LAFFNVEGAS "LIVE" from the Nieuw Amsterdam, First HAL Ship to Sail!!

[AKJonesy]

@LAFFNVEGAS In light of the CDC announcement on masks yesterday, has there been any change made ON the ship requiring masks?  

[Loreto]

1 hour ago, dmcfad2 said:

I know this question was asked before, but I’m curious if anything has changed since the first night. What is available in the MDR on the “available everyday” menu? Thanks.

I wondered, too, if there is the" available every day" on the dinner MDR menu.  I didn't see it when I looked at the menu on Navigator.   I often ordered from that menu, the salmon.

Karen

[zelker]

For anyone currently on board, did they provide any small bottles of hand sanitizer in your stateroom to take with while off the ship?  What about masks?

 

Thanks!

[HAL4NOW]

9 hours ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

Tonight at Icy Straight we went on a Whale Watch, saw LOTS of flapping Whale Tales.

We are sailing September 18-25, 2021, and I am curious if the whale watching tour would be a bust with sunset at 6:55 pm and twilight at 7:35 pm. How quickly did HAL get you on the boat for the whale watching?

[Boytjie]

Did the Vista ships get upgrades to power supply options, like the Pinnacle ships' USB outlets bedside?

[zelker]

8 minutes ago, Boytjie said:

Did the Vista ships get upgrades to power supply options, like the Pinnacle ships' USB outlets bedside?

Just to be clear, the Nieuw Amsterdam is a Signature Class ship, not Vista.  But I do know for sure the suites have them and although not 100% sure, I believe all stateroom categories have them now.

 

Edited July 28, 2021 by zelker

[Copper10-8]

19 hours ago, SparklingPinkDaisy said:

I assume since the cards are digital, it shows up somewhere when we enter and leave the room.  But I could be wrong. 

 

Yes, you are wrong on that one. Security has the ability to do a "lock read" on a cabin door which will spit out a record on the date(s) and time(s) the key card for that cabin was used. However, this needs to be accomplished with a "lock reader"  It - those readings - do not show up automatically  in a "nerve center" somewhere on the ship 😉 

[zelker]

10 minutes ago, HAL4NOW said:

We are sailing September 18-25, 2021, and I am curious if the whale watching tour would be a bust with sunset at 6:55 pm and twilight at 7:35 pm. How quickly did HAL get you on the boat for the whale watching?

We personally wouldn't book a whale watch there that late in the season for the very reason you mentioned and think you'd be better off doing a whale watch in either Juneau or Sitka.  But that's just us.

[dobiemom]

6 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Yes, you are wrong on that one. Security has the ability to do a "lock read" on a cabin door which will spit out a record on the date(s) and time(s) the key card for that cabin was used. However, this needs to be accomplished with a "lock reader"  It - those readings - do not show up automatically  in a "nerve center" somewhere on the ship 😉 

That’s why there is the REACT team. 😄😂😄

[Copper10-8]

Just now, dobiemom said:

That’s why there is the REACT team. 😄😂😄

 

Right on! 😁

[ATC]

NS appears to be moored north of Sitka. Is this the normal site or is it temporary until entering the harbor later?

[Copper10-8]

7 minutes ago, ATC said:

NS appears to be moored north of Sitka. Is this the normal site or is it temporary until entering the harbor later?

 

AIS shows her safely berthed/docked at Halibut Point as she should be 😉 

 

https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/shipid:270203/zoom:14

[Sharon in AZ]

Lisa, thank you for taking the time out of your cruise vacation to post comments and pictures. 

[Boytjie]

24 minutes ago, zelker said:

Just to be clear, the Nieuw Amsterdam is a Signature Class ship, not Vista.  But I do know for sure the suites have them and although not 100% sure, I believe all stateroom categories have them now.

 

 

Oh dear, I have been away form the boards too long! I forgotten the dam lingo. (I sound like a newbie).

 

Yes, Signature ships, of course.

[Boytjie]

8 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

AIS shows her safely berthed/docked at Halibut Point as she should be 😉 

 

 

Is there a shuttle service into the town center or are you on your own (unless on an excursion, of course)?

[zelker]

3 minutes ago, Boytjie said:

 

Is there a shuttle service into the town center or are you on your own (unless on an excursion, of course)?

There's a free shuttle service that runs all day and drops and picks up at the Harrigan Centennial Hall ... about a 12 minute ride.

 

Edited July 28, 2021 by zelker

[Copper10-8]

5 minutes ago, Boytjie said:

 

Is there a shuttle service into the town center or are you on your own (unless on an excursion, of course)?

 

They have white/green colored, by the looks of it, former school buses, plus newer model buses, that will take you into town for free from the little terminal. About a 15 min ride to enjoy the scenery

 

Edited July 28, 2021 by Copper10-8

[Copper10-8]

http://www.halibutpointmarine.com/cruise-terminal.html

[travelnap]

2 hours ago, zelker said:

Trivia:  what do you call a group of otters? 🤓

Actually a group of otters have numerous names.  They can be known as a bevy, family, lodge, ramp, or if they are sea, a raft.  With this many different names it must be a trivia nightmare for the trivia hosts.  This question would be definitely otterly ridiculous.  So is the pun, so we are even.

[RedneckBob]

1 hour ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

They have white/green colored, by the looks of it, former school buses, plus newer model buses, that will take you into town for free from the little terminal. About a 15 min ride to enjoy the scenery

 

Very nice shuttle service. A couple years ago I was in Sitka and the bus driver on the shuttle bus gave us a nice narration of Sitka along the way to town. Five minutes into the trip the bus driver told us, “Just over the hill, there is a McDonald’s on the right side of the road, and if things don’t work out, there is a hospital across from McDonald’s, and if things get really bad, there is a funeral home next to the hospital. I guess the funeral home was thinking outside the box 😁

[SparklingPinkDaisy]

1 hour ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Yes, you are wrong on that one. Security has the ability to do a "lock read" on a cabin door which will spit out a record on the date(s) and time(s) the key card for that cabin was used. However, this needs to be accomplished with a "lock reader"  It - those readings - do not show up automatically  in a "nerve center" somewhere on the ship 😉 

I love to know how things work so thanks for that clear explanation!   Now I know!

 

[zelker]

53 minutes ago, travelnap said:

Actually a group of otters have numerous names.  They can be known as a bevy, family, lodge, ramp, or if they are sea, a raft.  With this many different names it must be a trivia nightmare for the trivia hosts.  This question would be definitely otterly ridiculous.  So is the pun, so we are even.

Well, I was referring to a raft of sea otters since they're in Sitka today but thanks for the enlightening list of other otter group names dependent upon which otters we're talking about.  I learned something new today.  

[dchip]

Best whale watching EVER in Sitka. HAL excursion 2019. This young humpback performed for a very long time. What a treat. Taken with my iPhone!
Cheers, Denise

Edited July 28, 2021 by dchip
Added content

[LAFFNVEGAS]

4 hours ago, dmcfad2 said:

I know this question was asked before, but I’m curious if anything has changed since the first night. What is available in the MDR on the “available everyday” menu? Thanks.

No separate everyday menu only what you see printed on the menu.

[zelker]

Flat-rate Taxi Info - Pier 91 to Seatac

🚕

 

Since so many of us that will be sailing Alaska this summer are following this thread, I figured it was a good place to share info re: the flat-rate taxis from the pier to the airport. 

 

I just spoke with Yellow Taxi (206-343-4380) who confirmed the rate is $45 this year (that's per taxi, not per person), they accept credit cards, and there will be plenty of taxis lined up just outside the terminal ready to go as soon as we start disembarking so no need to pre-arrange.  

 

Edited July 28, 2021 by zelker