Live Nieuw Amsterdam Inaugural 2016 Cruise to Alaska

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for the reports.

A lot of the changes you mentioned we had last October on the Eurodam.

[janmcn]

Thanks for clarifying the issue with power strips...I knew they couldn't be surge protected ones, so we always have a mini-power strip that makes it easier to plug in power blocks...but no surge...so we should be OK.

[freestyling]

Is Alpen (from Turkey) still the Pinnacle Restaurant Manager? Lost track of him last fall.

[andrek]

We are joining you all in Vancouver. We were on the Nieuw Amsterdam in 2011. Has the ship been to dry dock lately? Was it renovated since our last cruise? It was pretty new when we went on it. I do not know how often they update the ships. Have the cabins been recently refurbished? Anyway it sounds like you all are having fun. Keep the updates coming.

Andrea

[frankc98376]

Frank, I have tried twice to quote your remarks on your last post and reply. Both times I completely lost my connect to CC. So I am trying a regular reply. We will be eating dinner at least once in the Pinnacle Grill, along with several breakfasts. I will be happy to see if your favorite waiter , Clifford is there. Will he know your names? I can say you were the two guys who always sat in the round booth if that helps.

S

Glad you and Loren are doing great! Please say hi to him for me.

 

Diane

 

Clifford should remember hs. He was our server on our honeymoon on Oosterdam. Actually met him just after our wedding in the Crows Nest. Our wedding lunch was in the PG

Edited April 29, 2016 by frankc98376

[Crew News]

Thanks for clarifying the issue with power strips...I knew they couldn't be surge protected ones, so we always have a mini-power strip that makes it easier to plug in power blocks...but no surge...so we should be OK.

 

Just make sure you put it in your carry-on bag.

Edited April 29, 2016 by Crew News

[Crew News]

We are joining you all in Vancouver. We were on the Nieuw Amsterdam in 2011. Has the ship been to dry dock lately? Was it renovated since our last cruise? It was pretty new when we went on it. I do not know how often they update the ships. Have the cabins been recently refurbished? Anyway it sounds like you all are having fun. Keep the updates coming.

Andrea

 

Last drydock was March 2015 so it is still very fresh.

[Crew News]

Is Alpen (from Turkey) still the Pinnacle Restaurant Manager? Lost track of him last fall.

 

Alper has moved to another ship. The current PG Manager is on his first HAL contract so I have had a lot of success getting secluded tables for Le Cirque.

[Crew News]

Aaaaaahh the thrill of calm seas after three days of being tossed from side to side.

 

Breakfast in the Lido Market Place continues to be a search for tables and the ever-present “just reading” passengers who are oblivious to so many of their fellow passenger holding plates and looking for a place to eat. Beverage service continues to be a detriment to cleaning tables in a timely manner. The orange juice is still fresh-squeezed and smoked salmon is still on the Entrée Station. Maybe I’m confused but it appears that the breakfast tables are set with cups and glasses which makes it hard to distinguish tables that are indeed not occupied but could just be the slow cleanup.

 

Winds near the Victoria port were very strong but calmer as you moved inland. As is normal for Canadian Customs in Victoria, disembarkation was delayed for nearly one hour greatly upsetting those who did not hear the announcements made only in the hallways and were packing the stairways. Temps on the banks signs downtown showed 72 degrees today. Butchart Gardens was this photographers Nirvana. So many pictures that will fill my calendars for years. A M&G attendee with me on the tour stopped to thank me for the OBC cash-in process that got him $50 in cash at the Casino. My first good deed of the cruise. The next table had some serious sniffing as one diner mistook the order of the presented sauces and took a big taste of the “hot” one.

 

Dinner in the Tamarind was again impressive and I truly recommend the Wasabi Tenderloin that cuts like butter.

 

Menu scanning starts tomorrow with subsequent updating of my website.

 

The best news of the cruise so far is that in spite of new passengers coming aboard in both Seattle and Vancouver, current passengers DO NOT have to attend the Muster Drills.

 

Returning from dinner tonight, I noticed the luggage beginning to appear in the corridors and none of it was ours!!! I will have the same feeling for our next two upcoming stops in Vancouver.

 

When we get to Seattle tomorrow, I will be spending the day photographing the ship, scanning menus, and getting answers to questions that the rough seas have been prohibiting so far.

 

More tomorrow.

Edited April 29, 2016 by Crew News

[legalslave]

I LOVED the chocolate ball and the chocolate purse. I'm so jealous! :D

 

Marcia, if I am lucky enough to have one or both of these, I promise I won't tell you! It would be too difficult for you to bear. Seriously, we have to try and find a time when we can cruise together. You were without a doubt a great roomie!

 

Diane

[frankc98376]

Was so nice to wake up, look at the Pier 91 website and see the NA at our terminal! Has been a long winter with no HAL ships docked there!

[canadianbear]

Was so nice to wake up, look at the Pier 91 website and see the NA at our terminal! Has been a long winter with no HAL ships docked there!

 

We are currently on the ship and I think a few big wigs may be on checking it out since it's the first time in Seattle for the NA. The cruise from San Diego was a bit bumpy at times (which I enjoy!). Staff, as usual, are fantastic.

 

Looks like the sun is trying to come out too!

[gottagoacruzn]

Hey Crew News, when you take pictures of your dinners & etc, do you use the flash? Inquiring minds would like to know.:rolleyes:

[dobiemom]

Returning from dinner tonight, I noticed the luggage beginning to appear in the corridors and none of it was ours!!! I will have the same feeling for our next two upcoming stops in Vancouver.

 

When we get to Seattle tomorrow, I will be spending the day photographing the ship, scanning menus, and getting answers to questions that the rough seas have been prohibiting so far.

Question: Why is luggage out? How can anyone debark in Seattle? I thought embarkation was Ft. Lauderdale or San Diego. What about PVSA? Or did the Ft. Lauderdale passengers stop at a "distant" port?

Edited April 30, 2016 by dobiemom
Added last sentence

[ksqueak]

Loving this thread. Will be on the Vancouver to Alaska NA voyage, end of September! We LIVE in San Diego county and this is news about Anthony's and the Brigantine. Would like to suggest the Fish Market on the other side of the US Midway museum. (Which I recommend seeing if in town long enough)

Cannot wait for the next installment and agree that our traveling friend has an EXCELLENT sense of humor!!

 

 

I can't remember the name of that Fish Market either but it's really good.

 

Am also excited to follow this - my first sailing on the NA is in October

[SilvertoGold]

dobiemom

 

Panama cruise: FtL to SD, Seattle, Vancouver.

All those Central American and Mexican ports are distant ports.

Edited April 30, 2016 by SilvertoGold

[InTheWASide]

dobiemom

 

Panama cruise: FtL to SD, Seattle, Vancouver.

All those Central American and Mexican ports are distant ports.

 

 

Terminology is switched. They're foreign ports but not distant foreign ports. Usually that means another continent (easy way to generalize it but not 100% accurate)

 

Cartagena Columbia satisfies it. So do, I believe, all 3 of the ABC islands.

[KAE27]

Colombia.

 

I post this in part because, as a Columbia grad, it makes me crazy when people get the country wrong But mostly because I wanted somehow to mark this thread as we're going to AK in a month. I appreciate everyone's posts about this trip! Thanks so much and hope you have an amazing journey.

Edited April 30, 2016 by krista4

[canadianbear]

Sadly we are packing our bags to put out shortly. This 5 day cruise has gone by quickly.

 

We are in a SS suite and love the large tv mounted over the couch-I can actually watch it without my glasses on!

 

For some reason though I find our room smaller than normal-I'm not sure if it's my imagination or not-just a bit but enough I commented on it to my husband as soon as we walked in. We are in 5093 which is right next to the glass elevator and is not a problem at all for us.

 

Our dinners in the MDR have been great. I heard some passengers had long waits on Monday between their appetizer and entree but ours went smoothly. (This is for anytime dining or whatever it's called).

 

On formal night I noticed several men looking wonderful in their tux. The surf & turf was delicious.

 

We also like their pizza much better than in past years-thin crust & you can ask for whatever toppings you want.

 

The Dive-In also has improved immensely. We ate lunch there 2 days and the burgers were delicious-best I've tasted in a long time.

 

Staff as usual are just so kind and hard working.

 

All in all it was a nice short getaway for us. Now to plan another cruise!!

[Crew News]

Question: Why is luggage out? How can anyone debark in Seattle? I thought embarkation was Ft. Lauderdale or San Diego. What about PVSA? Or did the Ft. Lauderdale passengers stop at a "distant" port?

 

We went from San Diego to Victoria (non-US port) for excursions before reaching Seattle. We also boarded a number of passengers in Seattle for just the one-day cruise to Vancouver.

[Crew News]

Colombia.

 

I post this in part because, as a Columbia grad, it makes me crazy when people get the country wrong But mostly because I wanted somehow to mark this thread as we're going to AK in a month. I appreciate everyone's posts about this trip! Thanks so much and hope you have an amazing journey.

 

Menu and On Location scanning has started. Cabana prices are also ready for uploading. Wine Packages are already posted. Lots of ship pictures have been taken for my NA photo review.

 

Feel free to ask questions to get answers as long as we are aboard for the next 14 days.

[Crew News]

Hey Crew News, when you take pictures of your dinners & etc, do you use the flash? Inquiring minds would like to know.:rolleyes:

 

No flash but elbows placed firmly on the table helps to steady the camera in low light conditions. Adjusting the ISO a bit higher also helps. I have two small, poker chip-sized clip-on LED lights that I can use if needed. They are on Amazon and are usually used for cellphone videos. A well-placed white napkin can be a great light reflector, too.

Edited April 30, 2016 by Crew News

[Crew News]

Our day in Seattle began in clouds and a deep chill that waned to produce nice sunshine and probably our last warm day for a while. We found two large pool towels on our Deck 5 verandah this AM and wonder how many others floated out to sea overnight.

 

The Lido Market was a bit less crowded for 9:00 AM breakfast with a number of passengers already disembarked. Table hogs were still very glued to their books with dirty dishes still present in front of them. Breakfast tables are set with dinnerware in folded napkins, coffee cups, and large glasses that makes every table appear to be occupied. I learned that salsa does not well with salmon omelets. Cartons of milk in the “Sweet Spot” (formerly “Dessert”) was marked with expiration dates in November 2017.

 

Joanie continues to rave about the custom pizza offerings available at the Slice on the aft Lido deck.

 

As reported earlier, there were many visitors with “V” badges wandering the ship with a Private Party sign closing the Crow’s Nest for them. HAL headquarters must have given their employees the day off to see the Nieuw Amsterdam. Due to local regulations, the Shops have been closed since just before stopping in Victoria on Thursday AM and will not be reopened until we depart Vancouver on Saturday.

 

In the brief time between the disembarking and embarking passengers, I was able to take shipboard photographs for my Nieuw Amsterdam review. I did watch the setup of a Cirque de Solei-type show on the Vista Showroom.

 

It must be noted that my request for skewered shrimp and chicken wings, instead of just hot or cold appetizers, has not been a problem. My request to see the appetizer list in the Neptune Lounge has left them scrambling to find one. My conclusion is that you can request almost anything and still have a chance to get it.

 

No Safety Drill for returning passengers today and also tomorrow in Vancouver.

 

Laundry turned in before dinner is returned just after noon the next day. Our Room Steward continues to meet our every request and possesses a sixth sense of when we are out of our room.

 

Dinner was in the Pinnacle Grill with Clifford as the waiter. The Jidori Chicken with porcini mushrooms and quinoa was both succulent and flavorful. My sides came in bowls instead of the normal flat plates. The chocolate treats at meals end were on a two-layered tray versus the old three-layered one and only had two pieces of chocolate.As stated on an earlier post, I have the cabana price list, Wine Packages brochure, Lido Market Breakfast menu, and promise of the HAL Kids’ activities to share with those who will follow.

 

Lots of luggage in the hallway and none of it is ours.

 

More tomorrow from Vancouver.

Edited April 30, 2016 by Crew News

[legalslave]

Our day in Seattle began in clouds and a deep chill that waned to produce nice sunshine and probably our last warm day for a while. We found two large pool towels on our Deck 5 verandah this AM and wonder how many others floated out to sea overnight.

 

The Lido Market was a bit less crowded for 9:00 AM breakfast with a number of passengers already disembarked. Table hogs were still very glued to their books with dirty dishes still present in front of them. Breakfast tables are set with dinnerware in folded napkins, coffee cups, and large glasses that makes every table appear to be occupied. I learned that salsa does not well with salmon omelets. Cartons of milk in the “Sweet Spot” (formerly “Dessert”) was marked with expiration dates in November 2017.

 

Joanie continues to rave about the custom pizza offerings available at the Slice on the aft Lido deck.

 

As reported earlier, there were many visitors with “V” badges wandering the ship with a Private Party sign closing the Crow’s Nest for them. HAL headquarters must have given their employees the day off to see the Nieuw Amsterdam. Due to local regulations, the Shops have been closed since just before stopping in Victoria on Thursday AM and will not be reopened until we depart Vancouver on Saturday.

 

In the brief time between the disembarking and embarking passengers, I was able to take shipboard photographs for my Nieuw Amsterdam review. I did watch the setup of a Cirque de Solei-type show on the Vista Showroom.

 

It must be noted that my request for skewered shrimp and chicken wings, instead of just hot or cold appetizers, has not been a problem. My request to see the appetizer list in the Neptune Lounge has left them scrambling to find one. My conclusion is that you can request almost anything and still have a chance to get it.

 

No Safety Drill for returning passengers today and also tomorrow in Vancouver.

 

Laundry turned in before dinner is returned just after noon the next day. Our Room Steward continues to meet our every request and possesses a sixth sense of when we are out of our room.

 

Dinner was in the Pinnacle Grill with Clifford as the waiter. The Jidori Chicken with porcini mushrooms and quinoa was both succulent and flavorful. My sides came in bowls instead of the normal flat plates. The chocolate treats at meals end were on a two-layered tray versus the old three-layered one and only had two pieces of chocolate.As stated on an earlier post, I have the cabana price list, Wine Packages brochure, Lido Market Breakfast menu, and promise of the HAL Kids’ activities to share with those who will follow.

 

Lots of luggage in the hallway and none of it is ours.

 

More tomorrow from Vancouver.

 

Thanks much Roger for keeping us in the loop. You said Clifford was your waiter so that should answer Frank's question. I hope the Pinnacle Grill menu still has Steak Tartare, Lobster Bisque, Shrimp Cocktail and Lamb Chops! Can't wait to see what the Wednesday night MDR menu will be. No rush but can you post it right away???? We are leaving extremely early Friday morning the 6th on a flight to Vancouver. Tell Joanie this may be the first time ever I try pizza on a cruise since she raves about it. I like thin crust. Can't wait to see you guys in a week!

 

Diane

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank for the report.

 

We also had the side dishes in the Pinnacle in bowls -- except the shoestring potatoes -- they still come in those wire containers.

 

Some evenings we had the 3 tier plates for the sugars, creamers,candies, etc. Other times we had the plate and one tier for the chocolates. Never knew which type we would get.