unclerich

Best wishes to Roy for good health. Your observations, experiences and writings are a treasure. I'm a frequent reader, but infrequent poster.

Richard

So much to agree with. You're getting great advice. In Ketchikan I have to add Island Wings seaplane tour. It was fabulous and memorable. https://www.islandwings.com/mistytours.html

1 hour ago, 0106 said:

This is from the website:  

You'll enjoy thoughtful discussions on the state of western civilization, analysis of political and cultural trends from the United States to the far reaches of the Commonwealth, and live editions of the features you've come to know and love from SteynOnline like Steyn's Song of the Week and Steyn's Sunday Poem. You'll not only have opportunities to hear from our guest speakers on stage, but also mingle with them and your fellow Mark Steyn Club cruisers. The week features exclusive shows, receptions, dinners, and informal get-togethers.

 

Not my kind of cruise.

We weren't interested in joining! Curious about potential impact on public areas. 

Thanks for your info.

We were also on this cruise. It was our first cruise since the pandemic and it went well.  Food quality is a smidge down and upcharges in the MDR, Pinnacle, etc are noticeable. Overall comfort of the cruise was excellent. Music variety is a major plus. Interesting that the cruise was essentially sold out, but never felt crowded.

Anybody have info regarding the impact of a Mark Steyn group? NA Feb 2024.

Thanks

22 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I would go 17, 18, 19 in that area.  I’ve had the ones on the other side and it feels like there is more traffic.  I don’t like all the plexiglass on the pinnacle ships because it does cut down on the air flow. On the non pinnacle I prefer the ones facing the pool for the airflow.  I haven’t been on the Rotterdam but have been on the koningsdam and nieuw statendam which are exactly the same.

Thank you!

We've had retreat cabanas on other HAL ships, but not Pinnacle class. Do you have a preference for cabana location on the Rotterdam - port/starboard or overlooking the pool?

We're considering air circulation with the plexiglass panels and trying to avoid a sense of feeling crowded.

Do you have a recommendation for any particular location to avoid?

Thanks for your help. 

Richard 

2 minutes ago, bennybear said:

Our province has been giving 11 year olds turning 12 the full dose all year,  so the guidance seems to have changed.  I also would hope they could take into account the size of the child. 

They're going by age reflecting the 'maturity of the immune system', rather than a dose by patient weight approach.

4 hours ago, bennybear said:

That is a good question,  they have been vaccinating all who turn 12 this year,  but 11 year olds get a third the dose now. 

The CDC has actually given guidance on this question. They get the smaller dose for the second shot (same as their first):

Q: What if a child is 11 years old when she gets the first dose but turns 12 before the second dose?

A: The child should get 10 micrograms for each dose.

(10 micrograms is the pediatric dose; 30 micrograms is the 12 and up dose)

Ditto for us. We will cancel our December HAL cruise if there is not a mandatory vaccination protocol.

We were on NA in November. At least in the Neptune Suite, outlets are updated to include USB ports.  TV was flat screen on wall.  Ship was fine. We had no problems, though friends in a Signature Suite had to be moved due to non-functioning toilet for > 2 days. Thank goodness there was an available cabin for them.

For us, in the Caribbean, the retreat cabana makes the cruise!

3 hours ago, razzinger said:

Answering the question, nothing more............

 

No!

 

Could you need one in certain situations, YES!.

For U.S. and Canadian Citizens: Travel by Land or Sea Travel document requirements vary based on cruise itinerary and whether international flights are required. For voyages that are scheduled to end outside the U.S., a passport is required. A PASSPORT is also required for all guests traveling on our Yukon +Denali Land+Sea Journey itineraries. We recommend your passport be valid for six months beyond the completion date of your travel. Passports or Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) compliant documents are required for cruises to Alaska, Bermuda, Canada, the Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico and the Panama Canal. U.S. and Canadian citizens including children must present one of the following valid WHTI-compliant documents: • US and Canadian and International Citizens traveling on Yukon Land+Sea Journeys involving an air flight between Dawson City, Yukon, Canada to Fairbanks, Alaska, USA and/or Fairbanks, Alaska, USA to Dawson City, Yukon, Canada are REQUIRED to have a valid Passport to clear customs and immigrations upon entry by air*.

Carolyn's information is correct - at least as of this point in the flu season.

• February 14, 2019

Apparently it was Noordam 3, The following is from 'the history books':

The third Noordam was the first for luxury cruise service. Built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique in 1984, had a gross tonnage of 33,933 tonnes and was 704 ft (215 m) long. The ship's beam was 89 ft (27 m) and draft was 24 ft (7.3 m); her cruising speed was 21 knots. Her standard capacity was 1,214 with all 607 cabins at double occupancy; her maximum capacity was 1,350 passengers and she had 560 crew members. In 2005, the ship was acquired by Louis Cruise Lines and was immediately chartered to Thomson Cruises; she was rechristened the M/S Thomson Celebration. Her sister ship, the M/S Thomson Spirit, was originally the Holland America ship Nieuw Amsterdam

Bingomamma:

"So I think I am going to bring a fleece blanket also to keep me warm if its too cool there."

Don't you dare:););););)bring a fleece blanket with you. They'll be extra blankets in your cabin and the cabin steward can always get one for you. You have enough to schlepp!!

Have a great cruise!

I'm still curious which ship's Christening, had all the ships' captains present. Anyone remember ?

It was the Nieuw Amsterdam. Here's the story https://www.cruisespecialists.com/blogs/holland-americas-nieuw-amsterdam-review-christening/

and a quote:

The following day was the actual christening ceremony with Princess Maxima of the Netherlands attending and being named the godmother of the ship. The event was truly amazing. It began with a water parade of fifteen boats; each boat flew a flag with the name of each ship in the Holland America Line fleet and aboard was the captain from that ship. Upon arriving at the docks each captain left their boat and lined up in front of the ms Nieuw Amsterdam with their flags behind them waiting for the arrival of Princess Maxima.

That's correct. You may only book cabanas for the duration of the cruise, in advance.

If you wish to book a cabana for a day or 2 (or any duration less than the full cruise) you MAY be able to on board, if any are available.

We are looking into a float plane over Misty Fjords in a few weeks.

 

What compnay did you use? would you recommend them?

Check out http://www.islandwings.com/. We flew with Michelle in June and it was fantastic. A magical (and safe) experience.

Richard

I'm not going to comment on the various ships and itineraries, rather (as a former Alaska resident and one fairly familiar with the state) I'm going to offer some general thoughts for you to consider (or discard.)

 

First, timing. Summer arrives late in Alaska, and if you visit southcentral and interior Alaska (Kenai Peninsula, Anchorage, Denali, Fairbanks etc.) too early, your access to some areas, in particular the interior of Denali National Park, can be limited. In addition - and this might or might not be important to you - May and June, and usually the first half of July, is mosquito season, and in some places, like Wonder Lake in Denali, or near tundra or wetland area anywhere - the bugs can drive you nuts. This is less an issue near salt water or on the cruise, but it's a factor once you're on land. Given your timing, if it was me I'd cruise north and then tour, rather than the opposite. Give the weather time to improve while you're on the water; a week can make quite a difference. Or if your timing is flexible, think about visiting closer to the end of the summer. Fall arrives early in the interior, the bugs are gone (we hope) and sometimes the color can be amazing. If you were to come in, say, late August or early September, I'd say start north and cruise south, the opposite of a June trip.

 

Denali in the fall (not my picture)

 

 

Mirror Lake, near Anchorage

 

 

Alaska State Fair (week before Labor Day) in Palmer (40 miles north of Anchorage)

 

 

Second, cost. Land arrangements pre- or post-cruise in southcentral/interior Alaska can be quite expensive. It's important to reserve a vehicle as soon as possible; even if you later change your plans or need to cancel, you can save quite a lot of money by booking early. There are car rental stations in both Seward and Whittier (one agency each, Hertz and Avis respectively) but the one-way charges can be astronomical. Hotels, too, particularly those around key destinations like Denali and Seward. The cruise lines book large numbers of rooms for their cruise tour people, so while independent travel is usually better value, the pickings can be slim, especially if you wait too long to book space. Food costs are higher than in the Lower 48, but there's no sales tax in most places, so the bottom line isn't too bad.

 

Third, distances. The cruise ships dock and depart from one of two deep water ports, Seward and Whittier. Both are connected by road and rail to Anchorage; the final 40 miles or so of road is the same highway, and it's the only road south of town. By car, Whittier is around 90 minutes from Anchorage, depending on the timing of a one-way tunnel through the mountains separating Prince William Sound from Turnagain Arm, a branch of Cook Inlet. Seward is around 2 1/2 hours from town.

 

Leaving Anchorage to the north, again, there's one main road that forks around an hour north of the city, with one branch (the Glenn Highway) heading east, eventually linking with the Alaska Highway from which you can drive to the rest of North America; the other fork becomes the Parks Highway, heading north to Denali National Park and eventually Fairbanks. In drive time, the entrance to Denali Park is around five hours or a bit more; Fairbanks is another couple of hours past that.

 

So for most tourists, the "road system" consists of a couple of routes, both of which require you to retrace your steps, since the only possible "loop" (via Valdez) involves a very lengthy drive plus an expensive ferry ride across Prince William Sound. It also means that visiting Denali, for example, which doesn't allow private cars into its interior, is a minimum of a three-day excursion from Anchorage - one to get there, one to tour the park (you'll need at least 8 hours, morning to night, to get into the park interior on the shuttle buses) and a third to get back (or up to Fairbanks.) Bottom line, get a map of Alaska's roads and study it.

 

Fourth, the land beyond the roads. If I had one thing to recommend for first-time visitors, it would be to get up in the air, in fact as often as possible. Yes, flightseeing is pricey, but - and I'm not exaggerating here - a couple of hours in a light plane flying around the Alaska bush, or flying over glaciers around Prince William Sound, or up to and around Denali, or flying across Cook Inlet to bear and volcano country... well, it can be life changing for many people. One simply cannot comprehend the scale of Alaska from a car windshield or from the deck of a boat.

 

Fifth, it's more than moose and mountains. Alaska's people are its real treasure, and a visit to the state without understanding the incredible variety and richness of the many Native cultures, the history of the state - from Russian rule to gold rushes to World War II's "forgotten war" in the Aleutians, to the oil boom, the military history, Native rights.... well, just sayin'. Visit the Native Heritage Center in Anchorage or Totem Bight or Saxman Village near Ketchikan. Drive over the mountains from Skagway to Carcross and on to the Robinson Roadhouse ghost town in the Yukon. Buy Native crafts (the best there are) at the gift shop at the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage, and walk the halls to see the (downright incredible) artwork on display. Hell, if time and budget permit, fly up to Kotzebue, an Inupiat Eskimo village above the arctic circle ($300 round trip from Anchorage) and see how life is lived; stick a toe in the Arctic Ocean and watch the sun NOT set the whole time you're there.

 

So do your research and make a list of things you'd like to see or experiences you'd like to have, and move on from a position of knowledge. In addition to Cruise Critic I'd especially suggest you prowl the Alaska board at TripAdvisor - https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g28923-i349-Alaska.html - where the talk isn't all about cruising but also includes lots of other topics. Happy planning!

Heartwarming and beautifully written!

Please tell me who this nice Officer is! I failed to get his name (was not wearing a name tag)

I would like to know his name, hoping he is still with Holland America, and also maybe the ship he is assigned to.

Would be nice to run into him again on one of my future cruises.

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His great smile was uplifting, his manner made you feel like like he was really interested.

He made me feel like a Queen even if I'm a bit disabled.

A real Gentleman, polite, thoughtful, attentive and often going beyond the call of duty to assist you.

He led a team of well organized waiters and assistants that always had a smile and appeared to be happy on the job; The DRM was not afraid to pitch in when the dining room was especially busy or if an unusual need arose.

We sat in the same section of the open Dining Room every evening because of the warm welcoming feeling and great service that this team was giving to us.

 

I've been on a few cruises since then, service was good - OK - but not of the quality shown above.

 

Hope that one or maybe a few of you cruise lovers will recognise his wonderful smile and let me know.

Try: guestrelations@hollandamerica.com

or: OAshford@hollandamerica.com

Good luck. It's a heartwarming story!

How many nights will you be at Denali?

We embark Volendam in a few weeks, however will only be aboard for 3 nights as we leave the ship in Skagway for our 9-day HAL land tour. We are restricted as to the amount of luggage we can bring on the land tour and as a result will not travel with a sport coat. Slacks and collared shirts will be as dressy as it gets. On the one gala night should we avoid the MDR? I’m not a fan of dinner in the Lido, preferring a restaurant instead. Would Canaletto be an acceptable choice? I’m not keen on walking past tables of people gasping and whispering at our attire!

Although you would be hard pressed to find it on the new HAL website, no jacket required for "gala night".

Gala night attire per HAL:

"attire includes collared shirts and slacks for men in all fine dining restaurants, and dresses, skirts or slacks for women".

Have a great time

My husband is doing a fishing excursion while in port at Ketchikan and I have zero interest in joining him. Does anyone have suggestions for things I might enjoy on my own for a few hours?

Depends on your interests. If a floatplane sounds interesting, check out http://www.islandwings.com/ We flew with Michelle last month and it is unforgettable.

All the best,

Richard

This may be a bizarre question to some, but as I am planning out excursions for our first cruise to Alaska next year, I am trying to figure out how many glacier excursions we should plan... sadly, our cruise is not going to Glacier Bay, so that will have to be another trip for another time...

 

That being said, we are spending a couple of days in Anchorage pre-cruise, and will be driving up to visit the Matanuska Glacier to climb on it and in it, then on the cruise will be cruising by the Hubbard and Sawyer Glaciers... so is that going to be enough? Or should we plan another glacier excursion in Juneau or Skagway?

 

The options are a bit overwhelming to say the least, so I appreciate all input!

For us - it would be enough. In Juneau, go whale watching. En route, you'll see Mendenhall Glacier to appreciate its beauty, as well.

For those who have some free time in Anchorage, especially if you're already planning a rental car, drive down to www.alaskawildlife.org/ - the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Less than an hour's drive south of Anchorage (an incredibly beautiful drive) and you'll see bison, moose, bears, deer and more - up close and personal (behind an electrified fence).

Does HA restrict the number of plain water bottles taking onboard when boarding initially and/or during the cruise?

Bottled water and soda is allowed (no limit) as long as you carry it on board with you