Live from the Noordam 14 day Alaska cruise

[cruisequeen4ever]

That free meal idea is awesome!

[SwissMyst]

Captain reported there ar 44 nationalities among the crew. A mini “United Nations” he said, and we have noticed a much wider array than the formerly Indonesian and Filipino crews in the past.
 

I would also love to see the list of the 44 nations listed. Maybe more information when they offer the “City at Sea” video.

[SwissMyst]

Darjeeling tea packets are back at the Lido. Not the HAL brand, but a French one.

[tupper10]

Today is a sea day. Cold out so just relaxing.  Tomorrow is Glacier. Bay hoping the weather is good. 

[SwissMyst]

Indeed, port side was the side to be on today,  cruising the Prince William Sound out of Valdez with long views of snowy mountains and cliffs meeting the sea.

 

Three enrichment talks today, sea day.

1. Native Alaskan heritage

2. Iditarod race

3. Planning the Glacier Bay visit tomorrow with special access to John Hopkins glacier, which only gets two permits to enter per year.

 

Second Dressy Night tonight. Third one will also be Orange Party night.

Edited September 25, 2023 by SwissMyst

[rwmiller]

We are also onboard this week so I will chime in to fill in some blanks.  
 

I had the Korean Fried Chicken crew meal and it was exactly as described and delicious. Just a hint of heat and delicious stir fried vegetables. I also had the Tandoori Chicken Tikki Masala crew meal and it was also fantastic. Nice and spicy. I enjoy this option as it adds good variety to 6pm menu. 
 

While in Valdez, we took the Columbia Glacier cruise. It was on a very comfortable boat holding 150 people and took about 6.5 hours. On the way to the glacier we searched for wildlife and viewed the fantastic mountain scenery.  We saw a pod of orcas (first time for us) which was very nice. The glacier (actually 3 arms) was spectacular and worthy of the trip (photos below). We picked this trip as our voyages to Alaska are all about scenery and wildlife. 
 

We are very glad we took this cruise seeing different ports than the usual. On to Glacier Bay. 
 

Bob

[Hogladyrider]

@rwmiller..WOW stunning photos....thanks for sharing.  This itinerary is on our "watch list".

[tupper10]

Yesterday was a relaxing day . We saw multiple whales out our veranda.  There must have been a pod near us since we saw more than one blow hole at a time.  With binoculars the view was even better.  Today we are in Glacier bay.  The forecast changed again no rain just clouds.  The ranger should be on board now so we will head out soon.  

[canadianbear]

24 minutes ago, rwmiller said:

We are also onboard this week so I will chime in to fill in some blanks.  
 

I had the Korean Fried Chicken crew meal and it was exactly as described and delicious. Just a hint of heat and delicious stir fried vegetables. I also had the Tandoori Chicken Tikki Masala crew meal and it was also fantastic. Nice and spicy. I enjoy this option as it adds good variety to 6pm menu. 
 

While in Valdez, we took the Columbia Glacier cruise. It was on a very comfortable boat holding 150 people and took about 6.5 hours. On the way to the glacier we searched for wildlife and viewed the fantastic mountain scenery.  We saw a pod of orcas (first time for us) which was very nice. The glacier (actually 3 arms) was spectacular and worthy of the trip (photos below). We picked this trip as our voyages to Alaska are all about scenery and wildlife. 
 

We are very glad we took this cruise seeing different ports than the usual. On to Glacier Bay. 
 

Bob

Thanks for commenting on your experience with the added items on the menu-I think those 2 “crew” meals would be something my husband would enjoy.  
 

Great photos too!  Glad you saw orcas-they are so majestic. 

[tupper10]

Fabulous day at Glacier Bay.  A cold, windy, cloudy day but the visibility was terrific.  We are heading out now with the final ranger talk at 3 pm.  What a fabulous day.  

[SwissMyst]

Glacier Bay Triple Treat.

1. No other cruise ships, Just us alone.

2. Entry permitted into Johns Hopkins glacier bay, partway only due resting sea otter on small ice bergies and growlers.

3. Another day of no rain with sun breaking through for some clear mountain peak views. Very pleasant balcony viewing.

 

I came on this late season cruise expecting it could be rainy, cold and windy every single day. Seven days and counting now, really great weather. One more week to go, as we head into the Alaska rain forest.

[tupper10]

Today we are in Skagway.  We were lucky again so far no rain. It is supposed to rain tonight but most of the tours will be over. We did the small bus to the Yukon on the road that parallels the train. We have done the train in the past. The excursion was fun and well worth the price. We then walked around town a bit and my husband visited his favorite store - an Ace Hardware that seemed to sell everything.  We have a nice view from our veranda.  Today we did have to tender to the port. The Koningsdam is here as well docked right behind us but it seems they can walk off.  We don’t know why but the tenders were well organized and since we had a tour we did get priority in the morning.  

[RiciRicardo]

Thanks for all the info.  Can someone tell me who is tickling the ivories in Billboard Onboard?? Getting Onbard soon

[tupper10]

A rainy cold day as we arrive on Sitka. We will not be getting off the ship. Luckily we have been here before and we had no excursion booked.  Tomorrow in Ketchikan the sun is supposed to return.  

[SightCRR]

Tenders sometimes required in Skagway because of earlier rock slides on nearby cliffs. Not sure why K-dam folks could walk off unless it was early and people walked before barriers were set up and were required to tender later. 

[tupper10]

We are heading to Ketchikan.  The sun is out and it is a beautiful day.  Three other Hal ships are there. The Eurodam leaves when we arrive and the Koningsdam is there all day. We have no excursion planned though I downloaded a historic walking tour.  

[tupper10]

A beautiful day in Prince Rupert. We did the trolley tour which took us all over the town and was very informative.  It is our last port stop. Tomorrow is a sea day and Sunday it is back to reality with a long flight home. Some pictures of Prince Rupert.

[SwissMyst]

PRINCE RUPERT ISLAND.   Starboard side extra benefit

Charming low key townafter the recent crush of shared ports. A very welcome port stop.

 

Our verandah faced Odin Seafood Processing facility when a crab boat came to offload. It was like watching an episode of Deadliest Catch live. Buckets and buckets of live crabs hoisted off.  Containers and containers of ice loaded on and shoveled into the hold for another run.
.
It was a ballet of crab sorters, crane operator, forklift operators who all worked as a team, one misstep could create a workplace accident.  They worked hard and steady and went to bed every knowing AI would never be replacing their jobs.

 

We stay on for another week to San Diego. Stops in SF, LA will certainly break the mood of so many quieter stops on the first 14 days.

 

Happy travels, tupper and thanks for starting this thread and sharing you beautiful photos.  Sorry we did not get a photo of every single large HAL issued umbrella blown to shreds  coming back in from Sitka. A little of everything weather wise for Alaska, this time of year.
 

[tupper10]

2 hours ago, SwissMyst said:

PRINCE RUPERT ISLAND.   Starboard side extra benefit

Charming low key townafter the recent crush of shared ports. A very welcome port stop.

 

Our verandah faced Odin Seafood Processing facility when a crab boat came to offload. It was like watching an episode of Deadliest Catch live. Buckets and buckets of live crabs hoisted off.  Containers and containers of ice loaded on and shoveled into the hold for another run.
.
It was a ballet of crab sorters, crane operator, forklift operators who all worked as a team, one misstep could create a workplace accident.  They worked hard and steady and went to bed every knowing AI would never be replacing their jobs.

 

We stay on for another week to San Diego. Stops in SF, LA will certainly break the mood of so many quieter stops on the first 14 days.

 

Happy travels, tupper and thanks for starting this thread and sharing you beautiful photos.  Sorry we did not get a photo of every single large HAL issued umbrella blown to shreds  coming back in from Sitka. A little of everything weather wise for Alaska, this time of year.
 

Have a wonderful 7 day cruise. We were tempted but it is still a long flight home.  

[HappyInVan]

On 9/26/2023 at 4:47 PM, tupper10 said:

Today we did have to tender to the port. The Koningsdam is here as well docked right behind us but it seems they can walk off.  We don’t know why but the tenders were well organized and since we had a tour we did get priority in the morning.  

 

 

You're parked next to the hillside at the exact point of the big landslide. Your pic shows the Ferry Terminal in the foreground. Here's a pic from the POV of the Broadway Dock. And, a clearer pic of the landslide area. They've slung two huge nets to catch debris.

 

The K'dam was parked behind you. Pax could disembark onto the dock, but have to be shuttled into town.

 

 

 

 

[tupper10]

A quiet day on board.  Hard to believe how fast our two weeks on board went. We had a wonderful time. The food was fine, the staff outstanding, and we lucked out with the weather- only one day of rain.  We hope everyone has safe travels home and for those continuing on have a wonderful time. 

[tupper10]

Thank you to everyone who followed along with me on this wonderful trip.  For anyone thinking of doing the 14 day I would say it was worth it to see some other ports. I think Valdez was my favorite port on this cruise. Kodiak would have been more interesting had we had a better tour.

 

We are off the ship and back to reality soon. Now I just hope our flights are on time.  
 

Safe travels home to all who were with us on this cruise. 

[canadianbear]

4 minutes ago, tupper10 said:

Thank you to everyone who followed along with me on this wonderful trip.  For anyone thinking of doing the 14 day I would say it was worth it to see some other ports. I think Valdez was my favorite port on this cruise. Kodiak would have been more interesting had we had a better tour.

 

We are off the ship and back to reality soon. Now I just hope our flights are on time.  
 

Safe travels home to all who were with us on this cruise. 

Loved following along!  Our son and his wife were in Kodiak a few years ago and booked a float plane to see the bears.  The other couple didn’t show up but the pilot took them up on their own.  They had an amazing time, saw the bears close up eating salmon etc. They sat on the pontoons and got such beautiful photos.  The pilot asked if they wanted to see anything else & took them on a fly by of the ship so they got aerial views.  (Was an independent tour not a ship tour). 

[leerathje]

On 9/29/2023 at 12:29 PM, tupper10 said:

A beautiful day in Prince Rupert. We did the trolley tour which took us all over the town and was very informative.  It is our last port stop. Tomorrow is a sea day and Sunday it is back to reality with a long flight home. Some pictures of Prince Rupert.

 

 

This photo was taken when you were in Prince Rupert...were they doing drills with the lifeboats and tenders that day?

 

L.

 

[Roz]

Post mortem - I had a miserable check-in at Canada Place.  Got there a little before 1:30 pm.  Thought the crush would be over.  I was standing or walking for 2 hours.  Got onboard at 3:15 pm.  Key card wouldn't work.  Room steward let me in and sent me to Guest Services.  They were waiting for me to report to muster station so we could sail at 4 pm.  Got out of line and went to muster station but card wouldn't scan which is what I tried to tell them.  Head of security marched me back to Guest Services and dragged me to the front of the line so card could be reprogrammed.

 

Why are things so difficult?  Why do some people board easily, have lunch, and enjoy the start of their cruise?  

 

I don't think I'll ever sail to or from Vancouver again.  It's just too complicated and I've never had a good experience there.  Coming back to Seattle, we were told to report to World Stage at 8:15.  Didn't board bus until 9:15.