Mostly Live From August 21-28 Alaska Sailing

[atexsix]

35 minutes ago, Love the beach said:

Ice cream and cookies....don't forget the cookies!

I didn't know they had all that late at night.  

 

I do know that once the Lido closes for good, it's slim pickins the rest of the night, room service is pretty much it, except for maybe that pizza place, I don't know when they close. 

[ronmar22]

13 hours ago, Mrsfrz said:

I'm on this cruise and can assure you there is a lot of bacon! My favorite bacon is the English back bacon. It's almost impossible to find in the States, so it's nice to find it onboard. They also have several kinds of sausages and even bangers. I'd also like to comment on the hash browns. People on previous sailings had complained about them not having hash browns, but I personally really like these McDonald style ones they have here. 

Have you seen corned beef hash at any of the breakfast venues?  I love it but hardly ever have it (not good on my diet), however, whenever cruising I try to forget about diet rules and indulge.  

[LAFFNVEGAS]

The unfortunate part about the Lido that no other cruise line does is the close early both sides at 8:00 pm, if you arrive late from an evening excursions such as Icy Straight Point. The Main Dining Room Open dining is open till 9. But then other than Room Service and NY Pizza there is nothing open till the Late Lido Dining at 10:30. Of the Mass Market lines this does not happen on Princess, NCL, Celebrity, Royal Carribean or Carnival. That is one of the mysteries I could never figure out with HAL.

 

[atexsix]

11 minutes ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

The unfortunate part about the Lido that no other cruise line does is the close early both sides at 8:00 pm, if you arrive late from an evening excursions such as Icy Straight Point. The Main Dining Room Open dining is open till 9. But then other than Room Service and NY Pizza there is nothing open till the Late Lido Dining at 10:30. Of the Mass Market lines this does not happen on Princess, NCL, Celebrity, Royal Carribean or Carnival. That is one of the mysteries I could never figure out with HAL.

 

Did they ever have better hours in HAL's Lido?  Since we don't eat up there for dinner I wouldn't have any reason to pay attention to the evening/late schedule.  I think I've only eaten dinner up there once and it was because the ship's staff screwed up the time of something in the daily schedule...we were not happy about it because it was a formal night...and here we were in the Lido all dressed up!

 

 

Edited August 24, 2021 by atexsix

[LAFFNVEGAS]

8 minutes ago, atexsix said:

Did they ever have better hours in HAL's Lido?  Since we don't eat up there for dinner I wouldn't have any reason to pay attention to the evening/late schedule.  I think I've only eaten dinner up there once and it was because the ship's staff screwed up the time of something in the daily schedule...we were not happy about it because it was a formal night...and here we were in the Lido all dressed up!

 

 

Actually they did but that was over 10 years ago may even 13 years ago. I remember in the years of 2003 through at least 2008 that Lido would close down one side around 8, keeping only one side open till about 9:30, then at about 9:30 the other side opened up with the late night snack and entrees  and that would stay open till midnight. I also remember the Chocolate Extraganza that would be at about 10:30 on the last Formal night....Fun Times. I miss those. 

[Boytjie]

1 hour ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

The unfortunate part about the Lido that no other cruise line does is the close early both sides at 8:00 pm, if you arrive late from an evening excursions such as Icy Straight Point. 

 

 

We were back on board form our excursion around 8:25 PM at IPS, dropped our bags and headed for the Lido. They had at least one side of the buffet open - about half of it, not the full length. I kind of remember both sides being open when we walked in but and one side closing. There were quite a few people eating. What I remember was there being salads (pre-made, nobody making it to order), slices of pizza, pasta dishes and a few other things. I DO remember the freshly fried zucchini slices!  They closed the buffet around 10 PM.

 

1 hour ago, atexsix said:

Did they ever have better hours in HAL's Lido?  

 

 

 

They knwo how to do late night buffets... on our charters there is some food served until around 1 AM! The dance party is still going strong at that time. The trade off is that there is no breakfast in the dining room (the staff need to sleep some time!) and twice during the cruise (sea days) there is a brunch in the dining room.

Edited August 24, 2021 by Boytjie

[oaktreerb]

5 hours ago, atexsix said:

I went to that buffet once and I think it was mostly crew; I wonder if that's the reason they have it? It wasn't inviting or atmospheric at all, more like a hospital cafeteria. It reminded me of the kind of crowd you see sitting in Denny's at 2 in the morning.

 

I walked out and called room service.

 

 

When they had singers and dancers they would go to the late buffet after the final performance of the evening.  

[atexsix]

8 minutes ago, Boytjie said:

 

We were back on board form our excursion around 8:25 PM at IPS, dropped our bags and headed for the Lido. They had at least one side of the buffet open - about half of it, not the full length. I kind of remember both sides being open when we walked in but and one side closing. There were quite a few people eating. What I remember was there being salads (pre-made, nobody making it to order), slices of pizza, pasta dishes and a few other things. I DO remember the freshly fried zucchini slices!  They closed the buffet around 10 PM.

 

 

They no how to do late night buffets... on our charters there is some food served until around 1 AM! The dance party is still going strong at that time. The trade off is that there is no breakfast in the dining room (the staff need to sleep some time!) and twice during the cruise (sea days) there is a brunch in the dining room.

I've never experienced a true midnight-ish buffet with ice carvings and elaborate presentation of the food...now to think of it, it's been years since I've seen an ice sculpture.

 

 

Edited August 24, 2021 by atexsix

[LAFFNVEGAS]

15 minutes ago, Boytjie said:

 

We were back on board form our excursion around 8:25 PM at IPS, dropped our bags and headed for the Lido. They had at least one side of the buffet open - about half of it, not the full length. I kind of remember both sides being open when we walked in but and one side closing. There were quite a few people eating. What I remember was there being salads (pre-made, nobody making it to order), slices of pizza, pasta dishes and a few other things. I DO remember the freshly fried zucchini slices!  They closed the buffet around 10 PM.

 

 

 

Sounds like they figured out after the first cruise that they needed to make a change at ISP. we did not get back till right at 9 from our Whale Watch unfortunately nothing but pizza and room service and of course we did not go eat prior to the shore excursion. Glad they changed it for that port. 

[roxybear135]

3 hours ago, atexsix said:

I didn't know they had all that late at night.  

 

I do know that once the Lido closes for good, it's slim pickins the rest of the night, room service is pretty much it, except for maybe that pizza place, I don't know when they close. 

I believe it’s open until 1130pm

[Boytjie]

1 hour ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

Sounds like they figured out after the first cruise that they needed to make a change at ISP. we did not get back till right at 9 from our Whale Watch unfortunately nothing but pizza and room service and of course we did not go eat prior to the shore excursion. Glad they changed it for that port. 

 

I was expecting what you experienced, so I was pleasantly surprised. With a port call of 6-10 PM and not making dinner available seems dumb to me.

[atexsix]

2 hours ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

Sounds like they figured out after the first cruise that they needed to make a change at ISP. we did not get back till right at 9 from our Whale Watch unfortunately nothing but pizza and room service and of course we did not go eat prior to the shore excursion. Glad they changed it for that port. 

That could have been a fluke though too.  Or there could be some kind of unforeseeable delay. 

We're not doing any excursions there, but if we were there's an easy solution, head to the lido and stock up on sandwiches, salads, fruit, and dessert before leaving for the excursion.  Stuff as much into the fridge as you can, the booze can be removed for a couple hours, the room steward won't notice until the next morning, although it wouldn't hurt to flag him or her down and explain what you're doing.  If you run out of room in the fridge, get the ice bucket, stuff a few things in there if you have to, then cover with ice.

 

I don't hesitate to get food from the dive-in or lido and bring it back to my room throughout the day, this is just a variation of that; someone on a past cruise suggested having a few plastic grocery store bags on hand since carrying a tray of food can be difficult.  So I tried it on my last sailing and it was a godsend, especially when I'm also fulfilling DD's ice cream request at the same time.  The dive-in is especially suited for it, I simply ask the server to wrap whatever it is in extra foil and I'm good to go; I don't know if the lido people can do that, but I never leave home without zip lock bags either.   

 

 

[LAFFNVEGAS]

11 minutes ago, atexsix said:

That could have been a fluke though too.  Or there could be some kind of unforeseeable delay. 

We're not doing any excursions there, but if we were there's an easy solution, head to the lido and stock up on sandwiches, salads, fruit, and dessert before leaving for the excursion.  Stuff as much into the fridge as you can, the booze can be removed for a couple hours, the room steward won't notice until the next morning, although it wouldn't hurt to flag him or her down and explain what you're doing.  If you run out of room in the fridge, get the ice bucket, stuff a few things in there if you have to, then cover with ice.

 

The day of ISP has a really good menu in the MDR, it is Prime Rib night so this time we are probably going to go eat first before we get off and take a walk into the port which we did not get to do last time.

[atexsix]

4 minutes ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

The day of ISP has a really good menu in the MDR, it is Prime Rib night so this time we are probably going to go eat first before we get off and take a walk into the port which we did not get to do last time.

Now that's one I'd order from room service and keep it chilled until I return, a couple pieces of bread from the lido and you're set; I don't see anything wrong with it, we eat lunch meat cold.  Luckily we're not getting off the ship, so we can eat at our normal time. 

 

Course we could always arrange to order for you 🙂 the mdr is still pretty crowded with people past 9:00, they may stop letting people in, but it's not like they kick everybody out.  Probably easier said than done, this isn't Cunard, but I always try to figure out a way around what's depicted in this video:

 

 

 

[roxybear135]

After a busy day in Juneau yesterday, we had a later dinner (around 830) in the dining room. The menu was pretty good and I opted for the pot roast for my entree which was fantastic and fall apart tender. My fiancé got the roasted chicken and loved that. We then watched part of a comedy show in BB Kings which was again standing room only. We only saw a few minutes of the first comedian and he was fine but we watched the entire act of the second (a guy from America’s Got a Talent) and he was fantastic. We’re looking forward to seeing him again later in the week. 
 

We then discovered that my fiancé had a ton or charges for drinks on his on board statement despite us having purchased the drinks package before the trip. I had researched extensively what the package included because the language was vague when it said “15 beverages” and I knew it had been 15 alcoholic beverages and unlimited nonalcoholic ones. Well they’ve apparently changed this to 15 total beverages but failed to update their website to reflect this so all of the water bottles we had been getting had quickly pushed us over the new beverage limit. Also, waiters and bartenders would often charge whatever I ordered to my fiancé’s card with either not asking for my card or not taking mine despite me trying to offer it to them. We headed to guest services which was a frustrating experience where we were rudely told that we should know the terms of our package and that we weren’t following them. I explained to them what was on their site but they kept telling me that the terms had changed and I had to stick to them even though those weren’t the terms I was aware of based on what was on the Holland America site at the time of booking (and is still under their FAQ page on beverage packages). After finally getting to speak to the beverage manager we were able to fix this issue, but wanted to make others aware of this change in policy if they’ve also booked a drinks package and would suggest having screenshots ready to show in case you go over the new limit so you can get those charges removed. 
 

Today we were in glacier bay which was unfortunately very foggy and rainy but still beautiful. We were able to see two glaciers so we were happy. We also saw a bunch of seals and otters and a couple of whales. Definitely a gorgeous place to be. 
 

Tonight we dock in Hoonah and will see what there is to do there since we haven’t booked an excursion there. 
 

The internet on the ship has still been awful and down most of the day. Definitely frustrating and don’t waste your money buying a WiFi package. 

[dobiemom]

16 minutes ago, roxybear135 said:

We then discovered that my fiancé had a ton or charges for drinks on his on board statement despite us having purchased the drinks package before the trip. I had researched extensively what the package included because the language was vague when it said “15 beverages” and I knew it had been 15 alcoholic beverages and unlimited nonalcoholic ones. Well they’ve apparently changed this to 15 total beverages but failed to update their website to reflect this so all of the water bottles we had been getting had quickly pushed us over the new beverage limit. Also, waiters and bartenders would often charge whatever I ordered to my fiancé’s card with either not asking for my card or not taking mine despite me trying to offer it to them. We headed to guest services which was a frustrating experience where we were rudely told that we should know the terms of our package and that we weren’t following them. I explained to them what was on their site but they kept telling me that the terms had changed and I had to stick to them even though those weren’t the terms I was aware of based on what was on the Holland America site at the time of booking (and is still under their FAQ page on beverage packages). After finally getting to speak to the beverage manager we were able to fix this issue, but wanted to make others aware of this change in policy if they’ve also booked a drinks package and would suggest having screenshots ready to show in case you go over the new limit so you can get those charges removed. 

That is SO wrong. Glad you got it straightened out. And thank you for the heads up. 

[Boytjie]

I am amazed how often crew don’t know what’s going on. 
 

We were at guest relations where someone was inquiring about the drinks package. The GR person told them that they can drink up to 15 alcoholic beverages. That’s it. I piped in: “and you can get specially coffees, water and sodas””. The CR person’s response: “oh yeah, that too.” 

[zgscl]

23 hours ago, TotallyCruzin said:

I love all the food info it all looks great! Question? Did you say that they still have the late night buffet?

I can confirm from the August 14th sailing yes there is a buffet nightly from 1030-1130. On icy strait point day it was open from 830 all the way through. 
 

The selection is limited. Desert, NY pizza and a few options at Homestead with a large focus on breaded and fried things (one night even the broccoli was breaded and deep fried). 

[Cruizer Bill]

How long did it take for your luggage to be delivered to your cabin?  

[aliaschief]

On 8/24/2021 at 2:19 PM, ronmar22 said:

Have you seen corned beef hash at any of the breakfast venues?  I love it but hardly ever have it (not good on my diet), however, whenever cruising I try to forget about diet rules and indulge.  

It’s on the Pinnacle Grill Breakfast  Menu so should be available in the MDR breakfast menu.

 

If not ask a good waiter; who should be able to get it for you.

[roxybear135]

1 hour ago, Cruizer Bill said:

How long did it take for your luggage to be delivered to your cabin?  

After getting on the ship, we went to our room to grab our keys and drop off stone stuff. We then had lunch in the dining room and then explored the ship for a few minutes and scanned in at our muster station. By the time we got to our room, it seemed all of the luggage had been delivered and ours was already in the room because they were clearing out the hallways. So I don’t think it took very long to get to our room. 

[roxybear135]

Last night we stopped in Hoonah and were at port for 3 1/2 hours. There was basically nothing there and felt that it would be hard to spend that much time in port there unless you do an excursion. There’s a gondola that takes you on a short ride up and down a hill, a few stores, and one restaurant. So don’t feel like you have to get off the ship here if you want to just have a relaxing night because there’s nothing you need to see here. 
 

We then got back on the ship for dinner which I was excited about because it was the culinary council dinner (I’m a huge Top Chef fan and Kristen Kish from Top Chef is on the council). Dinner was fantastic and we both thoroughly enjoyed everything we got. I highly recommend the chocolate puff pastry dessert on this night. 
 

Service at lunch had been horrible and extremely slow so we were given complimentary glasses of champagne at dinner to make up for it which was nice. 
 

We then went to watch BB Kings which was good but again crowded. 
 

Today we’re in Sitka and did the otters and wildlife quest excursion which was fun. We saw bald eagles, humpback whales, seals, and otters. We then explored Sitka for a bit before coming back to the ship for lunch. We ordered room service for the first time and it was excellent. 

[Sharon in AZ]

6 minutes ago, roxybear135 said:

We then got back on the ship for dinner which I was excited about because it was the culinary council dinner (I’m a huge Top Chef fan and Kristen Kish from Top Chef is on the council). Dinner was fantastic and we both thoroughly enjoyed everything we got. I highly recommend the chocolate puff pastry dessert on this night. 

We are also Top Chef fans and I was trilled to see Kristen Kish on the council. Her season was the one partially filmed in Alaska so that’s a nice tie in. Not so sure about some of her creations on the menu yet. 
 

Thanks for all your reports and pictures!

[Boytjie]

54 minutes ago, roxybear135 said:

We then got back on the ship for dinner which I was excited about because it was the culinary council dinner (I’m a huge Top Chef fan and Kristen Kish from Top Chef is on the council). Dinner was fantastic and we both thoroughly enjoyed everything we got. I highly recommend the chocolate puff pastry dessert on this night. 

 

That's too bad that they have it on a late port night! 😮 We did an excursion so we ate in the Lido when we got back.

[DuffyMcfluffy]

We were in ISP three years ago and walking along the promenade towards the shops.

All of a sudden a humpback whale surfaced no more than ten feet from the shore.

A resident of one of the homes we were passing told us that it was “Fernando” a seasonal resident. He usually cruised by during cocktail hour so if you are in the area keep an eye out for him, assuming he is still alive.

It was better than a shore excursion!