to run a laptop or charger.

The Retreat was empty – not very inviting on a cloudy, windy day. Cabana 14 was ours for the day Here is the snack and food schedule for the retreat. The Retreat stewards will bring you any food or beverage from any open venue whenever you would like.

 

COFFEE CHAT

Coffee Chat, hosted by Cruise and Travel Director Stone, was at 9 am in the Rolling Stone Lounge. Today’s guests were the Shore Excursion Manager, Guillermo,  and Wildlife Guide Kurt. They discussed what excursions were available in Alaska and other insights about visiting the Last Frontier.

Stone, Guillermo and Kurt talk about Alaska

LEGENDARY TOTE BAGS

Sometime during the day, our cabin stewards dropped off Legendary Tote Bags with chocolates.

 

CAPTAIN’S WELCOME

Capt Bart Vaartjes welcomed the guests to the Westerdam at 7:15 pm on the World Stage. After a few remarks, he introduced the senior officers.

Capt Bart Vaartjes

 

DRESSY NIGHT

Tonight was the first of four dressy nights. There were very few tuxedos. Most men were wearing jackets and collared shirts. Men with ties were in the minority. Here is a copy of the menu—the “surf and turf” was filet mignon with grilled shrimp.

MAIN STAGE

Step One Dance company performed a new (to us) show called “Moves”. There wasn’t any introduction or explanation.

Step One Dance Company

 

Here is a list of the 11 different dance numbers they performed. We found them very entertaining with outstanding dancing. If you liked Step One shows in the past – you’ll like this one, too.

Here is the rundown of the dances

– Let me see you move by Santana
– A percussion instrumental with a big skirt
– Mirror by Sigrid
– Higher by Michael Bublé
– Like a Wrecking Ball by Eric Church
– Dance with Me Tonight by The Wonders
– Nice ‘N’ Easy by Frank Sinatra .. a dance with office chairs
– An all drum percussion piece
– Hold My Hand by Lady Gaga
– Happy Dance by MercyMe .. a humorous dance with exercise/posture balls
– Dancing in the Moonlight by Toploader

TOWEL ANIMALS RETURN

Back in our cabin we discovered a towel animal along with some chocolates.

[Will_Dieterich]

On 6/11/2024 at 9:21 PM, Zyc said:

I guess I shouldnt be, given the modern world, but I was surprised to notice one of the passengers stated he was a 'cruise specialist' which I assume is a travel agent, and now another passenger has a You Tube channel, which presumably funds his fare by recording what people do on the trip. Is this normal, I had always assumed the passengers were there to enjoy the trip, not make a living off it.

I don't know on HAL but on some other lines the person doing the cruise sales on board person is a actual a TA who was award the job for that cruise.  They get a percent of sales and get the free cruise.

Talking with people I have meet a couple of people who were TA on the cruise who had room because of discount to see what the cruise was like.  The most sales they did was give me a business card.

As for the you tube, lots of people want to be "influencers" so will record anything they think will get them views.