Crew News

Breakfast was served at 6:00 on May 4. Late independent between 9:40 and 10:00 AM according to my Disembarkation Instruction Letter. The later disembarkation times (used to be 9:00 - 9:30 AM) mean many staterooms are not yet available on Embarkation Day and passenger with carry-on luggage are pushed to the Lido Market. Tip: Go to the NY Deli & Pizza for lunch on Embarkation Day to avoid the Lido Market crowd and their luggage.

I shoot in bursts of four photos at at a time instead of just one. Like you, I booked the subject excursion as it was one of a few available. I'm sure I got some good shots but the Pacific Ocean is not so friendly in early May.

I will be sorting through several thousand photos in the coming days and will post a photo if I have one.

I prefer the Tamarind. There was an Orange Party on the last Dressy Night.

Day 14 At Sea The day began and ended in beautiful sunshine. For the first time on a sea day in Alaska, I had no problem finding a Lido Market breakfast table. The day must have been a last chance tfor my fellow passengers o try Room Service or the sun was too bright for reading. I offered to taste and then consumed a single "Kalamata" olive from the NY Pizza just outside the automatic doors from the Deck 9 Lido Market. In spite of my extended, upturned, palm, the counter person searched for a 1-inch cube-shape ramekin to properly present my sample olive. Against the white ramekin background, I performed a visual examination of the sample olive for size, color, and texture before conducting the promised taste test. See my evaluation in an earlier post. The daily cookie test was conducted with single chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and peanut butter cookies. Two cookies earned B+ ratings with the peanut butter cookie slipping in chew-ability to a B. The afternoon was filled with trashing all of the accumulated promotional material, excursion purchase copies, daily programs, Mariner Society drink coupons ((good only until today), and Park West Gallery invitations. Closet were quickly emptied and most of my luggage was soon packed while awaiting the arrival of the laundry that I turned in the previous morning. As I moved items into my luggage, the memory of the crew farewell shows and everyone singing, "Love in Any Language" on the last cruise days years ago returned. I'm glad that I recorded one of the shows. To those who followed this thread, I think all questions were answered and a special thanks to those who contributed. All of the menus and daily programs have been uploaded to my website for those on Alaska cruises this season to use. I will post photos on this thread and continue to exchange information for those interested in the coming week. Tomorrow is a flight back home to warm temps, a stack of mail, and planning for the Rotterdam in November.

i dined twice at the Pinnacle Grill this cruise and twice on the previous cruise the last week of April. The creme' brulee' is amazing.

Breakfast for Neptune Suites is in the Pinnacle Grill. MDR CO tables are your choice of those tables not yet reserved (only 50% of the lower MDR tables may be reserved). Only the Pinnacle-class ships have a separate dining room for lunch and dinner. The rest of the HAL fleet just has a separate podium inside the Deck 2 MDR. Early dining is at 5:00 PM which is too early for me but I adapt a few days. I think that the second dining shift begins at 7:30 PM. Feel free to ask lots of questions. CC is a team effort to help all of us have a well-informed cruise both in planning and experiencing.

I spoke to three SHOREX reps this evening and was told that a local booking agent selects the boat/owner for the subject excursion in Seward. The boat selected for my excursion may have just had a deal with a local burrito restaurant. Your choice of a private, known-provider, excursion might be a good idea.

At the Meet & Greet, I encouraged all to contribute to this thread to get a mixture of views and a more complete picture of the cruise. My thanks to all who have contributed with input, questions, photos, and answers.

I was on the Volendam last year and the Explorations Cafe was very impressive'

Unfortunately, my binoculars are packed as is my preferred camera. Will you have a signal fire?

Just talked to a friend in Canada with the Premium Plan. Very clear reception. Sixth cakk ti Canada and two to Florida while aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam. 126 Mbps and 22.6 Mbps. VPN 55.3 Mbps and 7 Mbps.

Second day at sea. Brunch Menu: Sea Day Brunch

The black olives offered by the Nieuw Amsterdam NY Pizza are "Kalamata-style" olives. The brine is strong with an effective salty flavor. IMHO someone working in the Accounting Department of the packing company might have been of Greek ancestry.

As a four+ years resident of Athens, Greece, I will ask for an olive sample and give an authenticity estimate.

I will inquire.

Day 13 Ketchikan The day began with overcast skies and ended in bright sunshine. My 9:30 AM breakfast gave me another chance to talk with Joyce as she made me another breakfast omelette. Our paths will cross again on a future cruise as I am always looking for members of the "13-degree Nieuw Amsterdam 2023 Listing Club. With many guests ashore, finding a table was quick. Prior to my 12:30 PM excursion, I performed my daily cookie evaluation of peanut butter, macadamia, and oatmeal cookies. All three earned a B+ grade and quite a change from those hard cookies after the first cruise day. My totem and lighthouse excursion departed from Ward Cove, 20-minute bus ride, where NCL docks their ships. The 20 passengers had plenty of viewing space inside and a large outer deck for taking photos. Eagles, sea lions, and a whale were spotted as well as an amazing water view of Totem Bight Totem Park and long house. The hot beverages served to all aboard and then a plate of snacks later made this excursion a success. My Dressy Night full course dinner service took only 37 minutes, a new standard that will be very difficult for any other MDR server team to top. A menu was in my hand less than a minute after I took my seat, bread and butter two minutes later, and my order taken a minute later. Only a few minutes elapsed from a plate being cleared and the next course placed in front of me. It was obvious that the kudos I gave to another MDR server team was a challenge to my assigned-table servers and I was the beneficiary. After the "Italian Job" movie, it was time to write this report and ponder the last sea day aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam. Luggage to pack, crew members to thank, one last daily program to scan, one last MDR to scan, and one remaining souvenir calendar to deliver. Clocks go forward tonight and all of mine have been reset. More tomorrow.

Day 12 Wrangell The day began with cloudy overcast skies and ended in sunshine with blue skies. On a port day, I was surprised at the lack of tables in the Lido Market at 9:30 AM. With the serving lines not crowded, I took the opportunity to talk with Joyce as she prepared my Lido Market omelette. Joyce worked at the Sweet Spot and served my muesli nearly every day on this same cruise last year. We both survived the 13-degree ship listing that lasted four hours and now have a kinship through that adversity. Joyce smiles now but at the time she admitted her fear of impending doom then. Interestingly, I have found other crew members from that scary cruise on my last three cruises since then. I took the opportunity to visit the Explorations Cafe to ask about brownies and discovered their chocolate "fix" attraction. It is certain that I will be a frequent "brownie seeker" in the future. With only oatmeal and peanut butter cookies available, my daily cookie evaluation was limited. Both cookies earned a B+ rating for their chew and breakability. With no scheduled shore excursions, I waited until the clouds parted late in the afternoon and the sun created better lighting conditions, to take Wrangell photos. From my window table in the Canaletto, I watched the sun set as its last rays streamed across the mirror-like water. My short rib entree was truly fork tender and my standard two pistachio gelato servings a perfect ending to my meal. I did note that the Canaletto Restaurant was only half filled. Internet speeds were: 119.7 Mbps and 19.9 Mbps with TV channels still freezing. Next stop Ketchikan.

I will see what I can discover.

I tried the seafood boil on the Nieuw Amsterdam last October. As posted in my live review at that time, I renamed the boil to "seafood soup" as the contents were submerged in 3-4 inches of very hot liquid which dripped down my hands while trying to dismember the crab legs. For me, it was a three-napkin meal. The learning experience was to keep my elbows and wrists higher than my fingers when performing any actions requiring finger contact with the very hot and dripping contents of the HAL seafood boil (soup). JMO Until HAL, e,iminates the liquid in the boil container, I cannot recommend it.

I don't know the answer to your first question. The latest brochure I have shows them identical. I have never booked onboard so someone else might have a more recent answer.

As a hobby photographer, I try to sail only in aft-facing staterooms so that I can take photos of scenery on both sides of the ship while still in my pajamas, have a short elevator ride up to the buffet or down to the Main Dining Room, always hot Room Service food, no wind while the ship is moving, and little foot traffic in the hallway. I am currently in an aft Deck 5 stateroom but was in an aft Deck 7 stateroom on this ship last October through the Panama Canal. Four people should fit comfortably at the railing. Their are two chairs and two footstools for sitting as well as a 14-inch short table for coffee cups or a Room Service tray. You can look down over the railing and see only those standing at their balcony railings. In my many sailings, I once encountered a few pieces of what might be called soot. I cannot smell any smoke from the Deck 9 smoking area. The noise of the wake makes for a very soothing nights sleep. FWIW My aft Deck 7 stateroom is about two feet deeper than my Deck 5 stateroom.

I found the last brownie a bit after noon on a port day but learned that all items are refreshed at 2;00 PM. Some planning might be needed to satisfy your three brownie desires.

Laundry service has slowed and there is now a shortage of hangers to return clothing.

A search of the onboard menus showed no brownies in the dining venues. Your brownie question prompted me to not only pose the question but take a large bite of a subject brownie when I discovered it in the Explorations Cafe glass-domed tray. The top 1/3d of the 1-inch square brownie was creamy icing with a whole walnut on top and provided an instant chocolate and sugar surge. At that moment, all was right in the world. At opening, The Explorations Cafe has croissants available. At 10:00 AM, and later at 2:00 PM, brownies, muffins, and biscotti are provided. At 6:00 PM, various chocolates are provided. When time permits, I will now start the "brownie" line at 10:00 AM at the Explorations Cafe for a daily chocolate "fix."