Crew News

There was a naturalist onboard in Glacier Bay the last week of April and there have been several talks this cruise that I did not attend. Here is a link to the daily programs that I am posting each day: Alaska 14-Day Daily Programs Alaska 7-Day Daily Programs

Day 09 Juneau The day began and ended in a steady rain. My water resistant camera/lens, Gore Tex hiking shoes, and USB hand warmer, performed flawlessly. Room Service called me 80 minutes before the time set on my alarm to advise me that Raisin Bran was not available. Still in sleep mode, I opted for Cheerios which I detest. Again, my order arrived 25 minutes before the time I had requested. At least the pastries were good. My small-group whale watching excursion found shelter ashore as we waited for the arrival of our shuttle bus. The ramp down to the excursion boat was really steep. 18 passengers were with me on a small boat with hinged windows that were opened when whales were spotted. When asked to identify our hometowns, I was shocked to hear the couple behind me also announced that they from Albuquerque. Snack bars and water were provided. Many whale encounters happened but only a few fluke photo opportunities. Of note, was the new bathroom facilities at Auke Bay for both pre- and post-boat ride use. As the returning excursion boat neared the Nieuw Amsterdam, I noticed the line for Tracy's Crab Shack had no end in sight. With five ships in port, the streets were very crowded. Return to the ship included a local facial recognition scan and I was thanked by name for my participation. My brain paused for a moment before I remembered that I had just been in Juneau the first week in May. for another scan Dinner was at the less than half-filled Canaletto. I have noticed that the unneeded Canaletto servers have been helping in other dining venues. For the second day in a row, the cookies earned a B+ rating. Could someone aboard be reading this thread? Tid Bits: The Captain is the least informative in my many cruises experience. There are around 30 whale watching tours a day in Juneau with five ships in port. Five ships in port create a real crowd but some happy jewelry store operators, Onboard TV reception often freezes. Internet speed in my aft stateroom is 47.85 Mbps and 8,68 Mbps. There is a new luggage direct program from the ship to the airport. I will get more details and post. Next stop Skagway. Similar Juneau fog:

Day 08 At Sea For the first time on this cruise, the sun appeared but while the ship was at sea. All are looking forward to an excursion with the sun warming us. The sea was much calmer for a change and passengers emerged from their rooms to experience the Nieuw Amsterdam. At least they all found their way to the Lido Market Buffet for breakfast. As a solo, it remained difficult to find a table in the Lido Market and so my breakfast meals continued to be consumed beside the indoor pool. I attended a Mariner recognition ceremony for silver and platinum awardees. No peanuts were served. My daily cookie evaluation took place after waiting in the long line at the Sweet Spot. As I took special care to give a fair evaluation for each of the four types (oatmeal raisin, macadam nut, peanut, and chocolate chip), I was thrilled to give them each a B+ grade. All had a decent chew, reasonable breaking effort, and were not hard. Now, if the ship could just keep the same baker each day, I would be happy. Dressy Night was a visit to the MDR for dinner and I did not see a single tuxedo during the evening. My dinner service ,from the time I entered until I departed ,was a mere 50 minutes. A truly efficient operation by all involved. My day was spent scanning and uploading menus and daily programs. Here is a link to all of the information that I have collected over the past two cruises, including the 7-Day Alaska MDR dinner menus for the 2024 season: Updated Dining and Beverage Menus Next stop Juneau

As promised: Nieuw Amsterdam MDR Table Maps

Table maps are now in my hands. Will post links this evening;

When I have checked the TV, it has been a bit over 26 knots but the seas have been rolling. Same weather as last year when we had winds above 70 knots rhat listed the ship 13 degrees for four hours, Much calmer this year in the Gulf of Alaska

Me too!!

I have not but I did meet someone who saw one a few days ago. I have seen whales on my excursions to areas where whales like to feed during the summer.

How are the chocolate chip cookies in the Lido Market and Grand Dutch Cafe?

Day 07 Valdez The weather continued to be cold and rainy with a touch of fog when I opened my curtains but I had hope to get better photos than I had captured last year on this same cruise.. My cold weather layers were ready to be donned as soon as breakfast was concluded but as I reached to unlock my stateroom door, I noticed a piece of paper on my floor. The paper explained that due to rough seas, all shore excursions were canceled. My commitment to getting a better photo of Columbia Glacier was doused by the sea gods.. A day with no plans meant that I could catch up with scanning menus, interviewing crew members, and photographing the drydock changes to the Nieuw Amsterdam. In addition to those ship improvements mentioned above, some hallway carpeting was replaced. The day also offered another opportunity to evaluate the cookie situation and I remained disappointed in their lack of chew and great difficulty to break. Dinner at the Canaletto Restaurant had only three occupied tables as many guests opted for the Lido Market Seafood Boil Special. With so few customers, my meal was completed quickly and I was able to acquire the remaining menus for scanning. With seas becoming more bumpy, I retired early. Next is a day at sea enroute to Juneau.

My table map source failed to live up to their promise so I will try another source tomorrow. Persistence usually succeeds.

I made arrangements last night to have maps (Decks 2 & 3) printed for me for pickup at dinner tonight. I should have them posted in about four hours. FWIW I learned that the tables on Deck 2 were completely renumbered sequentially instead of odd numbers on one side and even on the other. I well see in another hour at dinner.

Since CC swallowed my report from Kodiak, I will repost: Day 06 Kodiak The port of Kodiak continued the cruises history of cold temps and rain, After breakfast, my cookie test of the four types found all with little chew, hard to break, and in need of a beverage medium for dipping to be edible. I have come to the conclusion, that the good cookies on the first day were baked by someone who departed the ship in Vancouver. My noon wildlife excursion experienced the lack of school buses to take 12 of us to the pier. I was inspired that I was able to maneuver past two rows of seats to wedge myself in the back of the substituted 12-passenger van. Passengers were divided into two groups of six at the harbor pier for the two small excursion boats. With rough seas, the excursion was restricted to the large harbor area but very successful in photographing stellar sea lions and birds. It was a chance to perfect my cameras bird tracking feature and also experience the foul scent of nearby sea lions . Although hot beverages were available, our group preferred only the provided snacks. The pilot was a life-long resident of Kodiak and a wealth of information. The warmth of the Nieuw Amsterdam was very welcome after being in a cold rain for several hours. My hot shower while in port avoided the need for a bumpy one while sailing in the pending rough waters. My Tamarind Dinner began by walking uphill as the ship began to list under the force of high winds. The warm shrimp chips were a nice start. My first soup course necessitated a knife being placed under the edge of my bowl to keep the broth level in the bowl. The curry chicken bowl required another knife to keep the contents from spilling into my lap. As my dinner continued, the level of ship listing progressed. My downhill departure from the Tamarind Restaurant was speedy and required grabbing the podium to redirect my body towards the elevators. When I returned to my stateroom, all of the drawers were open and efforts fight gravity to keep them closed were futile. Remembering the words of the Captain that the seas would be difficult until a ship turn around 4:00 AM, I decided to retire early. I made a mental note to not trip over the open drawer at the end of my bed if I got up in the middle of the night. Next stop Valdez.

After asking many bartenders, I have not yet confirmed that beverages containing glacier ice are available.

Pool depth is 1.73 meters.