News from Noordam in Alaska Inside Passage

The first day on the Nordam's voyage to Alaska began in bright sunshine and Room Service Breakfast on our verandah. It was nice to hear each disembarkation color called-out over the ship's speakers for those disembarking in Vancouver and knowing that our Alaskan adventures were just beginning. Sunshine and warm temps were the order for the entire day.

The PG Head Chef reported that he had gone ashore to purchase the chocolate dessert molds and we will schedule a date for service during our M&G on May 10th.

Noordam departure was delayed due to US Immingration issues for some passengers.

I attended the Neptune Suites' reception in the Crow's Nest with a very sparse number of fellow Suites passengers.

Under the heading of Logisitcs, I am amazed at the laundry service, My laundry turn-in at 9:30 AM during stateroom cleaning has been returned by 2:00 PM the same day. Unlike other HAL ships with dedicated movie theaters, the Noordam shows only one movie per day. This severly restricts access to popcorn for theater popcorn addicts. The internet connection remains very slow so I look forward to tethering with my cell phone in Juneau to answer CC questions.

More later.

Hi, looking forward to your reports and hopefully pictures on Noordam,

Happy travels

Thanks for checking in.

Glad I found you. I was looking for the thread you had already started and here you are with a new one. It took a while. LOL. Looking forward to all your wonderful pictures and interesting stories.

Looking forward to reading all about the cruise.

Thanks for taking us along.

Looking forward to the Alaska portion of your cruise. Do you get to stay on the ship while others disembarked and if not what is the procedure? Hope the good weather follows you for the rest of your voyage.

I too look forwrad to "our" Alaskan aventure! thanks for sharing

>SNIP<

 

The PG Head Chef reported that he had gone ashore to purchase the chocolate dessert molds and we will schedule a date for service during our M&G on May 10th.

 

>SNIP<

 

Would you please ask him where he got them? As I am a Canadian, I'd love to find a Canadian source for those molds. Thanks very much in advance!

Thanks for starting this Crew News. I just got on board yesterday and am really enjoying the Noordam. Check in was a zoo yesterday,but they were very organized. Several hours to get on board,but with 7,000 passangers it was to be expected. some cranky people !!! :eek:

The weather is perfect and the water like glass. Am off to the roll call.

Looking forward to the Alaska portion of your cruise. Do you get to stay on the ship while others disembarked and if not what is the procedure? Hope the good weather follows you for the rest of your voyage.

B2b procedures in Vancouver were distressing. Unlike in US ports, the Noordam was not required to "zero-out" all passengers. Those in-transit on the Noordam were givien instructions to proceed to shore to clear Candian Customs sometime between 10:30 AM and 2:30 PM and could return immediately to the ship.

After being directed through a maze of stancions that weaved throughout the terminal, we arrived at the passport scanning kiosk and received a printed receipt. The next step was to present our passports and printed receipt to Canadian Customs which happened at 10:30 AM. When I asked where the in-transit passengers reboarded the ship, I was pointed to the general waiting area for ALL passengers from the three ships in port. Pleadings of being in-transit were to no avail. It seems that one of the ships in port was having disembarkation issues and that incoming and outgoing passengers were not allowed to cross paths. It must be noted that Port personnel were not HAL employees.

At 11:00 AM, Joanie found a sympathetic ear and we were allowed to reboard.

My lesson learned was not be so eager to disembark because HAL does not determine our destiny while ashore.

We were In Transit people in Vancouver about 10 or 12 years ago.

Sounds like nothing has changed -- it was a mess back then as well.

B2b procedures in Vancouver were distressing. Unlike in US ports, the Noordam was not required to "zero-out" all passengers. Those in-transit on the Noordam were givien instructions to proceed to shore to clear Candian Customs sometime between 10:30 AM and 2:30 PM and could return immediately to the ship.

 

After being directed through a maze of stancions that weaved throughout the terminal, we arrived at the passport scanning kiosk and received a printed receipt. The next step was to present our passports and printed receipt to Canadian Customs which happened at 10:30 AM. When I asked where the in-transit passengers reboarded the ship, I was pointed to the general waiting area for ALL passengers from the three ships in port. Pleadings of being in-transit were to no avail. It seems that one of the ships in port was having disembarkation issues and that incoming and outgoing passengers were not allowed to cross paths. It must be noted that Port personnel were not HAL employees.

 

At 11:00 AM, Joanie found a sympathetic ear and we were allowed to reboard.

 

My lesson learned was not be so eager to disembark because HAL does not determine our destiny while ashore.

From your description, it is what US Immigration/Customs requires for b2b passengers in Fort Lauderdale. We get off the ship, march through a line flashing our Passport, get into another line, and go back on the ship when everyone is off. I don't see much difference.

Delete

Three ships in port in Vancouver must be real bear especially at the start of the season. We debarked in Vancouver last Saturday and visited a local gardens where one of the docents remarked she used to work at Canada Place and it is just about impossible with three ships in port. I believe I heard that they are no longer using the Ballantyne Pier for cruise ships which I am sure will add to the problems.

I wonder why you did not clear customs at your first Canadian port - Victoria.

Thanks for starting this Crew News. I just got on board yesterday and am really enjoying the Noordam. Check in was a zoo yesterday,but they were very organized. Several hours to get on board,but with 7,000 passangers it was to be expected. some cranky people !!! :eek:

 

The weather is perfect and the water like glass. Am off to the roll call.

Great meeting you this morning at the M&G:)

Just to let all know what happened with Check In. Delay was caused by the Port not allowing any passengers on (Including In Transits) on until all 3 ships had zeroed out. Noordam was cleared at 9:30 followed shortly after that by Grand Princess. Hold Up was caused by Golden Princess whose Computer system went down and the manifests had to be done by hand:(

OK, tis Pizza time for me. See y'all later

Do not forget to let me know what time and day for the PG and our Melting Chocolate Balls/Chocolate Bombs:)

Joanie

Day 2 aboard the Noordam began with heavy, overcast skies and moderate sea swells. Breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill was flavorful and served quickly.

The Captain announced that due to our late departure from Vancouver the ship missed the tides and so slow speed of 10 knots was necessary through the narrow channel. Today brought a jump to more than double that speed in an effort to catch-up with our Juneau docking schedule tomorrow.

Thanks to Ken, ur Meet & Greet attracted around 16 CC members. It was good to put faces to screen names and share our cruising experiences. My day continued with a cooking demo in the Culinary Arts Center of bruscetta, crab cakes, and creme brulee. Lunch was grilled salmon served with a Caesar salad out on the Aft Lido Deck. With a light sprinkling of rain, there was no waiting line for a serving. Seeing Santosh, Culinary Operations Manager behind the cooking grills, I thanked him n behalf of the happy CC members who loved the chocolate purses. There was a special Mother's Day menu served for lunch in the MDR.

Entertaining fellow cruise members and completing my photojournal of the Noordam filled my afternoon. Two CC members had their luggage taken to the "Naughty Room" on Embarkation Day for having powerstrips inside. Both bags were retrieved without having to open them and surrender the power strips. Each bag and a yellow "disembarkation" tag containing the words "power strip" were on each bag. I would recommend future travelers carry their non-surge-protected" strips in carry-on luggage.

The Shops are now filled with Alaskan goods and the bars are serving Alaskan beers.

Seated, facing the MDR door on Formal Night, I took an informal note of the number of tuxedos during my early dining (5:45 PM). My count reached only five before the doors were closed at 6:10 PM. The yellowsole was delicious and my special request for sorbet was filled with a delightfully tart lime ice.

The Dining Room Manager stopped me in the hallway to reconfirm that he will be providing me with both the 10- and 14-day MDR menus for this Alaska season.

As I prepare this daily report, the clouds are now nearly void of clouds and the sun is warming the verandah cushions. My sunset photographs should be amazing.

Forgive my not posting photograph but the internet speed is too slow to accommodate the upload time.

From your description, it is what US Immigration/Customs requires for b2b passengers in Fort Lauderdale. We get off the ship, march through a line flashing our Passport, get into another line, and go back on the ship when everyone is off. I don't see much difference.

It is similar to FLL but the Noordam is not required to "zero out". We just had to wander off the ship during a 4-hour time frame. Princess had different rules, it appears, and nobody was allowed to reboard the Noordam until the Princess ships were "zeroed out". When we do our B2B next Saturday, I will try to discover more answers.

Thank you for your reports.

Hi ,can you please tell me why the doors in the main dining room closed at 6-10

Is this normal procedure,

Happy travels

Great meeting you this morning at the M&G:)

 

Just to let all know what happened with Check In. Delay was caused by the Port not allowing any passengers on (Including In Transits) on until all 3 ships had zeroed out. Noordam was cleared at 9:30 followed shortly after that by Grand Princess. Hold Up was caused by Golden Princess whose Computer system went down and the manifests had to be done by hand:(

 

OK, tis Pizza time for me. See y'all later

 

Do not forget to let me know what time and day for the PG and our Melting Chocolate Balls/Chocolate Bombs:)

 

Joanie

Thanks for explaining that Joanie.

Many years ago we were getting on a HAL ship on February 29th in Ft Lauderdale. HAL's computers didn't recognize that date. Everything had to be done by hand. It took hours to get us all on the ship. All the other ships were long gone. We left around 8 PM.

Hi ,can you please tell me why the doors in the main dining room closed at 6-10

Is this normal procedure,

Happy travels

Crew News said that the doors to the dining room closed at 6:10 meaning that no one else was to enter the dining room for the early fixed dining. Thus late comers would have to go elsewhere to eat.

So you will post photos when you are finished with the cruise? :D I'm anxiously awaiting. Thanks so much for your report!!

Have a great trip!

Crew News said that the doors to the dining room closed at 6:10 meaning that no one else was to enter the dining room for the early fixed dining. Thus late comers would have to go elsewhere to eat.

I'm not sure that this applies on all ships. I also had a good view of the doors to the MDR on the Westerdam, and they would be closed after about 15 minutes, but people still came in. We also had many more tuxes worn on formal night, and people really did dress to the occasion.