Live From Alaska Aboard Ms Nieuw Amsterdam - May 5-19, 2024

[Crew News]

9 hours ago, regan3 said:

The daily program you posted for Skagway talks about a mandatory port shuttle new?

 

Curious about logistics, long lines, short ride, etc.?

 

Thank you 

The first time I left the ship to find someone from Shore Excursions(all at the end of the pier), I walked through the tunnel of converted ocean shipping containers (protects from falling rocks from the unstable cliffs).  Half way to the end of the pier, I caught the optional shuttle (I thought is was for excursions only).  On my return trip from the end of the pier, I caught the optional shuttle instead of walking.  Both shuttles had large tip jars and the drivers were not shy about asking us to fill them. 

 

If the shuttles were mandatory, many disobeyed the directive.

 

It must be noted that not only in Skagway, but in all stops, the gangway ramps were at sever angles .  My knees ached for hours.

 

The only truly long line was caused by our late arrival in Juneau where all 2600 passenger lined up to go ashore at the same time.  That was true chaos!!

 

Hope this helps.

[Crew News]

Embarkation Day:

Over the years, I have developed an appreciation for staying at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver to both avoid the traffic and having to deliver my luggage to the underground baggage collection point downstairs.  April 21st was chaos at the underground location.  Last week an option to drop off luggage inside the cruise hallway of the Convention Center was started.to ease the chaos.  US Immigration created a second real time-delaying bottleneck. 

 

This week the few US Immigration officers were replaced by a facial recognition scan that took mere seconds but a new bottleneck was introduced that required roller bags to take an elevator instead of the escalator down to the Security Scan area.  I was onboard in less than 30 minutes from the time I began walking from Exhibit Entrance A to C. 

 

Every table in the Lido was occupied from a bit after 11:00 AM when boarding began until the announcement that rooms were ready after noon.

 

Prior to my cookie evaluation process, I tried the Lido chowder with sausage that temporarily numbed my palate, heated the back of my throat, and brought tears to my eyes.  All was well after two chocolate chip cookies came to my rescue.

 

I made my Specialty Restaurant reservations at the often overlooked podium near the Deck 9 Spa entrance.  Last week on the Koningsdam, only 30 guests took advantage of this second reservation portal while hundreds stood in line at the Deck 2 Reservation kiosk.

 

The gaggle to get to the Muster stations was rough.  Before I could get to my Muster Station on the Promenade Deck, a scanner was held out and I swiftly presented my stateroom key for scanning.  The struggle to return from Muster Stations was also rough.  Elevators were packed as guests figured out that often going down facilitates going up.  It took me 20 minutes and all my wiles to snare a ride back up to my walking tour meeting point at 2:30 PM.

 

During the tour, I discovered and was very impressed with the Library.  Equally impressive was the new and very modern Morimoto Restaurant.  Just a few feet away, the Tamarind Restaurant did not appear to have been touched in the recent drydock.

 

I made the mistake of trying the Pinnacle Grill scallops in hopes that they would be golden brown on both top and bottom. They were not and so I will wait another three years before trying them again,  The creme' brulee' dessert was delicious.

 

Tomorrow is the Meet & Greet in the Tamarind Bar and the chance to obtain more feedback on the check-in process changes this week.  Lots of new CC faces to put with CC aliases. 

 

With two successive sea days,it will be a chance to chase answers, get updated menus posted, evaluate drydock upgrades, and begin processing more than 1500 photos from last week.

 

Tid Bits:

• There was no Mariner Recognition ceremony last week on the Koningsdam.
• There are new hand washing stations in the Nieuw Amsterdam Lido.
• The Canaletto does not follow the fleet-wide specials sequence.
• The contents of the minibar is greatly expanded.
• The Tamarind menu on this ship is quite reduced.
• Passenger are allowed an extra 30 minutes to disembark in Vancouver which causes staterooms to not be ready when passengers board.
• Mothers Day should have a special brunch next Sunday and an elaborate Lido display before lunch.
• Internet speed in my aft stateroom is 60 Mbps download and 21 Mbps upload.

 

More tomorrow

 

 

Edited May 6 by Crew News

[Alberta Quilter]

10 hours ago, Crew News said:

Now I am intrigued to find such onion flatbread in New Mexico.  I do enjoy Indian fry bread made with green chilies'

 

As a former resident of Germany, brotchen with melted butter, sliced ham and cheese, or a monster bratwurst with kraut, was a major portion of my diet. Perhaps without the center split, they have been hiding in plain sight  I will pose the question to a culinary person.

This is more like focaccia than bannock (if that's similar to the fry bread you're talking about).  There are no chilies on this one!  If you like spicy, you may be disappointed with HAL's version.

[Crew News]

1 hour ago, Alberta Quilter said:

This is more like focaccia than bannock (if that's similar to the fry bread you're talking about).  There are no chilies on this one!  If you like spicy, you may be disappointed with HAL's version.

I am not a spicy food lover but mild chilies add a smokey flavor to some foods.  Onion flatbread with a slathering of garlic butter sounds like taste buds nirvana, so will try it out this week.  I confirmed its availability with the bread folks at breakfast today.  Stand by for certification.

[@gentperry]

@Crew News

 

Roger, thank you for all the information you've provided here and on your website. We're sailing May 11th on Koningsdam and the daily planners you uploaded have been great to get an idea of things. It's our second Alaskan cruise and this time we got an upgrade offer so we're in a balcony instead of inside cabin. I noticed on the planners several opportunities for wildlife viewing/commentary before Juneau, during Glacier Bay, and after Ketchikan. Would you happen to know if the commentary is broadcast to the cabin TVs? I was thinking about utilizing walkie talkies with headphones to listen from the balcony.

 

Thanks for your help, and we look forward to your ongoing content this week.

[Crew News]

4 minutes ago, @gentperry said:

@Crew News

 

Roger, thank you for all the information you've provided here and on your website. We're sailing May 11th on Koningsdam and the daily planners you uploaded have been great to get an idea of things. It's our second Alaskan cruise and this time we got an upgrade offer so we're in a balcony instead of inside cabin. I noticed on the planners several opportunities for wildlife viewing/commentary before Juneau, during Glacier Bay, and after Ketchikan. Would you happen to know if the commentary is broadcast to the cabin TVs? I was thinking about utilizing walkie talkies with headphones to listen from the balcony.

 

Thanks for your help, and we look forward to your ongoing content this week.

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

The Glacier Bay commentary is broadcast on the Bow Camera channel (Channel 1) but you cannot hear it on your balcony.  Walkie talkies have a real problem with the metal stateroom walls.  Some have used baby monitors and their phones to hear the TV broadcast outside.  The commentary is broadcast to the bow and Deck 9 passengers which does carry the sound a bit to those in other viewing locations. 

 

The Deck 3 Promenade Deck is a good place to see Glacier Bay without the crowd.

[@gentperry]

15 minutes ago, Crew News said:

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

The Glacier Bay commentary is broadcast on the Bow Camera channel (Channel 1) but you cannot hear it on your balcony.  Walkie talkies have a real problem with the metal stateroom walls.  Some have used baby monitors and their phones to hear the TV broadcast outside.  The commentary is broadcast to the bow and Deck 9 passengers which does carry the sound a bit to those in other viewing locations. 

 

The Deck 3 Promenade Deck is a good place to see Glacier Bay without the crowd.

Great, thank you for the information. We'll go where we can see and hear, wildlife is an important part of our trip.

[Crew News]

6 hours ago, Crew News said:

I am not a spicy food lover but mild chilies add a smokey flavor to some foods.  Onion flatbread with a slathering of garlic butter sounds like taste buds nirvana, so will try it out this week.  I confirmed its availability with the bread folks at breakfast today.  Stand by for certification.

I do hereby certify that onion flatbread is served at lunch in the Lido Market.  It was not as flat as I expected but the caramelized onion topping was a tasty treat.  A slathering of butter made it even better.

[Crew News]

Of special note for this ship is the addition of an espresso machine in the Lido Market.  Service was quick and continuous during my time of observation.  Prices were consistent at all locations board.  A tablet terminal was in use to process transactions.  This makes three sources for cappuccino now (Lido, Pinnacle Bar, and Crows Nest).  I predict a Lido Market revenue-generating espresso machine will be on all HAL ships very soon,

Edited May 6 by Crew News

[Crew News]

On 5/5/2024 at 3:23 PM, Cruising on a Sunday afte said:

So glad to find this topic! We are doing a family cruise on the NA in August. My six year old grandson was just asking me this morning if the kids’ pool (Lido Pool) has a shallow section for him. We looked at some photos. It seems like there is an Acapulco shelf, but not a shallow end. Photos show adults in the pool with water up to their shoulders. Would appreciate it if someone would check this out for him!

There is indeed a surrounding approximately six-foot shelf with water about 12 inches deep.  I walked around the pool but did not see a depth marking but will look again.  Guest Services is still researching.

Edited May 6 by Crew News

[ferretktf]

Hi,  we are on Nieuw Amsterdam Alaska 14 day in June (16-30)

 

I will need basic internet onboard to keep in touch with home (gmail, WhatsApp etc).
 

My cellphone has a US/CAN data package available for just $12USD for 5gb over 15 days.

 

trying to work out what is best for me.
 

I assume my cellphone will only pick up a signal when in port? (My itinerary and map is below, inside passage, close to shore)…But even if I cannot pick up a signal at sea, with 7 port days that is a lot of opportunity to use it rather than ship Wi-Fi. 

Buying premium Wi-Fi in advance gives 20% discount but requires all 14 days and OBC cannot be used.
 

I would be very interested in understanding the Wi-Fi options available onboard, the cost, the different levels etc. and critically the prices and how much they drop each day (as fewer days are left in the voyage).

also to understand the availability of shore signal to my cellphone as the cruise progresses.

 

any help or pointers you (or anyone ) can give would be much appreciated.
 

Thanks.

Edited May 6 by ferretktf

[Ken the cruiser]

I’m glad to hear your embarkation went smoothly through the Vancouver port terminal. We’re currently on the Grand Princess cruising on an 8-day itinerary similar to yours, only we embarked on April 30 and it was a total nightmare that took us over 90 minutes to wade through the check-in process. So I was curious how you made it through the terminal so effortlessly. 
 

 

 

Then I checked and only 2 HAL ships were in port your embarkation day, the Noordam and yours, both HAL ships. In our case there were 3, the Grand and the Ruby, each with around 2700 guests, and the Noordam. I guess after our Apr 30 fiasco, the terminal management staff got together to figure out a better way to process folks through the terminal. BTW guests on all 3 ships processed through the same 6-line security section.

 

In any event, have a great cruise and the weather has been great! That is until we got to Ketchikan today! 😂

Edited May 6 by Ken the cruiser

[Crew News]

26 minutes ago, ferretktf said:

Hi,  we are on Nieuw Amsterdam Alaska 14 day in June (16-30)

 

I will need basic internet onboard to keep in touch with home (gmail, WhatsApp etc).
 

My cellphone has a US/CAN data package available for just $12USD for 5gb over 15 days.

 

trying to work out what is best for me.
 

I assume my cellphone will only pick up a signal when in port? (My itinerary and map is below, inside passage, close to shore)…But even if I cannot pick up a signal at sea, with 7 port days that is a lot of opportunity to use it rather than ship Wi-Fi. 

Buying premium Wi-Fi in advance gives 20% discount but requires all 14 days and OBC cannot be used.
 

I would be very interested in understanding the Wi-Fi options available onboard, the cost, the different levels etc. and critically the prices and how much they drop each day (as fewer days are left in the voyage).

also to understand the availability of shore signal to my cellphone as the cruise progresses.

 

any help or pointers you (or anyone ) can give would be much appreciated.
 

Thanks.

Here is a price list that I created that may be helpful:  Internet Price List 2024

 

To operate bars and casinos, ships must sail 12 miles from shore so cell reception on board will use the ship cell tower at a very high cost per minute.  Whatsapp works fine with your phone in airplane mode while onboard the ship.. 

 

In smaller ports, a large ship overwhelms the local cell towers until passengers are dispersed from the port.  Cell signals away from population centers are problematic.

[KruisinKath]

On 5/5/2024 at 10:42 AM, Crew News said:

This begins a live thread from Alaska May 5-19, 2024.  This thread provides the opportunity for those booked, or thinking of booking Alaska, to pose questions to help in their planning.  I have just completed seven days in Alaska on the Koningsdam and will be posting information that I have gathered from that experience. The impressions and observations expressed on this thread are my own.  Those with differing comments/impressions are encouraged to contribute to better inform those following. I do not usually comment on food as it is very subjective but the hardness of the cookies will be a matter of interest.  Since all of my photographs are made in RAW format and require processing, I may not be posting them.  I will be posting links to PDF files that are easily uploaded to my website.

 

To those traveling on this cruise, I invite you to post photos, impressions, and observations to help build a more complete snapshot of this Alaska cruise experience.

 

So it begins.

 

Looking forward to your posts! We will be on NA in July 2025 from Whittier to Vancouver and looking forward to all the info you share about the ship (and the ports, too, but we have some knowledge of them from 2013 cruise).  CC was very helpful then, too!

[ferretktf]

2 minutes ago, Crew News said:

Here is a price list that I created that may be helpful:  Internet Price List 2024

 

To operate bars and casinos, ships must sail 12 miles from shore so cell reception on board will use the ship cell tower at a very high cost per minute.  Whatsapp works fine with your phone in airplane mode while onboard the ship.. 

 

In smaller ports, a large ship overwhelms the local cell towers until passengers are dispersed from the port.  Cell signals away from population centers are problematic.

That’s amazingly helpful thank you … especially the insights about cellphone reception in the ports.

[Crew News]

25 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

I’m glad to hear your embarkation went smoothly through the Vancouver port terminal. We’re currently on the Grand Princess cruising on an 8-day itinerary similar to yours, only we embarked on April 30 and it was a total nightmare that took us over 90 minutes to wade through the check-in process. So I was curious how you made it through the terminal so effortlessly. 
 

 

 

Then I checked and only 2 HAL ships were in port your embarkation day, the Noordam and yours, both HAL ships. In our case there were 3, the Grand and the Ruby, each with around 2700 guests, and the Noordam. I guess after our Apr 30 fiasco, the terminal management staff got together to figure out a better way to process folks through the terminal. BTW guests on all 3 ships processed through the same 6-line security section.

 

In any event, have a great cruise and the weather has been great! That is until we got to Ketchikan today! 😂

Pre-COVID Security was the first stop for all passengers before splitting into different ships.  Last year was a nightmare but seems to be getting better..

[Alberta Quilter]

1 hour ago, Crew News said:

I do hereby certify that onion flatbread is served at lunch in the Lido Market.  It was not as flat as I expected but the caramelized onion topping was a tasty treat.  A slathering of butter made it even better.

Butter makes everything better!  Thank you, Crew News!

[BaileyMJ]

Having a wonderful cruise so let me share some of my experiences.  I have been enjoying so many live threads for years so very different to finally give back.

Here goes some of my experiences and thank you Roger for the roll call and a wonderful Meet & Greet!

 

May 6 - day 2 - Sea Day 
 

Yesterday May 6th was National Beverage - learned this from HAL World Cruise thread - Bill & Mary Ann - did not know till I read their post early today but you could say I did spend the day celebrating all beverages thanks to having Have it All!

 

Started day Crows nest Latte - posted that yesterday.  8am Daily Mass with Father Shad - he had been sharing some of his experiences of Alaskan parishes- one of which was Wrangell.

 

After mass MDR for breakfast - long line and they announced no tables for 2 but had room for sharing which for me was perfect being a solo traveler.  Now the MDR was packed - many apologies for slow service but I was fine sea day.  It was 90 min breakfast - I had the passion fruit yogurt my beverages glass of Prosecco hot tea and a glass of fresh squeezed OJ - I was set to make my own mimosa.  Food and drinks subjective but the sparkling brut poured on this ship is not to my liking but the Prosecco is very good.  Well they had run out of fresh squeezed OJ but they said they were making more - they repeated apology for over 1 hr but I replied I am in no hurry - had wonderful table mates.

[BaileyMJ]

May 6th continued fresh OJ finally arrived but I had finished Prosecco- the server was so apologetic for delay he said no charge.

 

After breakfast about 10:30am all intention of a quick walk but it was so cold just by door to the deck plus you could hear the wind so I passed on that and went up to the Tamarind Bar early for the 11am Meet & Great. I have bonded with the Tamarind Bar and it has become my favorite space.  Others were early and it was so nice to meet such a nice group of fellow travelers including solos.

 

Had planned to attend Lunch in MDR they were have a solo lunch tables but with such a late breakfast I had to pass. Close to 1pm I went to lido and lido pool bar did sample a delicious paella and my beverage was a wonderful beer - I had never had before and 2 thumbs up

 

[BaileyMJ]

May 6th my beverage day report continues 

 

2pm Wine Tasting in MDR - this is my 2nd HAL cruise and first wine tasting on HAL but I an admitted wino or but not wine snob.  It was a well attended event they said over 120 attendees but I was probably the only paid attendee - it was free for 4/5 star mariners.  The cost was $29 but I throughly enjoyed the experience.  The presentation was excellent and entertaining and it always a treat when I learn something new about wine or taste a new or different wine. 
 

What I learned is Sect is a sparkling wine varietal from Germany - they did not have but I go home snd find a bottle to try.

 

We sampled 5 wines

Sparkling Wyclef - not a fan

Chardonnay Kendal Jackson vintners reserve

Gruner Veltliner - I love Gruner Veltliners but had never this one so looking forward to buying it back home

Reds were pinot noir and Desora Malbec 

 

Also of note evidence of the Great 2024 Cracker shortage continues - you can read thread from merry widows on Volendam - see below one tiny slice of bread!

[Duane S.]

enjoying the live feeds and info, many thanks to those who give us all this great info.

 

wife and I are considering a 14 day Alaska cruise next May, thought I would ask current cruisers if they felt like 14 days would be too many?  there are numerous 7 day cruises and some that involve land events but I am not sure I would enjoy the logistics of the land portions, planes trains and hotels, so we are looking at the 14 day which is all ports from Vancouver.

So I am interested in your opinions on my dilemma, 7 or 14 days, what do you all think since you are doing it right now! This is our first trip to Alaska so we know nothing, lol.

 

thanks in advance to any who are kind enough to respond,

[Radbooks]

Interesting to read through this since I am also on the NA! We are very much enjoying ourselves, but we never got an invite to the wine tasting yesterday even though we have 5 stars. Maybe they are dividing it up in several groups. 

 

We had a tough time with embarkation on Sunday. It was a lot of walking and standing in line. We did wait after the first check in to get a wheelchair for my mom. That helped, but it still made for a long check in process. 

 

Food has been good in the MDR, but breakfast took a long time yesterday. We enjoyed meeting new people though. I like the wildlife guy who gave a talk yesterday. I believe his name is Dominic. 

 

Happy to be on another cruise! 

[Alberta Quilter]

1 hour ago, Duane S. said:

enjoying the live feeds and info, many thanks to those who give us all this great info.

 

wife and I are considering a 14 day Alaska cruise next May, thought I would ask current cruisers if they felt like 14 days would be too many?  there are numerous 7 day cruises and some that involve land events but I am not sure I would enjoy the logistics of the land portions, planes trains and hotels, so we are looking at the 14 day which is all ports from Vancouver.

So I am interested in your opinions on my dilemma, 7 or 14 days, what do you all think since you are doing it right now! This is our first trip to Alaska so we know nothing, lol.

 

thanks in advance to any who are kind enough to respond,

I'm not on this cruise but absolutely go for 14 days, if time and budget allow!  You'll get different ports (if you do a true 14 day cruise as opposed to B2B 7 day itineraries). But be aware that once in Alaska is rarely enough for many people, speaking from experience.

 

As for the cruise tours, the land days are long but all of the logistics are taken care of for you.  So much of Alaska is accessible only via land.  But start with a cruise, and you can always do a tour later.

[RuthC]

4 hours ago, Duane S. said:

wife and I are considering a 14 day Alaska cruise next May, thought I would ask current cruisers if they felt like 14 days would be too many?

Not on this cruise, but my first cruise to Alaska was 14 days. Since then I have taken many, many 7-day cruises there, three more 14-day cruises, a 21-day cruise, and am booked on a 28-day cruise there is summer. 

Draw your own conclusion as to whether or not I think a 14-day cruise is too much going to Alaska! 

What you will find on a 14-day cruise there is that you also get more out of the way ports, not just the usual ones, that are always overflowing with tourists. You get to see more of the 'real' Alaska, more the way it used to be. 

I have also done land tours in Alaska, and agree with Alberta Quilter that they are long days, but if you have the energy, are well worth it. 

[BaileyMJ]

May 6 my beverage day report continued

 

Yesterday was dressy night and saw quite a few tuxedos.  I started my evening in Tamarind Bar at 5:30pm - such a wonderful setting and it is the Martini Happy Hour venue.  Ocean Bar was packed vs relatively empty TB - I love the seating and views. My pre dinner beverage was Momokawa Pearl Sake an unfiltered cold sake  just wonderful.   

Now the ship was pitching so that may be reason for the sparse attendance.  I just could not capture rocking and rolling on my iPhone but tired.  

 

 

 

 

 

Due to the sea swells the evening show scheduled was Step One Dance Company Musicology canceled and they had a comedian perform. I have fixed late seating - I was told when I booked the cruise last week it was at 8pm but once on board it is at 7:30pm but either way I never make it to a show.

 

Meals have been good but even better company.  What I noted in the MDR is a-lot of floor vibrations and vs the Westerdam we had plenty of rocking and rolling in South Asian sailing but I never felt floor vibrations.  Perhaps different engine room locations.