REVIEW: 8 day Alaskan Cruise RT from Vancouver on HAL Noordam May 12-20, 2018

[missync]

trio of chocolate with macaroon - delicious! very chocolately but not too sweet. nice difference in textures as well.

strawberry romanoff - not mine - basically just ice cream with strawberries. he said it was good though but nothing special about it.

lemon meringue cheesecake - very good! nice lemon flavor that was tart but not too tart. light meringue. Wish there had been a few more berries with it but that's just me being picky.

[missync]

Mother's Day cont...

after dinner we went to the Vista lounge for the show - All For Love.  because of dinner taking awhile, we had to rush there to get seats but it worked out ok in the end.  The show was decent.  It was different love songs with dancing.  Overall enjoyable and entertaining.  I went to music trivia immediately afterwards and then hung out on the deck before bed.  

[missync]

May 14 - Juneau

 

The time changed over night.  Thankfully clocks were automatically set so there was no confusion. 

We ate some breakfast and then sat on the deck while watching the ship pull in.  We eventually wandered into lunch to watch the ship actually drop anchor because this is a tender port.  While eating lunch we could see lots of birds fishing around for lunch in the harbor including several bald eagles which was pretty cool to see.  It was rainy and kinda cold when we pulled in but thankfully the weather improved as the day went on.  

We got off the ship around 2pm and looked around the shops for a bit before meeting our guide for whale watching.  It started pouring rain which was a definite bummer but that's mother nature for ya!  

We booked with Harv and Marv's (NOT through HAL).  I know they frown on that but I think you get better deals and I had heard good things.  I got a phone call from the guide while we were waiting in the rain and were able to immediately get on the bus.  Thankfully they were able to handle the wheelchair but my dad did have to walk up a few steps to get on the bus.  He managed it well so off we went.  

 

Here are some pictures of Juneau and the trip to the harbor

[missync]

Whale Watching with Harv and Marv!  Do your homework when deciding on something like this because there are a lot of options out there and you want to make sure you get what you want.  We did a maximum 18 person boat (there were 10 of us total actually on the boat plus the captain and naturist and it was about $160/person.  

The ramp to get from the parking lot to the actual boat is VERY steep.  thankfully workers helped us with the wheelchair but it wasn't easy for healthy people so be aware of that if you have someone with mobility issues.  There isn't an elevator that I could see and I don't know if they have wheelchairs there if you don't have your own.  

Our captain and naturist were both awesome!  Sadly I can't remember there names...ooops 🙂

We saw a lot of whales and even had one breach right next to our boat.  The rain let up as well so it was just a really neat thing to do.  The main part of the boat was enclosed because it was pretty chilly out there on the water but it wasn't too bad inside especially if you are bundled up.  

 

[missync]

After the tour, we rode back to the port and shopped a little more and then got back on board to go to dinner.  

[missync]

Dinner time!  

Crab and Shrimp crostini - very good.  not too fishy but had a nice flavor

seafood deviled eggs - not mine - my aunt really loved them.  she wished there had been more.

venison sausage and vegatable soup - good.  nice flavor but again, it was mostly broth.  I wish there had been more in it to make it more like a soup.

 

king crab salad - very good.  had a really nice flavor and i enjoyed the thousand island dressing (I normally am not a fan) but it worked really well with this salad. 

beef tenderloin - not mine - said it was delicious but wished there was more potatoes

rosemary chicken - not mine - LOVED IT!  my aunt thought it was amazing.  

 

Chocolate and whisky torte - excellent!  I'm not a drinker but I couldn't taste the alcohol in it either.  had a nice flavor and would order again

hazelnut mousse cake - excellent.  great flavor and not too sweet plus it was sugar free

dulce de leche and coconut tart - one of my favorites!!  it was nice and sweet but not too sweet and very creamy

mango cream horn - good.  got this on a whim and really enjoyed it.  sounds like exactly what it is

peach crisp - very good.  peaches tasted fresh but I don't know if they actually were.  good flavor with a little bite which i enjoy. 

 

[missync]

after dinner my family went to a comedy/music show and I went gambling.  They said enjoyed the show.  It wasn't too adult as to be offensive but I was funny and entertaining.  

I lost $20 😞

[tampagirl2]

Following - I hope you will continue :)

[missync]

May 15 - Glacier Bay

 

I honestly had no idea what to expect with this.  I knew we'd see glaciers but had no idea how amazing it would really be.  The pictures don't do it justice either.

 

I woke up and went to breakfast like always.  The buffet was pretty much the same stuff every day with a few variations but if you can't find something to eat, there's something wrong with you 🙂

After eating I wander out onto deck 9 at the back of the ship.  There's a huge open deck with loungers (and a bar) so I grabbed a blanket and a lounge on one railing of the ship and settled in to relax.  The blankets a slightly itchy wool but nice and warm and perfect for this occasion.  It was a lovely sunny day and cool but nice.  The breeze got a little chilly but overall beautiful.  We got extremely lucky with the weather the whole trip.  I was wearing leggings (not fleece lined fyi) a t shirt and a light cardigan and was perfect, especially with the blanket.  I did, however, see many people in full parkas with gloves and the whole nine yards.  I thought that was a big overkill but no judgement here.  

around 10am they have the traditional Dutch Pea Soup.  It's a Holland America Tradition.  I decided to try it.  It looks pretty awful (not unlike any other pea soup though) but it tasted ok.  It wasn't great but it tastes exactly like mashed up peas which I guess is the idea.  Not my thing but I'm glad I tried it.  I think it needed a little more flavor but that's just my opinion. 

So I sat and watched the scenery.  I stood up multiple times to take pictures and even switched sides of the deck once or twice to take pictures. 

There was a running commentary (live I believe) by a naturalist on board which was also really interesting.  He told us which glaciers were which and other facts.  Sadly I can't label my pictures because I don't remember what he said but it was really interesting at the time.  

My family sat in Deck 10 observation deck at the front of the ship because it was inside and therefore warmer and still had great views.  They sat in nice lounge chairs and still had the unreal views.  So that's an option for everyone as well.  If you want to do that though, I'd suggest getting there early because there aren't that many chairs and the couches face the wrong direction (and are not movable). 

I'm going to let the pictures do the rest of the talking for me now...  

[missync]

[missync]

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[missync]

Dinner

Shrimp tacos - delicious.  just one small little taco but it was very tasty!  I would have liked a second one 

sunset salad - good...kinda weird.  tasted good but just an odd combination.  probably wouldn't order again. 

French onion soup - not mine - said it was good.  nothing out of the ordinary. 

 

[missync]

seared kingfish - VERY good!!  I really enjoyed the flavors of this one.  definitely would order again. 

lamb shank - not mine - he loved it.  said it was seasoned really well. 

turkey - not mine - said it was good but "not as good as you make" *my dad to my mom.  none of them liked the dressing very much 

mushroom and cheese fritters - excellent.  very tasty and not at all what I was expecting. 

 

[missync]

 Gateau argentina - good.  kinda odd but tasted ok. probably wouldn't order again.  

chocolate delight - very good.  nice and chocolatey but not too much so.  

espresso date pudding - good.  I liked it more than I thought I would

[Unibok]

On 6/19/2018 at 10:41 PM, jrmende63 said:

 

Thank you so much for the history lesson! I really do appreciate it.

 

 

Just as a followup, if you ever do fly through Montreal / YUL (which is in Quebec), all signs are in both French and English, and employees speak both as well.

[missync]

May 16th - Haines

 

We pulled into Haines pretty early the next morning.  It's a pretty small town overall and we had decided to rent a car there and then go to Kroschel's Wildlife Park.  The car rental was at the Hotel Halsingland (Avis) which was actually really confusing to find...again, get a good map.  It was a pretty good hike, mostly uphill so be prepared for that.  no idea if there is Uber or taxis there.  I didn't see any but that doesn't mean they don't exist.  I had to wait for quite awhile to get the car as well since there only seemed to be one person working at the Hotel and doing the Avis thing.  I got the car and went back down to the pier to pick up my family.  Once we got loaded we headed to Kroschel.  Again...a GOOD map would have been helpful.  The directions we had weren't good and we got there a little later than expected.  this place is so cool but it is NOT very handicap accessible.  They don't really mention that.  I did hear that the paths weren't paved but nothing about them being very "natural" or completely uphill in certain areas.  Thank god for the people who work there and a couple other people on the tour helping.  You'll see in the pictures why.  My dad was able to get around and enjoy everything in his wheelchair but it was not easy pushing it around so be mindful of anyone with mobility issues.  

Kroschel park was truly amazing!  I GOT TO TOUCH A FREAKIN WOLVERINE!!!  (GO BLUE) but also a porcupine and a baby caribou and kiss a moose.  I mean...where else in the world can you do things like that.  Not to mention the other animals there that you couldn't touch.  

I would highly recommend this place to anyone.  It was amazing and truly once in a lifetime to see native Alaskan animals up close.     

The first pictures are Haines from the ship.  The next ones are of Kroschel Wildlife Park.  

[missync]

Lynx, Silver Fox, and Wolverine (Go Blue...no that's not his name.  I'm just a University of Michigan fan :))

[missync]

Porcupine, Mink, Kestrel (I think), Weasel

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Baby caribou, Moose, Reindeer

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Bear and White Wolf 

 

[missync]

after Kroschel, we went driving up into Canada.  We didn't pass much so plan ahead and make sure you have enough gas and also your passports because they will stop you and check them...

 

We went about 30 minutes into Canada before realizing we weren't going to get to any towns or anything but the scenery was incredible...

 

[missync]

Then we went back into town and went to the Hammer Museum.  Yes, it's exactly what you'd expect but there were over 2000 hammers on display from every time period and every use you could possibly think of.  It was interesting but mostly because it was unique.  My uncle really enjoyed it but he's a woodworker so he had a personal interest in them.  

Here are also a few shots of the ship in port.  

[missync]

DINNER!!!

 

Pickled red beet - not mine - she really liked it.  said it was very tasty and would order again. 

salmon cake - really good.  very flavorful.  Wished I had a couple more of them.  Didn't care for the mayonnaise but I don't typically like mayo so that was probably just me

sweet corn soup - delicous.  sounds odd but was really good.  Tasted similar to creamed corn.  

[missync]

Asian Sesame salad - really good.  Wish there had been a larger piece of salmon but excellent salad and dressing.

Pot Roast - not mine - LOVED IT!  said it was really flavorful and good.  Only complaint...not enough variation in vegetables and very small portion.  He wanted some potatoes and carrots in there.