From King Crab to Poi-almost live from Koningsdam Alaska to Hawaii and back

[Clay Clayton]

50 minutes ago, tupper10 said:

We have found that the app dayuse is great and there are hotels listed right by the airport for today that have rooms available. You can hang out with a real room and relax and use all the hotel facilities.  

Thanks!  i am aware of it, but it will be close to 5 by the time we get to SEA so will just survive with our priority pass access to a lounge. 

[Clay Clayton]

Relatively easy disembarkation-we had our last breakfast at “our” table and then returns to our room (which had already been stripped), grabbed our luggage and headed off.  The only pinch point was making our way through the baggage pickup area-it was a zoo.  Too bad Canada Place doesn’t have it separated a little from the path to immigration. 
 

We made it outside about 15 min after leaving our room and the red maple tree isn’t quite as pretty as it was 16 days ago😂. Then we walked across the street and around the corner, got on the Expo Line, rode 4 stops and then walked  a block and around the corner to the Central station arriving here about 45 min after we left the ship.  Bus is supposedly ontime for an 11:30 departure 🤞

 

[Clay Clayton]

October 20-7th Sea Day

Cloudy, rainy, windy, and still rocking and rolling

 

Awoke to the sound of heavy winds through our balcony door.  Luckily it isn’t as cold as it looks though even fewer people at “our” tables for breakfast. I suspect by tomorrow I will be the only one out back! 

We got the dreaded disembarkation instructions last night.  We think we are just going to roll our rollaboards off (which is what we did when boarding though that wasn’t our intent, but when they told us we had to wait in a long line for the elevator to take them up to drop them off or we could ride up the escalator and go onboard you can guess what we did). But I picked us up some red tags (last departure time) just in case. 

 

The letter included the information that HAL was running a transfer to Sea-Tac.  This option hadn’t been available online previously-only transfers were to Vancouver Airport, so we bought tickets on the Amtrak bus and will then take the light rail from Seattle’s King Street Station on to the airport. The disembarkation letter said we could book the transfer using the Navigator App, alas, just as pre-cruise it only showed the YVR transfer.  Interested in the cost, I called the excursion desk as the letter suggested and they seem surprised I was calling as “those transfers are organized by Guest Services but let me check on it for you.”  She apparently couldn’t get through to Guest Services (similar problem that I’ve had the two times I’ve tried calling) and asked if she could call me back.  She did so 10 minutes or so later and let me know the cost was $79pp. Since the bus (Amtrak has just re-started the train service but only once a day in each direction and the times don’t work for our red-eye😢flight) tickets cost a total of $68 for both of us and we figure the ride to the train station may cost $15 and the light rail $10 that we will stick with our original plan rather than end up with a $68 Amtrak voucher. But if HAL had offered the transfer pre-cruise I suspect we would have booked it for just the simplicity.  We also started packing our dirty clothes yesterday-mostly because the soiled laundry drawer was full😂.  Of course we also discovered yesterday two drawers we didn’t know existed. Don’t know if they are on all HAL ships but at the food of the bed are two HUGE drawers that would have made a great hamper for our used clothing rather than the little tiny one we were stuffing our things into😂

 

Lunch was a salad from the lido and then we attended the naturalist’s lecture on whales. She is hopeful we may see some when we re-enter the bay heading into Vancouver🤞

 

We spent some balcony and reading (and perhaps a nap?) time before Trivia. We only missed “which Friars are known as The Black Order?”  We guessed, Jesuits-the correct answer was Dominicans😢. But that put us into the tie breaker with one other team. We both correctly answered Korea as  “What country was divided into two along the 38th parallel?” The second tie breaker was “in what year was the last Romanian revolution?”  Mike and I both thought it was something recent-I thought the early 70s, he the early 90s but we let the history professor on our team go with his answer which was 1917.  The other team said 1924 so they were closest to the correct answer of 1989.  So close😤

 

The sun finally came out so we are sitting at our table enjoying the relative calm at the back pool.  The ship is still moving as you can see from the wave action in the pool. But at least it’s not splashing out the way it was earlier!

 

We decided to forgo dinner in the dining room tonight. The menu had very little that appealed and frankly after 20 days, it’s started to get repetitive.  

 

We are going to stop by the dining room and see what’s on the menu for tomorrow so we can order the Indian menu if we want. We have invited the couple we met on the way to Hawaii who we spent 6 and half hours chatting with Alex the wife that one day. It’s our last dressy night so hopefully her husband Derek will wear his kilt. He is a bagpiper and his team? Band? Ensemble? We’re ranked the 11th in the world!  Just realized that I failed to mention we ran into them as we were reboarding in Nawiliwili. They had gone ashore to spread Alex’s Dad’s ashes and Derek had played his favorite hymns on his bagpipes. He then serenaded everyone getting back onboard with a few songs. 

We had a chilly lasagna (both the atmosphere and the dish) dinner. One of my complaints onboard is that rarely is the food hot. And I am not from the UK so I can only imagine what our Scottish friends would have to say.  They love and serve their food scorching hot so this would certainly not be acceptable to them😂. In many cases, one of us has said to the other, this dish would be tasty if it was just hot.  It is one of the things we like about ordering from the Indian means in the Main Dining Room-it seems those dishes must be prepared just before serving and therefore always seem to be served hot. 

 

After eating we stopped in for the last 30 minutes of Tammy & Joey’s set and then went over to see the first show of the new comedian. The one on the trip to Hawaii didn’t do much for us. The new guy, was a little more enjoyable but he didn’t make me roar with laughter.  Mike left before he was finished since he didn’t have a seat.  Doubt we will go out of our way to see his show night after tomorrow.

 

I stayed for “Call My Bluff” HAL’s version of The Liars’ Club.  While ai personally like all three of the liars-Ms.X of the entertainment department, Nat the Naturalist, and the BB King Guitarist, none of them are very good at bluffing so I ended up joining Mike in the room at 9:30, which quickly became 10:30 when we moved our clocks forward another hour.  One more night after tomorrow and we will be back on Vancouver time.  

Edited October 24, 2022 by Clay Clayton

[Clay Clayton]

October 21st-8th Sea Day

68°, party sunny, light breeze, calm seas

 

I knew as soon as I woke up that the weather had changed.  I wasn’t worried about rolling out of bed and it didn’t sound like a hurricane was happening outside our balcony door. 😊

 

I left Mike asleep and headed to the buffet for breakfast. As I passed through the solarium pool I remembered seeing something about the Zoodam taking place today😂  See the previous post for a video of this (accidentally posted to the wrong day)

 

Mike says he thinks if he was in charge of the laundry he would have nixed this idea!

 

As I passed through the buffet I noticed that the French Toast chafer was empty and the griddle was covered so I got to have a fresh hot breakfast!  Yummy thought it would have been better with real maple station rather than maple flavored. #FirstWorldProblems

 

Mike went to the gym and I painted one of the olive trees at the pool for a bit. Getting used to water color pencils is a bit different than regular watercolors but they are certainly easier to travel with!

 

We decided to have lunch in the Dining Room today for a change. Mike ordered the calamari for his appetizer and I selected the crispy roasted cauliflower.  The cauliflower were Indian spiced and good but not crispy. The calamari were really good ( as always would have been even better if they had of been a bit hotter).  And it was a large portion-one of the little fry baskets full. Mike surprised me by ordering Chicken ‘n Waffles as he had said all along he wanted a croque monsieur but after my Madame came he realized he had been thinking about a Monte Crisco so he was glad he had changed his mind.  His chicken  was good, the promised collards were instead quite tasty spicy spinach but the waffle was awful. We think maybe it was made at breakfast time and had been sitting in a steam table since then. I had a half of a croque Madame and a bowl of tomato basil soup. Both were quite tasty.  I attempted to order the Dutch apple and bacon pancake which was shown as a starter for my dessert, but the waiter said it would have to come with my cauliflower since it wasn’t a dessert. So we just skipped dessert there and came to the Dutch Cafe where it’s also on the menu. 

 

OMG, so very good!  Not too sweet. Very HOT. The only thing that could improve it would for the bacon to be crispy like they serve at breakfast. Attention Brother Steve-The pancake was close to what Grandmommy used to make at the beach!!😋

 

After three laps around the promenade (1 mile) I decided it was time for some balcony reading while the weather is still conducive. At his noon announcements Captain said tomorrow’s forecast is for winds and waves twice what they are today 😢

 

 

Trivia was a bust today-too many wrong answers to even list😂

 

We invited Alex and Derek (the Canadian we spent so much time chatting with one morning/afternoon and her bag piping husband) to join us for dinner. We met them at Billboard for the 7pm show and then headed to the dining room. It has been so great meeting them and getting to know a little about them. 

 

After dinner we went back to Billboard for Tammy & Joey’s last show.  They are off tomorrow and are performing at the World Stage on the last night. While glad to hear they are getting that opportunity, hate that we won’t be able to end the cruise in the more intimate venue with them. As I told Tammy, she has truly made our cruise memorable and so much more fun. 

[Clay Clayton]

Oct 22-9th Sea Day

60°, cloudy, windy

 

Had to put away the shorts and pull on the fleece for breakfast this morning.  We aren’t in Hawaii anymore, Toto!😂

 

I really had the Seaview Pool area to myself this morning. And unless I find some gloves, I may not be here for very long.  The fleece is keeping me warm but boy my hands are cold. Mike and I can’t figure out why this area seems to be more impacted by wind than similar areas in other ships. I’m thinking it’s because so much of it is not covered AND the two side stairs (the ones with the glass landings looking down 10 or so deck to the ocean) all funnel the winds into the sitting areas. They have some heaters but they don’t do a lot. 
 

After Mike joined me and ate, he headed to the gym and I went to guest services to have a replacement keycard made.  Not sure where I lost it last night but….

 

Saw our Pride friend Jerry who has been aboard as long as we have (and is staying on until San Diego) in the Royal Dutch so Sat and chatted with him for awhile.  Then met Mike in the room and we finished stuffing our first suitcase with dirty clothes and other things we won’t be needing before we get home. Will finish up tomorrow. 

 

While packing we also cleaned out all the paper HAL has provided us over the last 22 days.  Too bad that there isn’t a way to opt out of getting so much for those of us who use the app to plan our days. 
 

Not a lot of activities taking place today that appeal to either of us, so was basically a lazy day….maybe that’s to get us ready to return to our home life?😂  We did go to the music trivia hoping it would be hosted by Ms.X one of our favorite “hosts.”  Alas, it wasn’t and we weren’t very good so the rest of the afternoon was spent on the balcony until it got too chilly when a nap seemed to be more in order. 😳

 

We decided that we didn’t feel like “dining” so instead headed to the Lido Buffet for roast Turkey- while delicious we think it was actually cooked in a steam oven. We also had a taste of Indonesian Sumatra Beef which had been so good last week.  It was good but seemed to be missing the subtle coconut flavor it had then. 

 

They were showing Elvis in the pool area which we saw at home so we grabbed some popcorn and watched a Billy Crystal-Tiffany Haddish movie in our room. In it Billy’s character is dealing with dementia.  We both thought it was very good and I was surprised it hadn’t gotten more good press. 

 

After the movie we realized the clocks were moving forward for the last time, so it seems we finally stayed up past midnight!

[Clay Clayton]

October 23-10th & Final Sea Day

57°, cloudy, light breeze, ship still rolling a bit though the seas have calmed way down. 

 

While it’s officially cooler today than it’s been since we were in Glacier Bay, it feels much warmer than it did yesterday.  The light breeze rather than the strong wind made it very comfortable for breakfast at our table. We had a light breakfast since it was so late-we made it to the Lido with only 5 minutes to spare before they closed at 10 am.   
 

Mike headed to the gym while I tried to walk a mile around the promenade. Unfortunately, a third if it was closed as they were doing maintenance on the lifeboats. Walkers were making half loops but this made the narrow portions very crowded with more waiting than walking so I gave up and headed back to the room. 

 

We had our final lunch at the Lido buffet where we had some very tasty and hot mushroom soup as well as fish ‘n chips.  

 

At all her presentations, Natalie the Naturalist asked for anyone good  with wildlife or nature photographs taken during the cruise to upload them to her to be judged so that one of each could be chosen as the best in each category which would win a prize.  I uploaded seven of ours and the following were included in the 50 (out of 150 submitted) to be shown today during the big reveal. None were winners (or even honorable mentions) but it was fun to see our shots on the screen. 
 

After the photo session we finished packing/stuffing our suitcases (🤞crossed they don’t ask us to open them in customs as I don’t know we will be able to get them closed again!) and then while Mike showered, I headed to the gym where I rode the bike for a bit and the stair master for a bit more.  

 

After showering, we went to our final trivia where we did as bad as we have done the whole time-it was just us two, as Sue has already left us for another team-I guess they are staying  aboard for the San Diego leg😂

 

I then went to the stern of the ship where I chatted with Nathalie the Naturalist and we unsuccessfully looked for whales. She said she always sees them when we enter into the bay but it will be dark by the time we arrive😢

 

We went to see the big show alas there was some issue so tonight’s entertainment schedule is all discombobulated and Tammy & Joey aren’t on the stage and are only doing 15 minute sets except for one at 11pm.  

 

We had our final dinner with Jerry from Las Vegas who is also staying aboard to San Diego and then caught the 10pm fifteen minute set before coming to our room and heading to bed. 

[HAL4NOW]

21 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

Relatively easy disembarkation-we had our last breakfast at “our” table and then returns to our room (which had already been stripped), grabbed our luggage and headed off.  The only pinch point was making our way through the baggage pickup area-it was a zoo.  Too bad Canada Place doesn’t have it separated a little from the path to immigration. 

We are sitting in BBKing’s lounge where we were brought by crew members, waiting for permission to leave. They are still escorting more Covid passengers into the lounge. 
Announcement for all passengers to make their way to the gangway doesn’t apply to us.

 

Edited October 24, 2022 by HAL4NOW

[Clay Clayton]

1 hour ago, HAL4NOW said:

We are sitting in BBKing’s lounge where we were brought by crew members, waiting for permission to leave. They are still escorting more Covid passengers into the lounge. 
Announcement for all passengers to make their way to the gangway doesn’t apply to us.

 

Sorry to hear you were ill. Hopefully not too bad?   Were you able to isolate in your stateroom or did they move you?   We saw that someone on our hall had all meals via room service and the Do Not Disturb was always out but Nat the Naturalist told me that everyone was isolated on a single hallway 🤔

[Clay Clayton]

Bus left right at 11:30. Haven’t counted but close to full.  So far Mike and I (along with at 5 others in front of me, have rows to ourselves.  Hopefully not many will board in Richmond and change that! 🤞

Edited October 24, 2022 by Clay Clayton

[Clay Clayton]

They let us back in the US but did confusing apple but let Mike keep his pear?🤔

[LindaS272]

1 hour ago, Clay Clayton said:

They let us back in the US but did confusing apple but let Mike keep his pear?🤔

Washington is big apple country and we have laws about apples crossing borders! 😹

[CurlerRob]

9 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

 

 

This is a wonderful pic, Clay. I'm curious as to where it was taken - and what is the peak in the background? Looks like the Big Island, but I could be totally wrong.

 

Glad you enjoyed the HAL experience - relax and rest up from a long haul day! 🍺🥌

[Clay Clayton]

21 minutes ago, CurlerRob said:

 

This is a wonderful pic, Clay. I'm curious as to where it was taken - and what is the peak in the background? Looks like the Big Island, but I could be totally wrong.

 

Glad you enjoyed the HAL experience - relax and rest up from a long haul day! 🍺🥌

It was in Maui at Maluaka Beac I think. Here are some more from there. 

Edited October 25, 2022 by Clay Clayton

[Clay Clayton]

After a nice dinner with a Seattle (Federal Way) friend we are now at the Priority Pass Lounge for a couple of hours before we head off to board the dreaded red eye. 

[HAL4NOW]

8 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

Sorry to hear you were ill. Hopefully not too bad?   Were you able to isolate in your stateroom or did they move you?   We saw that someone on our hall had all meals via room service and the Do Not Disturb was always out but Nat the Naturalist told me that everyone was isolated on a single hallway 🤔

I never had more than a scratchy throat and a cough. My DW had more flu-like symptoms but we are both doing okay. We stayed in our obstructed balcony cabin and did not have to move. Glad we upgraded to a balcony from an interior. Those last five sea days would not have been very pleasant without seeing the sea and breathing the air. I did get my 12,000+ steps every day with a lot of short distance pacing.

Today, we were escorted from the ship to a taxi just a bit before noon and drove home to Skykomish, arriving around five PM.

[UWDawg]

1 hour ago, Clay Clayton said:

After a nice dinner with a Seattle (Federal Way) friend we are now at the Priority Pass Lounge for a couple of hours before we head off to board the dreaded red eye. 

 

 

@Clay Clayton glad to hear you made it through Seattle and to the airport safely.  We'll have to catch up with you next time you pass through town.  Safe travels.

[Blackduck59]

@Clay Clayton Thanks for taking us along on your voyage Clay. Safe travels home.

[Clay Clayton]

20 minutes ago, UWDawg said:

 

@Clay Clayton glad to hear you made it through Seattle and to the airport safely.  We'll have to catch up with you next time you pass through town.  Safe travels.

I don’t think I realized you were in Seattle.  All those roadtrip pictures I guess🍸

[UWDawg]

18 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

I don’t think I realized you were in Seattle.  All those roadtrip pictures I guess🍸

University of Washington Husky => UW Dawg 

[Clay Clayton]

Aboard and left the gate. 

[Clay Clayton]

Good Morning? Landed early after our red eye from Seattle in Philadelphia where all the gate lounges have been turned into coffee or liquor bars. There a bizillion tablets on the tables where you can order food from the nearby restaurants.  So if you’re at Gate 7 and don’t want sushi, you have to go to a different gate #stupid

 

 this is the dumbest thing I’ve ever experienced. In addition to making it difficult to get food, you’ve taken what were already small waiting areas and made them really claustrophobic😤

[Dunmore2]

• It’s been enjoyable to share your cruise. You post valuable information and great photos. I’m almost tempted to pack my  water color pencil crayons, but my skill level is very amateurish. Although, it would be a great place to practice/improve.
  Sad/interesting about the food, except Indian, not being warm enough. 
• Was it necessary to order the Indian food the day before?

[Lazonia]

Thanks so much for taking us along on your cruise.   We've never taken a cruise beyond 11 days (and only one of those in the Mediterranean), and in my imagination, I would love the long stretch of sea days.   Your descriptions have been very helpful in imagining what the reality would be like.   

 

Hope you get some rest after that long trip home!

[PasadenaDave]

5 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

Good Morning? Landed early after our red eye from Seattle in Philadelphia where all the gate lounges have been turned into coffee or liquor bars. There a bizillion tablets on the tables where you can order food from the nearby restaurants.  So if you’re at Gate 7 and don’t want sushi, you have to go to a different gate #stupid

 

 this is the dumbest thing I’ve ever experienced. In addition to making it difficult to get food, you’ve taken what were already small waiting areas and made them really claustrophobic😤

Agreed, thanks for taking us along with you.  Mike looks exhausted after flying overnight.  He must really love you since you are still alive after having taken the photo AND publishing it!

[Clay Clayton]

6 hours ago, Dunmore2 said:

• It’s been enjoyable to share your cruise. You post valuable information and great photos. I’m almost tempted to pack my  water color pencil crayons, but my skill level is very amateurish. Although, it would be a great place to practice/improve.
  Sad/interesting about the food, except Indian, not being warm enough. 
• Was it necessary to order the Indian food the day before?

Yes it was necessary to preorder no later than during dining room breakfast of the evening you wanted to have it. 
 

As the regular menus aren’t posted on the app until 9am the day they are to be served, we started picking up a copy of both the regular and the Indian menus from thre Maitre d’ stand on our way in each evening.  We would then decide which we wanted. 
 

I also learned there is a non-changing vegetarian menu available.