LIVE from the Veendam/ALASKA

[FlorenceItaly]

Hello ALL - I am at a cybercafe checking in with home, so thought I would drop you all a line. This particular cafe is only $5.00 for an hour, and they and I will be able to use this in the other 2 ports also.

The weather is GORGEOUS. We are in Ketchikan today(our first port) and I had to go drop my jacket off at the ship, and pick up a light windbreaker for my backpack in case I need it later on my FLOAT PLANE trip with Island Wings.

I am really enjoying the Veendam, more so than the Maasdam. I know it's a sister ship, but everyone is so much friendlier. I have great tablemates...lots of other solo's. We do others things together also, and some of us are dining at the Pinnacle tonight.

Well, I better go, so I will be able to check in at my other ports. Oh, the ship has lowered their long distance rates to 49 cents per minute!!!!! Great deal, no more $7.99 a minute, something they instituted within the last month.

The food is good, service in dining room just average, but very enjoyable.
I have a wonderful room steward, and met some nice bar tenders at the Ocean Bar. They came for the Amsterdam, and a new contract....gotta run.
Tomorrow Juneau..........

Marie

[Orcrone]

Marie,

I didn't realize you left already. Hope you have a great time in Alaska.

Marc

[RuthC]

May the fair weather---and your good times---continue. Have a(nother) wonderful cruise.

[dakrewser]

Hello ALL - I am at a cybercafe checking in with home, so thought I would drop you all a line. The weather is GORGEOUS.
I hope the weather holds for you!

[sail7seas]

Thanks so much for checking in with us, Marie. So happy to hear you are enjoying yourself and have bet some nice new friends.


I hope the beautiful weather keeps up and you continue to enjoy.

Blue skies and calm seas.......

[Lois R]

:) Marie...Hi...so glad you are having a good time!

[localady]

Marie-

So pleased you are enjoying the Veendam and Alaska!! Great to hear that there are other solo travellers, it sure makes things more fun! Hard to go to the Pinnacle by oneself! If Ketchikan is sunny, you must have the luck, as they say it rains 300+ days there!!:) :cool: Have a volcano cake for us!!!:cool:

[Ziggy7]

Marie, Hi glad you are having a wonderful time! Just reading about the Pinnicle makes my mouth drool, have some volcano cake for me please !!!! yummmmmmmmmmmmm!

[PT Cruisin]

Hi Marie, Please try to do a helicopter/glacier landing in Juneau if you haven't already planned it. It was the highlight of my Sept 03 trip on the Amsterdam to Alaska (and my first cruise). If you do go...bring an empty water bottle. There is nothing in this world like glacier water!
PT

[zachnlucy]

Hi there Marie! Thanks for the post. Are you on a northbound? We're planning a northbound on Veendam next August and I would absolutely love to hear everything about it. Having only sailed CCL and NCL before, I have no idea what HAL is like. I have heard that entertainment is lacking and the clientele is mostly seniors, but that's okay with me. We sailed a roundtrip inside passage on the NCL Sun in May and spent most of our time on our balcony anyway.

Please tell all! Thanks.

[Tinknock50]

Hello ALL - I am at a cybercafe checking in with home, so thought I would drop you all a line. This particular cafe is only $5.00 for an hour, and they and I will be able to use this in the other 2 ports also.

The weather is GORGEOUS. We are in Ketchikan today(our first port) and I had to go drop my jacket off at the ship, and pick up a light windbreaker for my backpack in case I need it later on my FLOAT PLANE trip with Island Wings.

I am really enjoying the Veendam, more so than the Maasdam. I know it's a sister ship, but everyone is so much friendlier. I have great tablemates...lots of other solo's. We do others things together also, and some of us are dining at the Pinnacle tonight.

Well, I better go, so I will be able to check in at my other ports. Oh, the ship has lowered their long distance rates to 49 cents per minute!!!!! Great deal, no more $7.99 a minute, something they instituted within the last month.

The food is good, service in dining room just average, but very enjoyable.
I have a wonderful room steward, and met some nice bar tenders at the Ocean Bar. They came for the Amsterdam, and a new contract....gotta run.
Tomorrow Juneau..........

Marie
Hi Marie,
Great to hear you are having a good time and the weather is good too.

Check out the String Quartet for me and what their name is.

Thanks

[LEtue]

Marie ~ it sounds like your having a wonderful trip already! I am sooooooo jealous ;) Hope you're taking lots of pictures to share with all of us too!

Linda

[Plut0]

Hi Marie,

Glad you are having a great time. It makes me wish that I was still on board. If you see Angel in the Crow's Nest, be sure to tell him hi.

Have fun.
Mary

[Krazy Kruizers]

Glad you are enjoying the Veendam and Alaska.

Darn, didn't get a chance to tell Marie about the free internet in the Library in Juneau.

[mak49]

Marie, I just returned from my first cruise ever, which was on the Veendam. Just hearing from you, makes me want to go again! We too had wonderful weather, and a great cruise. Our service was excellent. Enjoy the Pinnacle. I had the Volcano cake, and it was a chocolate lover's delite. Hope you planned on taking the Kenai Fjords tour, when you reach Seward. It was the highlight of our excursions. Enjoy!

[FlorenceItaly]

Hello ALL--Back at a cybercafe...this time in Juneau. I went to Mendanhall Glacier this morning on the blue bus...$5 each way...what a deal. It was magnificant. It is currently about 61 degrees but still very enjoyable. This afternoon I will whale watch with Capt Larry.

Yesterday in Ketchikan it was sunny and warm. The float plane over Misty Fjords with Michelle at Island Wings was wonderful. I had a small problem with motion sickness but nothing serious. The difference with this tour and the one with the ship, is it was about 1/2 longer, and we actually landed on a lake and got to go ashore for awhile. The ships tour DOES land, but does not go ashore, they sit in the float plane for 10 minutes. I just made it back to the ship with very little time to spare because our departure time was moved up a half hour.

I have a BIG DECISION to make as I received one of those wonderful notices in my cabin last evening offer to stay on another week for a very LOW price. I need to decide by Friday, but am leaning heavily towards it. Also, if I do stay, I will be able to cancel my transportation to Seward along with a tour I booked which amounts to $198. My flight doesn't leave until 8:50pm that is why I booked a tour. Also, I have cruise air so very easy to change plans. I think, when I would leave out of Vancouver, I would get a early flight, thus eliminating the need for a tour. Of course, it would be even a better deal if I were not looking at 200% solo rate, BUT, I am going to try to work a deal ;).

Well, the Pinnacle was very nice. I am having so much fun. The crew and passengers are so nice....better go, need to save time for Skagway tomorrow.

Marie

[dakrewser]

I have a BIG DECISION to make as I received one of those wonderful notices in my cabin last evening offer to stay on another week for a very LOW price. I need to decide by Friday, but am leaning heavily towards it. Also, if I do stay, I will be able to cancel my transportation to Seward along with a tour I booked which amounts to $198. My flight doesn't leave until 8:50pm that is why I booked a tour. Also, I have cruise air so very easy to change plans. I think, when I would leave out of Vancouver, I would get a early flight, thus eliminating the need for a tour. Of course, it would be even a better deal if I were not looking at 200% solo rate, BUT, I am going to try to work a deal ;).


Go for it! :D How often does a chance like that come along? WE (on another thread) were just talking about how back-2-back's don't offer discounted pricing any more.

[FlorenceItaly]

Marie, I just returned from my first cruise ever, which was on the Veendam. Just hearing from you, makes me want to go again! We too had wonderful weather, and a great cruise. Our service was excellent. Enjoy the Pinnacle. I had the Volcano cake, and it was a chocolate lover's delite. Hope you planned on taking the Kenai Fjords tour, when you reach Seward. It was the highlight of our excursions. Enjoy!

That's EXACTLY the tour I am booked on, but was going to cancel, if I stay the extra week, so now I am confused, LOL. Will you share more about it with me? Thanks.

Sean, I will found out the strings name.

At the library, but only have 10 minutes. You are limited to 15 minutes at a time. No sun out today, but Alaska is so beautiful, who cares...headed for my whale watching soon.

Marie

[localady]

Marie-

If you do decide to stay there is no reason you can't take a Kenai Fjords trip. The Ship will be docked in Seward until 8 at night and if you just hop the free shuttle HAL provides to the harbour (it's the second stop after Sealife Center), you could find a tour right there. There are a couple of vendors there and with the amount of time you have in Seward it should be easy to find a cruise. You might wait till that day and decide based on the weather. Also HAL may give you B2B people free Sealife passes as they did us. It's a nice and not to large aquarium, will take no more than 2 hours to get thru i'd imagine. So glad to hear you are happy!

P.S. Make sure you take the train in Skagway if it's a nice day, it is a beautiful trip and you can buy your ticket right there at the train depot downtown. (You can't miss it!) :)

Have fun!!!!:cool:

[sail7seas]

Marie....So good to hear from you and so very good to hear you are enjoying yourself so much. Go for the extra week. When will you hve such an opportunity again?


Thanks for saying "Hi" to us from the ship. Continue to enjoy.

[ekerr19]

Marie-

So glad to hear you are enjoying the Veendam! :)

If the opportunity affords itself, perhaps another week? Good Luck & keep us posted!

[Tinknock50]

Marie-

If you do decide to stay there is no reason you can't take a Kenai Fjords trip. The Ship will be docked in Seward until 8 at night and if you just hop the free shuttle HAL provides to the harbour (it's the second stop after Sealife Center), you could find a tour right there. There are a couple of vendors there and with the amount of time you have in Seward it should be easy to find a cruise. You might wait till that day and decide based on the weather. Also HAL may give you B2B people free Sealife passes as they did us. It's a nice and not to large aquarium, will take no more than 2 hours to get thru i'd imagine. So glad to hear you are happy!

P.S. Make sure you take the train in Skagway if it's a nice day, it is a beautiful trip and you can buy your ticket right there at the train depot downtown. (You can't miss it!) :)

Have fun!!!!:cool:
Marie,
I agree with Localady....definitely take the Kenai Fjords. I have been on it twice and in bad weather the whales were more active...leaping out of the water!
You have plenty of time...go for it!

[mak49]

Marie,
The tour is in a much smaller boat, getting you so close to things it is awesome. We saw whales, porpoises, seals, sea lions, puffins, birds of all types on the cliffs, and marvelous glacier calfing. Plus the scenery was so beautiful. Since we are were just off of a week on the Veendam, many of us knew each other, and we all felt the same. We were all glad we took the tour. Hope you can fit it in. Many on our boat could not do it, since it was sold out. Our entire week was sunny, and the water that day (August 15th) just glistened. Have a great time. :)

[jazzsea]

Thanks for keeping us posted. We all wish that we were with you. Isn't Alaska just the best?

[spcl4cs_gal]

Hope you have a fantastic cruise, Marie! :) I'll be looking into doing Alaska next summer myself so will be looking forward to your reports.

[mak49]

Marie,
You haven't mentioned it, but aren't the beds on the Veendam, the most comfortable thing you ever slept in? Everyone on our cruise was commenting on the comfort. Maybe it was the chocolate on my pillow everynight that helped me sleep so well!

[Tinknock50]

Marie should be in Seward today...I wonder if we will hear from her.

[FlorenceItaly]

Hi ALL - Sorry I have been missing in action.....Just got home a bit ago. I did NOT stay the extra week, as I developed a condition and had to see the doctor for antibiotics while in Skagway, that is why I did not check in...headed straight to the dr after my tour. It was nothing contagious.
I'll spare you the details, LOL.

I DID take the Kenai Fjords trip, and it was indeed the highlight of the week.
The week was wonderful. I met lots of nice people, and had great tablemates...we are already planning a reunion cruise. More later, but I am headed for bed now, since I was flying all night.

Marc - All I know is the string group is called Champagne Strings. I did not talk to them personally. I'm sorry, I am not more helpful.

About the shows - I only saw one, but my tablemates gave all the shows thumbs up.

More later, I promise.

OH, and the dining room let one of my male tablemates in for dinner on casual night in JEANS. I told him it might be a no-no, and he asked, because he was going to change, and they said it was alright.


Marie

[Ziggy7]

awwwwww Marie, sorry you got sick, hope you feel better soon !

[dakrewser]

Hi ALL - Sorry I have been missing in action.....Just got home a bit ago. I did NOT stay the extra week, as I developed a condition and had to see the doctor for antibiotics while in Skagway, that is why I did not check in...headed straight to the dr after my tour. It was nothing contagious.
Sorry to hear that, Marie, but it doesn't seem to have marred your trip too much. There will be other chances to sail a B2B!

[LEtue]

Marie,

So sorry to hear you got sick on the cruise. I guess I didn't realize you were doing a B2B!

Can't wait to hear all about the trip though and the reunion cruise....to?

Linda

[FlorenceItaly]

Hi Linda - I was not booked for a b2b but they made an incredible offer to stay on board the 2nd week...$299 inside, $399 outside, double occupancy! Plus $40 taxes....my solo rate would have been 150%, still a great rate. Had I not gotten a urinary tract infection, I may have, although, I am so happy to be home with my dh and ds. Not getting home until the 5th, and leaving on the 17th wouldn't have left much time home.

The reunion cruise we are talking about is meeting on the Carnival Conquest, first week of June. One of my tablemates, Dave(sweetest man, and jackpot bingo winner of $3400..could not have happened to a nicer guy) is planning on sailing then. He has been on 19 cruises, and the Conquest is his favorite.
I looked at the rates today, and they are high, so don't know if I will join them afterall as I already have 3 booked for 2005. They are people I will stay in touch with. I hung out with mainly Dave and another woman Joann, and we will definitely stay in touch.

I can not rave enough about the beauty of Alaska! Even my pictures don't do it justice.

Marie

[spcl4cs_gal]

Glad the hear that you are home safe and sound Marie. Looking forward to those pictures of yours when you get them posted. :D

[Tinknock50]

Sorry to hear you got sick Marie. But it sounds like you enjoyed your trip for the most part.

Hope to hear more about it soon!

[FlorenceItaly]

Sean - I had a FABULOUS time. You are going to love ALASKA and the wonderful Veendam and her crew. I posted a small review entitled "MINI review of the Veendam, and random thoughts"....I think it fell to page 2 or more. Feel free to ask any questions. HAL did a fabulous time of matching me up with other solo cruisers at dinner.

Marie

[Tinknock50]

Sean - I had a FABULOUS time. You are going to love ALASKA and the wonderful Veendam and her crew. I posted a small review entitled "MINI review of the Veendam, and random thoughts"....I think it fell to page 2 or more. Feel free to ask any questions. HAL did a fabulous time of matching me up with other solo cruisers at dinner.

Marie
Read your review, thanks for posting it.
Should be interesting to see who they match me up with. I usually pick a table, but this time I just requested one by a window and will let HAL sort out the rest.