Circle Iceland with The Inside Cabin - 24 days on the NIeuw Statendam

[The-Inside-Cabin]

We are heading ashore at 12:30 pm.   No line 31 people on the tender.    Very smooth ride.    Waves have calmed.   
 

fog lifted.    Still overcast.   Cool. Windy. 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Getting done fantastic fish and chips, seafood chowder and poutine!    $52 total.  Cash only.  They will take usd at par.   (Ouch) Change in CDN 
 

fish and chips is enough to share 

Whalers  restaurant in Red Bay.   

 

Outstanding!

 

great food! 
poutine 

fish and chips

Doreen!Seafood Chowder

weather is a little chilly.    Cloudy.  Windy.  Zero insects.  

Edited August 7, 2022 by The-Inside-Cabin

[Florida_gal_50]

How I wish I had your metabolism 😛.  It seems so odd for places not to take credit cards.  I used to use cash for a lot of things but ever since the pandemic pretty much everything goes on cards. They same $100 has been sitting in my wallet for about 2 years.  I do use cash mostly on vacation.  That is an ouch on usd at par.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Heading back to the ship.    Here was our track in Red Bay.   
 

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Is there a port in the world without a Capt Cook monument?

6 August 2023

The Nieuw Statendam arrived in Corner Brook around 10 am.  There was a shuttle bus from the dock to City Hall, about ½ mile away and walkable.  The shuttle bus wasn’t mentioned in the Daily Program and I only learned of it from reading previous cruisers blog posts.  It’s possible they mentioned it at one of the port briefs which we didn’t attend.

Gros Morne National Park, about 75 miles away, is a National Park with beautiful scenery and many tours are available to visit.

Our plan was to take the shuttle to town, explore the downtown area, head up to Capt Cook Monument and then hike one of the many local trails near town.

We didn’t need a lot of time in port so we relaxed in our cabin until 1:20 pm before we caught the shuttle bus to City Hall.

These “Red Chairs” are on the dock near the ship. We met fellow cruise blogger Tim aka Btimmer and his wife, Angela near City Hall

There is a museum in the City Hall complex very near the shuttle stop.  We didn’t visit, but it gets great reviews on Trip Advisor.

The Royal Canadian Legion Hall is very close to City Hall and we learned that they held a “Screech In” ceremony at 1:30 pm.  This is where they welcome newcomers to Newfoundland with a “Come from Away” ceremony and a chance to “Kiss the Cod”.  Not sure if this is done for every cruise ship or simply done every day regardless.  I couldn’t find it advertised anywhere and we only heard about it from fellow blogger Btimmer.  We headed over about 2 pm, but the ceremony was already over, and learned that they weren’t going to do another.  More about the “Screech In” HERE  

Around 2:30 pm we called a Star Taxi using our phones and had the driver take us to Capt Cook and then wait while we spent a few minutes enjoying the view.  The fare to Capt Cook was $15 CDN.  We spent about 12 minutes walking around which added another $10 CDN to the meter.  It would be quite a hike uphill – Capt Cook Monument is at 500 feet above sea level.

Corner Brook from the Capt Cook Monument Corner Brook from the Capt Cook monument The Nieuw Statendam in Corner Brook

 

It’s hard to find a port without a Capt Cook Monument

Larry was our driver and we had him take us around to some other spots for photos and we enjoyed learning about Corner Brook and Newfoundland as he has lived here his entire life.

After Capt Cook, we stopped by the Cobb Trail Head which is the beginning of a nice trail around a small lake.  Nearby was the Majestic Lawn with the large Corner Brook Tourist Sign which is also the starting point for the Mill Whistler Road Train, which you can ride around town for a couple of dollars.

The Corner Brook Tourist sign at the Majestic Lawn Glynmill Inn Pond Trail Entrance The Mill Whistler Road Train leaves from The Majestic Lawn

We headed next to the Train Museum for a quick stop before heading further out of the town to see “The Old Man in the Mountain” which was a natural formation in the side of a mountain that resembles the face of an old man.  It was hard to make it out, but I eventually talked myself into seeing it.

This train is called “The Newfie Bullet” as a joke since the train was quite slow The “Old Man” was difficult to pick out, There is a placard nearby that helps

We were with Larry for about 70 minutes which cost $87 CDN on the meter before the tip.

Back in town, we walked over to a large drug store, Shoppers Drug, to pick up a few items and then called a taxi to take us back to the ship.

The weather all day was perfect, and Corner Brook is a very nice town to wander around and explore.

Beautiful Sail Away from Cornerbrook with a Gimlet

Back on the ship we had dinner with guest entertainer, Hyperion Knight and his son, Kellen.  We have seen his wonderful show on several other cruises, and he is often performing on cruises on the east coast as he is from New York City.

Kellen, Diane, Hyperion, Judy, Pete, Susan

We will see his new show in a few days.

[1ANGELCAT]

Don’t know if you can edit the date , it reads 2023.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

32 minutes ago, 1ANGELCAT said:

Don’t know if you can edit the date , it reads 2023.

Thanks - I can on the blog - too late for here....Thanks!

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Tonight's menu in the MDR

 

 

 

 

8 Aug MDR.pdf

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Red Bay showcases whales and the best Fish and Chips in Newfoundland

During our sail away from Corner Brook, the Captain said that the good weather we have enjoyed would be coming to an end.  The weather at Red Bay was expected to be cold and raining.  The wind and seas might be too much for safe tendering so we would not have been surprised to learn that this port would be canceled.  

Red Bay as seen from the ship about 1 mile offshore. The ship didn’t drop anchor but hovered in place using its thrusters and engines

Our plan was to go ashore around noon to avoid any lines with the tenders.  We learned that 4- and 5-star Mariners don’t need to get tender tickets and we can join any tender queue by showing our cruise card.  More about our priority tendering HERE

Fog rolled in and out all morning, which made the navigation for the tenders challenging.  The seas were a little rough and you can see the movement of the tenders in this pair of photographs below.

Tender going up

and down

Tender tickets were distributed in the BB King lounge.  They won’t give you more tickets than you have people present.  You can’t go down and grab tickets for others in your cabin and you have to stay near the BB King as they don’t announce when the next tender is leaving anywhere except in the BB King lounge.  

We headed down to Deck A to catch the tender at 12:30 pm.  There were 31 guests onboard for the 10-minute ride and 5-minute wait before we could tie up at the pier and begin touring Red Bay.  

Red Bay tender pier

The Town Manager, Alice Moores, was behind the counter in the Information Booth.  She gave us a quick overview of Red Bay along with a map.  

Alice Moores, Town Manager, was very friendly and helpful

We headed off to the Whaler’s Restaurant, about ¼ mile away up a slight rise.  There is a gift shop inside the restaurant selling souvenirs and T-shirts.  

This photo was taken from Whalers Restaraunt.  The road to the left heads toward the tenders and the road to the right heads toward the Church and Town Hall.  The pick-up trucks offering $5 shuttle rides are on the left side of the picture Whalers Restaraunt

Normally you sit down and a server will take your order, but today, due to the crowds from the cruise ship, you ordered at the cash register and they gave you a number.  The menu was pretty simple and you can read it in the picture below along with the prices.

Doreen was working the cash register.  Very friendly and helpful

Service was quick, and the food was piping hot and delicious.  We always get fish and chips in most ports when available and this was some of the best we have ever tasted.  A thin, flaky crust covering a firm yet moist cod filet.  Poutine was also on the menu and we enjoy trying this when offered as we have learned that every restaurant usually has a slightly different twist to their poutine.  Poutine is not diet food, but delicious – don’t miss it when you are in Canada – It’s everywhere.  

Great food, served hot and fast. Seafood chowder, Fish & Chips,and a big plate of Poutine.

A few pickup trucks were nearby displaying “Shuttle” signs in their windows.  They were offering to take you anywhere nearby for $5 CDN.  

After lunch, we walked up the rise to the Town Hall.  We stopped at an interesting church along the way.  We missed the other museum near the church as we intended to stop on the way back, but it started to sprinkle so we went straight back to the tenders.  

Walking to the Town Hall from Whalers Restaraunt

Church

Inside

The Town Hall was staffed by the very friendly Ava and Tiffany.  We spent a few minutes chatting and learned that they have a 1-hour bus ride each way to the nearest school.  Admission is $5 CDN and the main attraction here is the large Whale Skeleton.  Ava gave us directions to a shortcut that would save us some time getting back and it was starting to sprinkle so we wanted to get back in case the weather got worse.  

Red Bay Town Hall Tiffany and Ava

Whale Skeleton inside Town Hall Here we are walking down the dirt road short cut back to the dock

We arrived back at the Dock and browsed thru the gift shop.  Whalers Quest Welcome | Whalers Quest Ocean Adventures had a table set up and we enjoyed chatting with Amanda and Shena and learning more about life in Red Brook (Note: I may have the names mixed up – so if anyone knows – drop me a line at connect@theinsidecabin.com and I will get it corrected)

Shena

Amanda

Pete and Amanda

Here is our walking route from my Garmin GPS

At 3 pm we were back on the tender and headed out to the ship.  It was very foggy and the ship was no longer visible from our position.  Poor visibility, combined with 40-knot winds and choppy seas made for a challenging tender operation.  Our tender driver was a little uneasy with the situation, so he circled a nearby buoy for about 15 minutes until another tender arrived and we traveled back to the ship together.  We all received a plate of chocolates later for our minor inconvenience.  

The ship was sometimes completely obscured by fog. You can see one of the buoys in the foreground Our route back to the ship after circling the buoy for about 15 minutes Our tender, with an escort, en route back to the ship

The main dining room featured – you guessed it – Fish and Chips for dinner.  Normally Fish and Chips are not one of the best dishes on HAL ships, but today they knocked it out of the park – delicious.  

Hyperion Knight was the featured entertainer this evening.  We have seen his show 5 times before but tonight he presented a new edition that made full use of the giant display screens on The World Stage.  He perfectly integrated a fascinating story about various composers, along with a little personal history.  His brilliant piano keywork was displayed on the big screen and the performance was breathtaking.  Before and after the show, Hyperion mingled with the audience, answering questions, and provided some insight about his performance.  Don’t miss this superstar when you see him on the schedule.  

[The-Inside-Cabin]

We arrived in Qaqortoq, Greenland a few minutes ago.    Cloudy and cold.   No rain.   
 

Today's MDR menu attached

 

9 Aug MDR.pdf

Edited August 9, 2022 by The-Inside-Cabin

[The-Inside-Cabin]

 

 

A lazy day in the Labrador Sea

8 August 2022

We enjoyed a relaxing day as we cruised the Labrador Sea heading toward Greenland.  It was cool and windy outside, so most people stayed inside which tends to make some of the events more crowded than they might be on a warm, sunny day when the pool is popular.

Judy spent the morning knitting in the Crow’s Nest with some of the knitters who are in the Craft Cruises group while I got caught up with my blog in our cabin.

We met for lunch in the Main Dining Room – which was the first for us in a while as we usually go to the Lido for lunch if we have anything.  When you check in with the hostess on Deck 2, you can request sharing or no sharing.   We requested sharing and we were immediately led to a nice table in the back along with 2 other couples.

Judy ordered the Club Sandwich, and I got the Chicken and Waffles.  I have seen the Chicken and Waffles on the menu for a while, but never got a chance to try them out until today.  They were pretty good – not sure I will get them again however, but it’s always fun to try something new.

Chicken and Waffles Club Sandwich As we were leaving lunch, they were setting up for the 2 PM wine tasting

The guest lecturer, Dr. Michael Douglas, a retired NOAA researcher, played to a packed World Stage at 2 pm.  I got there a 1:55 and people were sitting and standing in the aisles.  I learned later that most of the seats were gone by 1:45.  These lectures are not broadcast live or made available for replay on the TV’s in our rooms as they are on many other cruise lines.  When I have asked about watching the lectures in our room, I have not gotten an answer that makes any sense.

This picture was taken 5 minutes before the lecture started Dr Michael Douglas, is ready to start his 2 PM lecture. I left after taking this picture from the aisle way in the back

After leaving the World Stage I stopped by the Lincoln Center to listen to the wonderful musicians.  They are outstanding and once you stop to listen, the next thing you know you are sitting down totally engaged with their performance.

 

 

Cruise tiles are usually distributed during the Mariners Lunch toward the end of the cruise.  We found them on our bed this afternoon after returning from Lunch

 

Since the time for the second show has been changed back to 9:30 pm, we are no longer rushed during dinner.  The dining room, at least on Deck 3, is barely 20% full – so service is prompt and the food hot.  Our waiters are outstanding, which is par for the course on Holland America.

Cantaré were the featured performers on The World Stage this evening and they put on a great show.    We rarely miss a show and love live entertainment wherever we can find it, from street performers to cruise ships.

Cantaré : L-R – Christopher, Connor, Ritter and Chad

After the show we caught the last few songs of the Rolling Stone Rock band – and as soon as they finished – the piano duet started up.  Everyone on the music walk is very talented and entertaining.  Right around the corner was the BB King band – playing great music – and you can’t hear them in the other venues even though they are playing simultaneously.

Lead guitar in the Rolling Stone Rock Room

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This entry was posted in 2022 Canada Greenland Iceland

[The-Inside-Cabin]

We started scenic cruising through Prince Christian sound at 7 am. 
 

Here is the map provided

 

 

at 7 am it looked like a bust. 
 

 

2 minutes later!   Wow 

 

 

may be a nice day after all.  
 

Pea Soup and Gluhwein coming later 

 

[Hygge!]

That was one of our most favorite locations! Enjoy.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

It's turning out to be a gorgeous day in Prince Christian Sound 

 

Glacier

Pea Soup

 

 

 

bow was open 

[Sea Viewer]

Looks like an amazing day, couldn't ask for better weather.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

All done with scenic cruising.    Perfect day

 

Herr is our track

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Here is the Gluhwein!

 

[sagavista]

What a great day.  Enjoy your glass of Gluhwein. 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Colorful houses and friendly people

Qaqortoq, Greenland.

A solitary iceberg appeared outside our window, followed by the hazy outline of Greenland’s rocky coastline.  It gets light early, around 5 am, allowing us to enjoy the coastline as we approached Qaqortog.  We docked around 10 am.

We spotted a few icebergs as we got close to Qaqortoq

The Nieuw Statendam stopped about 1 mile offshore in a calm harbor.  We had smooth seas, no fog, and a light breeze, tendering should be quick and easy.   We arrived around 10 am and our tenders were in the water soon thereafter.  The Nieuw Statendam was cleared by local authorities in about 15 minutes.

Qaqortoq is a small town, with only a few excursions available.  Everything was already booked when we scheduled this cruise so we decided to spend a couple of hours exploring the town.

Tender tickets were required until 11:10 am when they announced open tendering.  We left our cabin around 1 pm and caught the 1:15 pm tender.  We were ashore 5 minutes after the tender left the ship.

Qaqortoq is filled with colorful houses This man entertained the arriving passengers with a festive dance Qaqortoq tender landing

There is a Tourist Information Office next to the tender pier.  It also houses a gift shop offering jewelry, T-shirts, and other souvenirs.  They accept USD and credit cards.  While USD is accepted, the exchange rate is very unfavorable.   For example, something that would cost $2.78 if you paid in Kroners, would cost $3 if you paid in USD.

Tourist Information Center

Outside the Tourist Center, there were about 5-6 tables of vendors selling various crafts.  One person was offering 90-minute walking tours for $50 USD.  We headed off to the right on our own to start our big loop of the town.

During my research into this port, I learned that a nearby bar/restaurant had a car that was built into an exterior wall facing the street.   You can still see it on Google Street View – Here is a screenshot.

This car is no longer sticking out of the wall as seen in Google Street View. We learned it was removed about 3 years ago

This same bar claimed to have the longest bar in Greenland.  Unfortunately, the bar was closed so we couldn’t peek inside to learn how long the longest bar may have been.

We ran into the most interesting man in Qaqortoq,  his name was McGraw, and we had a wonderful chat.  He explained that the car in the wall we were looking for was removed 3 years ago when the bar changed hands.  Everyone we met in Qaqortog was very friendly.

McGraw with Judy

A short walk uphill from the bar was the town Post Office called Tassus and a little further was the grocery store/department store called Brugesni.  It was like a small Target or Walmart with a grocery section on one side and hard goods on the other side.  Most of the signs were in Danish, so having the Google translate app on our phone was helpful.  There is a restroom inside near the front door.

Brugesni grocery store

We picked up a fake potted orchid for our room along with some chocolate-covered licorice.  They accept VISA/Mastercard.

Outside the Qaqortoq Hotel there is a large Inuit Boot on a small hill – which makes for some great photos and the local children seem to enjoy climbing the rocks.

 

Judy and Pete posing with Intuit boot Children liked climbing the rocks up to the boot

Our next stop was the Qaqortoq Museum.  Admission was 60 DK ($8.24) or $10 USD if you didn’t have Kroners.  They also accept credit cards.  There are 3 buildings as part of the museum that are included in the price, but the other two were already closed by the time we arrived.  If you want to see everything this museum has to offer, go here first.  The main attraction was on the third floor which had the room Charles Lindbergh used when he was visiting while scouting possible refueling stops for Pan Am.  We spent about 30 minutes here.

Qaqortoq Museum Charles Lindbergh slept here The stairs to the third floor are very steep

Outside the museum is the Mindebrønden fountain, completed in 1932, and is the oldest fountain in Greenland.  It depicts whales spouting water out of their blowholes.

Mindebrønden fountain

Nearby the fountain was a store, Sissami, selling camping and other outdoor gear.

Holland America Walking Tour in progress

Gas is only $2.40 USD a gallon.

At the end of our loop we were back at the Tourist Information Center.  We didn’t find any interesting T shirts or caps and ended up only buying a keychain as a souvenir.

 

This is one of 40 carvings that are part of the Stone and Man exhibitcreated in the early 1990’s.  They are located throughout the town.   When I asked about a map showing their locations, I was told that they didn’t have one – that may change when you visit.  Inquire at the visitors center

We were back on the ship around 5 pm.

The weather was nice during the SailAway and we spotted several icebergs as we headed toward Prince Christian Sound.

Hyperion Night was the headliner in the World Stage tonight.  Once again he put on a dazzling performance.  Unlike other pianists you may see as guest entertainers, Hyperion is not only a fantastic pianist, he is a great entertainer.   His shows strike the perfect balance between playing the piano and commentary.  His shows take you on a musical journey that is compelling.  Tonight he talked about the trials and tribulations of Russian composers and discussed the age old question of who was better – the Beatles or the Stones.  As a bonus, he is quite friendly and approachable and mingles with the audience before and after his shows.

 

Tomorrow we will cruise the scenic Prince Christian Sound.

[PACD_JG]

11 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Gas is only $2.40 USD a gallon.

Awesome blog by the way.  Thoroughly enjoying it.  But are you sure it isn't $2.40 a liter?

[The-Inside-Cabin]

11 minutes ago, PACD_JG said:

Awesome blog by the way.  Thoroughly enjoying it.  But are you sure it isn't $2.40 a liter?

This is what I saw - I think I made the conversion correctly??   It does seem low - maybe this station was subsidized?

 

4.66 DKK per liter is about 64 cents    3.78 liters to a gallon

Edited August 11, 2022 by The-Inside-Cabin

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Tonight is a "dressy night".   We will be having a Tuxedo Junction at 7pm in the Ocean Bar.    The Gala Menu tonight is what you have come to see on Gala Nights on shorter cruises.   There is nothing on here that you don't regularly see on daily menus.   

 

 

The Baked Rigatoni is good, but it is available from room service:

 

11 Aug Gala Menu.pdf

Edited August 11, 2022 by The-Inside-Cabin

[CruiserBruce]

Any idea on how many passengers aboard? We had 1523 (per the Captain) the cruise before yours, and rumors were around 2000 on yours.

[PACD_JG]

12 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

This is what I saw - I think I made the conversion correctly??   It does seem low - maybe this station was subsidized?

 

4.66 DKK per liter is about 64 cents    3.78 liters to a gallon

 

Maybe it's a way to incentivize Greenland for Danish folks, since gas in Denmark is an outrageous $8.04 US per gallon.

[Msrigby]

Regarding the Musem.  When we visited six years ago, they refused payment in krone. They would only take USD.  We passed.  Otherwise the visit was great, if a bit chilly when the fog rolled in.