3 minutes ago, Glaciers said:

We ate at 13 Coins on Tuesday. Timed it so the Mariners game had started hoping it wouldn’t be too busy. Forgot about the Stones concert on Wednesday. It was packed with elderly concertgoers who were headed to the concert the next evening. 30 minute wait.

Good point. I checked there wasn't a game but didn't check to see if there was something else going on

31 minutes ago, psuboater said:

Another recommendation for 13 coins. It’s right next to King Street Station, is open late hours, and is essentially a diner so your kid will find lots of things to eat on a picky palette. 
 

 

To anyone reading this who wants to take Amtrak the same day as their cruise, I am on the Cascades right now to Everett to get home. We’ve stopped twice now- once because we lost air pressure (30 minute delay) and now for freight train access (10 minutes). We are already 40 minutes delayed for what should be a 45 minute train ride for me. Not sure what’s to come on the way up, but factor in any customs problems at the border, and you’re not making your cruise. Definitely plan an overnight if you’re taking the train up!

Completely agree! We get into Vancouver late the day before our cruise and booked a hotel so we can be rested the day of. Wanted to plane for ANY travel delays including train and airline.

Anyone who talks to be about trying cruises, I always tell them it's work the extra money spent to fly early. Better to spend a couple hundred on a hotel then lose the whole cruise cost to missing embarkation

9 minutes ago, princeton123211 said:

At most Amtrak stations you can check your bags up to 24 hours in advance. The first Cascades service departs around 6am daily so presumably there will be someone there to check them well before that time. 

 

Where are you staying downtown? It's not a bad area near the station but there are far more interesting ones to walk around and eat. If your hotel is in one of those maybe it makes more sense to check your bags with the hotel and go to Kings Street closer to time of departure? 

 

If they like sandwiches, Salumi around the corner from Kings Street is very, very good. They make their own cured meats (mole salami is insanely good) and you can order them on sandwiches. I usually will stop here to bring something on the train with me as the onboard cafe on the Cascades is somewhat lacking. 

We aren't staying overnight in Seattle. It's basically off the plane at 11am and then to the 6p train out of Seattle. As long as we can check the bags at the station, we can walk around or jump in a taxi/Uber to anywhere around the city.

Getting a sandwich for dinner on the train is a great idea though!

Taking an Alaskan cruise in July out of Vancouver. For cost reasons, we're flying into Seattle and taking Amtrak up. The Amtrak site for Kings Street Station is woefully lacking and I'm looking to get some information so I can plan out our wait time between flight arrival and train. Luckily we are flying in the day before so we don't need to worry about that.

At the station, can you check your luggage super early or have them hold it while we go eat somewhere?

Any recommendations for a place to eat near the station what will be ok for a peaky eater 10 year old?

Hi,

Anyone know if they do behind the scene tours on NA or have those stopped completely?

thank you everyone for the perspective you're giving me. I've only cruised the Caribbean so this is a new experience. I want to be prepared but not overly so I'm packing things I don't need or buying things that are only useful this one trip where what I already have would suffice. 

3 minutes ago, Jnsplace1 said:

Have cruised AK 2nd half of June.   It's a roll of the dice.  The 1st half of the NB, was rainy cloudy.  Wished I had brought a thicker sweatshirt.  2nd half was sunny, and beautiful.

 

Things I bring in my backpack:

Windbreaker

Mosquito repellant - they are for real

Water

 

What kind of backpack. Is a waterproof/ water resistant one really necessary?

Taking my 1st Alaska cruise in July and seemed to have gone down the You Tube rabbit hole of information so I wanted to get some perspective from people who have cruised there before.

How rainy is mid-July, truly? Is it a "cold rain" or just your standard summer sprinkle?

Are water proof shoes essential? What's your go-to backpack to carry when out exploring the port?

19 hours ago, Cruising on a Sunday afte said:

Does the Nieuw Amsterdam have soft serve ice cream machines in the Lido? I know that regular scooped ice cream can have nut products transferred via the scoop or the water bucket they use to rinse the scoop between flavors.

I think they do

OP - my nephew also has a nut allergy and has been cruising since he was a year old (he's 8 now). Watching his parents navigate this has been an education but it has never stopped them from cruising. They do contact the cruise line in advance (prior posts have listed the forms and numbers you can call) and worked with food service and cruise staff on ship. The 1st thing my sister says to our waiter/waitress is that her son has a nut allergy. I have yet to see an issue though , full disclosure, this will be their 1st HAL cruise. 

From what I have read, HAL is very conscious of the health needs of those sailing with them so odds are there shouldn't be an issue as long as you communicate.

On 2/9/2024 at 5:37 PM, Seasick Sailor said:

 

Acclaimed Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s First Restaurant at Sea Opens Aboard Holland America Line’s Nieuw Amsterdam

---

The new nightly specialty venue “Morimoto By Sea” welcomed dinner guests for the first time

Seattle, Wash., Dec. 22, 2023 — Morimoto By Sea, Holland America Line’s newest specialty restaurant, officially opened its doors aboard Nieuw Amsterdam Dec. 21. Morimoto By Sea is the first stand-alone restaurant at sea by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, who also serves as the cruise line’s Fresh Fish Ambassador, which is part of the brand’s global fresh fish program. Chef Morimoto was present for opening night, along with Holland America Line executives and Nieuw Amsterdam guests.

During the opening celebration, Chef Morimoto conducted a traditional sake barrel ceremony where he cracked open the barrel and shared the sake with opening-night attendees for a toast.

“We recently transformed space on Nieuw Amsterdam into a beautiful Morimoto By Sea restaurant, and we are thrilled to be here to officially open the dining experience for our guests,” said Michael Stendebach, vice president of food, beverage and rooms division at Holland America Line. “Adding Morimoto By Sea both as a stand-alone venue and a pop-up is another way we continue to elevate our culinary offerings, and we are honored to have Chef Morimoto on board to celebrate the launch.” 

The Morimoto By Sea restaurant on Nieuw Amsterdam is part of Holland America Line’s global fresh fish program, which also includes a Morimoto By Sea pop-up experience once per cruise on the fleet’s other 10 ships in either Pinnacle Grill or Tamarind. The dishes served at Morimoto By Sea — and seafood offerings across Holland America Line’s fleet — are sourced from a global network of 60 ports to serve 80 types of fresh fish on board.

Morimoto By Sea on Nieuw Amsterdam can be found adjacent to the Tamarind restaurant on the Observation Deck. Guests dining at Morimoto By Sea, which is open nightly, enjoy a multi-course meal highlighting the cuisine of Chef Morimoto and the cruise line’s fresh fish program. The menu also includes a selection of beef, chicken, vegetarian and vegan options, and a sushi menu for additional purchase.

“I am always excited to open a new restaurant, and this grand opening is very special because it is my first restaurant on a cruise ship,” said Chef Morimoto. “I’ve cooked on land, on television, and now on the oceans. I look forward to Holland America Line guests experiencing my dishes.”

In addition to cuisine, the restaurant features Chef Morimoto’s exclusive alcoholic beverages, including Morimoto Dream Brut Rosé and Morimoto Junmai Daiginjo Sake, that complement the dishes on the menu.

For its opening night, Morimoto By Sea was fully booked, with guests indulging in a selection of dishes including Hamachi Tacos, Ishiyaki Buri Bop, Japanese Vegetable Curry, Slow Cooked Alaskan King Salmon and White Chocolate Lime Ganache. A full menu can be found on Holland America Line’s website.

Guests can make Morimoto By Sea reservations on Holland America Line’s Navigator App or on board. The restaurant carries a cover charge of $55 per person, plus an additional 18% gratuity.

For more information about Holland America Line, consult a travel advisor, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit hollandamerica.com.

Photos are available here.

I saw this too. I'm open to fish options it's not showing on the HAL website yet though so I'm not sure about advanced booking

I'll be on the Neiuw Amsterdamn for a 7 day Alaskan cruise. I'm leaning towards Tamarind. I've done plenty of steakhouses and Tamarind sound so different. Though the Pinnacle would be a nice safe choice

thank you everyone! Gives me more time to decide what restaurant to choose 🙂 

New to HAL. When do they open specialty dining online booking? Don't want to miss being able to get the day & time want.

Thanks

Hi,

I'll be sailing to Alaska in July and I know HAL has a grand tradition of afternoon tea in the MDR when going through the Inside Passage but has anyone ever had afternoon tea in their suite instead? If so, what was your experience? Did they give you the same 3 tier of finger snacks and tea as the MDR?

Thanks in advance!

Just now, Meander Ingwa said:

try to get your seat on the left side of the carriage

that's what I hear. fingers crossed we'll be able to 🙂

thanks everyone for your thoughts and experiences. We decided to fly into Seattle and take the train. It offers us the best flexibility and least stress all while giving us the chance to see Puget Sound out the window.

It would be a long day but a worthwhile and unique experience!

I was seeing that too. I'm starting to consider that getting a hotel until flight time might be the only way to go.

I did see a 1 stop flight  (layover for 2h in Seattle) at 11am but I'm worried that cuts too close. There are also some Monday am flights but those layovers are much longer and I don't think really save us anything.

Our Jul 2024 cruise ends in Whittier and we would fly out of Anchorage. I'm trying to figure out logistics about what time to book a flight home (same day probably). How long is the commute from the port in Whittier to Anchorage?

What are people suggestions for booking a flight home to Chicago? I don't want to book too early of a flight. If it has to be late, so be it, that's what hotels are for but I don't want to book and miss our flight because transport took longer that I thought.

Thanks 

Hi,

I'm cruising in Jul 2024 and starting to plan flights. Flying in from the Midwest of the US with Husband &10 yr old and air travel cost to Vancouver is a little crazy. I can save some money by flying into Seattle but I don't know what the transport form Seattle to Vancouver would be like or if it's worth it (based on time and effort).

Has anyone flown into Seattle and taken a bus etc to Vancouver?

We will be flying in the day before so it's not  time crunch issue more a logistical/financial thing

I'd be most grateful for what your experience or thoughts were on doing this.

Thanks in advance!!

I have not been on the Eurodamn but YouTube has some time cabin tours, one of which I've linked here, whgich can give you a good look at they cabin type you're sailing in and might get you your answers about the plug situation.

So I'm a bit of a planner and am already looking at excursions for my July 2024 cruise to Alaska on NA. I don't want to book too early or too late. Does anyone have experience as to how fast the excursions can book us? For reference, I'm looking at more culture excursions (ex Totem Bight State Park & Lumberjack Show) than adventure ones (Glacier tours).

Thanks in advance

both you have a butler that covers a couple of villas and they will makes the rounds on you primarily on the patio but sometimes they do come and check on you at the beach chairs. At least that's my recollection.

On 8/12/2023 at 6:04 PM, auntmeg said:

Question for the OP. Just curious.

 

Is this really something that you would need to "budget" for?

 

Max 15 drinks per day. Taxes on $11 drink price would likely be no more than $1. Likely 3 port days in Alaska on typical cruise. So maybe $45 total for the whole cruise if you bought all your drinks while in port which is unlikely.

It's more for a new cruiser in our party. I want them to have a full picture of the costs of a cruise. I LOVE to cruise but there are so many "hidden" costs (for lack of a better word) that I want to be sure, if asked, I have an accurate answer for them

Hi,

Going an Alaskan cruise next year and wondered something when it comes to drinks on ship. We'll have a drink package so basically free bar but will we still have to pay local tax? On my last cruise, while docked in NYC before departure, we were billed the tax on drinks. Is this something I need to factor into my budget for every stop on a 7 day Alaskan cruise?

Thanks in advance for all your insight!