Off the Amsterdam yesterday!

[CarnyMan]

We finished our 7 day Alaska cruise yesterday on the Amsterdam. It was a nice cruise. If you have any questions about the ship or ports, ask away!

[Owl47]

We are booked on the May 30 Amsterdam departure.
We are very excited and would love to hear details of your Amsterdam voyage.

[W5KAP]

We finished our 7 day Alaska cruise yesterday on the Amsterdam. It was a nice cruise. If you have any questions about the ship or ports, ask away!

If I remember correctly, you took you ailing mother along for the cruise. I sure hope all went well and she had the cruise and experience of a lifetime. Our Prayers are still with her

V/R KEnn

[CarnyMan]

Yes, we took my mother-in-law who is in the advanced stage of lung cancer. The plane trip to Seattle was really hard on her and it took her 2 full days to recover, but once recovered, she had a great cruise with us. It was all of our prayers answered.

[CarnyMan]

We are booked on the May 30 Amsterdam departure.
We are very excited and would love to hear details of your Amsterdam voyage.

Here are some details: Formal nights are on Sunday and Thursday. Thursday's menu has the Surf&Turf with filet mignon and lobster. Sunday's had prime rib and shrimp provencale. I remember these dishes being very good. We had open seating (fixed was booked) and it took 2+ hours every night to get through dinner. This was too long for us. The shows were excellent with the exception of the solo singer named Robin ???. She was really not very good. Don't miss the ship's singers shows. The male and female lead singers are great and the shows are well done. The Illusionist was above average.
The ship is in great shape. They replaced all of the public room's carpet during the dry dock. The pool was absolutely wonderful. Don't forget to take your swimsuits. It is heated and feels perfectly fine even in Alaska.
The Lido buffet is just average. Room service was horrible. It took up to 45 minutes and the order was NEVER correct.
Sitka was our favorite shopping port and Ketchikan was great also. Juneau was our least favorite of the ports.
My wife and her friend went to the spa for one of their specials on the day we were at the Hubbard Glacier. For $99 you got a facial, a scalp massage, a 45-minute back and shoulder massage, and thermo-therapy in the thermal suite. It was a total of 2 hours for an excellent price. My wife loved it and considered it a bargain.
We bought several photos. The formal night photos are $39.95 and the others were $19.95.

[Cruising-along]

Just wondering, did you happen to meet "Tommy"? I hear that he's Assistant Dining Room Mgr now on the Amsterdam but I don't know if he's assigned to open or fixed dining. Thanks!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome Home!!

Hope you will do a report.

[lovebug33]

Formal pictures are 40 bucks?:eek: Is that all ships? Guess we won't be buying any for that price.

[RuthC]

Formal pictures are 40 bucks?:eek: Is that all ships? Guess we won't be buying any for that price.
Yes. It's highway robbery (maybe I should say pirating :confused:), if you ask me.
But, to be fair, there's more than one picture on the sheet. You get an 8"x10", a 5"x7" (or maybe it's a 4"x6"; I didn't measure), and 2 wallet size photos for that price.

[fsdj1097]

We finished our 7 day Alaska cruise yesterday on the Amsterdam. It was a nice cruise. If you have any questions about the ship or ports, ask away!

Hi CM,

Did you visit Hubbard Glacier on your cruise? Were you able to see some calving while there?

Thanks for your reply.

[themerle]

I'm glad all of you enjoyed your cruise. Just checking to see how Stella did on the flight home. Hope she is feeling okay! I'll be checking back to see how she is and to hear more about your cruise.

[CarnyMan]

Yes, we spent about 6 hours parked at Hubbard Glacier and unfortunately, no, we did not witness any calving while there. It is very beautiful and quite awesome to behold. I will never forget seeing it. The calving would have been wonderful to see but it is still worth going to see the glacier.

[CarnyMan]

Just wondering, did you happen to meet "Tommy"? I hear that he's Assistant Dining Room Mgr now on the Amsterdam but I don't know if he's assigned to open or fixed dining. Thanks!

I don't remember seeing Tommy, but the same guy was always at the open seating taking your cabin number and assigning the table. I didn't get his name.

[Ben_SF]

Hello CarnyMan,
Sounds like you had a wonderful time! I am confirmed on Amstedam for May 30. A few questions -- Did the ship get close enough to the glacier (when I was on Oosterdam it didn't get too close)? Is the Canaletto Restaurant open? Do they still have the “Superstar” karaoke contest? Thanks!

[fsdj1097]

Yes, we spent about 6 hours parked at Hubbard Glacier and unfortunately, no, we did not witness any calving while there. It is very beautiful and quite awesome to behold. I will never forget seeing it. The calving would have been wonderful to see but it is still worth going to see the glacier.

We are bringing our family with us this year and we are really hoping that they can witness Hubbard as we have on a couple of occasions.

How close were you able to approach? The past 2 years we have not been able to even get to Gilbert Point due to the amount of ice in the water.

[Susie51]

Are the glaciers in Glacier Bay more frequently calving than at Hubbard Glacier?

[Ben_SF]

Oh, also, did you have the “A Taste of Alaska -- Commemorative Dinner” and if so, on which night? Is the “Salmon 50 Ways” back in the dinning room? Thanks!

[CarnyMan]

Hello CarnyMan,
Sounds like you had a wonderful time! I am confirmed on Amstedam for May 30. A few questions -- Did the ship get close enough to the glacier (when I was on Oosterdam it didn't get too close)? Is the Canaletto Restaurant open? Do they still have the “Superstar” karaoke contest? Thanks!

I thought the ship was pretty close to the glacier but I haven't ever been to it before so I don't have anything to compare it to.
The Canaletto Restaurant was in operation. All they did was assign a section of the Lido buffet dining area for the Canaletto. There was nothing separating it from the other diners. They installed different furniture and added an "Italian" statue. I thought it was a pretty lame attempt to have another restaurant because it was just so obviouse how little effort was put into it.
They did not have the "superstar' karaoke. There was karaoke one night only in the Crow's nest lounge for about an hour or so. We went and listened for about 15 minutes and then left.

[CarnyMan]

We are bringing our family with us this year and we are really hoping that they can witness Hubbard as we have on a couple of occasions.

How close were you able to approach? The past 2 years we have not been able to even get to Gilbert Point due to the amount of ice in the water.

I thought we were fairly close but there was alot of ice in the water. I took some great pictures so we must have been close enough.

[CarnyMan]

Oh, also, did you have the “A Taste of Alaska -- Commemorative Dinner” and if so, on which night? Is the “Salmon 50 Ways” back in the dinning room? Thanks!

There was not a "Salmon 50 Ways" and I don't remember having "A Taste of Alaska" menu.
They did have an Alaskan Salmon Bake on the Lido deck. It was like a Salmon BBQ where they cooked the salmon over coals. The line was way too long for me to wait in it.

[lovebug33]

Yes. It's highway robbery (maybe I should say pirating :confused:), if you ask me.
But, to be fair, there's more than one picture on the sheet. You get an 8"x10", a 5"x7" (or maybe it's a 4"x6"; I didn't measure), and 2 wallet size photos for that price.

Okay, but I don't need a 5 x 7 or wallets. Well, I'll just not buy any. It'll be a cheaper vacation for us!

[Ben_SF]

There was not a "Salmon 50 Ways" and I don't remember having "A Taste of Alaska" menu.
They did have an Alaskan Salmon Bake on the Lido deck. It was like a Salmon BBQ where they cooked the salmon over coals. The line was way too long for me to wait in it.

Thank you, CarnyMan, so much for the information. I am so disappointed that they cancelled "A Taste of Alaska". HAL is really cutting back!!!
http://www.hollandamerica.com/news/NewsRelease.action?newsReleaseId=710

[Cruising-along]

I don't remember seeing Tommy, but the same guy was always at the open seating taking your cabin number and assigning the table. I didn't get his name.

Tommy would be hard to miss, he's quite a bit taller than the others, and he's slender and balding -- mid 30's. We met him last year and he's such a special young man I thought I'd ask.

[papergypsy]

Thank you, CarnyMan, so much for the information. I am so disappointed that they cancelled "A Taste of Alaska". HAL is really cutting back!!!
http://www.hollandamerica.com/news/NewsRelease.action?newsReleaseId=710

After reading the press release, it doesn't sounds like there are special "Alaska" items served thoughout the entire week and it is not a special one night only thing. I am betting that the Taste of Alaska items are scattered throughout the daily menus over the 7 days of the cruise.

[Ben_SF]

After reading the press release, it doesn't sounds like there are special "Alaska" items served thoughout the entire week and it is not a special one night only thing. I am betting that the Taste of Alaska items are scattered throughout the daily menus over the 7 days of the cruise.

I hope you correct, Papergypsy. The press release is a little confusing...

[CarnyMan]

They did have a dinner one night that was called The Master Chef's dinner where they did a little "show" in three acts with Act One being the appetizer, Act Two is the salad and Act Three is the dessert. During each act they would come out and sing in a line and move about the dining room. I thought it was quite lame. Every table had a chef's hat on it with the menu stuck in the hat. The food was so forgettable that I don't remember what was on the menu. We left before the dessert because it was taking so long to get served.
I do remember that every night there was a salmon dish of some kind served. I didn't try any of them.

[sarasotasiren]

Here are some details: Formal nights are on Sunday and Thursday. Thursday's menu has the Surf&Turf with filet mignon and lobster. Sunday's had prime rib and shrimp provencale. I remember these dishes being very good. We had open seating (fixed was booked) and it took 2+ hours every night to get through dinner. This was too long for us. The shows were excellent with the exception of the solo singer named Robin ???. She was really not very good. Don't miss the ship's singers shows. The male and female lead singers are great and the shows are well done. The Illusionist was above average.
The ship is in great shape. They replaced all of the public room's carpet during the dry dock. The pool was absolutely wonderful. Don't forget to take your swimsuits. It is heated and feels perfectly fine even in Alaska.
The Lido buffet is just average. Room service was horrible. It took up to 45 minutes and the order was NEVER correct.
Sitka was our favorite shopping port and Ketchikan was great also. Juneau was our least favorite of the ports.
My wife and her friend went to the spa for one of their specials on the day we were at the Hubbard Glacier. For $99 you got a facial, a scalp massage, a 45-minute back and shoulder massage, and thermo-therapy in the thermal suite. It was a total of 2 hours for an excellent price. My wife loved it and considered it a bargain.
We bought several photos. The formal night photos are $39.95 and the others were $19.95.
Thanks for the info. I am going on the Amsterdam June 6! Can't wait..has anyone gone on the whale watch?

[JDinWA]

Thanks for the info. I am going on the Amsterdam June 6! Can't wait..has anyone gone on the whale watch?

I just got off the Amsterdam (the cruise after CarnyMan's). We did the whale watch in Juneau, and had an incredible time. The weather was perfect, and we saw numerous whales, including a group of two adults and a baby playing in the water. In Sitka, I did the sea otter/wildlife watch, and we saw a couple of gray whales (but not as close or for as long as in Juneau).