Live and live from Nieuw Amsterdam on her voyage up north to Alaska

[lobsternight]

Following along and joining you in Vancouver for Alaska

[jbhcw]

following!  Safe travels!

[jennaja]

16 hours ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

We sail on Nieuw Amsterdam on May 7th, which I believe the above poster is referring to.  If supplies are short handed or anything is out of order, you get to be the scapegoat! 🤣

 

Have a great cruise!

Yes!  I meant the 5/7-5/21/23 sailing.  If you have a chance, can you ask how many passengers or % of occupancy is expected for that sailing?

Good Grief!  I better make sure I didn't accidentally book our flights for the 14th!

[Copper10-8]

Wheels down SAN / Lindbergh Field! Finals, as usual, took us smack over Balboa Park and the museums, as well as over the Aladdin Airport Parking structure, our normal spot for the car when driving to SD for a Mex Riviera cruise. The rollout after landing on Runway 9 took us right by MCRD San Diego. Those iconic yellow buildings are still the same as when I went through as a 19-yr old. Total flight time on this very short hop from LAX was 28 min 😃

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 27, 2023 by Copper10-8

[Copper10-8]

Made it to the B Street Cruise Terminal and Nieuw A after a wholesome petit dejeuner of Moons over my Hammy at a local Denny's on Rosecrans. She's looking good!

 

[Copper10-8]

Home away from home for the next 10 days! Beats my old security officer cabin (see last pic) on A-Deck by a New York minute! 🤪

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[oakridger]

I like the Nieuw Amsterdam.  It's the ship from HAL that I have sailed on the most.  Love the signature suites!

 

I'll be watching for your posts along the way.

 

~Nancy

[erewhon]

Thank you for this live thread. we remember you showing us your accommodation on the Amsterdam.

Enjoy the Neptune Suite.

Wishing you both a wonderful cruise.

 

Stiv is very handsome.

[POA1]

Great report!  DW loves the Nieuw Amsterdam. It's her favorite so far.

 

[Copper10-8]

Day 1 - Wednesday 26 APR 23

 

We got up at oh dark thirty to get ready for our little hop down south to San Diego trying very hard not to wake up Maria’s mum Carmen, who will be house sitting, and our cat Stiv. The latter to no avail since animals seem to feel the different energy inside the house. Stiv is never a happy camper when we take off because he tends to get spoiled rotten when we are home, and you better believe he knows it!

 

The South Bay yellow cab, actually a black painted Toyota Prius, since gone are the days of the Ford Crown Vic taxi cabs, pulled out in front of the homestead at 0630 hours. The cabbie was a friendly gent hailing from Kabul, Afghanistan, who made the ride up the 405 to LAX uneventful. Once at the airport, the automated self-check in at United’s Terminal 7 was a breeze, a curb agent volunteered to take care of our 3 bags and guaranteed they would be going to us to San Diego, as opposed to Istanbul, Turkey, and going through TSA security was painless, thanks to the words “TSA pre-check” stamped on our boarding passes.

 

We completed a half-marathon to Gate 86B since, for some reason, our departure gates are always at the very end of the terminal, and waited the obligatory 55 min for boarding to start, which was at 0815 hrs. Took our seats, 2C and 2D inside the Bombardier Regional Jet which departed off the gate right on time at 0840 hrs. Taxied to runway 25R where we were No. 2 for takeoff and, after the captain gunned his two engines, slipped the surly bonds of the city of angels. Right before Catalina Island, we made a hook shank left and followed the So Cal coast from L.A. County to Orange County, to San Diego County. Flight time was a very brief 29 minutes, most of which in the beginning was spent reaching our cruising altitude of 14,000 feet. This was followed by roughly 10 minutes of cruising and shut eye time, before the little gongs went off, indicating our initial descent into Lindbergh Field. Not enough time for the lone flight attendant to perform any beverage service, with a hot piping breakfast and a first-rate movie on the non-existent overhead monitors completely out of the question.

 

Flying into San Diego is always an interesting approach however, this morning, as it had been in L.A., we were dealing with overcast skies. When we did break through that layer, we were already above Balboa Park and on finals to runway 9. A picture-perfect wheels down was followed by a short taxi to Terminal 1. Lots of building going on a Lindbergh Field! So, the next plan was to find some breakfast since we had skipped that due to our early departure. We decided to take a cab which took us to the Denny’s at 1601 Rosecrans. Afterwards, another cab took us to the B-Street Cruise Terminal at about 1134 hours which turned out to be great timing because there was no waiting, anywhere inside or outside.

 

We handed our luggage to a porter and entered the Broadway cruise terminal building proper via one of the south facing doors. Just inside, we handed our passports and boarding pass info. to a friendly agent who conducted a casual inspection and directed us around the corner to security. This involves going through airport-like screening (metal detector for humans and X-ray machine for carry-ons) operated by contract security. After this was done, we moseyed in a westerly direction through said terminal for the actual check in process which via the “fast lane’ assisted by another friendly agent. They’ve been using "facial recognition" for a while now in SD. The machine takes a flattering pic and then "spits" out a little paper boarding pass with minimum info on it. Your actual /ship's I.D./room key is in a sealed envelope in the mail slot outside your cabin. Last up was the obligatory welcome aboard pics by K-dam’s photo staff before boarding the younger sister of HAL’s Eurodam via an escalator and the shoreside/airport like retractable gangway to Deck 3 where ship security scanned us on.

 

Our cabin is on Rotterdam deck, starboard side mid-ships, not far from the Neptune Lounge where concierges Aiko and Aley (her relief) “reside” and do one heck of a job keeping their guests happy. Also met our lead cabin steward, Riza who will be taking care of our home away from home, along with his assistant, Abdul. Next order of business was to get to a local supermarket because bottom dwelling dull pencil in the box, which would be me, forgot to bring his razor blades and since I’m not currently competing in the Stanley Cup playoffs in the NHL, 10 days without shaving would be a no no. So, off we went down to that same gangway, and outside via a still pretty empty terminal building, outside where we flagged down a cabbie who whisked us to the Ralph’s on G Street in downtown San Diego, waited for us outside while we made our purchase of razor blades and a six-pack of Coke Zero bottles, and then zoomed us back to Nieuw A which had an All-Aboard time of 3:30 PM today!

 

The mandatory passenger “muster drill” is now a pretty relaxed affair and entails watching the entire safety video on your cabin TV (if you only watch the first minute, your TV, which has a brain of its own, will not change to any other channels. We then moseyed down to Deck 3 where you physically check in with an attendant via his electronic hand-held device, and who then sends you on your way with a reminder to listen to the captain’s P/A announcement later on prior to departure. Copy that!

 

Back at our cabin, we unpacked our bags - lots of closet and drawer space available, plus a walk-in closet/ makeup area, a large bathroom with a double sink and both a shower as well as a tub enclosure.

 

Nieuw Amsterdam let go of her lines and shoved off her berth at 4:25 PM with Capt. Jeroen (his No. 2 is also a Jeroen, as is his relief, Jeroen being a popular name in the Netherlands) backing his big ship up, turning her around in the Bay, being vewy, vewy careful not to back into, not one, but three, flattops moored at Naval Air Station North Island on carrier row. The three were the Nimitz-class carriers, and sisters; USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), and USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). We then followed the perimeter of Naval Air Station North Island, passing Naval Base Point Loma on our starboard side, while heading towards Point Loma itself (two lighthouses; the one in the pics is Old Point Loma light from 1855) and the Pacific Ocean where the pilot was dropped off on his fast boat. Instead of the usual turn to port and a southerly course, the big ship turned to starboard and started chugging northbound on our way to the land of our friendly neighbors to the north!

 

(to be con't)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Florida_gal_50]

So you didn't have any problems bringing the pop bottles on? I assume they are plastic.

[aliaschief]

John and Maria have a great cruise. Beautiful day in Victoria, B.C.

Bruce & Sue

[Copper10-8]

1 hour ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

So you didn't have any problems bringing the pop bottles on? I assume they are plastic.

 

Plastic screw-on bottles that keep their fizz! No issues getting them on!

[DAllenTCY]

Ralph's is a fine store; however, there are closer options to the pier.

 

The Harbor Market just a block away would have had what you needed. It has been open for a year.

 

The Rite Aid pharmacy is only 4 blocks away.

 

Either would have saved you a cab.

 

David

[Florida_gal_50]

39 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Plastic screw-on bottles that keep their fizz! No issues getting them on!

Good to know.  I always bring a reusable cup and I never use it because I’ve  had no problem getting a disposable one on the ship to date.  Thanks for the answer.

[Florida_gal_50]

21 minutes ago, DAllenTCY said:

Ralph's is a fine store; however, there are closer options to the pier.

 

The Harbor Market just a block away would have had what you needed. It has been open for a year.

 

The Rite Aid pharmacy is only 4 blocks away.

 

Either would have saved you a cab.

 

David

I find that Harbor market has more take away food items but then I might be thinking of the wrong place.  Rite aid does the trick and it’s pretty close.

[POA1]

3 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

The mandatory passenger “muster drill” is now a pretty relaxed affair and entails watching the entire safety video on your cabin TV (if you only watch the first minute, your TV, which has a brain of its own, will not change to any other channels. We then moseyed down to Deck 3 where you physically check in with an attendant via his electronic hand-held device, and who then sends you on your way with a reminder to listen to the captain’s P/A announcement later on prior to departure. Copy that!

Excellent start to the report!

 

I'm going to miss the full blown muster. It was always the highlight of my trip. I could identify the cantankerous curmudgeons and the drunks before we ever dropped lines. 😃

[Copper10-8]

Day 1 - Wednesday 26 APR 23 (con't)

 

Dinner for us was in the Lido Market, more specifically at “Distant Lands” where tonight they were serving an Indonesian/Indian combo which Maria and I both selected. It was a combo of Nasi Goreng (fried rice), Aloo Gobi (literally potato cauliflower – along with herbs and spices), Ayam Goreng (fried chicken legs), and Dim Sum. All in all, a spicey dish served in a bowl.

The entertainment tonite! First of all, unlike other Dams ships, Nieuw A does not have the presentation of HAL’s history on embarkation day evening. Instead, the main entertainment, two shows to be more specific at 7:00 and 9:00 PM was by Uruguayan guitarist Nestor Santurio in the Mainstage. We went to the 2nd show and really enjoyed Nestor’s playing and strumming his fretted musical instrument with six strings backed up on the moving stage panels with LED projections, sound and computerized lighting sets behind him on which videos and photos were depicted! You see, senor Nestor played a success of national hits from countries like Argentina, Italy, Brazil, Greece, Spain and others. He was good, as well as entertaining.

 

Besides Nestor, there were the two ivory tinglers in Billboard Onboard performing at 7:30, 9:15, and 10:30 PM; Third Avenue West, playing in the Ocean Bar at 5:00 and 6:00 PM; the B.B. King’s All-Stars in their club at 8:45, 9:45 and 10:45 PM, followed by a DJ playing “Dancing to the Hits” from 11:30 PM to closing time. So, this ship, contrary to other stories, does not die out at 9:06 PM!

 

After the show, we did some walking around and, to our surprise, discovered that Nieuw A once again has a full-size library. This one is located on Deck 2 forward, starboard side where, at one the Screening Room movie theater was located. When it closed, the space became the Tasman Room multi-purpose meeting room. As a matter of fact, the space is still identified as the Tasman Room on the ship’s maps by the various elevator lobbies/ They haven’t had a chance to update them yet to identify the new library. The interesting part of the library is that the books appear brand new and each of those books on the shelves is represented by three separate copies so no worries about running out of a book if you really want to check one out. The jury is still out if this is a prudent decision if the book in there wind up not being returned by the person(s) who took them. There is also a table present where pax can leave books they brought onboard and are no longer interested in. Good move by HAL to reinstate a full library!

 

We then spent time taking with the B.B. King’s All-Stars in their lounge for their second set. Like all BB King bands we have seen, they were awesome with sweet sounds. Oh yeah, this was the full eight-person band with two vocalists, a bass guitar, a lead guitar, a keyboard player, a percussionist, a sax player and a trumpet player. We tried a "Blues Rita" and a "Roadhouse Drop"

 

We called it a night around 11;15 PM after a somewhat early and long day.

 

See ya manana!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Copper10-8]

27 minutes ago, DAllenTCY said:

Ralph's is a fine store; however, there are closer options to the pier.

 

The Harbor Market just a block away would have had what you needed. It has been open for a year.

 

The Rite Aid pharmacy is only 4 blocks away.

 

Either would have saved you a cab.

 

David

 

Thanks but the cab ride was less than $20 and the cabbie was entertaining

[oakridger]

I am very happy to hear that the entertainment has been improved on this ship so far!!  It's encouraging there was a real show on the Main Stage!  As many have said, the showing of The Origin Story belongs in the afternoon.  It sounds like a great start to the cruise!

 

I'm surprised they didn't stop you with the plastic soda bottles because the HAL website specifically prohibits them. Maybe the dock security doesn't know about that rule. ???  🤷‍♀️  Maybe HAL changed their policy?  

 

Frequently Asked Questions | Holland America

 

Items such as sodas, energy drinks or other non-alcoholic items are not allowed on board in any form. Plastic water bottles are not allowed. 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.    

 

 

Let the party begin!!   I'll check back here to look for your next post.  Thanks John!

 

~Nancy

Edited April 28, 2023 by oakridger

[POA1]

The readdition of the Library has got to warm the cockles of many a heart here on CC. We're big fans of using our e-readers to read books from our public library, but you can't beat the battery life of an actual paper book.

[Denise T]

Great reports so far. Getting me more excited form my sailing on the Nieuw Amsterdam on May 28th. 

[StLouisCruisers]

12 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

Day 1 - Wednesday 26 APR 23 (con't)

 

Dinner for us was in the Lido Market, more specifically at “Distant Lands” where tonight they were serving an Indonesian/Indian combo which Maria and I both selected. It was a combo of Nasi Goreng (fried rice), Aloo Gobi (literally potato cauliflower – along with herbs and spices), Ayam Goreng (fried chicken legs), and Dim Sum. All in all, a spicey dish served in a bowl.

The entertainment tonite! First of all, unlike other Dams ships, Nieuw A does not have the presentation of HAL’s history on embarkation day evening. Instead, the main entertainment, two shows to be more specific at 7:00 and 9:00 PM was by Uruguayan guitarist Nestor Santurio in the Mainstage. We went to the 2nd show and really enjoyed Nestor’s playing and strumming his fretted musical instrument with six strings backed up on the moving stage panels with LED projections, sound and computerized lighting sets behind him on which videos and photos were depicted! You see, senor Nestor played a success of national hits from countries like Argentina, Italy, Brazil, Greece, Spain and others. He was good, as well as entertaining.

 

Besides Nestor, there were the two ivory tinglers in Billboard Onboard performing at 7:30, 9:15, and 10:30 PM; Third Avenue West, playing in the Ocean Bar at 5:00 and 6:00 PM; the B.B. King’s All-Stars in their club at 8:45, 9:45 and 10:45 PM, followed by a DJ playing “Dancing to the Hits” from 11:30 PM to closing time. So, this ship, contrary to other stories, does not die out at 9:06 PM!

 

After the show, we did some walking around and, to our surprise, discovered that Nieuw A once again has a full-size library. This one is located on Deck 2 forward, starboard side where, at one the Screening Room movie theater was located. When it closed, the space became the Tasman Room multi-purpose meeting room. As a matter of fact, the space is still identified as the Tasman Room on the ship’s maps by the various elevator lobbies/ They haven’t had a chance to update them yet to identify the new library. The interesting part of the library is that the books appear brand new and each of those books on the shelves is represented by three separate copies so no worries about running out of a book if you really want to check one out. The jury is still out if this is a prudent decision if the book in there wind up not being returned by the person(s) who took them. There is also a table present where pax can leave books they brought onboard and are no longer interested in. Good move by HAL to reinstate a full library!

 

We then spent time taking with the B.B. King’s All-Stars in their lounge for their second set. Like all BB King bands we have seen, they were awesome with sweet sounds. Oh yeah, this was the full eight-person band with two vocalists, a bass guitar, a lead guitar, a keyboard player, a percussionist, a sax player and a trumpet player. We tried a "Blues Rita" and a "Roadhouse Drop"

 

We called it a night around 11;15 PM after a somewhat early and long day.

 

See ya manana!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good to hear there is entertainment on your ship John.  I thought your Ecuadorian guitarist's name sounded familiar and verified we had seen him perform on our Seabourn Antarctica/South Georgia Island cruise Dec. 2016-Jan.2017.  We also ate dinner at his table one evening and enjoyed the conversation as well as his charming personality.  Seabourn likes to have what they call hosted tables and we enjoyed dining with people like entertainer Nestor, medical staff, even the Captain.  

 

[RetiredMustang]

Following along, John, as you head north!  Good news about the library; I hope it spreads through the fleet.

 

Dave

[Ineke]

Great news about the library as well as all the entertainment venues, and not  pulling up the sidewalk at 9 p.m. Sure looking forward to it.