Crew News

If I remember correctly, the vibration was corrected by the time that I sailed on the NA in SC6175 in Nov 2012. FWIW I visited the forward end of the Citizen watch counter in the Nieuw Statendam Shops last November and found a strong vibration coming from the deck, through my feet, and tickling my nose. The salesperson asked what i thought of the vibration. We both agreed that the feeling was a bit invigorating and the salesperson admitted that he spent many hours each day standing at that special spot. I visited that spot several more times during the cruise and never purchased a watch.

That was indeed my cruise. I ate dinner in the Tamarind and the vibration was so strong that i had to hold onto my dishes to keep them from from going over the edge. If I remember correctly, that was before they had the placements available. With only two hands a several dishes, it was quite a challenge.

I was on the Nieuw Amsterdam's (SC-6164) first cruise out of Fort Lauderdale and stocked up on $5 t-shirts from her European ports.

They do have such a package you can find under your booking on the HAL website -> Cruise Activities -> Beverages tab: Water Packages – 12 Bottle Open Water Package - 12 16-ounce premium aluminum bottles of OPEN WATER, an electrolyte-packed purified bottled water delivered to your stateroom. $49.56 6 Bottle Acqua Panna Water Package - 6 1 Liter glass bottles of Acqua Panna, premium natural spring water delivered to your stateroom.. $28.3

As requested: Beverage Packages

I purchased the Premium internet package for my May 2023 cruise two weeks ago.

From HAL, "Enjoy unlimited refills of fountain soda for the duration of your voyage. It includes a souvenir cup that you can take home with you. Only on the ms Koningsdam, the package includes Freestyle Coca-Cola which provides 100+ refreshing Coca-Cola flavors to choose from. A 18% service charge will be automatically applied to your purchase. The Unlimited Soda Package must be purchased for the entire duration of the voyage. All guests booked in the same stateroom must also purchase the package. The package is for unlimited fountain soda and does not include canned or bottled items. Guests will be issued one specialty cup to be used in connection with this promotion. The cup is not replaceable." "However, an allowance of six liters, twelve (12) cans or cartons (500 ml in volume or less) or six (6) cans or cartons (1 liter in volume or less) of water are allowed per stateroom. Any amount in excess of this allowance will be not be allowed onboard. Water in plastic bottles will not be allowed onboard in any quantity, including in ports of call. Guests will be asked to discard open beverages in plastic containers prior to boarding."

Coca Cola Package: "The package is for unlimited fountain soda and does not include canned or bottled items." Quench Beverage Package does include canned sodas.

Some $1 bills for Room Service and bartender tips.

"The Day the Earth Stood Still"....klaatoo barada nikto

These work for me in spite of some difficulty getting the connector ends properly aligned when attaching to luggage.

I strongly suggest you skip Guest Relations and use your smartphone Navigator app, 'Account' tab at the bottom, and then choose the 'Let Us Know' tab. Complete the Comments field. Your complaint will be blasted to all ship management and I can assure you that both a response will be quickly given and corrective action taken without dealing with the Guest Relations filter. On the same token, taking a few moments to commend a crew member when you get excellent service will make them really grateful and earn them rewards. I carry a small pocket notebook, ask crew member's names, and post a kudo for them with the Navigator app as soon as I get a chance. You will make a crew member's day and they will go out of their way to greet you for the rest of your cruise

I spent two weeks aboard the Zuiderdam in April. Since food quality is subjective, assigning an adjective will be left to others. The Taco Bar on Deck 9 was a great way to make a plate of nacho snacks. The seared scallops in the Pinnacle Grill were not seared according to both myself and another table's guests. Kudos to the Lido Market Buffet Manager and the crew at the Late Snack for their willingness to make anything for you. I always had chips available at the Late Snack. Another vote for the prime rib. Here are your menus : MDR Menus

How long will it take to walk around this town? Not long.

Welcome to CC. Your travel agent, HAL Customer Service, or HAL Personal Cruise Consultant can do that for you when you make your reservation.

At your first internet login once on board, you can upgrade to the Premium Package which does allow streaming. I watched a family enjoying the Nieuw Amsterdam hot tub and passing a tablet around so that each member could wave to and chat with their mother back home. I experimented on my last two days at sea in the Caribbean with upgrading to Premium and adding more devices (adds only in increments of three for additional $10/day). The change in download speed was at least double with the Premium Package and I found no blocked websites. I connected all of my devices and did not worry about which one was the "active"device. With internet satellites circling only over the equator, internet speed in Alaska is less than optimal and connections are often spotty. Upgrading to the Premium plan may not make a difference.

As a Diet Mt Dew (Pepsi product) lover, I can only drink one while in port. Beating the luggage scanners both on Embarkation Day and in every port is impossible. I learned to adjust for a few weeks each year.

A short walk to the main tourist area will give you the chance to sample the offerings of the Crab Station.

Curses to spell checkers on late night posts.

Mescaline is available at the Front Desk. Taking it after you are motion sick is futile. I always have a bag of ginger drops just in case. I have been on many Alaska cruises and always wear my sea bands the first evening until bedtime. By the morning, my body has adjusted to the sea and i don't need them for the rest of the cruise. The pea soup is served around 9:30 AM at several locations onboard. My visit the aft Lido deck for my pea soup and take it back to my aft balcony for consumption. Tip: Avoid the allegedly "seared" scallops in the Pinnacle Grill. Fillets were excellent as was the beet side dish. I have posted the daily activities, MDR menus, and the Late Buffet menus for Zuiderdam Alaska in 2022 at the right link in my signature below.

Victoria, BC Alaska

My favorite HAL Specialty Restaurant is the Tamarind. Their presentation is amazing and their desserts are impressive. http://rogerjett-photography.com/wp-content/gallery/Nieuw-Amsterdam-Dining---Tamrind/IMG_0567-Large.jpg

Menus were verified on my April 2022 Alaska cruise

Your CPAP does not have to fit in your hand carry luggage piece. HAL provides transportation on the bus/train for roller bags containing pre-approved medical equipment. HAL has a medical information form for you to complete to make this possible. Note that no other roller bags are permitted to accompany bus/train passengers. Each person is allowed one handcarry and one luggage piece to be transported to meet you at your daily destination.