Live From The Last Frontier: 6/18-25 Westerdam R/T From Seattle

[ACorgan]

Only a few more days until we leave on our cruise, so figured I’d get this thread up and running while I was still on land and have dependable internet.

 

This is the first cruise I’ve ever booked a guarantee room for, so was a little nervous, but by 6/4 (2 weeks before the cruise), we had already received our assigned room. Our guarantee was for a SC and we ended up with a SA, so I’m not mad about that one 😁 We had also been waitlisted for main (late) fixed dining, but on our current paperwork, it looks like we’re secured for that. I’m still working full time, so we tend to splurge on our cruises and get a suite since we have such limited time to travel. I may also have to do a tiny, teensy bit of work while on vacay, so we’ll see how the internet situation on the ship works out.

 

Our check in time for the cruise seems to be moving around a bit, but I’m trying to remember if that’s even relevant since we have priority boarding. Does priority boarding mean we can show up whenever? Or does it just mean that we still need to show up at the assigned time, but just get a special line when we get there?

 

This is the first time that we’re driving to a cruise instead of flying and I already have our parking spot pre-reserved at Pier 91. It’s going to be a struggle because I’m a notorious over-packer. Usually I at least have the airline weight limits to keep me in check, but now there’s nothing to rein me in 😂 I’m trying to remind myself that we have complimentary laundry, but chances are still high that I’ll show up with at least two large suitcases, because you never know what you’ll need 😉 I’m hoping to spend the next day or two evaluating what kind of outdoorsy clothing I have and figuring out if any of my jackets are truly waterproof or if I should pick one up from the outlet mall prior to our trip

 

So far, the weather predictions are looking decent 🎉 It’s several days out though, so subject to change, but hoping for the drier weather to hold 🍀

[ACorgan]

We just booked another excursion (for Sitka), so now we have plans or ship excursions for all of our port stops except for Victoria. I kept holding out for Victoria, hoping that they might add a Butchart Gardens excursion, but if it hasn’t happened by 3 days before the cruise, think it’s not in the cards. We’re in port from  8pm to 11:30pm, so could maybe chance taking a taxi out there, since the gardens are open until 10, but not sure if I’m brave enough to try that. I might take a look at the other ship excursions to see if anything else of interest or we might just try walking into town along the waterfront. 

[oakridger]

Thanks for taking on a Live From report again!  I'll be reading along just to make sure you're having the proper amount of fun!

😉

~Nancy

[ACorgan]

I’m just about finished with my first pass at packing and am getting ready to go back through, critically look at things, and (hopefully) purge. Shoes are always the toughest part for me, since I’m never sure what exactly I’ll need. In the “definitely taking” pile, I already have my Hunter rain boots (just ankle ones, since they pack easier) and a pair of comfortable sneakers. In my “still being considered” pile, I have 3 pairs of “around the ship” shoes for the daytime, 3 pairs of evening shoes (all flats), an extra pair of sneakers (in case the first get muddy while hiking), some flip flops, and a pair of warm snow boots. I’m sure I won’t really need all those, but it’s so hard to figure out what to cut. For example, three pairs of evening shoes is probably overkill, but do I want to be stuck with only a black pair that look odd with a brown or blue dress? Or only a brown pair of shoes that won’t match a black skirt? Meanwhile, my traveling partner will probably blissfully pack his two pair of shoes and never give it a second thought 😂

[ACorgan]

Bags are (mostly) packed for tomorrow. That’s right, “bags”, plural. I tried guys, I really did, but still ended up with two suitcases 😂 There was a brief moment when I really thought I’d get it down to one bag, but then realized I hadn’t added any of my shoes, toiletries, or winter gear. I am down to 5 pairs of shoes total, so we’re going to call that one a victory ✌️ In the back of my closet, I found a pair of gold flats that seem to go with all my evening wear choices, so that helped immensely.

Next up, we have to decide what time we’re leaving tomorrow. It’s about a 5.5 hr drive to the cruise terminal. Initially, had planned to leave really early to be up there as soon as parking opened up at 10 am. Now, however, I’m leaning towards leaving here at a more reasonable time, like 6am. Worst case, the boarding lines are really long when we get there and we don’t make lunch in the MDR, but I’ve decided I’m fine with that. I will happily buy brunch on our drive up if it means I get to sleep a few more hours. I am definitely not a morning person

 

All that’s left on my list for today is getting the house prepped for our house/pet sitters and giving our dogs some extra cuddles before I abandon them for a week. Only one more sleep until vacay! 

Edited June 17, 2023 by ACorgan
Spelling error

[PNWcruzin]

Just got off the Westerdam last week. That was our fourth HAL to Alaska, some things changed for the better, but some things have been noticably not so positive. The ship is in great condition, we had the SS, and the room was well cleaned and the room stewards are as always, so friendly and helpful. The food menus seem to be a little more creative in the MD., Though can't so much about the PG. My noticable difference from this cruise and prior one, was the MD and PG wait times, getting order, getting our App, main etc. We were waiting upwards of 20-30 mins between service. The PG was the same. Infact we had to leave the PG before our whole dinner service was completed. Had them deliver the deserts to the room.

There was quite a few kids, teens on this cruise, as expected since school is still out.

Out check-in time was at 1pm and went fast. Probably took only 10 mins including security check. 

Wish you good weather and just enjoy the relaxation. 

Edited June 17, 2023 by PNWcruzin

[VMax1700]

1 hour ago, ACorgan said:

I found a pair of gold flats that seem to go with all my evening wear

I would leave those behind but then I am male 😉🤣

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[ACorgan]

57 minutes ago, PNWcruzin said:

Out check-in time was at 1pm and went fast. Probably took only 10 mins including security check. 

Wish you good weather and just enjoy the relaxation. 

That’s great to hear; thanks for the data point! I haven’t seen many posts about boarding in Seattle, but all the scary stories from Vancouver had me a bit nervous. Relived to hear that Seattle seems to be going much smoother 

[Haljo1935]

14 hours ago, ACorgan said:

That’s great to hear; thanks for the data point! I haven’t seen many posts about boarding in Seattle, but all the scary stories from Vancouver had me a bit nervous. Relived to hear that Seattle seems to be going much smoother 

Probably late on Seattle boarding tips given today is your day!! But I just found this thread, so I'm jumping in.

Seattle is MUCH smoother than Vancouver. You'll find things go quicker and are more organized in Seattle than Vancouver. Did I say Seattle is MUCH smoother than Vancouver? Lol. 🤔

With priority boarding, no your check in time really doesn't matter. April 29 Eurodam to AK from Seattle, we had a 1:20 check-in time, but since our flight arrived so early (830am), we were in the terminal on the first shuttle and with priority boarding, we got on ship at 1126am, dropped bags in cabin (which was not yet ready) at 1133am, were reviewing menu in MDR 12:05pm, eaten and enjoying wine & lovely views on our balcony before our 120pm check in time had arrived!

Did I say Seattle is smoother than Victoria?! 🤭

I'll be following along as you enjoy your cruise. So excited to see awesome pictures - safe travels, welcome to AK!!

Edited June 18, 2023 by Haljo1935
Typo

[ACorgan]

It was a rainy drive up to Seattle, but hardly any traffic, so we made great time. Once we got to the port, we wound around a bit, so was getting nervous if we were going the right way. Just about the time we were thinking about turning around, we got to the sign for republic parking, so all was well. It was very easy and straightforward. Since we had prepaid, we just told them our name and they checked us off a list. There were plenty of open spaces and as soon as we had our bags out of the car, a shuttle pulled right up to us and picked us up.
 

When the shuttle dropped us off, there were several porters for the Princess ship, but we didn’t see any for HAL. No worries though, we just wheeled our large bags inside and quickly dropped them off. The shuttle had dropped us at 11am and by 11:05 we had already dropped our bags and were in the very short initial check in line. After winding through the truncheons and up an escalator we came to the security screening. Somewhat similar to airport security, but much more lax - no need to take out liquids or electronics and could leave our shoes on. 

Post-security, we got in the “priority” check in line, but it really didn’t matter, since the normal side had no line either. A friendly gentleman helped us with the facial recognition machine and scanning our passports and once that was done, directed us to a woman at a podium. The podium woman gave us a number (group 16), but told us to go speak to a gentleman in a suit since we were “priority.” (Note: at this time, they were calling group 7). The suited gentleman glanced at our boarding passes to confirm priority, took our number card, and waved us onto the ship. We were on the gangway by 11:12, so less than 20 min total from arriving at the port in our car. 

 

As we boarded the ship, they were directing everyone to elevators up to the lido and said that none of the rooms were ready yet. It looked like a crush of people, so we chose to take the stairs instead. By the time we got to our floor (7), I needed a breather, so took a chance checking our room and it was ready for us 🎉 

We stopped by the Neptune lounge to book an additional excursion and have a quick snack and now are just settling in until the MDR opens for lunch at noon

[Haljo1935]

@ACorgan welcome aboard! Glad you made it on without issue. Seems as though your evacuation experience in Seattle was a bit less hectic than Vancouver 🙂

We'll be following along looming for great pictures - safe travels, enjoy your cruise!

[ACorgan]

Our first meal on the ship was very civilized. We got to the MDR 10-15 min after it opened and were quickly seated. We tried out the Dutch pancake, the mac and cheese, and the croque madame

There were several people in the dining room, but it didn’t feel crowded at all and service was prompt.
 

After eating, we checked in to our muster station and I went to find a bar to buy some water for the room. First, I wandered the second deck, but none of those bars seemed to be open yet, so I popped up to the third deck. The Ocean bar was hopping and it looked like it might be a wait to put in my drink order, so headed up more of the stairs to the lido bar. 
 

Apparently the lido deck is where everyone from our sold out cruise was hiding; it was an absolute zoo up there. I quickly snagged my drink and made my escape back to my room. I didn’t go through the main meal area of the lido, but as I passed by the door, it looked crammed to the gills. Closer to the pool, they had a whole taco bar set up and I could smell them cooking away at the Dive In; neither one looked particularly busy, so if the MDR hadn’t been an option, we probably would have been happy with either of those.

 

I got back to my room just in time to meet our steward dropping off one of our suitcases (still waiting on one), so am going to take some time to unpack and settle in 

[ACorgan]

Grabbed the first drink of the cruise, a Bee’s Knees, from the Crow’s nest just in time for sail away 

Tons of people up here, too, but managed to grab some seats just as people were leaving 

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Welcome on Board!! I very much look forward to your reporting, we will be on board 11 weeks from today also in a Neptune. I would very much love it if you could state what some of theadditional menu items are for Club Orange. I follow along on the Navigator App almost daily but of course it never gives the Club Orange item on that menu.

Hope you have an amazing week on the Westerdam!! ENJOY!!

[Haljo1935]

2 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

@ACorgan welcome aboard! Glad you made it on without issue. Seems as though your evacuation experience in Seattle was a bit less hectic than Vancouver 🙂

 

Crud auto correct - this was supposed to say "embarkation" experience... 

[ACorgan]

8 minutes ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

Welcome on Board!! I very much look forward to your reporting, we will be on board 11 weeks from today also in a Neptune. I would very much love it if you could state what some of theadditional menu items are for Club Orange. I follow along on the Navigator App almost daily but of course it never gives the Club Orange item on that menu.

Hope you have an amazing week on the Westerdam!! ENJOY!!

I will make sure to post about those! I was trying to look ahead of time and was having trouble finding posts about it. On our cruise last August, some of the best food we had was from the club orange menu (jambalaya night and short ribs night 😋). No idea if they’ll have the same options this cruise, but should find out soon 😉

 

We have the late fixed dinning and had anticipated something around 8 or 8:30, so was pleasantly surprised when our key cards showed a 7:30 dinning time. That’s close to when we eat at home, so should work very well 

[oakridger]

Bon Voyage!  

 

I'm a bit surprised that 7:30pm is the Late Fixed dining time on this cruise.  It seems a bit "early" for Late dining.  Has it ever been as early as 7:30pm in the past?  I recall 8pm as a normal late time.

 

Thank you,

~Nancy

Edited June 18, 2023 by oakridger

[Haljo1935]

1 hour ago, ACorgan said:

Our first meal on the ship was very civilized. We got to the MDR 10-15 min after it opened and were quickly seated. We tried out the Dutch pancake, the mac and cheese, and the croque madame

There were several people in the dining room, but it didn’t feel crowded at all and service was prompt.

Every cruise I say I'm going to try the Dutch pancake and every cruise I return having not done so. How was it?

[oakridger]

5 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

Every cruise I say I'm going to try the Dutch pancake and every cruise I return having not done so. How was it?

 

I'm not the OP, but on Nieuw Amsterdam it was dry and tasteless.  Only 2 puny apple pieces. 😞

I think it would be better if they served more than one piece because Pannenkoek are more like the size of a Crepe. (per Google images!!)

 

~Nancy

 

 

[ACorgan]

26 minutes ago, oakridger said:

Bon Voyage!  

 

I'm a bit surprised that 7:30pm is the Late Fixed dining time on this cruise.  It seems a bit "early" for Late dining.  Has it ever been as early as 7:30pm in the past?  I recall 8pm as a normal late time.

 

Thank you,

~Nancy

Right? I was really surprised to see it that early. I wonder if it’s related to the time change? Once we hit Juneau, we change clocks, so the 7:30 dinner time, will actually be 8:30 PST, if I’m doing my math correctly 🤷🏻‍♀️

[LAFFNVEGAS]

38 minutes ago, ACorgan said:

I will make sure to post about those! I was trying to look ahead of time and was having trouble finding posts about it. On our cruise last August, some of the best food we had was from the club orange menu (jambalaya night and short ribs night 😋). No idea if they’ll have the same options this cruise, but should find out soon 😉

 

We have the late fixed dinning and had anticipated something around 8 or 8:30, so was pleasantly surprised when our key cards showed a 7:30 dinning time. That’s close to when we eat at home, so should work very well 

Thanks, WOW that is early for late dining, we have Early, it will probably be at 4:30 lol

[ACorgan]

25 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

Every cruise I say I'm going to try the Dutch pancake and every cruise I return having not done so. How was it?

It was ok. Definitely not as good at I’ve had in Amsterdam, but decent for cruise food. It could have used a little more powdered sugar and the bacon didn’t have much taste, but the apples and the accompanying syrup were both delish, so it balanced out 

[oakridger]

7 minutes ago, ACorgan said:

Right? I was really surprised to see it that early. I wonder if it’s related to the time change? Once we hit Juneau, we change clocks, so the 7:30 dinner time, will actually be 8:30 PST, if I’m doing my math correctly 🤷🏻‍♀️

 

That's possible but I've been to Alaska 3 times on HAL and it wasn't that early then.  If you find out from the dining room staff please let us know.  It's not a huge deal, I'm just curious.

 

Thanks,

~Nancy

[TwinMommyByGrace]

Looking forward to your reports! We board next Sunday! Anxious to hear how things are on the Westerdam. It will be our first time sailing on her (5th to Alaska). Bon Voyage and safe travels! 

[BetsyS.]

ACorgan-  Bon Voyage! 🥂😊 Thanks for the great reporting and pictures! 

I think your gold flats will be perfect for dinner!  Have a wonderful cruise!