IrwinE

When I saw this topic come up, the first thing that came to mind was the veal chop served in Club Orange. So good.

1 hour ago, iancal said:

It may or may not be easy.  It is a PIA for some depending on where you happen to live or be travelling. But it is a condition of passage so our choice is simple.  Figure out how to get it done or not travel.  Moaning, groaning, and complaining will not change the current situation for us.

Yup.

My answer is— yes.

On 6/28/2019 at 4:34 PM, sandyss said:

We have been to Ketchikan several times - once on a Celebrity ship that had mechanical problems and stayed in Ketchikan for several days!!  So the last time we were there, we booked a crab feast.  They picked us up on the pier.  https://catchcrabs.com/portfolio-item/world-famous-crab-feast-at-george-inlet-lodge/

 

Another tour that we thoroughly enjoyed was the Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour.  We booked it direct, rather than through the ship.  We saved a few dollars, but more importantly we just walked over to the boat and were able to get front row seats before the ship tour arrived.  http://www.alaskacrabtour.com/

 

We have also taken the local bus to Totem Bight State Park as mentioned previously.  Right next door to Totem Bight is Potlatch Park for more totems and a great gift shop.  In additional to totems, Potlatch also had an antique car museum.

+1 for the Bering Sea Fisherman’s Tour. A little spendy but one of the more memorable tours we’ve ever done. Watching all those eagles hitting the water next to the boat as they threw fish for them was a lot of fun and a great photo opportunity. A plus is that they were located just a short walk away from the ship.  

Thanks for posting this. Neat to see the ships coming in to port and tying up from a different perspective.

Really nice pics. Now that’s a tree! Can only imagine what the rest of it looks like.

Yes

Just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to write your daily reports. I've always enjoyed them. And now with photos- which really add to the experience. 

The bread pudding is one of my favorites. Find it in the Lido at lunchtime where the hard ice cream is served. Which is a good thing cause I have found myself asking for a little extra sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. I know, not good- but so good.

So far, I've never had a problem when asking to trade the bubbly for a bottle of red (or white). It will be a "house wine". As I like reds the choice is either a cab or merlot of whatever the house wine is. Contact the concierges to make the swap.

Thanks for posting your review. Sounds like you had a great time. IMO HAL's crews are the best.

To the OP- thanks for the FYI as I also had not paid any attention to the enclosed mailer. Mailed today as I like the hard copy. Thanks again.

For carry I recommend getting a binocular harness. I've used one for years as it's great for taking the weight off your neck and putting it on your shoulders. The binocs don't swing around your neck and keep your hands free. They'll sit comfortably right in front ready to go when you need them.

I do know the TV in our Neptune Suite on the Westerdam was a 55" Samsung wall mounted over the couch.

This sounds like the same ATK program (different dishes) we recently attended that was open to all. Your 5 star "peskiness" deserves better.

Yes. Absolutely. Even if the weather is cold and rainy, the floor-to-ceiling window lets in views you wouldn't get without the balcony. Waking up to those views in the morning, taking in the sights when getting ready for dinner, wandering out to your own balcony when pulling in to port, and taking in the views one last time before going to bed (because it's still light outside) are parts of your cruise that you will miss if you don't have a balcony.

I agree completely. I can't get enough of the the scenery on an Alaskan cruise. Though I do spend time on the outside decks enjoying same with other folks, it's nice to be able to step out onto the verandah when back in the cabin to look for whales or sheep on a rocky crag as the scenery glides by while drinking an Alaskan Amber ;).

by the final night on board we received a call from customer service that the 2 different individuals we had spoken to about the internet credits were "new" and "not yet trained" on how to handle the internet credits and we were finally credited up to 100.00 for our internet package. I felt like it was a slip-up all along but ironic that both of these employees were adamant that they could not credit me and never checked with anyone else. The westerdam internet package is still a good option for anyone wanting to stay connected to children or older parents at home. The package we purchased for 2 weeks was 187.00 which included email and social media but not a lot of live streaming.

Good deal. Glad to hear you finally did receive your internet credits.

We were on the Westerdam in late November and were able to combine our two $50 internet credits to pay for the $100 package. I believe they "technically" weren't combined, but both credits were on the final accounting we received.

Pleased to receive a cruise log for our Mexican Riviera cruise on Westerdam last week. Provided a brief description of location, weather and sailing times for each day along with mileage and average speed with total mileage for the voyage. Info about the ship and the ship's complement was included.

Was on the Oosterdam at anchor in Sitka AK several years ago as another HAL ship that had preceded us passed by on its way out. Both ships started talking to each other with their horns. I was outside on the observation deck when this began. That'll get your heart going.