Crew News

Surprisingly, the cookies from both the Grand Dutch Cafe and Lido Market were from the same recipe with the higher chocolate chip rate being those from the Lido. Both cookies were difficult to break without excessive force. Using the Rockwell standard for measuring hardness, the penetration of an indenter pf the cookies would be similar to that of mahogany wood. Without using a softening medium, such as milk, both chocolate cookies should have come with a warning label for crown and denture wearers.

This begins a live thread from Alaska May 5-19, 2024. This thread provides the opportunity for those booked, or thinking of booking Alaska, to pose questions to help in their planning. I have just completed seven days in Alaska on the Koningsdam and will be posting information that I have gathered from that experience. The impressions and observations expressed on this thread are my own. Those with differing comments/impressions are encouraged to contribute to better inform those following. I do not usually comment on food as it is very subjective but the hardness of the cookies will be a matter of interest. Since all of my photographs are made in RAW format and require processing, I may not be posting them. I will be posting links to PDF files that are easily uploaded to my website. To those traveling on this cruise, I invite you to post photos, impressions, and observations to help build a more complete snapshot of this Alaska cruise experience. So it begins.

Other links in my signature (lower right) has other menus that are also available to accommodate any dining issues. In addition, any menu item can be adjusted by informing your MDR waiter the night before you will be seated.

As promised: Koningsdam 7-Day Daily Programs Alaska 7-Day MDR Menus Late snack menus will be posted tomorrow as will other Specialty Restaurant menus.

Here is a link to the Indian 7-Day menus: Indian 7-Day Menus

I am onboard now and have been copying menus/programs and it looks like our last sea day tomorrow} will be my upload day. I have not copied lunch menus fro the Lido. Internet speed on Premium Plan from my aft stateroom varies from 48 Mbps to 143 Mbps.

This week aboard the sold out Koningsdam, I have seen the Specialty Restaurants only 2/3 full when I was dining there.

There is also a podium on every ship next to the Spa entrance (indoor pool area) where Specialty Restaurant reservations can be made on Embarkation Day. There will be a beverage package display nearby. Never a line.

I was told by crew members that the Captain was a last minute substitute.

I am a committed Holland America cruiser with maximum loyalty benefits and many crew friends to give up to go on another cruise ine. Currently, I am in Alaska until May19th on first the Koningsdam and then Nieuw Amsterdam starting Sunday.

The HAL photos in Navigator are no longer used. They want a photo at the moment of embarkation to load in their Security Scanning system and to share with US Immigration. The only humen interaction you will have is to be pointed where to go and what to do in the HAL process. Of course, you will interact with IS Immigration personnel.

Skip the luggage drop-off at the underground cruise terminal. Proceed along the side of the Convention Center and a sign should be visiblel where to enter to drop off luggage and check-in. When I disembark on Saturday, I will get more details and perhaps a photo of this alternate luggage sign.

There is one stop at at a scenic overlook and perhaps another if mountain goats are spotted. In any case, the bus must meet the train at the CairnCross station. The excursion remains in the private dining car for the duration. With the excpetion of eating the provided lunch after boarding the train, all of my time is spent on the platform between cars to get great pictures.

With the expanded luggage drop off opportunity, one Vancouver bottleneck has been eliminated. Pausing only momentarly for facial recognition instead of queing to speak to a HAL rep also contibuted to a better process. The Security scan and US Immigration was the hold up. If the other cruise lines would enforce staggered boarding, things might be even more improved.

As promised, Vancouver check-in process on 4/27/24 Impressions. The Convenntion Center hallway doors were open at 10:30 AM as change for this cruise. I estimated 25 passengers walking down the hallway heading to the HAL doorway. My most memorable obdrvation was that a second luggage dropoff point was available inside the actual HAL check-in area in addition to the underground curbside drop-off point. A second observation was that nobody was checked for Deck priority number to enter the HAL doorway entrance which served both HAL ships in port. When I entered the HAL entrance at 11:00 AM and then the Priority lane, there were approximately 50 people snaking through the facial recognition process to the many terminals in operation. Upon ariving downstairs agsin for the Security and US Immigration screening, there were about 200 passengers snaking through the bsggage screening and then US Immigration queus. Much to my very pleasant surprise, the passengers from both ships rejoined their own queues with the Koningsdam passengers walking directly to the ship's gangway. I boarded at 11:24 AM. This was indeed the Vancouver terminals and HAL employees finest performance in many cruises I have experienced departing this port.