*Miss G*

Congratulations! Here are the suite perqs to expect: SUITE AMENITIES I agree with @DaveOKC in that the room stewards are less likely to be aware of, or pay attention to, the amenities available when you are not near the lounge. A word to the Concierges is always a way to improve service. There will be a bottle of fake champagne in your stateroom upon arrival. It is horrible. You can ask the Concierge if you can trade it in for a bottle of red or white wine, or a non-alcoholic beverage. Last week they said it wasn’t a problem but others have had different responses. There was real champagne available in the lounge right after boarding our cruise last week. It’s a good time to visit and ask questions. There should be an evening reception invitation in your room. If not, just ask the concierges. Definitely take advantage of breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill each morning. When boarding, make sure you let them know you are a Neptune Suite passenger in case they don’t notice. You will be seated in a separate area to be among the first to board. Have a wonderful trip! Just a note of clarification: The suite bonus is applicable if the advertised price for a suite is equal to or less than the original purchase price. @SFCanuck, check the current pricing for your sailing on the HAL site and take a screen shot if you paid more than what is currently advertised. We’ll let you know what to do next if it’s applicable.

Here is the Koningsdam at Skagway a few days ago. We were right next to the train at Ore Dock. (Train is to the right in the first pic.) The Crown Princess was docked next to us and the Celebrity Solstice was tendering due to their docking position to the right of the landslide. Last pic shows the position of the three ships in port.

I’ve seen them disappear when they’re doing upgrades/updates to the web site, but never knew they could disappear randomly! Sheesh.

It’s confusing for sure. I am also on the Greek Odyssey departing Oct 10th and that itinerary is not on the enhanced protocols list. This means no test is required. However, every protocol on HAL’s website states that the new protocols do not apply to cruises embarking in Greece and presumably, by extension, any cruise which touches Greece. This means that a test is required as it comes under enhanced protocols. I’m just going to take my home test kits and book OnPoint until they get their ducks in a row.

There is no requirement for ArriveCAN if you board the ship in Canada and disembark in another country, with no reentry to Canada within the itinerary. ArriveCAN is only for arrivals. It’s nice to hear that Zaandam and HAL got it right.

I disembarked yesterday and tried, just now, to view my statement on the Navigator App. I no longer have access to it now that I’m off the ship.

When flying to Seattle, a couple of weeks ago, I could see the fires scattered around the Eastern portion of the State. 😢

I am jealous! We went to Andy’s Fish House in Snohomish, this evening, to have the halibut & chips. It wasn’t Canada or UK-grade, but it was pretty darn good! Finally!

We used OnPoint Testing prior to the cruise we just disembarked from. I brought the free government-issued test kits and purchased the proctored testing from OnPoint @ $18.04/pp (includes the 5% discount code). Once you have purchased the testing you will be able to choose a date and time. A very friendly and professional healthcare tech walked us through the instructions and emailed the results within a couple of minutes of the completion of the process. Our appointment time began at 10:15pm and we had our results at 10:28pm.

Send an email to Onboardbilling@hollandamerica.com to request a copy of your final onboard bill. They will need your booking #, ship name, and sailing date, as well as your first and last name.

We are staying at a hotel north of Seattle. After checking in we received an evacuation alert. Not knowing the area, we had to ask at the front desk whether this was anywhere close to us. She said it was about an hour from our location. Thirty minutes later it was rescinded. Turns out it was sent in error. Here is some of the ash on the car after a few minutes of sitting idle.

I am sorry to hear that. To put your mind at ease, there is definitely not a virus.

To be clear, the staff were blaming the problems on the new chef who had just started in CO just before we boarded. Apparently there were no issues with the previous chef. Yes, that is what I thought too, and I believe that’s how it was. However, the chef we had was cooking the main entrees right there. A lot of items seemed to come from the MDR galley, like the items which could be batch-prepped in advance, but the protein mains were being cooked in CO. So, for instance, my steak and fish were cooked in CO because I watched the servers/CO Manager take them to the chef, have a conversation, and then I saw the chef put the replacement items on the grill.

Except for boarding day lunch at the Grand Dutch Cafe and some mediocre fish and chips at MDR lunch on the second day, we only ate in Club Orange. I guess you could call me an eternal optimist. Or a sadist. We usually got some fruit or a light snack in the lounge between breakfast and dinner. Club Orange staff apologized for the food problems as we said goodbye this morning. We were told a new chef had just started and I tend to believe that is where the problem lies.

DAY 8 - DISEMBARKATION Saturday, September 10th Our last breakfast in Club Orange and we pack up to disembark. The terminal is well staffed and highly organized. We pick up our luggage and hand the Customs Declaration Card to the officer on our way out the door to the taxi stand. Back at the Airport Marriott, we pick up the car and head back to my Uncle’s house. My husband had to leave all his work items to save him bringing it on the cruise with us. Up ahead it looks like fog, but it is not. It is smoke from the wildfires and a burning mill on the Fraser River. It is intense. As we cross the border, on our way to Seattle, the smoke gets so heavy that everyone’s headlights turn on. We pull into our hotel and it looks like it is snowing. It is ash. By the time we have checked in, taken our bags to our room, and returned to park the car, it is covered in ash. A man sitting outside listening to a radio says it has been like this all day. Before I forget, here is what you now get for Future Cruise Deposits. Oh, and the Captain gave a lovely memorial address on the evening of the passing of the Queen.

DAY 8 - DISEMBARKATION Our last breakfast in Club Orange and we pack up to disembark. The terminal is well staffed and highly organized. We pick up our luggage and hand the Customs Declaration Card to the officer on our way out the door to the taxi stand. Good morning, Vancouver.

DAY 7 - AT SEA Last night we received our disembarkation package with a Canada Customs Declaration Card to fill in. Today we will pack and organize gratuities. The clocks go forward one hour tonight. There is an errant fruit fly annoying the heck out of me. He must die. Here is a beautiful sunset and a lovely moonlit night.

For $20, at the Ketchikan Fish House, you can get a 3-piece salmon, halibut, and cod Alaska Sampler. Let me say this about that. I am now 0-for-5 on the fish and chips scene. All the way up the US West Coast I have ordered fish and chips and have been disappointed every time. I have taken another one for the team on this one. Don’t let the picture fool you. It isn’t as good as it looks. They have coated the flash-frozen chips with something which tastes like Nacho Doritos. The two-bite portions of fish are good but we bought it to share. I didn’t eat the chips. Or the coleslaw. I had a bite off each of the finger-size fish sticks. Take THAT, $20. In your face.

Oh my gosh. I was going to comment on this in the summary but I will respond now. THE FOOD WAS HORRENDOUS!!! I have always said how much I love Club Orange. Well, there is nothing like a touch of reality to temper glowing reports. When they weren’t trying to kill me, they were trying to make me ill. Of the 7 nights we ate there, only two of the meals were edible: the Arctic Char, which was excellent, and the American Pot Roast, which was good. Besides the two cracked pepper nights, I had one night of raw salmon, without the benefit of it being sashimi, one night of raw steak, and one night of raw prime rib. This morning my eggs were actually cooked properly and so were the hash browns! My husband commented that it’s almost like we got a new chef. We felt bad for the staff because they were the ones who had to deal with everyone sending back their meals. The chef definitely needs to go back to school or the galley until they bring their skills up to speed. We both commented that it was the worst food we have ever had on a cruise. And I am very sad to report that.

DAY 6 - KETCHIKAN, ALASKA Thursday, September 8th Rest In Peace, Your Majesty The Queen The BBC World News is on, as it is every morning, as I get my coffee from the lounge this morning. The commentary is grave. By the time we reach port we learn the Queen has passed. Her Majesty was a truly remarkable, dedicated, and hard-working servant. May she Rest In Peace. Today we are in Ketchikan. They have an airport and a ferry to get you across the water to town. We join the Eurodam and the Seabourn Odyssey in port at 11:00am. By noon, the Eurodam is pulling away from the dock and the Odyssey follows a few hours later. I have to say that the starboard side of this ship has been a great pick for us. The sun and scenery has been amazing. I should have brought sunscreen!

Thank you, @deck chair! There is a full promenade on Deck 3. If you are asking if it is like the prom on the older ships with the lounge chairs, it is not. But it runs the circumference of the ship so you don’t have to go inside at any point to do a lap. 3 laps = 1 mile.

Here is a video of a seal pup on an ice flow. Mom just dove into the water but I didn’t hit record in time. You can see her nose pop up towards the top of the picture. IMG_6534.MOV The next two videos show us leaving the Johns Hopkins Glacier. I had to add the 2nd video so you could see the change in colour of the water and how gorgeous it is. IMG_6523.MOV IMG_6522.MOV IMG_6522.MOV

DAY 5 GLACIER BAY WOW. What an amazing day cruising Glacier Bay! The Captain has decided to spend the majority of our time at Johns Hopkins Glacier as it is the first time in years they have been able to get this close and on such a sunny and picture perfect day. The Park Rangers boarded from their vessel, the Serac, as we entered the bay. Ranger Ted provided excellent commentary throughout the day. I can’t recall if his name really was Ted but that’s what stuck in my head. The Serac is 45.9 feet (14 metres) in length. You can see it in the centre-left of this pic. See what I mean about scale? It looks so tiny! I was on Sasquatch Watch throughout the day but failed to see any. We did see lots of Sea Otters, Goats, Seals, and Whales, though! In the morning a whale appeared during breakfast. And then, during dinner, there was a pod of them bubbling! Due to the great table we have in Club Orange we could see them without even leaving our seats. We heard White Thunder! That is when the glacier moves and cracks and chunks break off. It sounds like a really loud thunderstorm. Apparently people who have been brought up by wolves have learned how to cruise. The Park Ranger tells us how Glacier Bay is a sacred place. Wolf-bred passengers are shouting and swearing as we silently glide through the bay. I cringe at their lack of respect as their voices intrude upon the majesty. How can they not realize what a privilege it is to be here? Okay, /rant. Here is the Johns Hopkins Glacier. The last two pics show ice along the side of the mountain running into an icy “river” joining the glacier. Last pic is a closeup of that ice river. It is absolutely breathtakingly beautiful.

Sheesh. I lost cellular access right after leaving Skagway so I could no longer do any updates. Anyway… to continue… If you want the worst popcorn you’ve ever had in your life, spend $11 and buy it in Skagway from The Really Bad Popcorn Factory. (Not its real name.) Seriously. Really bad popcorn. Really bad. Do yourself a favour: Buy some styrofoam and eat that. At least it can double as packing material when you discover how bad it tastes. It’s probably cheaper too. I mailed my Mum’s birthday card from Skagway. I have been carrying it with me, from Virginia, thinking I could mail it when I hit Seattle. Wrong. At every port we have been to I have looked for a post office and this is the first place I have found one. Mum’s birthday is on Sunday but I doubt she will get it on time. But I’ve been wrong before, so who knows! We stopped by the Rolling Stone Rock Room where they were playing fantastic music. The band could have used some artistic ability and personality but the song choices were outstanding. We next hit BB King’s and struck gold. WOW! These artists are PHENOMENAL. We loved loved loved the lead guitar player and the male and female vocalists. We stayed until they kicked us out. Do you know Bob from Schitt’s Creek? Well, he was up dancing, as was Elaine from Seinfeld. In fact, the whole dance floor was packed for each and every song. What a great night. We had so much fun! My pillow called someone last night. There is a phone on the bedside table which is much too close to the bed. I keep moving it away but the room steward keeps moving it back. It might be more aesthetically-pleasing but it’s less functional. Anyway, apparently I forgot to move the phone away from the bed after we got in from BB King’s. Around 1:30am I woke up to the receiver falling off the hook and the pillow hitting “Redial”. I hope they have forgiven me.

I found out the hard way that they abscond with your fruit during turndown service on the last day. The same fruit I was saving for after dinner and breakfast. If they’d given me a heads up that they were taking it there wouldn’t have been any waste. 😠