Crew News

Pre-COVID Security was the first stop for all passengers before splitting into different ships. Last year was a nightmare but seems to be getting better..

Here is a price list that I created that may be helpful: Internet Price List 2024 To operate bars and casinos, ships must sail 12 miles from shore so cell reception on board will use the ship cell tower at a very high cost per minute. Whatsapp works fine with your phone in airplane mode while onboard the ship.. In smaller ports, a large ship overwhelms the local cell towers until passengers are dispersed from the port. Cell signals away from population centers are problematic.

Excursions are often staggered for Pinnacle-class ships. So, a late arrival in Juneau last week had all 2600 passengers waiting to leave the ship at the same time. Security did their best the keep the lines orderly but those passengers exiting elevators merely joined the middle of the current line. The steep gangway contributed to the slow shuffle of those departing. "Chaos" would be a gentle term to describe what took place.

There is indeed a surrounding approximately six-foot shelf with water about 12 inches deep. I walked around the pool but did not see a depth marking but will look again. Guest Services is still researching.

Of special note for this ship is the addition of an espresso machine in the Lido Market. Service was quick and continuous during my time of observation. Prices were consistent at all locations board. A tablet terminal was in use to process transactions. This makes three sources for cappuccino now (Lido, Pinnacle Bar, and Crows Nest). I predict a Lido Market revenue-generating espresso machine will be on all HAL ships very soon,

I do hereby certify that onion flatbread is served at lunch in the Lido Market. It was not as flat as I expected but the caramelized onion topping was a tasty treat. A slathering of butter made it even better.

It was my experience for the past two check-in sessions in Vancouver that 4&5* Mariners, Pinnacle/Neptune Suites, and Club Orange were given priority for the initial HAL facial recognition scan. All passengers from all ships were then combined for Security scanning and another facial recognition scan for US Immigration. Passengers were then filtered back their respective ships and seated according to their priority status, When boarding started, the priority guests began boarding first. If boarding had already started, all passengers boarded immediately after the final facial recognition scan. "Priority" only made a difference for the initial scanning and if seated,

Welcome to Cruise Critic. The Glacier Bay commentary is broadcast on the Bow Camera channel (Channel 1) but you cannot hear it on your balcony. Walkie talkies have a real problem with the metal stateroom walls. Some have used baby monitors and their phones to hear the TV broadcast outside. The commentary is broadcast to the bow and Deck 9 passengers which does carry the sound a bit to those in other viewing locations. The Deck 3 Promenade Deck is a good place to see Glacier Bay without the crowd.

I am not a spicy food lover but mild chilies add a smokey flavor to some foods. Onion flatbread with a slathering of garlic butter sounds like taste buds nirvana, so will try it out this week. I confirmed its availability with the bread folks at breakfast today. Stand by for certification.

Embarkation Day: Over the years, I have developed an appreciation for staying at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver to both avoid the traffic and having to deliver my luggage to the underground baggage collection point downstairs. April 21st was chaos at the underground location. Last week an option to drop off luggage inside the cruise hallway of the Convention Center was started.to ease the chaos. US Immigration created a second real time-delaying bottleneck. This week the few US Immigration officers were replaced by a facial recognition scan that took mere seconds but a new bottleneck was introduced that required roller bags to take an elevator instead of the escalator down to the Security Scan area. I was onboard in less than 30 minutes from the time I began walking from Exhibit Entrance A to C. Every table in the Lido was occupied from a bit after 11:00 AM when boarding began until the announcement that rooms were ready after noon. Prior to my cookie evaluation process, I tried the Lido chowder with sausage that temporarily numbed my palate, heated the back of my throat, and brought tears to my eyes. All was well after two chocolate chip cookies came to my rescue. I made my Specialty Restaurant reservations at the often overlooked podium near the Deck 9 Spa entrance. Last week on the Koningsdam, only 30 guests took advantage of this second reservation portal while hundreds stood in line at the Deck 2 Reservation kiosk. The gaggle to get to the Muster stations was rough. Before I could get to my Muster Station on the Promenade Deck, a scanner was held out and I swiftly presented my stateroom key for scanning. The struggle to return from Muster Stations was also rough. Elevators were packed as guests figured out that often going down facilitates going up. It took me 20 minutes and all my wiles to snare a ride back up to my walking tour meeting point at 2:30 PM. During the tour, I discovered and was very impressed with the Library. Equally impressive was the new and very modern Morimoto Restaurant. Just a few feet away, the Tamarind Restaurant did not appear to have been touched in the recent drydock. I made the mistake of trying the Pinnacle Grill scallops in hopes that they would be golden brown on both top and bottom. They were not and so I will wait another three years before trying them again, The creme' brulee' dessert was delicious. Tomorrow is the Meet & Greet in the Tamarind Bar and the chance to obtain more feedback on the check-in process changes this week. Lots of new CC faces to put with CC aliases. With two successive sea days,it will be a chance to chase answers, get updated menus posted, evaluate drydock upgrades, and begin processing more than 1500 photos from last week. Tid Bits: There was no Mariner Recognition ceremony last week on the Koningsdam. There are new hand washing stations in the Nieuw Amsterdam Lido. The Canaletto does not follow the fleet-wide specials sequence. The contents of the minibar is greatly expanded. The Tamarind menu on this ship is quite reduced. Passenger are allowed an extra 30 minutes to disembark in Vancouver which causes staterooms to not be ready when passengers board. Mothers Day should have a special brunch next Sunday and an elaborate Lido display before lunch. Internet speed in my aft stateroom is 60 Mbps download and 21 Mbps upload. More tomorrow

The first time I left the ship to find someone from Shore Excursions(all at the end of the pier), I walked through the tunnel of converted ocean shipping containers (protects from falling rocks from the unstable cliffs). Half way to the end of the pier, I caught the optional shuttle (I thought is was for excursions only). On my return trip from the end of the pier, I caught the optional shuttle instead of walking. Both shuttles had large tip jars and the drivers were not shy about asking us to fill them. If the shuttles were mandatory, many disobeyed the directive. It must be noted that not only in Skagway, but in all stops, the gangway ramps were at sever angles . My knees ached for hours. The only truly long line was caused by our late arrival in Juneau where all 2600 passenger lined up to go ashore at the same time. That was true chaos!! Hope this helps.

Today;s check-in eliminated the US Immigration folks and substituted another facial recognition scan that took mere seconds. When I get more feedback, I will post here. For the second week in a row, I observed no boarding passes being checked to verify deck numbers..

My:Pinnacle Grill tonight did not mention fresh fish.

Now I am intrigued to find such onion flatbread in New Mexico. I do enjoy Indian fry bread made with green chilies' As a former resident of Germany, brotchen with melted butter, sliced ham and cheese, or a monster bratwurst with kraut, was a major portion of my diet. Perhaps without the center split, they have been hiding in plain sight I will pose the question to a culinary person.

The cookies on board have not reached the soft and chewy levels but are a substantial improvement from the Koningsdam mahogany-like cookies. I owe any HAL knowledge I have accumulated to the CC community members who keep all of us updated with their experiences and the continuing challenge to find answers.