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

[Copper10-8]

4 hours ago, Ineke said:

Thanks for the updates, John.  I must say I’m not looking forward to next Sunday’s repeat of today, considering we’ll be in that crazy crowd waiting to board, since standing for any length of time is virtually impossible. And I’m guessing the requested wheelchair assistance is absent?

 

 

I will ask the PG Mngr. tomorrow for you. He is usually in charge of the wheelchair brigade

[Ellencruise]

Thanks for your great reporting skills. Vancouver is such a lovely town. Later in cruise season seems less chaotic 

[Copper10-8]

Day 4 – Saturday 29 APR 23 – Victoria, BC, Canada

 

When we woke up at around 0700 hours, this seems to be our assigned time slot, Nieuw Amsterdam was still sailing north along the Washington State coast. We were experiencing temps of about 59 degrees Fahrenheit. It was nice and clear but crisp. The Olympic Mountains, a mountain range on the Olympic Peninsula of the Pacific Northwest, and part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, were clearly visible.

 

We had our breakfast in the PG and were served by Pablo who hails from the Republica Dominicana, so there is one non Indonesian crew member inside the PG. That PG is actually open today for lunch at 12:00 Noon, even though we are alongside in Victoria by then, kinda surprising but fine!

 

We passed Cape Flattery, the furthest northwest tip of the contiguous United States, and entered the Strait of Juan de Fuca. At approx. 11:30 AM, we slowed down to pick up the Victoria pilot at the Brotchie pilot station, made a bee line for Fiscard Lighthouse near Esquimalt on the south side of Vancouver Island, and then made a slow turn to starboard for the final approach into Victoria’s Ogden Point Cruise Terminal and one of its four cruise ship berths. We had been allocated the south side of Pier B, while Princess Cruises’ Discovery Princess was already tied off on the north side of the same pier. We were berthed at 12:15 pm.

 

Victoria is the capital city of the province of British Columbia and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, overlooking the Strait of San Juan de Fuca off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 91,867, while the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria has a population of 397,237, making it the 7th most densely populated area in Canada. Victoria is located about 62 miles from BC's largest city of Vancouver on the mainland.

 

Named after Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and, at the time, British North America, Victoria is one of the oldest cities in the Pacific Northwest, with British settlement beginning in 1843. Retaining a distinctly British atmosphere, the city is full of tea rooms, pubs and Double Decker and has retained a large number of its historic buildings, in particular its two most famous landmarks, the British Columbia Parliament Buildings (finished in 1897 and home of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia) and the Empress Hotel (opened in 1908).

 

Outside of the downtown area, including the Inner Harbor, the Butchart Gardens boast 55 acres of immaculately landscaped grounds. With over 700 varieties of flowers divided into separate garden areas this garden is even a great nighttime destination, when it’s illuminated with thousands of lights. Poet Rudyard Kipling once wrote that Victoria was “worth a very long journey” a sentiment that is still felt today in this unique port.

 

So, the plan today was for Maria and I to go our separate ways when it came to shore excursions; she is big time into flowers and located in Brentwood Bay, some 13,5 miles northwest of Victoria is the Walhalla of all flower lovers; Butchart Gardens, a group of exquisite floral display gardens. I’ve been to Butchart Gardens, at least three times; very nice but I’d rather see Orcas hunting down prey, to board so I chose a shorex by the name of Ocean Wildlife & Whales Exploration Cruise. Mine was up first at 12:30.

 

To be con’t

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ineke]

15 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

 

I will ask the PG Mngr. tomorrow for you. He is usually in charge of the wheelchair brigade

Lovely! Thanks so much! Hartelijk bedankt!

[Copper10-8]

9 minutes ago, Ineke said:

Lovely! Thanks so much! Hartelijk bedankt!

 

So, as stated, it was pretty much a zoo inside Canada Place yesterday and it didn't help that there were three ships in port for the first time of the 2023 Alaska season. Two of those ships were Brilliance of the Seas, with plus minus 2,400 pax, Discovery Princess, with 3,660 pax and the smallest of the three, Nieuw A, with 2,102 pax. For May 7, when we're going home and you're coming on, the situation will hopefully be a little bit better since the "biggie", Discovery Princess will not be there, and her place will be taken by HAL's own Noordam (1,916 pax).

 

On HAL, the Pinnacle Grill staff is responsible for disembarking pax wheelchair assistance, while the dining room staff takes over for embarking pax who need / have requested wheelchair assistance. So, you will be dealing with dining room staff. HAL wheelchair assistance usually end/begins in the terminal building! Assistance from/to your drop-off/pickup for wheelchair-bound pax is usually provided by shoreside staff.

 

Yesterday at Canada Place, there apparently was no shoreside wheelchair assistance and/or they were fully committed to the pax of the two bigger ships. This forced the Nieuw A PG staff to escort/push the disembarking Nieuw A not just to inside the terminal, but via the CP parking garage (the bus drop-off point) to Howe Street, since ride hailing vehicles are not permitted to pick-up cruise guests at/inside Canada Place Cruise Ship Terminal.

 

Make sure you let HAL know that your require wheelchair assistance this coming Sunday however, it should be Canada Place (contracted/hired) staff who are the ones who should be assisting you to a designated place inside the terminal where HAL staff (from the dining room) take over and get you onboard

[Copper10-8]

Day 4 – Saturday 29 APR 23 – Victoria, BC, Canada (con't)

 

Off I went down the gangway to board the mv Orca Mist, tied up within walking distance near the Ogden Point heliport. Orca Mist, run by Orca Spirit Adventures. is a 55’ all metal passenger vessel with an enclosed, heated cabin below and a large, open air viewing deck with bench seats top side. Seating capacity is for 45 pax, a captain and two deckhands; we had roughly 25 pax onboard today.

 

After departing Ogden point and reentering the strait of Juan de Fuca, we rounded Victoria proper and travelled northbound up the Haro Strait, one of the main channels connecting the Strait of Georgia to the aforementioned Strait of Juan de Fuca, separating Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands in British Columbia, Canada from the San Juan Islands of Washington State.

 

It took roughly 50-55 minutes to reach the Chain Islets and Great Chain Island which lie between Trial Island, Discovery Island and the Chatham Islands where we got a look at a colony of Brandt Cormorants. We saw harbor seals and sea lions however, some rascal had tipped off the Orcas and whales that we were coming so no sightings at all of those species. The ride back to Ogden point took us past the Uplands neighborhood of Greater Victoria where the well to do folks reside. Worca Mist returned to ger berth around 4:15 PM after having to allow both the Canadian Coast Goard (CCG) 47’ Cape-class motor lifeboat Cape Calvert, as well as the big Discovery Princess to slip from their respective berths, and depart for sea (Cape Calvert) and Vancouver (Discovery Princess) where we would see her again on Sunday.

 

Maria had a great time on her shorex at Butchart Gardens, took lots of pics, and had her gelato. She returned around 5:45 PM afterwards we both got ready for our eagerly anticipated meet with local residents Pat and Ann.

 

At about 6:05 PM, both of us departed Nieuw A for second time via the Deck 1 port side gangway (in between guest services and the security officer’s office) and walked the long B Pier to the terminal building and outside where we saw Pat and Ann standing. I first met the nice couple while working some years ago, I believe on Oosterdam, when she was calling at Victoria. I gave them a private tour of the ship and had dinner with them in the Lido. This past December, I met them again, and Maria got to meet them, when the four of us were passengers on the Koningsdam for her New Years cruise.

 

Today in Victoria, they were nice enough to offer to come pick us up at Ogden Point, show us their home, and go to dinner with us. With Pat driving, they first drove us around the Victoria, Oak Bay, and Willows Beach area. We then arrived at their home for a quick drink, followed by a drive to the Broadmead Village Shopping Center and Romeos Restaurant & Lounge for a great dinner and a time to catch up.

 

Pat and Ann drove us back to Ogden Point Cruise Terminal via downtown Victoria where we said our goodbyes, but not before Ann handed us two Holland America Line / Royal Goedewagen Delft’s Blue tiles issued on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of HAL, from their just completed trans-Atlantic on the new Rotterdam VII. One of them was the ”sailing 150 years” tile, while the other was the “150 year historic transatlantic voyage” tile. Both really nice gifts for someone who has been collecting Royal Goedewagen tiles for a while. I even got a bag of Dutch "drop" (licorice) that they had picked up in Holland. It was really nice to see Pat and Ann again; genuinely nice people!!

 

All aboard in Victoria was at 10:30 PM. Captain Jeroen soon had her backed out past the breakwater and back out into the Strait of Juan de Fuca where the pilot was transferred to his amazingly fast and powerful bright yellow pilot boat called ‘Scout’ at the Victoria pilot station. Nieuw A then entered the Haro Strait which took her to the Strait of Georgia. The Vancouver pilot was picked up at the Brochie pilot station in the Strait of Georgia at 0045 hrs., after which Vancouver harbor proper was entered via Burard Inlet after passing underneath the Lion’s Gate Bridge at 0600 hrs. She then proceeded to her assigned berth of Canada Place North. Nieuw Amsterdam went starboard side alongside, using one of two “jet-way-type” CP gangways attached to Decks 1 and 2.

 

See ya manana in Vancouver!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 1, 2023 by Copper10-8

[Vict0riann]

John, we really enjoyed your visit!  (Still enjoying it, actually. -  doggy bag pasta and fish!😄). Were you the last passengers back on board?  I noticed they closed the gate after you passed through….

[Copper10-8]

1 minute ago, Vict0riann said:

John, we really enjoyed your visit!  (Still enjoying it, actually. -  doggy bag pasta and fish!😄). Were you the last passengers back on board?  I noticed they closed the gate after you passed through….

 

Hey Ann; good to hear! 😉 nope, we were not the last ones! All aboard was at 10:30 PM. Say hi to Pat for us!

[Ineke]

1 hour ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

So, as stated, it was pretty much a zoo inside Canada Place yesterday and it didn't help that there were three ships in port for the first time of the 2023 Alaska season. Two of those ships were Brilliance of the Seas, with plus minus 2,400 pax, Discovery Princess, with 3,660 pax and the smallest of the three, Nieuw A, with 2,102 pax. For May 7, when we're going home and you're coming on, the situation will hopefully be a little bit better since the "biggie", Discovery Princess will not be there, and her place will be taken by HAL's own Noordam (1,916 pax).

 

On HAL, the Pinnacle Grill staff is responsible for disembarking pax wheelchair assistance, while the dining room staff takes over for embarking pax who need / have requested wheelchair assistance. So, you will be dealing with dining room staff. HAL wheelchair assistance usually end/begins in the terminal building! Assistance from/to your drop-off/pickup for wheelchair-bound pax is usually provided by shoreside staff.

 

Yesterday at Canada Place, there apparently was no shoreside wheelchair assistance and/or they were fully committed to the pax of the two bigger ships. This forced the Nieuw A PG staff to escort/push the disembarking Nieuw A not just to inside the terminal, but via the CP parking garage (the bus drop-off point) to Howe Street, since ride hailing vehicles are not permitted to pick-up cruise guests at/inside Canada Place Cruise Ship Terminal.

 

Make sure you let HAL know that your require wheelchair assistance this coming Sunday however, it should be Canada Place (contracted/hired) staff who are the ones who should be assisting you to a designated place inside the terminal where HAL staff (from the dining room) take over and get you onboard

Thank you again, that's reassuring.  I have indicated that I need assistance and it is noted on my boarding pass. Our daughter will be providing drop off/pick-up service for us, so it should be a matter of getting to the drop-off location to deliver both the parents and their luggage to the right spot. We plan to arrive a bit ahead of our 11:20 designated time, in case of traffic issues because of the Marathon.  I’m sure it will all work out. Sure looking forward to it!

[TiogaCruiser]

 

Looks like you got a shot of our Golden Retriever at meal time!

[Copper10-8]

Day 5 – Sunday 30 APR 23 – Vancouver, BC, Canada / Turnaround Day

 

So today ended the four-day Pacific Coastal in Vancouver, officially making it “turnaround day”. The majority of folks leaving Nieuw A today had been onboard Ft. Lauderdale, FL, making the Panama Canal transit. The second largest group were our shipmates who had joined in San Diego, but only to go to Vancouver. We were in a category officially designated as being “in Transit”, in other words, we were staying on. Everyone on Nieuw A had to be seen this morning by either U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) or by Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) agents. Vancouver being one of several cities where U.S. CBP agents are stationed for pre-clearance of folks traveling back to the U.S. or, in our case, for pre-clearance to reenter the U.S. in Alaska after having been abroad in Canada. It was our plan to be seen, and then right away go into Vancouver proper via the Hop on Hop off bus which we knew had a stop in front of Canada Place.

 

But first things first! We had ordered room service to be delivered at 0845 hours. It was, and it was hot, except for the toast, which is not easy to do. Next up was to meet our fellow in-transit pax inside the B.B. Kings’ Blues Club at 0915 hours where our names and stateroom number were checked off the list and we were asked to have a seat with, by the looks of it, about 28-32 other in-transit pax. After about a 25 min. wait, we were escorted off the gangway to the very long glass corridor that runs alongside CP Berths North and West and that’s where the fun started. A Canada Place shoreside rep asked the group if everyone in that queue was going back onboard Nieuw A after being cleared. In response, one other couple and we raised our limbs and stated that we wanted to go into town. “Ok, follow me” was the agent’s response.

 

She took us out of the line and in and out of some adjoining room until we reached another Canada Place rep who pointed us to a line and stated “this is for U.S. and Canadian pax only” Ok, no prob, in the line we went which took us to a series of self-service kiosks where we wound up responding to CBP - inspection related questions after which we had to submit biographic information, and had a glorious pic taken. The machine spit out a receipt with that same pic on it, which we had to take to a U.S. CBP agent at the end of the line for visible screening. The entire process took about 10-15 minutes which was great!

 

So, we thought were done but when we told yet another CP rep that we were going into town she told us “Oh, you will have to go through that loop one more time” and took us to our starting point, that same very long glass corridor where we had started at. Wazzup with that? We followed the same path but now concentrated on signs that stated “to the city” and were finally in familiar territory, that being the parking garage where the buses pick you up drop you off. We never saw a CBSA checkpoint and/or agent but were trusting that the E311 declaration card we had filled out in Victoria yesterday took care of business! It all seemed a bit chaotic to us with the left hand of the Canada Place reps not really knowing what the right hand was doing, but hey, we got there.

 

So at approx. 10:45 AM, we entered the very nice Pan Pacific hotel which is located adjacent to and on top of Canada Place. Maria checked in with her mum by phone to make sure everything was A-OK on the home front, it was, Afterwards, we walked to a concierge desk and ordered two tickets on the Vancouver City Hop on Hop off bus which had a convenient drop off/pick up point (stop #1) in front of the hotel on Canada Place.

 

So the Vancouver Hop on Hop off bus, not a double decker, more a converted school bus with the bench seats and clear-top roofs, makes a total of thirteen stops throughout the city at such landmarks as Harbourfront, Stanley Park, Granville Island, the Entertainment District, the Sports District (think Rogers Area and the Vancouver Canucks) Library Square, Chinatown, the Gastown Steamclock, etc. The weather today was not great but only the big guy upstairs can control that. We did half a loop and got off at the Granville Island and walked northbound to the public market to look around. Reminded us a lot of Quincy Market in Boston, Mass with all the food stalls, etc. We wound up grabbing a bite to eat at the Keg Steakhouse & Bar which was tasty. Back on the bus, we completed the loop via Chinatown and Gastown which ultimately brought us back to Canada Place around 2:45 PM with an All-Aboard time on Nieuw Amsterdam at 3:30 PM. We like the hop on hop off concept; it gives you a taste of a city and you'll have a chance to go back and hone in on a certain area later on.

 

To be con't

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Copper10-8]

Day 5 – Sunday 30 APR 23 – Vancouver, BC, Canada / Turnaround Day (con't)

 

However, we got an bit of a nasty surprise upon entering the departure area with at least 2,000 pax for three ships waiting to be screened by CP’s private security folks. Besides Nieuw A at the CP North berth, there was RCI’s Brilliance of the Seas at the CP West berth in front of us, and the really big Discovery Princess at the CP East berth. Yes, this was the first time in the 2023 Alaska season that Canada Place had three cruise ships in port, but come on now, they’ve done if for many, many years in a row, and know, or should know, how the game is played! The left hand/right hand not knowing what the other is doing, for example, upon seeing the sea of humanity in front of us, very slowly streaming through at least three rooms slinky-style, we showed our “in-transit” cards to a nearby CP rep and asked her if we had to be in that mother of all lines. Her response was “Yes, everyone needs to go through security”. So, of course we understood that part but the vast majority of the pax in Canada Place this afternoon were newly embarking folks. There was no way, we could make All Aboard time in those lines.

 

We shuffled along – the lines were moving albeit slow – for about 10-15 minutes until we spotted another rep and asked her the same question. Well guess what, “Oh no, in-transit pax can follow the crew lines!” Awwwrighty then, out the line we and underneath the tape we went, to the crew line where, as old times, there was no waiting. We quickly arrived at the X-ray machines and magnetometers and went through like a piece of cake. We were onboard Nieuw A at 3:25 PM but there was absolutely now way, any embarking Nieuw A pax still in that line downstairs would make it onboard on time. We found out later on that Capt. Jeroen made it know to the Canada Place staff that he was not leaving until all his newly embarking pax had made it onboard, which they did, but resulted in a departure delay for us and a slinky effect down line.

 

For non-embarking today folks like us, we did not have to complete another muster process. We also learned that our lead stateroom steward, Riza, had been transferred to another section. His replacement was Ishlah as in La Isla Bonita, one of Madonna’s hits. Our/his No. 2 guy from last week, Abdul, is still here.

 

In Vancouver you can always tell when a ship you’re on is about to depart, why? One of the longshoremen on the pier will sound an air horn, a sign that the automated airport-like gangways are about to be retracted and stowed. That was done at about 4:35 after which Nieuw A let go of her lines and one of the two Jeroens slowly steamed her out and away from Canada Place until there was enough space to start following Burrard Inlet in the direction of the Lions Gate Bridge. We were being escorted by the Vancouver Port Authority patrol boat VFPA 4. We crossed underneath that same Lions Gate Bridge, dropped off the Vancouver harbor pilot at the Brochie pilot station, and started chugging up the Strait of Georgia.

 

The entertainment tonite was an 8:00 PM presentation by cruise & travel director Kimberly who introduced the Great Land to us under the title “We are Alaska”. It went into Alaska’s history, its people and wildlife, and the history of HAL: and Alaska. The other entertainment on this first of seven nights were the Third Avenue West trio in the Ocean Bar at 5:00 and 6:00 PM; the Billboard Onboard piano due of Torrey and Wes at 8;30, 9:45 and 10:30 PM; and the B.B. King’s All-Star Band at 8:16, 8:15 and 10:15 PM; followed by Dancing to the Hits at 11:00 PM to closing.

 

Tomorrow (Monday) is a sea day of cruising the Canadian Inside Passage; See ya then!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[oakridger]

I'm so happy to hear there is quite a bit of live music still happening on board John!  When (?) some new classical music comes to take over from Lincoln Center Stage, then things will really be looking up!  For me, the next improvement will be having subject matter experts giving enrichment talks in the afternoons! (not at night) on the longer voyages.  

 

Continue having a good time!

 

~Nancy

[Copper10-8]

Day 6 – Monday 01 MAY 23 – At Sea / Cruising the Inside Passage

 

So, after departing Vancouver, Nieuw A’s navigators set a course for cruising the Canadian portion of the inside passage. Nieuw Amsterdam subsequently left English Bay behind and began chugging along the Strait of Georgia on a northerly course between the Canadian mainland and Vancouver Island, timing her speed and course carefully in order to arrive at Seymour Narrows bright and early at 0200 hours during slack tide (the moment the current goes from ebbing to flooding or vice versa). The problem was that traffic in that area is tightly controlled due to the narrowness of the passage for ships going in either direction. The delay we encountered in departing Vancouver late due to the zoo inside Canada Place would have a slinky effect in traversing the Narrows, which subsequently caused us a delay in arriving in Juneau on Tuesday afternoon.

 

Seymour Narrows is a 3.1-mile section of the Discovery Passage in British Columbia, known for strong tidal currents as well as dangerous conditions such as whirlpools and overfalls. Discovery Passage lies between Vancouver Island at Menzies Bay and Quadra Island except at its northern end where the eastern shoreline is Sonra Island. The section known as Seymour Narrows begins about 11 miles from the south end of Discovery Passage where it enters the Strait of Georgia near Cape Mudge and the community of Campbell River. For most of the length of the narrows, the channel is about 820 yards wide. Through this narrow channel, currents can reach 15 knots or 17 miles per hour. Canadian pilots are mandatory to be present on the bridge for that reason.

 

After Nieuw A’s bridge team successfully transited Seymour Narrows and Discovery Passage, albeit later than scheduled, Chatham Point and its 90-degree turn, Race Passage, Johnstone Strait, Blackney Passage (another 90-degree turn), and Blackfish Sound were entered and followed, passing Port Hardy. When we awakened at our usual 7:15 AM time slot on Monday morning, we were in between Port Hardy and Alert Bay, a village on Cormorant Island, near the town of Port McNeill on northeast Vancouver Island. There used to be a local resident there who was known as the “Alert Bay Trumpeter”, real name Jerry Higginson, who would come out in his small boat adorned with the Canadian and United States national colors, to meet passing cruise ships in this area. He would serenade those cruise ship pax on his trumpet by playing “Oh Canada”, “the Star-Spangled Banner”, and “When the Saints go marching on” and, when finished, would receive a rousing round of applause and cheers from many of those pax assembled on the open decks and/or balconies. If Jerry is still playing, we hope to see him on the return trip next Saturday.

 

We had our customary breakfast in the PG and learned that Pablo, one of our main servers, would be leaving us in Juneau tomorrow, flying home to Santo Domingo in his native Dominican Republic via Seattle and New York City. We will miss her service. The weather was pretty much overcast all day long with periods of drizzle.

 

Nieuw Amsterdam by then had sailed via Queen Charlotte Strait into the open (Pacific) ocean arm of Queen Charlotte Sound, keeping the Haida Gwaii Islands (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands) to our west and dropping off the two BC pilots at Triple Island (just outside Prince Rupert, BC). Although it is considered inland waters, the Sound is more than twenty-five miles wide at places. Next up was Hecate Strait to enter U.S waters west bound at the Dixon Entrance.

 

While this was all happening, we had a lunch reservation inside the Pinnacle Grill at 12:00 Noon sharp. We were once again served by Pablo. Maria chose the Spinach Arugula Salad: Avocado orange, organic seeds, creamy lemon dressing, Gorgonzola, air-dried apples, Roasted Jidori Chicken with Porcini Mushrooms: Cider vinegar jus, quinoa-forbidden rice cake, mâché salad, toasted pistachios; and Strawberry Pavlova: Strawberry consommé, basil, while I had the Tomato Broth with Spicy Lemongrass Chicken: Kaffir lime, cilantro; Pinnacle Burger: Bacon jam, garlic chipotle aioli, Beecher’s cheddar cheese, cabernet red onions, avocado, French fries; and premium ice cream.

 

After leaving Dixon Entrance behind, Nieuw Amsterdam entered the Pacific Ocean proper at Cape Muzon, and started following the west coast of Prince of Wales Island.

 

Dinner for us was a new one as we haven’t been in the main dining room yet on this, day 6 of this voyage. Tonight was once again a dressy night with the majority of folks making at least some effort in looking presentable. We were led to our table for six, all the way aft, port side where we met our table mates, all three Canadians; Donna and Tom from Port Moody, BC via Prince Albert, SK, and Des from Coquitlam, BC. Good conversation ensued and dinner was nice!

 

Followed this up with the comedy and magic of Craig Diamond in the main show lounge, and closed the night out with the B.B. King’s All-Star band.

 

Tomorrow (Tuesday) is our stop at Alaska’s State Capital, Juneau.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Copper10-8]

15 hours ago, oakridger said:

I'm so happy to hear there is quite a bit of live music still happening on board John!  When (?) some new classical music comes to take over from Lincoln Center Stage, then things will really be looking up!  For me, the next improvement will be having subject matter experts giving enrichment talks in the afternoons! (not at night) on the longer voyages.  

 

Continue having a good time!

 

~Nancy

 

Thanks Nancy! They're supposed to be negotiating with the Lincoln Center Stage folks, so time will tell. We noticed in the program today that the Third Avenue West trio who are playing in the Ocean Bar, at least today, have extended their hours and are now performing there at 5:00, 6:00, 8:30 and 9:30 PM. We haven't heard them yet but will have to make a point to do so. We are inside Glacier Bay National Park today so we are enjoying the expert "play-by-play" by National Park Rangers from the bridge who came onboard this morning at Bartlett Cove off Point Gustavus

[rafinmd]

[A request.  I visited Prince Rupert many years ago arriving by train and leaving by ferry (I think the most recent was 2010).  My recollection from that time is that the pier was just a collection of pilings with no deck and was far below the water level.  Can you take a couple of pictures of the ship from town and what the port facilities are like.]

 

 

Oops, I see you don't go there.  I thought you did.

 

Roy

Edited May 4, 2023 by rafinmd

[Copper10-8]

1 hour ago, rafinmd said:

[A request.  I visited Prince Rupert many years ago arriving by train and leaving by ferry (I think the most recent was 2010).  My recollection from that time is that the pier was just a collection of pilings with no deck and was far below the water level.  Can you take a couple of pictures of the ship from town and what the port facilities are like.]

 

 

Oops, I see you don't go there.  I thought you did.

 

Roy

 

Hey Roy; nope, not going to Prince Rupert, actually never been there. Looks like cruise ships use the BC Ferries dock or am I mistaken?

 

[rafinmd]

24 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Hey Roy; nope, not going to Prince Rupert, actually never been there. Looks like cruise ships use the BC Ferries dock or am I mistaken?

 

The ferry dock is just a tie up point with a ramp leading directly into the back of the ferry.  The cruise terminal is close to a mile north of the ferry, right in the center of town.  I did see some photos from people on the Koningsdam, and it isn't as much of a climb as I remembered from many years ago.

 

I think I've figured out the layout here:

 

 

Roy

Edited May 5, 2023 by rafinmd

[jennaja]

Thank you for your thorough and very enjoyable trip report!

If you have a chance, would you mind asking a crewmember how many passengers will be on the 14 day sailing on May 7th?  We will be also be boarding with 3 ships in port.  I understand there will also be thousands of Vancouver Marathon runners near the port that day.

[Copper10-8]

2 hours ago, jennaja said:

Thank you for your thorough and very enjoyable trip report!

If you have a chance, would you mind asking a crewmember how many passengers will be on the 14 day sailing on May 7th?  We will be also be boarding with 3 ships in port.  I understand there will also be thousands of Vancouver Marathon runners near the port that day.

 

I will attempt to get that info for you. The 3 ships in port will be Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam and Brilliance OTS

[beshears]

I am thinking of cruising this ship next year, so hopefully I can get some idea about the ship, by following along with your review.

[Copper10-8]

Day 7 – Tuesday 02 MAY 23 – Juneau, AK

 

This morning, Nieuw Amsterdam turned up the Chatham Strait, the narrow passage of the Alexander Archipelago which separates Chichagof Island and Baranof Island to its west from Admiralty Island and Kuiu Island on its east side. From Chatham Strait, we turned into Frederick Sound, also known as Prince Frederick Sound or Prince Frederick's Sound. Frederick Sound is also located in the Alexander Archipelago and separates Kupreanof Island to the south from big Admiralty Island to the north. Frederick Sound was named by Captain George Vancouver for Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany.

 

The town of Kake is situated on the northwest coast of Kupreanof Island and that’s also were the Kake/Cornwallis pilot station, which is served by the Southeast Alaska Pilotage Area, is located. It covers the waters from Dixon Entrance to Yakutat Bay and is a compulsory pilotage area. The town name comes from a Tlingit word that means “mouth of dawn” or “opening of daylight”. So around 0730 hours, we picked up not one, but two, pilots from their boat ‘Vallenar.’ Once they were on board, Nieuw Amsterdam continued in Frederick Sound.

 

Frederick Sound led us into Stephens Passage, the channel which runs between Admiralty Island to the west and the Alaska mainland and Douglas Island to the east, and is about 105 miles long. Our destination, Juneau, the capitol of Alaska, is located near the north end, on the Gastineau Channel. Gastineau Channel separates Juneau on the mainland side from Douglas (now part of Juneau), on Douglas Island. The first European to sight the channel was Joseph Whidbey early in August 1794, first from the south and later from the west. It was probably named for John Gastineau, an English Civil Engineer and Surveyor. The channel is navigable by large ships only from the southeast as far as the Douglas Bridge, approximately 9.7 miles.

 

So, we proceeded up the Gastineau Channel to our berth. Today we were assigned the No. 2 position, which is the Alaska Cruise Ship Terminal (CT) berth. We were safely berthed, port side to, at 1447 hrs. so just 47 minutes late from our original arrival time of 2:00 PM. Capt. Jeroen had done his magic again! The big shore-side gangways were attached to Decks 2 and 3 via a fork lift, lovingly known by its drivers as “Big Bertha”, followed by Juneau Port Agent Ryan and a CBP agent coming onboard to clear the ship for all pax and crew, meaning we were good to go. The only other cruise ship in port with us today on this dreary/rainy day was our friend from Victoria and Vancouver, Discovery Princess, berthed at the Franklin Street Dock. All aboard today would be a 10:30 PM and hour later then originally scheduled in order to compensate for the Canada Place delay.

 

Juneau is the capital city of Alaska. It is a unified municipality located in the Alaskan panhandle and is the second largest city in the United States by area. It has been the capital of Alaska since 1906, when the government of the then District of Alaska was moved from Sitka as dictated by the U.S. Congress in 1900. The municipality unified on July 1, 1970, when the city of Juneau merged with the city of Douglas and the surrounding Greater Juneau Borough to form the current home rule municipality. The area of Juneau is larger than that of Rhode Island and Delaware individually and almost as large as the two states combined. Downtown Juneau is nestled at the base of Mount Juneau and across from Douglas Island. The city is rather unusual among U.S. capitals in that there are no roads connecting Juneau to the rest of Alaska or the rest of North America (though ferry service is available for cars).

 

Juneau is named after gold prospector Joe Juneau, though the place was for a time called Rockwell and then Harrisburg (after Juneau's co-prospector, Richard Harris). The Tlingit name of the town is Dzántik'i Héeni ("Base of the Flounder’s River"), and Auke Bay just north of Juneau proper is called Áak'w ("Little lake") in Tlingit. The Taku River, just south of Juneau, was named after the cold t'aakh wind, which occasionally blows down from the mountains.

 

We originally had a shore excursion here by the name of Sentinel Lighthouse & Whale Watching Cruise which would leave the ship at 4:35 PM. Unfortunately, this was one of several to be cancelled due to the inclement weather today. We received a full refund.

 

What to do instead? Easy, revert back to my former crew member life and grab a cab in front of the Red Dog Saloon and have him take us to the Fred Meyer supermarket/department/super store located about 15 minutes north of town on Glacier Highway. We needed some supplies; those cheap Bic razor blades I had purchased in San Diego at the last minute just weren’t cutting it. Well, they were cutting but at the same time I was donating blood and that wasn’t the plan. Plus I knew Fred Meyer has a Starbucks, just about the only one in Juneau so off we went in the drizzle. Our cabbie was Ryan, a bit of a free spirit originally from Iowa 

 

We did our thing at Fred Meyer and got back onboard Nieuw A at about 6:45 PM, 30 minutes prior to feeding time in the main dining room. Our lead dining room steward is Al from Indonesia while his assistant is Alan, surprisingly from the Philippines. Looks like the Filipinos have now also spread out to the dining room, good for them!

 

Back at the AK Cruise Terminal, there was a pretty cool looking small cruise ship moored at the inner berth. It turned out to be the 86-passenger Wilderness Legacy from UN Cruise Adventures (formerly American Safari Cruises). At first glance, she looks like an early Victorian steamer and apparently has carved wooden cabinetry and a grand salon complete with a dance floor, full bar, and old-world charm. She was built in 1984 at Signal Ship Repair in Mobile, Al as Pilgrim Belle but is prob. best known as Spirit of '98 operated by Cruise West small ship operator. Nice looking ship!

 

The main entertainment tonight at 7:00 and 8:30 PM in the Main Stage were the “Native Voices of the Tlingit People”. We unfortunately had to miss it due to grazing. We once again closed out the night with the B.B. King’s All-Stars who are playing to standing room only and have the dance floor hopping. The lead female vocalist is Izzy from Memphis and her male counterpart is Cole. They are awesome!

 

Tomorrow is our second Alaskan port, that being Skagway!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

I am very interested to read your impressions of Skagway with regard to how the landslides at the Railway Dock are impacting cruise ship visits this year.

[Golfbag]

What a great 'Live From' trip report!  I am following closely as we are a group 15 from WI ready to enjoy our 49th State on the June 18th sailing. Looks like we will need to pack our patience in Vancouver - I'll just be happy to be setting sail 😎

[dutch46]

If you see Ing Ing again, ask her to pronounce "vegetable".  We spent several days on the Rotterdam trying to get her to say it correctly.  She is a bundle of energy and we were lucky enough to have sailed with her twice on the Rotterdam.