Live from the Majestic Japan Cruise on Westerdam Sept 1 - Oct 24, 2024

[Seasick Sailor]

Hubbard Glacier 

 

 

[richwmn]

A few more pictures of Hubbard Glacier

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 7 by richwmn

[richwmn]

2 hours ago, whogo said:

Thanks for the live report, richwmn. If you have the time, could you explain how you post the menus and daily planner and all, please?

Happy to.

 

First, and important, I use Linux rather than Windows or MacOS so it is fairly easy for me.

 

For the menus, they are stored as pdf files and are displayed by your browser. My pdf reader, along with quite a few more, has the option to save the pdf to your local drive which I do. Then I have a command line program that converts the pdf files to images.

 

For the Daily Sheets, prior to this cruise I simply took pictures of them. This cruise I realized that I had an old USB flat bed scanner that would fit in my luggage. After making sure it was capable of scanning the handouts, I packed it. I then scan each page and the software saves each page as a separate image file.

 

I really doubt that either Windows or MacOS has a driver for the old flat bed scanner I am using and I don't remember one being sold as a current device for a while.

 

edit: I'm going to eat my words here. After I wrote the above I checked and Amazon has several 'portable scanners' that would accomplish the task and would be usable with current Windows and MacOS computers.

 

Edited September 7 by richwmn

[hummingbird_206]

20 hours ago, tigervixxxen said:

I’ve noticed on the dinner menus posted sometimes there’s a Club Orange special and sometimes there isn’t. Are they not avilable every day on a long itinerary?

There has been a Club Orange special on our MDR menu every evening.  I have no idea why the item doesn't always show up on the electronic version of the menu in the Navigator app.

[richwmn]

09/08/2024 At Sea Destination Dutch Harbor, Alaska eta 09-10

 

Good Morning from Westerdam. Yesterday was a very good day visiting Hubbard Glacier. We had a good day for the visit, and I posted pictures yesterday afternoon. The day was cool and clear and we had a good view all day.

 

Currently it is 54°F/12°C around Westerdam. A few clouds are in the sky, the humidity is 84% and the winds are just under 5 mph. Another nice day in Alaska.

 

As I generally do, I was at all three trivia sessions yesterday. The early session was about food, the middle was general, and the last was music of the ‘50’s. There is one team that stays together and has been winning, generally with a perfect score, all the contests. For me they are still fun. For the music session my team only missed one artist for a score of 33 out of 34, but two teams had perfect scores. Jose is still very animated and the trivia sessions are very good.

 

Prior to the evening trivia session I stuck my head into the RS Lounge and watched the end of HAL’s version of ‘Deal or No Deal’. Jose was host and did a pretty good job of running the game. I was there for the final offer. Two amounts remained, $5 and $300, with an offer of $137. The player turned down the offer and his box ended up having the $5 value.

 

The show on the World Stage was billed as ‘Instrumentalist Annie Gong’. In the past when the talent was billed as an instrumentalist, they played several instruments. Annie plays an electric accordion which has the ability to add other instruments via the left hand keyboard. She is very accomplished at her instrument and has a good dialogue to go along with her performance.

 

 

 

Today’s activities and menus –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[waiting2retire]

On 9/6/2024 at 11:28 PM, tigervixxxen said:

I’ve noticed on the dinner menus posted sometimes there’s a Club Orange special and sometimes there isn’t. Are they not avilable every day on a long itinerary?

If memory serves (and it frequently no longer does) on nights there is a “special menu” like gala nights, theme nights, there is no additional CO offering. 
 

[richwmn]

This morning --

 

[Seasick Sailor]

Oh look! All American Lido lunch today!

 

 

 

 

[SUESEABE]

Yum...Pittsburgh Salad! We put French fries on everything. P.S. Tell them they forgot the 'h'. 😉

[Seasick Sailor]

Anyone hear of a Pittsburgh salad?

 

It's lettuce, with veggies on top, then a protein,  then French fries,  followed by cheese sauce:

 

 

[St Pete Cruiser]

Your Legendary Voyage sounds similar to the Voyage of the Vikings, of which I was impressed.  Enjoy!

[JazzyV]

44 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

Anyone hear of a Pittsburgh salad?

 

It's lettuce, with veggies on top, then a protein,  then French fries,  followed by cheese sauce:

 

 

 

Yes, very common here. I sometimes ask for my fries on the side (and get the look), then give them to my dining companion.

[jettaleea]

51 minutes ago, SUESEABE said:

Yum...Pittsburgh Salad! We put French fries on everything. P.S. Tell them they forgot the 'h'. 😉

You forgot the steak with the fries!

[hummingbird_206]

7 hours ago, waiting2retire said:

If memory serves (and it frequently no longer does) on nights there is a “special menu” like gala nights, theme nights, there is no additional CO offering. 
 

I don't think we've had any such special nights yet on this cruise. There have been CO offerings every night so far, they just don't always show up on the electronic versions of the menus for whatever reason.

[swin26]

5 hours ago, SUESEABE said:

Yum...Pittsburgh Salad! We put French fries on everything. P.S. Tell them they forgot the 'h'. 😉

Great win today ( but strange game)- especially since everyone else in the division lost

[SUESEABE]

@swin26 I'm glad for the win but lots of penalties and lots of room for improvement.

[Seasick Sailor]

Good evening from the beautiful Westerdam. 

 

Dinner tonight in Canaletto.

 

We met our sweet server Rika, who we had in Canaletto last year on Rotterdam. She's lovely. Ask for her.

 

 

 

 

[DeeniEncinitas]

59 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

Good evening from the beautiful Westerdam. 

 

Dinner tonight in Canaletto.

 

We met our sweet server Rika, who we had in Canaletto last year on Rotterdam. She's lovely. Ask for her.

 

 

 

 

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

OMGOSH just want to pinch Allen’s cheek! Joy the food looks fabulous! On our way home from Maui!! Sad to leave  but 3 months time to go home to Encinitas! Nice flight and great food on board!! Shawn I have been texting and it is so hot 🥵 at home! 84 in Encinitas and Shawn said it has been so hot!!

Love you both!

keep sending pics! That salad you had with French fries 🍟 not for me! LOL

Preyers for Bonnie tomorrow!!!I have been through that with a dear friend so I know. Just hard for me to express my self at times! GOD is powerful and will place his hands upon her!

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Mahalo

Denise your sis on the west coast

Edited September 9 by DeeniEncinitas
Just love ❤️

[Seasick Sailor]

34 minutes ago, DeeniEncinitas said:

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

OMGOSH just want to pinch Allen’s cheek! Joy the food looks fabulous! On our way home from Maui!! Sad to leave  but 3 months time to go home to Encinitas! Nice flight and great food on board!! Shawn I have been texting and it is so hot 🥵 at home! 84 in Encinitas and Shawn said it has been so hot!!

Love you both!

keep sending pics! That salad you had with French fries 🍟 not for me! LOL

Preyers for Bonnie tomorrow!!!I have been through that with a dear friend so I know. Just hard for me to express my self at times! GOD is powerful and will place his hands upon her!

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Mahalo

Denise your sis on the west coast

 

Denise, you are a life saver. I'm so scared for Bonnie's second time around. Your prayers will help us through. Bonnie said it's miserable in San Diego.  So hot! After surgery tomorrow she will go through the same protocol with wraps and drains. So thankful her girls and BFF'S are doting over her. She tends to bend until she hits a wall, then can fall apart. Bad timing on cruise/surgery but the girls tell me they are on it 100%. 

 

We miss Maui, and regret selling our time share. But we are getting more adjusted now to Cruising. 

 

I love you dear sister and I'm thankful you are following with me.

[DeeniEncinitas]

20 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

 

Denise, you are a life saver. I'm so scared for Bonnie's second time around. Your prayers will help us through. Bonnie said it's miserable in San Diego.  So hot! After surgery tomorrow she will go through the same protocol with wraps and drains. So thankful her girls and BFF'S are doting over her. She tends to bend until she hits a wall, then can fall apart. Bad timing on cruise/surgery but the girls tell me they are on it 100%. 

 

We miss Maui, and regret selling our time share. But we are getting more adjusted now to Cruising. 

 

I love you dear sister and I'm thankful you are following with me.

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

I am your shadow!! I won’t leave. Your Bonnie is strong and the surgery will be a success. My friend had 8 lymph nodes removed 8 years ago and is going  strong! Thank GOD it was found. Please try to relax. GOD has you where you need to be! It’s his plan. Joy you know this! She has the most important person standing over her to guide her through this journey! GOD will prevail!

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Denise 😌

[richwmn]

09/09/2024 At Sea Destination Dutch Harbor, Alaska eta 09-10

 

Good morning! Today is our second day at sea prior to Dutch Harbor. It is currently 52°F/11°C. We have overcast skies with a humidity of 96% and winds of around 16 mph.

 

Yesterday the Captain informed us that we would be tendering into Dutch Harbor tomorrow. It seems that the Coast Guard decided to pull into the port and will be taking up the berth we had been assigned. We will get exact information today.

 

Trivia continues to go as it has. We have been just off the lead most days and have won a couple of times. Last night was music trivia, as it will be every evening and we got a perfect score. Unfortunately, so do about four other teams. We didn’t have any tie breakers so that remained the outcome. Jose continues to be a fun and energetic host.

 

The show last night was entitled ‘Solid Gold’ and was a performance by the ‘World Stage Reparatory Group’. This appears to be a re-branding of the group from the GANZ. This was a different group of singers and dancers and were again very good. Last night was songs from the ‘70’s, which they performed very well. They are scheduled to appear several more times during the rest of the cruise.

 

I haven’t talked about the lectures because I haven’t attended one yet. We have had several each day from three different presenters. Other guests have given mixed reviews of the lectures, but like many other aspects of the cruise, this is subjective.

 

I mentioned early on that Westerdam has a full taco bar set up by the Dive In. Last night I tried it for the first time and it was as expected. It had all the ingredients that I would expect and it made for a tasty dinner. It is stocked from about 11am until 6pm, so it is a handy place to pick up something for most of the day.

 

At 2:00pm we had an ice cream social. It was set up around the mid ship lido pool and was more ice cream than social. They had two stations set up at the forward part of the area with long lines choosing between six flavors of ice cream. Then everyone sat and ate, with really no socializing while I was there.

 

Today’s activities and menus –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cunnorl]

 Dr Douglas was on the VOV. He was also on our circumnavigation of Australia in 2022. We went to several of his talks. 

[Cruising-along]

8 minutes ago, cunnorl said:

 Dr Douglas was on the VOV. He was also on our circumnavigation of Australia in 2022. We went to several of his talks. 

He was also on the Grand Australia/NZ this year.

[hummingbird_206]

Crosspost from roll call thread

 

ATTN Birders

As of noon today, we've seen several birds from the Promenade Deck including Laysan albatross, Black-footed Albatross, Flesh-footed Shearwater and Puffins (not sure if Horned or Tufted).

[Seasick Sailor]

French fare today on Lido for lunch.