oaktreerb

That was fast! Too bad there is no camera operator. Next up. Koningsdam!

Eurodam along Thane road, near the boat harbor. It’s in sight on the SnowCloud webcam. It won’t be long now.

It’s the weekend. You might have better luck on a weekday.

Get it straightened out before you leave but you can only deal with it through your TA (AARP). You want to have a printed copy showing your OBC when you board.

HAL doesn’t have exclusive areas so I don’t think you will deal with any crowding. They have been known to close the upper level of the dining room early in the epidemic when ships were not full. The only areas that get crowded are the music venues, which are easy to avoid.

I think that’s what I would do. Unless it is a day when they don’t have tour arrivals.. If you are staying at the Westmark it shouldn’t be an issue if the bus is there and going to the Westmark.

Is it too late to add a HAL transfer from the airport to the Westmark to your booking?

For some time after you have recovered from Covid you may still test positive on a PCR test. That is where the recovery letter from the doctor becomes significant if you want to cruise. A doctor pointed this out to me this morning. Good to know.

Not. Princess does not have Yukon ceuisetours.

Correction: I just checked the CCL website and Zuiderdam would be at the Railroad Dock (RRF) on Saturday, Aug 20th when they were due to board. The slide may be cleaned up but the slide area may not be stable. Some other cruise lines have moved their Skagway ships to Sitka or are tendering from their ship to the harbor boat area in Skagway. We’ll be on the Nieuw Amsterdam in August and will be at the Broadway Dock. That’s my favorite Skagway dock. Convenient and scenic for pictures down Broadway.

I think those boarding time e-mails are “auto” generated.

You are right so that’s not an excuse.

It’s a wonderful itinerary in a normal environment. I would be very concerned. That connection in Skagway where they had the rockslide at the railroad dock may have been the final unsurmountable issue for HAL. I don’t think it is fixed yet. I hope you don’t get cancelled, too.

Are you on a Yukon trip?

@Gistfamily Sorry this happened to you and sorry it took HAL so long to let you know. They really don’t give you many options do they? I really think HAL should let you know why it was cancelled. Since it was a Yukon cruisetour I’m guessing it was logistics. The White Pass railroad is not functioning on a normal schedule and who knows what roadblocks existed with coordinating with Canada and airlines. I hope you will get a chance to do this in a couple of years when the Denali road is fixed (2024?) and the Canadian border is open and the White Pass railway is back to normal. And then there was the rockslide in Skagway to muck up the transfer to the ship. What a mess! With Covid in the air this is not the best year to be traveling on ships, busses, and trains anyway. I hope HAL has a reasonable offer for you for future travel.

Which hotel are you staying in in Anchorage pre cruise. Most transfers to the train would start at the Westmark downtown or the Captain Cook with a bus transfer to the train station. The train station is also downtown. If you booked the cruisetrain through HAL it should be listed in your documents.

Maybe. They book hotels, flights, transfers and the insurance along with the cruise. Right now, with cancellations and changing rules of travel, it makes sense to coordinate the planning. It’s kind of like using a TA except that your TA will go to bat for you if you have problems with HAL. The PCC is a HAL employee, even if they are outsourced. Is flight ease part of HAL? Even our TA seems to turn most everything over to the cruise lines anymore. He just sells the package.

You probably need to forget about paying more for Club Orange. The newer ships like Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam, and Rotterdam are able to fully offer Club Orange benefits. HAL may offer you an upsell but you seem to be pretty well located on Deck 10 for the activities your group will enjoy. Your parents will probably enjoy the Crow’s Nest with the comfy seating and amazing views.

Club Orange members have one additional entree added to the menu to choose from. OBC can not be used for Club Orange. Club Orange upcharge is added to your booking prior to sailing. Enjoy your cruise.

Put on your raingear and enjoy Juneau. When we were there on the Maasdam b4 Covid we had to tender in the rain. We still went ashore as we wanted to get soap from the Glacier Smoothie soap shop (which had moved so we had to search for it at the new location.). Thanks for checking in. We’ll miss seeing Koningsdam’s happy face on the webcam! Hopefully the skies will clear soon.

Everybody has their own requirements. We like to be mid ship aft. We don’t have to consider kids club and don’t spend much time in the spa, crow’s nest, or sports deck. There are plenty of outside areas for you to enjoy. I just wanted to give you a “heads up” about the smaller balcony. You will have a wonderful cruise. The scenery is amazing and the staff is wonderful wherever you are on the ship!

I hope so!

You will not be in the inside passage sailing out of Seattle. The seas can be rough until you enter the Alaska inside passage between the islands. You may feel rougher seas on deck 10 forward. You will also have a smaller balcony on deck 10. Mid ship locations provide the smoothest sailing. However, if the seas are rough you will feel them wherever you are on the ship. Vancouver itineraries sail the inside passage between the mainland and Vancouver Island. That route generally offers the smoothest sailing.

You can choose your cabin and they will charge you for the cheapest cabin in that category. IF I choose a mid level veranda stateroom I will be billed at the obstructed veranda rate if I purchase Club Orange on the Koningsdam.

HAL asks that you apply for the shareholder credit at least three weeks in advance of cruising. In a normal environment they can apply the credit within a shorter window. These days it’s taking longer than usual.