Noordam Alsaka today with 21 month old

[detjason]

I am boarding the Noordam today 5/20/07 in Seattle bound for 7 day Alaska with my wife and 21 month old son. If anyone would like me to research anything or answer questions about ship services or amenities, please ask and I will look into it for you.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I will be boarding that beautiful ship just 4 weeks from today. No questions I just wish for you and your family to have a wonderful cruise and enjoy the Noordam.:) I will keep my fingers crossed that you have great weather and lots of calving at Glacier Bay.

[happycat Bainbridge Is]

What a kind offer! I am wondering about how long it takes to tender in to Sitka. We have an independent tour and are hoping to be on shore a bit before 9 a.m. I would love to hear that this is feasible and any tips on how to get an early tender (short of a suite).

 

Thanks and have a wonderful time!

[RuthC]

...any tips on how to get an early tender (short of a suite).

The way to get an early tender isn't really all that complicated. You must pay attention to when the ship is expected to arrive. Then you (and your entire party) must be in the tender ticket area (usually the show lounge) well before that time (an hour isn't too much) to get the first tickets.

 

Then sit and wait. :rolleyes: Bring something to read and all the patience you can muster. And hope there weren't too many other people with the same idea.

[happycat Bainbridge Is]

Hi Ruth,

 

Thank you for the advice. We're traveling with my parents (it's their 50th wedding anniversary this summer) and I want to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible!

 

Christy (a.k.a. happycat BI)

[hog_wild]

Oh I would love to see the dailies and menus! We board next Sunday the 27th.

 

Have fun!

[SDHALFAN]

I am boarding the Noordam today 5/20/07 in Seattle bound for 7 day Alaska with my wife and 21 month old son. If anyone would like me to research anything or answer questions about ship services or amenities, please ask and I will look into it for you.

 

I am going to be on the Amsterdam in late July, and I know that ship like the back of my hand, but I thank you for your generous offer regarding the Noordam.

 

This post is actually to say: Bon Voyage to you and your family and have a wonderful cruise.

 

Valerie:)

[Mjjpower]

I'm sure you are probably not booked in a quad but we will be in August. I would like to know if the berth comes out over the main ed or the sofa bed? I am also curious if two small children could sleep on the sofa bed or is it only big enough for one? If you happen on any of this info..or if anyone else knows that would be great!

THanks

Mary jane

[T278CHAIR]

My wife and I will be following in your path in just 2 short weeks. Someone told me not to buy suvenior clothing items on board until near the end as the price changes. I would be curious what you find. Hope you have a great cruise.

Regards,

Jim

[RuthC]

I'm sure you are probably not booked in a quad but we will be in August. I would like to know if the berth comes out over the main ed or the sofa bed? I am also curious if two small children could sleep on the sofa bed or is it only big enough for one? If you happen on any of this info..or if anyone else knows that would be great!

THanks

Mary jane

I was in an inside quad on the Noordam; it was on Main Deck. I hope this answers your question.

 

The upper berth is over the head of the two beds. If the beds are pushed together there isn't much room on each side. I don't know how anyone would access the upper.

The sofa bed is a single that folds out from the couch. I doubt two children could share it.

[detjason]

I am posting from my VE balcony on deck 5. It is 9:35 PM and I dont have any idea where we are. The sun has set but the sky is still an orange glow and my Verizon National Access still has a signal.

 

One question that I can answer at this point is that the fold out couch MAY sleep two children, depending on their size/age. It is only wide enough for two adults to sit, about 4 feet. However, I am not in a quad, so I cant answer the berth questions.

 

As for the

dailies and the menus, I dont know how I can get them to you by the 27th. We ate in the Vista Dining Room without opening seating and had no wait at 6:00 PM. The lower dining room wqas about 3/4 full. I had the Lamb and my wife had the salmon. My son had a hot dog. We all loved our meals.

[mariana5757]

I imagine you are using your smart phone rather than take advantage of HAL's very expensive internet service? I'll have to get one of those.

 

I am taking my mother on a cruise in two weeks (June 3 - 10) to celebrate her 70th birthday, and would love to know how the food is since I am so picky. Last time, the food in Alaska was wonderful, but can't say the same for food on the Oosterdam this past winter in Mexico.

 

We have a guaranteed cabin, category SY and are patiently waiting to find out which cabin we will receive.

 

If this is your first cruise to AK, I hope that when you are in Glacier Bay the sun is shining and that people actually allow you to listen to the white thunder, for it is amazing not only to watch the glacier calve, but also to be able to hear it. We did last time, but also were just a little sad that too many people weren't interested in that, but rather wanted to make a lot of noise yelling across the balconies at each other. They were having fun, which was great, but I wanted to hear the white thunder and I couldn't at times, and I am not yet elderly with hearing problems; I am still in my 40's.

 

Take care and have fun!!

[LAFFNVEGAS]

detjason, thanks for checking in. Question are you posting from your phone or a lap top using Verizon? I disconnected the internet access on my verizon razor phone because of the difficulty of getting into the CC board and being to hard to post but have been thinking of looking into the service for my laptop rather than paying the high internet on the ship for my laptop.

[luckygirl59]

I'm sure you are probably not booked in a quad but we will be in August.  I would like to know if the berth comes out over the main ed or the sofa bed?  I am also curious if two small children could sleep on the sofa bed or is it only big enough for one?  If you happen on any of this info..or if anyone else knows that would be great!
THanks
Mary jane

We are sailing June 8 and are booked into quads even though we only have 2 per cabin. I will be sure to let you know about this if no one else does in the meantime.:)

[RuthC]

One question that I can answer at this point is that the fold out couch MAY sleep two children, depending on their size/age. It is only wide enough for two adults to sit, about 4 feet. However, I am not in a quad, so I cant answer the berth questions.

Although two people can sit next to each other on the couch it doesn't fold out the entire width for the bed. Only the first cushion width folds out.

[hog_wild]

Can you tell me what is on the children's menu? We will have our kids with us, too.

 

Thanks!

Karen

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Can you tell me what is on the children's menu? We will have our kids with us, too.

 

Thanks!

Karen

 

Chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, fish and chips, hot dog, PB & J sandwich, cheeseburger, french fries, pizza, "pisgetti":), grilled cheese, and chicken soup.

 

(Pssst, here's a secret, as Ruth can tell you, you don't actually have to be a kid to order from the kids' menu;) )

 

Karin

[Mjjpower]

Thank you for all the Quad answers! I really appreciate it. I remember reading somewhere that the steward will actually make your bed up at night with the head/pillows down at the foot of the bed so that if the berth is open (which it will be in our case) we won't keep hitting our heads on it. Seems strange to me that they didn't put it over the sofa but we will make do.

Mary Jane

[RuthC]

(Pssst, here's a secret, as Ruth can tell you, you don't actually have to be a kid to order from the kids' menu;) )

<burp> 'cuse me. :D

[detjason]

 

As for the

dailies and the menus, I dont know how I can get them to you by the 27th. We ate in the Vista Dining Room without opening seating and had no wait at 6:00 PM. The lower dining room wqas about 3/4 full. I had the Lamb and my wife had the salmon. My son had a hot dog. We all loved our meals.

 

I wanted to correct this post. I meant to say "without a reservation" not without open seating. We have had no problem with Open Dining or As You Wish (whatever they are calling it). In fact, on two occasions, there was a line for reserved seating. We have not had to wait at all. We just walk up and are seated.

[detjason]

detjason, thanks for checking in. Question are you posting from your phone or a lap top using Verizon?

 

I have National Access with Verizon via my Blackberry. I think I must have had a roaming signal from Canada. The cellular service on the ship does not allow data.

 

Currently, I am in Universe Cyber Lounge at 109 S. Franklin, Juneau, AK. at $4 an hour, it is about 10% of the HAL Explorations Cafe, and about 100 times faster.

 

There are a handful of Internet cafe's on Franklin St in Juneau.

[detjason]

 

If this is your first cruise to AK, I hope that when you are in Glacier Bay the sun is shining and that people actually allow you to listen to the white thunder, for it is amazing not only to watch the glacier calve, but also to be able to hear it. We did last time, but also were just a little sad that too many people weren't interested in that, but rather wanted to make a lot of noise yelling across the balconies at each other. They were having fun, which was great, but I wanted to hear the white thunder and I couldn't at times, and I am not yet elderly with hearing problems; I am still in my 40's.

 

Take care and have fun!!

 

It is our 2nd cruise to AK but first on HAL and first time to Sitka, Victoria and Glacier Bay.

 

The sun was shining yesterday in GB. The narrator said it was about a 5% chance that we would have so much sunshine. At one point, I was on my balcony in direct sunlight wishing I had a pair of shorts to put on.

 

We saw so many chunks of glacier fall. The park ranger doing the narration mentioned one chunk was the biggest he had seen. About 5 minutes later, a chunk 4 times bigger fell. The waves rocked our boat gently.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

It is our 2nd cruise to AK but first on HAL and first time to Sitka, Victoria and Glacier Bay.

 

The sun was shining yesterday in GB. The narrator said it was about a 5% chance that we would have so much sunshine. At one point, I was on my balcony in direct sunlight wishing I had a pair of shorts to put on.

 

We saw so many chunks of glacier fall. The park ranger doing the narration mentioned one chunk was the biggest he had seen. About 5 minutes later, a chunk 4 times bigger fell. The waves rocked our boat gently.

 

 

How exciting, that is great:) I hope we have it half as good 4 weeks from today;)

[detjason]

detjason, thanks for checking in. Question are you posting from your phone or a lap top using Verizon? I disconnected the internet access on my verizon razor phone because of the difficulty of getting into the CC board and being to hard to post but have been thinking of looking into the service for my laptop rather than paying the high internet on the ship for my laptop.

 

I am using my laptop, which is connected to my Blackberry. When the connection is good, it is fast enough, but slower then standard wifi. However, with the unlimited Verizon plan, it is unlimited use.

[detjason]

Can you tell me what is on the children's menu? We will have our kids with us, too.

 

Thanks!

Karen

 

The children's menu has 6 selections from memory. I will follow up when I look at it again and commit it to memory. Hot dog, pizza, PB & J, pasta, etc. We have only ordered from it once so far, opting to get him an apetizer and fruit so far. At the Lido, where it is buffet style, it is easier to find something he likes.

 

They are so accomodating that you can just ask them for something and they will get it. We asked for a hot dog in the Vista on the fly when he started to fuss and we had it with in minutes.

 

More details on kids at restaurants later.