Back from Alaska on Regatta???

[hondorner]

... Now hoping someone posts on the more northern ports of call (Anchorage, Homer, Seward) and possibly Denali pre- or post-cruise?...

I think the cruise right before ours is the first to sail to the northern ports, and we'll be the first Oceania cruise to sail from Anchorage. HAL Prinsendam beat us to the punch last year, becoming the first cruise ship in 42 years to sail from Anchorage. We'll be second. I imagine people will be looking for our posts to see what it was like.

[MightyQuinn]

HAL Prinsendam beat us to the punch last year, becoming the first cruise ship in 42 years to sail from Anchorage.

Hondorner, I know you like facts, so for the sake of accuracy, it was HAL Amsterdam that was the first ship in many years to sail into/from Anchorage. HAL Prinsendam hasn't been in Alaskan waters for quite some time. Just saying'.

 

HAL introduced an extended 14-day cruise RT Seattle to northern Alaska (Anchorage, Homer, Kodiak) last year. It was an immediate success. HAL is doing this itinerary again this year (we'll be aboard later in the season) and all indications are positive for the future. Some info on the less visited ports in Alaska can be gleaned in Member Reviews of HAL Amsterdam from last year or early in this season.

[jtamchay]

Crystal also sailed from Anchorage to Vancouver in the early 1990's...so HAL was not a first...I was on that cruise and we flew into Anchorage and boarded the ship...just saying...VBG

[JimandStan]

Crystal also sailed from Anchorage to Vancouver in the early 1990's...so HAL was not a first...I was on that cruise and we flew into Anchorage and boarded the ship...just saying...VBG

 

This is unbelievable to me also, but the early 1990's was twenty years ago.......so it has been "many years". :rolleyes:

[jtamchay]

Yes, our very first cruise was on Crystal Harmony in the Inaugural season and it was RT SF to Alaska......we are taking our very first Oceania cruise in about 6 weeks...we have just short of 100 days at sea with Crystal and have selected Oceania for itinerary this time and expect to be very pleased.

Time flies when you are having FUN!

[MightyQuinn]

Crystal also sailed from Anchorage to Vancouver in the early 1990's...so HAL was not a first...I was on that cruise and we flew into Anchorage and boarded the ship...just saying...VBG

Well first off, I had to look up VBG. :D:D

Yes indeed, other cruise ships have been to Anchorage. But according to local news reports out of Alaska, last year HAL Amsterdam became the first ship in over 25 years to make regular port calls there. In 2010, HAL visited Anchorage 9 times and will do the same this year, on a 14-day itinerary that also includes Homer and Kodiak. Other ships visit Anchorage much less frequently, maybe only once or twice during the Alaska season. There are, however, many cruise ship calls at both Whittier and Seward for Anchorage.

 

http://www.adn.com/2010/05/24/1292461/25-cruise.html

[Oceans&Rivers]

The south view web cam shows the Crystal Symphony in port in Juneau today at the CT (Cruise Ship Terminal) dock, and that's where the Regatta will dock (at least for the voyage we are on):

 

 

This dock is closest to the Mount Roberts tramway.

 

For more Juneau city/borough webcams, you can click here:

 

http://www.juneau.org/cam/southcam.php

[Wannaknow]

Oceans&rivers thanks for the webcam pic. It gives me the strength to go on. I just started laying out my clothes to see what I can fit in the suitcase etc. I am overwhelmed by it all and I haven't even started on pants, shoes, & dinner things.:eek:

[Oceans&Rivers]

The first one was full, but only about 20% of the passengers were past Oceania cruisers...A very different demographic due to the big discounts.

 

The "different demographic" (whatever do you mean, sir?) is likely a very, very good thing for Oceania. If 80% of the ship consisted of new passengers to Oceania, a marketer's dream, by the way, that means that if these passengers were satisfied with the experience, which we hope they were, then they are likely to book future Oceania cruises.

 

Perhaps you refer to a greater number of West Coast passengers (likely, given that the Regatta is more easily accessible to West Coasters this year), or to more racially or linguistically diversified clientele or oh, I don't know, just much younger or more lively?

 

If you are going to toss out something like "a very different clientele," then I would like to know what you mean by that.

 

 

P.S. In our case, the Oceania Alaska cruise cost more than the Crystal Symphony Alaska cruise we had booked (we have cruised Crystal before), but we cancelled Crystal in order to cruise on the Regatta.

[orchestrapal]

The "different demographic" (whatever do you mean, sir?) is likely a very, very good thing for Oceania. If 80% of the ship consisted of new passengers to Oceania, a marketer's dream, by the way, that means that if these passengers were satisfied with the experience, which we hope they were, then they are likely to book future Oceania cruises.

 

Perhaps you refer to a greater number of West Coast passengers (likely, given that the Regatta is more easily accessible to West Coasters this year), or to more racially or linguistically diversified clientele or oh, I don't know, just much younger or more lively?

 

If you are going to toss out something like "a very different clientele," then I .like to know what you mean by that.

 

They were mostly from the West Coast and just the fact that they were new to Oceania makes the experience a little bit different. It made the job of the staff somewhat harder.

There were many more walkers,scooters and wheel chairs. This probably due to those folks not needing flights to join the ship. Yes that's all good for Oceania and, of course, the next time they cruise with O they will be "old timers" just like the rest of us.:)

[InternetAgeTraveler]

Last year I started a compilation of time lapse vidoes of Alaska cruises to answer some questions about the itineraires, how rough the seas were, and so on. It was a fair amount of work but very addicting. I posted over 170 in 2010. With the Alaska cruise season in full swing, I am posting several more each week and will soon have over 200.

 

One of the new ships that I am following is the Oceania Regatta. So far, I have compiled the first 2 trips of the season. The time lapse videos are not the same as being there, but they do give some idea about the weather, the seas, and the surroundings.

 

Since they are 14 day cruises, they run a bit longer than some at almost 5 minutes. The videos play back about 8 hours every 10 seconds.

 

 

Click the links below or follow this link for the full list of cruises

[Oceans&Rivers]

They were mostly from the West Coast and just the fact that they were new to Oceania makes the experience a little bit different. It made the job of the staff somewhat harder.

 

And you mostly East-Coasters (and nearby) "O old-timers" make it somehow easier????: How so? Please advise us pioneers how we should behave. We don't want the staff to suffer. ;)

 

 

There were many more walkers,scooters and wheel chairs. This probably due to those folks not needing flights to join the ship.

 

Well, if passengers board in Miami, go through the Panama Canal and then do Alaska, they probably have a lot of time on their hands, which often equates to being older and perhaps less mobile. It must have been a dream for many of them (and you) to have the ability to stay on the ship so long without what would normally involve a lot of pesky flights.

 

Surely the round-trip South Florida cruises have their share of mobility-impaired folks, too.

 

Yes that's all good for Oceania and, of course, the next time they cruise with O they will be "old timers" just like the rest of us.:)

 

On this point we do agree. :)

[MightyQuinn]

The first one was full, but only about 20% of the passengers were past Oceania cruisers...A very different demographic due to the big discounts.

 

There were many more walkers,scooters and wheel chairs.

Thanks for the additional info about your Alaska cruise. The picture is clearer now.

 

Big discounts...walkers...scooters...wheelchairs. It seems that stereotypical passengers from an unnamed cruise line must have invaded the sacred space of Oceania! What will the future bring? OMG. :eek::eek:

[Senior Citizen]

Can you tell me if they have bridge instructors onboard for the sea days?

[wripro]

Just got off the May 26th SF to Vancouver sailing. The ship only had about 550 passengers, so definitely not full. We had extraordinary weather, 70s in Wrangell, Juneau. Icy Strait Point. I booked this cruise for time considerations but was told that late May, early June is the best time to come. It certainly proved true.

 

I booked all my excursions privately and was glad I did. Alaska is not about the ports, it's about getting out of them into nature. In Wrangell I did a jet boat trip up the Stikline River and it was amazing in terms of the sights and experience. In Icy Strait Point we did a whale watching tour which took us an hour away and where we spent a couple of hours observing the creatures. In Juneau it was a helicopter ride to Mendenhall Glacier where we went dog sledding, one of those experiences that will stay with you always. In Sitka I went out on a marine wildlife tour on a small boat with just the captain, Paul Gallant, and me. I saw so many unusual and exciting forms of wildlife. And in Ketchikan I took the float plane to Misty fjords with Michelle of Island Wings. This was another superlative tour and even though there was some rain it somehow added to the uniqueness of the whole experience. Also I was lucky enough to share some of these tours with a few of my fellow passengers who also post on CC and that made it all the more enjoyable.

[orchestrapal]

Can you tell me if they have bridge instructors onboard for the sea days?

 

They had a very nice couple from CA on the SF-SF in May.:)

[Rickey 88]

I really hope Terry Breen will still be on board for the June 29 sailing from Anchorage, but I recently read on the Regent forum that she will be returning to Regent Navigator at the end of June. She normally sails on Regent.

 

Unfortunately, Terry will be disembarking in Anchorage on June 29th and moving to the Navigator.

 

She will be replaced by David Nordlander, who is quite good.....

[Oceans&Rivers]

Unfortunately, Terry will be disembarking in Anchorage on June 29th and moving to the Navigator.

 

She will be replaced by David Nordlander, who is quite good.....

 

Have you personally heard David Nordlander speak about Alaska's nature? Is he, first and foremost, a great communicator with years of experience communicating a passion for the wonder of the entire Alaska experience?

 

The only David Nordlander I could locate on the Internet (related to Alaska) is a historian with the Library of Congress who appears to be an expert on Russia and Russian Alaska, and who has written one or more books on that subject. That David Nordlander chaired a discussion of Russian Orthodoxy in Siberia and Alaska last month.

 

http://www.loc.gov/rr/european/mofc/mofcprog.html

 

I have no doubt that David J. Nordlander would be able to lend much expertise and background for the port of Sitka and any other port that has a strong Russian history, but what is his expertise and experience bringing together and conveying the wonderful experience of the wildlife, Alaskan Tlingit culture, glaciers of Alaska?

 

He may be a wonderful speaker (let's hope so...), but Oceania's press releases about Regatta's summer season touted Terry Breen's popularity and expertise and her presence onboard for Regatta's Inaugural summer season, not just a few voyages.

 

Just one of many articles about Terry Breen's appearance on the Regatta states the following:

 

"Author/lecturer Terry Breen—long a favorite guest speaker on Regent Seven Seas cruise ships—will spend the 2011 Alaska season aboard Oceania Cruises' 684-passenger Regatta. (italics and underline mine)

 

Terry is the author of The Cruiser Friendly Onboard Guide to Alaska's Inside Passage and The Cruiser Friendly Onboard Guide to Exploring Antarctica.

 

This is the first summer Regatta will spend exploring Alaska's Inside Passage and Terry will bring her 19 years of expedition experience to her series of enrichment lectures."

 

As I have posted elsewhere, my husband and I have done numerous Alaska cruises, and it will not be critical to the enjoyment of our Alaska cruise on the Regatta who the naturalist is, as we are most looking forward to experiencing Oceania for the first time. Everyone with whom I have been in contact at Oceania—regardless of their position—has been extremely helpful, kind and very competent and I know that we will have a wonderful experience. I have no doubts.

 

However, I don't like to see things touted in marketing for Oceania that are then taken away from Oceania passengers and given to Regent, possibly because of the very vocal objections of the Regent Cruise Critic passengers who consider Terry Breen to be theirs, despite press releases as far back as 2010 stating Terry Breen would be the naturalist aboard Regatta for Oceania's possibly one and only foray into Alaska for the foreseeable future.

[Rickey 88]

I am not sure what you are trying to make as your point. Are you registering a complaint that a change has been made in lecturers, or that you are not familiar with the individual chosen as the replacement?

 

I am presuming that the David Nordlander mentioned in Oceania's press release is the same David J. Nordlander who has appeared as Interport or In-Port lecturer on behalf of Semester At Sea. He is a PhD at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has a distinguished record as an expert of Russian and Alaskan history.

 

If this assumption is correct, I expect he will be equally informative as Terry Breen.

[Oceans&Rivers]

First off, I apologize for all the computer "mumbo jumbo" to follow for those who are uninitiated.

 

I am not sure what you are trying to make as your point.

 

You said that David Nordlander was "quite good," so I asked you the following:

 

"Have you personally heard David Nordlander speak about Alaska's nature? Is he, first and foremost, a great communicator with years of experience communicating a passion for the wonder of the entire Alaska experience?"

 

I want to know how you come to the conclusion that he is a "quite good" substitute for Terry Breen. Have you heard or attended a lecture by him or seen a video?

 

Terry Breen has been touted as an effective communicator of her subject matter, which is what most cruisers are going to Alaska to experience, not just a tiny portion of it (i.e. Russian history) and that is what I would hope for.

 

Also, the other day in a portion of Google web cache for Oceania Cruises' Facebook page that could not be accessed (the link led to "pointers" to a Facebook post, not to actual content), I read (in that little tidbit displayed in Google) that David Nordlander would be leaving the ship on July 23rd.

 

That tidbit is still there.

 

If you put the following query into Google, it comes up as the top ranked result, i.e. enter the following into Google: "Terry Breen David Nordlander",

or, to make it even easier, click on the following link:

 

http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&source=hp&q=terry+breen+david+nordlander&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=e556f518678454f1&biw=1054&bih=664

 

You can read it the "tidbit" yourself, but when you click the "cached" link, you will get the following message: "Your search - cache:TUBbbdnZrdAJ:www.facebook.com/OceaniaCruises?filter=1 " terry breen david nordlander" - did not match any documents. "

 

 

 

Regatta still has Alaskan voyages after July 23rd.

 

Who will be the naturalist/lecturer for those voyages?

[tanny18]

First off, I apologize for all the computer "mumbo jumbo" to follow for those who are uninitiated.

 

Regatta still has Alaskan voyages after July 23rd.

 

Who will be the naturalist/lecturer for those voyages?

 

I have been on 8 Oceania cruises, and every lecturer has been good, very good or excellent. So I don't think it will start putting on medicre lecturers/naturalists for the remaining Alaska cruises!!! Your point is well taken, however, I would leave these matters in the good hands of the people at Oceania who book the speakers, etc. There are so many things to look forward to on an Oceania cruise, and almost 100% of the time everything works out just perfectly. See you in Alaska!! Arlene;)

[Oceans&Rivers]

Your point is well taken, however, I would leave these matters in the good hands of the people at Oceania who book the speakers, etc. There are so many things to look forward to on an Oceania cruise, and almost 100% of the time everything works out just perfectly. See you in Alaska!! Arlene;

 

Hi there, Arlene. :)

 

As I mentioned several times and in several places in the Oceania forum, my husband and I have done numerous Alaska cruises over the years on several cruise lines, and our prime focus this year will be on the overall Oceania experience, with an emphasis on food and service and the ship itself. I have also stated that I have no doubts that will be provided. I trust that we will have a great time.

 

When it came down to finalizing payment for Alaska 2011 on Crystal Symphony or Oceania Regatta (we held bookings for each), we decided to forego a known excellent product on the Symphony (especially when it comes to destination lecturers onboard) for what we feel will be a better fit for us overall in Oceania, mostly due to the strictly enforced, limited smoking policy, the lack of a rigid dress code for dinner, and the ability to dine, for the most part, when and with whom we wish, all without sacrificing excellent cuisine, for which both of these cruise lines are known. I believe we will love Oceania. I hope I have now made that abundantly clear. :)

 

With that said, for many, if not most onboard, Alaska as a destination is a "bucket list" adventure and we all want the very best person (many say that is Terry Breen, who was, in fact, advertised as being the expert who would in fact be on all the summer 2011 Alaska voyages of Regatta), and we were disappointed to learn that she has been moved to another ship even though press releases stated she would be on Oceania Regatta for 2011's Alaska summer season.

 

Maybe this will all turn out "perfect" in the end and Terry Breen will finish out the 2011 Alaska season on Regatta afterall and then she can return to Regent next year. :);)

[wripro]

Unfortunately, according to Terry herself, she is returning to the Navigator at the end of June.

[Leonid]

If the lecturer was the most important aspect of any cruise that I had booked, then I would pass on the cruise if who I was expecting to lecture was not lecturing.

 

Having cruised Alaska three times, I doubt that any lecturer could possible add to anything I don't already know or wish to know. And I don't cruise Alaska for the lectures. I can read and see, since the cruise lines really don't vary the itineraries.

[tanny18]

If the lecturer was the most important aspect of any cruise that I had booked, then I would pass on the cruise if who I was expecting to lecture was not lecturing.

 

Having cruised Alaska three times, I doubt that any lecturer could possible add to anything I don't already know or wish to know. And I don't cruise Alaska for the lectures. I can read and see, since the cruise lines really don't vary the itineraries.

Right on, Leonid!!! See you soon. Arlene;)