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

[scubacruiserx2]

5 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

We have been getting these Lindt chocolates for the last 5 days or do.   Every night.  No more HAL squares chocolates.  

 

HAL now partnered with Lindt 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/news/2024/June/news-062024-lindt-partnership

 

 

 Thanks for the thread and I love the Quilt of San Diego . When were you based there  and what was your rating ?

[DonnyD-JJ]

Looks like HAL needs smaller plates because the entrees and desserts look so small & lost on these plates.  Also not thrilled with the presentation but as long as it tastes good that is all that counts.

[RRFan]

8 minutes ago, DonnyD-JJ said:

Looks like HAL needs smaller plates because the entrees and desserts look so small & lost on these plates.  Also not thrilled with the presentation but as long as it tastes good that is all that counts.

Portion sizes have definitely gotten smaller. Of course, you can always ask for another serving. My hubs sometimes orders “please bring two of the ??? “ because he knows one won’t be enough. 

[bluesplayer]

Cabin Crawl question.  Could you explain how this works?  Once roll call folks agree to participate.  Does everyone go as a group?  Maybe will start one our next cruise to Japan.  Thank you!!

[The-Inside-Cabin]

5 hours ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

 

 Thanks for the thread and I love the Quilt of San Diego . When were you based there  and what was your rating ?

Here's a link with more info on the quilt. 
 

 

I was in the USN from 1976 - 2006 - stationed in San Diego (North Island) from 91-93 and 2000-2006 

 

I was an aviation maintenance officer. 
more HERE

 

Edited Sunday at 03:02 PM by The-Inside-Cabin

[0106]

23 minutes ago, bluesplayer said:

Cabin Crawl question.  Could you explain how this works?  Once roll call folks agree to participate.  Does everyone go as a group?

Here is a bit of information about a Cabin Crawl for those of you who have never participated. This is a fun sea day event. We would need volunteers to allow others to view their cabin.  Attendees are not required to show their cabin. It 's an opportunity to see other layouts and categories of staterooms. A selected group of staterooms is seen from those offering their cabins for viewing. These will usually include an inside, oceanview, balcony, suites, and maybe an aft stateroom or handicapped accessible cabin. A  walking route is planned and small groups visit all the cabins on the crawl.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

23 minutes ago, bluesplayer said:

Cabin Crawl question.  Could you explain how this works?  Once roll call folks agree to participate.  Does everyone go as a group?  Maybe will start one our next cruise to Japan.  Thank you!!

@MamSam did a great job organizing our roll call.  Here are the basics.    
 

First  you need to gather volunteers hosts.   One from each room category or rooms with interesting features (inside cabins with windows) 

 

The organizer will ask for tour group leaders to escort a group of about 10 people "tourists" to the various cabins.   More than 10 at a time is too hard to maneuver.   The cabin crawl organizer will figure out the best route to minimize walking. 
 

The tours all start and some easy meeting point.  Crow's nest etc. 

 

The tour leader escorts the 10 people to the cabins.  - gives a brief intro about what's next etc 

 

Each cabin has hosts that answer questions and in some cases provides snacks or souvenirs

 

 

 

[bluesplayer]

@The-Inside-Cabin Thank you for posting the cabin crawl format.  Sounds like a fun way too see many cabins and meet fellow cruisers.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

2 minutes ago, bluesplayer said:

@The-Inside-Cabin Thank you for posting the cabin crawl format.  Sounds like a fun way too see many cabins and meet fellow cruisers.

Some folks avoid cabin crawls "been there -done that".  But I look for interesting storage and decorating ideas plus enjoy the social aspect.    Organizing cabin crawls is work!  Thanks to @MamSam and others for putting these together!  

[oaktreerb]

2 hours ago, DonnyD-JJ said:

Looks like HAL needs smaller plates because the entrees and desserts look so small & lost on these plates.  Also not thrilled with the presentation but as long as it tastes good that is all that counts.

The food has been very good in the dining room.  The salmon on the “bowls” has for the most part been perfectly cooked.  Last night mine was overcooked so like @The-Inside-Cabin I mixed it up but I ate only half of the salmon.  Our server spent a lot of time apologizing for the overcooked salmon.   For me the portions are fine.  

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Tonight's Menu.    Our third Dressy Night

 

no salmon bowls 😀

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

UNALASKA AND DUTCH HARBOR

JUNE 18, 2024

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We spend the afternoon exploring Unalaska visiting a local museum and seeing dozens of Bald Eagles

UNALASKA OR DUTCH HARBOR?

Your cruise itinerary calls this port “Dutch Harbor”. However, the name of the town you visit is called Unalaska. There isn’t any town called Dutch Harbor. Unalaska’s Port is named Dutch Harbor.

Unalaska and Dutch Harbor are well known for the TV show “The Deadliest Catch.” More HERE. All the fishing is in October and January, so you won’t see anything when you visit in the summer.

What does Unalaska mean? The name Unalaska is derived from various Native Aleut words that have been used for some time. In the 1890s, the United States Board on Geographic Names settled on the name Unalaska after reviewing several names that had been in use previously. More HERE 

ARRIVING IN DUTCH HARBOR

We arrived at the commercial port around Noon, but the island was in view by 10 am. The island is rocky, without significant green vegetation or wildflowers. If you are here later in the summer, everything should be green, with plenty of wildflowers in the hills.

Unalaska The Westerdam moored at the commercial port

 

The ship will moor at the Dutch Harbor Commercial Port. There isn’t any tourist infrastructure here. It’s a mile walk to the WWII Memorial/Visitor Center, another mile to the Safeway retail complex, and a little further to the Museum of the Aleutians. The other major tourist attraction is the Russian Orthodox Church, which is another mile further away.

Holland America didn’t offer any shore excursions or make any arrangements for a shuttle. Unalaska normally gets much smaller cruise ships, and arranging shuttles for 200 passengers is easier than getting shuttles for almost 2,000 passengers.

This blog was written in June 2024, but things may be different in future visits. I advise you to make your own tour/taxi or transportation plans and not rely on the ship for anything.

Here is the website for the Unalaska Visitors Bureau. HERE is the website for the city of Unalaska. Both sites have lots of useful information. Don’t wait until the ship’s port briefs a few days before your visit.

You can find useful maps HERE

CELL PHONE SERVICE

T-Mobile didn’t work. We heard reports that AT&T had cell phone service. I wouldn’t make plans where having a cell phone is essential. We were able to use T-Mobile WiFi calling as long as we were near the ship’s Wi-Fi.

PRIVATE TOURS

We arranged for a private tour with Lynda Lybeck-Robinson well in advance. More HERE. We paid $100 per person, but the prices may fluctuate with demand, and you may pay $150.

Judy with Lynda after our tour. We had a great time

 

Our tour lasted about 90 minutes. We visited several scenic view spots and stopped to see some baby eagles in a nest (from a distance).

Lynda knew exactly where to go to spot this eagle with her baby eagles – we never would have spotted these eagles on our own without a guide.

 

We also visited the Russian Orthodox Cathedral and Memorial Park. We had about twenty minutes to visit the MOTA before heading back. If we did this again, I would have arranged to have our tour end at the MOTA so we could check out the Rat Saloon, The Safeway, and other shops and then walk back to the ship, stopping by the WW II Visitor Center on the way.

Bald Eagles were EVERYWHERE – They seemed to have more Bald Eagles than Seagulls!

Bald Eagles here acted like seagulls anywhere else. Seeing this many Bald Eagles up close was the highlight of our tour and visit Every light pole seemed to have a Bald Eagle

Other private tours are offered through the Museum of the Aleutians (MOTA) More HERE

Some people arranged for Taxi Tours on the spot for $80 per hour.

Check out the Unalaska Visitors Bureau website for more information about possible tours. HERE

TRANSPORTATION

It’s a 2.1-mile walk over level, paved roads to the MOTA

The Unalaska Visitor Bureau set up a Hop-on Hop-off bus system for $50 per person. They had three 11-passenger vans set up for shuttle between the ship and the MOTA and then from MOTA to the Russian Orthodox Church. After you paid on the dock, you got a blue wristband, which allowed you to reboard the shuttles at the various stops.

11 passenger Shuttle Bus

 

This service was not very well publicized, and most people didn’t know how it worked or became frustrated by the long lines without clear expectations of what would happen. This Hop On – Hop Off was set up by the Unalaska Visitor Center. I suggest you contact them well before your visit and try to get more detailed information. Based on our experience, they may change how it works. HERE is their Website, where you can find contact information.

RENTAL CARS

Rental cars were available, and could be arranged to meet you at the dock. Getting a car would be very economical, and you could visit all the sites. There are only about 9 miles of roads on the island. If you self-drove, you will miss having expert commentary, but you may be able to find a local person to act as your guide in your rental car if you start researching early enough. Here is the quote I received from BC Vehicle Rentals Reservations reserve@bcvehiclerental.com

Full Size Sedan – $110
Mid Size SUV – $130
Full Size SUV – $160
Full Size Truck – $160
15 Passenger Van – $190

TAXIS

Taxis were available – $5 to $10 to get from the ship to the WWII Museum/Visitors Center, Safeway Retail Complex, or the Museum of the Aleutian. There wasn’t a marked Taxi stand, but we learned taxis would appear from time to time at the nearby port gate.

The city has a nice website with lists of taxis and rental car companies HERE 

HIKING

If you want to hike to some of the historic areas you may need to get a permit – inquire at the visitors center first – more HERE.
There are several nice trails and hikes available. More HERE

MUSEUM OF THE ALEUTIANS

This is a small but nice museum. Worth your time – you will probably need 30 minutes to 1 hour. Admission is $10 for Adults, $7 for Seniors and Veterans are FREE. There is a nice gift shop. More HERE

Museum of the Aleutians – Photo By Elaine

 

RETAIL AND RESTARAUNTS

There is a Safeway that we didn’t visit. If you have a chance to look around, please leave me some comments or observations.

The Norwegian Rat Saloon is across the street and down the road from the Safeway. We didn’t have a chance to visit, but everyone who did said they had a great time. Check it out! More HERE

Inside the Rat Saloon – Photo by Meghan Miller

 

RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL

These sites are about 1 mile from the center of Unalaska and are worth checking out. We explored the outside of the church. The church is still in use but I don’t know when it may be open for tours. If you are interested – shoot them an email. Their contact information is on their website HERE

Russian Orthodox Cathedral

 

MEMORIAL PARK

The memorial part is small, with flags flying from the various military services. It’s about 1/2 mile from the Russian Orthodox Cathedral.

Unalaska Memorial Park

 

SUMMARY

Unalaska was interesting but not a place we would ever make a special trip to visit. It’s about as far west as you can get in the USA unless you were in the Navy and spent time in Adak or Midway Island—both further west than Unalaska. Unalaska is further west than the Hawaiian Islands.

Plan your time here well in advance – Don’t wait until your cruise departs.

Pete and Judy in Unalaska

 

BACK ON THE SHIP

We enjoyed a great performance by Evolution Motown – Full House for both shows – Outstanding

[SharonN]

On 6/22/2024 at 8:41 PM, SharonN said:

And there's a shortage of Laundry Bags. We've been told they're only stocked enough for 7 day cruises. Our poor room steward has to keep trying to find us one since we like to send ours out daily. 

The executive Housekeeper hosted our dinner table last night, so we had to ask about the laundry bags. They had ordered more before this cruise, but the shipment didn't make it to the ship in Seattle. So, this shouldn't be an issue after this cruise. 

[SeaMatesNYC]

4 hours ago, SharonN said:

They had ordered more before this cruise, but the shipment didn't make it to the ship in Seattle. So, this shouldn't be an issue after this cruise.

We ordered, shipment didn’t make it. Exactly the response I’ve always gotten anytime anything runs out onboard. Reflects consistent training with how to deflect a passenger concern while still showing commitment to improving the situation. Just not for you. 🫤

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Tonight's menu 

 

 

[LAFFNVEGAS]

6 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Tonight's menu 

 

 

I read this, this morning to DH like we often do each day for Westerdam and I had to Laugh at Meat Tortellini.....What kind of meat, Beef, Pork, Lamb, Chicken, Beyond Meat or just Surprise Meat.
😂

[The-Inside-Cabin]

1 hour ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

I read this, this morning to DH like we often do each day for Westerdam and I had to Laugh at Meat Tortellini.....What kind of meat, Beef, Pork, Lamb, Chicken, Beyond Meat or just Surprise Meat.
😂

They say the meat is beef.    You be the judge!

I ordered the tortellini as an appetizer!

 

Here is the inside.   Perrier cap for scale 

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

ARCTIC CIRCLE AND THE POLAR PLUNGE

JUNE 20, 2024

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Heavy ice stops our advance to the Arctic Circle. We plunge like Polar Bears before heading to Nome on the Summer Solstice.

RACING TO THE ARCTIC CIRCLE

The title of this cruise is 28-Day Arctic Circle Solstice Cruise. Crossing the Arctic Circle was intended to be one of this cruise’s major events.

After we left Unalaska, we headed north toward the Arctic Circle, which we were supposed to cross on June 20th, the same day as the Summer Solstice.

The Captain announced we would start at a higher speed while in ice-free waters so we could afford to slow down when the ice became thicker, slowing our progress but still reaching the Arctic Circle.  The video below was made before our northern progress was canceled.

Unfortunately, at 11:39 am on 20 June, the Captain announced that the Arctic Circle was still over 120 miles away with 80% ice coverage, and we wouldn’t be able to safely continue any further north and still make Nome on time. Our Arctic Circle Crossing was canceled.

These were the conditions near the ship around 10 am.

I suspect reaching the Arctic Circle in June in something other than an icebreaker may be too optimistic. Future Arctic Circle cruisers should calibrate their expectations accordingly.

HERE is a story about a ship stuck in the ice for 14 days near where we were heading.    Conditions can change rapidly this far north.

LITTLE DIOMEDE ISLAND CANCELLED

On 18 June, we were informed that our scheduled scenic cruising around Little Diomede Island was canceled because our presence may disrupt the local wildlife near the island. However, due to the excessive ice, we never would have made it to Little Diomede Island.

SUMMER SOLSTICE

The Summer Solstice occurred at 12:50 pm local time on 20 June and was noted in The Daily Program, but there wasn’t any announcement or other commemorative event.  A handful of guests, including us, wore Summer Solstice shirts all day.

POLAR BEAR PLUNGE

The Seaview pool for the Polar Bear Plunge opened at 1 pm. On some cruise ships, the pool is filled with cold water to simulate arctic ocean conditions for similar events. Once I learned the water temperature would be warm, I decided to participate in the plunge!

About 30 guests joined me at the Seaview pool. After signing up – no waiver required – we were called one by one to the pool’s deep end and jumped in, swimming toward the bow end.

Future Polar Bear Plungers ready to go

Note: In a small nod to the Arctic, the staff tossed two drinking glasses worth of ice cubes into the pool to simulate Arctic conditions. That was fine with me.

Ready to Go!

Cannonball!

Success!

 

HEADING TO NOME

Once we were no longer heading north, we turned east and headed to Nome, arriving there the evening before our scheduled visit on June 21st.

This is Nome as seen from the Westerdam at 10 pm

 

WORLD STAGE

Hayden Smith was the featured entertainer and is very talented. He can sing and play saxophone and guitar. He has a fabulous stage presence with the right mix of playing and talking. Very entertaining. His range was incredible – playing “Pretty Woman” followed by Les Miserable’s hit – “Bring Him Home.”

Hayden Smith

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

11 hours ago, SeaMatesNYC said:

We ordered, shipment didn’t make it. Exactly the response I’ve always gotten anytime anything runs out onboard. Reflects consistent training with how to deflect a passenger concern while still showing commitment to improving the situation. Just not for you. 🫤

Some times the ship just can't find the Box on the ship ..

[mwj]

On 6/23/2024 at 12:41 AM, SharonN said:

On 6/22/2024 at 11:48 PM, oaktreerb said:

 

And there's a shortage of Laundry Bags. We've been told they're only stocked enough for 7 day cruises.

The Westerdam did multiple 14 day cruises in Asia this winter/spring before moving to Alaska. How is it possible they only have enough for 7 day cruises.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

12 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

They say the meat is beef.    You be the judge!

I ordered the tortellini as an appetizer!

 

Here is the inside.   Perrier cap for scale 

 

Hmmm could be Mystery Meat aka Beef  😂 Thanks for Investigating!!

[LAFFNVEGAS]

1 hour ago, mwj said:

The Westerdam did multiple 14 day cruises in Asia this winter/spring before moving to Alaska. How is it possible they only have enough for 7 day cruises.

While yes they were doing 14 day cruises in Asia but the percentage of those sailing on those voyage that are 4 Star or higher receiving Free Laundry was most likely considerably less. This ship sailing round trip from Seattle for 28 days has an extremely high number of Mariners that qualify for the Free Laundry perk. There may be many that are sending their laundry out multiple times per week. In typical HAL style they most likely did not anticipate this and the excuse is just that an excuse.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Tonight's menu.   

 

 

good day in Kodiak.   Rented a car from Avis.   They picked us up at tender pier and took us to airport to get car.   We were allowed to return car to tender pier and check out over the phone.  Very smooth.  Highly recommended 

 

$300 for the day RAV 4 - but worth it.  
 

no wait for tenders today.  Amazing.  

 

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 01:38 AM by The-Inside-Cabin

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Welcome to Anchorage!

 

Huge Tide swings!

 

 

that makes for a steep gangway at high tide!

 

 

[Hogladyrider]

Hope you get to "wander" downtown, the Visitors Center is nice, lots of FREE stuff in downtown as well.  It may be too early in the season for the beautiful flowers.