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

[CCAubs]

2 hours ago, julia said:

Hi:  not to highjack your thread, but last night's northern lights are the talk of the ship here on Noordam!  Present course is entering the Inside Passage, heading south to Vancouver (5/12 disembarking).  Many passengers saw the show from the back pool area, and the ship lights were turned off.  We missed it, sleeping off a long day in Ketch.  Tonight though?  We're there!!  The skies are totally clear, so, fingers crossed!

 

Amazing!! Please post pics if you can -- would LOVE to see! 

[canadianbear]

1 hour ago, Radbooks said:

Why, oh why do people have conversations on their phone in the Crow's Nest with the speaker on, allowing total strangers to listen in? It is so annoying 🙄 😒 

 

But, the cruise has been very nice overall! 

It happened on our 35 day South Pacific cruise-I don’t know why they can’t go to their cabin or somewhere private.  

[Crew News]

2 hours ago, BaileyMJ said:

No one will give a answer but most likely limited school buses.  HAL had a number of tours and we did see the yellow school buses lined up.

There is an air show (aircraft exhibition) a short distance from here in Valdez that will occupy most of the city's assets to support it.  The show is also a fly-in for interested campers who want to pitch a tent near their planes.

Edited May 11 by Crew News

[mooseridge]

Does anyone know why Valdez & Kodiak are now tender ports? Is it the time of year? Tides? Docks off limits to cruise ships?  Hearing Homer is tender now too.   They Were not tenders in 2022   Just wondering.....

 

 

[mooseridge]

Does anyone know why Valdez & Kodiak are now tender ports? Is it the time of year? Tides? Docks off limits to cruise ships?  Hearing Homer is tender now too.   They Were not tenders in 2022   Just wondering.....

 

 

[BaileyMJ]

19 minutes ago, mooseridge said:

Does anyone know why Valdez & Kodiak are now tender ports? Is it the time of year? Tides? Docks off limits to cruise ships?  Hearing Homer is tender now too.   They Were not tenders in 2022   Just wondering.....

 

 

Valdez yesterday May 11th was a tender port because a large ship must dock in the Big Boat Pier outside of town center do the ship would provide shuttle/school buses however HAL could not secure the buses therefore they made it a tender port and the tender boats shuttled us to the center of town.  I obtained this answer from Harbor security- nicest guys.  Now why they could not secure the buses I do mot know but as has been speculated it may be because of the Valdez Fly-In STOL Air Show STOL is Short Take Off & Landing- something new I learned.  I had a rental car - Alaska Car Rental so great that I had to go to the airport.  
 

Now for our port in Kodiak I never got answer way tender but since that was on May 10 Friday and I did see plenty of school buses for excursions perhaps shortage of buses because they needed them for the schools?

 

My observation was the tendering went well for Valdez but for Kodiak it was not to a pleasant experience.

 

 

[BaileyMJ]

I apologize for the typos above - haven’t had my first cup of coffee

 

  HAPPY MOTHERS DAY 

 

 

[BaileyMJ]

Not sure what happen with picture so here goes again - nicest welcoming committee to Valdez - they were so helpful and since needed taxi to airport they gave number to

call - not literally only 1 taxi in Valdez 

 

[BaileyMJ]

May 12 Good Morning 

 

Everyday I get myself up and out of my obstructed ocean view room and proceeded to my adopted balcony aka Deck 10 in hopes of seeing the sunrise but weather has not cooperated - I take picture of the weather/port from the TV which has time and position.  Since it is Sunday I still got up well before sunrise but decided to have a lazy morning so left room 6:30am and would you know I saw the sun - picture from deck 10.

 

I love the crows next but it is just usually packed so I have adopted Pinnacle Bar - the espresso is available starting at 7am - I attended mass 8am and then my breakfast was in pinnacle bar - worked perfectly and Lalita made the best spicy Bloody Mary and Noel latte with extra shot of espresso 

[Crew News]

On 5/6/2024 at 2:54 PM, Crew News said:

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.

Pool depth is 1.73 meters.

[Crew News]

On 5/10/2024 at 2:38 PM, scooter6139 said:

 

Wife loved the "glacier ice" beverages they had last year.  I think they have them again.  Can you confirm?

After asking many bartenders, I have not yet confirmed that beverages containing glacier ice are available.

[Crew News]

Since CC swallowed my report from Kodiak, I will repost:

 

Day 06 Kodiak

 

The port of Kodiak continued the cruises history of cold temps and rain,

 

After breakfast, my cookie test of the four types found all with little chew, hard to break, and in need of a beverage medium for dipping to be edible.  I have come to the conclusion, that the good cookies on the first day were baked by someone who departed the ship in Vancouver.

 

My noon wildlife excursion experienced the lack of school buses to take 12 of us to the pier.  I was inspired that I was able to maneuver past two rows of seats to wedge myself in the back of the substituted 12-passenger van.  Passengers were divided into two groups of six at the harbor pier for the two small excursion boats.  With rough seas, the excursion was restricted to the large harbor area but very successful in photographing stellar sea lions and birds.  It was a chance to perfect my cameras bird tracking feature and also experience the foul scent of nearby sea lions . Although hot beverages were available, our group preferred only the provided snacks. The pilot was a life-long resident of Kodiak and a wealth of information.

 

The warmth of the Nieuw Amsterdam was very welcome after being in a cold rain for several hours. My hot shower while in port avoided the need for a bumpy one while sailing in the pending rough waters.

 

My Tamarind Dinner began by walking uphill as the ship began to list under the force of high winds. The warm shrimp chips were a nice start.  My first soup course necessitated a knife being placed under the edge of my bowl to keep the broth level in the bowl.  The curry chicken bowl required another knife to keep the contents from spilling into my lap.  As my dinner continued, the level of ship listing progressed.  My downhill departure from the Tamarind Restaurant was speedy and required grabbing the podium to redirect my body towards the elevators.

 

When I returned to my stateroom, all of the drawers were open and efforts fight gravity to keep them closed were futile.  Remembering the words of the Captain that the seas would be difficult until a ship turn around 4:00 AM, I decided to retire early.  I made a mental note to not trip over the open drawer at the end of my bed if I got up in the middle of the night.

 

Next stop Valdez.

[regan3]

Is it possible to get a table map of the main dining room?

[Crew News]

44 minutes ago, regan3 said:

Is it possible to get a table map of the main dining room?

I made arrangements last night to have maps (Decks 2 & 3) printed for me for pickup at dinner tonight.  I should have them posted in about four hours.

 

FWIW I learned that the tables on Deck 2 were completely renumbered sequentially instead of odd numbers on one side and even on the other.  I well see in another hour at dinner.

Edited May 12 by Crew News

[catspaw1]

On 5/9/2024 at 6:36 PM, Crew News said:

This was indeed a HAL tour and I tend to stick with HAL tours for their feeling of security that does not require dealing with insurance companies in case of injuries,  Seward is not a popular travel destination and tours with photography opportunities were not available. I did see a few private tours online but none attracted me.

We have been to Seward before 30 years ago when our HAL ship left from their. We spent several days in Seward prior to our cruise. It's very easy to make reservations yourself to take a boat tour of Kenai Fjords National Park. I highly recommend the 8 hour tour. Be aware it does cross open ocean water & it can be a rough crossing. However,  the day we went in mid August, the seas were flat calm. Seward is a big tourist destination because of the park. I doubt you would have any injuries so not sure why you wouldn't just book it yourself. 

[catspaw1]

On 5/7/2024 at 1:57 PM, Alberta Quilter said:

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.

I would recommend a 7 day cruise followed by an independent tour on your own. Very easy to rent a car. I would recommend going up to Denali national park for 3 nights in case the weather is bad. Lots of hiking also. The drive to Seward down the Kenai peninsula had awesome views. 

[Crew News]

6 hours ago, Crew News said:

I made arrangements last night to have maps (Decks 2 & 3) printed for me for pickup at dinner tonight.  I should have them posted in about four hours.

 

FWIW I learned that the tables on Deck 2 were completely renumbered sequentially instead of odd numbers on one side and even on the other.  I well see in another hour at dinner.

My table map source failed to live up to their promise so I will try another source tomorrow.  Persistence usually succeeds.

[Crew News]

Day 07 Valdez

The weather continued to be cold and rainy with a touch of fog when I opened my curtains but I had hope to get better photos than I had captured last year on this same cruise.. 

 

My cold weather layers were ready to be donned as soon as breakfast was concluded but as I reached to unlock my stateroom door, I noticed a piece of paper on my floor. The paper explained that due to rough seas, all shore excursions were canceled.  My commitment to getting a better photo of Columbia Glacier was doused by the sea gods.. 

 

A day with no plans meant that I could catch up with scanning menus, interviewing crew members, and photographing the drydock changes to the Nieuw Amsterdam. In addition to those ship improvements mentioned above, some hallway carpeting was replaced. 

 

The day also offered another opportunity to evaluate the cookie situation and I remained disappointed in their lack of chew and great difficulty to break. 

 

Dinner at the Canaletto Restaurant had only three occupied tables as many guests opted for the Lido Market Seafood Boil Special.  With so few customers, my meal was completed quickly and I was able to acquire the remaining menus for scanning. 

 

With seas becoming more bumpy, I retired early.

 

Next is a day at sea enroute to Juneau.

Edited May 13 by Crew News

[mooseridge]

Question Roger.  Despite the rough weather, are you seeing any whales /spouts from the ship? 

 

Hope so & thanks.

 

mooseridge

 

 

 

 

Thanks.

[Crew News]

2 hours ago, mooseridge said:

Question Roger.  Despite the rough weather, are you seeing any whales /spouts from the ship? 

 

Hope so & thanks.

 

mooseridge

 

Thanks.

I have not but I did meet someone who saw one a few days ago.  I have seen whales on my excursions to areas where whales like to feed during the summer.

[catspaw1]

What direction & wind speed have you been experiencing? Confused seas? For the ship to be rolling & moving so much, it seems like it must be over 25 knots & higher- 30-35??

[SightCRR]

Quite the Hal shot from the Juneau web cam tram camera. 5/13/24. 

Juneau Monday, May 13

 

Edited May 13 by SightCRR

[Crew News]

5 hours ago, catspaw1 said:

What direction & wind speed have you been experiencing? Confused seas? For the ship to be rolling & moving so much, it seems like it must be over 25 knots & higher- 30-35??

When I have checked the TV, it has been a bit over 26 knots but the seas have been rolling.  Same weather as last year when we had winds above 70 knots rhat listed the ship 13 degrees for four hours,  Much calmer this year in the Gulf of Alaska

[catspaw1]

I thought it was in excess of 25 knots. That's not a lot of wind but if the seas are confused or if it's hitting the ship broad side, that can cause the rolling. We hit a gale storm in our AK cruise 30 years ago. We are Bluewater sailors so it didn't bother us as much but the dining room was about 80% empty!  AK weather can be temperamental. Hope the weather improves for you. 

[greensprout]

10 hours ago, mooseridge said:

Question Roger.  Despite the rough weather, are you seeing any whales /spouts from the ship? 

 

Hope so & thanks.

 

mooseridge

 

 

 

 

Thanks.

My friend saw one whale breach yesterday at Valdez from the heated loungers in thermal spa and another from his veranda port side far aft.  Thinks one may have been a fin whale and the other a young humpback.  Unfortunately no photos.  Hoping to see some on this evenings whale watching cruise, but rain continues and will be heavier during this excursion (5-830 pm).

Edited May 13 by greensprout