Btimmer

Yup, still tapping away the reports on my iPhone. We visited the cultural museum and the granddaughter report was, "That was cool!" There are all sorts of interactive exhibits. We're now enjoying a Costco dog for lunch along with pizza for the GD. The GD has logged 6,822 steps so far today while I'm at only 4,576 steps or just a little over 2 miles. Fun times!

Fairbanks - Day -1 After arriving in Fairbanks on a hazy day due to some lightning strike caused fires, we deplaned and headed for the baggage claim area. We were greeted there by friendly HAL/Princess representatives. I explained that we were a day early, and they didn't have our materials ready for us. They would be available at the hotel tomorrow. The agent then arranged for us to check into the Westmark hotel 24 hours early which was a tremendous help. We gathered our luggage and boarded the motor coach along with another guest. We had just left the airport when the bus was called back and two more passengers were loaded on. They were dropped off at the Princess Hotel which is quite near the airport. Our driver then dropped us off at the Westmark where we received room keys at 1pm from a very friendly desk clerk and we deposited our luggage in the room. Normal check in time is 3pm. It was really quite smokey and wearing a KN95 mask really helped as we ventured out walking north to the park along the Chena River. We visited the Antler Arch and a number of memorial monuments in the park before heading into downtown in search of some lunch. Across the street from the Golden Eye Plaza was a little restaurant called the Fudge Stop. It looked appealing, so we ordered lunch and weren't disappointed. After lunch we continued wandering through downtown using a street a couple of blocks to the west of Noble Street. Along the way we encountered a GIANT rubber ducky along with a Veteran's Memorial. It was in the 80's and quite humid as we reached the Westmark Hotel. Back in the room we cooled off before heading back out in search of pizza for dinner. We found it at Sicily's Pizza a couple blocks south of the hotel. It was good and way more than we could finish, so we brought it back to the room to store in the refrigerator. I scheduled three Covid-19 tests with Total Testing Solutions. They proctor the Antigen tests using covid test kits I obtained from the US Government. They also have an option to sell you a test kit for $7.50 each if one doesn't have access to an authorized kit. They have a wide range of test kits that are acceptable and those are listed on their website. In the past we've used Emed.com, but these tests are $19 each compared to $30 for the Emed tests. When I logged onto the session using my iPhone and a portable tripod, Angelica, our proctor, conducted all of three of the tests simultaneously which was an efficient way to do it. We all tested negatively so we are good to go on the land trip from a testing standpoint. Results were sent to us in PDF firm as well as links. Tomorrow we'll explore more of downtown Fairbanks and visit a couple of museums and do some shopping. We're really glad we came in a day early as it really helps with getting familiar with the area and start off our trip in a more relaxed state of mind and body. Some granddaughter smiles tells it all! Below are a few pictures from today. I use Pocket Earth for tracking our activities. It was recommended by Ian Page our Cruise Director while on an Asian cruise some years ago. We really like using it all over the world and once the maps are downloaded, no internet is required. Turkey & Provelone on Potato Bread

We actually are enjoying the Westmark in Fairbanks. The staff is super friendly and they graciously and with a smile allowed us to check in a day early. i have a long report that I'll post later tonight after we finish our Covid-19 testing. Did they ever ask you for your pre-landtour Covid test?

And we're off. The weather forecast looks terrific.

After 6 months of waiting, scares about the cruise being cancelled, contracting & recovered from Covid, tomorrow morning we're flying to Fairbanks a day early before we start our triple Denali land tour with our 11 year old granddaughter who is anxious to do her first cruise. We even booked a balcony cabin on the port side so we could enjoy the view of Alaska from our stateroom (and not get the granddaughter feeling claustrophobic on her first cruise). She's especially interested in the wildlife. We'll do our pre-cruise Covid testing in Fairbanks tomorrow using tele-medicine before joining the land tour on Tuesday. As is my custom, I'll be posting pictures and commentary in this thread. We are especially keen on sailing on the Noordam which is our second to last HAL ship we've not sailed on before. One of our last views of the Noordam was when it was rusting while moored at Puerto Vallarta in September, 2021. It did look much nicer in Skagway in May, 2022 when we visited that port using the Quantum of the Seas. I realize there have been a number of Alaska cruise / tour posts this season, but I'd like to add my Almost Live spin on the tour/cruise experience. The weather forecast looks spectacular, so here's hoping Denali is in full view. I'll also do my customary day by day blog posting and I'll post a link when that's set up. Feel free to ask any questions about the tour and the ship and the ports. Depending upon internet connections, I'll try to respond promptly.

We did B2B transits of the Panama Canal on the Zuiderdam in January, 2022. We were tested before both transits. Nobody was put off the ship after each test (that I'm aware of).

Thanks for the postings and pictures. We leave for a triple Denali on Monday, 6/27 and I'll also have an "Almost Live" thread.

We're leaving Monday, 6/27 for a triple Denali starting 6/28, and I confirmed with my TA earlier this week that all is still a go. So, we're ready to head on out early Monday morning.

The Magenta Cell Phone carrier just announced today that certain of their plans now include data worldwide at 5G speeds. We've used this service for several years all over the world.

Thank you for your stellar reporting and summary. We leave a week from today to begin our triple Denali and then southbound on the Noordam.

We are on a land/sea HAL cruise that begins on 6/28 in Fairbanks. I'm currently on the phone with my TA and there are no indications that anything has been cancelled. On the HAL site, excursions in Denali can still be purchased.

Thanks for your response. Fortunately we live in Seattle and can fly to Fairbanks inexpensively. We do have a backup adventure available.

Just ordered via Amazon. Thanks for sharing the information. We've previously sailed on the Zaandam and have very pleasant memories of that trip and one not so pleasant one (robbed in Santiago, Chile).

We've cruised on all HAL ships except the Noordam and the Westerdam, and there's been a cook to order egg grill on each of them (separate from the omelet station).

@Sebbiesgrammywhich ship were you booked on? Is there a list of the cancelled cruises available yet? We and our 11 year old granddaughter are booked on a triple Denali which starts 6/28 in Fairbanks & then southbound on the Noordam. Just yesterday I received an official HAL notice about no Covid test being required to fly back to the USA from Vancouver (which we've really already known about).

I would recommend purchasing it in Fairbanks before moving to Denali. Maybe HAL would let you bring it on the ship since it is for medical purposes.

When the Volendam was chartered out to the city of Rotterdam, we received a full refund of our non-cancellable hotel charges for one night. It did take 5 weeks to receive it.

Yes, I know. In the Firefox browser, I get a message that the content can't be retrieved. I switched browsers and now see the options I formerly saw.

There was no beverage section like before. I'll look again.

I just went on the HAL site to purchase distilled water for me and a prepaid soda card for our granddaughter on our upcoming Alaska cruise on the Noordam and there is no longer an option to purchase these items in the indulgence section. It was there a few months ago. Is there any other option to be able to purchase these? I also checked my other future cruises, and the options are gone from them as well.