RetiredMustang

Hi Jacqui,

We're cruising again, and have three more booked:

Westerdam - 09-Jun-24 - 28 day Alaska Arctic Circle Solstice

(during which we will earn Platinum Medallions)

Eurodam - 02-Apr-25 - 31 day Western Caribbean Explorer & Panama Canal 

Noordam - 01-Mar-26 - 50 day New Zealand and South Pacific Crossing Collector

Thanks much,

Dave

Our first HAL cruise was on Noordam III in 1996 , our second was on the old Westerdam (the one used in the movie), and the third was on Statendam for a solar eclipse off Curacao in 1998 -- it seemed gigantic in comparison to Noordam. 

We also we lucky enough to sail on Prinsendam a few years ago.  Happily, we saw her again recently, as we were on Zuiderdam on the Voyage of the Vikings last summer, and passed her in Prinz Christian Sund:

Happy memories with HAL ... (and some still to be made).

Dave

3 hours ago, cwd79 said:

Currently on the Zaandam and there has been classical music played in the Explorer's Lounge several nights. A Piano player and Cello player. They've played many classical numbers. 

That's pretty much what was on Zuiderdam on the recent Voyage of the Vikings.

Dave

Beaten to the boards!  Here is a similar shot I took.

Dave

1 hour ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Always good to see you here Sir!

Thanks, Devil Dog!  John, it's always good to see what you are up to, so any thread of yours gets my attention. 

BTW, that security officer's stateroom you showed, while not at all like a Neptune Suite, is pretty darned cushy by Navy standards -- it looks like a Department Head (LCDR or CDR) stateroom on a carrier, at least the ones I used to ride, but then on HAL the security officer I believe IS a DH.  (But Navy dudes don't get a porthole 😁.)

Dave

Following along, John, as you head north!  Good news about the library; I hope it spreads through the fleet.

Dave

Welcome to the HAL board!  There is a lot of info here, and many helpful people who will try to answer any question you may have.

Dave

22 hours ago, LJProk said:

They will help on the ship with ArriveCan. As for when HAL handled the covid tests for us it was in Denali. They give you a QR code to schedule a time for the test in the Main Lodge. Swab your nose and they send an email. Check your spam mail though, ours went to spam.

Thanks very much for the info!

Dave

On 6/11/2022 at 6:40 PM, Alphen said:

We both have our final negative test results, so, unless Alaska Rail strikes, we will be on Nieuw Amsterdam tomorrow. Only hick-up is a non-working Verifly from one of us, so guess this will take some extra sorting out tomorrow.

Good news about the negative tests.  When/how did HAL handle them?  A non-working Verifly is annoying.  Did you have any issues doing the arriveCAN?  

Dave

I will be following your blog closely, and I am glad you enjoyed Vancouver. 

Since you have entered Canada already, will you be required to do the ArriveCan procedures before embarking the ship in Whittier?  DW and I are booked for a D1L in July, and I would be particularly interested in how HAL and you handle the ArriveCAN registry and uploading of vaccination documents if you are required to do so.  The Canandian government site says that passengers entering Canada on a cruise ship have to do the registration within 72 hours of embarking the ship, which means you would have to do so while in Denali, or at the latest in Anchorage.

Thanks,

Dave

I also did a review of the 2019 VoV cruise, with photos:

Dave

Thanks for alerting us Jacqui.  DW and I have long benefited from her knowledge that she generously shared, and hold fond memories of the cruise we met in person.  We will miss her.

Dave

33 minutes ago, tjcox9 said:

Oops! I was just looking at these photos the other day as each day I look at where we've been over the years on that date. We were definitely in the South Pacific on a crossing............it was Tahiti!!!!

Winner!  The port photo was a shot looking out over Papeete.  The monument is in honor of Cook's voyage to Tahiti to witness the transit of Venus across the sun.  The lighthouse was designed by the father of Robert Louis Stevenson.

Dave

1 hour ago, tjcox9 said:

Suva Fiji - was just looking at my photos and the Cook memorial a few days back..............

The top photo of the two is a memorial to Cook -- but it is not in Fiji.

Dave

21 hours ago, RetiredMustang said:

Which port is this?

 

 

Dave

On a shore excursion, we saw these:

Dave

Which port is this?

Dave

1 minute ago, bluesea777 said:

 

That had been annoying me since you posted the first picture ... I was searching the wrong countries, lol. Now I see the Canadian flag ...

 

Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada. ☺️

 

 

 

Winner!  And a beautiful day it was when we visited last summer.

Dave

On 10/9/2020 at 8:59 AM, RetiredMustang said:

 

Here is a shot taken as we approached the port.

 

 

Dave

This should make it a lot easier.  Here is the war memorial by the City Hall.

21 hours ago, RetiredMustang said:

Where is Zuiderdam?

 

Here is a shot taken as we approached the port.

Dave

4 hours ago, MAVIP said:

Argostoli, Cephalonia Greece We were there October 28th, 2015 on m.s. Rotterdam

 

Yes it is!  (bennybear identified it earlier -- posts 1109 and 1110).

Dave

Where is Zuiderdam?

4 minutes ago, bluesea777 said:

 

😁 Kingstown, St. Vincent. That's Mustique in the background.

 

Yes, Kingstown, St. Vincent, in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:

I always thought that island in the background of the first shot was Bequia.  We've never been to that island, although I think Prinsendam visited a few times.

Dave

Where is Maasdam?

2 minutes ago, cruzingnut said:

 

Hoonah, AK?

 

Yes, Hoonah/Icy Strait Point.  The tricky bit is that the photo was taken in 2014, when it was a tender port.  Now, they have a pier that cruise ships can tie up to, I understand.  Here is what the port looked like in 2014.

Dave

This may be a bit tricky.  Which port is this tender heading toward?

Dave