A few questions about Noordam

Hi,

June 24, 2018 will be my family's first cruise--southbound Alaska after 5 nights on land! My soon-to-be-8yo son is very excited, as are us parents! I have a few questions for those in the know:

1. How deep is the pool with the retractable roof? Is it uniform depth or graded deep-shallow?

2. Can any of the Club Hal activities be done as a family or are no parents allowed in? For example, can we all play foosball there? We won't be dropping our son off there--prefer to do things together.

3. How many binoculars do they put in suites? We'll be in a pinnacle suite and I'm not sure if we should pack our own binoculars too.

4. Are you allowed to take a drink out of the Neptune Lounge (alcoholic or not) or must it be finished there?

5. Is the "tap water" fine to drink or should we plan on buying bottled water?

6. Will they room-service pancakes and waffles?

7. What can OBC be used for?

8. Do you know what time our cruisetrain from Anchorage will get us to Seward? I'm hoping early enough to wander around the port and then embark early. I'm not sure if there's more than one train between the 2; our land & sea itinerary shows a train for transport.

9. Apart from the "fee" to dine at PG and Canaletto, is there a charge for the actual food?

10. Is it true that the dry dock renovations originally scheduled for May 2018 have been postponed? Apparently there are now cruises scheduled during that time.

I'm sure I'll have more questions between now and then and I appreciate your responses to my "random" questions!

We took the train from Anchorage to Seward as part of our land/sea cruisetour. We arrived around dinner time. Many people will be arriving on the train and busses around the same time. It’s a long train ride. Don’t expect to have much time to wander around Seward either before or after you embark the ship.

Which cruisetour will you be taking?

Kids seem to enjoy the kids club and it gives them a chance to meet others in their age group. You can enjoy playing ping pong on deck with your 8 year old but the kids club activities are for the kids.

We were on the Noordam last summer in Alaska and according to staff the dry dock was postponed.

Tap water is fine to drink. After all, your cocktail ice is made from the same water!

Okay, good to know about the tap water and cruisetrain timing. I thought our train would arrive just before the lunch hour thinking it was the schedule shown on the Alaska RR website. We're doing the D5L cruise tour, but add a night in Fairbanks at the beginning just to start adjusting to the time difference sooner.

Hi' date='

June 24, 2018 will be my family's first cruise--southbound Alaska after 5 nights on land! My soon-to-be-8yo son is very excited, as are us parents! I have a few questions for those in the know:

1. How deep is the pool with the retractable roof? Is it uniform depth or graded deep-shallow?

As I recall it is about 4 to 5 feet, uniform depth.

2. Can any of the Club Hal activities be done as a family or are no parents allowed in? For example, can we all play foosball there? We won't be dropping our son off there--prefer to do things together.

Club Hal is for children - you might want to let him give it a try to see if he likes it.

3. How many binoculars do they put in suites? We'll be in a pinnacle suite and I'm not sure if we should pack our own binoculars too.

One pair - your concierge might be able to scrounge up another for you.

4. Are you allowed to take a drink out of the Neptune Lounge (alcoholic or not) or must it be finished there?

No problem taking drinks "to go".

5. Is the "tap water" fine to drink or should we plan on buying bottled water?

Tap water is fine - probably better than what you have at home.

6. Will they room-service pancakes and waffles?

Whatever is on the menu is available - I believe for a charge if anything more than basics.

7. What can OBC be used for?

Unless specifically limited, pretty much any onboard spending.

8. Do you know what time our cruisetrain from Anchorage will get us to Seward? I'm hoping early enough to wander around the port and then embark early. I'm not sure if there's more than one train between the 2; our land & sea itinerary shows a train for transport.

No.

9. Apart from the "fee" to dine at PG and Canaletto, is there a charge for the actual food?

?

 

 

10. Is it true that the dry dock renovations originally scheduled for May 2018 have been postponed? Apparently there are now cruises scheduled during that time.

?

 

I'm sure I'll have more questions between now and then and I appreciate your responses to my "random" questions!

Noordam is a great ship - we've sailed her three times -probably best service experienced on HAL

*whew* glad to hear good things about Noordam! And thank you for your service navybankerteacher, from a fellow military family!

We took the train from Anchorage to Seward as part of our land/sea cruisetour. We arrived around dinner time. Many people will be arriving on the train and busses around the same time. It’s a long train ride. Don’t expect to have much time to wander around Seward either before or after you embark the ship.

 

Which cruisetour will you be taking?

 

Kids seem to enjoy the kids club and it gives them a chance to meet others in their age group. You can enjoy playing ping pong on deck with your 8 year old but the kids club activities are for the kids.

 

We were on the Noordam last summer in Alaska and according to staff the dry dock was postponed.

Do you happen to remember what "class" the included cruisetrain was? Glass dome ceiling or no?

The cruise train is just a trip for the ship passengers, not the scheduled ones you see the train website. It arrives LATE. We were fairly disgusted with the timing actually. After arrival at the ship we had to sit on the train for about an hour before they walked us to the entry area. Priority boarding will get you nothing there. There is only one class of train on this. It is 4 top dining tables with an arched top but not the elevated Gold Class trains. Honestly I wish we had ditched our tour and taken an early train on our own. We’d nit gave been rushed and we would have gotten to see the port town which sounds very nice.

The Neptune Lounge has just a cart you could pour (and be billed) for a drink. You can take it wherever you want to onboard. You’d pay for a soda from there just as ordering from a bar.

There are ping pong tables around the pool for playing with your son. Not sure what is in kid’s club but as a parent I’d actually hope parents aren’t allowed in with the kids. That would put a lot of unscreened adults in proximity to my child.

No fee for food in specialty dining with the exception of an upcharge for lobster and maybe something else in Pinnacle.

The cruise train is just a trip for the ship passengers, not the scheduled ones you see the train website. It arrives LATE. We were fairly disgusted with the timing actually. After arrival at the ship we had to sit on the train for about an hour before they walked us to the entry area. Priority boarding will get you nothing there. There is only one class of train on this. It is 4 top dining tables with an arched top but not the elevated Gold Class trains. Honestly I wish we had ditched our tour and taken an early train on our own. We’d nit gave been rushed and we would have gotten to see the port town which sounds very nice.

...

There are ping pong tables around the pool for playing with your son. Not sure what is in kid’s club but as a parent I’d actually hope parents aren’t allowed in with the kids. That would put a lot of unscreened adults in proximity to my child.

Wow--good point about the kids club! I hadn't thought of it that way! And that is exactly one of the reasons we're anti-drop-off!

Okay so I should seriously consider the waking up super early and shelling out $$ for the morning adventure or goldstar class train...wish HAL would let me just pay the difference!

Hi' date='

June 24, 2018 will be my family's first cruise--southbound Alaska after 5 nights on land! My soon-to-be-8yo son is very excited, as are us parents! I have a few questions for those in the know:

1. How deep is the pool with the retractable roof? Is it uniform depth or graded deep-shallow?

2. Can any of the Club Hal activities be done as a family or are no parents allowed in? For example, can we all play foosball there? We won't be dropping our son off there--prefer to do things together.

3. How many binoculars do they put in suites? We'll be in a pinnacle suite and I'm not sure if we should pack our own binoculars too. [b'] They provide one pair of binoculars and we often brougtht a 'pair of our own.ravel size, xpecially for Alaska. When doing scenic cruising and or some of the excurrsions, it is ggreat if you each have at least a travel size binocular. To see the waterfalls, the wildlife, the seals, bears, whales...... [/b]

 

 

you can take yourbeverage out of Neptune Lounge to your cabin. We often got coffee or juice and carried it to our cabin. .

4. Are you allowed to take a drink out of the Neptune Lounge (alcoholic or not) or must it be finished there?

5. Is the "tap water" fine to drink or should we plan on buying bottled water? Tap water on the ship is frine to drink. I drink lots of water and truthfully think the ships' water tastes etter than some of the brands of bottled

6. Will they room-servic e pancakes and waffles? YES and they are delicious.... gget some sausage or bacon with it if your family enjoys that.

7. What can OBC be used for? Excursions bought while on the ship, purchases in the shop, hair salon, spa, photos drinks from bars, speialty restaurants, hotel service charge.

8. Do you know what time our cruisetrain from Anchorage will get us to Seward? I'm hoping early enough to wander around the port and then embark early. I'm not sure if there's more than one train between the 2; our land & sea itinerary shows a train for transport.

9. Apart from the "fee" to dine at PG and Canaletto, is there a charge for the actual food?

10. Is it true that the dry dock renovations originally scheduled for May 2018 have been postponed? Apparently there are now cruises scheduled during that time.

 

I'm sure I'll have more questions between now and then and I appreciate your responses to my "random" questions!

We are happy to try to answer any/ all questions.

Do you happen to remember what "class" the included cruisetrain was? Glass dome ceiling or no?

Actually, I wasn't going to give you the "downside" but as "always frantic" noted in her post, it was not the experience I was expecting.

We also had to wait on the train after we got to Seward for about an hour. HAL really made an effort to help us all get the preboarding paperwork done before we got off the train but we still had to wait for a long time, just sitting in the rail car waiting for our turn. As I said, a lot of people are arriving in the late afternoon.

After the wonderful front facing luxury of the HAL dome train to and from Denali I was expecting a similar experience. The seats on the Seward cruisetrain were four per table at which you will be able to order food and drink. The train managers try to give you scenic information while also taking care of everyone's requests for food. Since the seats face each other some will be facing backward and some forward. People tend to visit a lot when facing each other and I thought the train was pretty noisy.

The scenery was wonderful, we even saw a bear cub laying in a patch of snow. But you have to pay attention.....somebody will always speak up if they see something so everybody can enjoy it and the train will slow down and possibly stop for out of the ordinary viewing.

I would not do the cruise train again to Seward. I think if you are so inclined you should probably try to schedule the morning train. It does leave very early but you will be in Seward in time to actually see the area and possibly take a Kenai Fjords excursion as the cruise ship will have a late departure. If you miss the life boat drill because you embark late the ship staff will see that you and other late arrivers take part in it before they get underway.

If you can do it, I would strongly suggest you take the early train and in GoldStar class. We did that train back in 2012, and it remains one of the highlights of our many Alaska cruises. We're repeating it in June.

With GoldStar service, all seats face forward, the cars are domed, and your breakfast in the dining room will be included. Behind each Goldstar car is an open viewing car. We spent a lot of time out there taking photographs.

Plus, when you arrive in Seward, you'll have plenty of time to do a Kenai Fjords cruise, go to the Alaska SeaLife Center or do a hike to the Exit Glacier.

sail7seas: we'll pack more binoculars then! My son will be very happy to receive pancakes and waffles in the room :-) and we'll all stay hydrated with the ship's water )wonder if they use an RO filter, hence the good taste!)

oaktreerb & Cruise_More_Often: My husband says he absolutely wants to get there via the early train and board the ship, even if it cuts a few hours out of our already short time in Anchorage (we get to Anchorage at 5pm the day before on the Denali Star). There is a bus from 7am arriving at 9:45 to Seward, but seems much less scenic vs train. I really like the sound of Goldstar service; only a few reviews don't recommend it vs regular. Of course it comes at double the price. I'm inclined to do it this time at least, being our first trip of this type. I'm awaiting a reply from my PCC as to weather HAL will offer a reduced fare (and transfer from hotel to depot) if we book through them before I get the tickets on my own.

Thanks all for your seasoned advice!!!

The bus is also a scenic ride along Turnagain Arm. Everything is scenic in Alaska during the long daylight hours of summer!

oaktreerb, true but faster through those scenes than the train. My husband's been itching for some train trips! My PCC said HAL won't adjust our fare if we ditch their afternoon train for the morning one...oh well. I did think about booking our own way, including the trains that we want (no desire to rent a car this time), for our land portion, but the some of the regularly scheduled times were worse. And when I added it all up ballpark the HAL land portion didn't seem like a bad deal--not a huge difference for the convenience of them planning and transporting luggage etc. Of course on Anchorage to Seward day we'll be stuck with our bags. That's the most work we'll do on this vacation though!

sail7seas: we'll pack more binoculars then! My son will be very happy to receive pancakes and waffles in the room :-) and we'll all stay hydrated with the ship's water )wonder if they use an RO filter' date=' hence the good taste!)[/quote']

 

On the water, yes they do use Reverse Osmosis to distill the water on the ships. They have to make a lot too. Its probably cleaner than most tap water anywhere.

 

As for the waffles. Don't want to burst your bubble, but you'll find that the waffles can be less than piping hot on room service. The trays have to be plated and then dispatched to your stateroom. I've found over the years that its much better to run up to the Lido and grab a few hot off the griddle waffles. We will order all the regular stuff for room service and once its delivered I dash up and grab some waffles (and pancakes) and anything else hot we want.

Since you are in a Pinnacle suite you will have access to a high powered binocular with tripod. We used it out on deck while in Glacier Bay. Also if you do take the afternoon train that comes on the D5L they will escort you off the car first and walk you directly to the ship with a quick stop in security for the X-ray machine. The room will have a large selection of snack items for you so you not need to drop your bags and run for dinner. For the three of us, it was more than enough. While in Anchorage that morning, goto Snow City Cafe. It is a short walk from the hotel and the wait is worth it.

Oh, if you want I should be able to scan in the daily itinerary from the 2016 D5L for you.

On the water, yes they do use Reverse Osmosis to distill the water on the ships. They have to make a lot too. Its probably cleaner than most tap water anywhere.

 

As for the waffles. Don't want to burst your bubble, but you'll find that the waffles can be less than piping hot on room service. The trays have to be plated and then dispatched to your stateroom. I've found over the years that its much better to run up to the Lido and grab a few hot off the griddle waffles. We will order all the regular stuff for room service and once its delivered I dash up and grab some waffles (and pancakes) and anything else hot we want.

The room service dishes are placed on hot service plates with a dome cover............ Also there is a commercial microwave in the Pinnacle suite. BE CAReful. It gets much hotter than most of the ones we have in our homes.

drowelf, we have RO at home on our well water--it's the best indeed.

sail7seas, I'm excited about having fridge and microwave access! so convenient with kids.

TheEmerson, thanks for giving more good news about pinnacle amenities! And yes that would be great if you wouldn't mind scanning over the D5L itinerary. I know somethings may change, but I'd like to have a better idea vs what is given on the HAL booking website. My PCC did say that she doesn't have the info yet on exactly what time the train to Seward will arrive, and suggested I wait a few weeks before buying morning tickets. If they still expedite suite guests, then maybe we'll save the $$.

Hi all! I'm going to add some more random questions here to my original thread about Noordam info. I've gotten very far with planning since I first joined CC and started posting here. So many helpful responses to all my dilemmas!

Since December, when I originally booked my family on D5L, plus an extra day in Fairbanks at the beginning, we decided to change to D3L--ended up costing a little less over all and gave us a night in Seward, even when taking into account the loss of OBC and gratuities with our original booking! I did book us on the Anchorage-Seward gold star train (D3L is coach to Seward, and my husband wants a little more train time). I secured many of our excursions, while still trying to leave in some breathing room to just relax. I didn't add anything to the land portion of our cruise, except in Seward--we're going to Exit Glacier and possibly the Alaska SeaLife Center, plus the Alaska Salmon Bake restaurant near the Windsong. In Haines, Glacier Point Wilderness Safari (assuming calm seas for the boat portion) & Takshanuk 4x4. In Juneau, Mendenhall & Tram (on our own) plus Whale Watching. In Ketchikan, targeting a lunch plentiful in Dungeness, Creek Street, Totem Heritage Center (all on our own), and the Lumberjack Show. Finishing off our vacation in Vancouver with an overnight there, so we'll head to Stanley Park and later join in on Canada Day festivities!

Paid off our trip today! And I think I have us covered with layers and waterproof gear. The excitement is building! So here are some more Noordam questions I have, please:

A. Are Pinnacle Grill and Canelleto open for lunch, and if so, are reservations needed? And will it be the same menu and fee as dinner?

B. How many Gala nights will there be during our 7-day southbound cruise? Is the dress code for the fee-related restaurants or for all the restaurants?

C. Can we take pre-wrapped sandwiches off the ship with us on port days? On another thread, replies were mostly "no" but then I read a CC article with tips that included a suggestion to grab pre-made sandwiches on our way out the door

D. Might almond milk be available during breakfast? If no I will pack one of those "room-temp till opened" ones for my son (I've done this for Disney and Providenciales without leaks), along with a bottle of maple syrup for those pancake/waffle days)

E. Ice cream on board--hard scoop or soft serve?

F. Are there any less-than-obvious areas of the ship that are off-limits to kids? I know the casino, spa, adult pool, but anywhere else?

G. Is there an opportunity for a digital professional family photo with a "we're on an awesome cruise"-looking background? I'll need that for my next holiday card!

H. Outside of our room, where can we enjoy family time together? Neptune lounge? Crow's Nest? Explorations Cafe? Sports deck? Of course we'll be on our balcony and out on deck when in scenic cruising areas.

I. Could we request a small fan for "white noise" at night or should I plan to bring our own?

That's all for now. Many thanks!

Some answers

A. Are Pinnacle Grill and Canelleto open for lunch, and if so, are reservations needed? And will it be the same menu and fee as dinner?

Yes, different fees and menu for the PG, never used Canaletto for lunch so don't know, reservations always recommended and the concierge in the Neptune lounge will make them for you

B. How many Gala nights will there be during our 7-day southbound cruise? Is the dress code for the fee-related restaurants or for all the restaurants?

Probably just one, dress code applies to all venues but is really very lax.

C. Can we take pre-wrapped sandwiches off the ship with us on port days? On another thread, replies were mostly "no" but then I read a CC article with tips that included a suggestion to grab pre-made sandwiches on our way out the door.

The no food off the ship applies in foreign countries, doubt it will be an issue for you on an Alaskan cruise.

D. Might almond milk be available during breakfast? If no I will pack one of those "room-temp till opened" ones for my son (I've done this for Disney and Providenciales without leaks), along with a bottle of maple syrup for those pancake/waffle days)

If I remember correctly my wife found it when we sailed the Noordam from New Zealand back home to Canada last year but my memory could be wrong

E. Ice cream on board--hard scoop or soft serve?

Both

F. Are there any less-than-obvious areas of the ship that are off-limits to kids? I know the casino, spa, adult pool, but anywhere else?

Don't know

G. Is there an opportunity for a digital professional family photo with a "we're on an awesome cruise"-looking background? I'll need that for my next holiday card!

You will be sick and tired of the photographers pestering you.

H. Outside of our room, where can we enjoy family time together? Neptune lounge? Crow's Nest? Explorations Cafe? Sports deck? Of course we'll be on our balcony and out on deck when in scenic cruising areas.

Just about anywhere, the inverse of your question above about no go area's for kids. Certainly the Neptune lounge is a nice area. There was a two year old on the first leg of our last cruise and she garnered an instant increase in substitute grandparents !!!!

I. Could we request a small fan for "white noise" at night or should I plan to bring our own?

The white noise from the HVAC system will be all you will need.

Hi all! I'm going to add some more random questions here to my original thread about Noordam info. I've gotten very far with planning since I first joined CC and started posting here. So many helpful responses to all my dilemmas!

Since December' date=' when I originally booked my family on D5L, plus an extra day in Fairbanks at the beginning, we decided to change to D3L--ended up costing a little less over all and gave us a night in Seward, even when taking into account the loss of OBC and gratuities with our original booking! I did book us on the Anchorage-Seward gold star train (D3L is coach to Seward, and my husband wants a little more train time). I secured many of our excursions, while still trying to leave in some breathing room to just relax. I didn't add anything to the land portion of our cruise, except in Seward--we're going to Exit Glacier and possibly the Alaska SeaLife Center, plus the Alaska Salmon Bake restaurant near the Windsong. In Haines, Glacier Point Wilderness Safari (assuming calm seas for the boat portion) & Takshanuk 4x4. In Juneau, Mendenhall & Tram (on our own) plus Whale Watching. In Ketchikan, targeting a lunch plentiful in Dungeness, Creek Street, Totem Heritage Center (all on our own), and the Lumberjack Show. Finishing off our vacation in Vancouver with an overnight there, so we'll head to Stanley Park and later join in on Canada Day festivities!

Paid off our trip today! And I think I have us covered with layers and waterproof gear. The excitement is building! So here are some more Noordam questions I have, please:

 

A. Are Pinnacle Grill and Canelleto open for lunch, and if so, are reservations needed? And will it be the same menu and fee as dinner?

B. How many Gala nights will there be during our 7-day southbound cruise? Is the dress code for the fee-related restaurants or for all the restaurants?

C. Can we take pre-wrapped sandwiches off the ship with us on port days? On another thread, replies were mostly "no" but then I read a CC article with tips that included a suggestion to grab pre-made sandwiches on our way out the door

D. Might almond milk be available during breakfast? If no I will pack one of those "room-temp till opened" ones for my son (I've done this for Disney and Providenciales without leaks), along with a bottle of maple syrup for those pancake/waffle days)

E. Ice cream on board--hard scoop or soft serve?

F. Are there any less-than-obvious areas of the ship that are off-limits to kids? I know the casino, spa, adult pool, but anywhere else?

G. Is there an opportunity for a digital professional family photo with a "we're on an awesome cruise"-looking background? I'll need that for my next holiday card!

H. Outside of our room, where can we enjoy family time together? Neptune lounge? Crow's Nest? Explorations Cafe? Sports deck? Of course we'll be on our balcony and out on deck when in scenic cruising areas.

I. Could we request a small fan for "white noise" at night or should I plan to bring our own?

 

That's all for now. Many thanks![/quote']

 

1. Canaletto is not open for lunch, but often the Pinnacle is open for lunch on at-sea days. Different menu - burger and lighter options and lower price - very nice option to enjoy. It can fill up fast when it is open for lunch.

 

2. Often there can be two - towards the beginning and towards the end of the cruise - mainly on at-sea days or late departure days - not sure about 7 day cruises if they now have one or two.

 

3. The Pinnacle is a very nice setting, so we always like to dress up for it, gala night or not. In fact for a last night on a previous wonderful 50 day cruise we did the whole gown and black tie to celebrate ...for ourselves on one cruise. Naturally they asked what was the occasion we were celebrating that night - and all we could say was just being here at the end of a really wonderful cruise (Rotterdam from Rotterdam to Indonesia to Singapore cruise)

 

4. Interesting that rules might be different for US ports, but the typical answer is no non-packaged food goes off the ship. The grab-and-go sandwiches are not sealed packaged food - but we think they are very good to enjoy onboard.

 

5. Almond milk, soy milks and other special diet foods are now available at the Lido - in a separate display area.

 

6. Hard and soft serve in various cones, dishes and flavors, along with various syrups and sprinkle add-ons.

 

7. No kids ordering alcohol at the bars obviously and wine tastings, but I think that is about it. Maybe the special cooking classes - I don't know.

 

8. There will be a variety of options for professional photos either on gala night, other nights, embarkation or at each port. We find the photographers to be very polite and not intrusive at all. A smile and a no is all that is necessary and they soon know who likes getting photos done and who does not .They don't bother with people who are not interested in buying them - makes no sense to print out photos that will never sell.

 

Special backgrounds can be arranged with them, and they often have some sort of costume thing in the various ports but typically the backgrounds are neutral for the gala night photos. They do a very nice job. When you say "digital photos" - do you mean with your own camera? Or do you want them to provide you a disc? We never use them so hopefully someone can give you better details about getting what you want done.

 

9. There are a number of more quiet time venues for board games, puzzles etc - like the Library (if you ship still has one), sports venues for outdoor family fun - volleyball, basketball, pickle ball, shuffleboard, ping pong, large piece chess set. Plenty of open deck spaces with loungers way up on top outside the Crows Nest or forward observation decks where families can gather. Sometimes the smaller meeting rooms are empty and can also be used if you want noisier family time. Or the fitness center if you wanted to work out together. The public lounges do tend to be quieter spots as so many HAL cruisers like to read. The MIX Sports Bar area or around the Piano Bar area are also spaces where it is intended to be noisier, and often empty during the day or when there is no special sports event going on the banks of TV's. Those could make good indoor family gathering places.

 

10. Fans can be requested, though it you want a small one for a special noise you like I would bring one. Agree, there is a sound of a ship at sea that will keep a certain level of industrial noise in your cabin so this may not be necessary. One rarely if ever hears noises from cabins next door or in the hallway. Depending upon what is above or below you, there can be activity noise in some cabins. (Do not book a cabin above the Ocean Bar unless you plan on enjoying the music there instead of booming into your cabin until 10:30 at night)

 

Keeping in mind, all ships will be slightly different and all passengers will have different twists to the same questions.

Thank you for your quick, thorough replies old mike and OlsSalt! My son is 8 and he's very respectful and good at keeping the loud fun in places where it's ok for kids to be loud :-) He loves to drink water and I'm relatively sure my husband won't employ him to order his next beer at the bar ;-) He's glad to hear soft and scoop ice cream are available! And I'm glad I can lighten the load by not packing almond milk.

My son and I are light sleepers and I just remembered that I may be packing a small fan anyway for the land portion of our adventure as we hotel-hop. But I am so looking forward to the sound of cruising the ocean! We splurged on a Pinnacle Suite for this first family cruise, so we are sandwiched between other staterooms vs around public/common areas that could get loud. We're always polite to hotel neighbors during unofficial "quiet hours" and hope neighboring cruisers on the Noordam won't be noisy during the night.

By digital photos, I mean getting a digital copy (with rights to reprint) of the professional photo so that I can upload it to a photo service when it comes time to make our next holiday collage card.

My husband and I both wear uniforms for work so we're looking forward to getting dressed up for some of our meals!

My son is going to love the huge chess game, ping pong, basketball, and we're definitely going to give pickleball a try. I just read an article about pickleball a couple of days ago.

I will ask on board about the rule for the potential grab and go sandwiches in Alaska. It would make port exploration a little easier if we have a sandwich on hand vs waiting for a long time to eat in a busy shore restaurant; I specifically am hoping to be allowed to grab sandwiches in Juneau where our plans are tightest, but if no we'll follow the rules and look for maybe a quick food truck.

 

Oh, if you want I should be able to scan in the daily itinerary from the 2016 D5L for you.

 

We're also booked on the D5L land tour. I'd love to get a copy of the daily itinerary if you've still got it.

To be double sure about the almond milk being in stock when you are on board, might want to contact ship services people ahead of time who deal with special dietary requests.