Live from Alaska onboard the MS Oosterdam!Live from Alaska onboard the MS Oosterdam!

[SilvertoGold]

Do you know by chance who the Cruise Director is?

 

Thanks

 

Has been Shane Michaels lately. Not sure when his contract is up.

[AlaskaBoundCA]

Love reading the report. We will be boarding the Oosterdam on Aug 30, and can hardly wait! Do you know if Jimmy the piano man will still be on board then?

Thanks

 

His website says he's only onboard until August 2. I'm cruising on August 16, and haven't seen anything that shows who'll be playing after he leaves.

[boze9999]

Shane Michaels CD left the ship in early July. Jimmy Maddox PM leaves the ship on August 2nd.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Do you know by chance who the Cruise Director is?

 

Thanks

 

His name is Hamish

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 3 Glacier Bay

 

The forecast called for rain, clouds and poor visibility all day. When I looked out the window around 7AM – there was a steady drizzle on the verandah and maybe 1 mile visibility. Not looking good for the main event of our Alaska cruise – cruising Glacier Bay.

 

Around 8:30, when the Park Service boat approached the starboard side to embark the Oosterdam, the rain slowed and stopped and the clouds started to break. The weather improved throughout the day and was soon partly cloudy and sunny as we sailed further into Glacier Bay.

 

You don’t get to the Big Glaciers until 1:30 pm so in the morning we get to enjoy scenic cruising through the beautiful bay. We saw a bear – Waaay out in the distance…a few sheep, some seals and plenty of birds. Most of these sightings required binoculars to see anything and even then the wildlife was pretty small. Regardless, everyone was excited to see them and this put everyone in a good mood.

 

At 9:15 a NPS Ranger presented and interesting talk on the wonders of Glacier Bay in the Vista Lounge followed by a presentation on the Native Voices of Glacier Bay by a Huna Tlingit Interpreter.

 

They opened up the bow on deck four so you could go out there and get a different perspective.

 

As I wandered about the ship, I noticed that every seat near a window was occupied. But you could find a seat a little bit back from the windows easily. One of my pet peeves was folks occupying a prime window seat in the Crow’s nest, but they were facing away from the window reading a book. Other folks took up prime window seats and were sound asleep. If you are going to sleep – go to your cabin, or at least pick a lounge chair not near a prime viewing spot. If you are going to face away from the window, don’t sit next to the window on days when everyone wants to look outside.

 

Around noon they started serving baked Salmon on the Lido Deck near the pool and the Taco bar next the Dive Café was serving baked potatoes and other fixins that go with salmon. The Lido was serving Dutch Pea Soup in the main lines. Pretty good food all around.

 

The rangers set up a satellite visitor center up in the Crows Nest. They have the stamps for your National Park Passports and sell a selection of books, pictures and videos. The Rangers are nearby to answer questions.

 

At 1:30 will arrived at Margerie Glacier. A huge glacier that slightly overhangs into the bay and was a beautiful combination of brilliant whites, deep blues and dirty grays. The ship stopped facing the glacier dead on for maybe 30 minutes, they slowly rotated on its axis to everyone had a great view regardless of which side of the ship you were located. Plenty of time to take selfies, group shots or let the ships photographer – constantly roaming – take your picture.

 

The comedian from the previous night, Lee Bayless, presented “The Secrets of Sudoku” in the Queens Lounge at 3PM. It was an interesting approach to solving Sudoku Puzzles.

 

We slowly headed out of the bay – but the Captain was taking careful notes of previous wildlife sightings so he was able to accurately predict when we had the greatest change of seeing the wildlife that we saw on the way in, on the way out.

 

They advertised a polar bear plunge in the sea view pool at 2:30pm. I missed it but I had wanted to stop by to see how many people were going to jump into the cold water.

 

About 6:30 the Rangers left the ship and we were on our way to Haines. The weather turned out to be quite nice after a dreary start.

 

Dinner did not disappoint and we had a wonderful dinner perfectly served. I had the slow cooked Rock Fish – Highly recommended.

 

The evening show was called “Simply Broadway’. A medley of Broadway show tunes that you will recognize and love if you are a fan of Broadway Musicals. If you don’t like Broadway Musicals, then you won’t like this show either. The four singers, 2 male and 2 female were very good and put on a fantastic show.

 

However, I noticed all the dancers were wearing street clothes and sitting right in front of me, instead of being costumed up and on the stage, dancing. Well it turns out that the stage can go up and down, and was stuck in the down position, so they had to eliminate all the dancing and the singers pretty much stayed in place. They hope to get the stage fixed in Juneau, but they have to fly in someone from Italy with the repair parts and know how. We’ll see if they get it fixed before we finish the cruise.

 

While they are fixing the stage they should replace the carpet covering the stairs in the showroom. The carpet edges of many of the stairs is worn down exposing the wood or whatever is underneath the carpet. It looks like they could replace the stair sections without ripping out everything.

 

The Cruise Director is named Hamish from Jamaica (I think). He has a great personality and is very friendly and approachable.

 

We had a great day and our looking forward to Haines and Skagway tomorrow.

[erewhon]

Peter Bos is still the Captain and is doing a fine job keeping the passengers informed.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

You are very fortunate that he is the Captain during your cruise.

[Moriah]

Your report is making me miss the Oosterdam, and also making me get even more excited for my Volendam Alaska cruise in a few weeks! Great report - it sounds like you take advantage of much of what the cruise has to offer, and you have a great positive attitude! I like that when you point out things that are not perfect (carpeting, sleeping folks in window seats...) you do it as constructive criticism and the tone of your "live from" is cheerful and appreciative. It's what I come to CC for! Good for you! I'm watching for the rest of your report - thank you for taking the time to share all of this with us - I hope you keep enjoying your wonderful cruise on the O!!!

Edited July 30, 2015 by Moriah

[SilvertoGold]

His name is Hamish

 

Oh, that is super! He is great, very low-key and personable.

[Lizzie68]

Hamish - some love him, others not so much. Woo Hoo drove me crazy.:D

 

Great reports, thank you for doing them.

[oliver1821]

Enjoy reading your wonderful post as I will be on the Oosterdam in October! Thank you for posting.

[SeaDog70s]

"And don't forget to wash your hands"

twice

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Today was our first port: Haines! Haines is a very small town, maybe 2500 people,

 

but it is more of a real town than Skagway which has only 700 or so permanent residents.

 

Most of the action and shopping is in Skagway, so in a way, Haines is a tender port for Skagway except that the ferry (tender) takes 45 minutes and is $71 round trip.

 

We left the ship around 9am and took a fun picture with the ship’s photographer dressed as a large bear. We always do something outrageous with the characters leaving the ship and sometimes they come out great – other times – not so great. But it is always fun and more interesting that a standard pose.

 

There is a shuttle bus that will take you to “downtown” Haines – but if the bus is not loading when you arrive – walk – it is only 10 minutes (maybe ½ mile).

 

We were blessed with another wonderful weather day.

 

Haines has a small visitor center, a few shops, and two small museums. The Hammer museum and the Sheldon Museum. We didn’t go in either as they didn’t sound that interesting to us and we were pressed for time. But check them out as they may be something you would find interesting.

 

We stopped by a small grocery store to get some snacks and spent a little time in a local shop.

 

A little bit about shore excursions. A popular Skagway excursion is the White Pass Summit Scenic Railway. This is a 3 to 4 hour train ride up to the White Pass summit. If you ship docks in Skagway, you can board the trains right from where the cruise ships dock. If you take the tour from a ship in Haines, the tour includes the 45 minute fast ferry to Skagway and then a short bus ride to the train depot in downtown Skagway.

 

However if you choose the book the same tour independently, you can save $56 per person ($179 vs $235) , but you have to do a little extra work and bring your own box lunch. If you are already in Skagway this tour costs $119.

 

Here is difference:

 

When you arrive in Haines, the ship tour will meet onboard and walk halfway down the pier to where the ferry docks. If you booked yourself, you will have to walk to the end of the pier, cross the street and get your tour vouchers inside the Haines Skagway Fast Ferry Office (HSFF) and then walk back to the pier where the ferry docks. An interesting observation is that the independent travelers board the ferry before any of the ships tour passengers.

Once in Skagway the ships tour will board busses and be transported the ½ mile to the train depot. Independent travelers will have to walk this ½ mile. There were 4 cruise ships docked in Skagway and their passengers will load the trains right by the pier.

 

After you arrive at the train depot, independent travelers must go inside and have the train operator affix a sticker to their voucher with your specific train car color. Since you didn’t get a box lunch, they sell sandwiches to go in the train station along with coffee, soft drinks and snacks. Afterwards you wait on the platform with everyone else.

 

This is where it gets a little confusing. Some of the cruise ship passengers got back on a bus to go back to the cruise ships to board the train there. For others they walked across the track to board a short train which was joined to the longer train later. And for our group we walked about a quarter mile to the track siding where we boarding an empty car that was joined to the train that started down by the cruise ships. The advantage here, as we learned later, is that cruise ship passengers have no choice but must return to the ship docks after the tour, while the independent travelers get off the train here, which is right downtown. The cruise ships passengers, if they wanted to return to town, had to walk the ½ mile back to town since they were let off back down by the docks. There may be a shuttle

 

bus from the docks to the town, but I didn’t investigate that.

 

We were here during the peak season. At other times the procedures here may vary with fewer passengers involved.

 

So you can save some money by going independent but you lose some convenience and a box lunch. If that is worth $56 pp – only you can decide.

 

About the train ride itself. We spent about 1 hour heading up towards the summit. The views were spectacular but then again, so is pretty much every view in Alaska. You won’t see anything really different on this train ride. It is similar to what you might see on the Seward highway from Anchorage. There are only a few vista points where you can see Skagway and the harbor below. Then there is the adventure of riding in an old train and seeing more scenery, but you won’t see any wildlife or glaciers.

 

So if you are not a train fan, and prefer to see something other than mountain and river vistas, you might consider another excursion.

 

There is a bathroom on the train and they provide bottled water.

 

After our train ride, we did a quick walk thru down. Many of the same shops you will see everywhere is Alaska. There is the National Park Gold Rush Exhibit which is unique to Skagway and I recommend that since you can’t see that anywhere else.

 

After our enjoyable day, we took the ferry back to Haines and boarded the ship.

 

Tonight we went to the Pinnacle Grill. It was just OK. Don’t get me wrong, it was a very nice meal, but then again, so are the meals in the MDR. I guess I was hoping the Pinnacle Grill would offer more of the steakhouse experience you find ashore. The Pinnacle Grill will never compete with Morton’s or Ruth Cris or similar venues. So you will get a better steak then the MDR and maybe better service (depending on your MDR service team) and it is probably OK for $29.

 

Since the stage is broken, they have been rotating the various acts from the other venues into the Vista lounge.

 

Tonight the BB King band from the Queens Lounge moved their show to the Vista Lounge and played a concert. It was very good as expected.

 

Tomorrow we are in Juneau

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

The only time we have ever been to Haines was on a Cruise West Yorktown Clipper cruise out of Juneau in 2006. ( They have since gone out of business).I really enjoyed Haines.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 5 Juneau

 

Juneau started off a little drizzly but ended up pretty nice. Even the drizzling as light enough that you didn't really need an umbrella.

 

When we arrived you couldn't see the top of the nearby tramway, but as the day progressed, it came into view.

 

We decided to rent a car to drive to Mendenhall Glacier. Avis has an office about 1/2 mile away in the lobby of a Hotel. Picking up the car was easy and we were soon on our way to the Glacier. It is about a 12 mile drive. I was told that a taxi costs about $35, a local bus maybe $8. The rental car was $43 and I ended up putting in $8 worth of gasoline.

 

Mendenhall is a beautifull glacier and well worth any effort it would take to visit. There is a interesting visitor center ($3 entry) with a video and a chunk of the 200 year old ice from the glacier. There are wonderful views from the centers panoramic windows. Starting from the visitor center are several hikes of various lenghts. There is one to a photo spot (3/4 mile round trip) and a short walk to a stream where we were alble to see a lot of salmon. A ranger was nearby to answer questions. We were there about 90 minutes.

 

Afterwards we drove to the "Island Pub" across the channel with spectacular views of the cruise ship docks and the channel. They serve a nice selection of pizzas and sandwiches and is very informal. While eating lunch we observed two whales cruising down the middle of the channel which was pretty exciting, although they were some distance away they were easy to spot.

Juneau

 

Juneau started off a little drizzly but ended up pretty nice. Even the drizzling was light enough that you didn't really need an umbrella.

 

When we arrived you couldn't see the top of the nearby tramway, but as the day progressed, it came into view.

 

We decided to rent a car to drive to Mendenhall Glacier. Avis has an office about 1/2 mile away in the lobby of a Hotel. Picking up the car was easy and we were soon on our way to the Glacier. It is about a 12 mile drive. I was told that a taxi costs about $35, a local bus maybe $8. The rental car was $43 and I ended up putting in $8 worth of gasoline.

 

Mendenhall is a beautiful glacier and well worth any effort it would take to visit. There is an interesting visitor center ($3 entry) with a video and a chunk of the 200 year old ice from the glacier. There are wonderful views from the centers panoramic windows. Starting from the visitor center are several hikes of various lengths. There is one to a photo spot (3/4 mile round trip) and a short walk to a stream where we were able to see a lot of salmon. A ranger was nearby to answer questions. We were there about 90 minutes.

 

Afterwards we drove to the "Island Pub" across the channel with spectacular views of the cruise ship docks and the channel. They serve a nice selection of pizzas and sandwiches and is very informal. While eating lunch we observed two whales cruising down the middle of the channel which was pretty exciting, although they were some distance away they were easy to spot.

 

We returned to the central city and dropped off the car and walked to the State Capitol building and the Governors House. Both are being remodeled, so a lot of the structure is covered or inaccessible.

 

The weather had cleared so we were able to take a leisurely stroll down thru the main shopping district back towards the ship. I didn't discover anything particularly interesting in the shops, more of the same in all the ports.

 

We were back on the ship around 5pm and went to the Crows Nest for sailaway and happened to stumble onto the afternoon Trivia game.

 

One of the advantages of late seating is that you are able to see the next days "On Location" as soon as it is delivered around 6pm or so. We spotted an opportunity to take the "Behind the Scenes Tour" which would be a 5 hour tour over 2 days and take you to the engine control room, the bridge and many of the spots below the main deck. I hurried down to the front desk and signed up. They only allow 14 people on the tour and I am not sure I quickly it filled up, but it is possible that by the time the people from early seating returned to their rooms the tour may have already filled. Others may report that you can sign up before it is announced - so I don't know if you had to wait or could inquire at the front desk earlier in the cruise and see if they will be offering the tour.

 

Dinner was lightly attended, so service was very fast, the dining room was probably 1/2 empty. All the food continues to be quite good.

 

Since they were fixing the Stage, there wasn't a show in the Vista lounge tonight. The stage should be ready to go tomorrow. The Piano Man moved his show to the Crows Nest in lieu of the Piano Bar – Not quite the same (less intimate) in a larger setting, but still a great show.

 

We will be in Ketchikan tomorrow. Weather again forecast to be lousy, but we have yet to need our umbrella

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Ketchikan

 

We had a chance to sleep in this morning as we didn't arrive until 11AM. Again the day started cloudy and with a little bit of rain, but the weather improved as the day progressed and we have yet to need our umbrella.

 

The Gangway was on A deck and there was a long line down to stairs and it was being fed from people coming down from higher levels as well as folks starting on deck 1.

 

After about 15 minutes the line was flowing freely without any wait.

 

We had booked a Misty Fjords flight with a 12:30 pickup. The ship was selling their Misty Fjords tours and their were plenty of booths on the pier also selling flight seeing tours.

 

There were plenty of float planes taking off - it seemed about every 5 minutes you would hear the loud float plane motor wind up and soon after you would see the float plane rise above the cruise ships completely filling all the available slots in Ketchikan.

 

The ships photographers were dressed as lumberjacks to entice people to get a debarkation photo and not doing very well - most people walked on by. I think they do better with the bears and the eagles in costumes. These lumberjack outfits looked to much like another passenger.

 

The shops along the pier were all busy serving passengers off the 5 cruise ships. Even with this many people in port, Ketchikan seems able to accommodate them all without seeming too crowded.

 

As the floatplanes continued to take off, we received a phone call from Seawind Aviation informing us they had cancelled out Misty Fjords tour due to low clouds and poor visibility in the park. The planes we see taking off were taking passengers on bear viewing trips in areas where the weather was better. I am not sure how well you can see and appreciate bears from an airplane that should be at least 500 feet off the ground, but they were doing a brisk business.

 

We opted to do the self guided walking tour instead and picked up a nice brochure and map in the Visitors Bureau near pier 2. Off we went on the tour.

 

Ketchikan has a real town feel, unlike Skagway which is nothing more than a big gift shop. There is a federal building and many homes up above on the nearby hills.

 

We walked along the old Married Man's Trail, which got its name from being sort of a back way to the famous Dolly's brothel. They are offering tours of the brothel which we declined - the price of the tour got lowered as we looked at the buildings exterior, so you can probably negotiate a lower group rate if you are interested - but don't look too interested.

 

Further along the walk we encountered the salmon ladder. This is a combination of a chute and brick steps that make it easier for the salmon to get around some of the faster rapids in the river. We could see quite a few salmon in the calmer parts of the stream but we didn't see any leaping across any rocks or working their way up the ladder.

 

We stopped for lunch on our way back to the ship. The float planes continued to take off every few minutes and the weather continued to improve. By the time we returned to the pier all of the other cruise ships were gone and the town was starting to roll up the streets to get ready for a new day tomorrow with another bunch of fresh tourists.

 

Back on the ship, the first half of our Behind the Scenes tour started at 4:15.

There were 15 of us in the Piano Bar and we were greeted by the Manager of Onboard Revenue enhancement (or something like that). Her job, or course is to help create ways to increase everyone’s onboard spending.

 

The tour started with our group heading down to A deck and past the Crew Only doors. We walked down this main corridor - which is very business like in decor and demeanor - about 150 feet to the Engineering Control Room. This room - maybe 20 by 40 feet was filled with various displays and computer screens providing the crews personnel with the status of the various ship systems. We were greeted by the Chief Engineer who gave us a 20 minute overview of how the ship worked from his perspective and then answered all or questions until we ran out of questions. Very

informative.

 

We were then off to the Bridge.

 

Arriving on deck 8 were proceeded onto the Navigation Bridge and were greeted by Captain Bos. We all had our photographs taken by the ships photographer and our tour leader also took our picture with our own camera. Captain Bos gave a brief overview of the Bridge and then we were divided into 2 groups for a more detailed station by station tour of the different areas of the bridge.

 

As you would expect the ship is completely computerized and more often than not is piloted automatically, except when in narrow channels or leaving or approaching a dock. The ship is very maneuverable without tugs using the bow thrusters and the main engines mounted in pods which can be rotated themselves.

 

After our individual tours we reassemble with Captain Bos for a final Q & A and that concluded the first day. At sea tomorrow we will meet again for the rest of the tour.

 

Tonight was Gala night again and it was fine. Everyone did step up their appearance a notch or two and there were very few men without ties. So everyone does dress up a bit, but the days of a sea of Tuxedos, if that really ever existed is gone, but the new reality of Gala night is here and I am OK with the new status quo. Myself and a handful of others will continue to wear tuxes, and we always get compliments from the ladies.

 

Dinner was surf and turf - A very good lobster tail with a fair filet mignon, which was equal - fortunately or unfortunately to the one in the Pinnacle Grill. My advice to all - avoid the Pinnacle Grill on Gala nights as you will usually miss the better MDR meals.

 

The stage is fixed and we were entertained by the Rock Illusionists - These are a pair of magicians that put on a wonderful show. The Vista lounge was almost full - unusual for the 10 pm show.

 

A pleasant day all around and we are looking forward to scenic cruising tomorrow, but alas, it will also be our last full day of the cruise.

[1ANGELCAT]

Glad you are having a great cruise. I have enjoyed doing the Behind the Scenes tour several times. Unfortunately they did not offer it when I was on the ship the week of June 28. Do you remember the name of your escort from the crew? If it was Astrid, you were in great hands. She is the best.

Safe travels home.

[Ricktan]

I am enjoying your cruise!! Thank you for posting!

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Nothing like a lazy sea day to relieve stress and relax.

 

Smooth seas, blue skies, warm temperatures. A perfect day to enjoy the Verandah you pay a premium for and we did make some use of this on our final day.

 

Our day got off to a little sour start when we opened the door for our in room breakfast. There was enough for six people. Somebody decided to mark up our hand tag breakfast order with a few extra items. Even though the order made no sense for two people, they dutifully filled every item checked and the waiter struggled a little to maneuver this heavy tray into our cabin.

 

I have started another thread on this specific topic for those who wish to comment on that particular issue.

 

One of the reasons I enjoy HAL is their hot room service breakfast. You can order anything off the dining room breakfast menu and they will bring it. You are not restricted to what is on the blocks. They also bring you a hot breakfast on the last day - so you can if desired, enjoy your breakfast on your verandah as you take in the Vancouver skyline waiting for your color to be called.

 

INSIDE PASSAGE

 

We enjoyed the passing scenery with Capt Bos calling out the occasional whale sighting. But the few whale sightings we had, were interesting, the whales were so far away - that even with binoculars, they were quite small. But nevertheless, it was an enjoyable day just soaking in the passing scenery.

 

Around 2 pm we went up to the Lido for a quick bite they off to the Piano Bar for the rest of our Behind the Scenes Tour.

 

BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR

 

First stop was the ships Laundry. We saw their massive industrial washers and dryers and learned how they keep track of everything. We learned that they were starting to kit the cabin sheets and other items to prepare for ship turnover the next day. Here we learned the HAL process for turning the ship around. They allow everyone to stay in their cabins, unlike most lines until you leave - maybe at late as 9:30.

 

How do they do it? They prepare a bag of new sheets, pillow cases and everything else that must be changed and they place it in a bag with new stationery and other stuff and slip it under your bed the last night.

 

Once everyone is gone, they work in 3 man teams - one person strips a room, the next makes up the room and the final person gets all the stationery and brochures correct. Someone will also clean. But the turnaround is done in an assembly line fashion where stewards may work on rooms outside their normal area. They were quite proud of this process (I probably have a few of the details wrong) but they said this is why they can let people stay in their rooms and still let the new guests on by 11:30. Other lines make you leave your room early so they have more time. This is a big reason I like HAL so much.

 

After the laundry we went back stage for a briefing by the lead singer and dancer.

 

We learned they were on 8 month contracts on the ship not counting the 6 weeks of rehearsal in LA prior to joining a ship. The dancers and singers are hired by a entertainment company as a group and this company delivers to HAL a completed performance based on HALs broad requirements.

 

Some singers/dancers will also work in the shops and as emergency communicators for emergency drills. They have to send in a full length photo once a month to Headquarters to make sure they are staying in shape.

 

I asked about lip syncing and they said that they all record a "sick track" that they can use if they are sick. Using the sick track is something they do only as a last resort. She said it is hard to use, sounds weird to you as a singer and they like to perform live because they like to perform! She said they will probably use the sick track once during a 8 month contract.

 

Next stop was the waste management department. This is where they crush cans, sort trash and do all that stuff. A little smelly, but interesting.

 

The proceeds of all of the items that they recycle for cash are put into a crews fund that pays for prizes and gifts for crewmembers. The big benefit to HAL is the cost avoidance of not having to pay someone to dispose of the trash.

 

Along the way our tour guide would point our various offices, crew lounges, offices and other parts of the working ship. As you would expect the décor below the passenger areas is pretty Spartan and business like. Clean but functional with many items exposed for easier access.

 

We stopped by the beverage cellar where all the wine and liquor is kept. The manager their described their process for managing all the beverages and how they update the wine lists once a year. What they carry is all decided in Seattle.

 

The kitchen was the next stop and we were given the tour by the Executive Chef himself. The menus are common to all HAL ships and figured out in Seattle. They have input, but Seattle prepares all the menu cards and arranges for all the food to be delivered at the correct port. The kitchen tour is fairly common, and we didn't learn much here. But he did explain how they run room service breakfast every morning.

 

At 2 am three of his people scour the halls and retrieve all the hang tag cards. Then they build the trays with the dishes, glasses and silverware. The trays are then organized by delivery time. When they are 30 minutes to delivery they start loading the trays with pastries and breads and things with more shelf life. Minutes before delivery they plate the hot food and they are off to the cabins. the cooks start the next order a few minutes before they go out again. The closer you are to the back of the ship, the warmer your food will be. However the hot plate holders work pretty good.

 

After the kitchen we went to the Pinnacle bar where they took our drink orders, gave us each a swag bag: Photo with Captain, Ships Cookbook, A special Behind the Scenes book, ships photo and spec sheet.

 

While enjoying our drinks we were able to ask any questions we would like to this senior manager about the workings of the ship and HAL in general. We were there about 1 hour.

 

I learned that the Hotel Service Charge "participation rate" is 97% to 98% in North American markets but much less in Australia/NZ and is a major source of discontent down under. If the participation rate falls below a certain level, then HAL makes up the difference to whatever the guaranteed minimum is.

 

FINAL DINNER - Napkin Waving - RIP

 

Our final dinner was enjoyable and there was a big change in presentation.

 

No more waving napkins. No more Baked Alaska Parade. What they did instead? All of the back room staff and room stewards paraded thru the dining room in a long conga line - to a lively Indonesian tune. They used to do this is the Vista Lounge, but they did the same thing they used to do in the lounge here in the dining room. The cruise director hosted and everyone clapped and cheered for their favorite cabin steward and other behind the scenes touch. It was good to see the baked Alaska go away with the waving napkins.

 

SHOWROOM

 

The last night in the showroom was the Dancing with the Stars Finale and their version of the Newlywed Game. I would have preferred to see a production show take advantage of this prime time and real estate, especially since we didn't have a single production all week because the stage was broken. The stage was fixed for the last night and they should have put it to its proper use and down a production show.

 

Disembarkation:

 

Very smooth as always. I always go for the latest check out possible and enjoy a final room service breakfast and relax in my room,

 

We left the ship about 9am - collected our luggage, handed our declaration to a customs agent and were on our way. No one wanted to see our passports nor did anyone ask us any immigration questions.

 

All in all - a great Alaskan Cruise on the Oosterdam!

[Lovetoocruise2015]

Reading

[RuthC]

Reading

I notice you have bumped up old threads lately, all with just a word like "following", or "reading". I suspect you are doing that as a way to subscribe to a thread.

There's an easier way for you to do that.

 

When you are reading the thread, scroll to the bottom of the page. On the left hand side there will be an option to "subscribe to this thread". Click on that, and you will be given some choices. You can elect to get no e-mail notifications, which means there will be a check-mark next to the thread title on the overall threads page.

Or, you can get an e-mail notification when there is a new post. That e-mail can come with every new post (but you have to go and read the thread before you get another). You can also get an e-mail once a day, delivered overnight, with all the posts from that day.

 

If there are unlikely to be new posts, as on this and the much older thread you posted to, you can just add the threads to your favorites so you can find them easily.

 

I hope this explanation of some of the navigation on this site was helpful.

Edited April 2, 2016 by RuthC