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First cruise of the Alaska season - May 2-9

TheSecondSister
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WNcruiser "Live from...." Rare

WNcruiser

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Thank you so much for taking the time to post the blog, photos and location guides. It was a joy to read and really got me excited to board Westerdam in a couple of weeks. I can only hope for as good of weather as you enjoyed.

 

Steve

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Billym1507

Billym1507

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I read your blog from start to finish and enjoyed every minute of it. Thank you so much for taking the time to share this. I am one of those lazy types who love to read blogs and reviews but don't really contribute. I am doing 2 weeks on the Statendam from Seattle around Alaska on the 1st of June so I will make an effort to share my experience this time.

Thanks again.

Billy.

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TheSecondSister

TheSecondSister

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Nice to meet you Both (The Second Sister). Love your blog and photos!

Sitka- Did you hear about the bear that was shot the eve before arriving in the woods (totem area & a tour was here), but the bear was wandering around injured? Well, I made it out of the woods and walked alone. Heard about this from traveling partner who was informed on her bus ride into Sitka, the bus I was on did not mention it. We had the best week ever and crew were the best!!

Hope you are enjoying being home and your dog loves you again. What did you get your dog? Sandipalms

 

Hi Sandipalms - didn't hear anything about a wounded bear; so glad you didn't run into it! Like you, I loved the cruise; from start to finish it was terrific. And it was nice to run into you at the sweater shop. Karin's daughter can't believe her mom got anything so fashionable :D

 

Bella (a spaniel-papillon rescue mutt) has forgiven me, especially when I gave her one of the Yummy Chummies wild Alaskan salmon dog treats. (I know, I know, you can get them at many pet stores, but these came all the way from Alaska where they're made!)

 

Karin and I are already thinking of our next cruise ...

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brt2995

brt2995

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Hi!

Followed your blog from the Westerdam and it was great! Thank you.

We will be on the Westerdam May 23. First time in Alaska. I tried to contact Lois from Classic Tours but she has not replied. Do you have any suggestions for tours and/or private tours for Ketchikan and Sitka?

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TheSecondSister

TheSecondSister

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Hi!

Followed your blog from the Westerdam and it was great! Thank you.

We will be on the Westerdam May 23. First time in Alaska. I tried to contact Lois from Classic Tours but she has not replied. Do you have any suggestions for tours and/or private tours for Ketchikan and Sitka?

 

Sitka: The best excursion we ever did in Sitka was with Davey Lubin (and Louie his fearless pooddle!) on the Esther G Sea Taxi. Link is: http://puffinsandwhales.com/ It was amazing. Capt. Davey knows every nook and cranny of the Sitka Sound. Whales, puffins, eagles, sea lions, sea otters - all the things you hope to see in Alaska and won't see if you stay on a cruise ship. We even had a gourmet picnic lunch on a beach. If dry land is your preferred option, Sitka is small and easy to walk the downtown. The Sheldon Jackson Museum (link: http://museums.alaska.gov/sheldon_jackson/sjhome.html )is definitely worth a visit. And if bears are your thing, a visit to Fortress of the Bears is fun (link: http://www.fortressofthebear.org/) - guaranteed to see bears :D Combine it with the Raptor Center for some spectacular eagle viewing.

 

Ketchikan: take a float plane to Misty Fjords National Monument. I've done it twice and it's breathtaking both times. You'll even land somewhere in the middle of it to walk around and take pictures. We took Southeast Aviation (link: http://southeastaviation.com/). You won't be in Ketchikan long - just 5.5 hours, but you should still have time to do an hour or two tour. Hope you get in touch with Lois!

 

And of course, you can't go wrong with anything with Allen Marine (either in Juneau, Sitka or Ketchikan). (Link: http://www.allenmarinetours.com/ )

 

Hope that gives you a place to get started! Have a wonderful time on the Westerdam.

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brt2995

brt2995

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Thank you for the information, I will check out information for Sitka.

I did get in touch with Lois, and we are going to do the tour with her. I believe we are going to start at 8am and do the 3 hour tour.

Looking forward to meeting her.

 

We would love to do the specialty dining cruise like you did, how did you know what dates and ships were. What did HAL list the cruise as?

Any suggestions that you can give us for Westerdam? It will be our first time

on that ship.

 

Thanks again for your blog, it was great to read!

Gail

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Caribensun

Caribensun

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So glad Karen wore her sweater to formal night, she had to be the best dressed that formal night. my regret was not doing the puffins and whale tour in Sitka. Need to go back and do it. I loved that sweater store, got a nice scarf.

Where did you find the Yummy Chummies? It's always better to come back with something than nothing, there's nothing like seeing a happy tail.

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TheSecondSister

TheSecondSister

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Thank you for the information, I will check out information for Sitka.

I did get in touch with Lois, and we are going to do the tour with her. I believe we are going to start at 8am and do the 3 hour tour.

Looking forward to meeting her.

 

We would love to do the specialty dining cruise like you did, how did you know what dates and ships were. What did HAL list the cruise as?

Any suggestions that you can give us for Westerdam? It will be our first time

on that ship.

 

Thanks again for your blog, it was great to read!

Gail

 

Hi Gail,

The Sip-Savor-Sail cruises are listed on HAL's home page. Bottom right corner, you'll see the multicolor Sip-Savor-Sail logo. There are only 2 left apparently, both to Alaska - July 13 on the Statendam and August 16 on the Amsterdam. Hopefully there will be more!

 

Suggestions for the Westerdam ... boy is that a broad category! Foodwise, I was unimpressed by the Pinnacle Grill at dinner (YMMV) and my sister and I aren't planning on eating there again. The Dive In was fun and tasty for a quick lunch hot dog/burger/fries; but not if you're avoiding calories ;) We don't eat at the Lido; though the food looks good, it seemed as though every time we walked through it, it was crowded.

 

Spend as much time on deck as you can - it's amazing how much wildlife you'll see. On Glacier Bay, take advantage of the open bow if you can; it's one of the reasons I love sailing with HAL to Alaska. (If not, stake out your seat in the Crows Nest early - it fills up quickly!) I always enjoy the cooking demonstrations; even without the Sip-Savor-Sail component, there will be some and they're always fun. I've quite the collection of HAL recipe cards....some of which I've even made. :D

 

I'm not much of a night life kind of gal, enjoying being outside even at night, or working on my photos/blog. But I really enjoyed the BB King All Star Band (or whatever they were called). If you like Motown/R&B/Blues, check it out. The Westerdam is the only (I believe) ship to have Chocolate Seduction bar/chocolate shop on Deck 3 - if you want a quiet spot to enjoy a beverage and some sweets, while looking out a window, it's a great place. My photos of it didn't turn out well, but this will at least give you an idea.

choc1.jpgchoc2.jpg

 

I'm a big fan of the stuff the laundry bag to it's limits so I don't have to pack as many clothes. Even though I'm from the Seattle area, I still hate schlepping suitcases.

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qsuzi

qsuzi

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hi Suzi,

I don't remember the first disembarkation time, but we were docked and cleared by 7 a.m. So shortly thereafter.

 

Thank you so much for responding. Family will be picking us up and wanted an early start to the family cabin.

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cruisevers

cruisevers

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Suggestions for the Westerdam ... boy is that a broad category! Foodwise, I was unimpressed by the Pinnacle Grill at dinner (YMMV) and my sister and I aren't planning on eating there again.

 

 

We definitely agree. It was a waste of money. Food was so-so to terrible and service was horrible. Took ten minutes to get butter and sour cream for potato, thirty minutes to order, steak had freezer burn taste, lava cake was soup not cake etc. it took over 3 hours and the room was half full!

We let the concierge know about it and both they and the Director tried to make it right but we did not wish to waste our time eating their again even for free.

 

For everywhere else on the ship was great however!

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dfish

dfish

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We definitely agree. It was a waste of money. Food was so-so to terrible and service was horrible. Took ten minutes to get butter and sour cream for potato, thirty minutes to order, steak had freezer burn taste, lava cake was soup not cake etc. it took over 3 hours and the room was half full!

We let the concierge know about it and both they and the Director tried to make it right but we did not wish to waste our time eating their again even for free.

 

For everywhere else on the ship was great however!

 

Oh, my! I hope things improve throughout the Alaskan season as we have two dinners booked in September for our cruise. We have made a tradition of having dinner there the last night of the cruise.

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Daisygirl06

Daisygirl06

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I would like to offer a different opinion. We have eaten in the Pinnacle well over 75 times. I just got off the Westerdam yesterday. We ate in the PG every night. We think that the food is great as well as the service. I find that most Americans (and I am one) do not appreciate the art of fine dining. The meal/experience is not meant to resemble a Texas Roadhouse/Outback or any other typical American steakhouse.

 

It seems that there has been a lot of Pinnacle bashing on these boards. I am not saying that they haven't had an "off" night. We have had an occasional meal that was not up to their normal standard. 98% of the time their service and food was spot on. The entire experience is meant to take in upwards of 2 hours. They plan their schedule according to this.

 

I realize that this experience may not be for everyone. I just want to offer a different perspective. We get to know the Pinnacle stewards and managers on every ship. They work very hard to give guests exceptionable service. We find that if you are having a problem with your meal, they try to make it right immediately. If your service was not to your liking they offer you another night on them. They bend over backwards to be accommodating and give guests a great experience. Having said this there will always be those guests who nothing is ever right for them. We witnessed it last week with one couple who made an entire scene and disrupted the entire restaurant.

 

I do not wish to be negative on this board so I will not elaborate about the difficult passengers. I do want to remind people that they are on vacation, enjoying gracious service, beautiful surroundings and scenery, and having someone serve you 24 hours a day. Relax and be kind to the staff! You will go farther with a smile and gracious attitude than with a short and snippy one. Be thankful you are able to afford the luxury of the cruising experience and don't be entitled! OK... I'll get off my soapbox now ;)

 

I just want to encourage people to try the PG. Maybe you'll fall in love with it like we have! We finally feel at home on HAL when we are relaxing and dining in the PG. it is our happiest place on the ship.

 

BTW, we had Clifford and Wisnu and they made dining fun!!

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frankc98376

frankc98376

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I would like to offer a different opinion. We have eaten in the Pinnacle well over 75 times. I just got off the Westerdam yesterday. We ate in the PG every night. We think that the food is great as well as the service. I find that most Americans (and I am one) do not appreciate the art of fine dining. The meal/experience is not meant to resemble a Texas Roadhouse/Outback or any other typical American steakhouse.

 

It seems that there has been a lot of Pinnacle bashing on these boards. I am not saying that they haven't had an "off" night. We have had an occasional meal that was not up to their normal standard. 98% of the time their service and food was spot on. The entire experience is meant to take in upwards of 2 hours. They plan their schedule according to this.

 

I realize that this experience may not be for everyone. I just want to offer a different perspective. We get to know the Pinnacle stewards and managers on every ship. They work very hard to give guests exceptionable service. We find that if you are having a problem with your meal, they try to make it right immediately. If your service was not to your liking they offer you another night on them. They bend over backwards to be accommodating and give guests a great experience. Having said this there will always be those guests who nothing is ever right for them. We witnessed it last week with one couple who made an entire scene and disrupted the entire restaurant.

 

I do not wish to be negative on this board so I will not elaborate about the difficult passengers. I do want to remind people that they are on vacation, enjoying gracious service, beautiful surroundings and scenery, and having someone serve you 24 hours a day. Relax and be kind to the staff! You will go farther with a smile and gracious attitude than with a short and snippy one. Be thankful you are able to afford the luxury of the cruising experience and don't be entitled! OK... I'll get off my soapbox now ;)

 

I just want to encourage people to try the PG. Maybe you'll fall in love with it like we have! We finally feel at home on HAL when we are relaxing and dining in the PG. it is our happiest place on the ship.

 

BTW, we had Clifford and Wisnu and they made dining fun!!

 

No way you could not have a wonderful time with Clifford- he is our favorite PG server! Since you were in PG every night did you keep your same table?

 

We always check in with the Manager after we board and try to get one of our favorite tables (or servers).

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cruisevers

cruisevers

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How odd...we had Clifford also and he seemed lost most of the night. He said he had an assistant but we never saw him. He seemed overwhelmed and they seemed short staffed.

We are not Outback or Texas Roadhouse people either. Two plus hours is acceptable for fine dining but not over 3 hours! We are quite accustomed to fine dining, I assure you, and this was not fine dining at its best. Yes it may have been an off night but this was our experience. You should not judge me as you do not know me or the other poster.

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Daisygirl06

Daisygirl06

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No way you could not have a wonderful time with Clifford- he is our favorite PG server! Since you were in PG every night did you keep your same table?

 

We always check in with the Manager after we board and try to get one of our favorite tables (or servers).

 

 

Yes! We got the same table and Clifford every night. He also served us breakfast daily since we were in a suite. Raj the manager was very accommodating and he was delightful as well. We had met him on a previous cruise.

 

As we think back over the last 12 HAL cruises so many of the PG servers stand out to us. We bonded with Clifford and hope to see him on our next cruise in November.

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TheSecondSister

TheSecondSister

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So glad Karen wore her sweater to formal night, she had to be the best dressed that formal night. my regret was not doing the puffins and whale tour in Sitka. Need to go back and do it. I loved that sweater store, got a nice scarf.

Where did you find the Yummy Chummies? It's always better to come back with something than nothing, there's nothing like seeing a happy tail.

 

Hi SandiP - I got the Yummy Chummies at Blasphemous Bill's, along with a bunch of people goodies too. I know it sounds odd but the bull kelp marmalade is delish. As long as you like marmalade! After a couple of days of being my constant shadow, Bella is back to her tail wagging self. Be nice if people were as forgiving as dogs :)

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Krazy Kruizers

Krazy Kruizers

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I would like to offer a different opinion. We have eaten in the Pinnacle well over 75 times. I just got off the Westerdam yesterday. We ate in the PG every night. We think that the food is great as well as the service. I find that most Americans (and I am one) do not appreciate the art of fine dining. The meal/experience is not meant to resemble a Texas Roadhouse/Outback or any other typical American steakhouse.

 

It seems that there has been a lot of Pinnacle bashing on these boards. I am not saying that they haven't had an "off" night. We have had an occasional meal that was not up to their normal standard. 98% of the time their service and food was spot on. The entire experience is meant to take in upwards of 2 hours. They plan their schedule according to this.

 

I realize that this experience may not be for everyone. I just want to offer a different perspective. We get to know the Pinnacle stewards and managers on every ship. They work very hard to give guests exceptionable service. We find that if you are having a problem with your meal, they try to make it right immediately. If your service was not to your liking they offer you another night on them. They bend over backwards to be accommodating and give guests a great experience. Having said this there will always be those guests who nothing is ever right for them. We witnessed it last week with one couple who made an entire scene and disrupted the entire restaurant.

 

I do not wish to be negative on this board so I will not elaborate about the difficult passengers. I do want to remind people that they are on vacation, enjoying gracious service, beautiful surroundings and scenery, and having someone serve you 24 hours a day. Relax and be kind to the staff! You will go farther with a smile and gracious attitude than with a short and snippy one. Be thankful you are able to afford the luxury of the cruising experience and don't be entitled! OK... I'll get off my soapbox now ;)

 

I just want to encourage people to try the PG. Maybe you'll fall in love with it like we have! We finally feel at home on HAL when we are relaxing and dining in the PG. it is our happiest place on the ship.

 

BTW, we had Clifford and Wisnu and they made dining fun!!

 

 

On our last several cruises. we have eaten every night in the Pinnacle. We love the food there. It is far better than some of the options in the dining room.

DH is not a picky eater (I am) but there were times when we couldn't find anything on the main dining room menu that appealed to him.

Guess some of us more used to eating in upscale restaurants compared to others.

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