Alaska Cruisetour review- Statendam July 2013

[tamsocal]

[tamsocal]

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[SilvertoGold]

Really sorry to hear that the DR Manager and his assistants are AWOL. This used to be very unusual, but we see it a bit now.

The Oosterdam Pacific Coastal a few years ago (your family was on this, too, I believe) was the first time and quite a shock! Seems this has more to do with the HD than the DRM.

 

Enjoying your tales and photos. Thanks for this thread!!

[LSEA]

Thank you for the updates. Really enjoying following along on your adventure

[tamsocal]

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I should have mentioned..... S the routine path to the falls is obviously the black line. The path we enjoyed was essentially the one that is light or almost white that semi runs parallel to the left of the black line...... Along the shoreline.

You have to hop over a few creeks but nothing to major.

[tamsocal]

Thank you for the updates. Really enjoying following along on your adventure

 

An adventure this is for certain!!!!

We are running the Amazing Race for the next 48 hours!!!

Wish us luck!

 

We have about 5 days worth of activities jam packed into the next 2 days. Important things in the am and..... Less important towards the latter part of the day. Univ of Alaska, riverboat, china hot springs, running reindeer farm, fishing for article grayling , and that is just the start.

My GPS has all our spots in already and just have to get on our way in the am :)

 

Soon to come the end of our cruise, will have to highlight our bingo adventure and winnings :D

 

I have our overall cruise experience too.

 

We just haven't had a lot of down time so posting and adding pics hasn't been too easy :). I am behind with journal for a few days too.

 

The kids have not been to bed by 8pm for over 2 weeks and they are nearing running on empty :) going to bed late and not waking up on their own is starting to get the better of them

[tamsocal]

Really sorry to hear that the DR Manager and his assistants are AWOL. This used to be very unusual, but we see it a bit now.

The Oosterdam Pacific Coastal a few years ago (your family was on this, too, I believe) was the first time and quite a shock! Seems this has more to do with the HD than the DRM.

 

Enjoying your tales and photos. Thanks for this thread!!

 

This is really the first time we have experienced it. Out of all the things I wondered about with the Statendam..... Dining room service was not one of them. We have had great service on prior cruises.

 

The more I think back on it, the dining room really is the primary source that dropped our cruise experience satisfaction. We did have a wonderful time, but the kids meal ordering issues-- our server provided a childrens menu twice. He said they didn't have them. The head dining room assistant said on the last night, this was incorrect and that they had them each night and that is why our food was coming out late since we were sometimes ordering things that weren't on the menu. Well we didn't even want the things that weren't on the menu, we ordered what he told us we could choose from, which was wrong info.

Other cruises the server have had milk and juice for each kid every night after the first night, and really same for us, water, iced tea, etc but no attempt was made or obvious at trying to recall what we liked, etc. which is fine, it just makes the experience for us average vs exceptional.

The kids food typically comes out within 10-15 min of ordering on past cruises and this cruise it was averaging over 45-60 min and as I noted before after the main entrees. Maybe this set of chefs aren't used to preparing for kids but I really don't think this is the case. I think our server was inexperienced and didn't know. The head dining room asst mentioned on the last night when talking about the menus that our server was putting the orders in with the main menu que vs somewhere else that would have allowed the kids food to come out sooner or at least by the time everyone else was eating vs after. Oh well, I didn't complain about all week, so can't fix that. I honestly didn't know what to think and kept thinking it certainly wouldn't happen the next day it was just a fluke.....

 

Needless to say the maitreD did not get a tip since I wouldn't be able to pick him up out of a lineup and majority of the time they weren't even at the front doors on the upper level when we walked in. First time I haven't tip them I think ever. I have very fond memories of our maitreD's. Neville is one of them and now it's driving me nuts that I can't recall the names of my other 2 most favorites. Will have to look in my scrapbook when I get home

 

The food was great overall.

[tamsocal]

I'm enjoying your excellent review. Keep it up.

 

Thanks!! I'll try to get the rest of the cruise posted tomorrow. Cruise tour might take a few days more. :)