Crew News

Here is the promised photo:

Thanks for your input. I now know that both Alaska North and Southbound days are different from what I was led to believe. In the aforementioned instances, Dressy Nights may be moved to intersect with sea days and early port departure days while the other MDR menus remain in the same sequence.

Here is a photo of the electrical layout I had last year in VB5192. Add another USB-A port on each side of the bed. I will take a photo and identify the devices I used to make my cord maze sometime today.

Day 03 At Sea For a second day, the seas were bumpy and caused many guest to hibernate in their staterooms. Room Service made a lot of meals for guests not feeling i[ to Dressy Night. For me, it was a time to organize my living environment. The powerful magnetic hooks I purchased on Amazon were tried for the first time. All of the cords that formerly covered my desktop are now on hooks on the wall and my desktop is cleared. Now I can leave a scanner, camera battery charger, backup portable drive, second monitor, phone, electric toothbrush, smartwatch charger, electric razor, and portable waterpik charger in operation at the same time. Of course my wall looks like a gaggle of red, black, white, checkered gray, black, and silver cords that are no longer intertwined on my desk. A Mariner reception was held at the indoor pool for 3, 4, and 5 Star Mariners. The event was well attended and I spent my time talking with the IT folks. I learned that ESPN and ESPN2 does not carry all of the US programming rather. The question of NBA finals games got a "maybe" response. I learned that the facial recognition conducted in Juneau and Skagway was for local authorities and not connected to the ship. We discussed the HAL failed switch to MDR tablets and its overwhelming of the ship WiFi network. The IT folks were best described as "giddy" with the new Starlink internet system as their guest interaction is no longer overwhelming. The rolling seas began to subside as I went to the PG for dinner. At the entrance, the Manager, with a broad smile, informed me that he had talked to the chef about the proper preparation of scallops to achieve a Gordon Ramsey-approved brown crust on both top and bottom of each scallop. My lamb chops entree were perfectly cooked and tender. When the chef appeared at my table, I congratulated him on the excellent lamb as well as my previous disappointment with his scallops allegedly seared in olive oil. My evening closed with much quieter seas and hopes for a clear day in Seward. Tid bits: The nacho cheese sauce has quite a zest. Unlike other ships in the HAL fleet, nacho chips are only during lunch hours. Laundry turned-in around 10:00 AM is returned around 6:00 PM. Internet speed in my aft stateroom at 10:00 PM was 79.8 Mbps and 19 Mbps. More tomorrow.

My apologies for omitting "also" from the following statement: " I have just completed seven days in Alaska on the Koningsdam and will ALSO be posting information that I have gathered from that experience." Since there was no live thread for the first Alaska cruises, I opted to share information that may be interesting to those going on 7-Day cruises in addition to the titled thread information. Although this ship is currently completing a 14-Day cruise, it will return to a regular 7-Day itinerary this Alaskan season.

The menus I have posted show two Dressy Nights for every 7-Day Alaska cruise. With the exception of southbound Alaska cruises, Dressy Nights will be Day 2 and Day 5. 7-Day Alaska Menus 2024 Dressy Nights can be as formal as you wish and as informal as you wish as long as you comply with the minimum collared shirts with slacks. The same menu served in the MDR is also available via Room Service during dinner hours if you choose.

Chocolate cookies go quickly and I am still trying to understand the baking schedule to be present just after they appear. I have always been able to find both oatmeal and peanut butter cookies.

I have copied the daily programs so far and will start posting them tonight o tomorrow to show what the current entertainment is available.

I have taken one in Juneau and one in Skagway. Both were disappointing as all were treated like first-time camera owners.. My second favorite excursion in Ketchikan is the Silverking Lodge Seafood feast with stops to feed eagles, observe sea lions, and spot a whale once in awhile.

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.