First Time HAL Cruiser: Coming Soon, Live Review of Alaska Cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam May 28- June 4 2023

[Denise T]

Hello everyone.

Even though it is 75 days away (who’s counting?), I will be traveling on HAL for the first time on the Nieuw Amsterdam. I have cruised before with NCL. My goal is to do a live review from the Nieuw Amsterdam beginning with my very long day of travel from Pennsylvania to Anchorage. Oh, what an adventure it will be. I am going to also share my experiences up until cruise day as there has already been several interesting issues.

 

I will be traveling with my sister, my brother, and my sister-in-law. We are all in our late 50’s and 60’s. We like to have fun and can be quite boisterous with laughter when we get together. My brother has already stated that he will be the “bag man” as we visit the ports. This will be our first time traveling all together. We have had such struggles over these past years having lost two of our older siblings. Life has been a challenge. So, this is an important trip for us.

We are going to relax and enjoy each other’s company. We are going to Alaska, and we are so looking forward to it. I travel a lot for business. I am very much aware of the state of the travel and tourism industry both pre and post COVID. I am not looking for perfection but to get away from the stress from the past several years.

 

When I traveled on NCL to Canada/New England (can you tell, I am not a Caribbean or warm weather person), I booked the cruise, hotels, and flights on my own. Everything worked with no major issues. This time I booked with a TA who is the best. I also booked flights through HAL which is unusual for me as I am a control freak and have ALWAYS booked my own flights. Now my brother and sister-in-law have booked with another TA through her work. We have already had issues with the flights (not unexpected) including a change in return flight that sent us to another airport over an hour away from the airport where our car will be parked. My TA was on the phone for hours getting that changed. My flights are not straight through, and we will have several layovers in Charlotte and Dallas-Fort Worth before getting to Anchorage. I have come to realize from my travels that the airlines simply do not know how to fly in a straight line. All is fixed and I am sure there will be another change or two or three.

 

As I said, I am not looking for perfection but to relax and enjoy myself. I love the smaller ships. I have no need for all the bells and whistles. Plus, my sister is not too fond of people because of her job so the less people around the better for her. I have been reading lots of negative comments about food. Food is subjective and I am not a foodie. I plan to eat the foods I can’t cook such as salmon and any type of fish really. I want to try new things. My brother is not a buffet person, he works in the dietetic department of a major hospital chain, so most of our meals will be in the MDR. We may try some specialty restaurants. We know that we will be playing the trivia games and listening to the music and of course having lots of drinks, except for my brother who does not drink. Besides, one of us has to stay somewhat sober!

 

We haven’t booked shore excursions. My sister and I didn’t when we sailed to Canada/New England. We thoroughly enjoyed walking the harbor and wandering around the neighborhoods around the ports. If we see something that is still available, we might, who knows. We will play it by ear.

 

I will try and share my experiences up to my embarkation and during the cruise. I did a review of my trip to Canada/New England and as that was my very first cruise, I realized I missed out on a lot. I will have to work a little on my cruise. I am self-employed and a college adjunct at two online schools. I will make do with the Internet that is available. My plan is to have all my classes set up prior to leaving.

 

Looking forward to sharing my adventures.

[P&PNH]

Hello Denise, welcome to HAL.  You have chosen a great trip and a wonderful ship for your first cruise. We sailed the Nieuw Amsterdam from Whittier to Vancouver ourselves the end of last May and had a wonderful time. The scenery is breathtaking, take a lot of pictures.  That was  our second cruise on the NA and we really like the ship.  I know food quality is a subjective opinion, but I thought the food was good.  I never went hungry that's for sure.  The ports are small so be sure to check out the excursions.  White Pass railway in Skagway is worth the time.  Have fun and enjoy!!

[electro]

Hi Denise,

I will be getting on the NA in Vancouver as you are getting off. It will be my 2nd time on HAL and 1st on the NA. I have sailed on NCL a lot. I'll be following your review to help know what to expect. 

Have a great trip.

Lois

Edited March 14, 2023 by electro
typo

[LisaLeone]

I'm excited to read your review! We are booked on this trip in June of 24. This will be my first time on HAL. 

Thank you for taking the time to share your vacation!

[Hobcat]

Denise, It sounds like you have a fun plan in the works.  Alaska is a great cruise, so much scenery.  If you are interested in seeing whales, I suggest booking a tour from Juneau.  I recommend Harv & Marv tour company, however they are a small company & may already be booked up.  There are others that will be fine as well.  As someone else suggested the White Pass Rail trip from Skagway is a worthwhile excursion & will get you into the countryside.  

We have been on 3 Alaska cruises with HAL.  I'll be following your "live from".

 

[Denise T]

15 hours ago, P&PNH said:

Hello Denise, welcome to HAL.  You have chosen a great trip and a wonderful ship for your first cruise. We sailed the Nieuw Amsterdam from Whittier to Vancouver ourselves the end of last May and had a wonderful time. The scenery is breathtaking, take a lot of pictures.  That was  our second cruise on the NA and we really like the ship.  I know food quality is a subjective opinion, but I thought the food was good.  I never went hungry that's for sure.  The ports are small so be sure to check out the excursions.  White Pass railway in Skagway is worth the time.  Have fun and enjoy!!

Thank you. The scenery is why we booked the cruise. I am most looking forward to sailing through Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay. I also know that no matter what, I will not starve on the cruise!

[Denise T]

14 hours ago, electro said:

Hi Denise,

I will be getting on the NA in Vancouver as you are getting off. It will be my 2nd time on HAL and 1st on the NA. I have sailed on NCL a lot. I'll be following your review to help know what to expect. 

Have a great trip.

Lois

I will make sure the NA is in ship shape for you when I get off!

[Denise T]

9 hours ago, LisaLeone said:

I'm excited to read your review! We are booked on this trip in June of 24. This will be my first time on HAL. 

Thank you for taking the time to share your vacation!

You are so welcome. Let me know if there is anything specific that you want me to get pictures of. 

[Denise T]

7 hours ago, Hobcat said:

Denise, It sounds like you have a fun plan in the works.  Alaska is a great cruise, so much scenery.  If you are interested in seeing whales, I suggest booking a tour from Juneau.  I recommend Harv & Marv tour company, however they are a small company & may already be booked up.  There are others that will be fine as well.  As someone else suggested the White Pass Rail trip from Skagway is a worthwhile excursion & will get you into the countryside.  

We have been on 3 Alaska cruises with HAL.  I'll be following your "live from".

 

Thank you for the suggestions. I have a verandah cabin and I love walking the promenades, so hoping to see lots of wildlife. 

[Denise T]

Things I am looking forward to the most.

1. Alaska. I want to see the beauty of Alaska and experience sailing past the glaciers. I have a good set of binoculars that I used on my last cruise and will be taking lots of pictures. 

2. Wildlife. Hoping to see lots. Granted there will be no penguins (my favorite) but sea life will be awesome. 

3. The food. Love cruise ship food. Love that someone else cooks and cleans up. I love coffee and will be drinking lots. 

4. Drinks. On my last cruise, my sister and I loved sitting in the bars (one day we tried all that were open). We would play trivia, people watch, and enjoy music.

5. Crow's nest. I loved Spinnaker's on NCL. I love these spaces where you can sit and relax and watch the sea with a nice drink or two. Our plan is to play cards and other small games. I think these are the best spaces. 

6. Music Walk. I can't wait to experience this. I have read lots of posts about the lack of entertainment and how the quality has declined. I don't expect big production shows like NCL had and like many of the bigger cruise ships have. Just relaxing and listening to music is what I enjoy. 

 

Cabins

My sister and I have a verandah cabin on the Rotterdam deck (7). My brother and sister-in-law have an inside cabin nears ours on the same deck. I saw picture of their cabin and it looks bigger than I thought. I am glad that they were able to book a cabin near ours. My sister is claustrophobic, so we got the verandah cabin. On NCL we had a balcony and absolutely enjoyed it. I saw the best sunrises ever. The only issue was that the closet had sliding doors and a light that automatically turned on when the doors opened. Our first night on choppy seas as we tried to sleep, the doors would slide open, and the light would go on. We fixed that though. It was hilarious. I like that the closet doors on NA do not slide. Sometimes it's the small stuff. 

 

If anyone wants pictures of anything on the ship, let me know. I can try and post menus and activity schedules if the old Internet allows. 

[2Long2NxtCrz]

I'm following along because, like you, our Alaska cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam will be our first HAL cruise. We don't cruise until the end of August and are heading North because I wanted to be on a ship for hubby's birthday.

 

I will echo what someone else above said (and I've already booked these tours) but Harv & Marv's in Juneau is great for whale watching. They have smaller ships and are very experienced. I used them back in 2018 when I took my elderly parents to Alaska. Also, the train in Skagway. We booked with Chilkoot Charters again as they were so good back in 2018. This time we're going even longer on the train.

 

Whatever you do, Alaska is magnificent and the glaciers awe inspiring. I hope you have a great trip!

[Denise T]

15 hours ago, 2Long2NxtCrz said:

I'm following along because, like you, our Alaska cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam will be our first HAL cruise. We don't cruise until the end of August and are heading North because I wanted to be on a ship for hubby's birthday.

 

I will echo what someone else above said (and I've already booked these tours) but Harv & Marv's in Juneau is great for whale watching. They have smaller ships and are very experienced. I used them back in 2018 when I took my elderly parents to Alaska. Also, the train in Skagway. We booked with Chilkoot Charters again as they were so good back in 2018. This time we're going even longer on the train.

 

Whatever you do, Alaska is magnificent and the glaciers awe inspiring. I hope you have a great trip!

Thank you! And thank you for the advice. I have seen so many pictures of Alaska and the area is just so gorgeous. When I was in Canada/New England, my sister and I decided that we would just love to live in one of the little harbor towns like Sydney or Halifax. I am sure I will feel the same about Alaska. 

[Denise T]

Here is our itinerary. I am looking forward to just sailing through the glaciers. I will be overnighting in Anchorage, then taking the train to Whittier. After the cruise, I will be overnighting in Vancouver. Looking forward to spending the day there with my family. 

[Denise T]

As I read the various threads on this board and the boards of other cruise lines, I see a lot of unhappy cruisers. It seems expectations are high, and reality doesn't quite meet those expectations. I have come to realize (finally, at my age), that stuff happens. I have choices. I can choose to get upset at those things that are not under my control, or I can choose to acknowledge my disappointment and get into problem solving mode. I don't expect perfection and I have come to accept that many businesses tend to underperform. It is the reality that we are living in at this point in time. So, I expect that things will probably not go according to plan on my trip. I will pivot and refocus. I am sure that I will be disappointed but, when there is over delivery of service, I will be extremely appreciative. This trip is to spend time with my family. If weather prevents us from visiting a port or we have a meal that just isn't up to par, we will accept it as it is and enjoy ourselves anyway. The one thing that we have that is in our control to change, is how we respond. And, yes, I am a professional counselor in my day job, and I specialize with working with teens. 

 

And to those who were disappointed in their cruises, I am sorry that this was your experience. Hopefully, on your next cruise, you can find enjoyment. 

[Cruise Suzy]

27 minutes ago, Denise T said:

As I read the various threads on this board and the boards of other cruise lines, I see a lot of unhappy cruisers.

 

Just remember, those of us who have had good cruises, usually don't report that we've enjoyed another cruise. Have there been a couple small "hiccups" on each cruise, sure. But that happens on land too. As you said, "pivot and refocus" If you look at the Bon Voyage and weekly Future Cruise Listing threads here, you can see that many of us are happy cruisers and continue to book on HAL.

 

With your attitude, I'm sure you and your family will enjoy the HAL Alaskan cruise. 

[2Long2NxtCrz]

On 3/18/2023 at 10:11 AM, Denise T said:

As I read the various threads on this board and the boards of other cruise lines, I see a lot of unhappy cruisers. It seems expectations are high, and reality doesn't quite meet those expectations. I have come to realize (finally, at my age), that stuff happens. I have choices. I can choose to get upset at those things that are not under my control, or I can choose to acknowledge my disappointment and get into problem solving mode. I don't expect perfection and I have come to accept that many businesses tend to underperform. It is the reality that we are living in at this point in time. So, I expect that things will probably not go according to plan on my trip. I will pivot and refocus. I am sure that I will be disappointed but, when there is over delivery of service, I will be extremely appreciative. This trip is to spend time with my family. If weather prevents us from visiting a port or we have a meal that just isn't up to par, we will accept it as it is and enjoy ourselves anyway. The one thing that we have that is in our control to change, is how we respond. And, yes, I am a professional counselor in my day job, and I specialize with working with teens. 

 

And to those who were disappointed in their cruises, I am sorry that this was your experience. Hopefully, on your next cruise, you can find enjoyment. 

This is it for us, too. Bad things happen no matter where you are. It helps to be flexible and to try to look on the bright side, even if one of those bad things meant hubby spent an overnight in the hospital in Costa Rica. Despite that, we look fondly on that trip and even that experience. It gave us great insight into the country and the people who were unfailingly generous.

 

I was given great advice by my boss about seven years ago: the only thing you have complete control over is your attitude. Mine was not good at the time and was bringing everyone down, especially me. It's amazing how much better everything is when I curtail the negative attitude and try to put a positive spin on things.

 

The cruise industry is recovering from being completely shutdown for nearly two years. Of course things aren't going to be the way they were. Prices and service are not going to be the same. So I have to decide if I still want to take a cruise or do something else. It's a cost-benefit analysis and only I can make the final choice of whether or not it's worth it, even with the reduced product. So far it's been worth it for us. And for Alaska there's not really an easier or better way to get there. So we're in and looking forward to it.

[Hogladyrider]

@Denise T...looking forward to following along your adventure to Alaska!

 

We are platinum on Carnival and after we retired we branched out to HAL and we LOVE HAL!  We absolutely love BB Kings and the live music.  We are past the crazy deck parties etc. but we hold nothing against anyone who chooses them,

 

Alaska is amazing.  If I may.....ship excursions in Alaska are pricey.

 

Juneau....you can take the bus on your own to Mendenhall Glacier...very doable...this is where we saw our first bear, in the parking lot of the Visitor's Center at Mendenhall Glacier...that was in May 2009.

 

Ketchikan is a great place to walk around downtown and then walk back along Creek Street....all very doable on your own.

 

Skagway I highly recommend the White Pass Railroad, worth every penny and so photographic.  Then if you have time stroll into downtown to walk around.

 

Vancouver....you will love cruising into Vancouver via the Inside Passage, land on both sides of the ship and so scenic.  Depending on how much time you have to spend in Vancouver if you stay near the port I highly recommend the Hop on Hop Off Trolley and/or a ride over to Capillano Suspension Bridge...we cruised in/out of Alaska so we did the Suspension Bridge prior to our cruise and the Hop on Hop off on our return as we had a red eye flight out back to Florida.

 

I know you said you travel for business but those cross country flights are exhausting for sure.  We find going our adrenaline is running and we are excited but the trip home we were exhausted from the time changes etc.  We flew Orlando to Phoenix to Seattle to Anchorage, arrived in Anchorage at 2 am no trouble finding a cab to our hotel downtown and we crashed.

 

Our cruise to Alaska wet our appetite for more and in 2014 we did just a 7 day land trip to the interior of Alaska with Alaska Wildland Adventures....this turned out to be the VACATION OF A LIFETIME!

[Denise T]

2 hours ago, 2Long2NxtCrz said:

This is it for us, too. Bad things happen no matter where you are. It helps to be flexible and to try to look on the bright side, even if one of those bad things meant hubby spent an overnight in the hospital in Costa Rica. Despite that, we look fondly on that trip and even that experience. It gave us great insight into the country and the people who were unfailingly generous.

 

I was given great advice by my boss about seven years ago: the only thing you have complete control over is your attitude. Mine was not good at the time and was bringing everyone down, especially me. It's amazing how much better everything is when I curtail the negative attitude and try to put a positive spin on things.

 

The cruise industry is recovering from being completely shutdown for nearly two years. Of course things aren't going to be the way they were. Prices and service are not going to be the same. So I have to decide if I still want to take a cruise or do something else. It's a cost-benefit analysis and only I can make the final choice of whether or not it's worth it, even with the reduced product. So far it's been worth it for us. And for Alaska there's not really an easier or better way to get there. So we're in and looking forward to it.

I totally agree. The travel and tourism industry lost big during the pandemic. I have made several trips and noticed that with hotels, room service is now every three days and mostly all of the hotels that I stayed at no longer have room service. It is what it is. For me, it is the enjoyment that will come spending time with my family. 

[Denise T]

58 minutes ago, Hogladyrider said:

@Denise T...looking forward to following along your adventure to Alaska!

 

We are platinum on Carnival and after we retired we branched out to HAL and we LOVE HAL!  We absolutely love BB Kings and the live music.  We are past the crazy deck parties etc. but we hold nothing against anyone who chooses them,

 

Alaska is amazing.  If I may.....ship excursions in Alaska are pricey.

 

Juneau....you can take the bus on your own to Mendenhall Glacier...very doable...this is where we saw our first bear, in the parking lot of the Visitor's Center at Mendenhall Glacier...that was in May 2009.

 

Ketchikan is a great place to walk around downtown and then walk back along Creek Street....all very doable on your own.

 

Skagway I highly recommend the White Pass Railroad, worth every penny and so photographic.  Then if you have time stroll into downtown to walk around.

 

Vancouver....you will love cruising into Vancouver via the Inside Passage, land on both sides of the ship and so scenic.  Depending on how much time you have to spend in Vancouver if you stay near the port I highly recommend the Hop on Hop Off Trolley and/or a ride over to Capillano Suspension Bridge...we cruised in/out of Alaska so we did the Suspension Bridge prior to our cruise and the Hop on Hop off on our return as we had a red eye flight out back to Florida.

 

I know you said you travel for business but those cross country flights are exhausting for sure.  We find going our adrenaline is running and we are excited but the trip home we were exhausted from the time changes etc.  We flew Orlando to Phoenix to Seattle to Anchorage, arrived in Anchorage at 2 am no trouble finding a cab to our hotel downtown and we crashed.

 

Our cruise to Alaska wet our appetite for more and in 2014 we did just a 7 day land trip to the interior of Alaska with Alaska Wildland Adventures....this turned out to be the VACATION OF A LIFETIME!

Thank you for the great information. I have checked and found that at Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway, there will be several other cruise ships docked as well. It will be busy! I leave from Pennsylvania at 6:30 in the morning and will get into Anchorage at 8:30 pm. My sister and I are flying first class so I am looking forward to the free drinks. Preparing for the jet lag as well. I will nap on the planes. 

[NextOne]

Congratulations @Denise T from a fellow Dailyite! You've got a good start on your reporting, and I look forward to hearing about your preparations and, of course, the trip itself! Good job!

[Hogladyrider]

@Denise T...by any chance did you book during one of HALs specials offering OBC or the Have IT All PKG?

 

We booked the HIA PKG for our Jan 2024 18 day Hawaii Cruise.

[Denise T]

48 minutes ago, Hogladyrider said:

@Denise T...by any chance did you book during one of HALs specials offering OBC or the Have IT All PKG?

 

We booked the HIA PKG for our Jan 2024 18 day Hawaii Cruise.

I booked through my TA. I do have the HIA package. I booked this trip 12/2021.I would love to be on an 18-day cruise!

[Hogladyrider]

24 minutes ago, Denise T said:

I booked through my TA. I do have the HIA package. I booked this trip 12/2021.I would love to be on an 18-day cruise!

One of the MANY beauties of being retired!  With our HIA pkg we each got $200 in excursion credits, hope you got something comparable.

[Denise T]

68 days out. Getting closer. We are all checked in and should get the boarding documents mid-April. I love that we can check in early. When I was on NCL last year, we could not check in until 21 days before our sail date. I have been routinely checking flights and itinerary for any changes. So far so good. 

 

At the end of this day, I have a lovely Margaritta having had a stressful day at work. I am imaging sitting on my balcony on the ship or sitting at any of the bars or perhaps sitting on the promenade deck on an evening. 

 

Soon, very soon. 😊

[Denise T]

66 Days out. Getting closer! So, I was curious as to what ships will be in the various ports with NA.

Whittier 5/28/2023 Nieuw Amsterdam

Skagway 5/31 Celebrity Millennium, Majestic Princess, Norwegian Encore, Nieuw Amsterdam

Juneau 6/1 Celebrity Eclipse, Norwegian Jewel, Ruby Princess, Nieuw Amsterdam

Ketchikan 6/2 Celebrity Eclipse, Norwegian Encore, Westerdam, Brilliance of the Seas, Sapphire Princess, Nieuw Amsterdam

Vancouver 6/4 Celebrity Eclipse, Brilliance of the Seas, Nieuw Amsterdam

 

Seems like it will be somewhat crowed. I am sure there will be some changes as my trip gets closer.