Live from the Majestic Japan Cruise on Westerdam Sept 1 - Oct 24, 2024

[atexsix]

39 minutes ago, richwmn said:

Some additional pictures of Sitka on our way out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love Sitka, one of my favorite ports.

[mrmoviezombie]

9 hours ago, atexsix said:

Very interesting about the banking, I always have cash with me when I travel, especially when going overseas. 

Sitka has had a major fiber cut...

 

It could take nearly 2 weeks to repair a broken fiber optic cable that has caused widespread outages in Sitka - Alaska Public Media

Edited September 6 by mrmoviezombie

[Seasick Sailor]

So, the Yen may be ready soon. I got a message from guest services they will announce when we can exchange. Just in case it's not readily available on our first port of call.

[Foggy Bay]

3 hours ago, vms said:

Thanks for the photos and info about Sitka- headed there on my cruise in a couple of weeks and this was very helpful for our planning!

 

Enjoy your cruise and thanks for bringing us along!

Same--we leave on Noordam out of Vancouver on the 29th (I think) with the final destination Japan, so this thread is SUPER interesting to me!  We lived in Sitka for several years and I can't wait to see that wonderful little town again.

[vms]

3 minutes ago, Foggy Bay said:

Same--we leave on Noordam out of Vancouver on the 29th (I think) with the final destination Japan, so this thread is SUPER interesting to me!  We lived in Sitka for several years and I can't wait to see that wonderful little town again.

I'll be leaving as you are getting on- I'm on the cruise right before you on the Noordam.

 

I promise to leave her in good condition. 😉

[Foggy Bay]

2 minutes ago, vms said:

I'll be leaving as you are getting on- I'm on the cruise right before you on the Noordam.

 

I promise to leave her in good condition. 😉

Nice!  Enjoy!

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

6 hours ago, atexsix said:

They didn't like my card in Europe last time I was there.  It wasn't always an issue, but whether or not it would go through was hit or miss.  

Taping is done out side of US .

[atexsix]

6 hours ago, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

Taping is done out side of US .

That's what I figured and proves my points, some cash should always be taken on a trip to anywhere, especially if its remote, southeast Alaska isn't so bad, but mainland Alaska is one of the most remote places on earth outside Anchorage, even Fairbanks feels far removed.

[richwmn]

09/06/2024 Haines, Alaska 0600-1700

 

Good morning from Haines. It is a dreary day here. The day is overcast and a light rain is coming down. It looks to be a long walk down the pier from the ship to town.

 

 

Here are a couple of pictures from the ship Haines this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I talked about Sitka yesterday, so we are back on the ship. Trivia, of course, at 1pm, 4pm, and 8:30pm. At the 1pm trivia it was only two of us and we did terrible. At 4 we had a full team and we were again only one point off tying the winner. At 8:30 it was music trivia again and we had a team of five. While we only missed three points, the winner had a perfect score again.

 

Other than trivia, Rolling Stone Lounge Band had the night off last night. The venue was used for several other activities including line dance lessons and the music trivia. Jose was the leader for these activities and seems to have unlimited energy. Other entertainment staff participated in the line dance lessons and everyone looked like they were having fun. It was also fun to watch.

 

Meals in the lido continue to be good. For dinner last night I had a couple of slices of pizza and some lasagna. Both were good, but if you are looking for gourmet food go somewhere else. I am happy to have food that I didn’t prepare and I don’t have to clean up after.

 

As a side note, it seems that every ship has the ability to stock whatever liquors it chooses. The standards are all available, but if you want something a little different prepare alternatives just in case.

 

Here are the activities and menus for today –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bennybear]

Enjoying following along,  our last visit to Haines there was literally bear scat on the side walk😬

[richwmn]

Walking in Haines –

 

As I mentioned earlier, today is heavily overcast with light rain. I don’t know if Skagway is any better, it wasn’t mentioned on the announcements. There is a shuttle to Skagway, but I didn’t take it.

 

I met Joy @Seasick Sailor right where we were scanned to leave the ship. We left the ship together and after we passed thru the security gate, a lady with a golf car offered to take us down the long walk and we accepted. Joy was on her way to the gift shop, I just wanted to walk a bit so we stayed together mostly. She finished in the gift shop the same time I was walking toward the ship so we walked back together. We stopped in the little shop nearer the ship and she found what she was looking for so we went back to the ship.

 

It was a nice walk despite the rain. I did see some familiar sights, so I was ok with just returning to the ship and getting away from the weather.

 

 

 

 

 

That is Joy crossing the street

 

 

 

[Seasick Sailor]

7 minutes ago, richwmn said:

Walking in Haines –

 

As I mentioned earlier, today is heavily overcast with light rain. I don’t know if Skagway is any better, it wasn’t mentioned on the announcements. There is a shuttle to Skagway, but I didn’t take it.

 

I met Joy @Seasick Sailor right where we were scanned to leave the ship. We left the ship together and after we passed thru the security gate, a lady with a golf car offered to take us down the long walk and we accepted. Joy was on her way to the gift shop, I just wanted to walk a bit so we stayed together mostly. She finished in the gift shop the same time I was walking toward the ship so we walked back together. We stopped in the little shop nearer the ship and she found what she was looking for so we went back to the ship.

 

It was a nice walk despite the rain. I did see some familiar sights, so I was ok with just returning to the ship and getting away from the weather.

 

 

 

 

 

That is Joy crossing the street

 

 

 

 

While Rich was taking a picture of our ship, I walked down to a small memorial by the sea.

 

It was nice to chat with Rich and get some fresh air. It will be a few days before we get to Dutch Harbor on the 10th.

 

[WriterOnDeck]

21 hours ago, ikesyd said:

Enjoying reading your posts. We will be on the 28 day arctic solstice cruise next June. What hotel did you stay at in Seattle? We will be arriving about 3 days before and trying to decide where to stay. 

For the 28-day this summer, we stayed at the Doubletree Southcenter (there are two Doubletrees at the airport). Someone on our Cruise Critic thread found a great deal -- I paid $125 a night but some were $98. Only downside is that it didn't include breakfast for free. It has a Starbucks. Best was that it was a short walk to the Westfield SouthCenter mall, with lots of great restaurants and shops. Also within a couple of blocks were a dollar store and a Target. Great for last minute purchases you don't want to fly with. And a free airport shuttle. We took an Uber to the Pier --- maybe $60? But we reserved it in advance and got a big one as we had 3 people. And of course you get warm chocolate chip cookies at night.

[Seasick Sailor]

Note the beautiful homes on the ridge top. Perhaps they have fishing business's in Skagway? 

[AV8rix]

20 hours ago, atexsix said:

They didn't like my card in Europe last time I was there.  It wasn't always an issue, but whether or not it would go through was hit or miss.  

Well, did you let your bank know that you'd be using the card(s) in Europe?  I bank with BECU and they allow the customers to inform them of travel plans  while online.  Don't have to talk to a CSR or visit the bank.  Anyway, if you neglect to do that you have difficulty using the card away from your home state or country.

Edited September 6 by AV8rix

[mrmoviezombie]

4 hours ago, Seasick Sailor said:

Note the beautiful homes on the ridge top. Perhaps they have fishing business's in Skagway? 

Fort William H. Seward - Wikipedia

[Seasick Sailor]

Half a portion of tenderloin, mashed potatoes and leeks, roasted vegetables. So full! Not too full, though, for a cappuccino. 

 

[tigervixxxen]

I’ve noticed on the dinner menus posted sometimes there’s a Club Orange special and sometimes there isn’t. Are they not avilable every day on a long itinerary?

[Seasick Sailor]

[DeeniEncinitas]

6 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Aloha sweet sis and Allen!!

just LOVE, LOVE , LOVE  THE PHOTOS !! Perfect color combination too!! Very Aloha!! Have a magical cruise!

Love you both❤️

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Mahalo,

Denise😌

[Seasick Sailor]

2 hours ago, DeeniEncinitas said:

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Aloha sweet sis and Allen!!

just LOVE, LOVE , LOVE  THE PHOTOS !! Perfect color combination too!! Very Aloha!! Have a magical cruise!

Love you both❤️

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Mahalo,

Denise😌

 

Aloha Kaikaina!

 

There is a talented photographer on-board that takes her time setting up the photo shoot. We like her.

 

Missing you dearly! So happy you will follow along when you are able. You bring much Aloha to my heart. Hugs to you and David. 

[richwmn]

09/07/2024 Hubbard Glacier, Alaska 1000-1500

 

Good morning from Westerdam on the way to Hubbard Glacier. The temperature outside the ship is currently 54°F/12°C. The humidity is 84% with winds a little over 10mph and it is raining.

 

We will spend today doing a scenic sailing around Hubbard Glacier, then take two days to get to Dutch Harbor for our final stop in North America before heading for Japan. It would be nice if the rain let up for our viewing. We have been promised a special treat of Dutch Pea Soup.

 

Yesterday’s trivia went well. We won once and were one point off twice. It is always interesting to hear the various things that come up in the trivia contests. In the music trivia, we have people that are good at various eras, so that helps. But one team has one or two musicians, they have won the last five days.

 

The show last night on the World Stage was a comic, Buddy Fitzpatrick. While he was funny, he found a theme and stuck to it. He was getting pretty good response from asking people in the audience where they were from and making comments on that. The comments were mostly funny, but to me the routine got old.

 

 

I wasn’t into loud last night so we passed by Rolling Stone Lounge. While not exactly my cup of tea, the piano players had a decent audience. The Classical Trio had a good audience and sounded pretty good, but I was told they did the same program as last night. We sat in the Ocean Bar for a bit before retiring.

 

Today’s activities and menus –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Duquesmom]

I really enjoyed Annie Gong a few years ago on a HAL ship.  I thought she was very entertaining.

[Seasick Sailor]

For those who want a milk alternative, there are varieties at the juice/ ice cream station

 

 

[whogo]

2 hours ago, Duquesmom said:

I really enjoyed Annie Gong a few years ago on a HAL ship.  I thought she was very entertaining.

The accordionist? I had the opposite opinion, she rubbed me the wrong way, I did not stay for the whole performance and I have nothing against accordion music.

 

Thanks for the live report, richwmn. If you have the time, could you explain how you post the menus and daily planner and all, please?